Miscellanies 7.11.61
Summary: Taught by the Lord, the one who knows never prefers pleasure to what is right, resisting temptation as Joseph did, and remains unshaken by disease or death, which God uses as a saving medicine.
Greek text · Stählin 2
Πρόεισιν οὖν ἐγγυμναζόμενος τῇ ἐπιστημονικῇ θεωρίᾳ εἰς τὸ ἐναγωνίσασθαι τοῖς καθολικώτερον καὶ μεγαλοπρεπέστερον εἰρημένοις. εἰδὼς εὖ μάλα ὅτι »ὁ διδάσκων ἄνθρωπον γνῶσιν« κατὰ τὸν προφήτην »κύριός« ἐστιν, διὰ στόματος ἀνθρωπίνου κύριος ἐνεργῶν· ταύτῃ καὶ σάρκα ἀνείληφεν. εἰκότως οὖν οὐδέποτε τὸ ἡδὺ πρὸ τοῦ συμφέροντος αἱρεῖται, οὐδʼ ἂν προκαλῆται αὐτὸν κατά τινα περίστασιν προκαταληφθέντα ἑταιρικῶς ἐκβιαζομένη ὡραία γυνή, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ παράγειν τῆς ἐνστάσεως ἴσχυσεν ἡ τοῦ δεσπότου γυνή. ἀπεδύσατο δὲ αὐτῇ πρὸς βίαν κατεχούσῃ τὸν χιτῶνα, γυμνὸς μὲν τῆς ἁμαρτίας γενόμενος, τὸ κόσμιον δὲ τοῦ ἤθους περιβαλλόμενος. εἰ γὰρ καὶ οἱ τοῦ δεσπότου ὀφθαλμοὶ οὐχ ἑώρων, τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου λέγω, τὸν Ἰωσήφ, ἀλλʼ οἵ γε τοῦ παντοκράτορος ἐπεσκόπουν. ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ τῆς φωνῆς ἀκούομεν καὶ τὰ σώματα θεωροῦμεν, ὁ θεὸς δὲ τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀφʼ οὗ φέρεται τὸ φωνεῖν καὶ βλέπειν, ἐξετάζει. ἀκολούθως ἄρα κἂν νόσος ἐπίῃ καί τι τῶν περιστατικῶν τῷ γνωστικῷ, καὶ δὴ μάλιστα ὁ φοβερώτατος θάνατος, ἄτρεπτος μένει κατὰ τὴν ψυχήν, πάντα εἰδὼς τὰ τοιαῦτα κτίσεως ἀνάγκην εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως δυνάμει τοῦ θεοῦ »φάρμακον« γίνεσθαι »σωτηρίας«, διὰ παιδείας τοὺς ἀπηνέστερον μεταρρυθμιζομένους εὐεργετοῦντα, πρὸς τῆς ἀγαθῆς ὄντως κατʼ ἀξίαν μεριζόμενα προνοίας.
English · Claude translation
He advances, then, exercising himself in understanding contemplation, so as to wrestle with the things said more universally and more magnificently, knowing very well that “he who teaches man knowledge,” as the prophet says, is “the Lord,” the Lord working through a human mouth; that is why he also took on flesh. Reasonably, then, he never chooses the pleasant before the beneficial; not even if a beautiful woman, having caught him in some situation, should entice him and press him like a courtesan, since not even his master's wife could lead Joseph away from his steadfastness. He stripped off his tunic and left it with her as she held him by force, becoming naked of sin but clothed with the decency of his character. For even if the eyes of his master, I mean the Egyptian, did not see Joseph, the eyes of the Almighty were watching. For we hear the voice and see the bodies, but God examines the reality from which speaking and seeing come. Consequently, even if disease or some calamity comes upon the one who knows, and especially the most fearful of all, death, he remains unchanged in soul, knowing that all such things are a necessity of created nature, but that even so, by the power of God, they become a “medicine of salvation,” benefiting through discipline those who are harder to reform, being apportioned according to desert by a providence that is truly good.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotation is Ps 94:10 (93:10 LXX); the story is Gen 39:7–12. The source of “medicine of salvation” is unidentified.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text; stray periods in the digital text): πρὸ τοῦ συμφέροντος αἱρεῖται. οὐδʼ → πρὸ τοῦ συμφέροντος αἱρεῖται, οὐδʼ; τὸν χιτῶνα. γυμνὸς μὲν τῆς ἁμαρτίας γενόμενος. τὸ κόσμιον → τὸν χιτῶνα, γυμνὸς μὲν τῆς ἁμαρτίας γενόμενος, τὸ κόσμιον; τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου λέγω. τὸν Ἰωσήφ → τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου λέγω, τὸν Ἰωσήφ.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.11.61 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/11/61/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.11.61 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/11/61/).
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