# Exegetical and Miscellaneous Fragments

- Author: [Dionysius of Alexandria](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/dionysius-of-alexandria/)
- Latin title: *Fragmenta exegetica et miscellanea*
- Date: ca. 248–265 (approximate)
- Source: Charles Lett Feltoe, ed., The Letters and Other Remains of Dionysius of Alexandria, Cambridge Patristic Texts (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1904), pp. 199–262 (OCR made for this site)

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Editions and translations: Karl Holl, ed., Fragmente vornicänischer Kirchenväter aus den Sacra Parallela, TU 20.2 (1899; cited only)
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/
- Passages: 13

## Fragment E I (on Genesis 2, paradise)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/1/#p-1
- Source: Feltoe, 199
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: Against those who place paradise above the world, Dionysius asks how the earthly man could have been formed and brought into it and the creatures brought to Adam to be named.

### Greek text

"Edy δὲ τὸν παράδεισον μὴ τοῦ κόσμου μέρος εἶναι λέγοις μηδὲ ἐν αὐτῷ γεγονέναι μηδὲ σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ κατέπδγοεν ὁ θεός γεγράφθαι GAN ὑπερκόσμιον χωρίον, πῶς τὸν γήινον ἐκεῖ πλάσας τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰσήγαγεν; πῶς δὲ ἐκεῖ ἔπλδλοεν ὁ θεὸς ἔτι ἐκ τῆς γῆς τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα Kai ἤγαγεν ἀὐτὰ πρὸς αὐτόν, ἰλεῖν τί Kadécel ἀὐτά; ποῦ ξύλον θανατηφόρον

### English translation (Claude)

But if you say that paradise is not a part of the world, nor came into being in it, nor is written to have been made by God together with the other things, but is a place above the world, how did he bring in there the earthly man whom he had formed? And how did God there still form from the earth the man and the woman, and bring them to him, to see what he would call them? Where (was) the tree that brings death …

### Scripture references

- Gen 2:8: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 2:19: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 2:17: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Fragments of Dionysius of Alexandria from Feltoe, ΔΙΟΝΥΣΙΟΥ ΛΕΙΨΑΝΑ (1904); text from uncorrected OCR, in which Feltoe's apparatus and English notes sometimes leak into the Greek. Larger leaks are removed by logged corrections; other misreadings are translated by sense.
- The phrase ‘to see what he would call them’ is Gen 2:19, where the creatures are brought to Adam; the words ‘the man and the woman’ in the staged text may be garbled. The fragment breaks off.

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 1 (Feltoe, 199; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/1/#p-1).

## Fragment E II (on Job)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/1/#p-2
- Source: Feltoe, 201
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: From a commentary on Job: Job's rebuke of his wife recalls Eve, deceived by the serpent's cunning; God's works surpass all number; and wisdom, hidden from most, comes from God alone, as Job, Proverbs, Wisdom, Sirach and Baruch testify.

### Greek text

Τὸ δέ “Ὥςπερ mia TON ἀφρόνων ἐλάλησε, τινες εἰς τὴν Eiav ἐξέλαβον. (1) ᾿Βκείνην, φησίν, ἐμιμήσω τὴν πρώτην δεξαμένην τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὸ βέλος, καὶ συμβουλαῖς ὁμοίαις παρακρουσαμένην τὸν εἰκόνι θεοῦ τετιμημένον ἐκεῖνον καὶ πάσης κακίας ἐλεύθερον. ἠγνόησε yap τοῦ ὄφεως. τὰ πολύπλοκα καὶ σκολιὰ νοήματα, καὶ τὴν ἀγρίαν καὶ ἀτίθασον «φρόνησιν, διʼ ἣν οὐκ ἀνθρώπων φρονιμώτερος λέλεκται" οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν δύναιτο τῶν δικαίων ὁ ἄδικος, τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ παρέδρων ὁ ἀποστάτης. εἰ δὲ τοὺς ἄφρονας καὶ ἀνοήτους Katacodizetal, τῷ πηλῷ καὶ πλινθείᾳᾷ γοητεύων, καὶ τοὺς οὐκ aNaBOWNTAC πρὸς τὸν θεόν, διὰ τὸ μὴ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς αὐτοῦ συναισθέσθαι, εἰκότως ἐν τοῖς θηρίοις ἐκεῖνοι λογισθεῖεν, ὧν μόνον φρονιμώτερος εἶναι λέλεκται. ἀτελὴς γὰρ ἦν ἔτι καὶ ὁ ὑπ᾽ μὲν οὖν φρονιμώτερος ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἀγγέλων. πῶς γὰρ ὁ εἰς τὸ KaTaTaizecOal ὑπ ἀὐτῶν γενόμενος; πολλὰ yap κατὰ μέρος ἐπιθειάσας αὐτὸν καὶ δοξολογήσας, πάλιν συγκεφαλαιωσάμενος ἔφη" Ὃ ποιῶν μεγάλὰ Kal ὀνεξιχνίδοτα, ἔνδοξά τε Kal ἐξδίοιδ, ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν 2 εν» Η ἣ ἀριθμός. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἀναρίθμητος ὁ ἀριθμός ἐστι, καὶ τέλος οὐδὲν ἴσχει, ἐπαύξησιν ἀεὶ καὶ προσθήκην εἰς ἑαυτὸν δεχόμενος, ἐπ᾽ ἄπειρόν τε καταριθμούμενος, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπερβάλλει, φησί, σύμπαντα τὸν ἀδιεξόδευτον ἀριθμὸν ὑπερέξει γὰρ Kai ἔτι. καὶ πολὺ ἔργον ἂν εἴη τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν θειῶν γραφῶν παμμεγέθεις ὕμνους ἐκλέγοντα παρατίθεσθαι, ὧν πάντων ὑπεραινετὸς καὶ ὑπερυψούμενός ἐστιν ὁ θεός. Νυνὶ δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ ἐχόμενα τῆς ἑρμηνείας ἴωμεν. εὑρέσεως καὶ ὁ “IMB ὀρέγεται, λέγων πολλάκις" Ἢ δὲ cocdia πόθεν εὑρέθη; ποῖος δὲ τόπος ἐοτὶ τῆς ογνέοσεως καὶ τὸ ἀνέφικτον αὐτῆς καὶ ἀπερινόητον τοῖς πολλοῖς διαγράφων προστίθησι". Λέληθε Tanta ἄνθρωπον. ὅτε δὲ μόνοις ἐστὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις γνώριμος, συνεὶς ἐπιλέγει" Ὃ Κύριος CYNECTHCEN αὐτῆς THN ὁδὸν καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ἐστὶν αὕτη, πάλιν λέγει" Tap δὐτῷ codia καὶ δύναμις, aYt@ βουλὴ Kal οὕνεοιο. εἷς οὖν ὁ τῆς σοφίας γενεσιουργὸς καὶ δοτήρ, καὶ εἴ τις αὐτῆς μετέσχεν, ἔχει παρ᾽ éxeivou λαβών: Ὅτι Κύριος Aidwci οοφίδν, Kai ἀπὸ Tpocὦπου δὐτοῦ γνῶσις νυσε, καὶ ὡς ἕτερον ὅμοιον γράμμα ἐδίδαξε, φῆσαν: Ὅτι αὐτὸς καὶ τῆς οοφίδο ὁδηγός ἐστι, καὶ τῶν COPAN διορθωτήο. ἐν γὰρ χειρὶ φρόνησις Kai ἐργὰτειῶν ἐπιοτήμη. οὐ γὰρ ἄλλοθέν ποθεν ἧκεν εἰς ἡμᾶς τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ θαυμασίων οὐδέν: ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τι ἀγὰάθόν, δὐτοῦ, Kal εἴ τι ὁ Ζαχαρίας. τό τε σύστημα καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ποῦ δὲ καὶ πόθεν πάσας ὁμοθυμαδὸν περιλαμβάνοντες, καὶ καθ᾽ ἑκάστην διορίζοντες, ἀνατιθέασιν αὐτῷ, καὶ πρώτην γε τὴν σοφίαν, ἢ πρεσβυτάτη καὶ προηγουμένη τῶν ἄλλων ἐν ἡμῖν γίνεται ὥσπερ θεμέλιος, τοῖς λοιποῖς ἐποικοδομουμένοις ὑποκειμένη." ὡς γὰρ μόνος ἀγαθός ἐστιν, οὕτω καὶ σοφός" Εἷς γάρ, φησιν, écti Aynatéc, σοφὸς εφόλρὰ, κἀθήμενος ἐπὶ θρόνου δύτοῦ. καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν, διʼ ἣν τὸ ἐξαίρετον αὐτῷ τοῦτο καὶ μονοειδὲὲ ἀνῆψεν ὄνομα, προσέθηκεν εἰπών: Κύριος aytéc ἔκτιςεν kal ἐξέχεεν aYTHN ἐπὶ πόντὰ τὰ ἔργὰ δύ τοῦ. Καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτην ἡμᾶς τὴν μακαρίαν ἐπίγνωσιν ὁ Βαροὺχ παρεκάλει λέγων: Λλάθε ποῦ écti φρόνηειο, πο ἐστὶν icyyc, ποῦ ἐοτὶ cyNecic, τοῦ γνῶνδι dma ποῦ ἐστὶ τίς εὖἷρε τὸν τόπον δὐτῆς Kal τίς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τοὺς OHCaypoye ἀὐτῆς; τόπος γὰρ ὁ γόνιμος αὐτῆς καὶ θησαυρὸς ὅθεν πρόεισι καὶ τοῖς δεξαμένοις ἐπιμετρεῖται ὁ θεός ἐστι. διὸ καὶ προῃτιάσατο τοὺς οὐ μεταλαμβάνοντας αὐτοῦ. ᾿Εγκδτέλιπες yap, φησι, τὴν πηγὴν τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰ ἐπορεύθης, κἀτῴκεις ἄν ἐν εἰρήνῃ τὸν ai@na. ταῦτα μὲν διὰ μακροῦ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἡρμήνευται, ς σοφίαν νοοῦσιν ἤτοι τὴν τῶν ὄντων γνῶσιν καὶ θεωρίαν

### English translation (Claude)

The words “You have spoken as one of the foolish women” some have taken to refer to Eve. “You have imitated her,” he says, “who first received the dart of sin, and with like counsels led astray that man who was honored with the image of God and free from all evil.” For she did not know the intricate and crooked thoughts of the serpent and his wild and untamed shrewdness, through which he is said to be wiser, not than men; for the unrighteous could not be wiser than the righteous, nor the apostate than the assessors of God. But if he outwits the foolish and senseless, bewitching them with clay and brickmaking, and those who do not cry out to God because they do not perceive his plot, then those would rightly be reckoned among the beasts, than whom alone he is said to be wiser. For still imperfect was … He was not, then, wiser than men, nor yet than angels. For how could he be, who came to be mocked by them? … For having in detail ascribed divine things to him and glorified him, again, summing up, he said: “Who does great and unsearchable things, glorious and marvelous, of which there is no number.” For even if number is countless and has no end, always receiving increase and addition to itself, and being counted to infinity, yet he surpasses, he says, the whole boundless number; for he will exceed it still. And it would be a great task to select and set out the very great hymns from the divine Scriptures, above all of which God is to be praised and exalted. But now let us go on to what follows of the interpretation. … of finding; Job too reaches after it, saying often: “But wisdom, where was it found? And what is the place of understanding?” And, describing its unattainableness and incomprehensibility for most, he adds: “It has escaped every man.” And that it is known to the saints alone, understanding this, he adds: “The Lord established its way,” and so on. … it is, again he says: “With him are wisdom and power; his are counsel and understanding.” One, then, is the begetter and giver of wisdom, and if anyone has shared in it, he has it, having received it from him: “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his face come knowledge and understanding”; and as another similar writing taught, saying: “For he is both the guide of wisdom and the corrector of the wise; for in his hand are prudence and knowledge of crafts.” For nothing good and marvelous came to us from anywhere else; but if anything is good, it is his, and if anything … comprising all together the sum and fullness of them, and defining each, they ascribe them to him, and first of all wisdom, which in us is the oldest and leads the others, like a foundation laid under the rest that are built on it. For as he alone is good, so he alone is wise: “For there is one,” it says, “who is wise, greatly to be feared, seated upon his throne.” And he added the reason why he attached to him this special and unique name, saying: “The Lord himself created her, and poured her out upon all his works.” And to this blessed knowledge Baruch exhorted us, saying: “Learn where prudence is, where strength is, where understanding is, so as to know at the same time … Who has found her place, and who has entered into her treasuries?” For the fertile place of wisdom, and the treasury from which she comes forth and is measured out to those who receive her, is God. Therefore he also reproached beforehand those who do not partake of him: “For you have forsaken,” he says, “the fountain; if you had walked in the way of God, you would have dwelt in peace for ever.” These things have been interpreted at length by others, … who understand wisdom as the knowledge and contemplation of beings …

### Scripture references

- Job 2:10: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 3:1: allusion, high confidence
- Exod 1:14: allusion, medium confidence
- Job 5:9: quotation, high confidence
- Job 28:12: quotation, high confidence
- Job 28:21: quotation, medium confidence
- Job 28:23: quotation, high confidence
- Job 12:13: quotation, high confidence
- Prov 2:6: quotation, high confidence
- Mark 10:18: allusion, medium confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Wis 7:15-16 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence
- Sir 1:8-9 (Sirach): quotation, high confidence
- Bar 3:14-15 (Baruch): quotation, high confidence
- Bar 3:12-13 (Baruch): quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Several pieces of the commentary run together, with gaps (…). ‘Bewitching them with clay and brickmaking’ alludes to Egypt's bondage (Exod 1:14) as a figure of the devil's enslavement.
- The quotations from Wisdom, Sirach and Baruch are from books outside the Protestant canon.

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 2 (Feltoe, 201; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/1/#p-2).

## Fragment E III (on Ecclesiastes)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/1/#p-3
- Source: Feltoe, 210
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: Fragments of a commentary on Ecclesiastes 1–4: true advantage lies in toil ‘above the sun’; worldly wisdom and pleasure are vanity; only God's wisdom stands fast; the wise man fixes the eyes of his mind on Christ; and the ‘times’ of chapter 3 are read of passion and resurrection, law and gospel.

### Greek text

Στίχ. α΄ Υἱοῦ Δαβὶδ βασιλέως Ἰσραὴλ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Οὕτω καὶ Ματθαῖος υἱὸν Δαβὶδ ὀνομάζει τὸν κύριον. Στίχ. Τίς περισσεία τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, ᾧ μοχθεῖ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον; Τίς γὰρ ἐκ τῆς τῶν γηίνων ἐργασίας πλουτήσας, δίπηχυς ὑπάρχων, τρίπηχυς ἐγένετο, ἢ τυφλὸς ὤν, ἀνέβλεψεν; οὐκοῦν ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον τοὺς πόνους πεμπτέον. ἐκεῖ γὰρ οἱ μόχθοι τῶν ἀρετῶν διαβαίνουσι.... Ἄλλοι δὲ τὸ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον δηλοῦν ᾠήθησαν καὶ τὴν γεωργικὴν ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ φιλεργίαν λέξεσιν αὐταῖς εἰπόντες, τὰς περὶ τὴν γῆν ἐργασίας φασίν. οὐδετέραν γὰρ ἐκδοχὴν προσίεται τῆς ἀληθείας ὁ λόγος. τὰ γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ γεγονότα πᾶντὰ καλὰ λίαν ἐμαρτυρήθησαν: καὶ οὔτε τῷ λόγῳ τῆς θείας γραφῆς οἷόν τέ ἐστιν ἀντιφάσκειν, οὔτε τὴν διεγνωσμένην καὶ κατειίλημμένην χρησιμότητα καὶ καλλονὴν καὶ τάξιν τῆς φύσεως τῶν ὄντων καὶ φαινομένων ὁπωσοῦν ἐνδιαβάλλειν προσἥκεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τὰς γεωργικὰς ἐπιμελείας καὶ γηπονίας καὶ φιλεργίας ἐσχηκότας ἀνθρώπους παλαιοὺς καὶ νέους κατασεμνυνομένους εὑρίσκομεν ὑπὸ τῆς θείας γραφῆς" ὡς το Η ᾽ ΠῚ: ᾽ ἔμπαλιν τοὺς ἀμελεῖς καὶ ἀργοὺς καὶ ῥᾳθύμους μέμψεσι πολλαῖς καθυποβεβλημένους κτλ. Στίχ. Γενεὰ πορεγετδι καὶ γενεὰ ἔρχετοι, ἡ δὲ γῆ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἕστηκε. ᾽Αλλ᾽ οὐκ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Στίχ. ις'΄ ᾿Ελάληολ ἐγὼ ἐν κἀρδίᾷ. ΜΟΥ τοῦ λέγειν" ᾿ΙΔΟΥ ἐγὼ ἐμεγδλύνθην καὶ προσέθηκὰ σοφίαν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἱ ἐγένοντο ἔμπροοθέν μου ἐν ἹἹερογοδλήμ᾽" καὶ Η κρδίδι ΜΟΥ εἶλε πολλὴν φςοφίδν: καὶ γνῶσιν. Στίχ. ιζὨ Παραβολάς καὶ ἐπιστήμην ἔγνων" ὅτι καί γε τοῦτο προδίρεεις πνεύματος. Στίχ. ιην Ὅτι ἐν πλήθει σοφίαο πλῆθος γνώσεως, καὶ το Ἐφυσιώθην μάτην καὶ προσέθηκα σοφίαν, οὐχ ἣν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς ἀλλὰ περὶ ἧς φησὶν ὁ Παῦλος" Ἢ σοφία ΤΟΥ͂ κόσμου τούτου μωρίὰ πὰρὰ τῷ θεῷ. Σολομὼν γὰρ καὶ ταύτην ἐπεπαίδευτο ὑπὲρ τὴν φρόνησιν πάντων τῶν ἀρχαίων. δείκνυσιν ὁὖν ταύτης τὸ μάταιον, ὡς δηλοῖ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς" Καὶ ἡ καρδία. Μμον εἶδε τὰ πολλά" σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν, πὰράβολὰς καὶ ἐπιστήμας ἔγνων" Ἴοφίαν δὲ καὶ Γνῶοειν, οὐ τὴν ἀληθῆ, ἀλλ᾽ ἥτις κατὰ Παῦλον φγοιοῖ. εἶπε δέ, καθὰ γέγραπται, καὶ τριοχιλίλς πὰράβολάς, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τὰς ἐν πνεύματι, ἀλλ᾽ οἷαι τῇ κοινῇ πολιτείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἁρμόττουσιν, οἷον περὶ ζῴων ἢ φαρμάκων. διὸ καὶ ἀποσκώπτων ἐπήγαγεν᾽ Ἔγνων ὅτι κἀί γε τοῦτό ἐστι προαίρεσις πνεύματος, πλῆθος δὲ γνώςεως, οὐ τοῦ ἁγίον πνεύματος, ἀλλ᾽ ὅπερ ὁ ἄρχων ἐνεργεῖ τοΥ̓́ΤΟΥ ΤοΥ͂ ΚόσΜΟΥ, καὶ ἐπιπέμπει σκελίζεσθαι τὰς ψυχάς, πολυπραγμονῶν οὐρανοῦ μέτρα, γῆς θέσιν, θαλάσσης πέρατα. ἀλλ᾽ ὁ προστιθεὶς τούτων γνῶσιν, προστίθησιν ἄλγημά. ἐρευνῶσι τὸ γὰρ τὰ τούτων βαθύτερα τίς ἡ χρεία τοῦ τὸ πῦρ ἄνω χωρεῖν, τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ κάτω" καὶ μαθόντες ὅτι τὸ μὲν ὡς κοῦφον, τὸ δὲ ὡς βαρύ, προστιθέασιν ἄνγημα" καὶ διατί μὴ ἀνάπαλιν. Κεφ. Στίχ. α΄ Εἶπον εγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ. μογ᾽ Δεῦρο, πείρδοδι ὡς ἐν εὐφροσύνη, καὶ ἴδε ἐν ἀγαθῷ" καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης. Πείρας γὰρ ἕνεκα καὶ κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ σεμνοτέρου καὶ κατεσκληκότος βίου ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἡδονήν. εὐφροσύνην δέ φησιν, ἣν ὀνομάζουσιν ἄνθρωποι. ἐν ἀγαθῷ δὲ ἃ καλοῦσιν ἀγαθά, ἅπερ οὐχ ἱκανὰ ζωοποιεῖν τὸν κτησάμενον, ἃ ματαιοῖ τὸν πράττοντα. Στίχ. Τῷ γέλωτι εἶπον περιφορὰν καὶ τη εΥ̓φροούνῃ, Τί τοῦτο ποιεῖς Διπλῆν ὁ γέλως ἔχει περιφοράν" ὅτι δὴ περιφορὰ γεννᾷ γέλωτας, καὶ πενθεῖν οὐ συγχωρεῖ τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ὅτι 1ο οὗτος περιφέρεται, καιροὺς καὶ τόπους ἐναλλάττων καὶ πρόσωπα. φεύγει γὰρ τοὺς πενθοῦντας. καὶ τῆ εΥ̓ΦροοΥνη,. Τί τοῦτο ποιεῖς; τί πορεύῃ πρὸς οὺς οὐ θέμις εὐφραίνεσθαι;. πρὸς τοὺς μεθύσους καὶ πλεονέκτας καὶ ἅρπαγας διὰ ΝΥ ΝΑῚ ᾽ τί δὲ ὡς οἶνον ἐπειδὴ τὴν καρδίαν οἶνος εὐφραίνει δὰ πραυθύμους γὰρ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐργάζεται" εὐφραίνει δὲ αὐτὴν καὶ ἡ σάρξ, εὔτακτα κινουμένη καὶ μέτρια. Στίχ. Καὶ ἡ κἀρδία μοὺ ὡλήγηςεν ἐν Ἵοοφίᾳ, καὶ τοῦ κράτῆσδι ἐπὶ εὐφροσύνῃ, ἕως οΥ̓ εἰλῶ ποῖον τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῖς Υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὃ ποιήοσογοιν ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν ζωῆς αὐτῶν. Ὁδηγηθείς, φησιν, διὰ σοφίας κατεκράτησα τῶν ἡδονῶν ἐπὶ εὐφροσύνῃ" σκοπὸς δέ μοι τῆς γνώσεως τὸ ἐπὶ μηδενὶ ματαίῳ τὴν ζωὴν ἀσχολῆσαι, εὑρεῖν δὲ τὸ ἀγαθόν, οὗ τις τυχὼν οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει τῆς τοῦ συμφέροντος κρίσεως, ὃ τὸ διαρκές ἐστι καὶ πρόσκαιρον, τῇ δὲ ἁπάσῃ ξωῇ παρα᾿ Στίχ. Ἐμεγάλγνδ ποίημά μου ᾧκοδόμησά μοι οἴκογς. ἐφγύτεγοά μοι ἀμπελῶνασ. Στίχ. ᾿Εποίηςα μοι κήπογο καὶ πὰρἀδείοογς, ΐσἢ τὰπβ καὶ κατεσκεψάμην εἰ ἡ ἐϊ οὗ ῥίεασιγε. Στίχ. Ἐποίηςά μοι κολυμβήθρασ ὑδάτων, τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἀπ᾽ οὐτῶν δρυμὸυ βλαστῶντὰ Ξ3γλδ. Στίχ. ᾿Εκτησάμην λούλογς κἀὶ πδιλίοκδς καὶ οἰκογενεῖς ἐγένοντό μοι. κὰί γε κτῆσις βουκολίου κἂὶ ποιμνίου ἐγένετό ΜΟΙ πολλή, ὑπὲρ πᾶντδλς τοὺς γενομένογς ἔμπροοθέν μοὺ “ἐν ες Στίχ. η΄ ὈΟγνηγδγόν μοὶ καί γε ἀργύριον, καί γε χργείον, καὶ περιογοιδομοὺς τῶν ᾿βασιλέων κἀὶ τῶν χωρῶν. ἐποίηςα ΜΟΙ ἄλοντας κἀὶ ἀλούήοδς κἀὶ τργφημὰτὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ὀνθρώ- 1ο ποὺ, οἰνοχόασ καὶ οἰνοχόον. Στίχ. Καὶ ἐμεγαλύνθην, καὶ προσέθηκὰ πὰρὰ πάντδς οἱ ἐγένοντο ἔμπροοθέν μου ἐν “Ἱερογοάλήμ. καὶ γε σοφία ἐστάθη μοι. Στίχ. Κὼ πᾶν ὃ ἠἤτηοὰν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου, οὐκ ἀφεῖλον ἀπ᾿ δὐτῶν. οὐκ ἀπεκώλγοὰ τὴν κὰρλίὰν ΜΟῪ ἀπὸ πάσης Θεωρεῖς ὅπως πλῆθος οἴκων καὶ ἀγρῶν καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν, ὧν φησὶν ἀριθμήσας, εἶτα μηδὲν ἐν τούτοις ἐπικερδὲς εὑρών (οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐξ αὐτῶν βελτίων ἐγένετο, οὐδὲ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν πρὸς θεὸν οἰκείωσιν ἐκτήσατο), ἀναγκαίως ἐπὶ τὸν ἀληθῆ πλοῦτον καὶ τὴν βεβαίαν ὕπαρξιν τὸν λόγον μετατίθησιν. δεῖξαι τοίνυν βουληθεὶς ποῖα τῶν κτημάτων ἵσταται τῷ κτησαμένῳ, μένει τε αὐτῷ διηνεκῶς καὶ σώζεται, ἐπήγαγε᾽ Καί γε σοφία. ἐστάθη μοι. μόνη γὰρ αὕτη μένει, τὰ ἄλλα φεύγει καὶ ἀφίσταται, ὅσα φθάσας ἠρίθμησε. εοφίὰ τοίνυν ἐστάθη μοι, κἀγὼ δι᾽ αὐτὴν ἐστάθην. ἐκεῖνά τε. γὰρ πίπτει, καὶ πεσεῖν ποιεῖ τοὺς αὐτοῖς ἐπιτρέχοντας. ἀλλὰ γὰρ σύγκρισιν θεῖναι τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῶν ὑπ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἀγαθῶν νομιζομένων βουλόμενος, ταῦτα ἐπήγαγε᾽ Καὶ πᾶν ὃ εἴτηςδν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί ΜΟΥ, οὐκ ἀφεῖλον ἀπ᾿ δὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς" οὐ μόνον τούτοις κακίζων τοὺς μόχθους οὺς οἱ ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ τρυφῶντες πάσχουσι μοχθοῦντες ἀλλὰ καὶ οὺς πρὸς ἀνάγκην καὶ το βίαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι μοχθοῦντες ὑπομένουσι, τροφῆς ἕνεκεν τῆς ἐφημέρου, ἐν ἱδρῶτι τοῦ προοώπογ τὰς τέχνας ἐργαζόμενοι. ὁ μὲν γὰρ μόχθος πολύς, φησιν, ἡ δὲ τέχνη ἡ ἐκ τοῦ μόχθου πρόσκαιρος, οὐδὲν προτιθεῖσα τῶν τερπομένων χρήσιμον. διόπερ τὸ κέρδος οὐδέν. ἔνθα γὰρ τς οΥ̓́κ ἔετι περιεςείδ, οὐδὲ κέρδος. εἰκότως τοίνυν μὰταιότης: τὰ σπουδασθέντα καὶ προαίρεσις πνεΐμάτοσ. πνεῦμα δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν ὀνομάζει. ἡ γὰρ προαίρεσίς ἐστι ποιόν, οὐ των νπ᾽ ανθρ.] τὴν ανθρ. κίνησις. καὶ ὁ Δαβίδ' Εἰς χεῖράς “οΟΥ πὰρατίθημι τὸ πνεῦμα μου. καί γε ἀληθῶς ςοφία ἐστάθη μοι, ὅτε με γνῶναι καὶ συνιέναι πεποίηκε τοῦ λέγειν πᾶν ὅτι οὐκ ἐστὶ περισςεία ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον. εἰ τοίνυν ἀγαθοῦ κέρδους ἐπιθυμοῦμεν, εἰ περισσείαν θέλομεν, εἰ ἄφθαρτοι ζητοῦμεν εἶναι, μοχθήσωμεν μόχθους τοὺς ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον τρέχοντας. ἐν τούτοις γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι ματαιότης, οὐδὲ προαίρεσις τοῦ εἰκαίου καὶ μάτην ὧδε κἀκεῖ περισπωμένον πνεύματος. Στίχ. ιβ΄ Καὶ ἔδλεψὰ ἐγὼ τοῦ ἰδεῖν σοφίαν καὶ περιφορὰν το κὸὶ ἀφροσύνην" ὅτι τίς ἄνθρωπος, ὅς ἐλεγοετὰαι ὀπίοω τῆς Βογλῆς εὐΜπάντδ ὅςὰ ἐποίηςεν δύτη Σοφίαν φησὶν τὴν παρὰ θεοῦ, ἣ καὶ αὐτῷ ἐστάθη" περιφορὰν δὲ καὶ ἀφροούήνην, τοὺς ἀνθρωπίνους μόχθους, καὶ τὴν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς τέρψιν εἰκαίαν καὶ ἀνόητον. ταῦτα διαγνούς, καὶ τί τὸ μέσον αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς ἀληθοῦς σοφίας, μακαρίξων ἐπήγαγεν᾽ Ὅτι τίς ἄνθρωπος, ὃς ἐλεγσετὰι ὀπίοω τῆς Βογλῆς; αὕτη γὰρ ἡ βουλὴ ἡμᾶς σοφίαν τὴν ὄντως διδάσκει, περιφορᾶς τε καὶ ἀφροσύνης ἀπαλλαγὴν χαρίζεται. Στίχ. Καὶ εἶλον ἐγὼ ὅτι περιςςείὰ ἐστὶ τη σοφίᾳ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀφροσύνην, ὡς περισσείὰ τοῦ φωτὸς ὑπὲρ τὸ ςκότος. Οὐ κατὰ σύγκρισιν τοῦτό φησιν᾽ ἀσύγκριτα γὰρ τὰ ἐναντία, καὶ ἄλληλα φθείρονται" ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι τὸ μὲν αἱρετικὸν ἔγνω, τὸ δὲ φευκτόν. τοιοῦτον καὶ τό" ᾿Ηγάπηςεν οἱ ἂνθρωποι τὸ σκότος μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ φῶς. τὸ γὰρ μᾶλλον τῆς αἱρέσεως τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος, οὐ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων συγκρίσεως. ο το Στίχ. ιδ΄ ΤοΥ͂ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθάλμοὶ ἐν κεφδλῃῇ δτοῦ καὶ ὁ ἄφρων ἐν εκότει πορεύεται. νι Κάτω νεύων ἀεὶ καὶ ἐσκοτισμένον ἔχων τὸ ἡγεμονικόν. καὶ μὴν πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς κεκτήμεθα, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος θέσιν. ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν τῆς διανοίας ὀφθαλμῶν λέγει. ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ χοίρου εἰς οὐρανὸν οὐκ ἀνανεύουσι, διὰ τὸ φυσικῶς πεπλάσθαι ἐπὶ γαστέρα νεύειν, οὕτως ὁ νοῦς τοῦ ἅπαξ ἐγγλυκανθέντος ταῖς ἡδοναῖς δυσαποσπάστως ἐκεῖθεν ἔχει διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐπιβλέπειν ἐπὶ πᾶσλο τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ κυρίου. καὶ πάλιν. Ἣ κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκληοσίδο ὁ χριοτός ἐστι. σοφοὶ ας δὲ οἱ τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτοῦ πορευόμενοι, διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν αὐτόν" Εγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδόσ. δεῖ οὖν πάντοτε τοὺς τῆς διανοίας ΠῚ ὀφθαλμοὺς τὸν σοφὸν εἰς αὐτὸν τείνειν τὸν χριστόν, ἵνα ἐπὶ μηδενί, μήτε ἐπὶ εὐημερίᾳ πράγματος ἐπαίρηται μήτε ἐπὶ κακοπραγίᾳ ὀλυγωρεῖν, τῷ τὰ κρίματὰ αὐτοῦ ἀβύσσογς το εἶναι, ὅπερ ἀκριβέστερον γνώσῃ ἐκ τῶν ἑπομένων. Στίχ. ιδ΄ Καὶ ἔγνων καί γε ἐγώ, ὅτι ογνάντημὰ ἕν ογνὰντήςετδι πᾶσιν τοῖο. Στίχ. ιε'ὖ' Καὶ εἶπὰ ἐγὼ ἐν καρδία. ΜΟῪ ὧς ογνάντημὰ τοῦ ἄφρονος εγνὰντήςετδι μοι, κἀὶ ἵνὰ τί ἐσοφιοάμην ἐγώ Ἡ ἀκολουθία τοῦ λόγου διὰ τῶν ἑπομένων θεραπεύει τοὺς μικροψύχως διακειμένους περὶ ταύτην τὴν ζωήν, οἷς χαλεπόν τι τὸ τοῦ θανάτου νομίζεται, καὶ αἱ σωματικαὶ ἀνωμαλίαι, καὶ διὰ τὸ μηδὲν διαφέρειν ἐν τοῖς συμπτώμασι τούτοις ἐπὶ σοφοῦ τε καὶ ἄφρονος. τῆς περιφορᾶς οὖν ῥήματα λέγει ῥεψάσης ἐπὶ τὴν ἀφροσύνην, ὅθεν καὶ ἐπιφέρει ὅτι" Γλφρων ἐκ περιοςςεήματος λαλεῖ, ἄφρονα ἑαυτὸν ἢ καὶ πάντα τὸν οὕτω λογιζόμενον εἰπών. καταγινώσκων οὖν τῆς ἀτόπου ἐννοίας ταύτης---διὸ καὶ ἔν κδρλίὰ ὑποστελλόμενος εἶπεν αὐτήν, δεδοικὼς πάντως τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἀκούεσθαι μελλόντων δικαίαν κατάγνωσιν--ἐπὶ λογισμῷ το λύει τῆς ἀπορίας τὴν ἔνστασιν. τὸ γὰρ νὰ τί ἐςοφιοάμην ἐνδυάζοντος ἦν, καὶ ἀμφιβάλλοντες, εἰ καλῶς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἢ μάτην προσανάλωμα, εἴ γε τοῦ ἄφρονος οὐδὲν διαφέρει πλεονεκτήματα τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι ὁμοίως αὐτῷ πάθεσιν ὑποκείμενος. διὰ δὲ τοῦτο Περιςεόν, φησιν, ἐλάλησα λησὰ ἐν κὰἀρδίᾳ ΜΟΥ, μηδὲν νομίσας εἶναι μέσον σοφοῦ καὶ ἄφρονος. Στίχ. ις'΄ Ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἔστι μνεία τοῦ ςοφοῦ μετὰ τοῦ ἄφρονος εἰς τὸν οἰῶνδ. Παροδικὰ μὲν γὰρ τὰ τοῦ βίου συμπτώματα, εἴτε καθέστηκε λυπηρά, περὶ ὧν φησίν" ΚἼθότι ἤλη τὰ πάντὸ ἐπελήςσθη, ἐπειδὴ χρόνου μικροῦ παραδραμόντος λήθῃ τὰ συμβαίνοντα βιωτικὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις σβέννυται. καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ οἷς ταῦτα συμβέβηκεν, οὐχ ὁμοίως μνημονεύονται, 1ο εἰ καὶ συμπτώμασι βιωτικοῖς παραπλησίως ὑπήντησαν. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπὸ τούτων μνημονεύονται, ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ ἂν σοφίας ἔσχον ἢ ἀφροσύνης, ἀρετῆς ἢ κακίας. τούτων γὰρ αἱ μνῆμαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις διὰ τὰς ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἀμοιβὰς οὐ σβέννυνται. διὰ τοῦτο ἀκολούθως ἐπήγαγε" Καὶ πῶς ἀποθάνεῖται ὁ σοφός μετὰ τοῦ ἄφρονος; θάνατος μὲν γὰρ ἁμερτωλῶν πονηρύόο. μνήμη δὲ δικδίογ μετ᾽ ἐγκωμίων γίνεται, ὄνομὰ δὲ ἀσεβοῦσ ςβέννυτάδι. Στίχ. κβ΄ “Ὅτι γίνεται τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν πὰντὶ μόχθῳ. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ τοῖς εἰς τὸν περισπασμὸν τοῦ βίου τὴν ΙΝ ΝῚ ψυχὴν ἀσχολοῦσιν ἐπαλγὴς μὲν ἡ ζωή, οἷόν τισι κέντροις, ταῖς τῶν πλειόνων ἐπιθυμίαις τὴν καρδίαν μαστίξουσα. ἐπώδυνος δὲ ἡ περὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν σπουδή, οὐ τοσοῦτον οἷς ἔχει εὐφραινομένη, ὅσον ἀλγυνομένη τοῖς λείπουσι" καὶ τῆς μὲν ἡμέρας δαπανωμένης ἐν μόχθοις, τῆς δὲ νυκτὸς το ἀποπεμπούσης τῶν ὀμμάτων τὸν ὕπνον ταῖς τοῦ κέρδους φροντίσι. ματαία οὖν ἡ σπουδὴ τοῦ πρὸς ταῦτα βλέποντος. Στίχ. κδ' Κοὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ ὃ φάγεται κὰὶ πίεται" κὰὶ δείξει τηῇ Ψυχηῖ δύτοῦ ἀγαθὸν ἐν μόχθῳ δὐτοῦ. καί γε τοῦτο εἶδον ἐγώ, ὅτι ἀπὸ χειρός θεοῦ ἐςτίν. Στίχ. κε Ὅτι τίς φόγετδι καὶ πίετὰι πὰρ τοῦ; Ὅ ΝῚ ΝΥ ᾽ ΣΝ τι μὴ περὶ αἰσθητῶν βρωμάτων ὁ λόγος, νῦν αὐτὸς " Αγλθὸν πορεγθῆνδι εἰς οἶκον πένθογο εἰς οἶκον πότογ καὶ ἃ τοῖσδε νῦν ἐπήγαγε" Καὶ λείξει τιῇ ΨΥΧΗ͂ ΔΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂ ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτῆς. καίτοι οὐκ ἀγαθὸν τῇ ψυχῇ αἰσθητὸν βρῶμα ἢ πόμα. ἡ γὰρ σὰρξ προστρεφομένη πολεμεῖ τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ συστασιάξζει κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος. πῶς δὲ καὶ οὐ παρὲκ θεοῦ ἀσωτία βρωμάτων καὶ μέθη οὐκοῦν περὶ μυστικῶν φησί. πνευματικῆς γὰρ τραπέζης οὐδεὶς μεταλήψεται, μὴ παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ κεκλημένος, καὶ σοφίας ἀκούσας" Ελθὲ καὶ φόγε. 1ο Κεφ. Στίχ. Κλιρός τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἰδοδοθδι. ᾿Αποκτεῖναι τὸν ἀσύγγνωστα πταίοντα, ἰάσασθαι τὸν ἔχοντα πληγὴν ἀνεξομένην φάρμακον ἐπιδέξασθαι. Στίχ. ΚΚλιρὸς τοῦ κλδῦοδι καὶ καιρὸς ΤΟΥ͂ γελᾶσαι. Καιρὸς τοῦ κλαῦσαι, ὅτε ὁ καιρὸς τοῦ πάθους, λέγοντος τοῦ κυρίου: ᾿Αμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι κλαύσετε κὸὶ θρηνήσετε᾽ ΝΥ γελάσαι δὲ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως" Ἣ γὰρ λύπη ὑμῶν, φησίν, εἰς χἀρὰν ΓεΝΗξετδι. ᾿ Στίχ. Κλιρὸς τοῦ κύψδοθδι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ὀρχεῖοθλι. Ὅταν λογίσηταί τις τὸν θάνατον, ὅνπερ ἡ τοῦ ᾿Αδὰμ παράβασις ἐπήνεγκε, κόψασθαι" πανηγυρίσαι δέ, ὅταν εἰς νοῦν λάβωμεν ἣν προσδοκῶμεν διὰ τὸν νέον ᾿Αδὰμ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν. Στίχ. Καιρὸς τοῦ φγλάξδι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἐκβαλεῖν. 1ο Καιρὸς τοῦ φυλάξαι τὴν γραφὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀναξίοις, ἣν γραφὴ ᾽ Η ΜΕΥ ἐκβαλεῖν δὲ τοῖς ἀξίοις. ἢ καὶ τὸ νομικὸν γράμμα πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας καιρὸς ὑπῆρχε φυλάττεσθαι, ἐκβληθῆναι δέ, ἡνίκα ἤνθησεν ἡ ἀλήθεια. Στίχ. Καιρός σἰγᾶν κὰὶ καιρὸς τοῦ λὰλεῖν. Καιρὸς τοῦ λαλεῖν, ὅταν ὦσιν οἱ τὸν λόγον δεχόμενοι ἀκροαταί" τοῦ δὲ σιγᾶν, ἡνίκα διαστρέφοντες τὸν λόγον οἱ ἀκροώμενοι, ὥς φησιν Παῦλος" Αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ Στίχ. Εἶδον οὖν τὸν περιοπδομόν, ὃν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς τίοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ περισπάςθαι ἐν ἀὐτῷ᾽ Στίχ. ια΄ Τὰ σὐμπὰντὰ ἃ ἐποίησε καλὰ ἐν χειρῷ. καί Γε σὐμπὰντὰ τὸν αἰῶνὰ ἔλωκεν ἐν κἀρλίδ. δὐτῶν ὅπως μὴ το εὕρῃ ἄνθρωπος τὸ ποίημα, ὃ ἐποίηςεν ὁ θεός, ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς καὶ μέχρι τέλους. Καὶ τοῦτο ἀληθές ἐστιν. οὐδεὶς γὰρ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ ὁλοκλήρως καταλαβεῖν δύναται. ποίημα δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ κόσμος. τούτου οὐδεὶς εὑρεῖν τὸ ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς καὶ μέχρι τέλογς, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι τὸν τεταγμένον αὐτῷ χρόνον καὶ τὴν ὁρισθεῖσαν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ προθεσμίαν, δύναται, ἐπειδήπερ ἄγνοιαν ὁ θεὸς οΥ̓Μπδντὰ. τὸν αἰῶνὰ ἐν τὰῖς κἀρδλίδις ἡμῶν ἔλωκεν, ὥς φησί τις᾽ Τὴν ὀλιγότητὰ τῶν ἡμερῶν μοὺ ἀνάγγειλόν μοι. οὕτω πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ἡμῖν τὸ τέλος τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, δηλαδὴ τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς, ἠγνόηται. Κεφ. Στίχ. ᾿Αγαθοὶ οἱ δύο ὑπὲρ τὸν ἕνδ, οἷς ἐστὶ μισθὸς ἀγόθὸς ἐν μόχθῳ ἀγγῶν ὅτι ἐὰν πέοωειν, ὁ εἷς ἐγερεῖ τὸν Μέτοχον δΥ̓Ττοῦ. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν οὕτω κατὰ τὸ γράμμα νοήσαντες, οὐ προσιέμεθα τοὺς ἐξειληφότας ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος τὴν ἐκδοχὴν τῶν εἰρημένων, ὡς ἥκιστα σωζομένην. ἡ μὲν γὰρ Ψυχὴ τὸ κῦρος ἔχει τῆς ἡγεμονίας καὶ κυβερνήσεως ὅλης καὶ τῆς ἰδίας καὶ τῆς τοῦ σώματος, τὸ δὲ σῶμα δοῦλόν ἐστι τῆς ψυχῆς, ἐπὶ πᾶσι ταῖς κρίσεσιν αὐτῆς ἐξυπηρετούμενον καὶ θητεῦον. ἐὰν οὖν ἡ ψυχὴ το κατανεύσῃ πρὸς τὸ φαῦλον καὶ πονηρόν, καὶ παραρρύῃ τών κρειττόνων ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ διαλογισμῶν, ὀὐχ οἷόν τέ ἐστιν αὐτὴν τὸ σῶμα διανιστᾶν, καὶ πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον ἐπανάγειν" οὐ γὰρ πέφυκε. καὶ πάλιν κτλ.

### English translation (Claude)

Verse 1. “Of the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.” So too Matthew calls the Lord son of David. Verse 3. “What advantage has a man in all his toil at which he toils under the sun?” For who, growing rich from work on earthly things, being two cubits tall became three cubits, or being blind recovered his sight? So one must send one's labors beyond the sun; for there the toils of the virtues pass over. … Others thought that “under the sun” signifies the care and industry of farming, saying in so many words that it means work on the land. But the passage admits neither interpretation as true. For the things made by the Creator have been testified to be all very good; and it is neither possible to contradict the word of divine Scripture, nor fitting in any way to disparage the recognized and comprehended usefulness and beauty and order of the nature of things that are and appear. On the contrary, we find men old and young who engaged in the care of farming and tilling the soil and industry honored by the divine Scripture, … and conversely the negligent and idle and lazy subjected to many reproaches, and so on. Verse 4. “A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth stands for the age.” For the age, but not for the ages. Verse 16. “I spoke in my heart, saying: Behold, I have become great and have increased wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem; and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.” Verse 17. “I knew parables and understanding; that this too is a choice of spirit.” Verse 18. “For in abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge,” and “I was puffed up in vain and increased wisdom”: not that which God gave, but that of which Paul says, “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” For Solomon had been educated in this too, beyond the prudence of all the ancients. He shows, then, its vanity, as what follows also makes clear: “And my heart has seen many things: I knew wisdom and knowledge, parables and understanding.” Wisdom and knowledge, not the true, but that which, according to Paul, “puffs up.” And he spoke, as it is written, three thousand parables; not those in the Spirit, but such as suit the common life of men, about animals or medicines, for instance. Therefore, mocking, he added: “I knew that this too is a choice of spirit,” and “abundance of knowledge”: not of the Holy Spirit, but that which the ruler of this world works, and sends to trip up souls, busying them with the measures of heaven, the position of the earth, the bounds of the sea. But he who increases knowledge of these increases pain. For they search into what is deeper than these: what need is there that fire goes up and water down; and having learned that the one is light and the other heavy, they add pain: and why not the reverse? Chapter 2. Verse 1. “I said in my heart: Come, I will test you with mirth, and see good; and behold, this too is vanity.” For by way of trial, and incidentally, he came from a more dignified and austere life to pleasure. And by “mirth” he means what men call so; by “in good,” the things they call goods, which are not able to give life to the one who acquires them, and which make vain the one who practices them. Verse 2. “I said to laughter, Madness; and to mirth, What are you doing?” Laughter has a twofold madness: because frenzy begets laughter and does not allow one to mourn for sins; and because laughter itself is carried about, changing times and places and persons; for it flees those who mourn. “And to mirth, What are you doing?” Why do you go to those whom it is not lawful to make merry: to the drunkards and the greedy and the robbers? … Why “as with wine”? Since wine gladdens the heart, for it makes men mild; and the flesh too gladdens it, when moved in an orderly and moderate way. Verse 3. “And my heart guided me in wisdom, and to master mirth, until I should see what is good for the sons of men, which they should do under the sun, the number of the days of their life.” Guided through wisdom, he says, I mastered the pleasures in mirth; and the aim of my knowledge was not to occupy life with anything vain, but to find the good, attaining which one does not fail in judging what is profitable: what suffices is also what is timely, and extends alongside the whole of life … Verse 4. “I made my works great; I built myself houses; I planted myself vineyards.” Verse 5. “I made myself gardens and parks …” Verse 6. “I made myself pools of water, to water from them a forest sprouting trees.” Verse 7. “I acquired male and female slaves, and servants born in my house were mine; and I had great possessions of herds and flocks, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.” Verse 8. “I gathered for myself also silver and gold, and the treasures of kings and provinces; I made myself male and female singers, and the delights of the son of man, a cupbearer male and female.” Verse 9. “And I became great and increased beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem; and my wisdom stood by me.” Verse 10. “And all that my eyes asked I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any …” You see how, having numbered the multitude of houses and fields and the rest, and then finding no profit in these (for neither did his soul become better through them, nor did he gain through them intimacy with God), he necessarily transfers his discourse to true wealth and firm possession. Wishing, then, to show which possessions stand fast for the one who acquires them, and remain with him continually and are kept safe, he added: “And my wisdom stood by me.” For it alone remains; the other things that he numbered before flee and depart. Wisdom, then, stood by me, and I stood through it. For those things fall, and make those who run after them fall. But wishing to set wisdom in comparison with the things thought good by men, he added: “And all that my eyes asked I did not keep from them,” and so on; reproaching by this not only the toils that those who live luxuriously in mirth suffer in their toiling, but also those which men endure, toiling under necessity and constraint, for their daily food, working at their crafts “in the sweat of their face.” For the toil, he says, is great, but the craft that comes from the toil is temporary, offering nothing useful to those who take delight in it. Therefore the profit is nothing. For where there is no advantage, there is no profit either. Rightly, then, the things pursued are “vanity and a choice of spirit.” And he calls the soul “spirit”; for choice is … a movement of the soul. And David: “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” And indeed wisdom truly stood by me, when it made me know and understand so as to say that there is no advantage under the sun. If, then, we desire a good profit, if we want advantage, if we seek to be incorruptible, let us toil at the toils that run above the sun. For in these there is no vanity, nor a choice of spirit that is aimless and distracted in vain hither and thither. Verse 12. “And I looked to see wisdom and madness and folly; for who is the man who will follow after counsel in all that it has done?” By wisdom he means that from God, which also stood by him; by madness and folly, human toils and the aimless and senseless delight in them. Having discerned these, and the difference between them and true wisdom, he added, calling him blessed: “For who is the man who will follow after counsel?” For this counsel truly teaches us wisdom, and bestows deliverance from madness and folly. Verse 13. “And I saw that wisdom has advantage over folly, as light has advantage over darkness.” He does not say this by way of comparison, for opposites cannot be compared, and destroy one another; but because he knew that the one is to be chosen and the other avoided. Such too is the saying: “Men loved the darkness rather than the light.” For the “rather” belongs to the choice of the one who loved, not to a comparison of the things. Verse 14. “The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.” Always looking down, and having his ruling part darkened. And yet all of us men have our eyes in our head, according to the position of the body. But he speaks of the eyes of the mind. For as the eyes of the pig do not look up to heaven, because it is by nature formed to look down to its belly, so the mind of one who has once been sweetened by pleasures is drawn away from there with difficulty, because he does not look to all the commandments of the Lord. And again: “The head of the church is Christ”; and the wise are those who walk in his way, since he said, “I am the way.” The wise man, then, must always direct the eyes of the mind to Christ himself, so that he may be neither elated by any success in his affairs nor despondent at misfortune, since his judgments are a great abyss; which you will learn more exactly from what follows. Verse 14. “And I knew, I too, that one event will befall them all.” Verse 15. “And I said in my heart: As the event of the fool, so it will befall me also; and why then have I been wise?” The sequence of the argument through what follows heals those who are faint-hearted about this life, to whom death seems something hard, and bodily misfortunes too, because in these accidents there is no difference between the wise man and the fool. He speaks, then, the words of a madness that has inclined toward folly; and so he adds: “The fool speaks out of his abundance,” calling himself a fool, or anyone who reasons so. Condemning, then, this absurd thought (and so he said it “in his heart,” holding back, fearing surely the just condemnation of those who would hear), he resolves the objection of the difficulty by reasoning. For “why have I been wise?” is the word of one who is in two minds and doubts whether he has spent himself on wisdom well or in vain, if he has no advantage over the fool, being subject in the present age to the same sufferings as he. And for this reason, “Moreover,” he says, “I spoke in my heart,” thinking that there is no difference between the wise man and the fool. Verse 16. “For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever.” For the accidents of life are passing, whether they be grievous, concerning which he says, “since all things have already been forgotten,” since, after a short time has passed, the events of life are extinguished for men by forgetfulness. And those themselves to whom these things have happened are not remembered alike, even if they met with similar accidents of life. For they are not remembered from these, but according as they had wisdom or folly, virtue or vice. For the memories of these are not extinguished among men, because of the rewards attached to them. For this reason he added consistently: “And how will the wise man die with the fool?” For “the death of sinners is evil,” but “the memory of the righteous is with praises, and the name of the ungodly is extinguished.” Verse 22. “For what comes to a man in all his toil?” For truly, to those who occupy the soul with the distraction of life, life is painful, scourging the heart as with goads by the desires for more; and grievous is the eagerness for greed, not so much rejoicing in what it has as grieved at what it lacks; the day is spent in toils, and the night drives sleep from the eyes with cares about gain. Vain, then, is the zeal of the one who looks to these things. Verse 24. “There is no good for a man except what he will eat and drink, and show his soul good in his toil. This too I saw, that it is from the hand of God.” Verse 25. “For who will eat and who will drink without him?” That the word is not about sensible foods, he himself now (shows): … “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of drinking”; and to these words he now adds: “And show his soul (good) in its toil.” And yet sensible food or drink is no good for the soul. For the flesh, when indulged, wars against the soul and rebels against the spirit. And how could prodigality in foods and drunkenness not be other than from God? He speaks, then, of mystical things. For no one will partake of the spiritual table who has not been called by him and heard Wisdom: “Come and eat.” Chapter 3. Verse 3. “A time to kill and a time to heal.” To kill the one who sins unpardonably; to heal the one whose wound can bear to receive medicine. Verse 4. “A time to weep and a time to laugh.” A time to weep, when it is the time of the passion, as the Lord says: “Truly I say to you that you will weep and lament”; and to laugh, concerning the resurrection: “For your grief,” he says, “will become joy.” “A time to mourn and a time to dance.” When one considers the death that Adam's transgression brought in, (it is the time) to mourn; and to celebrate a festival, when we take to mind the resurrection from the dead that we await through the new Adam. Verse 6. “A time to keep and a time to cast out.” A time to keep the scripture from the unworthy …; and to bring it out for the worthy. Or else: the letter of the law had a time to be kept before the coming (of the Lord), and to be cast out when the truth flowered. Verse 7. “A time to be silent and a time to speak.” A time to speak, when the hearers are such as receive the word; a time to be silent, when the hearers pervert the word, as Paul says: “A heretical man, after …” Verse 10. “I saw, then, the distraction that God has given to the sons of men, to be distracted in it.” Verse 11. “All the things he made are beautiful in their time; and he has put the whole age in their heart, so that man may not find out the work that God has made from beginning to end.” And this is true; for no one can comprehend the works of God completely. And the world is God's work. Of this no one can find out the beginning and the end, that is, the time appointed for it and the term fixed for it; since God has put ignorance of the whole age in our hearts, as someone says: “Declare to me the fewness of my days.” Thus, for our good, the end of this age, that is, of the present life, is unknown. Chapter 4. Verse 9. “Two are better than one, who have a good reward in their toil; for if they fall, the one will raise up his companion.” Understanding these things thus according to the letter, we do not accept those who have taken the interpretation of the words as referring to the soul and the body, as by no means preserving the sense. For the soul has the authority of the rule and of the whole governance, both its own and the body's, while the body is the slave of the soul, ministering and serving at all its judgments. If, then, the soul inclines to what is base and wicked, and slips away from better thoughts and reasonings, it is not possible for the body to raise it up and lead it back to the better; for it is not its nature. And again, and so on.

### Scripture references

- Eccl 1:1: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 1:1: allusion, medium confidence
- Eccl 1:3: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 1:31: allusion, high confidence
- Eccl 1:4: quotation, high confidence
- Eccl 1:16–18: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 3:19: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 8:1: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Kgs 4:32–33: allusion, high confidence
- John 12:31: allusion, medium confidence
- Eccl 2:1–16: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 3:19: allusion, high confidence
- Ps 31:5 (30:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- John 3:19: quotation, high confidence
- Eph 5:23: quotation, high confidence
- John 14:6: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 36:6 (35:7 LXX): allusion, medium confidence
- Ps 34:21 (33:22 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Prov 10:7: quotation, high confidence
- Eccl 2:22–25: quotation, high confidence
- Eccl 7:2: quotation, high confidence
- Gal 5:17: allusion, medium confidence
- Prov 9:5: quotation, high confidence
- Eccl 3:3–11: quotation, high confidence
- John 16:20: quotation, high confidence
- Titus 3:10: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 102:23 (101:24 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Eccl 4:9–10: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Feltoe's lemma lines (‘Verse …’) are part of the staged text and are translated. Gaps in the catena and in the OCR are marked …. Several blocks of Feltoe's English and Latin apparatus that leak into the OCR are removed by logged corrections; smaller remnants are left untranslated. The authenticity of some of these catena excerpts has been questioned.

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 3 (Feltoe, 210; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/1/#p-3).

## Fragment E IV (on the Song of Solomon)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/1/#p-4
- Source: Feltoe, 228
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: On the Song of Songs: the soul taken up by the Savior is the bride who comes up whitened, once black like the tents of Kedar while in this dark world.

### Greek text

Τὴν yap τοιαύτην ψυχὴν ἀνισταμένην καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀναλαμβανομένην, φωτοειδῆ προσιοῦσαν ὁρῶντες, ἐροῦσιν οἱ ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι" Tic δύὕτη dnaBainoyca λελεγοὐ γὰρ ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς λευκὴ ἡ λέγουσα: ΛλΛέλδινὰ εἶμι δέρρεις (ολομών. μὴ βΒλέψητέ ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι μεμελὰνωμένη. ἔστω γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη καλή, κἂν ἔτι μέλαινα ἦ ἀνάγκη γὰρ εἶναι τοιαύτην ὡς τὰ σκηνώματα Κηδάρ, ἐν αὐτοῖς γε οὖσαν: συσκοτασμὸς γὰρ ἡ Κηδὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται. δὲ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ Kal τῷ οκήνει μένοντες ἐν ὑποζόφῳ διατρίβουσιν, ὥσπερ ἐν σπηλαίῳ τινί, ἐν ᾧ καὶ βραδύνων τις ὀδύρεται λέγων: Oimor ὅτι

### English translation (Claude)

For seeing such a soul rising up and being taken up by the Savior, approaching radiant, the holy angels will say: “Who is this who comes up whitened?” For she was not white from the beginning who says: “I am black and beautiful, … like the curtains of Solomon; do not look at me because I am darkened.” For let her be beautiful from now on, even if she is still black; for she must be such, like the tents of Kedar, being among them; for Kedar is interpreted “darkening.” … those who remain in this world and in the tent pass their time in gloom, as in some cave, in which one who lingers laments, saying: “Woe is me, that …”

### Scripture references

- Song 8:5: quotation, high confidence
- Song 1:5–6: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 120:5 (119:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The lemmata are LXX Song 8:5 and 1:5–6; the last words begin Ps 120:5 (LXX 119:5), ‘Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged … I have dwelt among the tents of Kedar.’ Some words are garbled in the OCR (…).

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 4 (Feltoe, 228; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/1/#p-4).

## Fragment E V (on Luke 22:42 ff.)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-5
- Source: Feltoe, 230
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: From a commentary on Luke 22:42–48: Christ asked that the cup pass, yet as the Father willed, the two wills being one in the divinity; his bloody sweat and the strengthening angel show his true humanity; ‘not entering temptation’ means not being overcome by it; and his gentle words to Judas teach forbearance.

### Greek text

Εἰς τοῦ ἁγίου Εὐαγγελίου κατὰ Λουκᾶν κεφ. κβ΄ στίχ. μβ΄ κτλ. Στίχ. μβ΄ Πάτερ, εἰ βούλει παρενεγκεῖν τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ· πλὴν μὴ τὸ θέλημά μου ἀλλὰ τὸ σὸν γενέσθω. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν εἰρήσθω περὶ τοῦ θελήματος. τὸ γε μὴν Περελθέτω τὸ ποτήριον οὐκ ἔστι Μὴ προσελθέτω ἢ ἐγγισάτω μοι. τὸ γὰρ παρερχόμενον πάντως κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνον γίνεται πρότερον, καὶ πρόσεισιν αὐτῷ, ὅνπερ παρέρχεται. εἰ γὰρ μὴ πλησιάσοι, οὐκ. ἂν παρέλθοι. ὡς γοῦν ἤδη παρόντος αἰσθόμενος, ἤρξατο λγπεῖοθαι κὸὶ ἀλημονεῖν καὶ ἐκθὰμβεῖοθδι καὶ ἀγωνίζεσθαι, καί, ὡς ἐγγὺς ὃν καὶ προκείμενον, οὐχ ἁπλῶς φησὶ τὸ ποτήριον ἀλλὰ δείκνυσι τοῦτο. ὡς οὖν τὸ παρερχόμενον οὔτε ἀπρόσιτόν ἐστιν οὔτε καταμένον, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ το ἠρέμα καὶ ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς προσελθόντα τὸν πειρασμόν, καὶ κούφως προσομιλήσαντα, παρωσθῆναι τὴν πρώτην ἀξιοῖ. καὶ τοῦτο πρῶτον εἶδός ἐστι τοῦ μὴ εἰς πειρασμὸν ἐμπεσεῖν, ὅπερ συμβουλεύει καὶ τοῖς ἀσθενεστέροις προσεύχεσθαι, τὸ τὸν μὲν πειρασμὸν προσελθεῖν (λεῖ ΑΥ ᾿ γὰρ ἐλθειν τὰ σκἀνδὰλα), αὑτοὺς δὲ μὴ εἰς τὸν πειρασ μον πεσεῖν. ὁ δὲ τελειότατος τοῦ μὴ εἰς πειρασμόν ἐστιν εἰσελθεῖν τρόπος, ὅνπερ αἰτεῖ δεύτερον οὐχ ἁπλῶς" ΟΥ̓χ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλ᾿ ὡς οἡ. ὁ γὰρ θεός ἀπείραστός ἐστιν κακῶν" θέλει δὲ τὰ ἀγαθὰ διδόναι ἡμῖν ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ὧν οἰτούμεθὰ ἢ νοοῦμεν. Τὸ μὲν οὖν θέλημὰ αὐτοῦ τὸ τέλειον αὐτὸς ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἠπίστατο, καὶ τοῦτο ἐληλυθέναι πολλάκις φησὶ ποιήσων, οὐ τὸ αὑτοῦ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. οἰκειοῦται γὰρ τὸ πρόσωπον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὡς γενόμενος ΝΥ ἄνθρωπος. διόπερ καὶ τότε, τὸ μὲν ἑαυτοῦ, τὸ ἔλαττον, παραιτεῖται ποιεῖν, αἰτεῖ δὲ τὸ τοῦ πατρός, τὸ μεῖζον, το Ἀ Α θέ γενέσθαι, τὸ θεικὸν θέλημα, ὅπερ πάντως κατὰ τὴν θεότητα ἕν θέλημα τὸ αὑτοῦ καὶ πατρός. τὸ γὰρ πατρικὸν θέλημα, τὸ. διὰ πειρασμοῦ παντὸς ἐπισκῆψαν διελθεῖν, διάγοντος αὐτὸν θαυμασίως αὐτοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς ΑῚ ΝῚ »-“Ἢ μὴ μέχρι τοῦ πειρασμοῦ, μηδὲ εἰς αὐτὸν εἰσελθεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ΕΣ ὑπεράνω τοῦ πειρασμοῦ καὶ μετ᾽ αὐτὸν γενέσθαι" ὅλως δὲ οὐδὲ ἀδύνατον, οὐδὲ ἄπρακτον οὐδ᾽ ὑπεναντίον τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν Σωτῆρα αἰτεῖν. ἔστι δὲ δυνατόν, ὡς ὁ Μάρκος ἀπεμνημόνευσε λέγοντος αὐτοῦ" 5᾽Αββά ὁ πάτήρ, πᾶντὰ οοὶ λγνὰτᾶ" καὶ δυνατὰ εἰ βούλοιτο, κν ᾽ Ω ὡς Λουκᾶς φησὶν αὐτὸν εἰρηκέναι" Πάτερ, εἰ βοΥλει, πὰρένεγκε τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ. Τὸ οὖν πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον εἰς τοὺς εὐαγγελιστὰς κατανεμηθὲν τὴν πᾶσαν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν διάθεσιν ἐκ τῆς το ἑκάστου φωνῆς συντίθησιν. οὔτε γάρ τι αἰτεῖται παρὰ ΑΝ ᾿ τοῦ πατρός, ὃ μὴ ὁ πατὴρ βούλεται. τὸ γὰρ Εἰ Βούλει ὑποταγῆς καὶ ἐπιεικείας ἐστίν, οὐκ ἀγνοίας, οὐδὲ ἀμφιβολίας ἦν δήλωμα: ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰώθαμεν παρὰ οι πατρὸς ἢ ἄρχοντος ἢ διδασκάλου ἤ τινος ὧν θερα- πεύομεν ἀξιοῦντές τι τῶν ἐκείνῳ καταθυμίων λέγειν Εἴ σοι φίλον, οὐχ ὡς ἀμφυγνοοῦντες. οὕτως καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἔλεγεν Εἰ Βούλει, οὐχ ἕτερόν τι βουλόμενον εἰδὼς εἶτα τοῦτο πυνθανόμενος, ἀλλ᾽ ἀκριβῶς εἰδὼς ὅτι βούλεται παρενεγχεῖν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ τὸ ποτήριον, ἠπίστατο δικαίως ὃ βούλεται δυνατὸν αὐτῷ. διὰ τοῦτο ἡ ἑτέρα γραφή φησιν" Πάντὰ οο᾽ λγνάτά. καὶ τοῦτο πάντως τὸ οἰκτὸν καὶ ταπείνοφρον ὁ Ματθαῖος διαγράφει, Εἰ λγνὰᾶτόν ἐστι λέγων. εἰ γὰρ μὴ οὕτως ἁρμόσοιμι τὴν διάνοιαν, τάχα τινὲς ἐκδέξοιντο ἀσεβῶς τὸ Εἰ λγνάτόν ἐεστι, ὥς τίνος ΕΗ ᾽ ΩΣ ο ᾿ ὄντος ἀδυνάτου τῷ θεῷ ποιῆσαι, πλὴν μόνου οὗ μὴ βούλεται. οὐκ αὐθέκαστον οὖν οὐδὲ αὐτῷ μόνῳ δοκοῦσαν το ἢ ἀντικειμένην τῇ βουλῇ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ἀξίωσιν, ᾽ Η ΩΝ Ω ΠῚ ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ θεῷ συνδοκοῦσαν. Καὶ μὴν φήσει τις ὅτι ἀναγκάζεται καὶ μετανοεῖ καὶ ἕτερον εὐθὺς οὐ τὸ πρότερον αἰτεῖ, οὐκέτι τὸ αὑτοῦ κρατύνει, τὸ δὲ τοῦ πατρὸς ἵστησι βούλημα. ναί" ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἀνθ᾽ ἑτέρου πάντη πράγματος ἕτερον μεταλαμβάνει, τῆς δὲ αὐτῆς ἀμφοτέροις ἀρεσκούσης πράξεως, ὁδὸν ἑτέραν καὶ ἀλλοιότερον τρόπον ἀσπάζεται, ἀντὶ τοῦ μικροτέρου καὶ ἀπαρέσκειν αὐτῷ δοκοῦντος τὸν μείζονα καὶ θαυμασιώδ τερον ἐπιμετρούμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός. παρελθεῖν μὲν γὰρ πάντως αἰτεῖ τὸ ποτήριον" πλὴν οὐχ ὡς ἐγώ, φησε, θέλω ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ογ. ὠδίνει μὲν ἑκατέρως παρελθεῖν, ἄμεινον δὲ ὡς ὁ πατὴρ βούλεται. οὐ γὰρ τὸ μὴ παρελθεῖν᾽ ἀντὶ. τοῦ παρελθεῖν μετήτησεν, ἀλλὰ προκειμένου τοῦ παρελτο θεῖν ὡς ὁ πατὴρ βούλεται, τοῦτο γενέσθαι μεταλαμβάνει. Διττὴ γὰρ ἡ τοῦ παρερχομένου δύναμίς ἐστινἢ ΕῚ ΝῚ ἃ παραφανὲν ἢ προσαψάμενον, εὐθὺς διωχθὲν ἢ παραδραμὸν οἴχεσθαι, ὥσπερ οἱ παραξέοντες ἀλλήλους δρομοῖς" ἢ συμβιῶσαν καὶ διατρίψαν καὶ προσκαθίσαν, καθάπερ λῃστρικὸν ἢ στρατόπεδον, εἶτα ἡττηθὲν καὶ μηδὲν λαβὸν ΕΣ ᾽ μόλις ἄπρακτον ἀπελθεῖν: εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἕλοιεν, οὐκ ἂν παρεληλύθασιν, ἀλλὰ συναπήγωγον ἑαυτοῖς οὗς ἐχειρώσαντο, εἰ δὲ κρατῆσαι μὴ δυνηθεῖεν, καταισχυνθέντες παρέρχονται. ἐβούλετο μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τὸν πρότερον τύπον ἐλθεῖν εἰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τάχει ποθὲν ῥᾷστα καὶ τάχιστα παρελθεῖν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ τὸ ποτήριον. ἀλλ᾽ ἅμα τε εἶπε καὶ παραχρῆμα ἐπιρρωσθεὶς κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ὑπὸ τῆς πατρικῆς θεότητος ἀσφαλεστέραν ποιεῖται τὴν αἴτησιν καὶ οὐκέτι οὕτω βούλεται, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἀρέσκει τῷ τὸ πατρὶ ἐνδόξως καὶ καρτερῶς καὶ πλῆρες πιεῖν. τοῦτο γὰρ ἤκουσεν ᾿Ιωάννης αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ὁ τὰ μεγαλειότατα καὶ θειότατα τῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος λόγων καὶ ἔργων ὑπομνηματισάμενος: Τὸ ποτήριον ὁ λέλωκέ μοι ὁ πατήρ ΜΟΥ, οΟΥ̓ ΜῊ πίω δήτό; πιεῖν δὲ ἦν τὸ ποτήριον, πληρῶσαι τὴν Διλκονίάν καὶ πᾶσαν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἀνδρείως ἐχόμενον τοῦ πατρὸς διανύσαι καὶ ὑὕὑπερ- φΦ ΠῚ βῆναι τὰ δεινά. ἐκεῖνος γὰρ δι’ ὧν αὐτὸς ἠξίου ταῦτα ᾿ ΕΞ) καταλιμπάνων----ταρέρχεσθαι γὰρ λέγεται ἑκάτερον ἀφ ἑκατέρου, καὶ τὸ μένον τοῦ ἀπιόντος καὶ τὸ ἀπιὸν τοῦ μένοντος. ὁ δὲ Ματθαῖος σαφέστατα ἐδήλωσεν, ὅτι ΝῚ ΜΝ παρελθεῖν μὲν τὸ ποτήριον ἥτει, μὴ μὴν ὡς αὗτος, αλλ ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ἐβούλετο, τοῦτο γενέσθαι ἠξίους ἁρμοστέον ἀκολούθως καὶ τὰ διὰ Μάρκου καὶ Λουκᾶ ῥήματα" ὁ μὲν γὰρ Μάρκος ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐ τί ἐγὼ θέλω φησὶν ἀλλὰ τί ΟΥ̓ θέλεις, ὁ δὲ Λουκᾶς Πλὴν μὴ τὸ θέλημᾶ ΜΟΥ ἀλλὰ τὸ οὖν το γινέσθω. ἔλεγε μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς καὶ ἤθελε ταχέως λωφῆσαι καὶ πεπαῦσθαι τὸ πάθος, ἤθελε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ λιπαρῶς καὶ διαρκῶς τὸν ἀγῶνα πληρῶσαι. πάντα οὖν τὰ προσπίπτοντα παρέσχετο" καὶ ὥσπερ σιδηροῖς καὶ ᾽ ᾿ ΝΥ ἀρρήκτοις ὅπλοις προσρασσόμενα βέλη, μᾶλλον δέ, ὡς ἀπὸ στερρᾶς πέτρας, τὰ μὲν ἐθραύετο, τὰ δὲ ἀνεκρούετο, ῥαπίστοματα, ἐμπτύσματα, μάστιγες, θάνατος, καὶ τοῦ θανάτου τὸ ὕψωμα. Καὶ τούτων ἐπιτελουμένων ἐσιώπὰ καὶ διεκαρτέρει, ὥσπερ οὐδὲν πάσχων ἢ ὡς ἤδη τεθνεώς. μηκυνομένον δὲ θανάτου καὶ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν αὐτὸν ἤδη δαμάζοντος, ἀνέκραγε πρὸς τὸν πατέρα. τὸ δὲ ΤΙ με ἐγκατέλιπες ἦν ἄρα οἷς προηξίωσεν ἀκόλουθον" τί μοι μέχρι νῦν ὁ θάνατος συνέζευκται καὶ οὔπω τὸ ποτήριον παραφέρεις τί δὲ οὐκ ἔπιον αὐτὸ ἤδη καὶ ἀνήλωσα; ἀλλὰ δέος μὴ ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ πλήρης ἐπικειμένου καταποθείην: ὃ τὸ γένοιτ᾽ ἂν εἴ με ἐγκατέλιπες. τὸ μὲν παραμενεῖ πεπληρωμένον, ἐγὼ δὲ οἰχήσομαι κεκενωμένος. ἤδη ποτὲ τετελέσθω τὸ βΒάπτιομὰ, ὡς καὶ πρὸ πολλοῦ ογνειχόμην, ἕως ὅτογ τελεσθῆ. ταύτην τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν διάνοιαν συντόμῳ φωνῇ τεκμαίρομαι γεγονέναι καὶ ἀληθῆ γε ἔλεγε -καὶ οὐκ ἐγκαταλέλειπται, ἀλλὰ εὐθὺς ἐξέπιεν ὡς ἠξίωσε καὶ παρελήλυθε. Καὶ τούτου μοι δοκεῖ τὸ προσενεχθὲν ὄξος αὐτῷ γεγονέναι σύμβολον. ὁ γὰρ ἐντροπίας οἶνος διεσήμαινεν ἴσως τὴν ὀξεῖαν αὐτοῦ τροπὴν καὶ μεταβολὴν ἣν κατεδέξατο, ἀντὲ τοῦ πάθους τὴν ἀπάθειαν, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ θανάτου τὴν ἀθανασίαν, καὶ ἀντὶ τῆς φθορᾶς τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ κρίνεσθαι τὸ κρίνειν, το καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ τυραννεῖσθαι τὸ βασιλεύειν μεταλαβών. ες “Ὁ ὅ τε γὰρ σπόγγος, ὡς οἶμαι, τὴν ὅλην δι’ ὅλου τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐν αὐτῷ γενομένην ἀνάκρασιν ἀνέφηνε' καὶ ὁ κάλαμος τὸ βασίλειον σκῆπτρον καὶ τὸν θεῖον νόμον ὑπέφησεν.υ ὁ δὲ ὕσσωπος τὴν ζωτικὴν καὶ σωτήριον ἔγερσιν αὐτοῦ, ἧς καὶ ἡμᾶς ὑγίασεν, ἔδειξεν. τς ᾿Αλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἱκανῶς καὶ ἐν τῷ Ματθαίῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν δὲ τῶν ἑξῆς ἐχώμεθα. Στίχ. μγόὸ ὌὭΦφθη δὲ αὐτῷ ἄγγελος ἀπ᾽ οὐρὰνοῦ ἐνιοχήων Στίχ. μδ Κοὶ γενομενος ἐν ἀγωνίᾳ ἐκτενέστερον προοςηὔχετο. ἐγένετο δὲ ὁ ἱδρὼς δύτοῦ, ὡςεὶ θρόμβοι ἀἵματος κἀτάἀβδίνοντες ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. ΝΕ ΤΙ Παροιμία λέγεται ἐπὶ τῶν σφόδρα λυπουμένων καὶ ἀγωνιώντων αἵματος ἵδρωσις, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πικρῶς ὀδυρομένων αἵματα κλαίει, ὅτε ὡςεὶ θρόμβοι αίματος εἰπών, οὐ θρόμβους ἀπεφήνατο αἵματος. οὐ γὰρ ἂν καθ᾽ ὁμοιότητα τούτων εἴρηκε γενέσθαι τοὺς ἱδρῶτας. ποῦτο γὰρ ὡςεὶ θρόμβοι παρίστησι. θέλων δὲ μᾶλλον δηλῶσαι, ὡς οὐχὶ λεπταῖς τισὶ νοτίσι, καὶ οἷον ἐνδείξεως ὁ χάριν ἐπιφαινομέναις, τὸ δεσποτικὸν ἐνοτίξετο σῶμα, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἁαρῶν σταγόνων δίκην ὅλον τοῖς ἱδρῶσι περιεστάζξετο, τοὺς τῶν αἱμάτων θρόμβους εἰς εἰκόνα τοῦ γεγενημένου παρείληφεν. ἐδήλου δὲ ἄρα, ὥσπερ καὶ διὰ τῆς ἐντεταμένης προσευχῆς καὶ τῆς πολλῆς ἀγωνίας, το οὕτω καὶ διὰ τῆς τῶν ἱδρώτων παχύτητος, ὡς φύσει καὶ ἀληθῶς, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐπιδείξει καὶ φαντασίᾳ, ἄνθρωπός τε ἐχρημάτισεν ὁ Σωτὴρ καὶ τοῖς φυσικοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀδιαβλήτοις ὑπηρετήσατο πάθεσι. Τὸ μέντοι ᾿Εξογείᾶν ἔχω θεῖναι τὴν ΨΥΧΉΝ ΜΟΥ, Κὸὶ ἐξογοίὰν ἔχω πάλιν λαβεῖν ἀὐτην, ἐν τούτοις δηλοῖ ἑκούσιον ΙΧ Η εἶναι τὸ πάθος" καὶ ἔτι, ὡς ἄλλη μὲν ἡ τιθεμένη καὶ λαμβανομένη ψυχή, ἄλλη δὲ ἡ τιθεῖσα καὶ λαμβάνουσα θεότης. καὶ ὥσπερ σαρκὶ τὸν θάνατον ὑπομείνας ἑκὼν αὐτῇ τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν ἐφύτευσεν, οὕτω καὶ τὸ τῆς δουλείας βουλήσει προσηκάμενος πάθος αὐτῇ τὸ θάρσος καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν ἐνέσπειρεν, ἐξ ἧς τοὺς πιστεύοντας εἰς αὐτὸν πρὸς τοὺς τοῦ μαρτυρίου μεγάλους ἄθλους ἐνεύρισε, ταύτῃ τοι καὶ θρόμβοι ἱδρῶτος αὐτοῦ παραδόξως οἷα σταγόνες αἵματος ἀπορρεον, ἵνα τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως ὥσπερ ἀναξηράνῃ καὶ ἐξοικίσῃ τὴν τῆς δειλίας πηγήν. ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν ὡς ἐν Μμγοτηρίῳ πραττόμενον, οὐδὲ εἰ σφόδρα δειλότατός τις καὶ ἀγενέστατος ὑπῆρχεν, αἵματος ἔμελλεν νοτίσιν ἐξ ἀγωνίας μόνον ὥσπερ ἱκμάσιν ἱδρῶτος το παρὰ φύσιν ὑγραίνεσθαι. Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι κἀκεῖνο τὸ εἰρημένον, ὡς ἄγγελος ἦν παρεστηκὼς τῷ Σωτῆρι καὶ ἐνιοχήων ἀὐτόν. καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς ἕνεκεν οἰκονομίας ἐπράττετο. τῶν γὰρ ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀγώνων οἱ ἀθλεῖν μέλλοντες τοὺς τς ἱεροὺς ἄθλους ἀγγέλους ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπικουροῦντας αὐτοῖς ἔχουσι. Τάχα δὲ τό: Πάτερ, πὰρένεγκε τὸ ποτήριον οὐχ ὡς δεδιὼς τὸν θάνατον ἔφησεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα διὰ τούτων προσκαλέσηται τὸν διάβολον πῆξαι αὐτῷ τὸν σταυρόν. ε"ὔ ΕΣ ᾽ ῥήμασι δολεροῖς ἠπάτησεν ἐκεῖνος τὸν ᾿Αδάμ, ῥήμασι δειλοῖς ἀπατηθήτω ὁ δολερός. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἄλλο θέλημα τοῦ υἱοῦ, καὶ ἄλλο τοῦ πατρός. ΑΥ ΒΕ ὁ γὰρ θέλων ὃ θέλει ὁ πατὴρ εὑρίσκεται ἔχων τὸ θέλημα Η ΠῚ ΕῚ ᾿ τοῦ πατρος. σχήματι οὖν λέγει ΛΛὴ τὸ ἐμὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ οὖν" οὐ γὰρ θέλει αὐτὸ παρενεχθῆναι, ἀλλὰ τῷ βουλήτο ματι τοῦ πατρὸς ἀναπέμπει τὸ ἐκ τοῦ πάθους κατ- όρθωμα, ὡς ἀρχὴν τιμῶν τὸν πατέρα. εἰ γὰρ γνώμην τὴν διάθεσιν καλοῦσιν οἱ πατέρες, γίνεται δὲ διάθεσις πρὸς τὸ κρυβὲν ἐμφρόνως ὡς ἀπὸ τῆς βουλεύσεως, πῶς φασί τινες τὸν κύριον, τὸν ὑπὲρ ταῦτα πάντα, θέλημα φέρειν γνωμικόν; ἢ δῆλον ἐξ ἀλογίας; Στίχ. με Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἀπὸ τῆς προςεγχῆς, ἐλθὼν πρὸς τοὺς μάθητὰς εὖρεν αύτοτς κοιμωμένογο ἀπὸ τῆς λύπησ. Στίχ. μς'΄ ΚΚεὶ εἶπεν αΥτοῖς᾽ Τί καθεύήδετε; ἀναστάντες προοεήχεοθε, ἵνὰ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς πειρασμόν. “Ὅπερ καὶ αὐτὸς προσηύχετο, πολλάκις πίπτων ἐπὶ πρόσωπον, καὶ δι’ ἀμφοτέρων τὸ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν αἰτῶν, τοῦ τε Εἰ λγνὰτόν, παρελθέτω τὸ ποτήριον, το καὶ τοῦ ΟΥ̓Χ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω, ἄλλ᾽ ὡς εὐ. τὸ γὰρ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν ἔλεγε, καὶ τοῦτο ἤτει, οὐ τὸ μηδὲ ὅλως πειραθῆναι περιστάσεως ἢ ἐν δυσχερίᾳ ᾿ γα ᾿ τινὶ μὴ γενέσθαι καθάπαξ. καὶ γὰρ ἀδύνατον μάλιστα μὲν ἴσως παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ τὸ παντελῶς ἄγευστον καλοτὸ ποῦ τινὸς διαβιῶναι. “Ὅλος γάρ, φησιν, ὁ κόσμος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖτὰι καὶ τὸ πλέον τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπον κόπος κἀὶ πόνοσ᾽ ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν" ὀλίγος ἐστὶ καὶ λυπηρὸς ὁ δίος ἡμῶν. ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτὸν κελεύειν εὔχεσθαι μὴ πληροῦσθαι τὴν ἀρὰν τὴν λέγουσαν" ᾿᾽Ἔπι- κάτᾶράτος ἡ γῆ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις οογ΄ ἐν λυπεϊς φάγη δὐτὴν πάοσδο. τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς οογ᾽ ἢ τὸ ΓΗ εἶ καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεήοῃ. ἣν καὶ ποικίλως αἱ θεῖαι γραφαί, τὸ περιπαθὲς τοῦ βίου δεικνῦσαι, κοιλᾶλὸ κλαγθμῶνος αὐτὸν καλοῦσιν. μάλιστα δὲ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐπαλγὴς ὁ κόσμος, το πρὸς οὺς ἀθέμιτον αὐτῷ ψεύδεσθαι λέγοντι. Ἔν τῷ χόσμῳ τούήτῳ θλίψιν ἕξετε᾽ καὶ ὁμοίως διὰ τοῦ προφήτου" Πολλαὶ δὶ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ εἰς πειρασμὸν εἰσελθεῖν λέγειν αὐτὸν ὑπολαμβάνω τὸ ῥυσθῆναι μὲν κατὰ τὸν προφήτην τῶν θλίψεων: ᾿Εκ πλοῶν γὰρ αὐτῶν φησὶ ῥγοετὸι ἀὐτονὴς ὁ κύριος" ὡς δὲ τὸ αὐτοῦ ῥῆμα ὑπισχνεῖται, κρατῆσαι τῶν θλίψεων, καὶ τῆς νίκης, ἧς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐνίκησε, μετασχεῖν: μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εἰπεῖν Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλίψιν ἕξετε, ἐπήγαγεν: ᾿Αλλὰ θαρσεῖτε, ἐγὼ ἐνίχησὰ τὸν κόοσμον. Καὶ προσεύχεσθαι δὲ πάλιν ἐδίδασκε μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν ΟΙ. ΡΞ. ᾿Ἰχχχὶχ (χο) το. (χχχὶν) εἰς πειρασμόν: καὶ δὴ κοὶ μὴ εἰςενέγκης ἡμᾶς εἰς ποιτ ρδομόν, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι Μὴ ἐάσῃς ἡμᾶς ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν..ες ΩΣ ὅτι δὲ τοῦτο ἦν οὐ τὸ μὴ πειρασθῆναι, ῥυσθῆναι δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ, προσέθηκεν: ᾿Αλλὰ ῥΐῆελι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. ἀλλὰ τί διενήνοχεν, ἴσως ἐρεῖς, τὸ πειρασθῆναι καὶ τὸ εἰς πειρασμὸν ἐμπεσεῖν ἤτοι εἰσελθεῖν ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἡττηθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ (ἡττηθήσεται δέ, εἴπερ μὴ ἀγωνίζοιτο, ὑπερασπίξοι δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ θεός) εἰς πειρασμὸν οὗτος ἐνέπεσε καὶ εἰς πειρασμὸν εἰσῆλθε καὶ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπ᾽ αὐτὸν ὥσπερ ἀχθεὶς αἰχμάλωτος" το. ὁ δὲ ἀντισχὼν καὶ ὑπομείνας, πεπείρασται μὲν οὗτος, οὐ μὴν εἰς πειρασμὸν εἰσῆλθεν ἤτοι ἐνέπεσεν. ἀνήχθη γοῦν ὁ ᾿Ιηοοῦς ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος οὐκ εἰς πειρασμὸν εἰσελθεῖν ἀλλὰ πειρδοθῆνδι ὑπὸ τοῦ λιαδόλογ. καὶ ὁ ᾿Αβραὰμ ᾽ ΩΣ ᾽ γ0Ν ᾽ οὐκ εἰς πειρασμὸν εἰσῆλθεν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ εἰς πειρασμὸν τς: ἦγεν ὁ θεός, ἀλλὰ ἐπείραζεν, οὐκ ἐνέβαλεν αὐτὸν εἰς πειρασμόν. καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἐπείραζε τοὺς μαθητάς. ὁ μὲν γὰρ πονηρὸς πειράζων εἰς τοὺς πειρασμοὺς καθέλκει,᾽ οἷα πειραστὴς κακῶν, ὁ δὲ θεὸς πειράζων τοὺς πειρασ-͵ μοὺς παραφοροι ὡς ἀπείραστος κακῶν" ὁ γὰρ θεός, φησιν, ἀπείραστος κακῶν. ὁ μὲν γὰρ διάβολος ἐπ᾽ ὄλεθρον ἕλκων βιάζεται, ὁ δὲ θεὸς ἐπὶ σωτηρίαν γυμνάζων χειρωγωγεῖ. Στίχ. μζ΄ Ἔτι δὐτοῦ λάλοῦντοσ, ἰδοὺ ὄχλος καὶ ὁ λεγόμενος Ἰούδδο, εἷς τῶν λώλεκὰ, προήρχετο ἀγγοὺς καὶ ἤγγιςε διτῷ Ἰησοῦ, φιλῆσαι ἀὐτόν. οΟΣτίχ. μη Ὃ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν ἀγὐτῷ" Ἰογδὰ, φιλήματι τὸν γἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πὰρδδίλως τοὶ Βαβαὶ τῆς ἀνεξικακίας τοῦ δεσπότου, τοῦ καὶ φιλήσαντος τὸν προδότην, καὶ τοῦ φιλήματος ἁπαλώτερα τὸ ῥήματα φθεγξαμένου. οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν" ὦ μιαρὲ καὶ παμμίαρε καὶ προδότα, ταύτας ἡμῖν ἀποδίδως τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῆς τοσαύτης εὐεργεσίας; ἀλλὰ πῶς; ᾿Ἰογλδὰ, τὸ κύριον ὄνομα τιθείς, ὃ μᾶλλον ταλανίξοντος ἦν καὶ ἀνακαλοῦντος ἢ ὀργιζαμένου. καὶ οὐκ εἶπε' τὸν διδάσκαλόν σου, τὸν το. δεσπότην, τὸν εὐεργέτην, ἀλλὰ τὸν γίὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπογ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι τὸν ἥμερον, τὸν πρᾶον. εἰ γὰρ μὴ διδάσκαλος ἦν μηδὲ δεσπότης μηδὲ εὐεργέτης, τὸν οὕτως ἀπλάστως, τὸν οὕτως ἡμέρως πρός σε διακείμενον, ὡς ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς πραδοσίας σε φιλεῖν καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ φιλήματος συμβόλου τῆς προδοσίας ὄντος, τοῦτον παραδίδως; οὖλος τητὸς εἶ, Κύριε: πόσης ἀνεξικακίας, πόσης ταπεινο- ΝῚ φροσύνης ὑπόδειγμα ἡμῖν γέγονας. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ μὴ ἀφίστασθαι τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς συμβουλῆς, κἂν μηδὲν πλέον ἐκ τῶν ἡμετέρων ῥημάτων γίνηται, ὑπόδειγμα τοῦτο πεποίηκεν ὁ δεσπότης. καθάπερ γὰρ τὰ το ἀνίατα τῶν τραυμάτων, οὐδὲ τοῖς αὐστηροῖς τῶν φαρμάκων, οὐδὲ τοῖς γλυκαίνειν αὐτὰ δυναμένοις, οὕτω καὶ ψυχή, ἐπειδὰν ἅπαξ αἰχμάλωτος γένηται, καὶ ἑαυτὴν ἐπιδῷ ὁτιοῦν πλ' λήματι, καὶ μὴ βούληται τὸ ἑαυτῆ ᾷ ηἡμμελήματι, καὶ μὴ ηται τὸ ἑαυτῆς συμφέρον συνιδεῖν, κἂν μυρία τις ἐνηχῇ, οὐδὲν κερδαίνει, ἀλλά, καθάπερ νεκρὰς ἀκοὰς κεκτημένη, οὐδεμίαν ἀπὸ τῆς παραινέσεως δέχεται τὴν ὠφελείαν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ μὴ δύναται, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ μὴ βούλεται. τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα γέγονεν. ὁ δὲ χριστὸς καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προειδὼς ᾽ ΕῚ ᾽ οὐ διέλιπεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς μέχρι τέλογος τὰ παρ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ πάντα ἐπιδεικνύμενος. ἃ καὶ ἡμῶν εἰδότων ῥυθμίζειν χρὴ τοὺς ἠμελημένους διὰ παντός, κἂν μηδὲν ἐκ τῆς συμβουλῆς γίνηται κέρδος.

### English translation (Claude)

On the holy Gospel according to Luke, chapter 22, verse 42 and following. Verse 42. “Father, if you will, remove this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” But let this be said about the will. As for “Let the cup pass,” it does not mean “Let it not come near” or “Let it not approach me.” For what passes by must certainly first come to him, and approach the one whom it passes by; for if it did not draw near, it would not pass by. As one, then, who already perceived it present, he began to be grieved and distressed and amazed and to be in agony; and, as it was near and set before him, he does not simply say “the cup,” but points to it: “this.” As, then, what passes by is neither unapproachable nor abiding, so the Savior asks that the temptation, which came upon him gently and on the surface and touched him lightly, be thrust aside at first. And this is the first kind of not falling into temptation, which he counsels the weaker too to pray for: that the temptation should come (for “offenses must come”), but they themselves should not fall into the temptation. And the most perfect manner of not entering into temptation … is that which he asks second, not simply: “Not as I will, but as you.” For God is not tempted by evils; but he wishes to give us good things exceedingly beyond what we ask or think. His perfect will, then, the Beloved himself knew; and he often says that he has come to do this, not his own, that is, that of men. For he makes his own the person of men, as having become man. Therefore then too he declines to do his own, the lesser, and asks that the Father's, the greater, be done, the divine will, which according to the divinity is altogether one will, his own and the Father's. For the Father's will was that he should pass through every temptation, the Father himself leading him through marvelously, … not up to the temptation, nor into it, but to be above the temptation and beyond it. And in general it is not impossible, nor unworkable, nor contrary to the Father's will, for the Savior to ask. And it is possible, as Mark recorded him saying, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you”; and possible if he wished, as Luke says he said: “Father, if you will, remove this cup from me.” The Holy Spirit, then, distributed among the evangelists, composes the whole disposition of our Savior out of the voice of each. For he asks nothing of the Father that the Father does not wish. For “If you will” is a mark of submission and gentleness, not a sign of ignorance or of doubt; just as we too, when we ask of a father or ruler or teacher, or of anyone we serve, something agreeable to him, are accustomed to say “If you please,” not as being in doubt. So too the Savior … said “If you will,” not knowing that the Father wished something else and then inquiring about this, but knowing exactly that he wished to remove the cup from him, he knew that what he justly wishes is possible for him. For this reason the other scripture says, “All things are possible to you.” And Matthew surely describes this as compassionate and humble, saying “If it is possible.” For if I did not fit the sense in this way, some might perhaps take “If it is possible” impiously, as though there were something impossible for God to do, except only what he does not will. He did not, then, make his request as self-willed, nor as seeming good to himself alone, or opposed to the Father's counsel, but as seeming good to God also. And yet someone will say that he is compelled and changes his mind, and at once asks something other than at first, no longer upholding his own but establishing the Father's will. Yes; but he does not take one thing altogether in exchange for another; rather, the same act pleasing both, he embraces another road and a different manner, instead of the smaller, which seemed not to please him, the greater and more marvelous measured out by the Father. For he does ask that the cup pass; “but not as I will,” he says, “but as you.” He longs either way that it pass, but better as the Father wills. For he did not ask instead for its not passing in place of its passing, but, its passing being set before him, he asks that this happen as the Father wills. For twofold is the force of “passing by”: either, having appeared or touched, to be driven off at once, or run past and be gone, like those who graze past one another in races; or, having lived with and lingered and sat down beside, like a band of robbers or an army, then, defeated and taking nothing, scarcely to go away empty-handed: for if they had taken the place, they would not have passed by, but would have led away with them those they had subdued; but if they could not prevail, they pass by in shame. He wished, then, after the first manner, that the cup should come into his hands and pass from him quickly, most easily and most swiftly. But as soon as he had said it, being immediately strengthened in his humanity by the Father's divinity, he makes his request more secure, and no longer wishes it so, but as it pleases the Father: to drink it gloriously and steadfastly and to the full. For John, who recorded the greatest and most divine of the Savior's words and deeds, heard him say this: “The cup that my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?” And to drink the cup was to fulfill the ministry and the whole economy of the temptation, holding courageously to the Father, to complete it and to pass beyond the terrors. … For each is said to pass from the other, both the one who remains from the one who departs, and the one who departs from the one who remains. And Matthew showed most clearly that he asked that the cup pass, yet asked that this happen not as he, but as the Father willed. We must fit the words of Mark and Luke accordingly. For Mark says, “But not what I will, but what you will,” and Luke, “Yet not my will but yours be done.” For he himself said and wished that the suffering should quickly abate and cease, but the Father wished him to complete the contest steadfastly and to the end. So he offered himself to all that befell him; and like darts striking iron and unbreakable armor, or rather as against a solid rock, some were shattered and others bounced back: slaps, spittings, scourgings, death, and the lifting up of death. And while these things were being accomplished he was silent and endured, as though suffering nothing, or as one already dead. But when death was prolonged and was already overpowering him beyond his strength, he cried out to the Father. And “Why have you forsaken me?” was, then, consistent with what he had asked before: Why is death yoked to me until now, and you do not yet remove the cup? Why have I not already drunk it and finished it? But there is fear lest I be swallowed up by it, as it lies full upon me; which would happen if you forsook me. It will remain full, and I shall be gone, emptied. Let the baptism be completed at last, as I was long ago constrained until it should be accomplished. This thought of the Savior I infer to have been expressed in a brief cry; and he spoke truly, and he was not forsaken, but immediately drank it off, as he asked, and it passed. And of this the vinegar offered to him seems to me to have been a symbol. For the turned wine signified, perhaps, his sharp turning and change, which he received, taking in exchange impassibility for suffering, immortality for death, incorruption for corruption, judging for being judged, reigning for being tyrannized. For the sponge, I think, showed the complete mingling of the Holy Spirit through the whole that came to be in him; and the reed indicated the royal scepter and the divine law; and the hyssop showed his life-giving and saving resurrection, by which he has made us too healthy. But concerning these things enough has been said both in (the commentary on) Matthew and now; let us keep to what follows. Verse 43. “And an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him.” Verse 44. “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became as clots of blood falling down upon the ground.” A sweat of blood is said proverbially of those who are greatly grieved and in agony, as it is said of those who lament bitterly that they weep blood; for in saying “as clots of blood” he did not declare them clots of blood. For then he would not have said that the sweat came in likeness of these; for the “as” presents this. But wishing rather to show that the Lord's body was moistened not with thin drops, appearing as it were for show, but was truly bedewed all over with sweat like heavy drops, he took the clots of blood as an image of what happened. He showed, then, as by the intense prayer and great agony, so also by the thickness of the sweat, that the Savior was man by nature and truly, and not in show and appearance, and was subject to the natural and blameless passions of men. And the saying, “I have authority to lay down my life, and I have authority to take it again,” shows in these words that the suffering was voluntary; and further, that the soul laid down and taken up is one thing, and the divinity that lays it down and takes it up is another. And as, having willingly endured death in the flesh, he planted incorruption in it, so, having accepted by his will the suffering proper to the condition of a slave, he sowed in it boldness and courage, by which he braced those who believe in him for the great contests of martyrdom; and so clots of his sweat ran down marvelously like drops of blood, that he might as it were dry up and banish from our nature the spring of cowardice. For if this had not been done as in a mystery, not even if someone were utterly cowardly and ignoble would he be moistened, contrary to nature, from agony alone with drops of blood like beads of sweat. Such too is the saying that an angel stood by the Savior and strengthened him. For this too was done for the sake of the economy on our behalf. For those who are about to contend in the sacred contests for piety have angels from heaven helping them. Perhaps too he said “Father, remove the cup” not as fearing death, but in order by these words to provoke the devil to set up the cross for him. With crafty words that one deceived Adam; let the crafty one be deceived by timid words. But there is not one will of the Son and another of the Father. For he who wills what the Father wills is found to have the will of the Father. In a figure, then, he says, “Not mine but yours”; for he does not wish it to be removed, but he refers to the Father's will the achievement that comes from the passion, honoring the Father as source. For if the fathers call disposition “opinion” (γνώμη), and disposition comes about … toward what is hidden, prudently, as from deliberation, how do some say that the Lord, who is above all these things, has a deliberative will? Or is it clear that it is from irrationality? Verse 45. “And rising from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping from grief.” Verse 46. “And he said to them: Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.” Which he himself also prayed, often falling on his face, and asking by both sayings not to enter into temptation, both “If it is possible, let the cup pass,” and “Not as I will, but as you.” For it was not entering into temptation that he spoke of and asked for, not that he should not be tried at all by any circumstance, or not be in any hardship whatever. For it is impossible, perhaps, for any man to live his life altogether without tasting evil. “For the whole world,” it says, “lies in the evil one”; and “the most of man's days are toil and trouble”; as they themselves also say: “Short and grievous is our life.” Nor was it likely that he would command them to pray that the curse should not be fulfilled which says: “Cursed is the ground in your works; in sorrow you shall eat of it all the days of your life”; or “You are earth, and to earth you shall return”; which the divine scriptures, showing in various ways the sorrowfulness of life, call “the valley of weeping.” And the world is most painful to the saints, to whom he who cannot lie says: “In this world you will have affliction”; and likewise through the prophet: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” But I suppose that by “not to enter into temptation” he means to be delivered from the afflictions, according to the prophet: “For out of them all,” he says, “the Lord delivers them”; and, as his own word promises, to master the afflictions, and to share in the victory that he won on our behalf; for after saying, “In the world you will have affliction,” he added: “But take courage, I have overcome the world.” And again he taught us to pray not to fall into temptation: “And lead us not into temptation,” that is, “Do not let us fall into temptation.” And that this was not “not to be tempted,” but to be delivered from the evil one, he added: “But deliver us from the evil one.” But what is the difference, you will perhaps say, between being tempted and falling or entering into temptation? He who has been defeated by the evil one (and he will be defeated if he does not contend, and if God does not shield him) has fallen into temptation and entered into temptation, and is in it and under it, as one led captive. But he who has resisted and endured has been tempted, yet has not entered or fallen into temptation. Jesus, at any rate, was led up by the Spirit, not to enter into temptation, but “to be tempted by the devil.” And Abraham did not enter into temptation, nor did God lead him into temptation; he tested him, but did not cast him into temptation. And the Lord himself tested the disciples. For the evil one, tempting, drags down into temptations, as a tempter of evils; but God, testing, brings one past temptations, as untempted by evils; for “God,” it says, “cannot be tempted by evils.” The devil uses force, dragging to destruction; but God, training, leads by the hand to salvation. Verse 47. “While he was still speaking, behold, a crowd; and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was going before them, and he drew near to Jesus to kiss him.” Verse 48. “But Jesus said to him: Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” Oh, the forbearance of the Master, who both kissed the traitor and uttered words softer than the kiss! For he did not say: “O defiled and utterly defiled one, and traitor, is this the return you give us for so great a kindness?” But how? “Judas,” using his proper name, which was more the mark of one pitying and calling back than of one angered. And he did not say “your teacher, your master, your benefactor,” but “the Son of Man,” that is, the gentle, the meek. For even if he were not your teacher nor master nor benefactor, do you betray one so guilelessly, so gently disposed toward you, that at the time of the betrayal he kisses you, and that when the kiss is the signal of the betrayal? Blessed are you, Lord! What an example of forbearance, what an example of humility you have become for us! And not only so, but the Master has also given this as an example of not desisting from counsel to the brethren, even if nothing more comes of our words. For just as incurable wounds yield neither to harsh medicines nor to those that can soothe them, so too a soul, once it has become captive and has given itself over to any offense whatever, and does not wish to perceive its own advantage, gains nothing, even if one sounds countless warnings in its ears; but, as having dead ears, it receives no benefit from the exhortation, not because it cannot, but because it will not. This happened in the case of Judas. But Christ, though he foreknew all these things, did not cease from beginning to end to show all that was his to do. Knowing this, we too must always correct the negligent, even if no profit comes from the counsel.

### Scripture references

- Luke 22:42–48: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 18:7: quotation, high confidence
- Jas 1:13: quotation, high confidence
- Eph 3:20: allusion, high confidence
- John 6:38: allusion, high confidence
- Mark 14:36: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 26:39: quotation, high confidence
- John 18:11: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 27:46: quotation, high confidence
- Luke 12:50: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 27:48: allusion, high confidence
- John 19:29: allusion, high confidence
- John 10:18: quotation, high confidence
- Phil 2:7: allusion, medium confidence
- 1 John 5:19: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 90:10 (89:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Gen 3:17: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 3:19: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 84:6 (83:7 LXX): allusion, high confidence
- John 16:33: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 34:19 (33:20 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Matt 6:13: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 4:1: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 22:1: allusion, high confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Wis 2:1 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The ascription of this exposition to Dionysius has been questioned (some passages, such as the remark on a ‘deliberative will’, seem to belong to later Christological debate). Several blocks of Feltoe's English apparatus that leak into the OCR are removed by logged corrections; other gaps are marked …. ‘Short and grievous is our life’ is Wis 2:1.
- ‘I infer to have been expressed in a brief cry’ (on Matt 27:46) is translated as written; the author holds that Christ was not in fact forsaken.

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 5 (Feltoe, 230; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-5).

## Fragment Z I (on Acts 5:4)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-6
- Source: Feltoe, 251
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: On Acts 5:4: what has once been vowed to God in prayer no longer belongs to the giver, though God wants nothing given under compulsion.

### Greek text

οὐδὲν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ἐξ ἀνάγκης οὐδὲ ἐκ λύπης βούλεται. ἐπειδήπερ οὔκ ἐστι σά, ἅπερ ἅπαξ διὰ τῆς ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς ἐπαγγελίας ἀνέθηκας. 

### English translation (Claude)

For God wills nothing from necessity or from grief; since what you have once dedicated through the promise in your prayers is not yours.

### Scripture references

- Acts 5:4: allusion, high confidence
- 2 Cor 9:7: echo, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- A line of the edition's apparatus printed in the OCR is removed by a logged correction.

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 6 (Feltoe, 251; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-6).

## Fragment Z II (on Rom 11:26)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-7
- Source: Feltoe, 251
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: On Rom 11:26: Dionysius took ‘all Israel’ to mean the greater part of Israel.

### Greek text

Kai οὕτως πᾶς “IcpaHA σωθήρετδι" Διονυσίου ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ᾿Αντὶ τοῦ οἱ πλείονες.

### English translation (Claude)

“And so all Israel will be saved.” Of Dionysius of Alexandria: instead of “the greater part.”

### Scripture references

- Rom 11:26: quotation, high confidence

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 7 (Feltoe, 251; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-7).

## Fragment Z III (on the Epistle of James)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-8
- Source: Feltoe, 252
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: On James 1 and 4: God tests to crown, the devil tempts to kill; God foreknows but leaves man free; and jealous rivalry shows people to be fleshly.

### Greek text

ς οὖν φέρων τοὺς πειρασμοὺς γενναίως στεφανοῦται. ἄλλα δέ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τοῦ διαβόλου" ἐκεῖνος γὰρ πειράξει, ἵνα τοὺς πειθομένους αὐτῷ θανατώσῃ. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀγνοῶν τὸ ἐσόμενον, ὁ δὲ θεὸς εἰδὼς μὲν τὸ ἐσόμενον, πλὴν διδοὺς τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ πράττειν ὃ θέλει διὰ τὸ αὐτεξοὔσιον. Δείκνυσιν ὡς κἂν ὑποπλάττωνται λόγον διδασκαλικόν, ὅλοι σαρκικοί εἰσι καὶ τὰ χαλεπώτατα πράττουσι. τοῦτο δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ὠνείδιζεν: Ὅπογ γὰρ ἐν ὑμῖν, λέγει, ζῆλος καὶ ἔρις, οΥ̓ΧῚ capKikoi ἐστε; ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀγρὸν ἀρκοῦντα κεκτημένος, ἐπειδὴ μείζονα θεωρεῖ τὸν τοῦ γείτονος, αὐξῆσαι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ φιλονεικεῖ" ὡσαύτως καὶ ποιῆσαι τὸν οἶκον ὑψηλότερον.

### English translation (Claude)

… so he who bears temptations nobly is crowned. But it is otherwise with the devil; for he tempts in order to kill those who obey him. And he does so not knowing what will be; but God, though knowing what will be, nevertheless grants man to do what he wills, because of free will. He shows that even if they put on a show of a teaching discourse, they are wholly fleshly and do the worst things. This Paul reproached: “For where there is jealousy and strife among you,” he says, “are you not fleshly?” For the man who possesses a sufficient field, since he sees his neighbor's to be larger, strives to enlarge his own; and likewise to make his house higher.

### Scripture references

- Jas 1:12–13: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Cor 3:3: quotation, high confidence
- Jas 4:1–2: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Two catena pieces on James (on 1:12–13 and 4:1–2) run together.

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 8 (Feltoe, 252; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-8).

## Fragment Z IV (on Rev 22:3)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-9
- Source: Feltoe, 253
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: On Rev 22:4: the blessed will see God face to face, as the apostles did, according to Dionysius.

### Greek text

...Kkal ὄψεται τὸν θεὸν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον δἰνιγμάτων ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις, ὥς φησιν ὁ μέγας Διονύσιος.

### English translation (Claude)

… and he will see God face to face, not in riddles, but as the holy apostles did, as the great Dionysius says.

### Scripture references

- Rev 22:4: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Cor 13:12: allusion, high confidence
- Num 12:8: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- A report of Dionysius's view in a later commentary on Revelation.

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 9 (Feltoe, 253; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-9).

## Fragment Z V (to Aphrodisius)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-10
- Source: Feltoe, 254
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: Broken excerpts from Dionysius's letter to Aphrodisius, with a saying that one who neglects his own household cannot educate strangers.

### Greek text

γραμμάτων ὁμιλήσας, ποικίλας τοῖς ἔτι viv σπουδὴν περὶ τοὺ λόγους αὐτοῦ ποιουμένοις καταλέλοιπεν (Διονύσιος) ὠφελείας and (2) Πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐναντίως διακειμένοις, καὶ τοῖς (6) Καταγέλαστον ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ τῶν ἰδίων ἀφειδήσαντι παιδεύειν ἐπιχειρεῖν τοὺς ξένους.

### English translation (Claude)

… having conversed in letters, (Dionysius) left various benefits to those who still now take pains over his words. … To all men disposed contrariwise, and to the … It is ridiculous for a man who has neglected his own to try to educate strangers.

### Scripture references

- 1 Tim 3:5: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- Three short excerpts run together; the first two are garbled and incomplete in the OCR (…).

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 10 (Feltoe, 254; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-10).

## Fragment Z VI (on Gymnasius)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-11
- Source: Feltoe, 256
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: Life is not happy for its brief respites from pain, but toilsome, as a recurrent fever is illness despite its remissions.

### Greek text

Ὥσπερ ἐν νόσοις, ἐκ διαστημάτων γινομέναις κατὰ περίοδον, οὐκ ἂν διὰ τὰς ἀνέσεις ὑγιαίνειν τις λέγοιτο ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς ἐπιτάσεις νοσεῖν, οὕτως οὐκ εὐδαίμων ὁ βίος, ἐπεί ποτε τῶν ὀδυνῶν ἀναπαύεται, ἐπίμοχθος δὲ πᾶς πᾶσιν ἐπεὶ πολλάκις τοῖς ὀδυνηροῖς ἐξοικειοῦται.

### English translation (Claude)

As in diseases that come at intervals periodically one would not be said to be healthy because of the remissions, but ill because of the attacks, so life is not happy because it sometimes rests from pains, but is altogether toilsome for all, since it is often familiar with painful things.

### Translation notes

- From a work ‘On Gymnasius’ (Feltoe); the title's sense is uncertain.

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 11 (Feltoe, 256; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-11).

## Fragment Z VII (on Tamos)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-12
- Source: Feltoe, 256
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: Misfortunes deserve pity, not hatred.

### Greek text

Τὰς συμφορὰς ἐλεεῖν οὐ μισεῖν προσῆκεν.

### English translation (Claude)

Misfortunes ought to be pitied, not hated.

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 12 (Feltoe, 256; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-12).

## Fragment Z VIII (from works unspecified)

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-13
- Source: Feltoe, 257
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: Sayings ascribed to Dionysius: mercy is most godlike; sweetness is won by toil; speak only what is better than silence.

### Greek text

᾿ς Τοῦ ἐλεεῖν καὶ εὐεργετεῖν οὔτε προτιμότερον οὔτε φιλανθρωπότερόν ἐστιν ἡμῖν τι ἕτερον, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τῷ θεῷ. Ὃ δέ γε ἐρρωμένος καὶ ἀκριβὴς λόγος καὶ τὰ πικρὰ εἶναί φησι τῶν γλυκέων ἐφόδια, καὶ γίνεσθαι καρποὺς τῶν πόνων τὰς ἡδονάς. ἀκμητὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν δύναται παραγενέσθαι. Ἢ λέγε σιγῆς τι κρεῖσσον ἢ σιγὴν ἔχε. Οὐκ ἐπαύσατο, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ἤρξατο.

### English translation (Claude)

There is nothing more honorable or more humane for us than to show mercy and do good, since there is nothing more so for God either. But the strong and exact reasoning says that bitter things are provisions for sweet ones, and that pleasures are the fruits of labors; for nothing can come about without toil. Either say something better than silence, or keep silence. He did not cease, since he did not begin.

### Scripture references

- Luke 6:36: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- Short sayings from florilegia, from works not named. ‘Either say something better than silence, or keep silence’ is a proverb also ascribed to Pythagoras and others.

### Citation (SBL)

Dionysius of Alexandria, Frag. 13 (Feltoe, 257; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/dionysius-alexandrinus-fragmenta/5/#p-13).