Sophia Scriptura

Miscellanies 4.17.106

Clement of Alexandria · Miscellanies · ca. 198–203 · Alexandria · Read in context

Summary: Following 1 Clement, Abraham, Job, and Moses are models of humility: Abraham called himself dust and ashes, Job confessed no one is pure, Moses called himself slow of tongue; God gives grace to the humble.

Greek text · Stählin 2:294–295

ὁ γάρ τοι φίλος θεοῦ διὰ πίστιν ἐλευθέραν κληθεὶς Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἐπήρθη τῇ δόξῃ, μετριοπαθῶν δὲ ἔλεγεν· ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι γῆ καὶ σποδός. περί τε τοῦ Ἰὼβ οὕτως γέγραπται· ›Ἰὼβ δὲ ἦν δίκαιος καὶ ἄμεμπτος, ἀληθινὸς καὶ θεοσεβής, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ.‹ οὗτος ὁ νικήσας διʼ ὑπομονῆς τὸν πειράσαντα καὶ μαρτυρήσας ἅμα καὶ μαρτυρηθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὃς ταπεινοφροσύνης ἀντέχεται καὶ λέγει· οὐδεὶς καθαρὸς ἀπὸ ῥύπου, οὐδʼ εἰ μιᾶς ἡμέρας ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ. Μωυσῆς, ὁ πιστὸς θεράπων ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ, πρὸς τὸν χρηματίζοντα ἐκ τῆς βάτου εἶπεν· τίς εἰμι ἐγώ, ὅτι με πέμπεις; ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι ἰσχνόφωνος καὶ βραδύγλωσσος φωνὴν κυρίου διὰ γλώσσης ἀνθρωπίνης διακονῆσαι. καὶ πάλιν· ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι ἀτμὶς ἀπὸ χύτρας. θεὸς γὰρ ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσι χάριν.

English · Claude translation

“For Abraham, called the friend of God through free faith, was not puffed up by glory, but with moderation said, ‘I am earth and ashes.’ And about Job it is written thus: ‘Job was righteous and blameless, true and God-fearing, abstaining from every evil.’” He who conquered the tempter through endurance, and both bore witness and was borne witness to by God, holds to humility and says: “No one is pure from filth, not even if his life is one day.” “Moses, the faithful servant in all his house,” said to the one who gave oracles from the bush: “Who am I, that you send me? I am weak-voiced and slow of tongue,” to serve the Lord's voice with a human tongue. And again: “I am vapor from a pot.” “For God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

About this passage

Source
Stählin 2:294–295 · Otto Stählin, ed., Clemens Alexandrinus, vol. 2, Stromata Buch I–VI, GCS 15 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1906); vol. 3, Stromata Buch VII und VIII, GCS 17 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1909) · Greek text: Otto Stählin, Clemens Alexandrinus 2–3 (GCS 15, 17, 1906–1909), digitized by the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0
Translation
Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 · Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Stählin (1906–1909); made independently of existing English translations.
Scripture
Extrabiblical texts
  • 1 Clem. 17.2–5; 30.2 (1 Clement) · quotation, high confidence
Topics
Ethics

Notes

Translation notes

  • The quotations are 1 Clem. 17.2–5 (with Gen 18:27, Job 1:1, Job 14:4–5, Num 12:7, Exod 3:11; 4:10, and an unknown saying “I am vapor from a pot”) and 1 Clem. 30.2 (Prov 3:34).

Cite this passage

Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.17.106 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/17/106/).

Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.17.106 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/17/106/).

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