# 1 Clement 23.4

- Author: [Clement of Rome](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/clement-of-rome/)
- Work: [1 Clement](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/1-clement/) (*Epistula I ad Corinthios*)
- Date: ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:50; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 8–121 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/1-clement/23/4/

Summary: Like fruit on a vine, God's promises ripen in their time.

## Greek text

ὦ ἀνόητοι, συμβάλετε ἑαυτοὺς ξύλῳ· λάβετε ἄμπελον· πρῶτον μὲν φυλλοροεῖ, εἶτα βλαστὸς γίνεται, εἶτα φύλλον, εἶτα ἄνθος, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ὄμφαξ, εἶτα σταφυλὴ παρεστηκυῖα. ὁρᾶτε, ὅτι ἐν καιρῷ ὀλίγῳ εἰς πέπειρον καταντᾷ ὁ καρπὸς τοῦ ξύλου.

## English translation (Claude)

You fools, compare yourselves to a tree; take a vine: first it sheds its leaves, then comes a shoot, then a leaf, then a flower, and after that the sour grape, then the ripe bunch.’ You see that in a short time the fruit of the tree comes to ripeness.

## Scripture references

- Mark 13:28: echo, low confidence

## Citation (SBL)

1 Clem. 23.4 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/1-clement/23/4/).