On Providence (ten orations) 7.1–7.9 (On Providence (ten orations))

Theodoret of Cyrus

On Providence (ten orations) 7.1–7.9

Theodoret of Cyrus · On Providence (ten orations) · probably ca. 435 (before 451) · Cyrrhus · 9 passages

Greek text: PG 83.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

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Chapter 7

7.1PG 83

Οὐ δεῖται τῆς μὲν ἀνθρωπίνης γλωττὴης εἰς ὕμνων χορηγίαν τῶν ὅλων ὁ Ἐοιητής" οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων δοξολογίαν ὡς δεόμενο; δέχεται, ἀλλὰ τὴν εὔνοιαν ὁρῶν, τὸ εὔγνωμον ἀποδέχεται" καὶ τὰς θυσίας δὲ τὰς νομικὰς ἡνίχα προσέφερον οἱ προσφέροντες, οὖκ ὡς χρείαν δήπουθεν ἀναπληροῦντες ρὸν, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῶν μυρίων εὐεργεσιῶν, ὧν ἐδέχοντο, τὴν δυνατὴν χάριν ἔκτίνειν πειρώμενοι. Αὐτίκα τοίνυν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, οὐδὲ πάντας μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν θυσίαν προσφέροντας. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ, ἔθυε μόσχον, ὁ ὃὲ ἀμνὸν, ὁ δὲ χίμαρον᾽ καὶ ὁ μὲν πλείω τὰ θύματα, ὁ δὲ ἐλάττω" ὁ δὲ τούτων ἀπορῶν, καὶ πενίᾳ συζῶν, ζεῦγος τρυγόνων, ἣ νεοττοὺς περιστερῶν" ὁ δὲ καὶ τούτων σπανίζων, δαλιν ὀλίγην, καὶ βραχύ τι λιδανωτοῦ. Ποιότητι τοιγαροῦν γνώμης, οὐκὶ ποσότητι δώρων προσέχειν τὸν δίκαιον κριτὴν ἐντεῦθεν δήπουθεν διδασκόμεθα. Καὶ τοὺς εὐτελεῖς ἡμῶν προσφέρομεν λόγους, οὐκ ἵνα τῇ βραχυτάτῃ σταγόνι τὴν ἄδυσσον τῆς σοφίας αὐξήσωμεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκέταις πρέπουσαν εὔνοιαν ἐπιδεῖξαι πειρώμενοι, καὶ τῶν ὁμοδούλων διελέγξαι τὸ θράσος, καὶ τὸν δεσποτικὸν αὐτοῖς ἐπιθεῖναι ζυγὸν προμηθουμενοι. Κομιδῇ γὰρ ἀσχάλλομεν τὴν τὰ πάντα χυδερνῶσαν τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίαν ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν συχοφαντουμένην ὁρῶντες " οὗ χάριν καὶ τὸν παρόντα τοῦ λόγου πόνον ἐδεξάμεθα, καὶ παῦσαι τοῖς ἐλέγχοις τὴν βλασφημίαν πειρώμεθα. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν λίαν ἀνοήτως χαταιτιῶνται τὴν δοκοῦσαν ἀνωμαλίαν τοῦ βίου, καὶ παραπαίοντες τὸ δέον οὗ συνορῶσιν, ἱκανῶς ὃ πρὸ τούτου λόγος ἐδίδαξε, καὶ τῆς πενίας ὑποδείξας τὸ χρήσιμον, καὶ τοῦ πλούτου διελέγξας τὴν ἔνδειαν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ μόνον τῆς πενίας κατηγοροῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν δουλείαν ὁλοφύρονται, καὶ τοὺς βασιλικοὺς ἀποδύρονται φόρους, καὶ ἕτερα τὰ τῷδε τῷ βίῳ λίαν ἁρμόττοντα " φέρε, καὶ περὶ τούτων μικρὰ διεξέλθωμεν, καὶ τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν ἰατρῶν μιμησώμεθα, οἵ τοὺς ἀῤῥώστους ἀποσίτους ὁρῶντες, καὶ τὰ προσφερόμενα σιτία πάντα βδελυττομένους, τέχναις τισὶν ἱατρικαῖς τὸ δυσάρεστον αὐτῶν εὖ μάλα χατασοφίζονται. Τὰ ραμιγνύντες, τὸ βδελυκτὸν τῷ ἀῤῥώστῳ φαινόμενον ἥδιστον ἀπεργάζονται. Καὶ οὗτοι δὲ ὁμοίως ἐκεΐνοις, πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρωμένοις καὶ. γινομένοις ἐπιμέμφονται.. ᾽Αλλ᾽ ἐκείνοις μὲν ἡ νόσος παρὰ γνώμην συμθαίνει, καὶ ἀλγυνόμενοι λίαν τῶν σιτίων ἀπέχονται, καὶ μεταλαδεῖν ποθοῦντες ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου κωλύονται" τούτοις δὲ ἐκούσια καὶ αὐθαίρετα πολεμεῖ τὰ πάθῃ, καὶ τὸ δυσάρεστον ἔχουσιν, οὐ περὶ σιτία καὶ ὄψα, ἀλλὰ περὶ πάντα τὰ σοφῶς καὶ δικαίως ὑπὸ τῆς θείας προμηθείας οἰκονομούμενα. Καὶ σπείροντες Ὁ μὲν τῶν ὅμόρων ἐπιθυμοῦσιν, ὁδοιποροῦντες δὲ τῶν μόρων κατηγοροῦσι. Χρήζουσι δὲ θερμοτέρας τῆς ἡλιακῇς ἀκτῖνος, ἵνα πέπονας τῶν σπερμάτων.

Ou deitai tēs men anthrōpinēs glōttēēs eis hymnōn chorēgian tōn holōn ho Eoiētēs" oude gar tēn tōn angelōn doxologian hōs deomeno? dechetai, alla tēn eunoian horōn, to eugnōmon apodechetai" kai tas thysias de tas nomikas hēnicha prosepheron hoi prospherontes, ouk hōs chreian dēpouthen anaplērountes ron, all᾽ hyper tōn myriōn euergesiōn, hōn edechonto, tēn dynatēn charin ektinein peirōmenoi. Autika toinyn estin idein, oude pantas mian kai tēn autēn thysian prospherontas. Ho men gar, ethye moschon, ho hoe amnon, ho de chimaron᾽ kai ho men pleiō ta thymata, ho de elattō" ho de toutōn aporōn, kai penią syzōn, zeugos trygonōn, hē neottous peristerōn" ho de kai toutōn spanizōn, dalin oligēn, kai brachy ti lidanōtou. Poiotēti toigaroun gnōmēs, ouki posotēti dōrōn prosechein ton dikaion kritēn enteuthen dēpouthen didaskometha. Kai tous euteleis hēmōn prospheromen logous, ouk hina tę̄ brachytatę̄ stagoni tēn adysson tēs sophias auxēsōmen, alla tēn oiketais prepousan eunoian epideixai peirōmenoi, kai tōn homodoulōn dielenxai to thrasos, kai ton despotikon autois epitheinai zygon promēthoumenoi. Komidę̄ gar aschallomen tēn ta panta chydernōsan tou Theou sophian hyp᾽ autōn sychophantoumenēn horōntes " hou charin kai ton paronta tou logou ponon edexametha, kai pausai tois elenchois tēn blasphēmian peirōmetha. Hoti men oun lian anoētōs chataitiōntai tēn dokousan anōmalian tou biou, kai parapaiontes to deon hou synorōsin, hikanōs ho pro toutou logos edidaxe, kai tēs penias hypodeixas to chrēsimon, kai tou ploutou dielenxas tēn endeian. Epeidē de ou monon tēs penias katēgorousin, alla kai tēn douleian holophyrontai, kai tous basilikous apodyrontai phorous, kai hetera ta tǭde tǭ biǭ lian harmottonta " phere, kai peri toutōn mikra diexelthōmen, kai tous aristous tōn iatrōn mimēsōmetha, hoi tous arrhōstous apositous horōntes, kai ta prospheromena sitia panta bdelyttomenous, technais tisin hiatrikais to dysareston autōn eu mala chatasophizontai. Ta ramignyntes, to bdelykton tǭ arrhōstǭ phainomenon hēdiston apergazontai. Kai houtoi de homoiōs ekeïnois, pasi tois horōmenois kai. ginomenois epimemphontai.. ᾽All᾽ ekeinois men hē nosos para gnōmēn symthainei, kai algynomenoi lian tōn sitiōn apechontai, kai metaladein pothountes hypo tēs nosou kōlyontai" toutois de ekousia kai authaireta polemei ta pathę̄, kai to dysareston echousin, ou peri sitia kai opsa, alla peri panta ta sophōs kai dikaiōs hypo tēs theias promētheias oikonomoumena. Kai speirontes Ho men tōn homorōn epithymousin, hodoiporountes de tōn morōn katēgorousi. Chrēzousi de thermoteras tēs hēliakę̄s aktinos, hina peponas tōn spermatōn.

The Maker of all things does not need the human tongue to supply hymns; for he does not receive even the angels' glorification as one in need, but seeing their goodwill, he welcomes their gratitude. And when those who offered the sacrifices of the law offered them, they did not, of course, fill a need … , but for the countless benefits they received, trying to repay what thanks they could. So one can see that not all offered one and the same sacrifice. One sacrificed a calf, another a lamb, another a kid; one more victims, another fewer; one who lacked these and lived with poverty, a pair of turtledoves or young pigeons; and one who lacked even these, a little fine flour and a little frankincense. From this, surely, we are taught that the just judge attends to the quality of the intention, not the quantity of the gifts. And we offer our cheap words not to increase the abyss of wisdom with the tiniest drop, but trying to show the goodwill that befits servants, to refute the boldness of our fellow servants, and taking care to put the Master's yoke on them. For we are greatly distressed to see the wisdom of God that steers all things slandered by them; for this reason we have taken on the present labor of discourse and try to stop the blasphemy by refutations. That they very foolishly blame the apparent unevenness of life, and in their derangement do not see what is right, the preceding discourse has sufficiently taught, showing the usefulness of poverty and proving the neediness of wealth. But since they not only accuse poverty but also lament slavery, bewail the imperial taxes, and other things that very much belong to this life, come, let us go through these briefly as well, and imitate the best of physicians, who, seeing the sick without appetite and loathing all the food brought to them, very cleverly outwit their fastidiousness by certain arts of medicine; … mixing in … , they make what seems loathsome to the sick man most pleasant. And these people, like those, find fault with everything they see and everything that happens. But in those the sickness happens against their will, and in great pain they abstain from food, longing to partake but prevented by the disease; while in these the passions fight voluntarily and by choice, and their fastidiousness concerns not food and dishes, but all that is wisely and justly ordered by divine forethought. When they sow, they long for rain; when they travel, they complain of the rain. They want the sun's rays hotter, so that the seeds may ripen.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Lev 1:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · Lev 5:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Lev 5:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Lev 2:1 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: As God accepted the poor man's small offering under the law, so he accepts Theodoret's words; opening the seventh discourse, he turns to complaints about slavery and taxes, comparing the complainers to fastidious invalids.

The graded offerings: Lev 1:3-14; 5:7, 11 (turtledoves or pigeons; fine flour); compare Lev 2:1-2.
A leaked footnote giving variant readings for the end of the sixth discourse and for this passage, and long debris from Migne's Latin column, are removed. Words are lost in the OCR after "fill a need" and in the physicians' simile ("… mixing in …"); marked ….

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (debris from Migne's Latin column; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; leaked footnote (variant readings) and a column letter; stray mark): Νοη χορηγίαν → χορηγίαν; Ὁ Ὀταηάδδ 50 π|πλι85 1116 → ; οὐ : εἰ --- εὐσέδειαν. [Π}14. εἰ δὲ θέλεις καὶ πολυπραγμονεῖν, ταύτης σου τῆς πολυπραγμοσύνης σύνς ἔστω ἡ ὑμνῳδία. ῶα βοι ἰπ- ( ἀναπλ. ἕῳ. 1014. τῷ Θεῷ προσέφερον. ᾿ Α → ; ράγα πὶ ἡ υἱ δᾶ. σοὺ σύογο, οἱ θοϑάδῃ μου] ᾿υ50 580] σα γα ἰπϑιϊ τυ ΐ οὕ π), θη Ὑἱ 8 πη αυ Δ}.6π| Δοσυδβοηϊ, οἱ ἀδϑίρίοπίοβ ἰά φυοά πὶ οὐ 418 τηι18, οἱ ρει ϑίδη υἱ ἃ ποτὶ οἱ Ει → ; τοὺς (Ο ἀρίστους → τοὺς ἀρίστους.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 7.1 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-1

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

7.2PG 83

τοὺς καρποὺς ἀπεργάσηται" καὶ δυσχεραίνουσι πάλιν, καὶ τὸν φλογμὸν αἰτιῶνται. Πάντα πόνον ὑπὲρ τῆς καὶ μακρὰς ὁδοιπορίας " καὶ πάλιν αὐτῆς πικροὶ κατἥγοροι γίνονται’ ὥαπερ οὐ δουλεύειν τοῖς τῆς Ψυχῆς νεύμασιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἄρχειν τεταγμένης. Μέμφονται σχηκαὶ πάλιν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ μακροθυμίας κατηγοροῦσι" καὶ οὔτς τὸ δίκαιον αὐτοὺς, οὔτε τὸ μακρόθυμον χαταιδεῖ, ᾿Αλλ᾽ αὐτοὶ μὲν τῆς μακροθυμίας ἀπολαύειν, καὶ μεγάλα πλημμελοῦντες, πρβοσεύχονται" τοὺς δὲ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς λελυπηχότας ἄκρατον δέχεσθαι θέλουσι τοῦ δικαίου τὴν προσθολήν. Εἶδον πένητα, εὐθὺς τὴν γλῶτταν κατὰ τῆς Προνοίας ἐκίνησαν, καὶ πολλοῖς τὴν πενίαν χατέχωσαν σχώμμασιν. Ἐθεάσαντο πλούσιον ἐπ᾽ ἄκρων ὀνύχων βαδίζοντα, λεόντειον βλέποντα, τῇδε χἀχεῖσς τοὺς ὥμους περιφέροντα, ἣ ἐπ᾽ ὀχημάτων φερόμενον, καὶ πολλοῖς οἱκέταις καὶ ῥαὁδοφόροις κυκλούμενον, μεταφέρουσι κατὰ τῶν χρημάτων τὴν βλασφημίαν. Δυσχεραίνουσι τὸν βίον, ὡς ἀνωμαλίας ἀνάπλεω, καὶ μισοῦσι τὸν θάνατον, τὸν τὴν ἀνωμαλίαν παύοντα, καὶ τὴν ἰσοτιμίαν τοῖς σώμασιν ἀπονέμοντα. Καὶ μὴν ἔδει τὸν βίον θαυμάζειν τοὺς τῷ θανάτῳ μεμφομένους, ἢ τὸν θάνατον εὐὖφημεῖν τοὺς τὸν βίον αἰτιωμένους. Ἐναντία γὰρ ἐκ διαμέτρου θάνατος καὶ ξωή. Οἱ δὲ, φύρδην ἅπαντα βλασφημοῦσι, καὶ πάντων ὁμοίως κατηγοροῦσι" καὶ παΐδες μὲν ὄντες, μαχαρίζουτι τοὺς ἄνδρας, ἄνδρες δὲ γενόμενοι, ζηλωτοὺς ἀποκαλοῦσι τοὺς παῖδας. Καὶ τί δεῖ πάντα λέγειν, τὰ ὑπὸ τῆς πονηοᾶς ταύτης νόσου συχοφαντούμενα; Οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστι τῶν γινομέγων, ὃ μὴ δέχεται λοιδορίας βέλος ὑπὸ τῆς τούτων γλώττης πεμπόμενον. Φέρε τοίνυν, ταῖς ἰατριχαῖς μεθόδοις χρησάμενοι, δείξωμεν αὑτοῖς ἥδιστα τὰ τέω;: αὐτοὺς ἀποχναίοντα. Περὶ μὲν οὖν πλούτου καὶ πενίας, καὶ τῆς ἐν τούτοις δοκούσης ἀνωμαλίας, ἀποχρώντως ἐν τῷ πρὸ τοῦδε λόγῳ διεξήλθομεν, καὶ ταύτης καὶ τούτον δεικνύντες τὸ χρήσιμον. Ὅτι δὲ “" εἰς δουλείαν καὶ δεσποτείαν οὐκ αὐτὸς ὁ Ποιητὴς ἐξ ἀρχῖςς τὴν φύσιν διέκρινεν, αὐτίκα δηλώσομεν. Δεῦρο τοίνυν παρὰ ταύτην ἡμῶν τὴν πρώτην διάπλασιν, καὶ βλέπε ἕνα μὲν ἄνδρα πλαττόμενον ἀπὸ γῆς, γυναῖκα ὃὲ ὁμοίαν οὐκέτι ὁμοίως ἀπὸ γῆς. Πλευρὰν γὰρ μίαν ἐξ ἐχείνου λαθὼν ὁ Ποιητὴς, οὕτω τὸ γένος τοῦτο διέπλασεν, ὅπως μὴ φύσεως ἑτέρας αὐτὴ νομίζηται διὰ τὸ τοῦ σχήματος ἐτεροῖον. Εἷς τοιγαροῦν ἀπὸ γῆς διεπλάσθη, καὶ ἐξ ἀνδρὸς ἣ γυνὴ, καὶ ἐξ ἀμφοῖν ἅπασα τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις. Οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ Ποιητὴς, τοῖς μὲν δηυἀἷλείαν, τοῖς δὲ δεσποτείαν ἀπένειμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἕν ἁπάντων ἐδημιούργησε γένος. Καὶ τῷ Νῶε δὲ χιδωτὸν κατασκευάσαι κελεύσας, καὶ μισθὸν αὐτῷ τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὴν σωτηρίαν πορίσας, αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν ὁμόζυγα αὺν τοῖς υἱέσι, καὶ ταῖς ἐχείνων γαμεταῖς, εἰς τὴν χατασχευααθεῖσαν εἰσελθεῖν προσέταξε χι- Οωτὸν, καὶ δοῦλος οὐδεὶς εἰσελήλυθε. Οὐδέπω γὰρ ἡ φύσις ταύτην ἐδέδεντο τὴν διαίρεσιν " ἀλλὰ μίαν.

tous karpous apergasētai" kai dyscherainousi palin, kai ton phlogmon aitiōntai. Panta ponon hyper tēs kai makras hodoiporias " kai palin autēs pikroi katēgoroi ginontai’ hōaper ou douleuein tois tēs Psychēs neumasin, all᾽ archein tetagmenēs. Memphontai schēkai palin tēs tou theou makrothymias katēgorousi" kai outs to dikaion autous, oute to makrothymon chataidei, ᾿All᾽ autoi men tēs makrothymias apolauein, kai megala plēmmelountes, prboseuchontai" tous de sphas autous lelypēchotas akraton dechesthai thelousi tou dikaiou tēn prostholēn. Eidon penēta, euthys tēn glōttan kata tēs Pronoias ekinēsan, kai pollois tēn penian chatechōsan schōmmasin. Etheasanto plousion ep᾽ akrōn onychōn badizonta, leonteion bleponta, tę̄de chacheiss tous hōmous peripheronta, hē ep᾽ ochēmatōn pheromenon, kai pollois hoiketais kai rhaodophorois kykloumenon, metapherousi kata tōn chrēmatōn tēn blasphēmian. Dyscherainousi ton bion, hōs anōmalias anapleō, kai misousi ton thanaton, ton tēn anōmalian pauonta, kai tēn isotimian tois sōmasin aponemonta. Kai mēn edei ton bion thaumazein tous tǭ thanatǭ memphomenous, ē ton thanaton euyphēmein tous ton bion aitiōmenous. Enantia gar ek diametrou thanatos kai xōē. Hoi de, phyrdēn hapanta blasphēmousi, kai pantōn homoiōs katēgorousi" kai païdes men ontes, macharizouti tous andras, andres de genomenoi, zēlōtous apokalousi tous paidas. Kai ti dei panta legein, ta hypo tēs ponēoas tautēs nosou sychophantoumena? Ouden gar esti tōn ginomegōn, ho mē dechetai loidorias belos hypo tēs toutōn glōttēs pempomenon. Phere toinyn, tais iatrichais methodois chrēsamenoi, deixōmen hautois hēdista ta teō?: autous apochnaionta. Peri men oun ploutou kai penias, kai tēs en toutois dokousēs anōmalias, apochrōntōs en tǭ pro toude logǭ diexēlthomen, kai tautēs kai touton deiknyntes to chrēsimon. Hoti de “" eis douleian kai despoteian ouk autos ho Poiētēs ex archiss tēn physin diekrinen, autika dēlōsomen. Deuro toinyn para tautēn hēmōn tēn prōtēn diaplasin, kai blepe hena men andra plattomenon apo gēs, gynaika hoe homoian ouketi homoiōs apo gēs. Pleuran gar mian ex echeinou lathōn ho Poiētēs, houtō to genos touto dieplasen, hopōs mē physeōs heteras autē nomizētai dia to tou schēmatos eteroion. Heis toigaroun apo gēs dieplasthē, kai ex andros hē gynē, kai ex amphoin hapasa tōn anthrōpōn hē physis. Ou gar ex archēs ho Poiētēs, tois men dēuaileian, tois de despoteian apeneimen, all᾽ hen hapantōn edēmiourgēse genos. Kai tǭ Nōe de chidōton kataskeuasai keleusas, kai misthon autǭ tēs dikaiosynēs tēn sōtērian porisas, auton kai tēn homozyga aun tois huiesi, kai tais echeinōn gametais, eis tēn chatascheuaatheisan eiselthein prosetaxe chi- Oōton, kai doulos oudeis eiselēlythe. Oudepō gar hē physis tautēn ededento tēn diairesin " alla mian.

the fruits; and then they are vexed again and blame the burning heat. Every labor for the … and long journeys; and again they become its bitter accusers, as though it were appointed not to serve the soul's nods but to rule. They find fault … and again they accuse God's long-suffering; and neither justice nor long-suffering shames them. But they themselves pray to enjoy long-suffering even when they commit great offences, while they want those who have grieved them to receive the onset of justice unmixed. They saw a poor man, and at once moved their tongue against Providence and buried poverty under many jests. They beheld a rich man walking on tiptoe, glaring like a lion, swinging his shoulders this way and that, or carried in a carriage and surrounded by many servants and lictors, and they turn their blasphemy against money. They are vexed with life as full of unevenness, and they hate death, which stops the unevenness and gives equal honor to bodies. Yet those who blame death ought to admire life, or those who accuse life ought to speak well of death; for death and life are diametrically opposed. But they blaspheme everything pell-mell and accuse all things alike; as boys they call men blessed, and when they become men they call boys enviable. And why need I tell all that is slandered by this wicked disease? For there is nothing that happens that does not receive the dart of abuse sent from their tongue. Come, then, using the methods of physicians, let us show them that what has so far been irking them is most pleasant. About wealth and poverty, and the apparent unevenness in them, we have gone through sufficiently in the preceding discourse, showing the usefulness of the one and of the other. That the Maker himself did not divide nature into slavery and mastery from the beginning we will now make plain. Come, then, to our first forming, and see one man formed from the earth, and a woman like him, but not formed in the same way from the earth. For the Maker took one rib from him and so formed this sex, so that she might not be thought to be of another nature because of the difference of shape. So one was formed from the earth, the woman from the man, and from both the whole of human nature. For the Maker did not from the beginning assign slavery to some and mastery to others, but made one race of all. And when he commanded Noah to build an ark and procured salvation for him as the reward of his righteousness, he ordered him, with his wife, his sons, and their wives, to go into the ark that had been built, and no slave went in. For nature had not yet received this division; but one

Gen 2:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 2:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 2:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 6:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 7:7 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The deniers of providence complain about everything, weather, God's patience, poverty, wealth, life, and death; Theodoret shows that God did not create humanity divided into slaves and masters, for all descend from Adam and Eve, and no slave entered Noah's ark.

Allusions: Gen 2:7, 21-22 (the forming of the man and the woman); Gen 6:14, 7:7 (Noah's ark).
Words are lost in the OCR in "Every labor for the … and long journeys" (evidently the body, which they blame) and in "They find fault …"; marked … and not supplied.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (debris from Migne's Latin column inside the word ἁπάντων; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek): Αα οεἰἱοῆδε ᾿Ιοποίβϑἰπι88 : ᾿ οἵ → ; ἰπιἷ), πο οἱ Β 5868. νοι ου} }8 ἰηυθὶ, [ἀτηιοταπη οἱ 8816] τὰ τἀ 5. } ρα γὶ ᾿π 404}}- Οἱ 8 → ; τηρα οἶα οἱ ἢ 6- → ; ἀπάν- Ὁ {ἰπὶ ἼΘΓΕΒῚ Ορίίοχ 8 τῶν → ἁπάντων.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 7.2 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-2

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

7.3PG 83

ἃ μόνα τὰ τῳ ὄντι δοῦλα, τῶν ἀλόγων τὰ γένη, ἃ τούτου χάριν τῶν ὅλων ὁ Ποιητὴς εἰς «τόνδε τὸν βίον παρήγαγεν. Ἐπειδὴ ὃὲ πολλὴν ἐν τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα κὴν ἀκοσμίαν εἶδεν ἐκ τῆς ἀναρχίας γεγενημένην, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀδεῶς παρανομίαν ἔἐχτελουμένην, εἰς ἄρχοντας καὶ ἀρχομένους διεῖλε τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ Ὑένος, ἵνα τῶν ἀρχόντων τὸ δέος σμιχρύνῃ τῶν ἁμερτημάτων τὸ πλῆθος. Οἵδε γὰρ φόδος χαλινοῦν τῶν ἀλόγων παθῶν τὰς ἀφορμὰς, καὶ τῆς Ψυχῆς τὴν πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ἀμδλύνειν ῥοπῆν᾽ καὶ πολλάκις ἃ λόγος οὐκ ὥνησεν, ὁ φόδος κατώρθωσεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ φύσις πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ἐξώχειλε, καὶ ὁ νοῦς τοῖς πάθεσι περιχλυσθεὶς, ὑποδρύχιός τε γενόμενος, οἷόν τι σκάφος ἀνερμάτιστον, ἀτάκτως φέρεσθαι τὸ σῶμα κατέλιπεν, ἀναγκαίως ἐδεήθημεν νόμων, καθάπερ τινὸς ἀγκύρας, ἰστώσης τὸ σκάφος, καὶ τῆν ἐπὶ ἀναδῦναι τὸν χυθερνήτην, καὶ τῶν οἰάκων ἐπιλαδέσῆαι. Τούτων ὃὲ τῶν νόμων γενέσθαι τὴν θέσιν οὐκ οἷόν τε ἦν, ἰσοχρατίας οὔσης, καὶ πολιτευομένης ἔνθα ὁ δῆμος ἔσχε τῶν πραττομένων τὸ κῦρος, τῶν ἔσων ἅπαντες μετελάγχανον᾽ ἀλλ᾽ οἱ μὲν ἦσαν θεσμοθέται, οἱ δὲ νομοθέται, οἱ ὃὲ στρατηγοὶ, οἱ δὲ τῶν ἀρχομένων ἐπλήρουν τὴν τάξιν" ὁ δὲ δημαγωγὸς, καὶ «τὧν ἀρχόντων ἐκράτει, καὶ τῶν ἀρχηγῶν. Καὶ ἐν ταῖς δλιγαρχουμέναις δὲ πόλεσιν, οἱ μὲν πολλοὶ, τὸν τῶν ὑπηκόων ἐπλήρουν κατάλογον" οἱ δὲ ὀλίγο', καὶ φρονήσει προὔχοντες, καὶ ἀρετῇ διαλάμποντες, τά τε κοινὰ διακονεῖν καὶ τὰς ἡγεμονίας διελάγχανον " καὶ οἱ μὲν ν ἔφοροι, οἱ δὲ ναύαρχοι, οἱ δὲ ἁρμοσταί" καὶ ἦγον τὸ πλῆθος ἧ ἂν αὑτοῖς ἄριστα ἐδόκει. Οὐκοῦν ἡ μὲν ἁμαρτία τῶν νόμων τὴν χρείαν εἰσήγαγεν οἱ δὲ νόμοι τῆς τῶν τιθέντων ἐξουσίας ἐδέοντο, οὐ μόνον δὲ τῶν τιθέντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν κολάζειν τοὺς παρᾶδαίνοντας δυναμένων. Καὶ ἡ μὲν ἀμαρτία τὴν ἀταξίαν εἰσήγαγεν" ὁ δὲ τῶν ὅλων Πρύτανις τῇ ἀταξίᾳ τὴν τάξιν ἐπέθηκε, καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν ῥύμην, οἷόν τινι χαλινῳ, τοῖς νόμοις ἀνέστειλε" τούτου δὰ ςοὔ χαλινοῦ τὰς ἡνίας, καθάπερ ἡνιόχοις, τοῖς ἄρχον σιν ἐνεχείρισεν. Ὑπὸ τούτων καὶ πόλεις χοσμοῦνται, καὶ κῶμαι, καὶ στρατεῖαι" τίς γὰρ ἂν ἥνεγκε τῶν ἀδίκων τὰς χεῖρας, εἰ μὴ τῆς πλεονεἐχτιχῆς αὐτῶν φλογὸς τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσω φορὰν Ὁ ἐπεῖχε τῶν νόμων τὸ δέος; ἀίχην γὰρ ἰχθύων χατἐφαγον ἂν οἱ μείζους τοὺς ἐλάττους, εἰ μὴ τὸ ξίφος ὁ νόμος τεθηγμένον ἐδείχννυε, καὶ τὴν πυρὰν ἁπτομένην, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα πρὸς τιμωρίαν τῶν χαχουργίᾳ συζώντων ἐπενοήθη τοῖς ἄρχουσιν. Ἐΐ γὰρ καὶ τῶν νόμων ἀπειλούντων, καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων Χο-, λαξζόντων, εἰσί τινες, οἱ θηρίου παντὸς ἀγριώτεροι περὶ τοὺς πέλας διάκεινται, καὶ ἄττονσιν ὡς ὀχορπίοι, καὶ δάχνουσιν ὡς ὄφεις, καὶ λυττῶσιν ὡς κύνες, καὶ βρύχονται κατὰ τῶν ὁμοφύλων, ὥσπερ κατὰ τῶν ἀλλογενῶν οἱ λέοντες, τί οὐκ ἂν ἔδρασαν νόμων οὐκ ὄντων, καὶ ἀρχόντων μὴ κολαζόντων; Νὺν Α δὲ, τολμῶνται μὲν ὑπ᾽ ἐνίων παρανημίαι, λανθάνειν δὲ ὅμως οἱ τολμῶντες πειρῶνται, τοὺς νόμουΐ δειμαίνοντες, καὶ τὴν ἀδικίαν τῇ δεινότητι τῶν λόγων συγχαλύπτειν ἐπιχειροῦσι" καὶ ὁ ἀδικούμενος ἀδεῶς πρόσεισι τοῖς δικάζουσι, καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀδικίας εἰσάγει γραφὴν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἠδιχηχότος οὐ δέδοικε δυναστείαν, οὐδὲ φρίττει τοῦ πλούτον τὴν περιφάνειαν" ἀλλ᾽ ὡς εἰς λιμένα εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον τρέχει, καὶ τῆς ἀδικίας διηγεῖται τὰ εἴδη, καὶ τοὺς νόμους εἰς μέσον ἀχθῆναι παρακαλεῖ, καὶ κατὰ τούτους διχάξειν τὸν δικαστὴν ἱκετεύει. Ὁ δὲ τὴν ψῆφον ἐκφέρει, καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγεῖσαν οἰκίαν, ἣ τὸν ἀγρὸν, ἣ τὸ σκεῦος ἀποδοθῆναι τῷ ἠδικημένῳ κελεύει" κολάζει δὲ πολλάκις καὶ ζημίᾳ χρημάτων τὸν τὴν ἀδικίαν τετολμηχότα. Διὰ τοῦτο τὸ δέος, καὶ τοιχωρύχοι, καὶ λωποδύται, οὐ προφανῶς, ἀλλὰ κρύθδην τὴν ἀδικίαν

ha mona ta tǭ onti doula, tōn alogōn ta genē, ha toutou charin tōn holōn ho Poiētēs eis «tonde ton bion parēgagen. Epeidē hoe pollēn en tois meta tauta kēn akosmian eiden ek tēs anarchias gegenēmenēn, kai pasan adeōs paranomian eechteloumenēn, eis archontas kai archomenous dieile tōn anthrōpōn to Hyenos, hina tōn archontōn to deos smichrynę̄ tōn hamertēmatōn to plēthos. Hoide gar phodos chalinoun tōn alogōn pathōn tas aphormas, kai tēs Psychēs tēn pros to cheiron amdlynein rhopēn᾽ kai pollakis ha logos ouk hōnēsen, ho phodos katōrthōsen. Epeidē gar hē physis pros to cheiron exōcheile, kai ho nous tois pathesi perichlystheis, hypodrychios te genomenos, hoion ti skaphos anermatiston, ataktōs pheresthai to sōma katelipen, anankaiōs edeēthēmen nomōn, kathaper tinos ankyras, istōsēs to skaphos, kai tēn epi anadynai ton chythernētēn, kai tōn oiakōn epiladesēai. Toutōn hoe tōn nomōn genesthai tēn thesin ouk hoion te ēn, isochratias ousēs, kai politeuomenēs entha ho dēmos esche tōn prattomenōn to kyros, tōn esōn hapantes metelanchanon᾽ all᾽ hoi men ēsan thesmothetai, hoi de nomothetai, hoi hoe stratēgoi, hoi de tōn archomenōn eplēroun tēn taxin" ho de dēmagōgos, kai «tōn archontōn ekratei, kai tōn archēgōn. Kai en tais dligarchoumenais de polesin, hoi men polloi, ton tōn hypēkoōn eplēroun katalogon" hoi de oligo', kai phronēsei prouchontes, kai aretę̄ dialampontes, ta te koina diakonein kai tas hēgemonias dielanchanon " kai hoi men n ephoroi, hoi de nauarchoi, hoi de harmostai" kai ēgon to plēthos hē an hautois arista edokei. Oukoun hē men hamartia tōn nomōn tēn chreian eisēgagen hoi de nomoi tēs tōn tithentōn exousias edeonto, ou monon de tōn tithentōn, alla kai tōn kolazein tous paradainontas dynamenōn. Kai hē men amartia tēn ataxian eisēgagen" ho de tōn holōn Prytanis tę̄ ataxią tēn taxin epethēke, kai tēs hamartias tēn rhymēn, hoion tini chalinǭ, tois nomois anesteile" toutou da sou chalinou tas hēnias, kathaper hēniochois, tois archon sin enecheirisen. Hypo toutōn kai poleis chosmountai, kai kōmai, kai strateiai" tis gar an hēnenke tōn adikōn tas cheiras, ei mē tēs pleoneechtichēs autōn phlogos tēn epi to prosō phoran Ho epeiche tōn nomōn to deos? aichēn gar ichthyōn chatephagon an hoi meizous tous elattous, ei mē to xiphos ho nomos tethēgmenon edeichnnye, kai tēn pyran haptomenēn, kai ta alla hosa pros timōrian tōn chachourgią syzōntōn epenoēthē tois archousin. Eï gar kai tōn nomōn apeilountōn, kai tōn archontōn Cho-, laxzontōn, eisi tines, hoi thēriou pantos agriōteroi peri tous pelas diakeintai, kai attonsin hōs ochorpioi, kai dachnousin hōs opheis, kai lyttōsin hōs kynes, kai brychontai kata tōn homophylōn, hōsper kata tōn allogenōn hoi leontes, ti ouk an edrasan nomōn ouk ontōn, kai archontōn mē kolazontōn? Nyn A de, tolmōntai men hyp᾽ eniōn paranēmiai, lanthanein de homōs hoi tolmōntes peirōntai, tous nomouï deimainontes, kai tēn adikian tę̄ deinotēti tōn logōn synchalyptein epicheirousi" kai ho adikoumenos adeōs proseisi tois dikazousi, kai tēn tēs adikias eisagei graphēn, kai tēn tou ēdichēchotos ou dedoike dynasteian, oude phrittei tou plouton tēn periphaneian" all᾽ hōs eis limena eis to dikastērion trechei, kai tēs adikias diēgeitai ta eidē, kai tous nomous eis meson achthēnai parakalei, kai kata toutous dichaxein ton dikastēn hiketeuei. Ho de tēn psēphon ekpherei, kai tēn harpageisan oikian, hē ton agron, hē to skeuos apodothēnai tǭ ēdikēmenǭ keleuei" kolazei de pollakis kai zēmią chrēmatōn ton tēn adikian tetolmēchota. Dia touto to deos, kai toichōrychoi, kai lōpodytai, ou prophanōs, alla krythdēn tēn adikian

… only the truly slavish kinds, those of the irrational animals, which for this reason the Maker of all brought into this life. But since he saw great disorder arising in later times from the lack of rule, and every lawlessness being committed without fear, he divided the human race into rulers and ruled, so that fear of the rulers might lessen the multitude of sins. For fear knows how to bridle the impulses of the irrational passions and to blunt the soul's inclination to the worse; and often what reason did not accomplish, fear achieved. For since nature ran aground toward the worse, and the mind, swamped by the passions and sunk under water, left the body to be carried in disorder like an unballasted ship, we needed laws, as an anchor to steady the ship, and … the pilot to come up and take hold of the tillers. But these laws could not be established if there were equality of power; and … where the people had authority over affairs, not all shared equal things, but some were lawgivers, others legislators, others generals, and others filled the rank of the ruled; and the demagogue controlled both the magistrates and the leaders. And in cities ruled by a few, the many filled the list of subjects, while the few, excelling in prudence and shining in virtue, were allotted the service of the common affairs and the commands; some were ephors, some admirals, some governors, and they led the multitude as seemed best to them. So sin brought in the need of laws, and laws needed the authority of those who establish them, and not only of those who establish them but also of those able to punish the transgressors. Sin brought in disorder; but the ruler of all things laid order on the disorder, and checked the rush of sin with laws as with a bridle; and he entrusted the reins of this bridle to the rulers as to charioteers. By them cities, villages, and armies are kept in order. For who could have borne the hands of the unjust, if fear of the laws did not check the forward rush of their greedy flame? Like fish, the bigger would have eaten the smaller, if the law did not show the sharpened sword, the kindled pyre, and all the other things devised by the rulers for the punishment of those who live with wrongdoing. For if, even when the laws threaten and the rulers punish, there are some who are more savage than any beast toward their neighbors, who sting like scorpions, bite like snakes, rage like dogs, and roar against those of their own race as lions against other kinds, what would they not have done if there were no laws and rulers did not punish? As it is, lawless deeds are dared by some, but those who dare them try to escape notice, fearing the laws, and try to cover their injustice with clever words; and the wronged man goes without fear to the judges, brings his indictment for injustice, does not fear the power of the wrongdoer nor shudder at the splendor of his wealth, but runs to the court as to a harbor, describes the kinds of injustice, asks that the laws be brought forward, and begs the judge to decide by them. The judge gives his vote and orders the seized house, field, or goods to be restored to the wronged man; and often he also punishes with a fine the one who dared the injustice. Because of this fear, housebreakers and clothes-thieves pursue their injustice not openly but in secret,

Notes and citation

Summary: Because sin brought disorder, God divided humanity into rulers and ruled and gave laws and magistrates, without which the strong would devour the weak like fish, and through which the wronged find justice in the courts.

"Like fish, the bigger would have eaten the smaller": a proverbial image (compare Hab 1:14, not quoted).
Words are lost in the OCR at the beginning, where long debris from Migne's Latin column is removed, and in "and … the pilot to come up" and "and … where the people had authority" (democracy); marked … and not supplied. Theodoret treats both government and (in what follows) slavery as consequences of sin, not of creation.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (debris from Migne's Latin column inside the word τούτου; leaked footnote and debris from Migne's Latin column; stray marks): Ἶυ- Ἴ) αὐτῷ τῆς. 68. ἰ ά. ποίη 8ϑοορεγαί, 56 δᾶ 901 πη 00 ἄτι Ὑ6 γα βοῖνα → ; οἱ ἀἰν᾽εἰ!, αἱ τα ὁ] δύο 58ἰη 6846681 οἱ ἱπὶδὺθαι. ἴῃ 115 νογὸ αυῷ ο δ. δι διἰ ποι) δὲ, σὰἱῃ ἰη- {τπ δὲ οἰν δ 685 τἰ (6 τοσυίαν, οἰ μδξὶ, οἱ πϑ ἴα. ()}5 αἰ ἐη) υδίοευϊῃ τη οἱ οὐ οἱ ἰοφοϑ πηι! ον, οἱ τς: "μά. δοκῇ. → ; τούτων ([ καὶ → τούτων καὶ; ἥνεγκε ([ τῶν → ἥνεγκε τῶν.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 7.3 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-3

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

7.4PG 83

μετίασι, καὶ τῷ πειρᾶσθαι λανθάνειν, τὸ δέος κηρύττουσιν. Ἢ γὰρ ἂν ἐγχειρίδια λαθόντες, ἅπαντας σεις διείλοντο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ δειμαίνουσιν, οἱ πολλοὶ μὲν ἡσυχάζουσιν, οἱ δὲ τῆς πονηρίας χατατολμῶντες, ἣ τῶν ὁδῶν τὰς ἐρημοτέρας χαταλοχῶσιν, ἣ νύκτωρ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι χαχουργοῦσι, τὸ σκότος, καὶ τὸν ὕπνον, καὶ τὴν ἁπάντων ἡσυχίαν, εἰς συμμαχίαν τῆς ληστείας λαμθάνοντες. αὶ δύο δὲ τούτων ἢ τρεῖς φωραϑέντες, καὶ κολασθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν νόμων, ἱκανὸν τοῖς ἄλλοις ὠφελείας ὑπόδειγμα γίνονται, καὶ τῶν ὁμοτρόπων τὴν τιμωρίαν ὁρῶντες, μισοῦσι τὴν πονηρίαν, ὡς θανάτων τοιούτων μητέρα. ᾿Αλλὰ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅπως εἰς τούτους ἐξέδην τοὺς λόγους, τὴν τῆς δουλείας αἰτίαν διεξελθεῖν ἐθελήσας" ἐπανελθεῖν οὖν ὅθεν ἐξέθδην καιρός. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Δημιουργὸς, μίαν εἰργάσατο πάντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν, καὶ ἐξ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς καὶ μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἅπασαν τὴν οἰκουμένην τοῦδε τοῦ γένους ἐπλήρωσε, μάρτυς ἢ θεία Γραφή" μαρτυρεῖ δὲ καὶ ἧ φύσις τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ. Οἵ τε γὰρ τὰ πρὸς ἥλιον ἀνίσχοντα καὶ δυόμένον, οἵ τε τὰ νότια καὶ τὰ βόρεια μέρη διειληχότες, καὶ οἱ τὰ μέσα δὲ ταύτης οἰκοῦντες, ὃν ἔχουσι τὸ τῆς διαπλάσεως εἶδος, πὸν αὐτὸν τῶν αἱσθητηρίων ἀριθμὸν, ἐν μόνοις ἤθεσι καὶ χρώμασι διαφέροντες. ᾿Αλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἤθη τὰ ἔθη ποιεῖ, καὶ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτεξούσιον. Ταύτην δὲ καὶ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἔστιν εὑρεῖν τὴν διαφοράν. Τὸ δὲ τῶν χρὼμάτων ἑτεροῖον ἡ τῶν χωρίων ἀπεργάζεται θέτις. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ πόῤῥω τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἀκτῖνος οἰκοῦντες, λευχοτέραν ἔχουσι τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἐπιφάνειαν. Οἱ ὃΣ τοῖς ἑῴοις καὶ ἑσπερίοις τμή μασι κατὰ τὸ νότιον ποῦ πόλου μέρος ἐνδιαιτᾶσθαι λαχόντες, πλησιέστεροι τῆς ἀκτῖνος γενόμενοι, μελαίνονται τὸ σώμα, ξύλων τινῶν δίκην τῇ πλείονι τοῦ πυρὸς ὁμιλίᾳ ἐπανθραχουμένων, καὶ τὴν μέλαιναν χροιὰν ἐνδυομένων. Οὐκοῦν μία μὲν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἣἧ φύσις, καὶ ἀρχόντων καὶ ἀρχομένων, καὶ ὑπηκόων καὶ βασιλέων, καὶ δούλων καὶ δεσποτῶν. Μία δὲ οὖσα ἡ φύσις, τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ κηρύττει τὸ δίκαιον" διαιρεθεῖσα δὲ τῷ χρόνῳ εἰς δουλείαν καὶ δεσποτείαν, καὶ τούτοις κἀκείνοις τὸν αὐτὸν φυλάξασα χαρακτῆρα, κατηγορεῖ μὲν τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ταύτην εἰσαγούσης τὴν χρείαν, τοῦ δὲ Ποιητοῦ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἰσότητα δείκνυσιν.

metiasi, kai tǭ peirasthai lanthanein, to deos kēryttousin. Ē gar an encheiridia lathontes, hapantas seis dieilonto. Epeidē de deimainousin, hoi polloi men hēsychazousin, hoi de tēs ponērias chatatolmōntes, hē tōn hodōn tas erēmoteras chatalochōsin, hē nyktōr en tais polesi chachourgousi, to skotos, kai ton hypnon, kai tēn hapantōn hēsychian, eis symmachian tēs lēsteias lamthanontes. ai dyo de toutōn ē treis phōraϑentes, kai kolasthentes hypo tōn nomōn, hikanon tois allois ōpheleias hypodeigma ginontai, kai tōn homotropōn tēn timōrian horōntes, misousi tēn ponērian, hōs thanatōn toioutōn mētera. ᾿Alla gar ouk oid᾽ hopōs eis toutous exedēn tous logous, tēn tēs douleias aitian diexelthein ethelēsas" epanelthein oun hothen exethdēn kairos. Hoti men oun ex archēs ho tōn holōn Dēmiourgos, mian eirgasato pantōn tōn anthrōpōn tēn physin, kai ex henos andros kai mias gynaikos hapasan tēn oikoumenēn toude tou genous eplērōse, martys ē theia Graphē" martyrei de kai hē physis tę̄ theią Graphę̄. Hoi te gar ta pros hēlion anischonta kai dyomenon, hoi te ta notia kai ta boreia merē dieilēchotes, kai hoi ta mesa de tautēs oikountes, hon echousi to tēs diaplaseōs eidos, pon auton tōn haisthētēriōn arithmon, en monois ēthesi kai chrōmasi diapherontes. ᾿Alla ta men ēthē ta ethē poiei, kai to tēs psychēs autexousion. Tautēn de kai par᾽ hēmin autois estin heurein tēn diaphoran. To de tōn chrōmatōn heteroion hē tōn chōriōn apergazetai thetis. Hoi men gar porrhō tēs hēliakēs aktinos oikountes, leuchoteran echousi tēn tou sōmatos epiphaneian. Hoi hoS tois heǭois kai hesperiois tmē masi kata to notion pou polou meros endiaitasthai lachontes, plēsiesteroi tēs aktinos genomenoi, melainontai to sōma, xylōn tinōn dikēn tę̄ pleioni tou pyros homilią epanthrachoumenōn, kai tēn melainan chroian endyomenōn. Oukoun mia men tōn anthrōpōn hēē physis, kai archontōn kai archomenōn, kai hypēkoōn kai basileōn, kai doulōn kai despotōn. Mia de ousa hē physis, tou Dēmiourgou kēryttei to dikaion" diairetheisa de tǭ chronǭ eis douleian kai despoteian, kai toutois kakeinois ton auton phylaxasa charaktēra, katēgorei men tēs hamartias, tautēn eisagousēs tēn chreian, tou de Poiētou kai entautha tēn isotēta deiknysin.

and by trying to escape notice proclaim their fear. Otherwise they would have taken daggers and … all … But since they are afraid, most keep quiet, while those who dare wickedness either lie in ambush on the more deserted roads or do harm in the cities at night, taking darkness, sleep, and the quiet of all as allies of their robbery. And two or three of them, caught and punished by the laws, become a sufficient example of benefit to the others, who, seeing the punishment of those like them, hate wickedness as the mother of such deaths. But somehow I have gone off into these words, when I wanted to explain the cause of slavery; it is time, then, to return to where I left. That from the beginning the Creator of all made one nature of all human beings and filled the whole world with this race from one man and one woman, the divine Scripture is a witness; and nature bears witness to the divine Scripture. For those who dwell in the regions of the rising and setting sun, those who have the southern and northern parts, and those who live in the middle, have one shape of their forming, the same number of senses, differing only in customs and colors. But habits make customs, and so does the soul's free will; and this difference can be found among ourselves too. The difference of colors is produced by the situation of places. Those who live far from the sun's rays have a whiter surface of the body. Those whose lot it is to live in the eastern and western parts toward the southern part of the sky, being nearer the rays, are blackened in body, like logs charred by greater contact with the fire and putting on a black color. So the nature of human beings is one, of rulers and ruled, subjects and kings, slaves and masters. And being one, nature proclaims the Creator's justice; and though divided in time into slavery and mastery, it has kept the same stamp in both, and so accuses sin, which brought in this need, while it shows the Maker's equality here too.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Acts 17:26 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Fear of the law restrains criminals; and Scripture and nature both show that all human beings, of every region and color, share one nature, so that slavery and mastery came later through sin, not from the Creator.

"From one man and one woman": compare Acts 17:26 (not quoted). Theodoret explains differences of skin color by climate, as was usual in ancient science.
Words are lost in the OCR after "taken daggers and" and in the sentence on skin color; long debris from Migne's Latin column is removed.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (debris from Migne's Latin column inside the word ἐπανθρακουμένων; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek): ρὸοἱ οὐρα οὐ υδάοη γραἢ}, 81 δα ὁεῖ, δα ἴῃ ον, σοὺ ἴῃ ρογίη 4186 πὶ ἔδϑιϊ παῖ, ἰπἢ 85 56 ῃ- Ια 6 πὰ οἱ " πὶ 1] οἱ βοὰ οἱ 5βοπιηΐ εἰ οι ὶβ, σαὶ ομμη6 8 αυὶ → ; ὙΠῸ δὲ ὑπαὶ πη] ] γα ὑηϊγούϑυπι δος δυο π 56 ἃ ἀϊθαΐ γεγο συνεργόν. ἃ → ; ἐπαν- Ὠδί Γᾶ 681, ἴδῃ ἀϊ νἶϑἃ, οἱ 106 οϑὶ. οἱ ἢδιγα, νοὶ Οὐ θὰ εἰ τὸ ἰη- Πᾶδὺἴδ ΟΠΊΠ65 ἃ} 06 γαρὶ δάιτηϊἰϑιγαϊ ποτὶ δι ποὶ, Εἶν ἢ Το] κυὶ δ 3 θ → ἐπανθ.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 7.4 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-4

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

7.5PG 83

Ἐφύλαξε γὰρ μέχρι τέλους τὴν τῆς οὐσίας ταυτότητα, τὴν δὲ ἀταξίαν τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῇ τάξει τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐξέλασς, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνης πλεονεξίαν τῷ κανόνι τῆς νομοθεσίας ἐῤῥύθμισεν, οἷόν τις ναυκαὶ τὸ περιττὸν ἀφαιρούμενος. Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ κατηγόρει τὴν δουλείαν θεώμενος, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀμαρτίαν καὶ βλασφημίαν φεῦγε, δι᾽. ἣν εἰς δουλείαν καὶ δεσποτείαν διῃρέθη τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ γένος. Σὺ δὲ, σκάφος μὲν ὁρῶν ἐξ οὐρίων φερόμενον, καὶ τοὺς μὲν πλωτῆρας ἡσυχῇ καθημένους, τοὺς δὲ ναύτας, ἣ ἣ ἄλλο τι τῶν χελευομένων ἐργαζομένους, τὸν δὲ ποῦντα, καὶ τῷ χυδερνήτῃ μηνύοντα, τὸν δὲ χυσχάφος ἰθύνοντα, θαυμάζεις τὴν τάξιν, καὶ οὐ κελεύεις εἶναι πάντας χυδερνῆτας, οὐδὲ πᾶσι τὴν τῆς νηὸς ἡγεμονίαν πιστεύεις" καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἧἡσυχά- ( ζοντας βλέπων, τοὺς δὲ τὸ κελευόμενον δρῶντας, τὸν δὲ προλέγοντα τὸ φαινόμενον, τὸν δὲ πάντων ὁμοῦ προστατεύοντα, οὐκ ἀγανακτεῖς, οὐδὲ κατηγορεῖς ἀκοσμίαν, ἀλλὰ μάλα θαυμάζων τὴν τάξιν διατελεῖς " τὰς δὲ οἱκίας οὐκ ἐθέλεις ταῖς ὀλχάσι παραπλησίως χυδερνᾶσθαι, ἀλλὰ δυσχεραίνεις, τὸν μὲν ἡγούμενον βλέπων τῆς οἰκίας, τοὺς ὃὲ ἀγομένους. Καὶ μὴν οἰκία καὶ ναῦς κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν λίαν ἀλλήλαις ἐοίκασιν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ δεσπότης, καθάπερ τις χυδερνήτης, τῶν τῆς οἰκίας οἰάκων ἐπειλημμένος, τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐφέστηκεν" ὁ δὲ τῶν οἰκετῶν πρωτεύων, ὁ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων τὴν κηδεμονίαν πεπιστευμένος, τὸν πρωρέα μιμούμενος, διδάσκει τὸν δεσπότην ἃ νομίζει συμφέρειν. Τῶν δὲ ἄλλων οἶκετῶν, οἱ μὲν ναύταις παραπλησίως, μερικὰς ἐγκεχειρισμένοι φροντίδας, τὰ κελευόμενα πράττουσιν" οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ, δίκην πλωτήρων, ἐν μέσῳ τούτων εἰσὶν, ὑπὸ τούτων ἰθυνόμενοι, καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων διὰ τούτῶν τυγχάνοντες. Τί δήποτε τοίνυν σκάφος μὲν οὕτω χυδερνώμενον ἐπαινεῖς, οἰκίαν δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν δεχομένην οἰκονομίαν σχώπτων διατελεῖς; Ἐγὼ δὲ ἡγοῦμαί σε καὶ στρατιὰν ἐπαινεῖν, ἧς ἡγεῖται μὲν ὃ στρατηγὸς, φυλάττουσι δὲ τοὺς λόχους οἱ λοχαγοὶ, ἐν κόσμῳ δὲ τὰς τάξεις ἄγουσιν οἱ ταξιάρχαι" ἑχατόνταρχοι δὲ καὶ χιλίαρχοι τὰ παρὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ συνθήματα τούτοις διαπορθμεύουσι, καὶ νῦν μὲν εἰς φάλαγγα χαθιστῶσι τὴν στρατιὰν, νῦν δὲ ἐν πλινθίῳ, ἄλλοτε ἐπὶ χέρας ἄγουσιν. “Ἔστι δὲ ὅτε χέρας ἑκάτερον ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐχτείναντες, κυκλοῦσι μὲν τοὺς πολεμίους, οὐδὲ φυγεῖν ἐπιτρέποντες, ἀλλὰ πάντοθεν ὁμοίως ἀφιέντες τὰ βέλη, καὶ ἄρδην ἅπαντας ἀναιροῦντες. Τούτων δὲ οὐδὲν ἐγεγόνει, μὴ τῆς στρατιᾶς εἰς ἄρχοντας καὶ ἀρχομένους διῃρημένης " πολναρχία γὰρ ἐν στρατιᾷ πάντων μάλιστα βλαδερώτατον, εἰς πολλὰ χατατέμνουσα, καὶ τὴν ὁμόνοιαν διασπῶσα, καὶ πολλαῖς βουλαῖς ἰθύνειν μὲν πειρωμένη, βλάπτουσα δὲ μᾶλλον ἣ χυδερνῶσα. Πῶς τοίνυν οὐκ ἄτοποῦ, καὶ ἐν νηὶ σε θαυμάζοντα τὴν τοῦ ἑνὸς προστασίαν, καὶ στρατιᾶς ἐπαινοῦντα τὴν τάξιν, ἣν οἱ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἐργάζονται νόμοι, μέμφεσθαί σε οἰκίαν τοῦτον ἀγομένην τὸν τρόπον;

Ephylaxe gar mechri telous tēn tēs ousias tautotēta, tēn de ataxian tēs hamartias tę̄ taxei tēs hēgemonias exelass, kai tēn ekeinēs pleonexian tǭ kanoni tēs nomothesias errhythmisen, hoion tis naukai to peritton aphairoumenos. Mē toinyn tou Dēmiourgou katēgorei tēn douleian theōmenos, alla tēn amartian kai blasphēmian pheuge, di᾽. hēn eis douleian kai despoteian dię̄rethē tōn anthrōpōn to genos. Sy de, skaphos men horōn ex ouriōn pheromenon, kai tous men plōtēras hēsychę̄ kathēmenous, tous de nautas, hē hē allo ti tōn cheleuomenōn ergazomenous, ton de pounta, kai tǭ chydernētę̄ mēnyonta, ton de chyschaphos ithynonta, thaumazeis tēn taxin, kai ou keleueis einai pantas chydernētas, oude pasi tēn tēs nēos hēgemonian pisteueis" kai tous men hēēsycha- ( zontas blepōn, tous de to keleuomenon drōntas, ton de prolegonta to phainomenon, ton de pantōn homou prostateuonta, ouk aganakteis, oude katēgoreis akosmian, alla mala thaumazōn tēn taxin diateleis " tas de hoikias ouk etheleis tais olchasi paraplēsiōs chydernasthai, alla dyscheraineis, ton men hēgoumenon blepōn tēs oikias, tous hoe agomenous. Kai mēn oikia kai naus kata tēn oikonomian lian allēlais eoikasin. Ho men gar despotēs, kathaper tis chydernētēs, tōn tēs oikias oiakōn epeilēmmenos, tois pasin ephestēken" ho de tōn oiketōn prōteuōn, ho tōn allōn hapantōn tēn kēdemonian pepisteumenos, ton prōrea mimoumenos, didaskei ton despotēn ha nomizei sympherein. Tōn de allōn oiketōn, hoi men nautais paraplēsiōs, merikas enkecheirismenoi phrontidas, ta keleuomena prattousin" hoi de loipoi, dikēn plōtērōn, en mesǭ toutōn eisin, hypo toutōn ithynomenoi, kai tōn anankaiōn dia toutōn tynchanontes. Ti dēpote toinyn skaphos men houtō chydernōmenon epaineis, oikian de tēn autēn dechomenēn oikonomian schōptōn diateleis? Egō de hēgoumai se kai stratian epainein, hēs hēgeitai men ho stratēgos, phylattousi de tous lochous hoi lochagoi, en kosmǭ de tas taxeis agousin hoi taxiarchai" hechatontarchoi de kai chiliarchoi ta para tou stratēgou synthēmata toutois diaporthmeuousi, kai nyn men eis phalanga chathistōsi tēn stratian, nyn de en plinthiǭ, allote epi cheras agousin. “Esti de hote cheras hekateron epi pleiston echteinantes, kyklousi men tous polemious, oude phygein epitrepontes, alla pantothen homoiōs aphientes ta belē, kai ardēn hapantas anairountes. Toutōn de ouden egegonei, mē tēs stratias eis archontas kai archomenous dię̄rēmenēs " polnarchia gar en stratią pantōn malista bladerōtaton, eis polla chatatemnousa, kai tēn homonoian diaspōsa, kai pollais boulais ithynein men peirōmenē, blaptousa de mallon hē chydernōsa. Pōs toinyn ouk atopou, kai en nēi se thaumazonta tēn tou henos prostasian, kai stratias epainounta tēn taxin, hēn hoi tōn stratēgōn ergazontai nomoi, memphesthai se oikian touton agomenēn ton tropon?

For it has kept the sameness of substance to the end, and it has driven out the disorder of sin by the order of government, and regulated sin's greed by the rule of legislation, like a … removing what is superfluous. So do not accuse the Creator when you see slavery, but flee sin and blasphemy, because of which the human race was divided into slavery and mastery. When you see a ship carried along by favorable winds, the passengers sitting quietly, the sailors … doing whatever else they are ordered, the lookout … and signalling to the pilot, and the pilot … steering the ship, you admire the order, and you do not demand that all be pilots, nor entrust the command of the ship to all; and seeing some keeping quiet, some doing what they are told, one announcing what appears ahead, and one presiding over them all together, you are not indignant, nor do you accuse it of disorder, but you go on greatly admiring the order. But you are unwilling for households to be steered like merchant ships, and are vexed when you see one leading the household and others being led. And yet a house and a ship are very like each other in their management. The master, like a pilot, holding the tillers of the household, presides over all; the chief of the servants, entrusted with the care of all the rest, imitates the lookout and tells the master what he thinks useful. Of the other servants, some, like sailors, entrusted with particular tasks, do what they are told; the rest, like passengers, are among these, directed by them and receiving necessities through them. Why then do you praise a ship steered in this way, but go on mocking a household that receives the same management? I think you also praise an army, which the general leads, whose companies the captains guard, whose ranks the taxiarchs lead in order, while centurions and tribunes carry the general's signals to them, and now draw up the army in a phalanx, now in a square, at other times lead it against a wing. Sometimes, extending each wing as far as possible, they surround the enemy, not letting them flee, but discharging their missiles alike from every side and destroying them all utterly. None of this would have happened if the army were not divided into rulers and ruled; for the rule of many is the most harmful of all things in an army, cutting it into many parts, tearing apart its concord, and trying to steer it by many counsels, harming it rather than steering it. How then is it not absurd for you to admire the leadership of one man in a ship and praise the order of an army produced by the laws of generals, but to blame a household led in this way?

Notes and citation

Summary: As a ship needs a pilot and an army a general, a household needs a master; slavery came from sin, but order in the household, as in a ship or army, is not to be blamed.

Theodoret defends the household order of his time, with masters and slaves, by analogy with a ship and an army, while holding (7.2-7.4) that slavery came from sin and not from creation. Translated as written.
Words are lost in the OCR in the comparison at the start ("like a …", probably a shipwright or builder with a rule) and in the description of the crew ("the sailors …", "the lookout …", "the pilot …"); marked … and not supplied. A leaked footnote is removed.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (column letter and debris inside the word ἑκάτερον; leaked footnote): τ μάλα. Ἰδϊὰ. μᾶλλον. στρατείᾳ. → ; ἑκάτε- Α δυίδπι ρον → ἑκάτερον.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 7.5 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-5

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-de-providentia-7-5) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

7.6PG 83

᾿Αλλὰ πικρὸν, φησὶ, τὸ δουλεύειν, κἀν τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῶν δεσποτῶν ἔχειν τὴν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀπόλαυσιν, καὶ πόνοις διηνεχέσι ταλαιπωρεΐσθαι. ᾿Αλλ᾽ εἰ φιλαλήθως τῶν εἰρημένων ἕκαστον σκοπῆσαι θελήσειας, ἐῤῥῶσθαι φράσας τοῖς ἐριστικοῖς λόγοις, εὑρήσεις, τὰ μὲν ἀθυμίας, τὰ δὲ πολλῇς ὠφελείας μεστά. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τῆς οἰκίας δεσπότης, πολλαῖς πολιορχεῖται φροντίσι, σχοπούμενος ὅπως τοῖς οἰκείοις πορίσῃ τὰς χρείας, ὅπως βασιλεῦσι τὴν τεταγμένην εἰσφορὰν εἰδενέγχῃ, ὅπως ἀποδῶται μὲν τῶν προσόδων τὰ περιττὰ, ὠνήσηται δὲ τὰ ἐνδέοντα. ᾿Αγνώμων ἡ γῆ περὶ τοὺς γηπόνους ἐγένετο, τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων περὶ τὸν Ποιητὴν ἀγνωμοσύνην οὕτω πως μιμουμένη " ὁ πεῖα διαγράφει, καὶ τὴν αὐθαίρετον ἐπισπᾶται δουλείαν. ἬἜἥνεγχεν ἡ γῆ τοὺς καρποὺς, καὶ βρίθει ταῖς ὠδῖσι, καὶ τοῖς ληΐοις καλύπτεται, καὶ βαροῦσα τῷ πλήθει τοῦ καρποῦ τῶν δένδρων τοὺς κλάδους κρὸς ἑαυτὴν νεύειν καταναγκάζει " ὁ δὲ πάλιν ἑτέρως χεντεῖται" τῶν καρπῶν γὰρ τοὺς ὠνητὰς περισχοπῶν οὐκ εὑρίσκει, καὶ γίνεται αὑτῷ τῆς εὖχαρπίας ἧ εὐθηνία μικρῷ τινι ἀφορητοτέρα. Οὐ μόνὸν δὲ αὐτοῖς μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν αἱ φροντίδες ἐπίασι, καὶ “αὶ νύκτωρ χαλεπώτερον πολεμοῦσιν. ἮἩ συχάζουσα γὰρ ἣ ψυχὴ, καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν πραγμάτων ἀπηλλαγμένη, ἀχριδέστερον τῶν οἰκείων, ἣ ἀγαθῶν, ἢ κακῶν ἐπαισθάνεται. Ὃ δὲ οἰκέτης τῷ σώματι δουλεύων, ἐλευθέραν ἔχει τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τούτων ἁπάντων ἀπηλλαγμένην. Οὐ γὰρ ὀδύρεται γῆς ἀχαρπίαν, οὐδὲ δικαστηρίοις προσεδρεύειν οὐκ ἀναγκάζεται,, οὐδὲ δειμαίνει τοῦ κῆρυκος τὴν φωνὴν, οὐδὲ δικαστὴν βλοσυρὸν δεικνύντα τὸ ὄμμα " μέτρῳ λαμδάνει τὸ σιτηρέσιον, ἀλλὰ φροντίδος ἀπηλλαγμένον. Ἐπ’ ἐδάφους καθεύδει, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μέριμνα τὸν ὕπνον ἐξλαύνει, ἀλλὰ γλυκὺς αὐτοῦ τοῖς βλεφάροις ἐπιχεάμδνος οὐκ ἐᾷ τῆς τοῦ ἐδάφηνς ἀντιτυπίας αἰαθάνεσθαι. Καὶ τοῦτο φυστολογῶν ὁ Σοφὸς ἔλεγε" ε ἔλυχὺς ὃ ὕπνος τῷ δούλῳ. ν 'ἕνϊ χιτωνίῳ τὸ σῶμα καλύπτει, ἀλλὰ ῥωμαλεώτερον ἔχει τοῦ δεσπότου τὸ σῶμα. “Αρτον ἐσθίει πιτυρίαν, οὐδὲ μικροῦ πρθαοψήματος ἀπολαύων" ἀλλ᾽ ἥδιον τοῦ δεσπότου τῆς νος, καὶ τοῦ κόρου τοὺς ὄρους ὑπερδαίνων, ὧθεϊ τὸ σιτία, καὶ κατ᾿ ἀνάγκην τῇ γαστρὶ παραπόμπει᾽ ὁ ὃὲ τῇ χρείᾳ μετρῶν τὴν μετάληψιν, καὶ τὸν χοίνιχα τὸν διδόμενον οἰκονομικῶς διαιρῶν, ὀρεγόμενος τὴν τροφὴν ὑποδόχετας, καὶ πέττει ῥᾳδίως, συνεργὸν λαθὼν τὸν πόνον. Σὺ δὲ τὴν μὲν δουλείαν βλέπεις, τὴν δὲ ἡγείαν οὐ βλέπεις " καὶ τὴν μὲν διακονίαν ὁρᾷς, τὴν ὃὲ θυμηδίαν οὐ θεωρεῖς " καὶ τοῦ μὲν πόνου κατηγορεῖς, τὸν δὲ ἀφρόντιδα βίον οὐ μαχαρίζεις " καὶ τὴν μὲν ὑπουργίαν διαθάλλεις, τὸν δὲ ἥδιστον ὕπνον οὐ βλέπεις. Καὶ μὴν ἔδει κἀντεῦθεν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοιαν κατιδεῖν, καὶ τὴν τῆς οἴκονομίας ἰσότητα θεωρῆσαι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀνάγκη. εἰς ἡγεμονίαν καὶ δουλείαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων πἣν φύσιν διένειμε, τῇ μὲν μετὰ τῆς ἡγεμονίας καὶ τὰς φροντίδας, συνέζξευξε, καὶ ἀγρυπνίας συνεχλῆρωσε, καὶ νόσους πλείους ἀπένειμε" τῇ δὲ δουλείᾳ, πλείονα δέδωκε τὴν ὑγείαν, καὶ ἡδίω τῆς τροφῆς τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν, καὶ ὕπνον ἡδὺν καὶ μακρότερον, λῦσαι τοῦ κόπου τὸ σῶμα δυνάμενον, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς αὐτὸ τῆς, Μὴ τοίνυν μόνους ὅρα τοὺς πάνους, ἀλλὰ χαι τὰς τῶν πόνων θεώρει παραμυθίας, καὶ τὸν τῶν Πρύτανιν διὰ πάντων ἀνύμνει. Τί δήποτε δὲ διαθδάλλεις τοὺς πόνους ὁ πάντα ῥᾳδίως συκοφαντῶν; Τί τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἀγαθῶν δίχα πόνου χατορθοῦτα';

᾿Alla pikron, phēsi, to douleuein, kan tę̄ exousią tōn despotōn echein tēn tōn anankaiōn apolausin, kai ponois diēnechesi talaipōreïsthai. ᾿All᾽ ei philalēthōs tōn eirēmenōn hekaston skopēsai thelēseias, errhōsthai phrasas tois eristikois logois, heurēseis, ta men athymias, ta de pollę̄s ōpheleias mesta. Ho men gar tēs oikias despotēs, pollais poliorcheitai phrontisi, schopoumenos hopōs tois oikeiois porisę̄ tas chreias, hopōs basileusi tēn tetagmenēn eisphoran eidenenchę̄, hopōs apodōtai men tōn prosodōn ta peritta, ōnēsētai de ta endeonta. ᾿Agnōmōn hē gē peri tous gēponous egeneto, tēn tōn anthrōpōn peri ton Poiētēn agnōmosynēn houtō pōs mimoumenē " ho peia diagraphei, kai tēn authaireton epispatai douleian. ĒEēnenchen hē gē tous karpous, kai brithei tais ōdisi, kai tois lēïois kalyptetai, kai barousa tǭ plēthei tou karpou tōn dendrōn tous kladous kros heautēn neuein katanankazei " ho de palin heterōs chenteitai" tōn karpōn gar tous ōnētas perischopōn ouk heuriskei, kai ginetai hautǭ tēs eucharpias hē euthēnia mikrǭ tini aphorētotera. Ou monon de autois meth᾽ hēmeran hai phrontides epiasi, kai “ai nyktōr chalepōteron polemousin. HēĒ sychazousa gar hē psychē, kai tōn exōthen pragmatōn apēllagmenē, achridesteron tōn oikeiōn, hē agathōn, ē kakōn epaisthanetai. Ho de oiketēs tǭ sōmati douleuōn, eleutheran echei tēn psychēn, kai toutōn hapantōn apēllagmenēn. Ou gar odyretai gēs acharpian, oude dikastēriois prosedreuein ouk anankazetai,, oude deimainei tou kērykos tēn phōnēn, oude dikastēn blosyron deiknynta to omma " metrǭ lamdanei to sitēresion, alla phrontidos apēllagmenon. Ep’ edaphous katheudei, all᾽ ou merimna ton hypnon exlaunei, alla glykys autou tois blepharois epicheamdnos ouk eą tēs tou edaphēns antitypias aiathanesthai. Kai touto phystologōn ho Sophos elege" e elychys ho hypnos tǭ doulǭ. n 'henï chitōniǭ to sōma kalyptei, alla rhōmaleōteron echei tou despotou to sōma. “Arton esthiei pityrian, oude mikrou prthaopsēmatos apolauōn" all᾽ hēdion tou despotou tēs nos, kai tou korou tous orous hyperdainōn, hōtheï to sitia, kai kat᾿ anankēn tę̄ gastri parapompei᾽ ho hoe tę̄ chreią metrōn tēn metalēpsin, kai ton choinicha ton didomenon oikonomikōs diairōn, oregomenos tēn trophēn hypodochetas, kai pettei rhądiōs, synergon lathōn ton ponon. Sy de tēn men douleian blepeis, tēn de hēgeian ou blepeis " kai tēn men diakonian horąs, tēn hoe thymēdian ou theōreis " kai tou men ponou katēgoreis, ton de aphrontida bion ou macharizeis " kai tēn men hypourgian diathalleis, ton de hēdiston hypnon ou blepeis. Kai mēn edei kanteuthen tēn tou Theou pronoian katidein, kai tēn tēs oikonomias isotēta theōrēsai. Epeidē gar hē tēs hamartias anankē. eis hēgemonian kai douleian tōn anthrōpōn pēn physin dieneime, tę̄ men meta tēs hēgemonias kai tas phrontidas, synezxeuxe, kai agrypnias synechlērōse, kai nosous pleious apeneime" tę̄ de douleią, pleiona dedōke tēn hygeian, kai hēdiō tēs trophēs tēn apolausin, kai hypnon hēdyn kai makroteron, lysai tou kopou to sōma dynamenon, kai pros tous auto tēs, Mē toinyn monous hora tous panous, alla chai tas tōn ponōn theōrei paramythias, kai ton tōn Prytanin dia pantōn anymnei. Ti dēpote de diathdalleis tous ponous ho panta rhądiōs sykophantōn? Ti tōn anthrōpinōn agathōn dicha ponou chatorthouta'?

"But it is bitter," he says, "to be a slave, to have the enjoyment of necessities in the power of masters, and to be worn out with continual labors." But if you are willing to examine each of these points with love of truth, bidding farewell to contentious arguments, you will find that the one side is full of despondency and the other of much benefit. For the master of the household is besieged by many cares, considering how to supply his household's needs, how to pay the kings the assessed tax, how to sell the surplus of his revenues and buy what is lacking. The earth has been unthankful toward the farmers, imitating somehow the unthankfulness of human beings toward the Maker; he writes … loans and draws on himself a voluntary slavery. The earth has borne its fruits, is heavy with its offspring, is covered with crops, and weighing down the branches of the trees with the abundance of fruit, forces them to bend toward it; but he is goaded again in another way, for he looks around for buyers of the fruits and does not find them, and the plenty of the good harvest becomes almost more unbearable to him. Not only by day do cares come upon them, but by night they fight them more grievously. For the soul, being quiet and freed from outside affairs, perceives its own goods and evils more precisely. But the servant, slaving with his body, has his soul free and released from all these things. He does not lament the barrenness of the earth, is not compelled to wait on the law courts, does not fear the voice of the herald nor the judge showing his grim eye; he receives his rations by measure, but free of care. He sleeps on the ground, but anxiety does not drive away his sleep; rather, sweet sleep, poured upon his eyelids, does not let him feel the hardness of the ground. And speaking of this from nature, the Wise Man said: "Sleep is sweet to the slave." He covers his body with one little tunic, but has a stronger body than his master. He eats coarse bread without enjoying even a little relish, but more pleasantly than the master … ; for the master, going beyond the bounds of satiety, pushes his food down and sends it to his belly by force, while the servant, measuring his portion by need and dividing the measure given him economically, takes his food with appetite and digests it easily, having labor as his helper. You see the slavery but not the health; you see the service but do not observe the cheerfulness; you accuse the labor but do not call the carefree life blessed; you slander the service but do not see the sweetest sleep. Yet you should have seen God's providence here too and observed the equality of his dispensation. For since the necessity of sin divided human nature into rule and slavery, with rule he yoked cares, allotted sleeplessness, and assigned more diseases; to slavery he gave more health, a more pleasant enjoyment of food, and sweet and longer sleep, able to free the body from weariness and … So do not look only at the labors, but also observe the consolations of the labors, and praise the ruler of all through all things. And why do you slander labors, you who slander everything so easily? What human good is achieved without labor?

Eccl 5:12 (5:11 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The master is beset by cares for taxes, harvests, and lawsuits, while the slave, free in soul, enjoys health, appetite, and sweet sleep, as Ecclesiastes says; God has balanced the burdens of rule and slavery.

"Sleep is sweet to the slave": Eccl 5:12 (LXX 5:11), where the Hebrew has "the laborer".
Theodoret's picture of the slave's carefree life is an argument for the equality of God's dispensation within the social order of his time; it is translated as written.
Words are lost in the OCR in "he writes … loans", in "more pleasantly than the master …", and in "free the body from weariness and …"; marked … and not supplied. Long debris from Migne's Latin column is removed.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (column letter and debris from Migne's Latin column; debris from Migne's Latin column inside the word ἐξελαύνει; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; leaked footnote and debris from Migne's Latin column): οἰ ἰδ πη Βοοἱ → ; Β δεἃ ἀυγυπὶ οἱ ΔΓ π δὲ, ἰπαυϊπηΐϊ, → ; πάντων. θυμηδίας. πὶ υἰ]δ ἰπὶ (6]]ογὶ τ, Ὠοπιΐπυπι 5016 6[ ἀγα Ογθδίογθιη δ 0 πὶ ἰἢοἱ γοπὶ ὶ- {Π|4|}8 θυ πἀδη 118 ἱρϑὶ ποι 1 }}} Πἰ δ ἡ! 6 1 ἰοΥγῚ Β}} 566. νυ] τὰ Α → ; ἐξεὶς ἐυ}πὶ νἱ ""..» υτ 0560 οἱ συ θογηδι πὶ ἰῃ τα, 50: ἰδ ἰτ Ὀοηΐβ, οἱ τηοτοδίμγο [γυ οἰ 5 χοῦν. το 5 δ ΠΑ 8. οἱ 18 ε → ἐξ.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 7.6 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-6

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

7.7PG 83

Ποίαν εὐκληρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις οὐ διὰ πόνων καρποῦται; Τὰ ἐκ γηπονίας ἀγαθὰ διὰ πόνων χαρπούμεθα, καὶ τοὺς τῆς ἐμπορίας καρπούς πόλεις οἰχοδομοῦμεν, μετὰ πόνου ταύτας χατασχενάζοντες" πόνων ἡγουμένων, οἰκιῶν ἀπολαύομεν, ἐσθῆτι τὸ σῶμα χαλύπτομεν, ὑποδήματα τοῖς ποσὶ περιτίθεμεν, σιτία παντοδαπὰ προσφερόμεθα. Καὶ τί δεῖ πάσας καταλέγειν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰς χρείας, ὧν οἱ πόνοι δημιουργοί; ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἕοικας χηφρὴν τις εἶναι, καὶ ἀργίᾳ συντεθραμμένος, καὶ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων πόνων δρεπόμενος τοὺς καρποὺς, οὐδὲν δὲ αὐτὸς συνεισφέρων τῷ βίῳ, ἀλλὰ γλῶτταν μόνην, πάντα σκώπτειν πεπιστευμένην. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ τοῦτον τὸν ὅθλον, καὶ τὴν πολλὴν ἀδολεσχίαν, ἡ ἀργία γεγέννηκεν. Ὁ γὰρ πόνοις ἐσχολαχὼς, ὀλίγα μὲν φθέγγεται, πολλὰ δὲ λίαν ἐργάζεται. Εἰ τοίνυν πόνῳ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἕχαστον κατορθοῦται, μὴ διαβάλλῃς διὰ τοὺς πόνους τὴν δουλείαν, ὦ φίλος " σκόπησον δὲ, ὡς καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν δεσποτῶν οὐκ ἔλαττον πονοῦσ! τῶν οἰκετῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ πλείω, εἰ καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις τὰς φροντίδας συναριθμήσεις. Σὺ μὲν οὖν τῶν νῦν ὄντων τοὺς σπουδαίους θεώρησον, ἐγὼ δά δοι τοὺς παλαιοὺς ὑποδείξω πλείω τῶν οἰκετῶν πεπονηχότας. Βλέπε τὸν μὲν μακάριον Νῶε, ξύλα τέμνοντα, καὶ ταῦτα τῷ σχεπάρνῳ 'καθαίροντά τε, καὶ πρὸς γωνίαν εὐθεῖαν ἐξομαλίζοντα, καὶ τὴν χιθωτὸν ὡς προσετάχθη ἐκ ξύλων τετραγώνων καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ πᾶσαν ὑφαίνοντα, καὶ « ἀσφάλτῳ καὶ τῇ πίσσῃ χαταχρίοντα, καὶ τοῖς ὕδασι «ὃν πατριάρχην, τὸν ὀκτωκαίδεκα καὶ τριαχοσίωνγ οἰχογενῶν δεσπότην, αὐτουργοῦντα, καὶ τοῖς ξένοις διαχονοῦντα, καὶ εἰς τὰ βουκόλια τρέχοντα, καὶ τὸ μοσχάριον ἕλχοντα, καὶ τὴν ὁμόζυγα πρὸς τὴν ἀρσαν τὰ ἄλευρα, καὶ τοὺς ἐγκρυφίας ὁπτῶσαν, καὶ ταῖς θεραπαίναις τὴν διακονίαν οὐκ ἐπιτρέπουσαν " αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν θαυμαστὸν ἐκεῖνον πρεσδύτην παρεστῶτα τοῖς ξένοις, καὶ τραπέζης μὲν οὐ κοινωνοῦντα, τὴν δὲ διακονίαν πληροῦντα. Βλέπε τὴν Ῥεδέχχαν, τὴν τοῦ Βαθονὴἣλ θυγατέρα, τοῦ Ναχὼρ τὴν ἔγγονον, ἡλικίαν μὲν ἔχουσαν γάμον, ὥρᾳ δὲ λάμπούσαν, καὶ αὐτουργοῦσαν καὶ ὑδροφοροῦσαν, καὶ εἰς τὴν πρὸ τῆς πόλεως πηγὴν διαθέουσαν᾽ καὶ οὐ μόνον οἴχαξε τὸ ὕδωρ χομίζουσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἀφιχνουμέγοις τὴν αὐτουργίαν παρέχουσαν, καὶ ἀνιμωμένην πὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ αὐτοῖς τε καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις προσφέρουσαν, καὶ τῆς σωφροσύνης τὸ χαλὸν κτῇμα σῶον διαφυλάττουσαν, καὶ τὴν παρθενίαν ἀκήρατον διασώζουσαν, καὶ τοὺς πόνους μετὰ πάσης αἰρουμένην προθυμίας, καὶ τούτοις ὡραϊζομένην μᾶλλον, ἢ τῷ κάλλει λαμπρυνομένην. Ἔν τούτοις ὁ ταύτης υἱὸς, ἅτε δὴ ταύτης υἱὸς, ὁ μέγας Ἰαχὼόδ, εἴκοσι διετέλεσεν ἔτη, ποιμαίνων καὶ θηρίοις παλαίων, καὶ τῶν τῆς ἀκτῖνος λυπηρῶν ἀνεχόμενος, καὶ ὕπνου χόρον λαθεῖν οὐδὲ νύκτωρ δυνάμενος " καὶ τὰς τούτου δὲ γαμετὰς, δι’ ἃς καὶ τῶν πόνων ἢνέσχετο, πρόδατα ἐν ταῖς ἱστορίαις εὑρίσκομεν. Καὶ οἱ τούτου δὲ πσῖδες χτηνοτρόφοι τε ἧσαν, καὶ αὐτουργοὶ, καὶ ποιμένες, καὶ πολλαπλάσιον τῶν οἰκετῶν ὑπομένοντες πόνον. Καὶ ὁ θειότατος δὲ Μωῦσῆς τεσσαράχοντα ἔτη τοῦτον διετέλεσε βιοτεύων τὸν τρόπον. Καὶ ἡ ποὕύτου δὲ γαμετὴ, ἱερέως οὖσα θυγάτηρ, πρόδατα νέμουσα, καὶ τῶν ἀδίκων ποιμένων διὰ τῆς τούτον βοηθείας ἀπαλλαγεῖσα, τὴν μνηστείαν ἐδέξατο. ᾿Αλλὰ γὰρ περιττὸν μηκύνειν τὸν λόγον, καὶ πάντας εἰς μέσον ἄγειν τῆς θείας Γραφῆῇς τοὺς μετὰ πόνων τοῦ βίου διαδραμόντας τὸν δίαυλον. Εἰ τοίνυν οὐκ οἰκετῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεσποτῶν ἴδιον τὸ πογεῖν, τίνος χάριν τῆς δουλείας διὰ τοὺς πόνους κατηγορεῖς; Τῶν

Poian euklērian tōn anthrōpōn hē physis ou dia ponōn karpoutai? Ta ek gēponias agatha dia ponōn charpoumetha, kai tous tēs emporias karpous poleis oichodomoumen, meta ponou tautas chataschenazontes" ponōn hēgoumenōn, oikiōn apolauomen, esthēti to sōma chalyptomen, hypodēmata tois posi peritithemen, sitia pantodapa prospherometha. Kai ti dei pasas katalegein tōn anthrōpōn tas chreias, hōn hoi ponoi dēmiourgoi? ᾿All᾽ heoikas chēphrēn tis einai, kai argią syntethrammenos, kai tōn allotriōn ponōn drepomenos tous karpous, ouden de autos syneispherōn tǭ biǭ, alla glōttan monēn, panta skōptein pepisteumenēn. ᾿Alla kai touton ton hothlon, kai tēn pollēn adoleschian, hē argia gegennēken. Ho gar ponois escholachōs, oliga men phthengetai, polla de lian ergazetai. Ei toinyn ponǭ tōn agathōn hechaston katorthoutai, mē diaballę̄s dia tous ponous tēn douleian, ō philos " skopēson de, hōs kai polloi tōn despotōn ouk elatton ponous! tōn oiketōn, mallon de kai pollǭ pleiō, ei kai tois ergois tas phrontidas synarithmēseis. Sy men oun tōn nyn ontōn tous spoudaious theōrēson, egō da doi tous palaious hypodeixō pleiō tōn oiketōn peponēchotas. Blepe ton men makarion Nōe, xyla temnonta, kai tauta tǭ scheparnǭ 'kathaironta te, kai pros gōnian eutheian exomalizonta, kai tēn chithōton hōs prosetachthē ek xylōn tetragōnōn kai toutǭ tǭ tropǭ pasan hyphainonta, kai « asphaltǭ kai tę̄ pissę̄ chatachrionta, kai tois hydasi «hon patriarchēn, ton oktōkaideka kai triachosiōng oichogenōn despotēn, autourgounta, kai tois xenois diachonounta, kai eis ta boukolia trechonta, kai to moscharion helchonta, kai tēn homozyga pros tēn arsan ta aleura, kai tous enkryphias hoptōsan, kai tais therapainais tēn diakonian ouk epitrepousan " auton de ton thaumaston ekeinon presdytēn parestōta tois xenois, kai trapezēs men ou koinōnounta, tēn de diakonian plērounta. Blepe tēn Rhedechchan, tēn tou Bathonēēl thygatera, tou Nachōr tēn engonon, hēlikian men echousan gamon, hōrą de lampousan, kai autourgousan kai hydrophorousan, kai eis tēn pro tēs poleōs pēgēn diatheousan᾽ kai ou monon oichaxe to hydōr chomizousan, alla kai tois aphichnoumegois tēn autourgian parechousan, kai animōmenēn po hydōr, kai autois te kai tais kamēlois prospherousan, kai tēs sōphrosynēs to chalon ktę̄ma sōon diaphylattousan, kai tēn parthenian akēraton diasōzousan, kai tous ponous meta pasēs airoumenēn prothymias, kai toutois hōraïzomenēn mallon, ē tǭ kallei lamprynomenēn. En toutois ho tautēs huios, hate dē tautēs huios, ho megas Iachōod, eikosi dietelesen etē, poimainōn kai thēriois palaiōn, kai tōn tēs aktinos lypērōn anechomenos, kai hypnou choron lathein oude nyktōr dynamenos " kai tas toutou de gametas, di’ has kai tōn ponōn ēnescheto, prodata en tais historiais heuriskomen. Kai hoi toutou de psides chtēnotrophoi te hēsan, kai autourgoi, kai poimenes, kai pollaplasion tōn oiketōn hypomenontes ponon. Kai ho theiotatos de Mōysēs tessarachonta etē touton dietelese bioteuōn ton tropon. Kai hē pouytou de gametē, hiereōs ousa thygatēr, prodata nemousa, kai tōn adikōn poimenōn dia tēs touton boētheias apallageisa, tēn mnēsteian edexato. ᾿Alla gar peritton mēkynein ton logon, kai pantas eis meson agein tēs theias Graphēę̄s tous meta ponōn tou biou diadramontas ton diaulon. Ei toinyn ouk oiketōn monon, alla kai despotōn idion to pogein, tinos charin tēs douleias dia tous ponous katēgoreis? Tōn

What good fortune does human nature reap except through labors? We reap the goods of farming through labors, and the fruits of trade …; we build cities, constructing them with labor; with labors going before, we enjoy houses, cover our bodies with clothing, put shoes on our feet, and take food of every kind. And why need I list all the needs of human beings, of which labors are the makers? But you seem to be a drone, brought up in idleness, plucking the fruits of others' labors and contributing nothing yourself to life except a tongue entrusted with mocking everything. Yet idleness has begotten this babble too and all this chatter. For one who devotes himself to labors speaks little and does a great deal. If, then, each good is achieved by labor, do not slander slavery because of its labors, my friend; but consider that many masters labor no less than their servants, or rather much more, if you count their cares along with their works. Look, then, at the diligent among those living now; I will show you the ancients, who labored more than servants. See the blessed Noah cutting wood, trimming it with the adze and making it true to a right angle, building the whole ark, as he was commanded, of squared timbers in this way, smearing it with bitumen and pitch, and … the waters. See the patriarch, master of three hundred and eighteen servants born in his house, working with his own hands, serving his guests, running to the herds and dragging the calf, and his wife … the flour and baking the cakes in the ashes, and not entrusting the service to the maidservants; and that wonderful old man himself standing by his guests, not sharing the table but performing the service. See Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel and granddaughter of Nahor, of marriageable age and shining with beauty, working with her own hands, carrying water, running to the spring before the city, and not only bringing the water home but also serving those who came, drawing the water and offering it to them and their camels, keeping safe the fine possession of chastity, preserving her virginity untouched, choosing labors with all eagerness, and adorned by them more than she shone by her beauty. In these her son, as befits her son, the great Jacob, spent twenty years, shepherding, wrestling with wild beasts, enduring the harshness of the sun's rays, and unable to get his fill of sleep even at night; and his wives, for whom he endured the labors, we find in the histories tending sheep. And his sons too were cattle breeders, working with their own hands, and shepherds, enduring many times more labor than servants. And the most divine Moses spent forty years living in this way. And his wife, a priest's daughter, tending sheep and freed from the unjust shepherds by his help, received his betrothal. But it is superfluous to lengthen the discourse and bring forward all those in the divine Scripture who ran the course of life with labors. If, then, labor belongs not only to servants but also to masters, why do you accuse slavery because of its labors? …

Gen 6:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 14:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 18:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 18:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 24:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 24:20 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 31:38 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 31:40 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 29:9 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 46:32 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 7:30 (allusion, medium confidence) · Exod 2:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 2:21 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Every human good comes by labor; masters often labor more than slaves, as Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Rebekah, Jacob and his family, and Moses and Zipporah show from Scripture.

Allusions: Noah's ark, Gen 6:14-16; Abraham's 318 servants, Gen 14:14; the hospitality at Mamre, Gen 18:2-8; Rebekah at the spring, Gen 24:15-20; Jacob's twenty years, Gen 31:38-41; Rachel as shepherdess, Gen 29:9; Jacob's sons as herdsmen, Gen 46:32-34; Moses' forty years in Midian, Acts 7:29-30; Zipporah and the shepherds, Exod 2:16-21.
Words are lost in the OCR in "the fruits of trade …", after "smearing it with bitumen and pitch, and …" (with the start of the sentence on Abraham), and in "his wife … the flour" (Sarah kneading); marked … and not supplied. Leaked footnotes and debris are removed; the last sentence is cut off.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR debris inside the word προσφερόμεθα; debris; debris from Migne's Latin column inside the word ποιμένες; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; leaked footnote; leaked footnote inside the word διαβάλλῃς): προσφερόἢ μεθα → προσφερόμεθα; δ, '056 ἢπν, 11. ἥν τῷ δούλῳ. [ὑἷι. ῬαγὶΘ. τοῦ δούλου → ; διαθάλ- Ὰ χαΐ. 65. 014. Υἱ]. λῃς → διαβάλλῃς; ἃ 5ογνμαίοπι νἱμπρογανονΐβ. ()υ}} βοιδυς νἱάδ, ὧἱ δὲ, → δὲ, ; ἰ! ὀχα|αυδί, ἀγοϑ Πμ οι ἀπηοάυϊη υ 5808 εἰϊ, ος Τὶ δ'τὴι] οἱ ρίος μὰν ται Β εἶθ τηἰἰοἰγδηίθη), δα πτροηίθηι, οἱ ΘΑ πη άθῃ 1Π|8Π| 5. Π}}}|6 Ὁ [Αγ πα βοἀ οἱ οἱ μμ}ἀδεὶεἰ ρᾷν 580 ἰ Εἰἱνίου "5 Ια σίπιι8, δα α οἱ νὲς → νες; ὑπομένοντες 0 Εἰ πόνον → ὑπομένοντες πόνον; “ (οῃ. νι, 14, 48. → .

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 7.7 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-7

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

7.8PG 83

μὲν γὰρ πόνων οἱ δοῦλοι κοινωνοὺς ἔχουσι τοὺς δεσπότας, τῶν δὲ φροντίδων τοῖς δεσπόταις οὐ χοινωνοῦσιν. Εἰ δ᾽ ὁ μὲν πόνος κοινὸς δούλων καὶ δεσποτῶν, ἡ δὲ φροντὶς ἰδία τῶν δεσποτῶν, πῶς οὐ μακαρίους κρίνομεν τοὺς τῶν φροντίδων ἀπηλλαγμένους, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀθλίοις ἐγχαταλέγομεν; Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἄντικρυς ἐδείχθη κἀνταῦθα τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Κηδεμόνος ἧ πρόνοια, φέρε τῶν εἰρημένων ἕχαστον εἰς ὃν συναγαγόντες, ἀναχεφαλαιωσώμεθά τε, καὶ σαφεστέραν αὑτῶν τὴν κατανόησιν ποιησώμεθα. ᾿Απεδείξαμεν τοίνυν, ὡς μίαν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ Ποιητὴς ἐδημιούργησε φύσιν, καὶ ταύτην αὐτεξουσίας λόγῳ τετίμηκεν " εἶτα ὅτι εἰς οὐ δέον αὕτη τῷ αὐθαιρέτῳ τῆς γνώμης χρησαμένη ἔῤῥεψεν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον, εἰς μυρία τε πλημμελημάτων ἐξώχειλεν εἴδη. Ἔδει τοιγαροῦν νόμοις ἀναχαιτίσαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν ῥύμην, οἱ δὲ νόμοι τῶν τιθέντων ἐδέοντο. Διῃρέθη τοίνυν ἀναγκαίως διχῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις" καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄρχειν ἐτάχθησαν, οἱ δὲ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὑπακούειν᾽" ἵνα τῶν νόμων ὁ φόδος, καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων τὸ δέος, τὴν πολλὴν τῆς κακίας χαταπαύσῃ φοράν. "Άρχουσι τοιγαροῦν πόλεων μὲν, ἄρχοντες" κωμῶν δὲ, κηδεμόνες " στρατηγοὶ, στρατείας " καὶ τούτων δὲ χἀχείνιυν φὲ βασιλεῖς" τῆς νηὸς, ὁ χυθερνήτης᾽ τῶν. ἀθλητῶν, οἱ παιδοτρίθαι - ὃ γραμματιστὴς, τῶν μειρακίων" ὃ σκυτοτόμος, τῶν φοιτητῶν' ὁ χαλχοτύπος ὡσαύτως τῶν παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ μαθεῖν βουλομένων τὴν τέχνην. Ἄρχει τοιγαροῦν καὶ τῆς οἰκίας ὁ δεσπότης. Οὔτε γὰρ οἷόν τε δεσπότου δίχα πράττειν καλῶς οἰκίαν' καὶ μαρτυροῦσιν αἱ τούτων ἐστερημέναι, παντάπασιν ἐρημούμεναι. Ταύτην τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἔχουσι καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων οἱ δῆμοι" διδασκόμεθα γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς, ὡς οὐκ ἀγγέλους ἔχει μόνους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀρχαγγέλους οἰκήτορας ὁ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς ἡ μῶν οὐρανός" καὶ οἱ μὲν προστατεύουσιν, οἱ δὲ ὑπακούουσιν. ΕἸ δὲ καὶ τὸ παρανομίας ἐλεύθερον χωρίον, καὶ ἡ σωμάτων καὶ παθῶν ὑπερτέρα φύσις, ταύτην οὐκ ἢρνήθη τὴν τάξιν, ἀλλ᾽ οἱ μὲν εὐπειθῶς ὑπακούουσιν, οἱ δὲ κοσμίως ἡγεμονεύουδι, τί δυσχεραίνεις, ἄνθρωπε, παρ᾽ ἀνθρώποις βλέπων, ἔνθα πολλὴ περὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἡ ῥοπὴ, τὸ ἄρχον καὶ τὸ ἀρχόμενον; Οἷον γάρ τι φάρμακον ἀλεξίχαχον τοῖς τῆς ἀνομίας ἕλκεσι, τὴν τῶν ἀρχόντων οἰκονομίαν ὁ Ποιητὴς ἐπιτέθειχεν. Ἄρχει καὶ παίδων πατὴρ, καὶ παιδεύει τοὺς παῖδας ἀχολασταίνοντας, καὶ ἐπαινεῖ σωφρονοῦντας. ΓἌρχει παιδίων ὁ διδάσκαλος, καὶ τῆς ὁμόζυγος ὁ ἀνὴρ, καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν ὁ δεσπότῆς, τοὺς μὲν εὐνουστέρους ἀποδεχόμενος, καὶ τιμῆς ἀξιῶν, καὶ θεραπείας, καὶ ἐλευθερίας πολλάκις᾽ τοὺς δὲ νωθεῖς καὶ κακουργεῖν εἰθισμένους παιδεύων, καὶ καλοκαγαθίαν διδάσκων. Ταύτην τὴν τκάξιν καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι δέδωκεν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός" καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἱερωσύνης ἠξίωσεν, τοῖς δὲ τὴν τούτων ἡγεμονίαν ἐπίστευσε' καὶ ἄλλα δὲ εἴδη ταγμά: των ὑπ᾽ ἐκείνους πεποίηκεν. Εἰ δὲ βλέπων ἑνίους τῶν δεσποτῶν, ἄγαν ὠμοὺς, καὶ λίαν ἀκολάστους, καί τινας τῶν ἀρχόντων δώροις ἀπεμπολοῦντας τὸ δίκαιον, προσπταίεις, καὶ τὴν ἀντιλογίαν ὠδίνεις, ἐγώ σου προλαμδάνω τὸν πονηρὸν τῆς δ'ανοίας τόκον, καί φημι, ὡς τοῖς τοιούτοις οὐκ ὁ θεὸς τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐπίστευσεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τῶν ἀρχομένων πονὴρία τὴν τούτων ἀρχὴν ἐπεσπάσατο. "Ὄνησιν γὰρ οὐδεμίαν παρὰ τῶν εὖ καὶ καλῶς εἰσηγησαμένων ἑλκῦσαι θελήσαντες, ἀλλὰ τῇ μοχθηρίᾳ τοῦ τρόπου τὴν ἐχείνων διδασκαλίαν ὑδρίσαντες, τῆς θείας ἐπιμελείας σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀπεστέρησαν" εἶτα τῆς θείας γυμνωθέντες οἰκονομίας, τῶν τοιούτων ἡγεμόνων ἀπήλαυσαν, ἵνα τῇ πείρᾳ τῶν χειρόνων εἰς μνήμην ἔλθωσι τῶν κρειττόνων, καὶ τῆς καλῇς καὶ ἀγαθῆς τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, δι᾽ ὑπερδολὴν τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων πονηρίας τὰς ἡνίας ἐῶντα πολλάκις, καὶ φέρεσθαι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὡς ἂν θέλωσι συγχωροῦντα τὸ γένος.

men gar ponōn hoi douloi koinōnous echousi tous despotas, tōn de phrontidōn tois despotais ou choinōnousin. Ei d᾽ ho men ponos koinos doulōn kai despotōn, hē de phrontis idia tōn despotōn, pōs ou makarious krinomen tous tōn phrontidōn apēllagmenous, alla tois athliois enchatalegomen? Epeidē toinyn antikrys edeichthē kantautha tou tōn holōn Kēdemonos hē pronoia, phere tōn eirēmenōn hechaston eis hon synagagontes, anachephalaiōsōmetha te, kai saphesteran hautōn tēn katanoēsin poiēsōmetha. ᾿Apedeixamen toinyn, hōs mian ex archēs ho Poiētēs edēmiourgēse physin, kai tautēn autexousias logǭ tetimēken " eita hoti eis ou deon hautē tǭ authairetǭ tēs gnōmēs chrēsamenē errhepsen epi to cheiron, eis myria te plēmmelēmatōn exōcheilen eidē. Edei toigaroun nomois anachaitisai tēs hamartias tēn rhymēn, hoi de nomoi tōn tithentōn edeonto. Dię̄rethē toinyn anankaiōs dichę̄ tōn anthrōpōn hē physis" kai hoi men archein etachthēsan, hoi de tois archousin hypakouein᾽" hina tōn nomōn ho phodos, kai tōn archontōn to deos, tēn pollēn tēs kakias chatapausę̄ phoran. "Archousi toigaroun poleōn men, archontes" kōmōn de, kēdemones " stratēgoi, strateias " kai toutōn de chacheiniyn phe basileis" tēs nēos, ho chythernētēs᾽ tōn. athlētōn, hoi paidotrithai - ho grammatistēs, tōn meirakiōn" ho skytotomos, tōn phoitētōn' ho chalchotypos hōsautōs tōn par᾽ autou mathein boulomenōn tēn technēn. Archei toigaroun kai tēs oikias ho despotēs. Oute gar hoion te despotou dicha prattein kalōs oikian' kai martyrousin hai toutōn esterēmenai, pantapasin erēmoumenai. Tautēn tēn hēgemonian echousi kai tōn angelōn hoi dēmoi" didaskometha gar hypo tēs theias Graphēs, hōs ouk angelous echei monous, alla kai archangelous oikētoras ho hyper kephalēs hē mōn ouranos" kai hoi men prostateuousin, hoi de hypakouousin. EI de kai to paranomias eleutheron chōrion, kai hē sōmatōn kai pathōn hypertera physis, tautēn ouk ērnēthē tēn taxin, all᾽ hoi men eupeithōs hypakouousin, hoi de kosmiōs hēgemoneuoudi, ti dyscheraineis, anthrōpe, par᾽ anthrōpois blepōn, entha pollē peri to cheiron hē rhopē, to archon kai to archomenon? Hoion gar ti pharmakon alexichachon tois tēs anomias helkesi, tēn tōn archontōn oikonomian ho Poiētēs epitetheichen. Archei kai paidōn patēr, kai paideuei tous paidas acholastainontas, kai epainei sōphronountas. GArchei paidiōn ho didaskalos, kai tēs homozygos ho anēr, kai tōn oiketōn ho despotēs, tous men eunousterous apodechomenos, kai timēs axiōn, kai therapeias, kai eleutherias pollakis᾽ tous de nōtheis kai kakourgein eithismenous paideuōn, kai kalokagathian didaskōn. Tautēn tēn tkaxin kai tois hiereusi dedōken ho tōn holōn Theos" kai tous men hierōsynēs ēxiōsen, tois de tēn toutōn hēgemonian episteuse' kai alla de eidē tagma: tōn hyp᾽ ekeinous pepoiēken. Ei de blepōn henious tōn despotōn, agan ōmous, kai lian akolastous, kai tinas tōn archontōn dōrois apempolountas to dikaion, prosptaieis, kai tēn antilogian ōdineis, egō sou prolamdanō ton ponēron tēs d'anoias tokon, kai phēmi, hōs tois toioutois ouk ho theos tēn hēgemonian episteusen, all᾽ hē tōn archomenōn ponēria tēn toutōn archēn epespasato. "Onēsin gar oudemian para tōn eu kai kalōs eisēgēsamenōn helkysai thelēsantes, alla tę̄ mochthērią tou tropou tēn echeinōn didaskalian hydrisantes, tēs theias epimeleias sphas autous apesterēsan" eita tēs theias gymnōthentes oikonomias, tōn toioutōn hēgemonōn apēlausan, hina tę̄ peirą tōn cheironōn eis mnēmēn elthōsi tōn kreittonōn, kai tēs kalę̄s kai agathēs ton tōn holōn Theon, di᾽ hyperdolēn tēs tōn anthrōpōn ponērias tas hēnias eōnta pollakis, kai pheresthai tōn anthrōpōn hōs an thelōsi synchōrounta to genos.

For slaves have their masters as partners in labor, but they do not share their masters' cares. If, then, labor is common to slaves and masters, but care belongs to masters alone, how do we not judge blessed those who are freed from cares, but count them among the wretched? Since, then, the providence of the guardian of all things has been plainly shown here too, come, let us gather each point into one, sum it up, and make the understanding of it clearer. We have shown, then, that the Maker from the beginning created one nature and honored it with the gift of free will; then that this nature, using the freedom of its judgment wrongly, inclined to the worse and ran aground into countless kinds of offences. Laws were therefore needed to rein in the rush of sin, and the laws needed those who establish them. So human nature was necessarily divided in two: some were appointed to rule, others to obey the rulers, so that the fear of the laws and the dread of the rulers might stop the great rush of vice. Magistrates, then, rule cities; overseers villages; generals armies; and kings both; the pilot the ship; trainers the athletes; the schoolmaster the boys; the shoemaker his pupils; the coppersmith likewise those who wish to learn his art from him. So the master also rules the household. For a household cannot prosper without a master; and those deprived of one bear witness, being utterly desolate. The peoples of the angels too have this government; for we are taught by the divine Scripture that the heaven above our heads has as inhabitants not angels only but also archangels; and some preside, others obey. If, then, even the place free from lawlessness, the nature superior to bodies and passions, has not refused this order, but some obey readily and others rule decorously, why are you vexed, man, to see ruler and ruled among human beings, where the inclination to the worse is great? For the Maker has applied the dispensation of rulers like a protective medicine to the wounds of lawlessness. A father rules his children, disciplines them when they are licentious, and praises them when they are self-controlled. The teacher rules children, the husband his wife, the master his servants, welcoming the more loyal and counting them worthy of honor, care, and often freedom, while disciplining the sluggish and those accustomed to wrongdoing and teaching them goodness. The God of all has given this order to the priests too: some he counted worthy of the priesthood, to others he entrusted rule over them, and he made other kinds of ranks under them. But if, seeing some masters very cruel and very licentious, and some magistrates selling justice for gifts, you stumble and are in labor with your objection, I anticipate the wicked offspring of your mind and say that God did not entrust rule to such men, but the wickedness of the ruled drew their rule upon themselves. For unwilling to draw any benefit from those who instructed them well and rightly, but insulting their teaching by the depravity of their character, they deprived themselves of God's care; then, stripped of the divine dispensation, they got such rulers, so that by the experience of the worse they might come to remember the better, and … the good and gracious … God of all, who because of the excess of human wickedness often lets go the reins and allows the human race to be carried along as it wishes.

1 Thess 4:16 (echo, low confidence) · Hos 13:11 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret sums up: God made one free nature; sin made laws and rulers necessary, as in cities, armies, households, angels, and the priesthood; and evil rulers are allowed by God as a consequence of the wickedness of the ruled.

"The husband his wife", "the master his servants": Theodoret lists the household authorities of his time; translated as written.
Words are lost in the OCR in "and … the good and gracious … God of all" (probably a prayer to God for his good care); marked … and not supplied. Long debris from Migne's Latin column and a leaked footnote are removed.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (debris and a leaked footnote inside the word δεσπότας; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek): ραν, οἱ δ Βουϑ μι 6. π. 16 συγ δυΐθῃ! Α → ; δεμε, Ἰ]ἰη γα οἱ Ὠὶ οἱ β᾽ πη 116 }Ὁ πη τὰ γὸγεγο Ἰοσαβ, οἱ (Δ φο] τα π}) ἢδίητα, αυ8 υἱ τὶοῦ οἱ ΐ τη ἀὸἴω οὐ δέον. ἰδὶά. οὐδέν. εἰ. ἰδ] ἀ4. οἱ. σπότας → δεσπότας; Α τίυμη σοΟπογράϊ ἀϊ! : → ; πἰδὲ 1051 πιο ]]ο8 ἰγαοίδγίηϊ, ἀν᾽ πἃ σα Γᾶ Βα → ; Ὦ 6] οτὰπὶ τοοογἀλγοηίυν, οἴ → .

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 7.8 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-8

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

7.9PG 83

Καὶ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς αὐτὸς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου διδάσκων, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἔλεγε" ε« Καὶ εἶπον" Οὐ ποιμανῶ ὑμᾶς" τὸ ἀποθνῆσκον ἀποθνησχέτω, καὶ τὸ ἀπολλύμενον ἀπολλύσθω, καὶ τὰ κατάλοιπα χατἐσθιέτω ἕχαστος τὰς σάρκας τοῦ πλησίον αὑτοῦ.» Χρὴ τοιγαροῦν, ἀρχόντων πονηρῶν ἡγουμένων, καὶ δεσποτῶν ὠμῶν καὶ πικρῶν οἰκίας χυδερνώντων, τὸν τῶν ὅλων Πρύτανιν ἱκετεύειν, καὶ τῇ τοῦ βίου μεταδολῇ, καὶ τῇ τῶν τρόπων ἐναλλαγῇ, Ὡλεώ τε «οιεῖν, καὶ εἰς ἐπικουρίαν ἐγείρειν, καὶ θερμῶς ἱκετεύειν τὴν τοῦ καιροῦ δυσκολίαν μεταδαλεῖν. Ὅτι γὰρ ὑπακούει ῥᾳδίως τοῖς εἰλικρινῶς ἀντιόολοῦσιν, ἀγαθός τε ὧν, καὶ ἐλεεῖν πεφυκὼς, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐλέους τυγχάνων πηγὴ, αὐτὸς μάρτυς τοῖς οὕτως ἱχετεύουσιν ὑπισχνούμενος, καὶ λέγων, ὅτι ε Καλέσεις, ἐγὼ δέ σου ὑπαχούσομαι" ἔτι λαλοῦντός σου ἐρῶ: Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. ν Ὅτι δὲ οὐδὲ οἱ λίαν παράνομοι, καὶ δυσσεδείᾳ πάντας ἀποκρύψαι φιλονειχήσαντες, οἷόν τε λωδᾶσθαι τοὺς τὸ λογικὸν ἐῤῥωμένους, καὶ τῆς εὐσεδείας ὑπάρχοντας ἐραστὰς, διὰ τοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα λόγον, σὺν Θεῷ φάναι, δηλώσομεν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ παρόντος τὸν καὶ κοινὰς καὶ ἰδίας τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δωρεὰς χορηγοῦντα, καὶ μυρίοις ὅσοις ἀγαθοῖς τὸ ἡμέτερον περιχλύζοντα γένος, ὑμνήσωμεν. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ᾿Αμήν,

Kai touto hēmas autos dia tou prophētou didaskōn, kai pros ton Israēl elege" e« Kai eipon" Ou poimanō hymas" to apothnēskon apothnēschetō, kai to apollymenon apollysthō, kai ta kataloipa chatesthietō hechastos tas sarkas tou plēsion hautou.» Chrē toigaroun, archontōn ponērōn hēgoumenōn, kai despotōn ōmōn kai pikrōn oikias chydernōntōn, ton tōn holōn Prytanin hiketeuein, kai tę̄ tou biou metadolę̄, kai tę̄ tōn tropōn enallagę̄, Hōleō te «oiein, kai eis epikourian egeirein, kai thermōs hiketeuein tēn tou kairou dyskolian metadalein. Hoti gar hypakouei rhądiōs tois eilikrinōs antioolousin, agathos te hōn, kai eleein pephykōs, mallon de eleous tynchanōn pēgē, autos martys tois houtōs hicheteuousin hypischnoumenos, kai legōn, hoti e Kaleseis, egō de sou hypachousomai" eti lalountos sou erō: Idou pareimi. n Hoti de oude hoi lian paranomoi, kai dyssedeią pantas apokrypsai philoneichēsantes, hoion te lōdasthai tous to logikon errhōmenous, kai tēs eusedeias hyparchontas erastas, dia tou meta tauta logon, syn Theǭ phanai, dēlōsomen. Epi de tou parontos ton kai koinas kai idias tois anthrōpois dōreas chorēgounta, kai myriois hosois agathois to hēmeteron perichlyzonta genos, hymnēsōmen. Autǭ hē doxa eis tous aiōnas. ᾿Amēn,

And teaching us this himself through the prophet, he said to Israel: "And I said, I will not shepherd you; what is dying, let it die; what is perishing, let it perish; and let those that are left eat each the flesh of his neighbor." When wicked magistrates lead and cruel and harsh masters govern households, then, we must entreat the ruler of all things, and by a change of life and a reform of conduct make him gracious, rouse him to help, and fervently entreat him to change the hardship of the time. For that he easily hears those who sincerely entreat him, being good and merciful by nature, or rather being the spring of mercy, he himself bears witness, promising those who entreat him in this way and saying: "You will call, and I will hear you; while you are still speaking I will say, 'Here I am.'" And that not even the very lawless, who have striven to hide everyone in impiety, can harm those who are strong in reason and lovers of piety, we will show, God willing, in the next discourse. For the present, let us praise the one who supplies to human beings gifts both common and particular and floods our race with countless good things. To him be glory to the ages. Amen.

Zech 11:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 58:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 65:24 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Under wicked rulers and cruel masters, Christians should change their lives and pray, for God hears those who call on him; Theodoret ends the seventh discourse promising to show that slavery cannot harm the pious.

"I will not shepherd you …": Zech 11:9. "You will call, and I will hear you …": Isa 58:9 (compare 65:24).

Topics: Prayer

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 7.9 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/7-9

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-de-providentia-7-9) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.