Didache 2.2
Summary: Commandments against murder, adultery, abuse of boys, sexual immorality, theft, magic, abortion, and infanticide.
Greek text · Lake, LCL 24:310–312
οὐ φονεύσεις, οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ παιδοφθορήσεις, οὐ πορνεύσεις, οὐ κλέψεις, οὐ μαγεύσεις, οὐ φαρμακεύσεις, οὐ φονεύσεις τέκνον ἐν φθορᾷ, οὐδὲ γεννηθὲν ἀποκτενεῖς, οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις τὰ τοῦ πλησίον.
English · Claude translation
You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not corrupt boys; you shall not commit sexual immorality; you shall not steal; you shall not practice magic; you shall not use sorcery; you shall not murder a child by abortion, nor kill one that has been born; you shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- “Corrupt boys” (παιδοφθορήσεις): the sexual abuse of boys, a practice widely tolerated in Greco-Roman society.
- “Commit sexual immorality” (πορνεύσεις): see the glossary on πορνεία.
- “Use sorcery” (φαρμακεύσεις): the making of potions and drugs, a word also used of drugs taken to cause abortion.
- “By abortion” (ἐν φθορᾷ): literally “by destruction”; the usual ancient Christian term for abortion.
Cite this passage
Did. 2.2 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/didache/2/2/).
Plain text
Did. 2.2 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/didache/2/2/).
Download citation:BibTeX ·RIS (Zotero, EndNote)