Sophia Scriptura

Miscellanies 4.17.109

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

Summary: Following 1 Clement, faith in Christ confirms the psalm's call to fear the Lord, avoid evil, do good, and seek peace, which Clement reads as the mystery of the seventh and eighth: perfection in deed and word.

Greek text · Stählin 2:296

ταῦτα δὲ πάντα βεβαιοῖ ἡ ἐν Χριστῷ πίστις· ›δεῦτε, τέκνα, ‹ ὁ κύριος λέγει· ›ἀκούσατέ μου, φόβον κυρίου διδάξω ὑμᾶς. τίς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὁ θέλων ζωήν, ἀγαπῶν ἡμέρας ἰδεῖν ἀγαθάς; εἶτα ἑβδομάδος καὶ ὀγδοάδος μυστήριον γνωστικὸν ἐπιφέρει· ›παῦσον τὴν γλῶσσάν σου ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ χείλη σου τοῦ μὴ λαλῆσαι δόλον· ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν, ζήτησον εἰρήνην καὶ δίωξον αὐτήν.‹ γνῶσιν γὰρ αἰνίττεται διὰ τούτων μετά τε ἀποχῆς κακῶν μετά τε ἐνεργείας ἀγαθῶν, ἔργῳ τε καὶ λόγῳ τελειοῦσθαι διδάσκων. ὀφθαλμοὶ κυρίου ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ὦτα αὐτοῦ εἰς δέησιν αὐτῶν· πρόσωπον δὲ κυρίου ἐπὶ ποιοῦντας κακά, τοῦ ἐξολοθρεῦσαι ἐκ γῆς τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν.

English · Claude translation

“All these things faith in Christ confirms: ‘Come, children,’” says the Lord, “‘listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, who loves to see good days?’” Then he adds the knowing mystery of the seventh and eighth: “‘Stop your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit; turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.’” For by these words he hints at knowledge, with abstaining from evils and doing good things, teaching us to be perfected in deed and word. “‘The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears toward their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to destroy their memory from the earth.’”

About this passage

Source
Stählin 2:296 · 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
  • Ps 34:11 (33:12 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Ps 34:12 (33:13 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Ps 34:13 (33:14 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Ps 34:14 (33:15 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Ps 34:15 (33:16 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
  • Ps 34:16 (33:17 LXX) · quotation, high confidence
Extrabiblical texts
  • 1 Clem. 22.1–6 (1 Clement) · quotation, high confidence
Topics
Ethics, Prayer

Notes

Translation notes

  • The quotation is 1 Clem. 22.1–6 (Ps 34:11–16, 33:12–17 LXX). The “seventh and eighth” refer to stages of perfection (the seventh day and the eighth, resurrection day).

Cite this passage

Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.17.109 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/17/109/).

Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.17.109 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/17/109/).

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