Miscellanies 3.15.97
Summary: “Better to marry than to burn” preserves mutual marital duty; “hate father, mother, wife” means not to be led by irrational impulses, since the same Scripture commands honoring parents; the married should not divorce, and the one vowed to celibacy should stay unmarried.
Greek text · Stählin 2:240–241
εἰκότως οὖν φησι· κρεῖττον γαμεῖν ἢ πυροῦσθαι, ὅπως ὁ ἀνὴρ ἀποδιδῷ τῇ γυναικὶ τὴν ὀφειλὴν καὶ ἡ γυνὴ τῷ ἀνδρί, καὶ μὴ ἀποστερῶσιν ἀλλήλους τῆς διὰ τῆς θείας οἰκονομίας εἰς γένεσιν δοθείσης βοηθείας. ὃς δʼ ἂν μὴ μισήσῃ, φασί, πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ἢ γυναῖκα ἢ τέκνα, ἐμὸς εἶναι μαθητὴς οὐ δύναται. οὐ τὸ γένος μισεῖν παρακελεύεται· τίμα, γάρ φησι, πατέρα καὶ μητέρα, ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀπάγου, φησίν, ἀλόγοις ὁρμαῖς μηδὲ μὴν τοῖς πολιτικοῖς ἔθεσι συνάπτου· οἶκος μὲν γὰρ ἐκ γένους συνίσταται, πόλεις δὲ ἐξ οἴκων, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τοὺς περὶ γάμον ἀσχολουμένους κόσμῳ ἀρέσκειν ἔφη. Πάλιν ὁ κύριός φησιν· ὁ γήμας μὴ ἐκβαλλέτω καὶ ὁ μὴ γαμήσας μὴ γαμείτω, ὁ κατὰ πρόθεσιν εὐνουχίας ὁμολογήσας μὴ γῆμαι ἄγαμος διαμενέτω.
English · Claude translation
Fittingly, then, he says, “It is better to marry than to burn,” so that the husband may render to the wife what is due and the wife to the husband, and they may not deprive each other of the help given for birth by the divine arrangement. “And whoever does not hate,” they say, “father or mother or wife or children cannot be my disciple.” He does not command hatred of one's family; for he says, “Honor father and mother, that it may be well with you.” But he says: do not be led away by irrational impulses, and do not attach yourself to civic customs; for a house consists of family, and cities of houses, as Paul too said that those occupied with marriage please the world. Again the Lord says: “Let the one who has married not put away, and let the one who has not married not marry”; the one who has professed, by a purpose of celibacy, not to marry, let him remain unmarried.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations and allusions are 1 Cor 7:9, 3, 5, Luke 14:26, Exod 20:12 (Eph 6:2–3), 1 Cor 7:33, and a saying attributed to the Lord (“Let the one who has married not put away…”; compare 1 Cor 7:10–11, 27).
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.15.97 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/15/97/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.15.97 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/15/97/).
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