On the Beatitudes 1193–1213
Greek text: PG 44.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 1193
1193PG 44:1193c–1193d
Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους, ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὅρος· καὶ καθίσαντος αὑτοῦ, προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οὶ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἀνοίξας τό στόμα αὐτοῦ, ’ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς, λέγωῖ· ΔῘγιακάμοι οἱ ᾲπτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύδιατι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Τίς ἄρα τοιοῦτός ἐστιν ὲν τοῖς συνειλεγμένοις, ὡς μαθητής τε εἶναι τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ συναναὸῆναι αὐτῷ χαμόθεν, ἀπὸ τῶν κοίλων τε καὶ ταπεινῶν νοημάτων, εἰς τὸ πνευματικὸν ὅρος τῆς ὑψηλῆς θεωρίαςς "0 πᾶσαν μὲν σκιὰν τὴν ὲκ τῶν ὑπερανεστηκότων τῆς κακίας γεωλόφων ἐκπέφευγεν, ἁπανταχόθεν δὲ τῇ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτὸς ἀκτῖνι περιλαμπόμενον, ὲν καθαρᾷ τῇ τῆς ἀληθείας αἰθρίᾳ πάντα δίδωσιν ἐκ περιωπῆς καθορᾷν, ὅσα τοῖς ὲν τῷ κοίλῳ καθειργμένοις ἐστὶν ἀθέατα. Τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕψους τούτου κατοπτευόμενα, οἷα καὶ ὅσα ἐστὶν, αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος, μακαρίζων τοὺς συναναὸόιντας αὐτῷ διεξέρχεται, οἷον δακτύλῳ τινὶ δεικνὺς, ἔνθεν μὲν τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν, ἑτέρω- Θεν δὲ, τῆς ἄνω γῆς τὴν κληρονομίαν· εἶτα ἔλεον, καὶ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ παράκλησιν, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων γινομένην συγγένειαν· καὶ τὸν ἐκ τῶν διωγμῶν καρπὸν, ὅ ἐστι τὸ σύνοικον Θεοῦ γενέσθαι· καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα πάρεστι πρὸς τούτοις βλέπειν, ἄνωθεν ἐκ τοῦ ὅρους δακτυλώεικτοῦντος τοῦ Λόγου, ὲκ τῆς
Idōn de tous ochlous, anebē eis to horos; kai kathisantos hautou, prosēlthon autǭ oi mathētai autou; kai anoixas to stoma autou, ’edidasken autous, legōi; DIgiakamoi hoi ąptōchoi tǭ pneudiati, hoti autōn estin hē basileia tōn ouranōn. Tis ara toioutos estin en tois syneilegmenois, hōs mathētēs te einai tou Logou, kai synanaoēnai autǭ chamothen, apo tōn koilōn te kai tapeinōn noēmatōn, eis to pneumatikon horos tēs hypsēlēs theōriass "0 pasan men skian tēn ek tōn hyperanestēkotōn tēs kakias geōlophōn ekpepheugen, hapantachothen de tę̄ tou alēthinou phōtos aktini perilampomenon, en katharą tę̄ tēs alētheias aithrią panta didōsin ek periōpēs kathorąn, hosa tois en tǭ koilǭ katheirgmenois estin atheata. Ta de apo tou hypsous toutou katopteuomena, hoia kai hosa estin, autos ho Theos Logos, makarizōn tous synanaoointas autǭ diexerchetai, hoion daktylǭ tini deiknys, enthen men tēn tōn ouranōn basileian, heterō- Then de, tēs anō gēs tēn klēronomian; eita eleon, kai dikaiosynēn, kai paraklēsin, kai tēn pros ton Theon tōn holōn ginomenēn syngeneian; kai ton ek tōn diōgmōn karpon, ho esti to synoikon Theou genesthai; kai hosa alla paresti pros toutois blepein, anōthen ek tou horous daktylōeiktountos tou Logou, ek tēs
“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain; and when he sat down, his disciples came to him; and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’” Who, then, among those gathered here is such as to be a disciple of the Word and to go up with him from below — from hollow and low thoughts — to the spiritual mountain of lofty contemplation? That mountain has escaped every shadow cast by the hills of vice that rise above, and, lit on every side by the ray of the true light, it lets one see from a vantage point, in the clear air of truth, all the things that are unseen by those shut in the hollow. What is beheld from this height, of what kind and how great it is, God the Word himself goes through as he blesses those who have gone up with him, pointing as with a finger: here the kingdom of heaven, there the inheritance of the land above; then mercy, and righteousness, and comfort, and kinship with the God of all; and the fruit of persecutions, which is to become God’s housemate; and whatever else there is to see besides these, as the Word points them out from the mountain above, seen through hope from the
Matt 5:1–3 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:4–12 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Opening the first homily, Gregory quotes the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount and invites his hearers to climb with the Word to the mountain of contemplation, from which the promised goods of the Beatitudes are seen.
- Homily 1 on the Beatitudes. “Seeing the crowds …”: Matt 5:1–3.
- “Blessedness” translates μακαριότης throughout; “blessed” μακάριος.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Latin letters) for καὶ): xui ἀνοίξας → καὶ ἀνοίξας.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1193 (PG 44:1193c–1193d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1193). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1195
1195PG 44:1196a–1196d
ὑψηλῆς σκοπιᾶς διὰ τῶν ἐλπίδων ἀποβλεπόμενον. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν ἀναδαίνει εἰς τὸ ὅρος 6 Κύριος, ἀκούσωμεν Ἡσαΐου βοῶντος· Δεῦτε, ἀναδῶμεν εʼῖς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου· κᾶν ἀσθενῶμεν ἐξ ἁμαρτίας, ὲνισχύσωμεν, καθὼς ὑφηγεῖται ή προφητεία, χεῖρας παρειμένας καὶ γόνατα παραλελυμένα. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄκρου γενοίμεθα, εὑρήσομεν τὸν ἰώμενον πᾶσαν νόσον καὶ πᾶ·- μ σαν μαλακίαν, τὸν τὰς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν ἀναλαμΰά- “ νοντα, καὶ τὰς νόσους βαστάζοντα. Οὐκοῦν δρα ’ μωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς πρὸς τὴν ἄνοδον, ἴνα μετὰ Ἡσαΐου κατὰ τὴν ἀκρώρειαν τῆς ἐλπίδος γενόμενοι, ἴδωμεν ἐκ περιωπῆς τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐκεῖνα, ὅσα τοῖς ἀκολουθήσασιν ἐπὶ τὸ ὕψος 6 Λόγος δείκνυσιν. Ἀλλʼ ἀνοιξὼτω καὶ ἡμῖν 6 Θεὸς Λόγος τὸ στόμα, καὶ διδαξάτω ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖνα, ὧν ἡ ἀκρόασις μακαριότης ἐστίν· γενέσθω δὲ ήμῶν ἀρχὴ τῆς θεωρίας, ἡτῶν εἰρημένων τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀρχή. Μακάριοι, φησὶν, οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ,βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εἰ τις τῶν φιλοχρύσων γράμμασιν ἐντύχοι θησαυρὸν ὲν τόπῳ καταμηνύουσιν · 6 δὲ περιέχων τὸν θησαυρὸν τόπος, πολὺν ἱδρῶτα καὶ κπόνον ὑποδεικνύοι τοῖς ἐπιθυμοῦσι τοῦ κτήματος· ἆρα μαλακισθήσεται πρὸς τοὺς πόνους, καὶ καταρᾳθυμήσει τοῦ κέρδους, καὶ τὸ μη·δένα κάματον ὑπὸ τῆς σπουδῆς εἰσενέγκασθαι, γλυο κότερον ’τοῦ πλούτου ποιήσεται; Ούκ ἐστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἐστιν ο ἀλλὰ πάντας μὲν πρὸς τοῦτο παρακαλέσει τοὺς φίλους, πανταχόθεν δὲ ὡς ἂν οἷός τε τὴν πρὸς τοῦτο βοήθειαν ἑαυτῷ συναγείρας τῷ πλήθει τῆς χειρὸς, ἴδιον ποιεῖται τὸν πλοῦτον τὸν κεκρυμμένον. Οὗτος ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν 6 θησαυρὸς, ἀδελφοὶ, ὃν καταμηνύει τδ γράμμα* κέκρυπται δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀσαφείας 6 π).οὖτος.ούκοῢν χρησώμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς oi ἐπιθυμηταὶ τοῦ ἀκηράτου χρυσίου, τῇ τῶν εὐχῶν πολυχειρίᾳ, ὥστε ἡμῖν εἰς τὸ ἐμφανὲς τὸν πλοῦτον ἐλθεῖν, καὶ πάντας ἐξ ἴσου διελέσθαι τὸν θησαυρὶν, καὶ ὅλον ἕκαστον κτήσασθαι. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὴ διαίρεσις, ὥστε καί εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἀντιποιουμένους διαμερίζεσθαι, καὶ πᾶσαν ἑκάστῳ παρεῖναι, μὴ ἑλαττουμένην ὲν τοῖς συμμετέχουσιν. Ἐν μὲν γὰρτῇ τοῦ γηῖνου πλούτου διανομῇ ἀδικεῖ τοὺς ἰσομοιροῦντας 6 τὸ πλέον παραστησάμενος · ἐλαττοῖ γὰρ πάντως τὸ μέρος τοῦ συμμετέχοντος, 6 τὺ ἑαυτοῦ πλεο. νάσας · 6 δὲ πνευματικὸς πλοῦτος τὸ τοῦ ἡλίου ποιεῖ, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς· βλέπουσιν ἑαυτὸν μερίζων, καί ὅλος ἑκάστῳ παραγινόμενος. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἴσον ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ πόνου κέρδος ὲλπίξεται,ἰʼση γενέσθω πᾶσιν διὰ τῶν εὐχῶν πρὸς τὸ ζητούμενον ἡμῖν ἡ συνέργεια. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν αὐτόν φημι ἐγὼ δεῖν τὸν μακαρισμὸν,ὃτί ποτέ ἐστιν, ἐννοῆσαι. Μακαριότης τίς ἐστι, κατά γε τὸν ὲμὸν λόγον, περίληψις πάντων τῶν κατὰ τὸ ἀγαθὸν νοουμένων ἧς ἄπεστι τῶν εἰς ἀγαθὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἡκόντων οὐδέν. Γένοιτο δʼ ἂν ἡμῖν καὶ ὲκ τῆς τοῦ ἐναντίου παραθέσεως γνωριμώτερον τὺ ὲκ ' τοῦ μακαρισμοῦ σημαινόμενον ο ἐναντίον δὲ τῷ μα- 7 ἡ κᾉ- Α.. »Ἰ- fi ν- γη.. -J
hypsēlēs skopias dia tōn elpidōn apoblepomenon. Epeidē oun anadainei eis to horos 6 Kyrios, akousōmen Hēsaïou boōntos; Deute, anadōmen eʼis to oros tou Kyriou; kan asthenōmen ex hamartias, enischysōmen, kathōs hyphēgeitai ē prophēteia, cheiras pareimenas kai gonata paralelymena. Ei gar epi tou akrou genoimetha, heurēsomen ton iōmenon pasan noson kai pa;- m san malakian, ton tas astheneias hēmōn analamÿa- “ nonta, kai tas nosous bastazonta. Oukoun dra ’ mōmen kai hēmeis pros tēn anodon, ina meta Hēsaïou kata tēn akrōreian tēs elpidos genomenoi, idōmen ek periōpēs ta agatha ekeina, hosa tois akolouthēsasin epi to hypsos 6 Logos deiknysin. Allʼ anoixōtō kai hēmin 6 Theos Logos to stoma, kai didaxatō hēmas ekeina, hōn hē akroasis makariotēs estin; genesthō de ēmōn archē tēs theōrias, hētōn eirēmenōn tēs didaskalias archē. Makarioi, phēsin, hoi ptōchoi tǭ pneumati, hoti autōn estin hē,basileia tōn ouranōn. Ei tis tōn philochrysōn grammasin entychoi thēsauron en topǭ katamēnyousin ; 6 de periechōn ton thēsauron topos, polyn hidrōta kai kponon hypodeiknyoi tois epithymousi tou ktēmatos; ara malakisthēsetai pros tous ponous, kai katarąthymēsei tou kerdous, kai to mē;dena kamaton hypo tēs spoudēs eisenenkasthai, glyo koteron ’tou ploutou poiēsetai? Ouk esti tauta, ouk estin o alla pantas men pros touto parakalesei tous philous, pantachothen de hōs an hoios te tēn pros touto boētheian heautǭ synageiras tǭ plēthei tēs cheiros, idion poieitai ton plouton ton kekrymmenon. Houtos ekeinos estin 6 thēsauros, adelphoi, hon katamēnyei td gramma* kekryptai de hypo tēs asapheias 6 p).outos.oukoÿn chrēsōmetha kai hēmeis oi epithymētai tou akēratou chrysiou, tę̄ tōn euchōn polycheirią, hōste hēmin eis to emphanes ton plouton elthein, kai pantas ex isou dielesthai ton thēsaurin, kai holon hekaston ktēsasthai. Toiautē gar tēs aretēs ē diairesis, hōste kai eis pantas tous antipoioumenous diamerizesthai, kai pasan hekastǭ pareinai, mē helattoumenēn en tois symmetechousin. En men gartę̄ tou gēinou ploutou dianomę̄ adikei tous isomoirountas 6 to pleon parastēsamenos ; elattoi gar pantōs to meros tou symmetechontos, 6 ty heautou pleo. nasas ; 6 de pneumatikos ploutos to tou hēliou poiei, kai pasi tois; blepousin heauton merizōn, kai holos hekastǭ paraginomenos. Epei oun ison hekastǭ to ek tou ponou kerdos elpixetai,iʼsē genesthō pasin dia tōn euchōn pros to zētoumenon hēmin hē synergeia. Prōton men oun auton phēmi egō dein ton makarismon,hoti pote estin, ennoēsai. Makariotēs tis esti, kata ge ton emon logon, perilēpsis pantōn tōn kata to agathon nooumenōn hēs apesti tōn eis agathēn epithymian hēkontōn ouden. Genoito dʼ an hēmin kai ek tēs tou enantiou paratheseōs gnōrimōteron ty ek ' tou makarismou sēmainomenon o enantion de tǭ ma- 7 hē kĄ- A.. »I- fi n- gē.. -J
lofty watchtower. Since, then, the Lord goes up the mountain, let us hear Isaiah crying, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”; and even if we are weak from sin, let us strengthen, as the prophecy directs, “the drooping hands and the paralysed knees.” For if we reach the summit, we shall find the one who heals every disease and every infirmity, who takes up our weaknesses and bears our diseases. Let us, then, run to the ascent too, so that, having come with Isaiah to the summit of hope, we may see from the vantage point those good things which the Word shows to those who have followed him to the height. But may God the Word open his mouth for us as well and teach us those things the hearing of which is blessedness; and let the beginning of his teaching be the beginning of our contemplation. “Blessed,” he says, “are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Suppose some lover of gold came upon writings revealing a treasure in a certain place, and the place that held the treasure showed that much sweat and labour awaited those who wanted to possess it. Would he grow faint before the labours and neglect the gain, and think that avoiding all toil in pursuit of it is sweeter than the wealth? It is not so, it is not! He will call all his friends to the task, gather help for himself from everywhere as best he can, and by the multitude of hands make the hidden wealth his own. This is the treasure, brothers, that the text reveals; but the wealth is hidden by obscurity. So let us too, who desire the pure gold, use the many hands of prayer, so that the wealth may come into the open for us, and all may share the treasure equally while each acquires the whole. For such is the division of virtue: it is distributed among all who lay claim to it, and is wholly present to each, not lessened among those who share it. In dividing earthly wealth, one who takes more wrongs those with equal shares, for whoever increases his own portion certainly lessens his partner’s; but spiritual wealth does what the sun does, dividing itself among all who see it and being wholly present to each. Since, then, each hopes for an equal gain from the labour, let the help given by prayer toward what we seek be equal for all. First, then, I say that we must understand what blessedness itself is. Blessedness, in my account at least, is the sum of all things understood as good, from which nothing that good desire reaches for is absent. What blessedness signifies may also become clearer to us by comparison with its opposite. The opposite of
Isa 2:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 35:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 8:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 5:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 13:44 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Gregory urges his hearers to climb the mountain with Christ the healer and to dig together by prayer for the treasure hidden in the first Beatitude, a spiritual wealth that each possesses wholly; he begins by defining blessedness as the sum of all goods.
- “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord”: Isa 2:3. “The drooping hands and the paralysed knees”: Isa 35:3 (compare Heb 12:12). Healing every disease: Matt 4:23. “Takes up our weaknesses”: Matt 8:17 (Isa 53:4). The hidden treasure: compare Matt 13:44.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1195 (PG 44:1196a–1196d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1195). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-gregory-nyssa-beatitudines-1195) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1197
1197PG 44:1197a–1197b
ΗΕΠ γαρὶῳ τὸ ἄθλιον. ἈΟλιότης οὖν ἐστιν, ἠ ἐν τοῖς λυπηροῑς τε καὶ ἀβουλήτοις πάθεσι ταλαιπωρία. Μεμέρισται δὲ ὲκ τοῦ ἐναντίου ὴ ἐφʼ ἑκατέρου τῶν ἐν αὑτοῖς γινομένων διάθεσις. ’Υπάρχει γὰρ τῷ μὲν μακαριζομένῳ τὸ εὐφραίνεσθαι τοῖς προκειμένοις εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν αὑτῷ καὶ ἀγάλλεσθαι· τῷ δὲ ταλανιζομένῳ τὸ ἀνιᾶσθαι τοῖς παροῦσιν αὑτῷ καὶ ἀλγύνεσθαι. T6 μὲν οὖν μακαριστὸν ἀληθῶς, αὑτὸ τὸ Θεῖόν ἐστιν. ’Ὀ τί ποτε γὰρ αὑτὸ εἶναι ὑποθώμεθα, μακαριότης ἐστὶν ἡ ἀκήρατος ἐκείνη ζωὴ, τὸ ἄρρητόν τε καὶ ἀκατανόητον ἀγαθὸν, τὸ ἀνέκφραστον κάλλος, ἡ αὑτοχάρις, καὶ σοφία, καὶ δύναμις · τὸ ἀληθινὸν φῶς. ἡ πηγὴ πάσης ἁγαθότητος · ἡ ὑπερκειμένη τοῦ παντὸς ἐξουσία ο τὸ μόνον ἐράσμιον, τὸ ἀεὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχον. τὸ διηνεκὲς ἀγαλλίαμα · ἡ ἀΐδιος εὐφροσύνη · περὶ ἧς πάντα τις ἃ. δύναται λέγων, λέγει τῶν κατʼ ἀξίαν οὐδέν. Οὔτε γὰρ ἡ διάνοια καθικνεῖται τοῦ ὄντος, κάν τι περὶ αὑτοῦ τῶν ὑψηλοτέρων νοῆσαι χωρήσωμεν, οὑδενὶ λόγῳ τὸ νοηθὲν ἐξαγγέλλεται. Ἐπεὶ δὲ 6 πλάσας τὸν ἄνθρωπον, κατʼ εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτόνʼ δευτέρως ἂν εἴη μακαριστὸν τὸ κατὰ μετουσίαν τῆς ὅντως μακαριότητος ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ γινόμενον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς σωματικῆς εὑ μορφίας, τὸ μὲν πρωτὸτυπον κάλλος ὲν τῷ ζῶντι προσώπῳ ἐστὶ καὶ ὑφεστῶτι, δευτερεύει δὲ τούτου τὸ κατὰ μίμησιν ἐπὶ τῆς είκιίνος δεικνύμενον · οὕτως καί ἠ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις, εἰκὼν οὖσα τῆς ὑπερκειμένης μακαριότητος. καὶ αὑτὴ τῷ ἀγαθῷ κάλλει χαρακτηρίζεται, ὄταν ἐφʼ ἑαυτῆς δεικνύει τὰς τῶν μακαρίων χαρακτήρων ἐμφάσεις. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ 6 τῆς ἁμαρτίας ῥύπος τὸ ἐπὶ εἰκόνος κάλλος ὴχρείωσεν ’ ἦλθεν 6 ὲκνίπτων ημᾶς τῷ ἰδίῳ ὑδατι, τῷ ζῶντί τε καὶ ἀλλομένῳ είς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ὥστε ἡμᾶς ἀποθεμένους τὸ ἐξ ἁμαρτίας αἶσχος, πάλιν κατὰ τὴν μακαρίαν ἁνακαινισθῆναι μορφήν. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῆς ζωγραφικῆς τέχνης εῖποι ἄν τις πρὸς τοὺς ἀπείρους 6 ἐπιστήμων, ἐκεῖνο καλὸν εἶναι τὸ πρόσωπον, τὸ ἐκ τοιῶνδε τῶν τοῦ σώματος μορίων συγκείμενονο κόμη τε τοιάδε, καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν κύκλοι, καὶ ὀφρύων περιγραφαὶ, καὶ παρειῶν θέσις, καὶ τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστον πάντα διʼ ὧν συμπληροῢται ἡ εὐμορφία · οὑτως καὶ ὁτὴν ἡμετέραν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ μένου μακαρίου μίμησιν ἀναζωγραφιῖΝ ψυχὴ, τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστον τῶν εἰς μακαρισμὸν συντεινόντων, ὑπογράφει τῷ λόγῳ, καί φησιν ἐν πρώτοιςʼ Μακάριοι οἱπτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
ĒEP gariǭ to athlion. AOliotēs oun estin, ē en tois lypērois te kai aboulētois pathesi talaipōria. Memeristai de ek tou enantiou ē ephʼ hekaterou tōn en hautois ginomenōn diathesis. ’Yparchei gar tǭ men makarizomenǭ to euphrainesthai tois prokeimenois eis apolausin hautǭ kai agallesthai; tǭ de talanizomenǭ to aniasthai tois parousin hautǭ kai algynesthai. T6 men oun makariston alēthōs, hauto to Theion estin. ’O ti pote gar hauto einai hypothōmetha, makariotēs estin hē akēratos ekeinē zōē, to arrēton te kai akatanoēton agathon, to anekphraston kallos, hē hautocharis, kai sophia, kai dynamis ; to alēthinon phōs. hē pēgē pasēs hagathotētos ; hē hyperkeimenē tou pantos exousia o to monon erasmion, to aei hōsautōs echon. to diēnekes agalliama ; hē aïdios euphrosynē ; peri hēs panta tis ha. dynatai legōn, legei tōn katʼ axian ouden. Oute gar hē dianoia kathikneitai tou ontos, kan ti peri hautou tōn hypsēloterōn noēsai chōrēsōmen, houdeni logǭ to noēthen exangelletai. Epei de 6 plasas ton anthrōpon, katʼ eikona Theou epoiēsen autonʼ deuterōs an eiē makariston to kata metousian tēs hontōs makariotētos en tǭ onomati toutǭ ginomenon. Hōsper gar epi tēs sōmatikēs heu morphias, to men prōtotypon kallos en tǭ zōnti prosōpǭ esti kai hyphestōti, deutereuei de toutou to kata mimēsin epi tēs eikiinos deiknymenon ; houtōs kai ē anthrōpinē physis, eikōn ousa tēs hyperkeimenēs makariotētos. kai hautē tǭ agathǭ kallei charaktērizetai, otan ephʼ heautēs deiknyei tas tōn makariōn charaktērōn emphaseis. Allʼ epeidē 6 tēs hamartias rhypos to epi eikonos kallos ēchreiōsen ’ ēlthen 6 ekniptōn ēmas tǭ idiǭ hydati, tǭ zōnti te kai allomenǭ eis zōēn aiōnion, hōste hēmas apothemenous to ex hamartias aischos, palin kata tēn makarian hanakainisthēnai morphēn. Kai kathaper epi tēs zōgraphikēs technēs eipoi an tis pros tous apeirous 6 epistēmōn, ekeino kalon einai to prosōpon, to ek toiōnde tōn tou sōmatos moriōn synkeimenono komē te toiade, kai ophthalmōn kykloi, kai ophryōn perigraphai, kai pareiōn thesis, kai ta kathʼ hekaston panta diʼ hōn symplēroÿtai hē eumorphia ; houtōs kai hotēn hēmeteran pros tēn tou menou makariou mimēsin anazōgraphiiN psychē, ta kathʼ hekaston tōn eis makarismon synteinontōn, hypographei tǭ logǭ, kai phēsin en prōtoisʼ Makarioi hoiptōchoi tǭ pneumati, hoti autōn estin hē basileia tōn ouranōn.
blessedness is misery. Misery, then, is wretchedness in painful and unwanted sufferings. The dispositions of the two, in what happens to them, are divided as opposites: the one called blessed delights and exults in what is set before him to enjoy; the one called wretched is distressed and pained by what is present to him. What is truly blessed is the Divine itself. For whatever we suppose it to be, blessedness is that pure life, the ineffable and incomprehensible good, the inexpressible beauty, grace itself, and wisdom, and power; the true light, the source of all goodness, the authority that transcends all things, the only thing worthy of love, that which is always the same, unceasing exultation, eternal joy — of which, if one says all he can, he says nothing worthy of it. For thought does not reach what is; and even if we manage to conceive something loftier about it, what is conceived is expressed by no word. But since the one who formed man made him in the image of God, what comes to bear this name by participation in true blessedness would be blessed in the second place. As with bodily beauty the original beauty is in the living and existing face, and what is shown by imitation in the image comes second, so too human nature, being an image of the transcendent blessedness, is itself stamped with the beauty of the good when it displays in itself the reflections of the blessed characters. But since the filth of sin had spoiled the beauty of the image, he came who washes us with his own water, the living water that springs up to eternal life, so that we might put off the shame of sin and be renewed again in the blessed form. And as in the art of painting someone skilled might tell those without experience that a beautiful face is one made up of such and such parts — hair of this kind, the circles of the eyes, the outline of the eyebrows, the setting of the cheeks, and all the particulars by which beauty is completed — so too the one who repaints our soul to the likeness of the only Blessed One describes in his word each of the things that contribute to blessedness, and says first: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Gen 1:27 (allusion, high confidence) · John 4:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 6:15 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 5:3 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Only God is blessed in the full sense; humanity, made in his image, is blessed by participation, and Christ, who cleanses the image from sin, now paints the features of blessedness, beginning with poverty of spirit.
- Made in the image of God: Gen 1:27. The living water springing up to eternal life: John 4:14. “The only Blessed One”: 1 Tim 6:15.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Latin letters) for Οὔτε): (lbra γὰρ → Οὔτε γὰρ.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1197 (PG 44:1197a–1197b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1197). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1199
1199PG 44:1200a–1200c
πτωχεύσαι τῷ πνεύματι, διʼ οὗ περιγίνεται τὸ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐγκρατῆ γενέσθαι; Δύο πλούτους ποιρά τῆς Γραφῆς μεμαθήκαμενοδα σπουδαζόμενον, καὶ ἕνα κατακρινόμενον. Σπουδάζεται μὲν ὁ τῶν ἀρετῶν πλοῦτος, διασάλλεται δὲ ό ύλικός τε καὶ ’ γήϊνος· ὅτι ὁ μὲν τῆς ψυχῆς γίνεται κτῆμα, οὗτος δὲ πρὸς τὴν τῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἀπάτην ἐπιτηδείως ’ ἔχει. Διὸ κωλύει τοῦτον θησαυρίζειν ὁ Κύριος, ὡς είς βρῶσιν θητῶν καὶ είς ἐπιβουλὴν τῶν τοιχωρυ· χούντων ἐκκείμενον. Κελεύει δὲ περὶ τὸν τῶν ὑψηλῶν πλοῦτον τὴν σπουδὴν ἔχειν, οὗ ἡ φθαρτικὴ δύναμις οὐ προσάπτεται. Σῆτα δὲ καὶ κλέπτην είπὼν, τὸν λυμεῶνα τῶν τῆς ψυχῆςι θησαυρῶν ἐνεδείξατο. Et οὖν ἀντιδιαστέλλεταιὴ πενία τῷ πλούτῳ, πάντως κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν καὶ διπλῆν ἔστι διδαχθῆναι πενίαν ο τὴν μὲν ἀπὸόλητον, τὴν δὲ μακαριζομένην. Ὀ μὲν οὖν σωφροσύνης πτωχεύων, ἢ τοῦ τιμίου κτήματος τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἢ τῆς σοφίας, ἧ τῆς φρονήσεως,ἢ ἄλλου τινος τῶν πολυτελῶν κειμηλίων πένης τε καὶ ἀκτήμων καὶ πτωχὸς εὑρισκόμενος, ἄθλιος τῆς πενίας καί ἐλεεινὸς τῆς τῶν τιμίων ἀκτημοσύνης ο ὁ δὲ πάντων τῶν κατὰ κακίαν νοουμένων ἑκουσίως πτωχεύων, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν διαβολικῶν κειμηλίων ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις ταμείοις ἔχων ἀπόθετον, ἀλλά τῷ πνεύματι ζέων, καὶ διὰ τούτου τὴν τῶν κακῶν πενίαν ἐαυτῷ θησαυρίζων. εἴη ἂν οὗτος ἐν τῇ μακαριζομένῃ πτωχείᾳ ὑπὸ τοῦ Λόγου δεικνύμενος, ἦς ὁ καρπὸς βασιλεία οὐρανῶν ἐστιν. Ἀλλʼ ἐπανέλθωμεν πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν τοῦ θησαυροῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀποστῶμεν τῷ μεταλλευτικῷ λόγῳ τὸ κεκρυμμένον ἀνακαλύπτοντες, Μακάριοι, φησιν, οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι. Εἴρηται μὲν τρόπον τινὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, καὶ νῦν πάλιν εἰρήσεται, ὅτι τέλος τοῦ κατʼ ἀρετὴν βίου ἐστὶν ή πρὸς τὸ Θείον ὁμοίωσις. Ἀλλά μὴν τὸ ἀπαθὲς καὶ ἀκήρατον ἐκφεύγει πάντη τὴν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων μίμησιν. Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστι δυνατὸν πάντη τὴν ἐμπαθῆ ζωὴν ὁμοιωθῆναι πρὸς τὴν τῶν παθῶν ἀνεπίδεκτον φύσιν. Et οὖν μόνον τὸ Θεῖον μακάριον, καθὼςό Ἀπόστολος ὀνομάζει, ή δὲ τοῦ μακαρισμοῦ κοινωνία τοῖς ἀνθρώποις διά τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεόν ἐστιν ὁμοιώσεως, ήδέ μίμησις ἄποροςʼ ἀρα ἀνέφικτός ἐστιν μακαριότης τῇ ἀνθρωο πίνῃ ζωῇ. Ἀλλʼ ἐστιν ἃ τῆς Θεότητος δυνατὰ τοῖς βουλομένοις πρόκειται εἰς μίμησιν. Τίνα οὖν ἐστι ταῦτα; δοκεί μοι πτωχείαν πνεύματος, τὴν ἑκούσιον ταπεινοὶρροσύνην ὀνομάζειν ὁ Λόγος. Ταύτης δὲ ὑπόδειγμα,τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ πτωχείαν ὁ Ἀπόοτολος ἡμῖν λέ·γων προδείκνυσιν, ὃς διʼ ’ἡμᾶς ἐπτώχευσε πλούσιος ὢν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς τῇ ἐκείνου πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσωμεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τά ἄλλα πάντα, ὅσα πε ρὶ τὴν θείαν καθορᾶται φύσιν, ὑπερπίπτει τῷ μέτρῳ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ἡ δὲ ταπεινότης συμφυής τις ἡμῖν ἐστι καὶ σύντροφος τοῖς χαμαὶ ἐρχομένοις, καὶ ἐκ γῆς τὴν σύστασιν ἔχουσιν, καὶ είς γῆν καταρῤέουσιν ο ἐν τῷ κατὰ φύσιν σὺ καὶ δυνατῷ τὸν Θεὸν μιμησάμενος, τὴν μακαρίαν αὐτὸς ύπέδυς μορφήν. Καὶ μηδεὶς ἄπονον οίέσθω,
ptōcheusai tǭ pneumati, diʼ hou periginetai to tēs basileias tōn ouranōn enkratē genesthai? Dyo ploutous poira tēs Graphēs memathēkamenoda spoudazomenon, kai hena katakrinomenon. Spoudazetai men ho tōn aretōn ploutos, diasalletai de o ylikos te kai ’ gēïnos; hoti ho men tēs psychēs ginetai ktēma, houtos de pros tēn tōn aisthētēriōn apatēn epitēdeiōs ’ echei. Dio kōlyei touton thēsaurizein ho Kyrios, hōs eis brōsin thētōn kai eis epiboulēn tōn toichōry; chountōn ekkeimenon. Keleuei de peri ton tōn hypsēlōn plouton tēn spoudēn echein, hou hē phthartikē dynamis ou prosaptetai. Sēta de kai kleptēn eipōn, ton lymeōna tōn tēs psychēsi thēsaurōn enedeixato. Et oun antidiastelletaiē penia tǭ ploutǭ, pantōs kata tēn analogian kai diplēn esti didachthēnai penian o tēn men apoolēton, tēn de makarizomenēn. O men oun sōphrosynēs ptōcheuōn, ē tou timiou ktēmatos tēs dikaiosynēs, ē tēs sophias, hē tēs phronēseōs,ē allou tinos tōn polytelōn keimēliōn penēs te kai aktēmōn kai ptōchos heuriskomenos, athlios tēs penias kai eleeinos tēs tōn timiōn aktēmosynēs o ho de pantōn tōn kata kakian nooumenōn hekousiōs ptōcheuōn, kai ouden tōn diabolikōn keimēliōn en tois idiois tameiois echōn apotheton, alla tǭ pneumati zeōn, kai dia toutou tēn tōn kakōn penian eautǭ thēsaurizōn. eiē an houtos en tę̄ makarizomenę̄ ptōcheią hypo tou Logou deiknymenos, ēs ho karpos basileia ouranōn estin. Allʼ epanelthōmen palin epi tēn ergasian tou thēsaurou, kai mē apostōmen tǭ metalleutikǭ logǭ to kekrymmenon anakalyptontes, Makarioi, phēsin, hoi ptōchoi tǭ pneumati. Eirētai men tropon tina touto kai en tois emprosthen, kai nyn palin eirēsetai, hoti telos tou katʼ aretēn biou estin ē pros to Theion homoiōsis. Alla mēn to apathes kai akēraton ekpheugei pantē tēn para anthrōpōn mimēsin. Oude gar esti dynaton pantē tēn empathē zōēn homoiōthēnai pros tēn tōn pathōn anepidekton physin. Et oun monon to Theion makarion, kathōso Apostolos onomazei, ē de tou makarismou koinōnia tois anthrōpois dia tēs pros ton Theon estin homoiōseōs, ēde mimēsis aporosʼ ara anephiktos estin makariotēs tę̄ anthrōo pinę̄ zōę̄. Allʼ estin ha tēs Theotētos dynata tois boulomenois prokeitai eis mimēsin. Tina oun esti tauta? dokei moi ptōcheian pneumatos, tēn hekousion tapeinoirrosynēn onomazein ho Logos. Tautēs de hypodeigma,tēn tou Theou ptōcheian ho Apootolos hēmin le;gōn prodeiknysin, hos diʼ ’hēmas eptōcheuse plousios ōn, hina hēmeis tę̄ ekeinou ptōcheią ploutēsōmen. Epei oun ta alla panta, hosa pe ri tēn theian kathoratai physin, hyperpiptei tǭ metrǭ tēs anthrōpinēs physeōs hē de tapeinotēs symphyēs tis hēmin esti kai syntrophos tois chamai erchomenois, kai ek gēs tēn systasin echousin, kai eis gēn katarreousin o en tǭ kata physin sy kai dynatǭ ton Theon mimēsamenos, tēn makarian autos ypedys morphēn. Kai mēdeis aponon oiesthō,
… to be poor in spirit, by which one comes to possess the kingdom of heaven? We have learned from Scripture of two kinds of wealth, one sought after and one condemned. The wealth of the virtues is sought after; material and earthly wealth is reproached, because the one becomes the soul’s possession, while the other is suited to the deception of the senses. Therefore the Lord forbids storing it up, as exposed to the eating of moths and the schemes of house-breakers, and bids us be zealous for the wealth of lofty things, which no destructive power touches. By speaking of moth and thief he pointed to the destroyer of the soul’s treasures. If, then, poverty is set against wealth, by analogy we can also be taught a twofold poverty, one rejected and the other called blessed. One who is poor in self-control, or in the precious possession of justice, or of wisdom, or of prudence, or who is found poor, without possessions, and destitute of any other costly treasure, is wretched in his poverty and pitiable for his lack of precious things. But one who is voluntarily poor in all that is understood as vice, and has stored in his treasuries none of the devil’s treasures, but is fervent in spirit and by this stores up for himself a poverty of evils — this one would be shown by the Word to be in the blessed poverty, whose fruit is the kingdom of heaven. But let us return to the working of the treasure, and not give up uncovering what is hidden by our mining discourse. “Blessed,” he says, “are the poor in spirit.” It has been said in a way before, and will be said again now, that the end of the life of virtue is likeness to the Divine. But the impassible and pure wholly escapes human imitation; for it is not possible for a life subject to passion to be made wholly like the nature that admits no passions. If, then, only the Divine is blessed, as the Apostle calls it, and human beings share in blessedness through likeness to God, while imitation is impossible, then blessedness is beyond the reach of human life. But there are things of the Godhead that are set before those who wish to imitate them. What are these? It seems to me that the Word calls voluntary humility “poverty of spirit.” As an example of it the Apostle shows us the poverty of God when he says that “for our sake he became poor, though he was rich, so that we by his poverty might become rich.” Since all the other things seen in the divine nature surpass the measure of human nature, but humility is natural and familiar to us who walk on the ground, who have our composition from earth and flow back into earth, in imitating God in what is natural and possible for you, you have yourself put on the blessed form. And let no one think
Matt 6:19–20 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 12:11 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 5:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 6:15 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 8:9 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: As there are two kinds of wealth, so there are two kinds of poverty: lacking virtue is wretched, but being poor in vices is blessed; poverty of spirit is voluntary humility, the one divine trait humans can imitate, after the example of Christ who became poor for us.
- The opening question is partly lost at the page break (marked …). Moth and thief: Matt 6:19–20. Fervent in spirit: Rom 12:11. God alone blessed: 1 Tim 6:15. “For our sake he became poor …”: 2 Cor 8:9.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Latin letters) for εἰρήσεται): cipitasται → εἰρήσεται.
Topics: Ethics, Christology
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1199 (PG 44:1200a–1200c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1199). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-gregory-nyssa-beatitudines-1199) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1201
1201PG 44:1201a–1201d
καὶ μετᾶ ῥᾳστώνης ὲκποριζόμενον τὸ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης κατόρθωμα. Τὸ ἐναντίον μὲν οὖν παντὸς οὑτινοσοῦν τῶν κατάρετὴν ἐπιτηδευομένων.τὸ τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν ἐπιπονώτερον. Διά τί; ὅτι καθεύδοντος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τοῦ τὰ καλὰ σπέρματα δεξαμένου, τὸ κεφάλαιον τῆς ἐναντίας σπορᾶς παρά τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν τὸ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ὲρριζὼθη ζιζάνιον. Διʼ ὧν γάρ ἐκεῖνος ἑαυτὸν είς γῆν ωτὲρραξεν, τῷ αὐτῷ τρόπῳ τὸ δείλαιον γένος τὸ ἀνθρώπινον πρὸς τὸ κοινὸν πτῶμα ἐαυτῷ συγκατέβαλεν· καὶ οὐδέν ἑστιν ἄλλο τῆς φύσεως ήμῶν τοιοῦτον κακὸν, ὡς τὸ διʼ ὑπερηφαπάθος παντὶ σχεδὸν τῷ κοινωνοῦντι τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ήμῶν τὴν ύτέερηφανίαν, ἐν τῷ συμβουλεύειν μιμήσασθαι τὸν ἑκουσίως πτωχεύσαντα, ὃς ἐστιν καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ· ὃς ὲν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρο φροσύνης βλεπέτω μέτρον. """' ""'16 -Ἰ Α ι -. λογισμῷ καταστείλαντες, εὐεπίβατον ἑαυτοῖς τὴν τε
kai meta rhąstōnēs ekporizomenon to tēs tapeinophrosynēs katorthōma. To enantion men oun pantos houtinosoun tōn kataretēn epitēdeuomenōn.to toiouton estin epiponōteron. Dia ti? hoti katheudontos tou anthrōpou, tou ta kala spermata dexamenou, to kephalaion tēs enantias sporas para tou echthrou tēs zōēs hēmōn to tēs hyperēphanias errizōthē zizanion. Diʼ hōn gar ekeinos heauton eis gēn ōterraxen, tǭ autǭ tropǭ to deilaion genos to anthrōpinon pros to koinon ptōma eautǭ synkatebalen; kai ouden hestin allo tēs physeōs ēmōn toiouton kakon, hōs to diʼ hyperēphapathos panti schedon tǭ koinōnounti tēs anthrōpinēs ēmōn tēn yteerēphanian, en tǭ symbouleuein mimēsasthai ton hekousiōs ptōcheusanta, hos estin kai en Christǭ Iēsou; hos en morphę̄ Theou hyparo phrosynēs blepetō metron. """' ""'16 -I A i -. logismǭ katasteilantes, euepibaton heautois tēn te
that the achievement of humility is without labour and gained with ease. On the contrary, it is more laborious than any of the pursuits of virtue whatever. Why? Because while the man who had received the good seeds was asleep, the chief of the enemy’s sowing, the weed of arrogance, was rooted in us by the enemy of our life. For by the same means by which he dashed himself to the earth, he threw down the wretched human race with him into the common fall; and there is no other evil in our nature like that which comes through arrogance … the passion … in almost everyone who shares in our human nature … arrogance, by counselling us to imitate the one who became poor of his own will, “who, though he was in the form of God …” … let him look at the measure … having checked … by reasoning, let us make the road of humility easy for ourselves to travel.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Matt 13:24–25 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 3:6 (allusion, low confidence) · Phil 2:5–7 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Humility is the hardest of virtues, because the devil sowed arrogance, by which he himself fell, in human nature; the remedy is to imitate Christ, who emptied himself.
- The weeds sown while men slept: Matt 13:24–25. The devil’s fall through pride: compare 1 Tim 3:6; Isa 14:12–15. “Who, though he was in the form of God …”: Phil 2:5–7.
- This page is badly damaged in the scan: several lines are lost or reduced to debris (marked …); only the readable text is translated.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1201 (PG 44:1201a–1201d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1201). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1203
1203PG 44:1204a–1204d
Ι Ξ(ὶᾶ ταπεινοφροσύνης ὁδὸν καταστήσωμεν. Πόθεν οὖν ἂν· τις μᾶλλον ἐπιδείξειε 1:06 τὺφου τὸ μάταιονς Πόθεν ἄλλοθεν, ἢ ὲκ τοῦ δεῖξαι τὴν φύσιν, ἥτις ἐστίν; Ὀ γὰρ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ μὴ τὰ περὶ αὑτὸν βλέπων, οὐκ ἂν εὐλόγως εἰς τὸ τοιοῦτον ἐμπέσοι πάθος. Τί οὗν ἐστιν ἄνθρωποςς Βούλει τὸν σεμνότερον καὶ τιμιὼτε ρον ετπω τῶν λόγων; Ἀλλʼ 6 κοσμῶν τὰ ἡμέτερα, καὶ πρὸς τὸ κομπωδέστερον διασκευάξων τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην εὐγένειαν, ὲκ πηλοῦ γενεαλογεῖ τὴν φύσιν καὶ ἡ εὐγένεια, καὶ ή σεμνότης τοῦ ὑπερηφάνου, τὸ συγγενὲς πρὸς τήν πλίνθον ἔχει. El δὲ τὴν προσεχῆ τε καὶ πρόχειρον τῆς γενέσεως εἰπεῖν ἐθέλοις, ἄπαγε, μὴ φθέγξῃ περὶ τούτου μὴ γρύξῃς, μὴ ἀνακαλύψης, καθώς φησιν 6 νόμος, ἀσχημοσύνην πατρὸς καὶ μητρός σου · μὴ δημοσιεύσῃς τῷ λόγῳ τὰ λήθης ἄξια. Εἶτα οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷς, 6 γήῖνος ἁνδριὰς, 6 μετʼ ὀλίγον κόνις,ὁ πομφόλυγος δίκην ὠκύμορον ὲν σεαυτῷ περιέχων τὸ φύσημα, πλήρης ὑπερηφανίας γινόμενος, καὶ περιφλεγμαίνων τῷ τύφῳ, καὶ τῷ ματαίῳ φρονήματι ὲξογκῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς είς ἀμφότερα τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὰ πέρατα, καὶ ὅπως ἄρχεται, καὶ είς ὅ τι λήγεις Ἀλλὰ γαυριᾷς τῇ νεότητι, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἄνθος τῆς ἡλικίας βλέπεις, καὶ ὲγκαλλωπίζῃ τῇ ῶρᾳ, ὄτι σοι ὑπερσφριο γῶσιν αἱ χεῖρες πρὸς κίνησιν, καὶ κοῦφοι πρὸς τὸ ἅλμα 0i πόδες, καὶ περισοόεἰ ταῖς αὔραις 6 βόστρυχος, καὶ τήν παρειὰν ὑπογράφει ό ῐουλος, καὶ ὅτι σοι ἡ ἐσθὴς τῇ βαφῇ τῆς πρφύραςδὺπερανθίζεται, καὶ πεποίκιλταί σοι τὰ ἐκ σηρῶν ὑφάσματα, πολέμοις ἢ θήραις, ἦ τισιν ἱστορίαις πεποικιλμένα,“ἢ τάχα καὶ πρὸς τὰ πέδιλα βλέπεις ἐπιμελῶς ὲν τῷ μέλανι στίλβοντα, καὶ περιέργως ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ραφίδων γραμμαῖς ἓπιτέρποντα; Πρὸς ταῦτα βλέπεις, πρὸς δὲ σεαυτὸν ὦῦχ ὀρᾷςς Δείξω σοι ὥσπερ ὲν κατόπτρῳ, τίς εἶ καὶ οἷος εἷ. Οὐκ εἶδες ὲν πολυανδρίῳ τὰ τῆς φύσεως ἡ μῶν μυστήρια; οὐκ εἶδες τήν ἐπάλληλον τῶν ὀστέων σωρείαν; κρανία σαρκῶν γεγυμνωμένα, φόὸερὸν τι καὶ εἰδεχθὲς ἐν διακένοις δεδορκότα τοῖς όμμασινς Εἶδες στόματα σεσηρότα, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν μελῶνλπρδς τὸ συμβὰν πεφορημένα; Εἰ ἐκεῖνα εἶδες, σεαυτὸν ὲν ὲκείνοις τεθέασαι. Ποῦ τοῦ παρόντος ἄνθους τὰ σύμβολας ποῦ ή εὖχροια τῆς παρειᾶς; ποῦ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ χείλους ἄν· θος; ποῦ τὸ βλοσυρὸν ἐν τοῖς ὄμμασι κάλλος τῇ πε ρισολῇ τῶν ὀφρύων ὑπολαμπόμενον; ποῦ ἡ εὐθεῖα ῥὶς,)τῶ κάλλει τῶν παρειῶν μεσιτεύουσα; ποῦ αἱ ἐπαυχένιοι κόμαι; ποῦ οἱπερικροτάφιοι βόστρυχοι ; ποῦ αἱ τοξαζό μεναι χεῖρες; οἱ ίππαζόμενοι πόδες ; ὴπορφύρα ;ή βύσσοςς ἡ χλανῐς; ἡ ζὼνη; τὰ πέδιλα; 6 ἴππης; 6 δρόμος; τὸ φρύαγμα; πάντα, διʼ ὧν σοι νῦν 6,τῦφος …; Ποῦ ταῦτα ἐν ἐκείνοις, εἰπὲ, ὑπὲρ ὧν νῦν ἑπαίρῃ καὶ μεγαλοφρονεῖς ; Ποῖον οὕτως ἀνυπόστατον ὅναρς Ποῖα τοιαῦτα ἐξ ὕπνου φαντάσματα; Τίς οὕτως
I X(ia tapeinophrosynēs hodon katastēsōmen. Pothen oun an; tis mallon epideixeie 1:06 typhou to mataions Pothen allothen, ē ek tou deixai tēn physin, hētis estin? O gar pros heauton, kai mē ta peri hauton blepōn, ouk an eulogōs eis to toiouton empesoi pathos. Ti houn estin anthrōposs Boulei ton semnoteron kai timiōte ron etpō tōn logōn? Allʼ 6 kosmōn ta hēmetera, kai pros to kompōdesteron diaskeuaxōn tēn anthrōpinēn eugeneian, ek pēlou genealogei tēn physin kai hē eugeneia, kai ē semnotēs tou hyperēphanou, to syngenes pros tēn plinthon echei. El de tēn prosechē te kai procheiron tēs geneseōs eipein ethelois, apage, mē phthenxę̄ peri toutou mē gryxę̄s, mē anakalypsēs, kathōs phēsin 6 nomos, aschēmosynēn patros kai mētros sou ; mē dēmosieusę̄s tǭ logǭ ta lēthēs axia. Eita ouk erythriąs, 6 gēinos handrias, 6 metʼ oligon konis,ho pompholygos dikēn ōkymoron en seautǭ periechōn to physēma, plērēs hyperēphanias ginomenos, kai periphlegmainōn tǭ typhǭ, kai tǭ mataiǭ phronēmati exonkōn tēn dianoian. Ouch horąs eis amphotera tēs zōēs tou anthrōpou ta perata, kai hopōs archetai, kai eis ho ti lēgeis Alla gauriąs tę̄ neotēti, kai pros to anthos tēs hēlikias blepeis, kai enkallōpizę̄ tę̄ ōrą, oti soi hypersphrio gōsin hai cheires pros kinēsin, kai kouphoi pros to halma 0i podes, kai perisooei tais aurais 6 bostrychos, kai tēn pareian hypographei o ioulos, kai hoti soi hē esthēs tę̄ baphę̄ tēs prphyrasdyperanthizetai, kai pepoikiltai soi ta ek sērōn hyphasmata, polemois ē thērais, ē tisin historiais pepoikilmena,“ē tacha kai pros ta pedila blepeis epimelōs en tǭ melani stilbonta, kai periergōs tais apo tōn raphidōn grammais hepiterponta? Pros tauta blepeis, pros de seauton ōych orąss Deixō soi hōsper en katoptrǭ, tis ei kai hoios hei. Ouk eides en polyandriǭ ta tēs physeōs hē mōn mystēria? ouk eides tēn epallēlon tōn osteōn sōreian? krania sarkōn gegymnōmena, phooeron ti kai eidechthes en diakenois dedorkota tois ommasins Eides stomata sesērota, kai ta loipa tōn melōnlprds to symban pephorēmena? Ei ekeina eides, seauton en ekeinois tetheasai. Pou tou parontos anthous ta symbolas pou ē euchroia tēs pareias? pou to epi tou cheilous an; thos? pou to blosyron en tois ommasi kallos tę̄ pe risolę̄ tōn ophryōn hypolampomenon? pou hē eutheia rhis,)tō kallei tōn pareiōn mesiteuousa? pou hai epauchenioi komai? pou hoiperikrotaphioi bostrychoi ? pou hai toxazo menai cheires? hoi ippazomenoi podes ? ēporphyra ?ē byssoss hē chlanis? hē zōnē? ta pedila? 6 ippēs? 6 dromos? to phryagma? panta, diʼ hōn soi nyn 6,typhos …? Pou tauta en ekeinois, eipe, hyper hōn nyn hepairę̄ kai megalophroneis ? Poion houtōs anypostaton honars Poia toiauta ex hypnou phantasmata? Tis houtōs
humility. How, then, could anyone better show the vanity of conceit? How else than by showing what our nature is? For one who looks at himself, and not at the things around him, would hardly fall into such a passion. What, then, is man? Do you want me to give the more dignified and honourable account? Even the one who adorns our condition and dresses up human nobility more boastfully traces the genealogy of our nature from clay; the nobility and dignity of the arrogant man is akin to the brick. And if you wish to speak of the immediate and nearer source of our birth — away with it! Do not utter a word about it, do not mutter, do not, as the law says, uncover the nakedness of your father and mother; do not publish in speech what deserves oblivion. Are you not ashamed, then, earthen statue, soon to be dust, who like a bubble hold within yourself a short-lived puff of air, to be full of arrogance, inflamed with conceit, and swelling your mind with vain thinking? Do you not look at both ends of human life, how it begins and in what it ends? But you exult in your youth, look at the flower of your age, and pride yourself on your bloom: your hands are vigorous for movement, your feet light for leaping, your curls toss in the breeze, the first down marks your cheek, your clothing blooms with purple dye, and your silks are embroidered with wars or hunts or some stories; or perhaps you look at your shoes, carefully polished black and elaborately pleasing with lines of stitching. You look at these things, but do you not see yourself? I will show you, as in a mirror, who you are and what you are like. Have you not seen in a common burial ground the mysteries of our nature? Have you not seen the heap of bones piled on bones, skulls stripped of flesh, staring fearfully and hideously with empty eyes? Have you seen mouths grinning and the rest of the limbs scattered at random? If you have seen those, you have seen yourself in them. Where are the signs of your present bloom? Where is the good colour of the cheek, the bloom on the lip, the stern beauty of the eyes shining beneath the circle of the brows? Where is the straight nose set between the beauty of the cheeks? Where are the locks on the neck, the curls about the temples? Where are the hands that draw the bow, the feet that ride? The purple, the fine linen, the cloak, the belt, the shoes, the horse, the race, the snorting — all the things by which conceit now … ? Where are these among them, tell me, the things for which you are now puffed up and think great thoughts? What dream is so insubstantial? What phantoms of sleep are like these? What shadow is so
Gen 2:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · Lev 18:7 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The cure for pride is to see what human nature is: made from clay, born in shame, and ending in a heap of bones; the young man proud of his looks and fine clothes should look at the skulls in the common grave and see himself.
- Man from clay: Gen 2:7; Job 10:9. “Do not uncover the nakedness of your father and mother”: Lev 18:7. The comparison with a bubble and a dream: compare Ps 39:5–6; 90:5–6.
- A short run of OCR debris after the quotation from Leviticus is removed; one word after “conceit now” is unreadable in the scan (marked …).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Latin letters); OCR debris (Latin letters); word unreadable): x'aivfiaeslaactfl'q'. → ; africum; → …;.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1203 (PG 44:1204a–1204d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1203). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-gregory-nyssa-beatitudines-1203) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1205
1205PG 44:1205a–1205b
ἀδρανὴς σκιά τὴν ἀφὴν ὐποφεύγουσα, ὡς τὸ τῆς, νεότητος δναρ ὁμοῦ τε φαινόμενον κα) εὐθὺς παρα ιπτάμενον; Ταῦτά μοι πρὸς τοὺς ἐν νεότητι διὰ τὸ ἀτελὲς τῆς ἡλικίας ἀφραίνοντας. Τί δʼ ἄν τις εἴποι περὶ τῶν ήδη καθεστηκότων, οἷς ἡ μὲν ἡλικία βέβηκεν, ἀστατεί δὲ τὸ ἦθος, καὶ η νόσος τῆς ὑπερηφανίας αὔξεται· ὄνομα δὲ τῇ τοιαύτῃ ἀρρωστίᾳ τοῦ ἤθους φρόνημα τίθενται ’ ἀρχὴ δὲ ὡς έπιτοπολὺ καὶ ἡ κατʼ αὐτὴν δυναστεία, ἡ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ὑπόθεσις γίνεται. Ἣ γάρ ὲν αὐτῇ τοῦτο πάσχουσιν, ἢ πρὸς αὐτὴν ὲτοιμάζονται, ἢ τὶι περὶ αὐτῆς διηγήματα καὶ παυσαμένην ήδη πολλάκις ἀναῤῥιπίζει τὴν νόσον. Καὶ τίς λόγος τοιοῦτος, ὡς ἐντὸς γενέσθαι τῆς ἀκοῆς αὐτῶν, τῆς ὑπὸ τῆς φωνῆς τῶν κηρύκων προόεβυσμένηςς Τίς πείσει τοὺς οὕτως ἔχοντας, ὅτι τῶν ἐπὶ σὲιηνῆξ πομπευόντων οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν- διαφέρουσι; Kal. γὰρ ἐκείνοις καὶ πρόσωπόν τι ἐκ τέχνης τῶν γλαφυρῶν ἐπιβέβληται, καὶ ἁλουργὶς χρυσόπαστος, καὶ ἐπὶ ἅρματος ή πομπὴ, καὶ ὅμως οὐδεμία νόσος αὐτοῖς ὑπερηφανίας ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων εἰσέρχεται ο ἀλλʼ οἷοι προ τῆς σκηνῆς ἦσαν τὸ φρόνημα, ίσην ἐπὶ τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν ἕξιν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς πομπῆς διεσώσαντο, καὶ μετά τοῦτο οὐκ ἀνιῶνται. τοῦ τε ἅρματος ἀπὸἀντες, καὶ τὸ σχῆμα περιαιρούμενοι. Ol δὲ διὰ τῆς ἀρχῆς πομπεύοντες ὲν τῇ τοῦ βίου σκηνῇ, οὔτε τὸ πρὸ βραχέος, οὔτε τὺ μετά βραχὺ λογιζόμενοι, καθάπερ τῷ φυσήματι αί πομφόλυγες περιτείνονται ο τὸν αὑτὸν τρόπον καὶ οὗτοι περιογκοῦνται τῇ μεγαλοφωνίᾳ τοῦ κήρυκος, καὶ ἀλλοτρίου τινὸς προσωπείου μορτὴν έαυτοῖς περιπλάσσουσιν, ἐξαλλάσσοντες τὴν κατά φύσιν τοῦ προσώπου θέσιν είς τὸ ἀμειδὲς καλ ὲπίφοβον, φθόγγος τε αὐτοῖς ἐπινοεῖται τραχύτερος, πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων κατάπληξιν ἐπὶ τὸ θηριῶδες μετατυπούμενος · οὐκέτι ὲν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις μένουσιν ὅροις, ἀλλʼ είς τὴν θείαν δύναμιν τε καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἑαυτοὺς εἰσποιοῦσιν, Ζωῆς γὰρ καὶ θανάτου κύριοι εἶναι πιστεύουσιν, ὅτι τῶν ὲν αὐτοῖς κρινομένων τῷ μὲν τὴν σώζουσαν νέμουσι ψῆφον, τὸν δὲ Θανάτῳ καταδικάζουσι· καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο βλέπουσι. τίς ἀληθῶς τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ζωῆς κύριος, ὁ καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ εἶναι καὶ τὸ τέλος ὁρίζωνο καίτοι γε τοῦτο μόνον ἱκανὸν ἦν είς καταστολὴν τῆς χαυνότητος, τὸ πολλοὺς ἰδεῖν τῶν ἀρχόντων ὲν αὐτῇ τῇ τῆς ἀρχῆς σκηνῇ ὲκ μέσων ἁρπασθέντας τῶν θρόνων, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς τάφους ὲκκομισθέντας, ἐφʼ ὧν ὁ θρῆνος τὰς τῶν κηρύ κων φωνὰς διεδέξατο. Πῶς οὖν-ἀλλος ρίας ζωῆς κύριος ὁ τῆς ἰδίας ἀλλάτριος; Καὶ οὗτος τοίνυν εἱ πτωχεύει τῷ πνεύματι, πρὸς τὸν διʼ ἡμᾶς πτωχεύσαντα ἑκουσίως βλέπων, καὶ πρὸς τὸ τῆς φύσεως ὁμότιμον καθορῶν, μηδὲν ὲκ τῆς ἡπατημένης ἐκείνης περὶ ἀρχὴν τραγῳδίας εἰς τὸ ὁμογενὲς ἐξυβρίζοι, μακαριστὸς ἀληθῶς τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τῆς προσκαίρου, τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν ἀνταλλαξάμενος. Μὴ ἁποβἀλης, ἀδελφὲ,
adranēs skia tēn aphēn ypopheugousa, hōs to tēs, neotētos dnar homou te phainomenon ka) euthys para iptamenon? Tauta moi pros tous en neotēti dia to ateles tēs hēlikias aphrainontas. Ti dʼ an tis eipoi peri tōn ēdē kathestēkotōn, hois hē men hēlikia bebēken, astatei de to ēthos, kai ē nosos tēs hyperēphanias auxetai; onoma de tę̄ toiautę̄ arrōstią tou ēthous phronēma tithentai ’ archē de hōs epitopoly kai hē katʼ autēn dynasteia, hē tēs hyperēphanias hypothesis ginetai. Hē gar en autę̄ touto paschousin, ē pros autēn etoimazontai, ē tii peri autēs diēgēmata kai pausamenēn ēdē pollakis anarrhipizei tēn noson. Kai tis logos toioutos, hōs entos genesthai tēs akoēs autōn, tēs hypo tēs phōnēs tōn kērykōn prooebysmenēss Tis peisei tous houtōs echontas, hoti tōn epi seiēnēx pompeuontōn oudʼ hotioun- diapherousi? Kal. gar ekeinois kai prosōpon ti ek technēs tōn glaphyrōn epibeblētai, kai halourgis chrysopastos, kai epi harmatos ē pompē, kai homōs oudemia nosos autois hyperēphanias ek tōn toioutōn eiserchetai o allʼ hoioi pro tēs skēnēs ēsan to phronēma, isēn epi tę̄ psychę̄ tēn hexin kai epi tēs pompēs diesōsanto, kai meta touto ouk aniōntai. tou te harmatos apoantes, kai to schēma periairoumenoi. Ol de dia tēs archēs pompeuontes en tę̄ tou biou skēnę̄, oute to pro bracheos, oute ty meta brachy logizomenoi, kathaper tǭ physēmati ai pompholyges periteinontai o ton hauton tropon kai houtoi perionkountai tę̄ megalophōnią tou kērykos, kai allotriou tinos prosōpeiou mortēn eautois periplassousin, exallassontes tēn kata physin tou prosōpou thesin eis to ameides kal epiphobon, phthongos te autois epinoeitai trachyteros, pros tēn tōn akouontōn kataplēxin epi to thēriōdes metatypoumenos ; ouketi en tois anthrōpinois menousin horois, allʼ eis tēn theian dynamin te kai exousian heautous eispoiousin, Zōēs gar kai thanatou kyrioi einai pisteuousin, hoti tōn en autois krinomenōn tǭ men tēn sōzousan nemousi psēphon, ton de Thanatǭ katadikazousi; kai oude touto blepousi. tis alēthōs tēs anthrōpinēs zōēs kyrios, ho kai tēn archēn tou einai kai to telos horizōno kaitoi ge touto monon hikanon ēn eis katastolēn tēs chaunotētos, to pollous idein tōn archontōn en autę̄ tę̄ tēs archēs skēnę̄ ek mesōn harpasthentas tōn thronōn, kai epi tous taphous ekkomisthentas, ephʼ hōn ho thrēnos tas tōn kēry kōn phōnas diedexato. Pōs oun-allos rias zōēs kyrios ho tēs idias allatrios? Kai houtos toinyn hei ptōcheuei tǭ pneumati, pros ton diʼ hēmas ptōcheusanta hekousiōs blepōn, kai pros to tēs physeōs homotimon kathorōn, mēden ek tēs hēpatēmenēs ekeinēs peri archēn tragǭdias eis to homogenes exybrizoi, makaristos alēthōs tēs tapeinophrosynēs tēs proskairou, tēn tōn ouranōn basileian antallaxamenos. Mē hapobalēs, adelphe,
feeble, slipping from the touch, as the dream of youth, which appears and at once flies past? This I say to those who are foolish in youth because of the immaturity of their age. But what could one say of those already settled in life, whose age is steady but whose character is unstable, and in whom the disease of arrogance grows? They give the name “high spirit” to such a sickness of character. Office, and the power that goes with it, is usually the occasion of arrogance. For either they suffer this while in office, or they are preparing for it, or the stories about it often fan the disease into flame again even after office has ended. What word could get inside their hearing, which the heralds’ voices have stopped up beforehand? Who will persuade those so disposed that they differ not at all from those who parade on the stage? Actors too have an artfully sculpted face put on them, a gold-spangled purple robe, and a procession on a chariot; and yet no disease of arrogance enters into them from such things. As they were in spirit before the play, so they keep the same state of soul in the procession, and afterward they are not distressed when they step down from the chariot and take off the costume. But those who parade in office on the stage of life, reckoning neither what was a little before nor what will be a little after, are puffed up like bubbles by a breath. In the same way they swell with the loud voice of the herald and mould for themselves the form of a strange mask, changing the natural set of the face into something unsmiling and fearsome; they put on a harsher voice, reshaped toward the bestial to strike terror into the hearers. They no longer stay within human limits but claim for themselves divine power and authority. For they believe themselves lords of life and death, because of those they judge they grant one a saving verdict and condemn another to death; and they do not even see who is truly lord of human life, who sets both the beginning and the end of being. Yet this alone was enough to check their vanity: to see many rulers on the very stage of office snatched from the midst of their thrones and carried out to their graves, where lament took the place of the heralds’ voices. How, then, can one who is a stranger to his own life be lord of another’s? So this man too, if he is poor in spirit, looking to the one who became poor of his own will for our sake, and seeing the equal dignity of our common nature, does no outrage to his own kind out of that deluded tragedy of office, is truly blessed, having exchanged a passing humility for the kingdom of heaven. Do not reject, brother,
2 Cor 8:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 5:3 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Mature men in office grow arrogant, imagining themselves lords of life and death, though they are like actors in a stage procession and are often carried from their thrones to the grave; the ruler who is poor in spirit, seeing the equality of human nature, gains the kingdom of heaven.
- Christ became poor of his own will: 2 Cor 8:9. Gregory’s comparison of magistrates to actors in a stage procession is translated as written.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1205 (PG 44:1205a–1205b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1205). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1207
1207PG 44:1208a–1208d
καὶ τὸν ἕτερον τῆς πτωχείας λόγον, ὃς τοῦ κατʼ ούρανὺν πλούτου πρόξενος γίνεται. ιΙώλησόν σου, φησι. πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ δεῦρο, ἀκολούθει μοι, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Κ πὶ γὰρ ὴ τοιαύτη πτωχεία δοκεῖ μοι μὴ ἀπᾴδειν τῆς μακαριζομένης πτωχείας. Ἰδοὺ πάντα, ὅσα εἶχοο μεν, ἀφέντες ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι, φησὶ πρὸς τον Δεσπότην 6 μαθητής ° τι ἄρα ἔσται ήμῖν; Καὶ τίς ἡ ἀπόκρισις; Μακάριοι οὶ πτωχοί τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ,βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Βούλει νοῆσαι, τίς 6 πτωχεύων τῷ πνεύματι; '0 ἀνταλλαξάμενος τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς πλοῦτον τῆς σωματικῆς εὐπορίας, 6 διὰ τὸ πνεῦμα πτωχεύων, 6 τὸν γήϊνον πλοῦτον οἷόν τι βάρος ἀποσεισάμενος, ἵνα μετάρσιὸς τε καὶ διαέριος ἄνω φέρηται, καθώς φησιν 6 Ἀπό- 8 στολος, ἐπὶ νεφέλης σύμμετεωροπορῶν τῷ Θεῷ. Βαρύ τι χρῆμα τὸ χρυσίον ἐστὶν, βαρεῖα πᾶσα ἡ σπουδαζομένη κατὰ τὸν πλοῦτον ὕλη · κοῦφον δέ τι καὶ ἀνωφερὲς πρᾶγμα ἠ ἀρετή. Ἀλλὰ μὴν ἀντίκειται ταῦτα ἀλλήλοις, τὸ βάρος καὶ ἡ κουφότης. Οὐκοῦν ἀμήχανόν τινα γενέσθαι κοῦφον, τῷ βάρει τῆς ὕλης ἑαυτὸν προσηλώσαντα. Εἰ οὖν χρὴ τοῖς ἄνω προσβῆναι, τῶν κάτω καθελκόντων πτωχεύσωμεν, ἵνα ὲν τοῖς ἄνω γενώμεθα. Τίς δὲ. 6 τρόπος, ὑφηγεῖται ἡ ψαλμῳδίαο Ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκε τοῖς πένησιν, ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ μένει είς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. '0 τῷ πτωχῷ κοινωνήσας, εἰς τὴν μερίδα τοῦ διʼ ἡμᾶς πτωχεύσαντος ἑαυτὸν καταστήσει. Ἐπτώχευσεν ὁ Κύριος, μὴ φοβηθῇς μηδὲ σὺ τὴν πτωχείαν. Ἀλλὰ βασιλεύει πάσης τῆς κτίσεως 6 διʼ ήμᾶς πτωχεύσας. Οὐκοῦν ἐὰν πτωχεύσαντι συμπτωχεύσῃς, καὶ βασιλεύοντι συμβασιλεύσεις. Μακάριοι γὰρ οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἠ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἦς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀξιωθείημεν ὲν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἠ δόξα ml. τὸ κράτος, είς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ B'. Μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς,ὅτι. αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι την την. Οἱ διὰ κλίμακάς τινος τοῖς ὑψηλοτέροις προσβαίνοντες, ὄταν τῆς πρώτης ὲπιβῶσι βαθμίδος, διʼ ἐκείνης ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπερκειμένην αἴρονται, καὶ πάλιν ἡ δευτέρα προσάγει τῇ τρίτῃ τὸν ἀνιόντα, καὶ αʼύτη πρὸς τὴν ἐφεξῆς, καὶ αὕτη πρὸς τὴν μεθʼ ἑαυτήν. Καὶ οὕτως 6 ἀνιὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν, ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ ὑπερκείο μενον ἀνυψούμενος, ἐπὶ τὸ ἀκρότατον φθάνει τῆς ἀναβάσεως. Πρὸς τί βλέπων ἐντεῦθεν προοιμιάζομαι; Δοκεῖ μοι βαθμίδων δίκην ἡ τῶν μακαρισμῶν διακείσθαι τάξις, εὐεπίβατον τῷ λόγῳ διʼ ἀλλήλων ποιοῦσα τὴν ἄνοδον. Τὸν γὰρ τῷ πρώτῳ διὰ τῆς διανοίας ἐπιβεβηκότα μακαρισμῷ, διʼ ἀναγκαίας τινὸς τῆς τῶν νοημάτων ἀκολουθίας, 6 μετʼ ἐκεῖνον ἐκδέχεται, κᾶν ὑποξενίςειν δοκῇ παρὰ τὴν πρώτην ὁ λόγος· Μὴ γὰρ εἶναι δυνατὸν ἴσως ὀ ἁκούων ἐρεῖ, καθάπερ ὲν βαθμῶν διαθέσει, μετὰ τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν, τῆς
kai ton heteron tēs ptōcheias logon, hos tou katʼ ouranyn ploutou proxenos ginetai. iIōlēson sou, phēsi. panta ta hyparchonta, kai dos ptōchois, kai deuro, akolouthei moi, kai hexeis thēsauron en ouranois. K pi gar ē toiautē ptōcheia dokei moi mē apądein tēs makarizomenēs ptōcheias. Idou panta, hosa eichoo men, aphentes ēkolouthēsamen soi, phēsi pros ton Despotēn 6 mathētēs ° ti ara estai ēmin? Kai tis hē apokrisis? Makarioi oi ptōchoi tǭ pneumati, hoti autōn estin hē,basileia tōn ouranōn. Boulei noēsai, tis 6 ptōcheuōn tǭ pneumati? '0 antallaxamenos ton tēs psychēs plouton tēs sōmatikēs euporias, 6 dia to pneuma ptōcheuōn, 6 ton gēïnon plouton hoion ti baros aposeisamenos, hina metarsios te kai diaerios anō pherētai, kathōs phēsin 6 Apo- 8 stolos, epi nephelēs symmeteōroporōn tǭ Theǭ. Bary ti chrēma to chrysion estin, bareia pasa hē spoudazomenē kata ton plouton hylē ; kouphon de ti kai anōpheres pragma ē aretē. Alla mēn antikeitai tauta allēlois, to baros kai hē kouphotēs. Oukoun amēchanon tina genesthai kouphon, tǭ barei tēs hylēs heauton prosēlōsanta. Ei oun chrē tois anō prosbēnai, tōn katō kathelkontōn ptōcheusōmen, hina en tois anō genōmetha. Tis de. 6 tropos, hyphēgeitai hē psalmǭdiao Eskorpisen, edōke tois penēsin, hē dikaiosynē autou menei eis ton aiōna tou aiōnos. '0 tǭ ptōchǭ koinōnēsas, eis tēn merida tou diʼ hēmas ptōcheusantos heauton katastēsei. Eptōcheusen ho Kyrios, mē phobēthę̄s mēde sy tēn ptōcheian. Alla basileuei pasēs tēs ktiseōs 6 diʼ ēmas ptōcheusas. Oukoun ean ptōcheusanti symptōcheusę̄s, kai basileuonti symbasileuseis. Makarioi gar hoi ptōchoi tǭ pneumati, hoti autōn estin ē basileia tōn ouranōn, ēs kai hēmeis axiōtheiēmen en Christǭ Iēsou tǭ Kyriǭ hēmōn, hǭ ē doxa ml. to kratos, eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. Amēn. LOGOS B'. Makarioi hoi praeis,hoti. autoi klēronomēsousi tēn tēn. Hoi dia klimakas tinos tois hypsēloterois prosbainontes, otan tēs prōtēs epibōsi bathmidos, diʼ ekeinēs epi tēn hyperkeimenēn airontai, kai palin hē deutera prosagei tę̄ tritę̄ ton anionta, kai aʼytē pros tēn ephexēs, kai hautē pros tēn methʼ heautēn. Kai houtōs 6 aniōn apo tou en hǭ estin, aei pros to hyperkeio menon anypsoumenos, epi to akrotaton phthanei tēs anabaseōs. Pros ti blepōn enteuthen prooimiazomai? Dokei moi bathmidōn dikēn hē tōn makarismōn diakeisthai taxis, euepibaton tǭ logǭ diʼ allēlōn poiousa tēn anodon. Ton gar tǭ prōtǭ dia tēs dianoias epibebēkota makarismǭ, diʼ anankaias tinos tēs tōn noēmatōn akolouthias, 6 metʼ ekeinon ekdechetai, kan hypoxenisein dokę̄ para tēn prōtēn ho logos; Mē gar einai dynaton isōs o hakouōn erei, kathaper en bathmōn diathesei, meta tēn tōn ouranōn basileian, tēs
the other saying about poverty, which secures the wealth of heaven: “Sell,” he says, “all that you have and give to the poor, and come, follow me, and you will have treasure in heaven.” For this kind of poverty too seems to me not out of tune with the poverty called blessed. “Look, we have left everything we had and followed you,” the disciple says to the Master; “what, then, will there be for us?” And what is the answer? “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Do you want to understand who is poor in spirit? The one who has exchanged bodily abundance for the wealth of the soul; who is poor for the sake of the spirit; who has shaken off earthly wealth like a burden, so that he may be carried upward, aloft and through the air, journeying on high in a cloud with God, as the Apostle says. Gold is a heavy thing; heavy is all the matter that is pursued for wealth; but virtue is a light and upward-tending thing. Now weight and lightness are opposed to each other; so it is impossible for one who has nailed himself to the weight of matter to become light. If, then, we must approach the things above, let us become poor in what drags us down, so that we may come to be among the things above. The manner of it the Psalm teaches: “He scattered, he gave to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever and ever.” Whoever shares with the poor will place himself in the portion of the one who became poor for our sake. The Lord became poor; do not you fear poverty either. But the one who became poor for us reigns over all creation; so if you become poor with the one who became poor, you will also reign with the one who reigns. For “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” of which may we too be deemed worthy in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. Homily 2. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Those who climb to higher places by a ladder, when they have set foot on the first rung, are lifted by it to the one above; the second brings the climber to the third, that to the next, and that to the one after it. So the climber, always rising from where he is to what lies above, reaches the very top of the ascent. What have I in view in beginning this way? It seems to me that the order of the Beatitudes is arranged like rungs, making the ascent easy for the mind, one by means of another. For whoever has mounted the first beatitude in thought is received by the next through a necessary sequence of meanings, even if the saying seems at first somewhat strange. For the hearer will perhaps say that it is impossible, as in an arrangement of steps, that after the kingdom of heaven
Matt 19:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 19:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Thess 4:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 112:9 (111:9 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 8:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Tim 2:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 5:5 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Homily 1 ends: true poverty of spirit sheds earthly wealth to rise light toward God and shares with the poor, so as to reign with Christ who became poor. Homily 2 begins: the Beatitudes are like the rungs of a ladder, though the earth seems oddly to follow heaven.
- “Sell all that you have …”: Matt 19:21; Luke 18:22. “Look, we have left everything …”: Matt 19:27. Caught up in the clouds: 1 Thess 4:17. “He scattered, he gave to the poor …”: Ps 112:9 (LXX 111:9). Reigning with Christ: 2 Tim 2:12. Christ became poor: 2 Cor 8:9.
- Homily 2 on the Beatitudes begins here: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt 5:5).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Latin letters)): sit νεφέλης → ἐπὶ νεφέλης.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1207 (PG 44:1208a–1208d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1207). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1209
1209PG 44:1209a–1209c
γῆς τὴν κληρονομίαν καταλαμβάνεσθαι · ἀλλʼ εἴπερ ἔδει τῇ φύσει τῶν ὄντων τὸν λόγον ἕπεσθαι, τοῦ οὐ· ρανοῧ τὴν γῆν ἀκολουθότερον ἦν προτετάχθαι, ὼς ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνον ἐσομένης τῆς ἀναβάσεως. Ἀλλʼ εἰ πτερωθείημέν πως τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὰ νῶτα τῆς οὐρανίας ἀψίδος σταίημεν, εὑρήσομεν ἐκεῖ τὴν ὑπερουράνιον γῆν, τὴν εἰς κληρονομίαν τοίς κατʼ ἀρετὴν βεβιωκόσιν ἀποκειμένην, ὡς μὴ δοκεῖν ἡμαρτῆσθαιτὴν τάξιν τῆς τῶν μακαρισμῶν ἀκολουθίας, πρῶτον οὐρανῶν, καὶ μετά ταῦτα γῆς, ἐν ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις ἡμῖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ προτεθείσης. Τὸ γάρ φαινόμενον, ὅσον πρὸς τὴν σωματικὴν αἴσθησιν, ὅλον πρὸς ἐαυτὸ συγγενῶς ἔχει. Κᾶν γάρ ὃ μὲν ὑψηλὸν εἶναι δοκῇ τῷ τοπικῷ διαστήματι, ἀλλʼ οὖν κάτω τῆς νοερᾶς οὐσίας ἐστὶν, ἦς ἀδύνατον ἐπιβατεὼαι τὸν λογισμὸν, μὴ διαβάντα τῷ λόγῳ ταῦτα πρότερον, ῶν καθικνεῖται ἡ αίσθησις. El δὲ τῇ προσηγορίᾳ τῆς γῆς ὴ ὑπερκειμένη κατονομάζεται λῆξις, θαυμάσεις μηδέν· τῷ γὰρ ταπεινῷ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀκοῆς συγκαταβαίνει ὁ Λόγος, ὁ διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς ἡμᾶς καταβάς, ἐπειδὴ ἡμεῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀνυψωθῆναι οὐχ οἷοί τε ἦμεν. Διά τοίνυν τῶν ἡμῖν γνωρίμων ῥημάτων τε καὶ ὀνομάτων παραδίδωσι τά θεῖα μυστήρια, ταύταις ταῖς φωναῖς κεχρημένος, ἂς ἡ συνήθεια τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου περιέχει βίου. Καὶ γάρ τῇ πρὸ ταύτης ἐπαγγελίᾳ τὸν ἄφραστον ἐκεῖνον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς μακαρισμὸν, βασιλείαν ὠνόμασεν· ἆρά τι τοίοῢτον τῷ λόγῳ παραδεικνύων, οἷον ἡ κάτω περιέχει βασιλείας διαδήματά τινα ταῖς τῶν λίθων αῖγλαις περιαστράπτοντα, καὶ εὐανθεῖς ἁλουργίδας ἡδύ τι τοῖς λίχνοις ὄμμασιν ἀωυγαζοὺσας, προπύλαιά τε καί καταπετάσματα, καὶ ὑψηλοὺς θρόνους, καὶ δορυφόρων στοιχηδὸν περιεστώτων τάξεις, καὶ ὃσα ἄλλα προστραγτρδοῦσι περὶ τὴν τοιαύτην τοῦ βίου σκηνὴν οἱ τὸν ὄγκον τῆς δυναστείας διὰ τῶν τοιούτων ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον ἐξαίροντες. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ μέγα τι καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντα σχεδὸν τά ἐν ἀνθρώποις ζηλούμενα τὸ τῆς βασιλείας ὄνομα κατά τὸν βίον ἐστὶν. διὰ τοῦτο συνεχρήσατο τῷ ὀνόματι, πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὑπερκειμένων ἀγαθῶν δήλωσινο ὡς είγε ἦν ἄλλο τι παρά τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τῆς βασιλείας ἀνώτερον, διʼ ἐκείνου ἂν τοῦ ὀνόματος πάντως μάλιστα ἀνεπτέρωσε ψυχὴν τοῦ ἀκούοντος, πρὸς ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς ἀφράστου μακαριότητος. Οὐδὲ γάρ ἦν δυνατὸν ἰδίοις ὀνόμασιν ἐκεῖνα τά ἀγαθά τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐκκαλυφθῆναι, ά ὑπὲρ αῐσθησίν τε καὶ γνῶσιν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐστίν. Οὔτε γὰρ οφθαλμὸς εἶδε, φησὶν, οὔτε οὖς ἤκουσεν, οὔτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη. Ἀλλʼ ὡς ἂν μὴ παντελῶς διαφύγοι τὸν στοχασμὸν ἡ ὲλπιζομένη μακαριότης, ὡς χωροῦμεν κατά τὸ ταπεινὸν ἡμῶν τῆς φύσεως, οὕτω τῶν ἀνεκφωνήτων ἀκούομεν. Μὴ οὑν ἡ τῆς γῆς ὁμωνυμία πάλιν μετά τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καθκ ελκέτω σου τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπὶ τὴν κάτω γῆν, ἀλλʼ εἴπερ ὑψώθης τῷ Λόγῳ διά τῶν προτέρων μακαρισμῶν, καὶ τῆς οὐρανίας ἐπέβης ἐλπίδος, ἐκείνην μοι πολυπραγμόνει τὴν γῆν, ἥτις οὐ πάντων ἐστὶ κληρονομία, πλὴν ετ τινες διὰ τῆς τοῦ βίου πραότη-
gēs tēn klēronomian katalambanesthai ; allʼ eiper edei tę̄ physei tōn ontōn ton logon hepesthai, tou ou; ranoÿ tēn gēn akolouthoteron ēn protetachthai, ōs enteuthen hēmin epʼ ekeinon esomenēs tēs anabaseōs. Allʼ ei pterōtheiēmen pōs tǭ logǭ, kai hyper ta nōta tēs ouranias apsidos staiēmen, heurēsomen ekei tēn hyperouranion gēn, tēn eis klēronomian tois katʼ aretēn bebiōkosin apokeimenēn, hōs mē dokein hēmartēsthaitēn taxin tēs tōn makarismōn akolouthias, prōton ouranōn, kai meta tauta gēs, en tais epangeliais hēmin para tou Theou protetheisēs. To gar phainomenon, hoson pros tēn sōmatikēn aisthēsin, holon pros eauto syngenōs echei. Kan gar ho men hypsēlon einai dokę̄ tǭ topikǭ diastēmati, allʼ oun katō tēs noeras ousias estin, ēs adynaton epibateōai ton logismon, mē diabanta tǭ logǭ tauta proteron, ōn kathikneitai hē aisthēsis. El de tę̄ prosēgorią tēs gēs ē hyperkeimenē katonomazetai lēxis, thaumaseis mēden; tǭ gar tapeinǭ tēs hēmeteras akoēs synkatabainei ho Logos, ho dia touto pros hēmas katabas, epeidē hēmeis pros auton anypsōthēnai ouch hoioi te ēmen. Dia toinyn tōn hēmin gnōrimōn rhēmatōn te kai onomatōn paradidōsi ta theia mystēria, tautais tais phōnais kechrēmenos, as hē synētheia tou anthrōpinou periechei biou. Kai gar tę̄ pro tautēs epangelią ton aphraston ekeinon en tois ouranois makarismon, basileian ōnomasen; ara ti toioÿton tǭ logǭ paradeiknyōn, hoion hē katō periechei basileias diadēmata tina tais tōn lithōn aiglais periastraptonta, kai euantheis halourgidas hēdy ti tois lichnois ommasin aōygazousas, propylaia te kai katapetasmata, kai hypsēlous thronous, kai doryphorōn stoichēdon periestōtōn taxeis, kai hosa alla prostragtrdousi peri tēn toiautēn tou biou skēnēn hoi ton onkon tēs dynasteias dia tōn toioutōn epi to meizon exairontes. Allʼ epeidē mega ti kai hyper panta schedon ta en anthrōpois zēloumena to tēs basileias onoma kata ton bion estin. dia touto synechrēsato tǭ onomati, pros tēn tōn hyperkeimenōn agathōn dēlōsino hōs eige ēn allo ti para tois anthrōpois tēs basileias anōteron, diʼ ekeinou an tou onomatos pantōs malista anepterōse psychēn tou akouontos, pros epithymian tēs aphrastou makariotētos. Oude gar ēn dynaton idiois onomasin ekeina ta agatha tois anthrōpois ekkalyphthēnai, a hyper aisthēsin te kai gnōsin anthrōpinēn estin. Oute gar ophthalmos eide, phēsin, oute ous ēkousen, oute epi kardian anthrōpou anebē. Allʼ hōs an mē pantelōs diaphygoi ton stochasmon hē elpizomenē makariotēs, hōs chōroumen kata to tapeinon hēmōn tēs physeōs, houtō tōn anekphōnētōn akouomen. Mē houn hē tēs gēs homōnymia palin meta tous ouranous kathk elketō sou tēn dianoian epi tēn katō gēn, allʼ eiper hypsōthēs tǭ Logǭ dia tōn proterōn makarismōn, kai tēs ouranias epebēs elpidos, ekeinēn moi polypragmonei tēn gēn, hētis ou pantōn esti klēronomia, plēn et tines dia tēs tou biou praotē-
the inheritance of the earth should be attained. If the saying had to follow the nature of things, it would have been more consistent for the earth to be placed before heaven, since our ascent would be from here to there. But if we were somehow given wings by reason and stood above the back of the heavenly vault, we would find there the earth above the heavens, laid up as an inheritance for those who have lived according to virtue; so that the order of the sequence of the Beatitudes would not seem mistaken, when God sets before us in his promises first the heavens and after them the earth. For what appears, so far as bodily sense is concerned, is wholly of one kind with itself; even if one part seems high in spatial distance, it is still below the intelligible being, on which reason cannot set foot without first passing beyond, in thought, the things that sense reaches. If the lot that lies beyond is called by the name of “earth,” do not be surprised. The Word condescends to the lowliness of our hearing — he who came down to us for this very reason, since we were not able to be raised up to him. So he hands on the divine mysteries through words and names familiar to us, using the expressions that the custom of human life contains. In the promise before this one he named that ineffable blessedness in the heavens a kingdom. Was he pointing in that word to the sort of thing that a kingdom here below contains — diadems flashing with the gleam of precious stones, bright purple robes shining with something sweet to greedy eyes, porches and curtains, lofty thrones, ranks of bodyguards standing in rows, and whatever else those who magnify the bulk of power by such means stage in this theatre of life? No; but since the name of kingship is great in life and above almost everything that people envy, he used this name to indicate the transcendent goods; so that if there were anything among human beings higher than kingship, he would surely have used that name above all to give wings to the hearer’s soul toward desire for the ineffable blessedness. For it was not possible for those goods, which are beyond human sense and knowledge, to be revealed to human beings by their own names. “For eye has not seen,” it says, “nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man.” But so that the blessedness we hope for may not wholly escape our conjecture, we hear of things that cannot be spoken in the measure that the lowliness of our nature can contain. So do not let the same word “earth,” coming after the heavens, drag your mind down again to the earth below. If you have been raised by the Word through the earlier beatitudes and have set foot on the heavenly hope, consider for me that earth which is not the inheritance of all, but only of those who through the meekness of their life
Matt 5:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:9 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The earth promised after the kingdom of heaven is not this earth but the land above the heavens; Christ uses familiar words like “kingdom” and “earth” because the goods beyond sense cannot be named in their own terms.
- “Eye has not seen …”: 1 Cor 2:9 (compare Isa 64:4).
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1209 (PG 44:1209a–1209c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1209). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-gregory-nyssa-beatitudines-1209) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1211
1211PG 44:1212a–1212d
Α τος ἄξιοι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐκείνης κρίνονταιο ην μα δοκεῖ καὶ ὁ μέγας Δαβὶδ, 6 παρᾶ πάντας τοὺς κατʼ αὑτὸν ἐπιδεδημηκότας τῷ βίῳ πραΰς τε καὶ ἀνεξίκακος μαρτυρηθεις ὑπὸτῆς θείας Γ ραφῆς, πῳνενοησ κέναι τῇ ὑφηγήσει τοῦ Πνεύματος, καὶ διὰ πίστεως ἥδη κατεσχηκέναι τὸ ἐλπιζόμενον, εἰπών · Πιστεύω τοῦ ἰδεῖν τὰ ἀγαθὰ Κυρίου ἐν τῇ ζώντων. Οὐ γάρ φημι τὸν Προφήτην, ταύτην ζώντων προσειρηκένιι τὴν γῆν τὰ θνητὰ πάντα φύουσαν, καὶ εἰς ἑαυτὴν πάλιν πᾶν τὸ ἐξ αὐτῆς γένος ἀναλύουσαν ἀλλʼ οἶδε γῆν ζώντων, ἧς οὐκ ἐπέβη Θάνατος · ἐν ὁδὸς ἁμερτωλῶν οὐκ ἐτρίβη, ἢ κακίας ἴχνος ἐφʼ ἑαυτῆς οὐκ ἐδέξατο, ἦν οὐκ ἀνέτεμε τῷ ἀρότρῳ τῆς πονηρίας 6 τὰ ζιζάνια σπείρων, ή τριβόλων καὶ ἀκανθῶν ἄγονος · ἐν ᾖ τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς ἀναπαύσεως, καὶ 6 τῆς Β χλόης τόπος, καὶ ἡ τετραχῆ μεριζομένη πηγὴ, καὶ ἠ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων γεωργουμένη ἄμπελος, nl ὅσα ἄλλα διʼ αἰνιγμάτων παρὰ τῆς θεοπνεύστου διδασκαλίας ἀκούομεν. Ei δὴ νενόηται ἡμῖν η owe, γῆ ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν θεωρουμένης ἐφʼ ἦςή fit”λις τοῦ βασιλέως συνῴκισται, περὶ ἧς τά δεδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη, καθώς φησιν 6 Προφήτης, οὐκέτʼᾶν εἰκότως πρὸς τὴν τάξιν τῆς ἀκολουθίας τῶν μακαρισμῶν ξενιζοίμεθα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν, οἶμαι, ταύτην εὐλογίας προκεῖσθαι ταῖς ἐλπίσι τὴν γῆν τοῖς ἁρπαγησομένοις, καθὼς φησιν 6 Ἀπόστολος, ἐν νεφέλαις είς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα, καὶ οὕτως λουσι πάντοτε σὺν Κυρίῳ ἔσεσθαι. Τίς οὗν ἔτι χρεία τῆς κάτω γῆς, οἷς ἡ ζωὴ μετάρσιος ἐν ἐλπίσιν ἐστιν; 'A ρποιγη σόμεθα γὰρ ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἁπάντη σιν τοῦ Κν- C ρίου εἰς ἀέρα, καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν Κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα- Ἀλλʼ ἴδωμεν τίνος ἀρετῆς γέρας ἡ ἐκείνης τῆς γῆς κληρονομία πρόκειται. Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν- Τί τὸ πρᾶονς καὶ περὶ τί τὸ πρᾶον μακαρίζει 6 Δόγος; ού γάρ μοι δοκεῖ πάντα ἐπίσης ἀρετὴν οἴεσθαι δεῖν, ὅσα ἂν ἐν πραότητι γίνεται,,εἰ τὸ ἠρεμαῖὸν τε καὶ βραδυ μόνον διὰ τῆς λέξεως ταύτης σημαίνοιτο. Οὔτε γάρ,ἐν δρομεῦσιν 6 πρᾶος ἀμείνων τοῦ ἐπισπεύδοντος, οὔτε 6 δυσκίνητος ἐν πυκτικῇ τὸν κατὰ τοῦ ἐναντίου στέφανον αἴρεταιʼ κᾶν τρέχωμεν πρδς ι) τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως, ἐπιτείνειν 6 Παῦλθς συμβουλεύει τὸ τάχος, λέγων· Οὕτω τρέχετε, ira καταλάβητε· ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ σφοδροτέρας ἀεὶ τῆς κινήσεως τοῦ πρόσω εἴχετο, τῶν ὀπίσω λήθην ποιούμενος · καὶ πυκτεύων εὐκίνητος ἦν ’ διεὼρα γὰρ τοῦ ἀνθεστῶτος τὴν προσβολήν ’ καὶ περὶ τὴν βάσιγ ἀσφαλὴς ἦν, καὶ ψῖςχερσὶ καθωπλισμένος, ού κατά κενοῦ τινος καὶ ἁνυποστάτου διερρίπτει τὺ περὶ τᾶς χεῖρας ὅπλον, ἀλλὰ τῶν καιρίων τοῦ προσπαλαίοντες ἥπτετο, κατʼ αὑτοῦ τοῦ σώματος τὰς πληγὰς φέρωγ· Βούλει γνῶναι τοῦ Παύλου τὴν πυκτικήν; Ἴδε 11:? ὠτειλὰς τοῦ ἀνταγωνιζομένου, ἴδε τὰ ὑπώπια του ἀντιπάλου, ἴδε τὰ στίγματα τοῦ ἡττηθέντος Πάντως
A tos axioi tēs epangelias ekeinēs krinontaio ēn ma dokei kai ho megas Dabid, 6 para pantas tous katʼ hauton epidedēmēkotas tǭ biǭ praÿs te kai anexikakos martyrētheis hypotēs theias G raphēs, pǭnenoēs kenai tę̄ hyphēgēsei tou Pneumatos, kai dia pisteōs hēdē kateschēkenai to elpizomenon, eipōn ; Pisteuō tou idein ta agatha Kyriou en tę̄ zōntōn. Ou gar phēmi ton Prophētēn, tautēn zōntōn proseirēkenii tēn gēn ta thnēta panta phyousan, kai eis heautēn palin pan to ex autēs genos analyousan allʼ oide gēn zōntōn, hēs ouk epebē Thanatos ; en hodos hamertōlōn ouk etribē, ē kakias ichnos ephʼ heautēs ouk edexato, ēn ouk aneteme tǭ arotrǭ tēs ponērias 6 ta zizania speirōn, ē tribolōn kai akanthōn agonos ; en ę̄ to hydōr tēs anapauseōs, kai 6 tēs B chloēs topos, kai hē tetrachē merizomenē pēgē, kai ē para tou Theou tōn holōn geōrgoumenē ampelos, nl hosa alla diʼ ainigmatōn para tēs theopneustou didaskalias akouomen. Ei dē nenoētai hēmin ē owe, gē hyperanō tōn ouranōn theōroumenēs ephʼ ēsē fit”lis tou basileōs synǭkistai, peri hēs ta dedoxasmena elalēthē, kathōs phēsin 6 Prophētēs, ouketʼan eikotōs pros tēn taxin tēs akolouthias tōn makarismōn xenizoimetha. Oude gar eikos ēn, oimai, tautēn eulogias prokeisthai tais elpisi tēn gēn tois harpagēsomenois, kathōs phēsin 6 Apostolos, en nephelais eis apantēsin tou Kyriou eis aera, kai houtōs lousi pantote syn Kyriǭ esesthai. Tis houn eti chreia tēs katō gēs, hois hē zōē metarsios en elpisin estin? 'A rpoigē sometha gar en nephelais eis hapantē sin tou Kn- C riou eis aera, kai houtōs pantote syn Kyriǭ esometha- Allʼ idōmen tinos aretēs geras hē ekeinēs tēs gēs klēronomia prokeitai. Makarioi gar, phēsin, hoi praeis, hoti autoi klēronomēsousi tēn gēn- Ti to praons kai peri ti to praon makarizei 6 Dogos? ou gar moi dokei panta episēs aretēn oiesthai dein, hosa an en praotēti ginetai,,ei to ēremaion te kai brady monon dia tēs lexeōs tautēs sēmainoito. Oute gar,en dromeusin 6 praos ameinōn tou epispeudontos, oute 6 dyskinētos en pyktikę̄ ton kata tou enantiou stephanon airetaiʼ kan trechōmen prds i) to brabeion tēs anō klēseōs, epiteinein 6 Paulths symbouleuei to tachos, legōn; Houtō trechete, ira katalabēte; epei kai autos dia sphodroteras aei tēs kinēseōs tou prosō eicheto, tōn opisō lēthēn poioumenos ; kai pykteuōn eukinētos ēn ’ dieōra gar tou anthestōtos tēn prosbolēn ’ kai peri tēn basig asphalēs ēn, kai psischersi kathōplismenos, ou kata kenou tinos kai hanypostatou dierriptei ty peri tas cheiras hoplon, alla tōn kairiōn tou prospalaiontes hēpteto, katʼ hautou tou sōmatos tas plēgas pherōg; Boulei gnōnai tou Paulou tēn pyktikēn? Ide 11:? ōteilas tou antagōnizomenou, ide ta hypōpia tou antipalou, ide ta stigmata tou hēttēthentos Pantōs
are judged worthy of that promise. It seems that the great David too had understood this by the guidance of the Spirit — he whom divine Scripture attests as meek and forbearing beyond all who lived in his time — and had already held by faith what he hoped for, when he said, “I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.” For I say that the Prophet did not call this earth the land of the living, which brings forth all mortal things and dissolves again into itself every race that comes from it. He knows a land of the living on which death has never set foot; in which the way of sinners has not been trodden; which has received no trace of vice upon itself; which the sower of weeds has not furrowed with the plough of wickedness; which bears no thorns and thistles; in which are the water of rest and the place of green pasture, and the spring divided in four, and the vine tended by the God of all, and whatever else we hear in riddles from the divinely inspired teaching. If, then, we have understood the earth that is seen above the heavens, on which the city of the king is settled, of which glorious things are spoken, as the Prophet says, we would no longer have reason to be surprised at the order in which the Beatitudes follow one another. For it would not have been fitting, I think, for this earth to be held out as the hope of blessing to those who will be caught up, as the Apostle says, in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so will always be with the Lord. What further need of the earth below have those whose life is lifted aloft in hope? For “we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” But let us see of what virtue the inheritance of that earth is set as the prize. For “blessed,” he says, “are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” What is meekness, and in what respect does the Word bless the meek? It does not seem to me that everything done gently must equally be thought a virtue, if this word signifies only calmness and slowness. Among runners the gentle one is not better than the one who hurries, nor does the sluggish boxer carry off the crown from his opponent; and when we run for the prize of the upward call, Paul advises us to increase our speed, saying, “Run so that you may win.” He himself always pressed forward with ever more vigorous motion, forgetting what lay behind; and in boxing he was nimble, for he watched for his opponent’s attack, was secure in his footing, and, armed in his hands, did not throw the weapons of his hands at something empty and insubstantial, but reached his opponent’s vital parts, landing his blows on the very body. Do you want to know Paul’s boxing? Look at the wounds of the one he fought, look at the bruises of his adversary, look at the marks of the defeated. Surely
Ps 27:13 (26:13 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 1:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 13:25 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 3:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 23:2 (22:2 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 2:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 15:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 48:2 (47:3 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 87:3 (86:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Thess 4:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 3:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 9:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 3:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 9:26–27 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David, the meekest of men, spoke of “the land of the living,” the heavenly earth free of death and sin; but since speed and vigour are praised elsewhere, as in Paul’s running and boxing, Gregory asks what kind of meekness is blessed.
- David’s meekness: Ps 132:1 (LXX 131:1). “I believe that I shall see …”: Ps 27:13 (LXX 26:13). The way of sinners: Ps 1:1. The sower of weeds: Matt 13:25. Thorns and thistles: Gen 3:18. Water of rest, green pasture: Ps 23:2 (LXX 22:2). The four rivers: Gen 2:10. The vine tended by God: John 15:1. The city of the king, glorious things spoken: Ps 48:2; 87:3. Caught up in the clouds: 1 Thess 4:17. The prize of the upward call: Phil 3:14. “Run so that you may win”: 1 Cor 9:24. Forgetting what lies behind: Phil 3:13. Boxing: 1 Cor 9:26–27.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (Latin letters) for Πιστεύω; OCR debris (Latin letters) for κατὰ; OCR debris (Latin letters) for πυκτικήν; OCR debris (Latin letters) for ἐστιν): flaccum → Πιστεύω; sevir; → ἐστιν;; τὸν uti τοῦ → τὸν κατὰ τοῦ; nexuit-qv; → πυκτικήν;.
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1211 (PG 44:1212a–1212d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1211). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 1213
1213PG 44:1213a–1213d
δὲ οὑκ ἀγνοεῖς τὸν ἀντίπαλον τὸν διὰ τῆς σαρκὸς προσπαλαίοντα, ὃν ὑπωπιάζει διὰ τῆς πυκτικῆς, ἀμύσσων τοῖς ὄνυξι τῆς ἐγκρατείας, οὑ νεκροί τὰ μέλη λιμῷ, καὶ δίψει, καὶ ψύχει, καὶ γυμνότητι, ᾧ τὰ στίγματα τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπιβάλλει, ὃν νικᾷ διὰ τοῦ δρόμου κατόπιν ἑαυτοῦ καταλιπὼν, ὡς ἂν μὴ ἐπισκοτοίτο τὰς ὄψεις τοῦ ἀντιπάλου προτρέχοντος. Ei οὑν ὀξὺς καὶ εὐκίνητος ὲν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν 6 Παῦλος, καὶ 6 Δαβὶδ πλατύνει τὰ διαδήματα τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἐπιτρέχων, καὶΙ 6 νυμφίος ὲν τῷ ᾊσματι δορκάδι κατὰ τὸ εὑκίνητον ὁμοιοῦται, ὄρη διαπηδῶν, καὶ βουνοῖς ἐφαλλόμενος (καὶ πολλά τοιαῦτα ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, ἐν οἷς προτιμότερον εὑρίσκεται τῆς πραότητος τὸ κατὰ τὴν κίνησιν τάχος) πῶς ἐνταῦθα ὲν κατορθώματος εῖδει μακαρίζει τὺ πρᾶον ὁ Λόγος; Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην πάντως τὴν γῆν τὴν τῶν καλῶν εὔφορον γεννημάτων, τὴν τῷ ξύλῳ τῆς ζωῆς κομῶσαν θ τὴν ταῖς πηγαῖς τῶν πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων κατάρρυτον, ἐφʼ ἦς ἠ ἄμπελος ή ἀληθινὴ βλαστάνει, ἧς γεωργὸν τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ Κυρίου ἀκούομεν.
de houk agnoeis ton antipalon ton dia tēs sarkos prospalaionta, hon hypōpiazei dia tēs pyktikēs, amyssōn tois onyxi tēs enkrateias, hou nekroi ta melē limǭ, kai dipsei, kai psychei, kai gymnotēti, hǭ ta stigmata tou Kyriou epiballei, hon niką dia tou dromou katopin heautou katalipōn, hōs an mē episkotoito tas opseis tou antipalou protrechontos. Ei houn oxys kai eukinētos en tois agōsin 6 Paulos, kai 6 Dabid platynei ta diadēmata tois echthrois epitrechōn, kaiI 6 nymphios en tǭ Ąsmati dorkadi kata to heukinēton homoioutai, orē diapēdōn, kai bounois ephallomenos (kai polla toiauta estin eipein, en hois protimoteron heurisketai tēs praotētos to kata tēn kinēsin tachos) pōs entautha en katorthōmatos eidei makarizei ty praon ho Logos? Makarioi gar, phēsin, hoi praeis, hoti autoi klēronomēsousi tēn gēn ekeinēn pantōs tēn gēn tēn tōn kalōn euphoron gennēmatōn, tēn tǭ xylǭ tēs zōēs komōsan th tēn tais pēgais tōn pneumatikōn charismatōn katarryton, ephʼ ēs ē ampelos ē alēthinē blastanei, hēs geōrgon ton Patera tou Kyriou akouomen.
you know the adversary who wrestles through the flesh, whom Paul beats black and blue by his boxing, tearing him with the nails of self-control, whose limbs he puts to death with hunger, thirst, cold, and nakedness, on whom he stamps the marks of the Lord, whom he conquers in the race by leaving him behind, so that his eyes may not be darkened by the adversary running ahead of him. If, then, Paul is sharp and nimble in the contests, and David lengthens his strides as he runs against his enemies, and the bridegroom in the Song is likened to a gazelle for his nimbleness, leaping over mountains and bounding over hills — and many such things could be mentioned in which speed of movement is found preferable to gentleness — how does the Word here bless gentleness as a form of achievement? For “blessed,” he says, “are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” — surely that earth fruitful in good produce, luxuriant with the tree of life, watered by the springs of spiritual gifts, on which the true vine grows, whose vinedresser, we hear, is the Father of the Lord.
2 Cor 11:27 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 6:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 9:27 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 18:36 (17:37 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Song 2:8–9 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 5:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Rev 22:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 15:1 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Paul subdues his body like a boxer, David runs at his enemies, and the bridegroom of the Song leaps like a gazelle: since speed is so often praised, how can gentleness be blessed with the heavenly land of the tree of life and the true vine?
- Hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness: 2 Cor 11:27. “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus”: Gal 6:17. Beating the body: 1 Cor 9:27. Lengthened strides: Ps 18:36 (LXX 17:37). The gazelle leaping on the mountains: Song 2:8–9. The tree of life: Rev 22:2. The true vine and the vinedresser: John 15:1.
- Only part of this page survives in the scan; the rest of it, and the start of the next, are lost (the next page begins mid-sentence).
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Beat. 1213 (PG 44:1213a–1213d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-beatitudines/1193/#p-1213). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-gregory-nyssa-beatitudines-1213) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 44 scan text (cited by Migne column); no public-domain English or FOTC volume exists, so it was re-read against the Greek.