# To the Philippians 4.3

- Author: [Polycarp of Smyrna](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/polycarp-of-smyrna/)
- Work: [To the Philippians](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/pol-philippians/) (*Epistula ad Philippenses*)
- Date: ca. 110–135 (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:288; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 282–301 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Also in: PG 5:1009a (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/pol-philippians/4/3/

Summary: Widows are to pray constantly and avoid slander and greed, knowing that they are God's altar and that God sees every secret thought.

## Greek text

τὰς χήρας σωφρονούσας περὶ τὴν τοῦ κυρίου πίστιν, ἐντυγχανούσας ἀδιαλείπτως περὶ πάντων, μακρὰν οὔσας πάσης διαβολῆς, καταλαλιᾶς, ψευδομαρτυρίας, φιλαργυρίας καὶ παντὸς κακοῦ, γινωσκούσας ὅτι εἰσὶ θυσιαστήριον θεοῦ καὶ ὅτι πάντα μωμοσκοπεῖται, καὶ λέληθεν αὐτὸν οὐδὲν οὔτε λογισμῶν οὔτε ἐννοιῶν οὔτε τι τῶν κρυπτῶν τῆς καρδίας.

## English translation (Claude)

[let us teach] the widows to be sensible about the faith of the Lord, to pray unceasingly for everyone, to be far from all slander, evil-speaking, false witness, love of money, and every evil, knowing that they are God's altar, and that everything is inspected for blemishes, and that nothing escapes him, whether of thoughts or intentions or any of the secrets of the heart.

## Scripture references

- 1 Tim 5:5: allusion, medium confidence
- 1 Cor 14:25: echo, medium confidence

## Translation notes

- “God's altar”: the widows' prayers and the gifts they receive are offered to God, so their life must be without blemish.
- “Inspected for blemishes” (μωμοσκοπεῖται) is a technical term for examining sacrificial animals.

## Citation (SBL)

Pol. Phil. 4.3 (PG 5:1009a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/pol-philippians/4/3/).