Sophia Scriptura

Miscellanies 6.17.158

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

Summary: God, like a shepherd, cares for each person, and especially for gifted leaders and teachers through whom his providence benefits many; every virtuous thing comes from virtue and leads to it.

Greek text · Stählin 2:513

ὁ γοῦν ποιμὴν καὶ τῶν καθʼ ἕκαστον κήδεται προβάτων, καὶ μάλιστα τούτοις σύνεστι προσεχεστέρα ἡ ἐπισκοπή, ὅσοι διαπρεπεῖς τὰς φύσεις τε καὶ δυνατοὶ τὰ πλήθη συνωφελεῖν ὑπάρχουσιν. οὗτοι δʼ εἰσὶν οἱ ἡγεμονικοὶ καὶ παιδευτικοί, διʼ ὧν ἡ ἐνέργεια τῆς προνοίας ἀριδήλως δείκνυται, ὁπηνίκα ἂν ἢ διὰ παιδείας ἢ διʼ ἀρχῆς τινος καὶ διοικήσεως εὖ ποιεῖν ἐθέλῃ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὁ θεός. ἐθέλει δὲ πάντοτε· διὸ συγκινεῖ τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους εἰς τὴν ὠφέλιμον ἐξεργασίαν τῶν πρὸς ἀρετήν τε καὶ εἰρήνην καὶ εἰς εὐποιίαν συντεινόντων. τὸ δὲ ἐνάρετον πᾶν ἀπʼ ἀρετῆς τέ ἐστι καὶ πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἀναφέρεται, καὶ ἤτοι πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι σπουδαίους δίδοται ἢ πρὸς τὸ ὄντας χρῆσθαι τοῖς κατὰ φύσιν προτερήμασι· συνεργεῖ γὰρ ἔν τε τοῖς καθʼ ὅλου ἔν τε τοῖς ἐπὶ μέρους.

English · Claude translation

The shepherd, at any rate, cares for each of the sheep individually, and closer oversight attends especially those who are outstanding in nature and able to benefit the multitudes. These are those fitted to lead and to teach, through whom the activity of providence is shown clearly, whenever God wishes to benefit men either through education or through some rule and administration. And he wishes it always. That is why he moves those who are suitable to the useful working-out of what contributes to virtue, to peace, and to doing good. Everything virtuous comes from virtue and refers back to virtue, and it is given either so that people may become good or so that those who are good may use their natural advantages. For it cooperates both in general and in particular.

About this passage

Source
Stählin 2:513 · 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
Text
As printed in Stählin, GCS 15, 17. Manuscript variants and the editor's apparatus are not reproduced; no textual problem is noted in this passage.
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.
Compare
Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2 (1885) (an older public-domain English translation, whole volume at CCEL; checked against ours only after ours was made) · Book 3 is left partly untranslated (in Latin) there.
Scripture

Notes

Translation notes

  • The shepherd image recalls Luke 15:4 and John 10:3, 11.

Cite this passage

Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.17.158 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/17/158/).

Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.17.158 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/17/158/).

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