# 1 Clement 59.3

- 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 24:110–112; 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/59/3/

Summary: The great prayer praises God, who humbles the proud and lifts the lowly.

## Greek text

... ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἀρχεγόνον πάσης κτίσεως ὄνομά σου, ἀνοίξας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ γινώσκειν σε τὸν μόνον ὕψιστον ἐν ὑψίστοις, ἅγιον ἐν ἁγίοις ἀναπαυόμενον, τὸν ταπεινοῦντα ὕβριν ὑπερηφάνων, τὸν διαλύοντα λογισμοὺς ἐθνῶν, τὸν ποιοῦντα ταπεινοὺς εἰς ὕψος καὶ τοὺς ὑψηλοὺς ταπεινοῦντα, τὸν πλουτίζοντα καὶ πτωχίζοντα, τὸν ἀποκτείνοντα καὶ ζῆν ποιοῦντα, μόνον εὑρέτην πνευμάτων καὶ θεὸν πάσης σαρκός· τὸν ἐπιβλέποντα ἐν τοῖς ἀβύσσοις, τὸν ἐπόπτην ἀνθρωπίνων ἔργων, τὸν τῶν κινδυνευόντων βοηθόν, τὸν τῶν ἀπηλπισμένων σωτῆρα, τὸν παντὸς πνεύματος κτίστην καὶ ἐπίσκοπον· τὸν πληθύνοντα ἔθνη ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ ἐκ πάντων ἐκλεξάμενον τοὺς ἀγαπῶντάς σε διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ ἠγαπημένου παιδός σου, διʼ οὗ ἡμᾶς ἐπαίδευσας, ἡγίασας, ἐτίμησας·

## English translation (Claude)

[grant us, Lord,] to hope on your name, the source of all creation; open the eyes of our heart to know you, who alone are Highest among the highest, Holy resting among the holy; who humble the insolence of the proud, who destroy the reasonings of the nations, who set the lowly on high and bring low the lofty, who make rich and make poor, who kill and make alive, the only finder of spirits and God of all flesh; who look into the abysses, the overseer of human works, the helper of those in danger, the Savior of those in despair, the Creator and Overseer of every spirit; who multiply the nations on the earth and have chosen from them all those who love you through Jesus Christ, your beloved Servant, through whom you have instructed us, sanctified us, and honored us.

## Scripture references

- Eph 1:18: allusion, medium confidence
- Isa 57:15: allusion, high confidence
- Isa 13:11: allusion, medium confidence
- Ps 33:10 (32:10 LXX): allusion, medium confidence
- Job 5:11: allusion, medium confidence
- 1 Sam 2:7: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 1:52: echo, medium confidence
- Deut 32:39: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Sam 2:6: allusion, medium confidence
- Num 16:22: allusion, high confidence
- Num 27:16: allusion, medium confidence

## Extrabiblical texts

- Jdt 9:11 (Judith): allusion, medium confidence
- Sir 16:18 (Sirach): echo, low confidence

## Translation notes

- “[Grant us, Lord,]”: a few words seem to have dropped out at the start of this section; the text marks the gap, and editors supply words like these from the sense.
- “The only finder of spirits” (μόνον εὑρέτην πνευμάτων): so Lake’s text; some editors read εὐεργέτην, “the only benefactor of spirits.”
- “Overseer” (ἐπίσκοπον): the word also means “bishop.”

## Citation (SBL)

1 Clem. 59.3 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/1-clement/59/3/).