On Providence (ten orations) 9.4–10.1
Greek text: PG 83.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 9
9.4PG 83
Καὶ ὁ χυδερνήτης τοὺς λιμένας περισκοπῶν, τῶν κυμάτων κατατολμᾷ, καὶ τῇ τοῦ κέρδους ἐπιθυμίᾳ ψυχαγωγούμενος, φέρει τῶν χαταἰγίδων τὰς προσδολάς. Καὶ ὁ σκυτοτόμος δὲ;,, καὶ ὁ χαλχοτύπος, καὶ ἅπας τέχνην τινὰ μεταχειριζόμενὸς, τὸ τέλος τῶν πόνων προσδέχεται, καὶ τὴν τῆς ὠφελείας ἐλπίδα τῇ περὶ τὴν τέχνην ταλαιπωρίᾳ παραζευγνὺς, ἡδονὴν ἔχει τοῖς ἱδρῶσι αυγκεχραμένην. Μόνην δὲ, ὡς ἔοικε, τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς, εἴτε τέχνην τις ὀνομάζειν ἐθέλοι, εἴτε ἐπιστήμην ἐπὶ ἀγῶνας καὶ ἄθλους, εἴτε γεωργίαν καὶ φυτουργίαν, οὐκ ἔχειν τέλος χρηστὸν ἐν χαιρῷ τῶν πόνων ψυχαγωγῆσαι δυνάμενον; ᾿Αλλὰ μάτην μὲν σωφρωνοῦσιν οἱ σώφρονες, καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς καὶ ποικίλοις ἀνταγωνίζονται πάθεσι, τὴν τούτων πυρὰν χατασδέσαι κοῦντες: Μάτην δὲ οἱ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐργάται τῇ ἀδικίᾳ πυχτεύουσι, τῶν τε ἀλλοτρίων ἀπεχόμενοι, καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα προϊέμενοι; "Αχρήστος δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀνδρείας ἣ κτῆσις τοῖς μετιοῦσιν " γενναίως γὰρ φέροντες τὰ προσπίπτοντα λυπηρὰ, τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην οὐκ ἔχουσιν: ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστιν. ᾿Αξιάγαστον γὰρ καὶ ἀξιόχτητον τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ κτῇμα. Καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ὑμεῖς ἂν φαίητε, ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ συγειδότος ἀνάγκης ὠθούμενοι. Ἐμπέφυχε γὰρ αὕτη τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἧ γνῶσις, καὶ οὐ δεῖται τῶν ταύτης λαχόντων τὴν κτῇσιν οὐδεὶς, λόγων ἐπεισάχτων, ἣ θεόθεν φερομένων, ἣ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων προσφερομένων ἀπόχρη γὰρ ὁ ἔμφντος λόγος εἰς τὴν τούτων διδασκαλίαν. Μαρτυροῦσι δὲ οἱ τῆς κακίας ἐργάται, καὰ χρύδδην αὐτὴν μετιόντες, καὶ ἐὰν φωραθῶσιν, ἀπολογίας σφίσιν αὐτοῖς μηχανώμενοι. Καὶ καὶ μοιχοὶ, καὶ ἀνδροφόνοι, καὶ οἱ τὰ τούτων συγγενῆ μετιέναι τολμῶντες, σκότῳ συνεργῷ κεχρημένοι, ταῦτα ποιεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν τις πειραθείη τούτων τι δράσαι, σύμμαχον λαμθάνει τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν ἐρημίαν. Οὐκοῦν, δι᾿ ὧν λανθάνειν πειρῶνται, δηλοῦσιν ἣν ἔχουσι περὶ τῶν γινοἱλένων διάκρισιν. Θὺ γὰρ ἂν ἔλαθον, εἰ χαλὰ ποιεῖν ὑπέλαδον λανθάνειν δὲ πειρώμενοι, καὶ τὸ φωραθῆναι δειμαίνοντες, ὁμολογοῦσιν ὡς πονηρὰ τὰ γινόμενα. Οὐκοῦν ἴστε καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὦ λίαν ἀχάριστοι, ὡς ἀγαθὴ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἧ κτῆσις, καὶ ὡς μάλα πολλοὺς ἔχει πόνους συνεζευγμένους. Προσήκει τοίνυν τὴν παρὰ πάντων ἐπαινουμένην, καὶ τῶν οἰκείων, καὶ ὃ τῶν ἀντιπάλων, καὶ μετὰ πολλῶν πόνων χαρπουμένην, ἀξίας ἔχειν τὰς ἀντιδόσεις. ᾿Αλλ ὁρῶμεν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, πολλοὺς μὲν ταύτην αἱρουμένους, καὶ πολλῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς πόνων ἀνεχομένους, οὐ πάν-τας δὲ ἐπαίνου τινὸς καὶ τιμῆς δι᾽ αὐτὴν ἀπολαύοντας " ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν ὡς ταύτης ἐραστὰς ἐν τοῖς τοὺς γινομένους, καὶ μετὰ τελευτὴν ἀείμνηστον ἐσχηκότας τὸ κλέος " τοὺς δὲ, παντάπασιν ἀγνοουμένους καὶ κρυπτομένους, καὶ μαργαρίτῃ ἕτι τῷ βυθῷ χαλυπτομένῳ, καὶ τῷ ὀστρείῳ μένῳ. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ὁρῶντες, σχοπώμεθα παρ᾽ ἡμῖν
Kai ho chydernētēs tous limenas periskopōn, tōn kymatōn katatolmą, kai tę̄ tou kerdous epithymią psychagōgoumenos, pherei tōn chataigidōn tas prosdolas. Kai ho skytotomos de?,, kai ho chalchotypos, kai hapas technēn tina metacheirizomenos, to telos tōn ponōn prosdechetai, kai tēn tēs ōpheleias elpida tę̄ peri tēn technēn talaipōrią parazeugnys, hēdonēn echei tois hidrōsi aunkechramenēn. Monēn de, hōs eoike, tēn tēs aretēs, eite technēn tis onomazein etheloi, eite epistēmēn epi agōnas kai athlous, eite geōrgian kai phytourgian, ouk echein telos chrēston en chairǭ tōn ponōn psychagōgēsai dynamenon? ᾿Alla matēn men sōphrōnousin hoi sōphrones, kai tois pollois kai poikilois antagōnizontai pathesi, tēn toutōn pyran chatasdesai kountes: Matēn de hoi tēs dikaiosynēs ergatai tę̄ adikią pychteuousi, tōn te allotriōn apechomenoi, kai ta oikeia proïemenoi? "Achrēstos de kai tēs andreias hē ktēsis tois metiousin " gennaiōs gar pherontes ta prospiptonta lypēra, ton agōnothetēn ouk echousin: ᾿All᾽ ouk esti tauta, ouk estin. ᾿Axiagaston gar kai axiochtēton tēs aretēs to ktę̄ma. Kai touto kai hymeis an phaiēte, hypo tēs tou sygeidotos anankēs ōthoumenoi. Empephyche gar hautē tois anthrōpois hē gnōsis, kai ou deitai tōn tautēs lachontōn tēn ktę̄sin oudeis, logōn epeisachtōn, hē theothen pheromenōn, hē para anthrōpōn prospheromenōn apochrē gar ho emphntos logos eis tēn toutōn didaskalian. Martyrousi de hoi tēs kakias ergatai, kaa chryddēn autēn metiontes, kai ean phōrathōsin, apologias sphisin autois mēchanōmenoi. Kai kai moichoi, kai androphonoi, kai hoi ta toutōn syngenē metienai tolmōntes, skotǭ synergǭ kechrēmenoi, tauta poiein epicheirousin. Ei de kai meth᾽ hēmeran tis peiratheiē toutōn ti drasai, symmachon lamthanei tōn anthrōpōn tēn erēmian. Oukoun, di᾿ hōn lanthanein peirōntai, dēlousin hēn echousi peri tōn ginoilenōn diakrisin. Thy gar an elathon, ei chala poiein hypeladon lanthanein de peirōmenoi, kai to phōrathēnai deimainontes, homologousin hōs ponēra ta ginomena. Oukoun iste kai hymeis, ō lian acharistoi, hōs agathē tēs aretēs hē ktēsis, kai hōs mala pollous echei ponous synezeugmenous. Prosēkei toinyn tēn para pantōn epainoumenēn, kai tōn oikeiōn, kai ho tōn antipalōn, kai meta pollōn ponōn charpoumenēn, axias echein tas antidoseis. ᾿All horōmen kata ton paronta bion, pollous men tautēn hairoumenous, kai pollōn hyper autēs ponōn anechomenous, ou pan-tas de epainou tinos kai timēs di᾽ autēn apolauontas " alla tous men hōs tautēs erastas en tois tous ginomenous, kai meta teleutēn aeimnēston eschēkotas to kleos " tous de, pantapasin agnooumenous kai kryptomenous, kai margaritę̄ heti tǭ bythǭ chalyptomenǭ, kai tǭ ostreiǭ menǭ. Tauta toinyn horōntes, schopōmetha par᾽ hēmin
And the pilot, looking out for harbors, dares the waves, and cheered by the desire for gain, bears the onsets of the squalls. And the shoemaker, the coppersmith, and everyone who practises some art expects the end of his labors, and yoking the hope of benefit to the hardship of his art, has pleasure blended with his sweat. Is virtue alone, then, whether one wishes to call it an art, or a knowledge directed to contests and prizes, or farming and planting, to have no good end able to cheer its labors in due time? Are the self-controlled self-controlled in vain, contending against many and varied passions, … to quench their pyre? Do the workers of justice box against injustice in vain, keeping away from what belongs to others and giving up what is their own? Is the possession of courage useless to those who pursue it, since, bearing nobly the painful things that befall them, they have no president of the games? But it is not so, it is not so. For the possession of virtue is admirable and worth acquiring. And you too would say this, driven by the compulsion of conscience. For this knowledge is implanted in human beings, and none of those who have received it needs words imported, whether from God or offered by men; for the inborn reason is enough to teach these things. And the workers of vice bear witness, pursuing it in secret and, if they are caught, contriving defenses for themselves. Both … and adulterers and murderers, and those who dare to practise things akin to these, try to do them with darkness as their helper. And if anyone tries to do any of these by day, he takes the absence of people as his ally. So by the very means by which they try to escape notice, they show the discernment they have about what they do. For they would not have hidden, if they had thought they were doing fine things; by trying to escape notice and fearing to be caught, they confess that what they do is wicked. So you too know, very ungrateful men, that the possession of virtue is good, and that it has very many labors yoked to it. It is fitting, then, that what is praised by all, both its own and its opponents, and reaped with many labors, should have worthy recompenses. But we see in the present life many choosing it and enduring many labors for it, yet not all enjoying any praise or honor on its account; but some, as its lovers, becoming … in their lives and having undying fame after death, while others are altogether unknown and hidden, like a pearl still covered by the deep and hidden in its oyster. Seeing these things, then, let us consider
John 3:20 (echo, low confidence) · Rom 2:15 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Every craftsman labors for a reward, and conscience, which makes wrongdoers hide, shows that virtue is good and deserves recompense; yet in this life many virtuous people go unknown.
- Words are lost in the OCR in "… to quench their pyre", in "Both … and adulterers" (probably "thieves"), and in "becoming … in their lives"; marked … and not supplied. Leaked footnotes and debris from Migne's Latin column are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (debris from Migne's Latin column; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; part of a word is lost with it; leaked footnote; stray marks inside the word φωραθῶσιν): σωφροσύνην. τρόφων. μισϑὸν. → ; Α οοπρτεάϊ δυάεί, εἰ ᾿υοτὶ ουρί → ; ἤθη οἱ πὶ ἴδοι! οὔτι π] οί η ται οἱ 85 ἰπάϊχοϊ. Ἰπροπὶδ οπΐ ἢ) πο) ὶβ γδίῖο δὰ που ἀθ → ; φω- (᾽, ραθῶσιν → φωραθῶσιν; δά οὶ, Ὠοιαιοϊ δ, οἱ υἱ 408 80 οἱ οἱ δίῃ γα, οἱ πηλγραγιί πῃ ργοδιπάύο-. δά πο ἀομίδδοθηιϊ!, οἱ υἱ Α → ; οἱ ἀΐ δία οὐαυ]- 460 ἤθη Αἀἰην 38. → .
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 9.4 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-4
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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.
9.5PG 83
αὑτοῖς, τί δήποτε τῶν τὰ θεῖα περὶ πολλοῦ ποιουμένων, τινὲς μὲν εἰσὶ λίαν ἐπίσημοι, τινὲς δὲ παντελῶς ἄσημοι " εἶτα λογιζώμεθα, ὡς δίκαιος ὧν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Ποιητὴς καὶ Κριτῆς, τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀγωνισταῖς ἀγωνοθετήσει δικαίως, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέξεται παραφθεῖραι τὸ δίκαιον ἡ τοῦ δικαίου τρυτάνη. “Ἔπειτα καὶ τούτους κἀκείνους τετελευτηκότας ὁρῶντες, καὶ τοὺς μὲν μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐκλείας, τοὺς δὲ λίαν εὐτελῶς, ὡς τῶν τυχόντων τινὰς, λογιζώμεθα πάλιν, ὡς ἕτερόν τινα βίον ηὐτρέπισεν, ἐν ᾧ πρὸς ἀξίαν τοὺς εὖ βεδιωχότας ἀμείδεται. Δι᾿ ὧν μὲν γὰρ ἐνίους περιφάνους" τῷ δὲ μὴ πάντας κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον λαμπροὺς ἀποφῆναι καὶ περιδλέπτους, τὸν προσδοκώμενον βίον παραγυμνοῖ. Καὶ γίνεται ἡ μὲν περὶ ἐνίους τιμὴ, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνης σημεῖον" τὸ δὲ μὴ πάντας τοὺς τούτων ἐργάτας τῶν ἴσων μεταλαγχάνειν, τὸν μέλλοντα βίον τεχμηριοῖ, καὶ βεδαιοῖ τὴν τῶν προσδοκωμένων ἐλπίδα. Τούτου χάριν οὐ πάντας ἀνακηρύττει κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, τοὺς εὖ καὶ καλῶς βεδιωχότας τῶν ὅλων ὁ Πρύτανις, οὐδὲ πάντας ὡσαύτως κολάζει τοὺς κακίᾳ συνεζηκότας ᾿ ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν παραδίδωσι τιμωρίᾳ, καὶ τῆς ψήφου τὸ δίκαιον παραδεικνὺς, καὶ διὰ τούτων τοὺς λοιποὺς δεδιττόμενος, καὶ εἰς μεταμέλειαν προκαλοῦμενος μὴ πάντας δὲ ἀφανίζων τοὺς τῆς πονηρίας ἐργάτας, πάλιν ἡμῖν τὸν μέλλοντα προσημαίνει βίον. Εἰ δὲ μηδεὶς ἕτερός ἐστι βίος μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκδημίαν, ἠδίκηνται μὲν ἄντικρυς οἱ κολασθέντες ἐνθάδε, τῶν ἄλλων δισ πεφενγότων τὴν δίκην" ἠδίκηνται δὲ προφανῶς λίαν οἱ φιλοσοφίαν μὲν ἀσπαζόμενοι, θεραπείας δὲ διὰ ταύτην ἣ τιμῆς οὐδεμιᾶς ἀπολαύοντες, τῶν ἄλλων ὅμοια μὲν ἐν βίῳ κατωρθωκότων, ἐν εὐκλείᾳ δὲ πολλῇ τὸν βίον διεξελ- ᾿θόντων. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἄδικον ὀνομάζειν τὴν τῆς δικαιοσύνης πηγὴν, πάσης ἐστὶ βλασφημίας ἑπέκεινα, καὶ οὐδεμίαν μανίας ὑπερδολὴν καταλείπει. Εἰ δὲ δίκαιος, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ δίκαιος, ὁ τῶν ὅλων Ἔφορος, καὶ ὁρᾷ τὰ γινόμενα, καὶ κρίνει δικαίως, καὶ ἴσως κατέχει τὰ τῆς δίκης ζυγὰ, κἂν κλῖναι θελήσῃ, φιλανθρωπίας ψῆφον, ἀλλ᾽ οὖκ ἀδικίας προστίθησιν " ἔστιν ἕτερος βίος, ἐν ᾧ καὶ οἱ διαφνγόντες τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐνθάδε, τὰς ἀξίας τίσουσι δίκας, καὶ οἱ τιμῆς οὐδεμιᾶς κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον ὑπὲρ τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀπολαύσαντες πόνων, χομιοῦνται τῶν ἱδρώτων τὰς ἀντιδόσεις. ᾿Αλλὰ τυχὸν καὶ ὑμεῖς ἂν συνομολογήσητε. Καὶ γὰρ ᾿Ἑλλήνων παῖδες, οὐ προφήτην, οὐκ ἀπόστολον, οὐκ εὐαγγελιστὴν δεξάμενοι κήρυκα, ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως μόνης ποδηγηθέντες, ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν ὑπέλαθον, εἰ καὶ πολὺν ὑπέμειναν πλάνον, τὸ μυθῶδες ταῖς ἀληθέσιν ἐγχαταλέξαντες δόξαις " ἐπεὶ καὶ ποιηταὶ, καὶ φιλόσοφοι, καὶ πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων κολάσεις, καὶ δικαίων ἀνδρῶν θεραπείας μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκδημίαν ἔσεσθαι, καὶ ἐπίστευσαν καὶ ἐδίδαξαν, καὶ τὴν τῆς διδααχαλίας μνήμην διὰ τῶν συγγραμμάτων κατέλιπον. Εἰκὸς τοίνυν καὶ ὑμᾶς, καὶ τῇ φύσει πειθομένους, κἀκεῖνα δεδιδαγμένους, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρτίως εἰρημένων συνωθουμένους, συμφῆῇσαι, καὶ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν ὁμολογῆσαι" μόνων δὲ τῶν ψυχῶν, ἣ ἄνεσιν, ἣ κόλασιν ὑποπτεῦσαι γενήσεσθαι, τὸ δὲ σῶμα οὕτως ἐῤῥίφθαι, τῇ σηπεδόνι παραδεδομένον, ὡς ἄχρηστον παντελῶς καὶ ἄλογον. “Καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι λάγον, μετὰ τοῦ σώματος τὴν ψυχὴν ἀγωνισαμένην καὶ νικήσασαν, μόνην στεφανωθῆναι, ἣ τούτου ἐστερημένην, μόνην κολάσει παραδοθῆναι; Εἴποι γὰρ ἂν εἰκότως πρὸς τὸν κριτὴν ἡ κολαζομένη" Οὐ μόνη τοὺς σοὺς, ὦ Δέσποτα, παραὀέδηχα νόμους, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τοῦ σώματος εἰς τοὺς τῆς κακίας σχοπέλους ἐξώκειλα " μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ δεῖ τἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, ἐκεῖνό με εἰς τὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁμμάτων, εὐνὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἐσύλησα, ὥραν περιειργασάμην ἑτέρῳ προσήκουσαν" κτημάτων καὶ χρημάτων ἐπεθύμησα, τούτων με βλέπειν ἀναγχαζόντωνἐντεῦθεν εἰς τὸν τῆς ἀδικίας ἐξέπεσα βυθόν" τὰ γὰρ τούτου με χατεδούλωσε πάθη, καὶ ἣν ἔδωκας ἐλευθερίαν ἀφείλοντο" θεραπεύειν γὰρ ἠναγχαζόμην ὡς ὁμοφυὲς καὶ ὁμόδουλον, καὶ ταῖς τούτου χρείαις ὑπῃρετεῖν. Ἢ γαστὴρ πρὸς γαστριμαργίαν χατήπειγεν, ἡ δὲ γαστριμαργία τὴν ἀδδηφαγίαν εἰργάζετο, ἡ δὲ ἀδδηφαγία τὰς τῆς ἀδικίας ὥδινεν ἐπινοίας. Δυ-
hautois, ti dēpote tōn ta theia peri pollou poioumenōn, tines men eisi lian episēmoi, tines de pantelōs asēmoi " eita logizōmetha, hōs dikaios hōn ho tōn holōn Poiētēs kai Kritēs, tois oikeiois agōnistais agōnothetēsei dikaiōs, kai ouk anexetai paraphtheirai to dikaion hē tou dikaiou trytanē. “Epeita kai toutous kakeinous teteleutēkotas horōntes, kai tous men meta pollēs tēs eukleias, tous de lian eutelōs, hōs tōn tychontōn tinas, logizōmetha palin, hōs heteron tina bion ēutrepisen, en hǭ pros axian tous eu bediōchotas ameidetai. Di᾿ hōn men gar enious periphanous" tǭ de mē pantas kata ton paronta bion lamprous apophēnai kai peridleptous, ton prosdokōmenon bion paragymnoi. Kai ginetai hē men peri enious timē, tēs tou Theou dikaiosynēs sēmeion" to de mē pantas tous toutōn ergatas tōn isōn metalanchanein, ton mellonta bion techmērioi, kai bedaioi tēn tōn prosdokōmenōn elpida. Toutou charin ou pantas anakēryttei kata ton paronta bion, tous eu kai kalōs bediōchotas tōn holōn ho Prytanis, oude pantas hōsautōs kolazei tous kakią synezēkotas ᾿ alla tous men paradidōsi timōrią, kai tēs psēphou to dikaion paradeiknys, kai dia toutōn tous loipous dedittomenos, kai eis metameleian prokaloumenos mē pantas de aphanizōn tous tēs ponērias ergatas, palin hēmin ton mellonta prosēmainei bion. Ei de mēdeis heteros esti bios meta tēn enteuthen ekdēmian, ēdikēntai men antikrys hoi kolasthentes enthade, tōn allōn dis pephengotōn tēn dikēn" ēdikēntai de prophanōs lian hoi philosophian men aspazomenoi, therapeias de dia tautēn hē timēs oudemias apolauontes, tōn allōn homoia men en biǭ katōrthōkotōn, en eukleią de pollę̄ ton bion diexel- ᾿thontōn. ᾿All᾽ adikon onomazein tēn tēs dikaiosynēs pēgēn, pasēs esti blasphēmias hepekeina, kai oudemian manias hyperdolēn kataleipei. Ei de dikaios, hōsper oun kai dikaios, ho tōn holōn Ephoros, kai horą ta ginomena, kai krinei dikaiōs, kai isōs katechei ta tēs dikēs zyga, kan klinai thelēsę̄, philanthrōpias psēphon, all᾽ ouk adikias prostithēsin " estin heteros bios, en hǭ kai hoi diaphngontes tēn timōrian enthade, tas axias tisousi dikas, kai hoi timēs oudemias kata ton paronta bion hyper tōn tēs aretēs apolausantes ponōn, chomiountai tōn hidrōtōn tas antidoseis. ᾿Alla tychon kai hymeis an synomologēsēte. Kai gar ᾿Hellēnōn paides, ou prophētēn, ouk apostolon, ouk euangelistēn dexamenoi kēryka, hypo tēs physeōs monēs podēgēthentes, tauta houtōs echein hypelathon, ei kai polyn hypemeinan planon, to mythōdes tais alēthesin enchatalexantes doxais " epei kai poiētai, kai philosophoi, kai ponērōn anthrōpōn kolaseis, kai dikaiōn andrōn therapeias meta tēn enteuthen ekdēmian esesthai, kai episteusan kai edidaxan, kai tēn tēs didaachalias mnēmēn dia tōn syngrammatōn katelipon. Eikos toinyn kai hymas, kai tę̄ physei peithomenous, kakeina dedidagmenous, kai hypo tōn artiōs eirēmenōn synōthoumenous, symphēę̄sai, kai tauta houtōs echein homologēsai" monōn de tōn psychōn, hē anesin, hē kolasin hypopteusai genēsesthai, to de sōma houtōs errhiphthai, tę̄ sēpedoni paradedomenon, hōs achrēston pantelōs kai alogon. “Kai pōs an echoi lagon, meta tou sōmatos tēn psychēn agōnisamenēn kai nikēsasan, monēn stephanōthēnai, hē toutou esterēmenēn, monēn kolasei paradothēnai? Eipoi gar an eikotōs pros ton kritēn hē kolazomenē" Ou monē tous sous, ō Despota, paraoedēcha nomous, alla meta tou sōmatos eis tous tēs kakias schopelous exōkeila " mallon de, ei dei talēthes eipein, ekeino me eis to tēs hamartias hommatōn, eunas allotrias esylēsa, hōran perieirgasamēn heterǭ prosēkousan" ktēmatōn kai chrēmatōn epethymēsa, toutōn me blepein ananchazontōnenteuthen eis ton tēs adikias exepesa bython" ta gar toutou me chatedoulōse pathē, kai hēn edōkas eleutherian apheilonto" therapeuein gar ēnanchazomēn hōs homophyes kai homodoulon, kai tais toutou chreiais hypę̄retein. Ē gastēr pros gastrimargian chatēpeigen, hē de gastrimargia tēn addēphagian eirgazeto, hē de addēphagia tas tēs adikias hōdinen epinoias. Dy-
among ourselves why, of those who make much of divine things, some are very distinguished and others altogether obscure; then let us reckon that, since the Maker and Judge of all is just, he will justly preside over the contests for his own contestants, and the scale of justice will not consent to corrupt justice. Then, seeing both kinds die, the one with great glory, the others very cheaply, like ordinary people, let us reckon again that he has prepared another life, in which he will repay worthily those who have lived well. For by making some … famous, … ; and by not making all splendid and admired in the present life, he lays bare the life to come. So the honor shown to some becomes a sign of God's justice, and the fact that not all the workers of these virtues share equally proves the life to come and confirms the hope of what is expected. For this reason the ruler of all does not proclaim in the present life all who have lived well and rightly, nor punish in the same way all who have lived with vice; but some he hands over to punishment, showing the justice of his verdict, frightening the rest through them, and calling them to repentance; and by not destroying all the workers of wickedness, he again signals to us the life to come. If there is no other life after the departure from here, those punished here have plainly been wronged, while the others have escaped justice; and those who embrace philosophy but enjoy no care or honor because of it have very plainly been wronged, while others who achieved the same in life passed through it in great glory. But to call the spring of justice unjust is beyond all blasphemy and leaves no excess of madness. And if the overseer of all is just, as indeed he is just, and sees what happens, judges justly, and holds the scales of justice evenly, and even if he wishes to incline them, adds the weight of love for humankind and not of injustice, then there is another life, in which those who escaped punishment here will pay the penalty they deserve, and those who enjoyed no honor in the present life for the labors of virtue will receive the recompense of their sweat. But perhaps you too would agree. For even the sons of the Greeks, receiving as herald no prophet, no apostle, no evangelist, led by nature alone, supposed these things to be so, though they fell into much error, counting the fabulous among true doctrines; for poets and philosophers both believed and taught that there would be punishments for wicked men and care for just men after the departure from here, and left the memory of their teaching in their writings. It is likely, then, that you too, persuaded by nature, taught those things, and pressed by what has just been said, will agree and confess that these things are so, but suppose that only souls will have either rest or punishment, while the body is thrown away like this, given over to decay as wholly useless and irrational. And how could it make sense for the soul that contended and conquered with the body to be crowned alone, or, deprived of it, to be handed over to punishment alone? For the soul being punished might reasonably say to the judge: "I did not transgress your laws alone, Master, but ran aground on the reefs of vice with the body; or rather, if I must tell the truth, it was the body that … me into … of sin … of the eyes, I robbed others' beds, I meddled with beauty belonging to another; I desired possessions and money, since they compelled me to look … ; from there I fell into the depth of injustice. For its passions enslaved me and took away the freedom you gave; for I was compelled to care for it as kindred and a fellow slave, and to serve its needs. The belly urged me to gluttony, gluttony produced greed, and greed brought forth schemes of injustice.
2 Cor 5:10 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Because not all the virtuous are honored nor all the wicked punished in this life, a just God must have prepared another life; even pagan poets and philosophers taught judgment after death, and justice requires that the body share the soul's reward or punishment.
- "Poets and philosophers": for example the myths of judgment after death in Plato (Gorgias, Phaedo, Republic 10); Theodoret names no one.
- Theodoret argues for the resurrection of the body, imagining the soul's plea before the judge. Words are lost in the OCR in "by making some … famous, …" and in the soul's speech ("it was the body that … me into … of sin … of the eyes", "compelled me to look …"); marked … and not supplied.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; footnote marker; stray mark; stray marks): γ τυ} 8 )υἰηοἱ αυ] (δι Ὀ]δὴ οἱ 108, ποφίγῃ δοηϊθη δ Δϑι}ρυ]λτὶ, οἱ δος [ἃ 86 ἢαἢ τούς. ἴπ → ; τὴν ( ἐντεῦθεν → τὴν ἐντεῦθεν; κλῖναι ([) θελήσῃ → κλῖναι θελήσῃ; συνομολογήσητε (δ). → συνομολογήσητε.; ἐγχαταλέξαντες (ἀ) δόξαις → ἐγχαταλέξαντες δόξαις; μετὰ ὅ) τὴν → μετὰ τὴν; ἃ Βετα οοπῆϊογί " 86 ΔΠΙΠΊΔΥΌΓΩ ἀυπίδχαι νο] 186 γα → .
Extrabiblical texts: Plato (Plato (works); allusion)
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 9.5 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-5
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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.
9.6PG 83
σχεραίνουσα πολλάκις ταῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ἀνάγκαις Καὶ πολλάκις μὲν ἀντέσχον, καὶ τὰς ἐκεῖθεν προσδολὰς γενναίως ἀπεχρουσάμην᾽ ἧ δὲ τοῦ πολέμον ταλαίπωρος ἀδελφῇ πειθομένη, καὶ τοῦτο χατατρύχουσα ἣνιώμην. Ἐγὼ γὰρ πάλιν τὴν ὀδύνην ὑπεδεχόμην, καὶ τρέφουσα ἐπεθουλευόμην" τὰ γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν σχιρτήματα πάλιν ὑπεδεχόμην, καὶ τὸ πρακτέον ἡγνόουν' ἧ τε γὰρ ταλαιπωρία τούτον πολλήὴν μοι τὴν ἀνίαν εἰργάσατο, καὶ ἧ θεραπεία σφοδροτέραν ἀπετέλει τὴν μάχην, καὶ τὴν παράταξιν ἀνεῤῥίπιζε. Μὴ τοίνυν με μόνην, ὦ Δέσποτα, παραδῷς τιμωρίᾳ, ἀλλ᾽ ἣ μετ᾽ ἐκείνου τῶν δυσχερῶν ἐλευθέρωσον, ἣ κἀκεῖνο σὺν ἐμοὶ τῇ κολάσει παράπεμψον. Εἴποι δ' ἂν καὶ τὸ σῶμα, τὸ καλῶς τοῖς τῆς Ψυχῆς ὑπηρετῇσαν βουλεύμασιν, ὁμοίως πρὸς τὸν δίκαιον κριτὴν, εἴ τινος μεταλάδοι φωνῇς ᾿ Εὐθύς με δημιουργήσας, ὦ Δέσποτα, τὴν ψνχὴν ἐνεφύσησας " εἰ δὲ δεῖ τῇ ἀρχῇ πᾶσαν τῆς φύσεως τὴν ὁδὸν τεχμηριῶσαι, πρότερον ἐγὼ τῆς δημιουργίας ἀπήλαυσα, εἶθ᾽ οὕτως τὴν ζωτικήν μοι τῆς ψυχῆς ἐνέθηχας δύναμιν. ᾿Απήλαυσα καὶ τῆς ἐν παραδείσῳ διαίτης Βετ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐγώ " κοινῇ τὸν τῆς κυήσεως ἐν τῇ μήτρᾳ συνδιηγάγομεν χρόνον. Κοινῇ τῶν ὠδίνων λυθέντων εἰς τόνδε τὸν βίον ἐξεληλύθαμεν, καὶ τοῦδε τοῦ φωτὸς κοινῇ τὸν βίον ὡδεύσαμεν. Οὐδὲν αὐτὴ καθ᾽ αὑτὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν εἰργάσατο πώποτε, ἀλλ᾽ ἐμοὶ τῇ σαρκὶ συνεργῷ χεχρημένη, τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς συνήγαγε πλοῦτον. Ἐγὼ τὰς ἀπὸ νηστείας ἀγρυπνίας τε καὶ χαμευνίας, καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀπάσης κακουχίας δόνας δεχομένη, τὸν ἐντεῦθεν αὐτῇ συνήθροισα πλοῦτον. Ἐγὼ δάκρυον ἐχορήγουν προσευχομένῃ" ἐγὼ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῇ πρὸς ὑπουργίαν πνεύματος παρεἰχόμην στένειν ἐπειγομένῃ. Διὰ τῆς ἐμῆς γλώττης ὑμνοῦσά σε διετέλεσε " τοῖς ἐμοῖς χείλεσιν ὀργάνοις χεχρημένη, σοὶ τὰς αἰτήσεις προσἔφερε " τὰς ἐμὰς χεῖρας εἰς οὐρανὸν ἐχτείνουσα, τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἐδρέπετο τοὺς καρπούς " ἐπὶ τῶν ἐμῶν φερομένη ποδῶν, ἔτρεχε πρὸς τοὺς ἱερούς δου σηχούς. Ἐγὼ παρεῖχον αὐτῇ τὰς ἀκοὰς, εἷς τὴν τῶν σῶν λογίων ὑποδοχήν" τοῖς ἐμοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς χεχρημένη, ἥλιον ὁρῶσα καὶ σελήνην, καὶ τὸν τῶν ἀστέρων χορὸν, καὶ οὐρανὸν, καὶ γῆν, καὶ θάλᾶάσσαν, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ὁρωμένην κτίσιν, πρὸς τὴν σὴν θεωρίαν ἐποδηγεῖτο, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μεγέθους καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κάλλους τῶν ὁρωμένων, σὲ τὸν Δημιουργὸν ἐφαντάζετο. Διὰ τῶν ἐμῶν ὀφθαλμων, τὸν ἐν ρόν. Τοῖς ἐμοῖς δακτύλοις ὀργάνοις χεχρημένη, τὰς θείας σου διδασκαλίας γράμμασιν ἐνεχάραξε, καὶ ἀθάνατον τὴν τούτων καταλέλοιπε μνήμην. Διὰ τῶν ἐμῶν χειρῶν, τοὺς κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην εὖὐχτηρίους οἴκους ἀνέστησεν. Ἐμοὶ συνεργῷ χεχρης μένη, τοὺς τῆς ἀγάπης ἐπλήρωσε νόμους " διὰ τῶν ἐμῶν χειρῶν, τῶν ἁγίων τοὺς πόδας ἔνιψε" διὰ κότα σώματα θεραπείας ἠξίωσε. Μὴ τοίνυν με, Δέσποτα, χωρίσῃς ὁμόζυγος ἄνωθεν συζευχθείσης μοι, μηδὲ διαζεύξῃς σνζυγίαν, οὐκ ἁπλῶς οὕτως ἐκ τοῦ συμύάντος γεγενημένην, ἄνωθεν δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς χληρωθεῖσαν δημιουργίας" ἀλλ᾽ ἕνα στέφανον τοῖς ἕνα δρόμον δεδραμηχόσιν ἀπόδος - τοῦτο γὰρ τῆς σῆς ἰσότητος ἴδιον" τοῦτο πρέπει τῇ δικαίᾳ σου ψήφῳ. Ταῦτα ἂν εἴποι καὶ τὸ σῶμα, τὸ καλῶς τῇ ψυχῇ συναγωνισάμενον, εἴ τινος μεταλάθοι φωνῇς. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὔτε τὸ σῶμα ταῦτα ἐρεῖ, οὔτε ἐκείνη ἣ παρατοιαύτης ὁ χριτῆής " ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ ἰθύνει σοφῶς, οὕτω δικάζει δικαίως " καὶ τὰ σώματα ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἀποδιδοὺς, οὕτως ἀπονέμει τὰ πρὸς ἀξίαν ἀπάσαις. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, ἀριστέα μὲν ἐν παρατάξει νίκην νενικηκότα τινὰ, εἰκόνι παρὰ τῶν ὁμοφύλων τιμώβενον, μετὰ τῆς σχενυῇς ἐκείνης, ἧἦ χρώμενος τοὺς πολεμίους ἐτρέψατο, ἣ γράφεσθαι, ἣ πλάττεσθαι, ἣ
scherainousa pollakis tais tēs sarkos anankais Kai pollakis men anteschon, kai tas ekeithen prosdolas gennaiōs apechrousamēn᾽ hē de tou polemon talaipōros adelphę̄ peithomenē, kai touto chatatrychousa hēniōmēn. Egō gar palin tēn odynēn hypedechomēn, kai trephousa epethouleuomēn" ta gar enteuthen schirtēmata palin hypedechomēn, kai to prakteon hēgnooun' hē te gar talaipōria touton pollēēn moi tēn anian eirgasato, kai hē therapeia sphodroteran apetelei tēn machēn, kai tēn parataxin anerrhipize. Mē toinyn me monēn, ō Despota, paradǭs timōrią, all᾽ hē met᾽ ekeinou tōn dyscherōn eleutherōson, hē kakeino syn emoi tę̄ kolasei parapempson. Eipoi d' an kai to sōma, to kalōs tois tēs Psychēs hypēretę̄san bouleumasin, homoiōs pros ton dikaion kritēn, ei tinos metaladoi phōnę̄s ᾿ Euthys me dēmiourgēsas, ō Despota, tēn psnchēn enephysēsas " ei de dei tę̄ archę̄ pasan tēs physeōs tēn hodon techmēriōsai, proteron egō tēs dēmiourgias apēlausa, eith᾽ houtōs tēn zōtikēn moi tēs psychēs enethēchas dynamin. ᾿Apēlausa kai tēs en paradeisǭ diaitēs Bet᾽ autēs egō " koinę̄ ton tēs kyēseōs en tę̄ mētrą syndiēgagomen chronon. Koinę̄ tōn ōdinōn lythentōn eis tonde ton bion exelēlythamen, kai toude tou phōtos koinę̄ ton bion hōdeusamen. Ouden autē kath᾽ hautēn tōn agathōn eirgasato pōpote, all᾽ emoi tę̄ sarki synergǭ chechrēmenē, ton tēs aretēs synēgage plouton. Egō tas apo nēsteias agrypnias te kai chameunias, kai tēs allēs apasēs kakouchias donas dechomenē, ton enteuthen autę̄ synēthroisa plouton. Egō dakryon echorēgoun proseuchomenę̄" egō tēn kardian autę̄ pros hypourgian pneumatos pareichomēn stenein epeigomenę̄. Dia tēs emēs glōttēs hymnousa se dietelese " tois emois cheilesin organois chechrēmenē, soi tas aitēseis prosephere " tas emas cheiras eis ouranon echteinousa, tēs sēs philanthrōpias edrepeto tous karpous " epi tōn emōn pheromenē podōn, etreche pros tous hierous dou sēchous. Egō pareichon autę̄ tas akoas, heis tēn tōn sōn logiōn hypodochēn" tois emois ophthalmois chechrēmenē, hēlion horōsa kai selēnēn, kai ton tōn asterōn choron, kai ouranon, kai gēn, kai thalaassan, kai pasan tēn horōmenēn ktisin, pros tēn sēn theōrian epodēgeito, kai ek tou megethous kai ek tou kallous tōn horōmenōn, se ton Dēmiourgon ephantazeto. Dia tōn emōn ophthalmōn, ton en ron. Tois emois daktylois organois chechrēmenē, tas theias sou didaskalias grammasin enecharaxe, kai athanaton tēn toutōn kataleloipe mnēmēn. Dia tōn emōn cheirōn, tous kata pasan tēn oikoumenēn euychtērious oikous anestēsen. Emoi synergǭ chechrēs menē, tous tēs agapēs eplērōse nomous " dia tōn emōn cheirōn, tōn hagiōn tous podas enipse" dia kota sōmata therapeias ēxiōse. Mē toinyn me, Despota, chōrisę̄s homozygos anōthen syzeuchtheisēs moi, mēde diazeuxę̄s snzygian, ouk haplōs houtōs ek tou symyantos gegenēmenēn, anōthen de hypo tēs sēs chlērōtheisan dēmiourgias" all᾽ hena stephanon tois hena dromon dedramēchosin apodos - touto gar tēs sēs isotētos idion" touto prepei tę̄ dikaią sou psēphǭ. Tauta an eipoi kai to sōma, to kalōs tę̄ psychę̄ synagōnisamenon, ei tinos metalathoi phōnę̄s. ᾿All᾽ oute to sōma tauta erei, oute ekeinē hē paratoiautēs ho chritēēs " all᾽ hōsper ithynei sophōs, houtō dikazei dikaiōs " kai ta sōmata tais psychais apodidous, houtōs aponemei ta pros axian apasais. Pōs gar ouk atopon, aristea men en parataxei nikēn nenikēkota tina, eikoni para tōn homophylōn timōbenon, meta tēs schenyę̄s ekeinēs, hēē chrōmenos tous polemious etrepsato, hē graphesthai, hē plattesthai, hē
Often vexed at the necessities of the flesh … And often I resisted and nobly repelled its attacks; but … the wretched … of the war … obeying … and wearing it down, I was distressed. For I in turn received the pain, and while feeding it I was plotted against; for I received again the leapings that came from it and did not know what to do; for its hardship caused me great grief, and caring for it made the battle fiercer and fanned the fighting. So do not hand me over to punishment alone, Master; but either free me together with it from the hardships, or send it with me to the punishment." And the body that served the soul's counsels well might say likewise to the just judge, if it were given a voice: "As soon as you had fashioned me, Master, you breathed the soul into me; and if the whole course of nature must be judged by its beginning, I enjoyed creation first, and then you put into me the life-giving power of the soul. I enjoyed the life in paradise together with it; together we spent the time of gestation in the womb; together, when the labor pains were loosed, we came out into this life and … this light; together we travelled through life. The soul never did any good by itself, but using me, the flesh, as its helper, it gathered the wealth of virtue. I, receiving the pains of fasting, of vigils, of sleeping on the ground, and of all other hardship, gathered its wealth from them. I supplied tears to it as it prayed; I offered it my heart to serve its breath when it hastened to sigh. Through my tongue it went on singing your praise; using my lips as instruments, it offered you its requests; stretching my hands to heaven, it plucked the fruits of your love for humankind; carried on my feet, it ran to your holy sanctuaries. I gave it my ears to receive your oracles; using my eyes, seeing the sun and moon, the chorus of the stars, heaven, earth, sea, and all visible creation, it was led to the contemplation of you, and from the greatness and beauty of the things seen it imagined you, the Creator. Through my eyes … Using my fingers as instruments, it engraved your divine teachings in letters and left an immortal memory of them. Through my hands it raised houses of prayer throughout the world. Using me as its helper, it fulfilled the laws of love; through my hands it washed the feet of the saints; through … it counted … bodies worthy of care. So do not separate me, Master, from the yoke-fellow joined to me from above, nor divorce a union that did not come about by chance but was allotted from above by your creative act; but give one crown to those who have run one race; for this is proper to your equality, this befits your just verdict." This is what the body that contended well with the soul might say, if it were given a voice. But neither will the body say this nor the soul …, … such a judge; but as he steers wisely, so he judges justly; and giving back bodies to souls, he so assigns to all what they deserve. For is it not absurd that a champion who has won a victory in battle should be honored by his countrymen with a statue, and be painted or moulded with that equipment with which he routed the enemy, or
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Gen 2:7 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 5:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Tim 4:7 (echo, low confidence) · 2 Tim 4:8 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret imagines the soul pleading that the body shared its sins, and the virtuous body pleading that it shared all the soul's good works, from prayer and fasting to building churches and washing the saints' feet; the just judge will therefore restore bodies to souls and reward both together.
- "You breathed the soul into me": Gen 2:7. "From the greatness and beauty of the things seen": Wis 13:5, as in 4.1. "Washed the feet of the saints": 1 Tim 5:10. "One crown to those who have run one race": compare 1 Cor 9:24-25; 2 Tim 4:7-8.
- Several lines are lost in the OCR at the beginning of this part, in the body's speech ("and … this light", "Through my eyes …", "through … it counted … bodies worthy of care"), and in "nor the soul …, … such a judge"; marked … and not supplied. A leaked footnote with variant readings is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter; column letter and debris; debris from Migne's Latin column inside the word παράπεμψον; leaked footnote (variant readings) and debris from Migne's Latin column; some Greek words are lost with it; stray marks): ρυ το 9 θη). δὴ [πὰς ἴῃ ἰηβοῦν 1 βυ ͵]δοοταμπῖ, εἴ σοὺ πὸ 886 0105 βιὰ πὸ δῃϊ οὔτ ἱος τη 8} }8. }1δρᾷ οἵ δἰ} }δ...) αἱ 680 → ; Ὁ πα οἱ Ψυχῆς → Ψυχῆς; Ἴ) τὸ --- βάρ. ἰνἱα. τὸν --- βόθρον. ἤδη 486 Αἰτογίυ5 μα ἰϑα δα Γαι ἢ 88 δι 965, ἣν καί. 65. ἰδιά. ἣ ἀδ. ἰθϊά. ἀδελφή. τὰς δὰ υἱ οἱ οἰ] πος [οὐ ἰδ υ τα το θη, αυὶΐ δκ δοὶα νἱοϊογίδηι τοί}, τοὶ μησὶ, τοὶ] δῦ} οἵ δὶ ἄγοι υἱοοῦϊῖ, σὰ πὶ ἢ Νὰς ουγβοτθηι, οἱ ἱγασοράϊδγαηι τ πη πὶ, οἱ συγγάυπι [18ροι 8 " εἰν Ἐπ Ῥαγὶ8. αἰνέσεις. φερομένη. → ; ποδῶν ([, → ποδῶν,; οὕτω Ὁ δικάζει → οὕτω δικάζει.
Extrabiblical texts: Wis 13:5 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; allusion)
Topics: Eschatology, Prayer, Fasting
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 9.6 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-6
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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.
9.7PG 83
διαγλύφεσθαι, εἴτε λίθος, εἴτε χαλκὸς εἴη, εἴτε σανὶς, τῆς εἰκόνος ἣ ὕλη " καὶ εἰ μὲν τόξοις ἐνίκησε, μετὰ τῶν τόξων αὐτῶν ἐχτυποῦσθαι " εἰ δὲ αἰχμῇ, καὶ χράνει, καὶ ἀσπίδι, μετὰ ταύτης αὖ πάλιν τῆς σχευῆς᾽ τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μετὰ τοῦ σώματος ἀγωνισαμένην, καὶ τῶν ἀοράτων πολεμίων περιγενομένην, καὶ ζωγράφου τυχοῦσαν τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Δημιουργοῦ, γυμνὴν στῆναι, τῆς πανοπλίας νην; Οὐ μόνον δὲ στρατηγὸν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν οὕτω τιμώμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀθλητὴν, καὶ πύκτην, καὶ δρομέα, καὶ τραγῳδίας ὑποκριτὴν, καὶ ἁρμάτων ἡνίοχον. Τούτων γὰρ ἕχαστος μεθ᾽ οὗ ἐνίκησε σχήματος, τὴν στάσιν ἐν ταῖς εἰκόσι λαγχάνουσι. Καὶ ὁ μὲν, ἔστηκε μετὰ τῶν ἀχριδάντων, καὶ τῆς στρατηγιχῇς στολῆς, Οἰνομάου τινὸς, ἣ Κρέοντος προσωπεῖον ἔχων, μονονουχὶ λέγων πρὸς ἅπαντας, ὅτι μετὰ τούτων ὑπεχρινάμην, καὶ μετὰ τούτων νενίκηκα. Ὁ δὲ γυμνὸς τρέχει, διδάσκων τοῦ ἀγῶνος τὸ εἶδος " ὁ δὲ παλαίειν δοκεῖ, ἣ καὶ κατέχει τὸν στέφανον, καὶ διδάσκει τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας, ποῖον ἀγῶνα ἡγώνισται " ὁ δὲ πὺυκτεύει, καὶ τὸν ἀντίπαλον παίει" ὁ δὲ δηλοῖ διὰ τοῦ σχήματος καὶ τῆς μάστιγος, ὁποίαν μετιὼν τέχνην «ἧς νίκης ἔτυχε. Μὴ τοίνυν τούτων ἁπάντων ἀτιμοτέραν ἀποφήνῃς τὴν φύσιν, δι᾽ ἧς τούτων ἕχαστον κατορθοῦται " μηδὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀδιχώτερον τὸν Θεὸν ὑπολάθδῃς, δικαιοσύνης ὄντα πηγήν᾽ μηδὲ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις αὑτὸν παραπλη σίως τοὺς οἰκείους νικητὰς ὑποπτεύσῃς γεραίρειν. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι πολλάκις, οὐδὲ τὸ δίκαιον περὶ πολλοῦ ποιούμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτου λίαν ὀλιγωροῦντες, τοὺς ἐν τοῖς εὐτελέσι τούτοις καὶ ἀχερδέσιν ἀγῶσιν οὕτω τιμᾷν εἰώθασι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς λαμπροὺς καὶ μεγάλους τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀγωνιστὰς, ὁ ταύτης καὶ νομοθέτης, καὶ ἀγωνοθέτης τιμήσει, καὶ στεφανώσει, καὶ τὸ δίκαιον νικήσει τῷ μεγέθει τῶν δωρεῶν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οἷδα πόθεν εἰς ταυτηνὶ τὴν βλασφημίαν ἐξώχειλας - ἀπὸ γὰρ τὴς σῆς ἀσθενείας τὰ θεῖα τεχμαίρῃ, καὶ τὴν σὴν ἀσθένειαν ὄρον ποιεῖς τῆς θείας δυνάμεως, καὶ τὰ σοὶ λίαν ἀδύνατα παραπλησίως εἶναι Θεῷ νομίζεις ἀδύνατα. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστιν. Οὔτε γὰρ ταὐτὸν ὁ πηλὸς τῷ κεραμεῖ δύναται, καὶ μὴν ἄμφω μιᾶς ὑπάρχουσι φύσεως " ἀπὸ γὰρ γῆς καὶ οὗτος κἀκεῖνος. Καὶ μάρτυς ὁ τῷ Ἰὼ προσδιαλεγόμενος ἄνθρωπος " « Ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ διήρτισαι, λέγων, πηλοῦ σὺ ὡς καὶ ἐγώ. ν» ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅμως καὶ μιᾶς φύσεως οὔσης τοῦ τε πηλοῦ καὶ τοῦ κεραμέως, οὐ τὴν ἴσην δύναμιν ἐν ἀμφοῖν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν. Ὃ μὲν γὰρ κινεῖ ὁ δὲ κινεῖται, καὶ ὁ μὲν πλάττει ὁ δὲ πλάττεται, καὶ ὁ μὲν χεράννυσιν ὁ δὲ χεράννυται, καὶ ὁ μὲν εἰδοποιεῖ ὁ δὲ εἰδοποιεῖται καὶ ὡς ἂν ὁ κεραμεὺς ἐθέλοι, μετασχηματίξεται. Εἰ δὲ ἔνθα μία ἡ φύσις, οὐκ ἴσῃ ἡ δύναμις, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔνθσ διάφορος ἢ φύσις, διάφορος καὶ ἡ δύναμις " ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐδὲ συγκρῖναι δυνατὸν τὰ ἀσύγχριτα. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν παραδληθείη τὸ ἐκ μὴ ὄντων τῷ ἀεὶ ὄντι; τὸ ἐν χρόνῳ τῷ πρὸ αἰώνων; τὸ ἐκ πηλοῦ τῷ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς Ποιητῇ;
diaglyphesthai, eite lithos, eite chalkos eiē, eite sanis, tēs eikonos hē hylē " kai ei men toxois enikēse, meta tōn toxōn autōn echtypousthai " ei de aichmę̄, kai chranei, kai aspidi, meta tautēs au palin tēs scheuēs᾽ tēn de psychēn meta tou sōmatos agōnisamenēn, kai tōn aoratōn polemiōn perigenomenēn, kai zōgraphou tychousan tou tōn holōn Dēmiourgou, gymnēn stēnai, tēs panoplias nēn? Ou monon de stratēgon estin idein houtō timōmenon, alla kai athlētēn, kai pyktēn, kai dromea, kai tragǭdias hypokritēn, kai harmatōn hēniochon. Toutōn gar hechastos meth᾽ hou enikēse schēmatos, tēn stasin en tais eikosi lanchanousi. Kai ho men, estēke meta tōn achridantōn, kai tēs stratēgichę̄s stolēs, Oinomaou tinos, hē Kreontos prosōpeion echōn, mononouchi legōn pros hapantas, hoti meta toutōn hypechrinamēn, kai meta toutōn nenikēka. Ho de gymnos trechei, didaskōn tou agōnos to eidos " ho de palaiein dokei, hē kai katechei ton stephanon, kai didaskei tous agnoountas, poion agōna hēgōnistai " ho de pyykteuei, kai ton antipalon paiei" ho de dēloi dia tou schēmatos kai tēs mastigos, hopoian metiōn technēn «hēs nikēs etyche. Mē toinyn toutōn hapantōn atimoteran apophēnę̄s tēn physin, di᾽ hēs toutōn hechaston katorthoutai " mēde tōn anthrōpōn adichōteron ton Theon hypolathdę̄s, dikaiosynēs onta pēgēn᾽ mēde tois anthrōpois hauton paraplē siōs tous oikeious nikētas hypopteusę̄s gerairein. Ei gar anthrōpoi pollakis, oude to dikaion peri pollou poioumenoi, alla kai toutou lian oligōrountes, tous en tois eutelesi toutois kai acherdesin agōsin houtō timąn eiōthasi, pollǭ mallon tous lamprous kai megalous tēs aretēs agōnistas, ho tautēs kai nomothetēs, kai agōnothetēs timēsei, kai stephanōsei, kai to dikaion nikēsei tǭ megethei tōn dōreōn. ᾿All᾽ hoida pothen eis tautēni tēn blasphēmian exōcheilas - apo gar tēs sēs astheneias ta theia techmairę̄, kai tēn sēn astheneian oron poieis tēs theias dynameōs, kai ta soi lian adynata paraplēsiōs einai Theǭ nomizeis adynata. ᾿All᾽ ouk esti tauta, ouk estin. Oute gar tauton ho pēlos tǭ keramei dynatai, kai mēn amphō mias hyparchousi physeōs " apo gar gēs kai houtos kakeinos. Kai martys ho tǭ Iō prosdialegomenos anthrōpos " « Ek tou autou diērtisai, legōn, pēlou sy hōs kai egō. n» ᾿All᾽ homōs kai mias physeōs ousēs tou te pēlou kai tou kerameōs, ou tēn isēn dynamin en amphoin estin heurein. Ho men gar kinei ho de kineitai, kai ho men plattei ho de plattetai, kai ho men cherannysin ho de cherannytai, kai ho men eidopoiei ho de eidopoieitai kai hōs an ho kerameus etheloi, metaschēmatixetai. Ei de entha mia hē physis, ouk isę̄ hē dynamis, pollǭ mallon enths diaphoros ē physis, diaphoros kai hē dynamis " alla gar oude synkrinai dynaton ta asynchrita. Pōs gar an paradlētheiē to ek mē ontōn tǭ aei onti? to en chronǭ tǭ pro aiōnōn? to ek pēlou tǭ ouranou kai gēs Poiētę̄?
carved, whether the material of the image be stone, bronze, or a panel; and if he won with bows, that he be portrayed with the bows themselves; if with spear, helmet, and shield, again with that equipment; but that the soul, which contended together with the body, overcame the invisible enemies, and has as its painter the Creator of all, should stand naked, stripped of its full armor? And not only a general can one see so honored, but also an athlete, a boxer, a runner, a tragic actor, and a charioteer. For each of these receives his place in the images with the figure in which he won. One stands with his high boots and a general's robe, wearing the mask of some Oenomaus or Creon, all but saying to everyone: "With these I acted, and with these I won." Another runs naked, showing the kind of contest; another seems to wrestle, or holds the crown and teaches those who do not know what contest he has fought; another boxes and strikes his opponent; another shows by his figure and his whip what art he practised to win the victory. So do not make the nature through which each of these is achieved less honored than all these; nor suppose God, the spring of justice, more unjust than human beings; nor suspect that he honors his own victors as human beings do. For if human beings, who often do not make much of justice but even greatly neglect it, are accustomed to honor in this way those in these cheap and profitless contests, much more will the lawgiver and president of virtue's games honor and crown the splendid and great contestants of virtue, and surpass justice by the greatness of his gifts. But I know whence you ran aground into this blasphemy: you judge divine things by your own weakness, make your weakness the boundary of divine power, and think that what is quite impossible for you is likewise impossible for God. But it is not so, it is not so. For the clay cannot do the same as the potter, and yet both are of one nature, for both are from earth. And the man who conversed with Job is witness, saying: "You were formed from the same clay as I." Yet though the clay and the potter are of one nature, one cannot find equal power in both. For the one moves and the other is moved; the one moulds and the other is moulded; the one mixes and the other is mixed; the one gives form and the other receives form and is reshaped as the potter wishes. And if where the nature is one the power is not equal, much more where the nature differs does the power differ too; or rather, it is not even possible to compare the incomparable. For how could what came from nothing be compared with what always is, what is in time with what is before the ages, what is from clay with the Maker of heaven and earth?
Job 33:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 9:21 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: As victors are portrayed with the equipment they used, the soul should be honored with the body with which it fought; God, unlike the potter's clay or the doubter's weakness, has power to do what human beings cannot.
- "You were formed from the same clay as I": Job 33:6 LXX (Elihu). The potter and the clay: compare Isa 64:8; Rom 9:21 (not quoted).
- Oenomaus and Creon: characters of Greek tragedy, standing for the masks an actor wore.
- Words are lost in the OCR in "stripped of its full armor" (the participle is damaged); debris from Migne's Latin column is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter; debris from Migne's Latin column; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek): σώματος Α ἀγωνισαμένην → σώματος ἀγωνισαμένην; δὲ οἱ ἐπα} ἢ} τα τ 8, οἱ ἰπξο ἰίὰ πη το, οὐ → ; (Σ τὰν : εἰ → ; οϑὶ, συ πὶ ΟΟἸΐ οἱ ἰογγῷ → .
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 9.7 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-7
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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.
9.8PG 83
Μὴ τοίνυν τὰ σοὶ λίαν ἀδύνατα, νομίσῃς εἶναι ἀδύνατα καὶ Θεῷ ᾿ πάντα γὰρ ἐκείνῃ τῇ φύσει δυνατὰ καὶ λίαν εὔπορα. Δύναται τοιγαροῦν, καὶ τὴν ἅπαξ εἰς ἰχῶρα διαῤῥυεῖσαν τοῦ σώματος φύσιν, εἶτα κόνιν γεγενημένην, καὶ πανταχοῦ διασπαρεῖσαν, ἐν ποταμοῖς, ἐν πελάγεσιν, ἐν οἰωνοῖς, ἐν θηρίοις, ἐν πυρὶ, ἐν ὕδατι (πάντα γάρ σον τὰ τῆς ἀπιστίας εἰς μέσον φέρω κυήματα), συναγαγεῖν, πάλιν, καὶ εἰς τὸ πρότερον καὶ μέγεθος καὶ κάλλος ἐπαναγαγεῖν. ᾿Ἠθέλησε γὰρ μόνον, καὶ ἐγένετο οὐρανός " καὶ ἐχυρτώθη τοσοῦτον, ὅσον ἠθέλησεν. Ἠδουλήθη, καὶ ὑπεστορέσθη ἡ γῆ, καὶ κρέμαται μόνον τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ὅρον θεμέλιον ἔχουσα. « Εἶπε, καὶ ἐγένετο φῶς. » Ἐκέλευσε, καὶ παρήχθη τῶν ὑδάτων ἣἡ φύσις “ προσέταξε, καὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπεκρίθη ἕνευσε, καὶ ἐχοσμήθη ἡ γῆ, λειμῶσι, καὶ ἄλσεσι, καὶ ληῖοις παντοδαποῖς " εἶπε, καὶ παρἤχθη ζώων εἴδη μυρία, χερσαῖα, ἕνυδρα, καὶ ἀέρια. Ὁ ταῦτα λόγῳ πεποιηκὼς, ῥᾷον κἀκ τούτων πολλῷ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἀνίστησι φύσιν" ῥᾷον γὰρ πολλῷ τὸ παλαιωθὲν χαινουργῆσαι, ἣ τὰ μὴ ὄντα δίχα ὕλης ποιῆσαι. Εἰ δὲ ἀπιστεῖς, ἐρεῖ σοι Παῦλος ὃ μέγας τἧς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλος" «Γ!ῪΑφρον, σὺ ὅ σπείρεις, οὐ ζωογονεῖται ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ.» Καὶ ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ τὸ σῶμα τὸ γενησόμενον σπείρεις, ἀλλὰ γυμνὸν κόκκον εἰ τύχοι σίτου, ἢ τινος τῶν λοιπῶν ὁ δὲ Θεὸς δίδωσιν αὐτῷ σῶμα, καθὼς ἠθέλησεν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν τούτου διδασκαλίαν λῆρόν τινα καὶ μῦθον νομίζεις, δέξαι τὴν φύσιν διδάσκουσαν καὶ χηρύττουσαν τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Ὁ γὰρ γηπόνος τέμνει μὲν πρότερον τὰς αὔλακας, καὶ οἷόν τινας τάφους ὀρύττει, εἶτα χαταδάλλει τὰ σπέρματα, καὶ ὥσπερ σώματα τάφῳ παραδιδοὺς, χαταχώννυξτι " καὶ τούτων πλέον οὐδὲν ἐκεῖνος ἰσχύει ποιεῖν " ἀλλὰ κἂν ὕδατος εὐπορῇ, προσφέρειν τοῦτο δύναται μόνον « ὁ δὲ Θεὸς, ἣ οὐρανόθεν ὕει, ἣ τὸ ἐκ πηγῶν καὶ ποταμῶν ὕδωρ τοῖς σπέρμασι χορηγεῖ᾽ εἶτα ἀρδεύων ταῦτα καὶ διαδρέχων, καὶ οἷόν τινι σηπεδόνι τοῖς ἀνθρωπείοις σώμασι παραπλησίως παραδιδοὺς, ἄχρηστα μὲν λοιπὸν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις εἰς ἐδωδὴν ἐργάζεται, χρήσιμα δὲ λίαν τοῖς ἐξ αὐτῶν τιχτομένοις σώμασιν. Ὑποδεχόμεγα γὰρ τὴν νοτίδα, καὶ εὑρυ-νόμενα, καὶ οὕτω πως διασηπόμενα, γεννᾷ μὲν τὰς τῶν ῥιζῶν προθολὰς, ἐπιλαμθάνεται δὲ ταῦτα τῆς παρακειμένης γῆς, εἶτα τὴν ἐκ ταύτης νοτίδα, καθάπερ δι’ αὐλῶν τινων τῶν ῥιζῶν ἕλκει πρὸς ἑαυτὰ, καὶ τίκτει τὴν ἄνω φνομένην βοτάνην" καὶ κατὰ μέρος δὲ τῷ προειρημένῳ τρέφει λόγῳ, καὶ τὴν τε καλάμην εἰς ὕψος παραπέμπει, καὶ τὸν μὲν ἄσταχυν ἐκφέρει, κεκρυμμένον ἔχοντα τὸν καρπὸν, οἷον δέ τινας δορυφόρους τοὺς ἀνθέρικας περικείμενον. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀπιστήσῃς τῇ τῶν σωμάτων ἀναστάσει, διηνεκῶς βλέπων τῆς ἀναστάσεως τὰ μιμήματα, καὶ διηνεκῶς ἀκούων τῶν τῆς ἀναστάσεως κηρυγμάτων. Ἵνα δὲ βεθαίαν δέξῃ τὴν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως πίστιν, ἐλθέ μοι πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν φυτῶν ἱστορίαν, καὶ βλέπε τὰ κλήματα τῶν ἀμπέλων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δένδρων, ἣ τὰς καλουμένας ἀποσπάδας, ἣ τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν ῥιζῶν χελώνας, τῇ μὲν τομῇ, τὴν οἱονεὶ τελευτὴν δεχόμενα, τῇ δὲ ἐν τῷ βόθρῳ θέσει, καθάπερ τινὶ τάφῳ παραδιδόμενα " εἶτα χωννύμενα καὶ σηπόμενα, ἔπειτα τῷ θείῳ βουλήματι, καὶ ῥίζάς κάτω γεννῶντα, καὶ βλαστοὺς ἄνω φύοντα, καὶ ἡδῶντα, καὶ εἰς ὕψος αἱρόμενκα, καὶ Καὶ τί λέγω κλήματα, καὶ δένδρα, καὶ σπέρματα;
Mē toinyn ta soi lian adynata, nomisę̄s einai adynata kai Theǭ ᾿ panta gar ekeinę̄ tę̄ physei dynata kai lian eupora. Dynatai toigaroun, kai tēn hapax eis ichōra diarrhyeisan tou sōmatos physin, eita konin gegenēmenēn, kai pantachou diaspareisan, en potamois, en pelagesin, en oiōnois, en thēriois, en pyri, en hydati (panta gar son ta tēs apistias eis meson pherō kyēmata), synagagein, palin, kai eis to proteron kai megethos kai kallos epanagagein. ᾿Ēthelēse gar monon, kai egeneto ouranos " kai echyrtōthē tosouton, hoson ēthelēsen. Ēdoulēthē, kai hypestoresthē hē gē, kai krematai monon tou Theou ton horon themelion echousa. « Eipe, kai egeneto phōs. » Ekeleuse, kai parēchthē tōn hydatōn hēē physis “ prosetaxe, kai tēs gēs apekrithē heneuse, kai echosmēthē hē gē, leimōsi, kai alsesi, kai lēiois pantodapois " eipe, kai parēchthē zōōn eidē myria, chersaia, henydra, kai aeria. Ho tauta logǭ pepoiēkōs, rhąon kak toutōn pollǭ tēn tou sōmatos anistēsi physin" rhąon gar pollǭ to palaiōthen chainourgēsai, hē ta mē onta dicha hylēs poiēsai. Ei de apisteis, erei soi Paulos ho megas tēs oikoumenēs didaskalos" «G!YAphron, sy ho speireis, ou zōogoneitai ean mē apothanę̄.» Kai ho speireis, ou to sōma to genēsomenon speireis, alla gymnon kokkon ei tychoi sitou, ē tinos tōn loipōn ho de Theos didōsin autǭ sōma, kathōs ēthelēsen. Ei de kai tēn toutou didaskalian lēron tina kai mython nomizeis, dexai tēn physin didaskousan kai chēryttousan tēn anastasin. Ho gar gēponos temnei men proteron tas aulakas, kai hoion tinas taphous oryttei, eita chatadallei ta spermata, kai hōsper sōmata taphǭ paradidous, chatachōnnyxti " kai toutōn pleon ouden ekeinos ischyei poiein " alla kan hydatos euporę̄, prospherein touto dynatai monon « ho de Theos, hē ouranothen hyei, hē to ek pēgōn kai potamōn hydōr tois spermasi chorēgei᾽ eita ardeuōn tauta kai diadrechōn, kai hoion tini sēpedoni tois anthrōpeiois sōmasi paraplēsiōs paradidous, achrēsta men loipon tois anthrōpois eis edōdēn ergazetai, chrēsima de lian tois ex autōn tichtomenois sōmasin. Hypodechomega gar tēn notida, kai heury-nomena, kai houtō pōs diasēpomena, genną men tas tōn rhizōn protholas, epilamthanetai de tauta tēs parakeimenēs gēs, eita tēn ek tautēs notida, kathaper di’ aulōn tinōn tōn rhizōn helkei pros heauta, kai tiktei tēn anō phnomenēn botanēn" kai kata meros de tǭ proeirēmenǭ trephei logǭ, kai tēn te kalamēn eis hypsos parapempei, kai ton men astachyn ekpherei, kekrymmenon echonta ton karpon, hoion de tinas doryphorous tous antherikas perikeimenon. Mē toinyn apistēsę̄s tę̄ tōn sōmatōn anastasei, diēnekōs blepōn tēs anastaseōs ta mimēmata, kai diēnekōs akouōn tōn tēs anastaseōs kērygmatōn. Hina de bethaian dexę̄ tēn peri tēs anastaseōs pistin, elthe moi palin epi tēn tōn phytōn historian, kai blepe ta klēmata tōn ampelōn, kai tōn allōn dendrōn, hē tas kaloumenas apospadas, hē tas apo tōn rhizōn chelōnas, tę̄ men tomę̄, tēn hoionei teleutēn dechomena, tę̄ de en tǭ bothrǭ thesei, kathaper tini taphǭ paradidomena " eita chōnnymena kai sēpomena, epeita tǭ theiǭ boulēmati, kai rhizas katō gennōnta, kai blastous anō phyonta, kai hēdōnta, kai eis hypsos hairomenka, kai Kai ti legō klēmata, kai dendra, kai spermata?
So do not think that what is quite impossible for you is impossible for God too; for to that nature all things are possible and very easy. He can, then, gather the nature of the body even when it has once dissolved into fluid, then become dust, and been scattered everywhere, in rivers, in seas, in birds, in wild beasts, in fire, in water (for I bring forward all the offspring of your unbelief), … and restore it again to its former size and beauty. For he only willed, and heaven came to be, and was vaulted as much as he willed. He wished, and the earth was spread out, and it hangs having only God's decree as its foundation. "He said, and there was light." He commanded, and the nature of the waters was brought forth; he ordered, and … was separated from the earth; he nodded, and the earth was adorned with meadows, groves, and crops of every kind; he spoke, and countless kinds of living creatures were brought forth, of land, water, and air. He who made these things by a word raises up the nature of the body much more easily, even from these; for it is much easier to renew what has grown old than to make what is not without matter. If you do not believe, Paul, the great teacher of the world, will tell you: "Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of some other kind; but God gives it a body as he has willed." And if you think his teaching nonsense and a myth, receive nature teaching and proclaiming the resurrection. For the farmer first cuts the furrows and digs, as it were, graves; then he puts down the seeds and, as though handing bodies over to the grave, covers them over; and he can do nothing more than this; even if he has plenty of water, he can only bring it. But God either rains from heaven or supplies the seeds with water from springs and rivers; then, watering and soaking them, and handing them over as it were to decay like human bodies, he makes them useless thereafter as food for people, but very useful for the bodies born from them. For receiving the moisture, swelling, and so somehow rotting, they bring forth the shoots of the roots; these take hold of the surrounding earth, then draw its moisture to themselves through the roots as through pipes, and bring forth the plant growing above; and they nourish it part by part in the manner described, send the stalk up on high, and bring forth the ear, which has the grain hidden in it and is surrounded by the awns like bodyguards. So do not disbelieve the resurrection of bodies, when you continually see the images of resurrection and continually hear the proclamations of resurrection. And so that you may receive a firm faith about the resurrection, come back with me to the account of plants, and see the branches of vines and other trees, or the so-called cuttings, or the suckers from the roots, which by the cutting receive, as it were, death, and by being set in the trench are handed over as to a grave; then covered and rotting, then by the divine will producing roots below and putting forth shoots above, coming to their prime, rising on high, and … And why do I speak of branches, trees, and seeds?
Gen 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:9 (allusion, medium confidence) · Job 26:7 (echo, low confidence) · 1 Cor 15:36 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 15:37 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 15:38 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God, who created heaven, earth, light, and all living things by a word, can easily gather and restore scattered bodies; as Paul says, and as seeds and cuttings show, what dies and decays is raised to new life.
- "He said, and there was light": Gen 1:3. "Fool! What you sow …": 1 Cor 15:36-38. "The earth … hangs": compare Job 26:7.
- Words are lost in the OCR after "the offspring of your unbelief" (a phrase such as "and join it together"), in "… was separated from the earth" (probably the sea), and at the end of the image of the cuttings; marked … and not supplied. Leaked footnotes on 1 Corinthians 15 and debris from Migne's Latin column are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter and debris from Migne's Latin column; column letter inside the word σπείρεις; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; some Greek words are lost with it; leaked footnotes and debris from Migne's Latin column): Ὁ Να ἰρίίατ φυς εἰδὶ ταϊὰδ ἱπιροβϑί 118 δαπῖ, 60 → ; σὲ ἰπ ἀϊχιλααδ ἀΐβρογϑα δὶ, ἰῃ δυπηϊπίθα8, ἰῃ ἔγει! δ, ἴῃ εὐ θυ, ἴῃ ἴοτῖ5, ἰη ἴσηδ, ἰη δαὺ ᾿δὰ: οἷς ἐπριθνανόα, ερρραβ ας τς τος ἃ θόλων → ; οἱ δἱ οἱ (Δοῖδ οδὲ ᾿ἰὺκ Ἶ". » εἴ τὸ- (ἰδὲ : ε« δία, ἴὰ τὶ! δ.) οἱ τηϊηΐθυ8 δα θαι, ἀοίηάα ἱγ γί δοἰῃ δά ρῥ]δηίλγυμι Πἰϑιοῦδπ) Τὰ ῃϊ γονογίοσα, οἱ υἱ {πὶ Ὑα] 6 οἱ ρυοἱ " (δη. 1, ὅ. 591 6(οτ. κν, δίδ. αὖτ. σῶμα ἰομι. ΠΠ|..]. ὁ. ὁδὶ αὐτὸ δίδωσι Ρ. 3870, 651 ζωοποιεῖται. → ; σπεί- Β ρεις → σπείρεις; Α ϑυγβᾶτα ψεγηιίηπηϊ, δὶ Υἠεηϊ, εἰ ἔῃ δία Ἔχ Ὁ] → .
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 9.8 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-8
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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.
9.9PG 83
Ἐλϑέ μοι παρ᾽ αὐτὸ τὸ τῆς σῆς φύσεως ἐργαστήριον. Βλέπε τῆς σῆς διαπλάσεως τὰς ὕλας, πῶς εὐτελεῖς, καὶ μικραὶ, καὶ χορύζης οὐδὲν διαφέρουσαι. Ἶλλ᾽ ὅμως τὸ εὐτελὲς ἐκεῖνο, καὶ σμικρὸν, καὶ ἄψυχον, καὶ ἄπνουν, καὶ παντελῶς ἀναίσθητον, Θεοῦ νεύσαντος, ἄνθρωπος γίνεται, καὶ ἕν ἔχον εἶδος, εἰς μυρίάς ἰδέας μεταποιεῖται, τὰς μὲν στεγανὰς καὶ ἀντιτύπους, τὰς δὲ εὐείχτους καὶ μαλαχὰς, καὶ τὰς μὲν μανὰς καὶ πολυπόρους, τὰς δὲ συχνὰς καὶ πυκνὰς, καὶ τὰς μὲν παχείας καὶ λείους, τὰς δὲ λεπτὰς καὶ ἡτρίους καὶ ὑμενώδεις, καὶ τὰς μὲν αὐλοειδεῖς καὶ σηραγγώδεις, τὰς δὲ ναστὰς καὶ οὐδὲν σηραγγῶδες ἐχούσας. Καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς βραχείας ἐκείνης ὕλης γινομένους Καὶ αἵματος ὀχετοὺς, καὶ πνεύματος ἀγωγοὺς, καὶ συνδέσμους στεῥότητα, καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν λαμπρότητα, καὶ κόρης καθαρότητα, καὶ παρειᾶς λειότητα, καὶ τριχῶν λεπτότητα, καὶ τἄλλα μυρία ὅσα σῶμα τὸ ἀνθρώπειον ἔχει γένος " ὧν τὴν χρείαν καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν, πολλοὶ μὲν τῶν περὶ ταῦτα, δεινῶν διεξελθεῖν ἐπειράθησαν, ἡττηθέντες δὲ τῆς τοῦ Δημιουρχοῦ σοφίας, εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν τὸν λόγον ἐπέραναν " καὶ ταῦτα οὐδὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας ὄντες αὐλῆς, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἔξω πλανωμένων προδάτων. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅμως τὴν ἀγαθὴν πόαν νεμόμενοι, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως μόνης κινούμένοι καὶ παιδαγωγούμενοι, τὸν ποιμένα καὶ κηδεμόνα καὶ Ποιητὴν τοῦ παντὸς, ὡς ἐχώρησαν, ὕμνησαν. Σὺ δὲ πρὸς τῇ φύσει καὶ νόμον ἔχων διδάσκᾶλον, καὶ προφήτας τὰ θεῖα παιδεύοντας, καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸν χορὸν, περί τε τῶν ὄντων διδάσκοντα, καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων κηρύττοντα, δέξαι πανταχόθεν τῆς ὠφελείας τὸν ἔρανον. ᾿Απόχρη δὲ καὶ μόνὴ τῶν ἐμδρύων ἡ φύσις, καὶ ἢ πρώτη τῶν ἀνθρώπων διάπλασις, ὑποδεῖξαί σοι τὴν νῶν κειμένων σωμάτων ἀνάστασιν. Πίστευσον εἶναι γαστέρα μητρῴαν τὴν γῆν, μήτραν τὸν τάφον, σπέρμα δὲ νῆς φύσεως τὸ βραχύτατον ἐκεῖνο καὶ χνοῶδες τοῦ σώματος λείψανον, ὅ καὶ παντάπασιν ὃν ἀφανὲς πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, θεωρητόν ἐστι τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἐκεῖνον οὐδεὶς πέφευγεν. ε Ἐν γὰρ τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς.» Καὶ, «Αὐτὸς ἐμέτρησε τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ, καὶ τὴν γῆν πᾶσαν δρακί.» Καὶ ῥάδιον αὐτῷ θεάσασθαι τὰ ἐν τῇ χειρί " Καὶ γὰρ καὶ σοὶ ἀναφύοντα.
Elϑe moi par᾽ auto to tēs sēs physeōs ergastērion. Blepe tēs sēs diaplaseōs tas hylas, pōs euteleis, kai mikrai, kai choryzēs ouden diapherousai. Ill᾽ homōs to euteles ekeino, kai smikron, kai apsychon, kai apnoun, kai pantelōs anaisthēton, Theou neusantos, anthrōpos ginetai, kai hen echon eidos, eis myrias ideas metapoieitai, tas men steganas kai antitypous, tas de eueichtous kai malachas, kai tas men manas kai polyporous, tas de sychnas kai pyknas, kai tas men pacheias kai leious, tas de leptas kai hētrious kai hymenōdeis, kai tas men auloeideis kai sērangōdeis, tas de nastas kai ouden sērangōdes echousas. Kai estin idein apo tēs bracheias ekeinēs hylēs ginomenous Kai haimatos ochetous, kai pneumatos agōgous, kai syndesmous sterhotēta, kai ophthalmōn lamprotēta, kai korēs katharotēta, kai pareias leiotēta, kai trichōn leptotēta, kai talla myria hosa sōma to anthrōpeion echei genos " hōn tēn chreian kai tēn energeian, polloi men tōn peri tauta, deinōn diexelthein epeirathēsan, hēttēthentes de tēs tou Dēmiourchou sophias, eis hymnǭdian ton logon eperanan " kai tauta oude tēs hēmeteras ontes aulēs, alla tōn exō planōmenōn prodatōn. ᾿All᾽ homōs tēn agathēn poan nemomenoi, kai hypo tēs physeōs monēs kinoumenoi kai paidagōgoumenoi, ton poimena kai kēdemona kai Poiētēn tou pantos, hōs echōrēsan, hymnēsan. Sy de pros tę̄ physei kai nomon echōn didaskalon, kai prophētas ta theia paideuontas, kai tōn apostolōn ton choron, peri te tōn ontōn didaskonta, kai peri tōn mellontōn kēryttonta, dexai pantachothen tēs ōpheleias ton eranon. ᾿Apochrē de kai monē tōn emdryōn hē physis, kai ē prōtē tōn anthrōpōn diaplasis, hypodeixai soi tēn nōn keimenōn sōmatōn anastasin. Pisteuson einai gastera mētrǭan tēn gēn, mētran ton taphon, sperma de nēs physeōs to brachytaton ekeino kai chnoōdes tou sōmatos leipsanon, ho kai pantapasin hon aphanes pasin anthrōpois, theōrēton esti tǭ Theǭ, kai ton ophthalmon ekeinon oudeis pepheugen. e En gar tę̄ cheiri autou ta perata tēs gēs.» Kai, «Autos emetrēse tę̄ cheiri to hydōr, kai ton ouranon spithamę̄, kai tēn gēn pasan draki.» Kai rhadion autǭ theasasthai ta en tę̄ cheiri " Kai gar kai soi anaphyonta.
Come with me to the very workshop of your own nature. See the materials of your forming, how cheap and small they are, differing in nothing from mucus. Yet that cheap, small thing, lifeless, breathless, and wholly without sensation, becomes a human being at God's nod, and having one form, is transformed into countless kinds: some tight and resistant, others yielding and soft; some loose and porous, others close and dense; some thick and smooth, others thin, gauzy, and membranous; some pipe-like and hollow, others solid and with nothing hollow. And one can see coming from that small material channels of blood, conduits of breath, the firmness of ligaments, the brightness of the eyes, the clearness of the pupil, the smoothness of the cheek, the fineness of the hair, and the countless other things the human body has, whose use and working many clever in these matters have tried to describe, but, defeated by the Creator's wisdom, ended their discourse in a hymn; and that though they were not of our fold, but sheep wandering outside. Yet grazing on the good grass and moved and trained by nature alone, they praised the shepherd, guardian, and Maker of the universe as far as they could. But you, who besides nature have the law as teacher, the prophets teaching divine things, and the chorus of the apostles teaching about what is and proclaiming what is to come, receive the contribution of benefit from every side. The nature of embryos alone, and the first forming of human beings, is enough to show you the resurrection of the bodies that lie in the earth. Believe that the earth is a mother's womb, the tomb a womb, and the seed of nature that tiny and downy remnant of the body, which, though wholly invisible to all human beings, is visible to God, and no one escapes that eye. "For in his hand are the ends of the earth." And: "He measured the water with his hand, and heaven with a span, and all the earth with a handful." And it is easy for him to see what is in his hand. For you too … springing up.
John 10:16 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 95:4 (94:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 40:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 139:15 (138:15 LXX) (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The forming of a human being from tiny seed into all the body's parts, which even pagan physicians ended up praising, shows that God, who sees every particle of dust, can raise the dead from the earth as from a womb.
- "Not of our fold, but sheep wandering outside": compare John 10:16; Theodoret means pagan physicians such as Galen, who ends his work on the parts of the body with praise of the Creator.
- "In his hand are the ends of the earth": Ps 95:4 (LXX 94:4). "He measured the water …": Isa 40:12.
- The last sentence is lost in the OCR except for its final word ("springing up"); debris from Migne's Latin column is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; some Greek words are lost with it; debris from Migne's Latin column; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; footnote marker; footnote marker and OCR misreading): χορύζης (δὅ) οὐδὲν → χορύζης οὐδὲν; λαμπρότητα (ἐ1), → λαμπρότητα,; σωμάτων (δ) ἀνάστατιν → σωμάτων ἀνάστασιν; ϑρὰ αυϊά 4] τ (68 οἱ Δ ΟΤΕΒ 86 Βο διὰ ἀΐοθγο νἱ} 8 δἱΐ, οἱ Ϊ 0 60 δῖ: δηηυδδίο ἢοπο ἢ! : οἱ οὐδὲ 'ρϑὰ ὑπᾶῃ οἱ δι ἄθπὶ οἱ 888 φυϊάδιι 5011448 οἱ ἀμγαβ, [128 γεγο [ας 1165 οἱ το }}68, 8146 ἰ16π} γᾶγὰβ δὲ τοῦ εἶδ ραγ θα 5 εἰ [Ὁγα 5, 81135 ἀυπο δά πο- Οὐ πι. ἢ 66- Αἀ δὲς τοῦθ τρᾶ- [οὶ θ → ; Ὦ εοογηϊίυν, εἰ → ; (τ ἄνω τ μον → .
Extrabiblical texts: Galen (Galen (works); allusion)
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 9.9 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-9
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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.
9.10PG 83
καὶ φακὸν, καὶ πυροὺς καὶ χριθὰς, πάλιν αὐτὰ διαχρίνεις εὐμαρῶς, ὥσπερ ἐθέλεις. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς, ῥᾷατον αὐτῷ χοχαταστῆσαι. Πίστευσον τοίνυν μήτραν εἶναι τὸν τάφον, σπέρμα δὲ τὸ ἀποκείμενον λείψανον, πλάστην δὲ τὸν Πλάστην, ὠδῖνας δὲ τὴν ἐσχάτην τοῦ βίου ἡμέραν, καὶ τὴν φοδερὰν τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου φωνήν. « Σαλπίσει γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐγερθήσονται ἄφθαρτοι.» Τότε τῶν βεδιωμένων τὰς εὐθύνας εἰσπραχθησόμεθα" τότε τῶν καλῶς ἡμῖν ἣ κακῶς εἰργασμένων τὸν λόγον ἀποδώσομεν" τότε τὰ κεκρυμμένα τῆς διανοίας ἡμῶν βουλεύματα δῆλα πᾶσι γενήσεται " τότε πάντες παραστησόμεθα τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕἔχαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὺς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν, εἴτε κακόν. Ταῦτα δείσαντες, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, ἀπόθεσθε τὴν κατὰ τῆς Προνοίας ἀπέχθειαν" φύγετε τὴν πονηρὰν ταύτὴν δυσμένειαν: παύσασθε βλασφημίας ἀπολογίας ἐστερημένης. Σπείσασθε πρὸς τὸν Πεποιηκότα φι-" λίαν, ἵν᾽ ὡς φίλους ἡμᾶς χυδερνήσῃ, καὶ μὴ ὡς πολεμίους ἔξω βάλῃ τοῦ σκάφους. Ὑμνήσατε τὰ τῆς Προνοίας πηδάλια, ἵν᾽ ὑπὸ τούτων χνδερνώμενοι, τοῦ παρόντος βίου τὰ κύματα διαφύγητε, καὶ τῶν λιμένων ἐχείνων τῶν ἀπηνέμων ἀπολαύσητε, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ὅτι αὐτῷ πρέπει πᾶσα, δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰωνας. ᾿Αμήὴν.
kai phakon, kai pyrous kai chrithas, palin auta diachrineis eumarōs, hōsper etheleis. Ei toinyn en tę̄ cheiri tou Theou ta perata tēs gēs, rhąaton autǭ chochatastēsai. Pisteuson toinyn mētran einai ton taphon, sperma de to apokeimenon leipsanon, plastēn de ton Plastēn, ōdinas de tēn eschatēn tou biou hēmeran, kai tēn phoderan tou archangelou phōnēn. « Salpisei gar, phēsi, kai hoi nekroi egerthēsontai aphthartoi.» Tote tōn bediōmenōn tas euthynas eisprachthēsometha" tote tōn kalōs hēmin hē kakōs eirgasmenōn ton logon apodōsomen" tote ta kekrymmena tēs dianoias hēmōn bouleumata dēla pasi genēsetai " tote pantes parastēsometha tǭ bēmati tou Christou, hina komisētai heechastos ta dia tou sōmatos prys ha epraxen, eite agathon, eite kakon. Tauta deisantes, ō anthrōpoi, apothesthe tēn kata tēs Pronoias apechtheian" phygete tēn ponēran tautēn dysmeneian: pausasthe blasphēmias apologias esterēmenēs. Speisasthe pros ton Pepoiēkota phi-" lian, hin᾽ hōs philous hēmas chydernēsę̄, kai mē hōs polemious exō balę̄ tou skaphous. Hymnēsate ta tēs Pronoias pēdalia, hin᾽ hypo toutōn chndernōmenoi, tou parontos biou ta kymata diaphygēte, kai tōn limenōn echeinōn tōn apēnemōn apolausēte, en Christǭ Iēsou tǭ Kyriǭ hēmōn, hoti autǭ prepei pasa, doxa eis tous aiōnas. ᾿Amēēn.
… lentils, wheat, and barley, you separate them again easily as you wish. If, then, the ends of the earth are in God's hand, it is very easy for him to … restore. Believe, then, that the tomb is a womb, the remnant laid up a seed, the Fashioner the fashioner, the last day of life the labor pains, and the archangel's fearful voice. "For the trumpet will sound," he says, "and the dead will be raised incorruptible." Then we shall be called to account for how we have lived; then we shall give account of what we have done well or ill; then the hidden counsels of our mind will become plain to all; then we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive what he has done through the body, whether good or evil. Fearing these things, O men, put away your enmity against Providence; flee this wicked hostility; stop a blasphemy that has no defense. Make a treaty of friendship with the Maker, so that he may steer us as friends and not throw us out of the ship as enemies. Praise the rudders of Providence, so that, steered by them, you may escape the waves of the present life and enjoy those windless harbors, in Christ Jesus our Lord, for to him belongs all glory to the ages. Amen.
1 Cor 15:52 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Thess 4:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 4:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 5:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 14:10 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: As one easily sorts mixed grains, God, holding the earth in his hand, will raise the dead at the archangel's trumpet for judgment before Christ; Theodoret ends the ninth discourse urging his hearers to make peace with Providence.
- "The trumpet will sound …": 1 Cor 15:52; the archangel's voice: 1 Thess 4:16; the hidden counsels: 1 Cor 4:5; the judgment seat of Christ: 2 Cor 5:10 (quoted with Rom 14:10).
- The opening of this part is lost in the OCR (an image of mixed grains), and in "to … restore" (probably "to gather and restore"); marked … and not supplied. Debris from Migne's Latin column at the end of the oration is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter inside the word βήματι; debris; debris from Migne's Latin column at the end of the oration; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; some Greek words are lost with it): τη πὰ γε] 4 οἱ αὐ [δοἷς, εἶνε θομα ἢ), δῖ να πρϑ] τὰ δ". Ηξοο → ; βή- Β ματι → βήματι; τοῦ Ὠδΐ, σώματος → τοῦ σώματος; Θεά οἰἷπι εις ποὶ οι οἱ οἱ βαρ 1185 ἐξ οοφηϊοπἰβ Ποὶ, φυλαὶ ἱπηρογβογα 89} 18 δυηὶ λυ ἀϊπο αυὶ, οἱ → .
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 9.10 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/9-10
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-de-providentia-9-10) · 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.
Chapter 10
10.1PG 83
ἤΛπλωτον μὲν εὖ οἶδα σαφῶς τῆς θείας σοφίας καὶ Προμηθείας τὸ πέλαγος. Καὶ μέμνημαί γε τοῦ θειοτάτον Προφήτου βοῶντος «ε Τὰ κρίματά σον ἄδυσσος πολλή. » Μέμνημαι δὲ καὶ τοῦ μεγάλου κήρυκος τῆς ἀληθείας, τοῦ θεσπεσίον Παύλου, τοιαὐτὴν πάλιν ῥήξαντος φωνήν" ε Ὧ βάθος πλούτου, καὶ σοφίας, καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ, ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ! » Οὐ τοίνυν ἀνοήτως τῶν ἀνεφίκτων χατατολμῶμεν, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς δύναμιν τὰ θεῖα θαυμάζομεν, καὶ ὅσον χωροῦμεν, ὑμνοῦμεν. Ἴσμεν γὰρ καὶ τοὺς τὸν ἥλιον πλέον ἣ δεῖ κατιδεῖν φιλονεικοῦντας, οὔτε ὧν ποθοῦσιν ἀπολαύοντας, καὶ τὴν ὄψιν λυμαινομένους, καὶ οὐ μόνον φῶς ἐκεῖθεν οὐκ ἕλχοντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ σκότος ἐπισπωμένους. Ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν νοῦν τὸν ἀνθρώπινον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ὑπομένοντα. Ἐρευνῇσαι γὰρ πολλάκις ὑπὸ ἀδελτηρίας φιλονεικῶν, τί τὸ τὴν γῆν ὑπερεῖδον, καὶ τίς αὖ πάλιν ἡ ἐκείνου κρηπὶς, καὶ ἐπὶ τίνος αὖθις κἀκεῖνο φέρεται, ἣ ποῖα τὰ ἄνω τῶν οὐρανῶν, τί δὲ. τὰ ἕξω τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν εὑρίσκει τῶν ζητουμένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζόφον πολλοῦ καὶ ἀπορίας ἀναπλησθεὶς ἐπανέρχεται. Ταύτην εἰδὼς τοῦ νοῦ τὴν ἀσθένειαν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος παρεγγυᾷ λέγων « ΕἸ δέ τις δοκεῖ ἐγνωκέναι τι, οὐδέπω οὐδὲν ἔγνω καθὼς δεῖ γνῶναι. » Καὶ πάλιν ε« Ἐκ μέρους γινώσκομεν, καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν " ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ Ἰπὸ τέλειον, τότε τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται. » Καὶ ἑτέρωθι“ «Ἄρτι βλέπω ὡς ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε ὃΣ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον" ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην. » Καὶ αὖθις" ε Ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος, ἐλάλονν ὡς νήπιος, ἐφρόνουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος " ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνὴρ, χατήρ- Ὑηχὰ τὰ τοῦ νηπίου.» Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα διέξεισιν ὁ θεῖος ἐκεῖνος ἀνὴρ, πεῖσαι βουλόμενος ἅπαντας, καὶ χαλινοῦν τοῦ νοῦ τὴν ἀπληστίαν, ἵνα μὴ Β τῶν ἀδυνάτων κατατολμᾷ, καὶ ἀναμένειν τὴν ἐσομένὴν ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι βίῳ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀχριδῇ κατανόησιν. Διὰ τοῦτο νηπιώδη καλεῖ τὴν νῦν ἡμῖν δεδομένην γνῶσιν. Καὶ τῇ μὲν νομικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ταύτην παραδάλλων, τελείαν αὐτὴν ὀνομάζει" τῷ δὲ ἀπαθεῖ βίῳ καὶ ἀθανάτῳ συγκρίνων, μειραχιώδη προσαγορεύει. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῆς θείας Προμηθείας τεκμήριον. Ὃ γὰρ σοφῶς ἅπαντα πρυτανεύων, εἰδὼς ἡμῶν τῆς ἀλαζονείας τὸ φύσημα, οὐδὲ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀκριδῇ δέδωκεν τῶν θείων τὴν γνῶσιν. Φυσιοῖ γὰρ ἡ γνῶσις, ὡς μακαρίῳ Παύλῳ καὶ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ δοκεῖ. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἄθλον αὐτὴν προτέθειχεν ἀρετῆς, ἵνα κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον καλῶς ἀγωνισάμενοι, καὶ τὰ πάθη παντελῶς ἀποδυσάμενοι, καὶ φθορᾶς καὶ παθῶν ἐλεύθερον ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸ σῶμα, τηνικαῦτα τελείαν τὴν γνῶσιν ὑποδεξώμεθα " οὐδεμίαν λοιπὸν, ἅτε δὴ παθῶν ἀπηλλαγμένοι, καὶ τῶν ἀγώνων ἔξω γινόμενοι, δεχόμενοι τὴν βλάὅην. Μὴ τοίνυν τῶν ἀνεφίκτων κατατολμήσωμεν, ἀλλ᾽ οἷς εἰλήφαμεν στέρξωμεν, καὶ ὡς χωροῦμεν, τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἡμῶν Δεσπότην ὑμνήσωμεν, καὶ οἷς ἔχομεν, τὸν εὐεργέτην αἰνέσωμεν. Ὁρῶμεν ἄνδρας ἀρετῆς ἐργάτας ἐν εὐχλείᾳ ζῶντας καὶ τιμῇ καὶ θεραπείᾳ; Προσκυνήσωμεν τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς νομοθέτην, καὶ ἀγωνοθέτην, ὀρθῶς αὐτὴν καὶ δικαίως ἀναχηρύττοντα. Θεωροῦμεν ἄλλους, τὸν αὐτὸν μὲν βίον προαἱρουμένους, οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν δὲ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἀποστεύσωμεν αὑτοὺς μὲν καλῶς ἀγωνίζεσθαι τῆς καρτερίας τὸν ἄθλον, ἀναχηρύττεσθαι δὲ διὰ τούτου εἰς τὸν προσδοκώμενον βίον, ὡς ἐν τῷ πρὸ τοῦδε διεξεληλύθαμεν λόγῳ " καὶ μὴ βλασφήμους κατὰ τῆς Προνοίας ἀχοντίσωμεν λόγους. "Ἄτοπον γὰρ, καὶ πολλῆς
ēLplōton men eu oida saphōs tēs theias sophias kai Promētheias to pelagos. Kai memnēmai ge tou theiotaton Prophētou boōntos «e Ta krimata son adyssos pollē. » Memnēmai de kai tou megalou kērykos tēs alētheias, tou thespesion Paulou, toiautēn palin rhēxantos phōnēn" e Hō bathos ploutou, kai sophias, kai gnōseōs Theou, hōs anexereunēta ta krimata autou, kai anexichniastoi hai hodoi autou! » Ou toinyn anoētōs tōn anephiktōn chatatolmōmen, all᾽ eis dynamin ta theia thaumazomen, kai hoson chōroumen, hymnoumen. Ismen gar kai tous ton hēlion pleon hē dei katidein philoneikountas, oute hōn pothousin apolauontas, kai tēn opsin lymainomenous, kai ou monon phōs ekeithen ouk helchontas, alla kai skotos epispōmenous. Tauto de touto kai ton noun ton anthrōpinon estin idein hypomenonta. Ereunę̄sai gar pollakis hypo adeltērias philoneikōn, ti to tēn gēn hypereidon, kai tis au palin hē ekeinou krēpis, kai epi tinos authis kakeino pheretai, hē poia ta anō tōn ouranōn, ti de. ta hexō tou sympantos kosmou, ou monon ouden heuriskei tōn zētoumenōn, alla kai zophon pollou kai aporias anaplēstheis epanerchetai. Tautēn eidōs tou nou tēn astheneian ho makarios Paulos parengyą legōn « EI de tis dokei egnōkenai ti, oudepō ouden egnō kathōs dei gnōnai. » Kai palin e« Ek merous ginōskomen, kai ek merous prophēteuomen " hotan de elthę̄ Ipo teleion, tote to ek merous katargēthēsetai. » Kai heterōthi“ «Arti blepō hōs en esoptrǭ kai en ainigmati, tote hoS prosōpon pros prosōpon" arti ginōskō ek merous, tote de epignōsomai kathōs kai epegnōsthēn. » Kai authis" e Hote ēmēn nēpios, elalonn hōs nēpios, ephronoun hōs nēpios, elogizomēn hōs nēpios " hote de gegona anēr, chatēr- Hyēcha ta tou nēpiou.» Tauta de panta diexeisin ho theios ekeinos anēr, peisai boulomenos hapantas, kai chalinoun tou nou tēn aplēstian, hina mē B tōn adynatōn katatolmą, kai anamenein tēn esomenēn en tǭ mellonti biǭ tōn pragmatōn achridę̄ katanoēsin. Dia touto nēpiōdē kalei tēn nyn hēmin dedomenēn gnōsin. Kai tę̄ men nomikę̄ didaskalią tautēn paradallōn, teleian autēn onomazei" tǭ de apathei biǭ kai athanatǭ synkrinōn, meirachiōdē prosagoreuei. Kai touto de tēs theias Promētheias tekmērion. Ho gar sophōs hapanta prytaneuōn, eidōs hēmōn tēs alazoneias to physēma, oude tois hagiois akridę̄ dedōken tōn theiōn tēn gnōsin. Physioi gar hē gnōsis, hōs makariǭ Paulǭ kai tę̄ alētheią dokei. ᾿All᾽ athlon autēn protetheichen aretēs, hina kata ton paronta bion kalōs agōnisamenoi, kai ta pathē pantelōs apodysamenoi, kai phthoras kai pathōn eleutheron endysamenoi to sōma, tēnikauta teleian tēn gnōsin hypodexōmetha " oudemian loipon, hate dē pathōn apēllagmenoi, kai tōn agōnōn exō ginomenoi, dechomenoi tēn blaoēn. Mē toinyn tōn anephiktōn katatolmēsōmen, all᾽ hois eilēphamen sterxōmen, kai hōs chōroumen, ton agathon hēmōn Despotēn hymnēsōmen, kai hois echomen, ton euergetēn ainesōmen. Horōmen andras aretēs ergatas en euchleią zōntas kai timę̄ kai therapeią? Proskynēsōmen ton tēs aretēs nomothetēn, kai agōnothetēn, orthōs autēn kai dikaiōs anachēryttonta. Theōroumen allous, ton auton men bion proairoumenous, ou tōn autōn de para anthrōpois aposteusōmen hautous men kalōs agōnizesthai tēs karterias ton athlon, anachēryttesthai de dia toutou eis ton prosdokōmenon bion, hōs en tǭ pro toude diexelēlythamen logǭ " kai mē blasphēmous kata tēs Pronoias achontisōmen logous. "Atopon gar, kai pollēs
The sea of divine wisdom and Forethought cannot be sailed across, I know well. And I remember the most divine prophet crying: "Your judgments are a great abyss." I remember too the great herald of the truth, the inspired Paul, uttering such a cry again: "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways beyond tracing out!" So we do not foolishly venture on what is beyond reach, but admire divine things as far as we can and praise them as far as we can grasp them. For we know that those who strive to look at the sun more than they should do not enjoy what they long for but damage their sight, and not only draw no light from it but even bring darkness upon themselves. The human mind can be seen to suffer the same. For often, out of folly, striving to search out what supports the earth, what again is its foundation, and on what that in turn rests, or what is above the heavens and what is outside the whole universe, it not only finds none of what it seeks but comes back filled with much darkness and perplexity. Knowing this weakness of the mind, the blessed Paul urges, saying: "If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know as he ought to know." And again: "We know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away." And elsewhere: "Now I see as in a mirror and in a riddle, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." And again: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; but when I became a man, I put away the things of the child." That divine man goes through all this wishing to persuade everyone to bridle the insatiability of the mind, so that it may not venture on the impossible, and to await the precise understanding of things that will come in the life to come. That is why he calls the knowledge now given us childish. Comparing it with the teaching of the law, he calls it perfect; comparing it with the impassible and immortal life, he calls it youthful. And this too is a proof of divine Forethought. For the one who governs all things wisely, knowing the puffing up of our boastfulness, did not give precise knowledge of divine things even to the saints. For "knowledge puffs up," as the blessed Paul and the truth hold. But he has set it out as the prize of virtue, so that, having contended well in the present life, stripped off the passions entirely, and put on a body free of corruption and passions, we may then receive perfect knowledge, suffering no further harm from it, since we shall be freed from passions and outside the contests. So let us not venture on what is beyond reach, but be content with what we have received, praise our good Master as far as we can grasp, and praise our benefactor with what we have. Do we see workers of virtue living in glory, honor, and care? Let us worship the lawgiver and president of virtue's games, who rightly and justly proclaims it. Do we observe others who choose the same life but do not … the same among men? Let us believe that they contend well for the prize of endurance, and will be proclaimed for it in the life to come, as we went through in the preceding discourse; and let us not hurl blasphemous words against Providence. For it is absurd and
Ps 36:6 (35:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 11:33 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 8:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:12 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 8:1 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Opening his tenth discourse, Theodoret acknowledges with the psalmist and Paul that God's judgments are an unfathomable abyss; present knowledge is partial, and perfect knowledge is the prize of virtue in the life to come.
- Quotations: Ps 36:6 (LXX 35:7); Rom 11:33; 1 Cor 8:2; 13:9-10, 12, 11; 1 Cor 8:1.
- Words are lost in the OCR in "do not … the same among men" (probably "enjoy the same honors"); marked …. Leaked footnotes and debris from Migne's Latin column are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter and debris; column letter and debris inside the word ἐπανέρχεται; debris from Migne's Latin column; footnote marker; leaked footnote; leaked footnotes and debris from Migne's Latin column): καὶ οἱ Ὁ οὐ μόνον → καὶ οὐ μόνον; σκότος Διο. οἵ ἐπισπωμένους → σκότος ἐπισπωμένους; σονται. Ὑ1ἀ. ἰ. 11, ν. 995. ὩῚ πάντες, κ. τ᾿ λ. Υἱά. ΒΌρΓΔ 4. 448, → ; ἐπανέρ- Α ἀυτὴ χεται → ἐπανέρχεται; εἰδὼς (Ὁ0) τοῦ → εἰδὼς τοῦ; χωροῦμεν (θὅ), → χωροῦμεν,; πἀΐ 6 }8 : Εἰ Δ] οἰ υν 55. » Εἰ Αἰ ὶ : « ὕθγὴο υ ]6 8 Ομ ηἶθυ5, υἱ οἱ τηθ6η 8 ἱπουριο θα πὶ ουρίάϊαίοπι, πὸ ἰπποι [πὸ ρα γ]οπ γοςϑῖ, οἱ δης υἱδου ὑτορί 6 ἢοἵἰῃ 90 ἰἱὰ. 14. 911 0 ἐφρόνουν εἰ ἐλογιζόμην. → .
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 10.1 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/10-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/10-1
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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.