Stromata Editions · The Shepherd of Hermas
Mandate XI
Man. 11.1–11.21
Complete audiobook →Greek source
Ἔδειξέ μοι ἐπὶ συμψελλίου καθημένους ἀνθρώπους, καὶ ἕτερον ἄνθρωπον καθήμενον ἐπὶ καθέδραν. καὶ λέγει μοι· Βλέπεις τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ συμψελλίου καθημένους; Βλέπω, φημί, κύριε. Οὗτοι, φησί, πιστοί εἰσι, καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τὴν καθέδραν ψευδοπροφήτης ἐστὶν ἀπολλύων τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν δούλων τοῦ θεοῦ· τῶν διψύχων δὲ ἀπόλλυσιν, οὐ τῶν πιστῶν.
Translation
He showed me people seated on a bench and another person sitting on a seat. He said to me, “Do you see those seated on the bench?” “I do, sir,” I said. “They are faithful,” he said, “and the one sitting on the seat is a false prophet who destroys the understanding of God's servants. But it is the wavering whose understanding he destroys, not the faithful.
Greek source
οὗτοι οὖν οἱ δίψυχοι ὡς ἐπὶ μάντιν ἔρχονται καὶ ἐπερωτῶσιν αὐτόν, τί ἄρα ἔσται αὐτοῖς· κἀκεῖνος ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης, μηδεμίαν ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ δύναμιν πνεύματος θείου, λαλεῖ μετ’ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὰ ἐπερωτήματα αὐτῶν καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς πονηρίας αὐτῶν, καὶ πληροῖ τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν καθὼς αὐτοὶ βούλονται.
Translation
“These wavering people come to him as to a diviner and ask what will happen to them. That false prophet has no power of a divine spirit within him. He speaks with them according to their questions and their wicked desires, satisfying their souls as they wish.
Greek source
αὐτὸς γὰρ κενὸς ὢν κενὰ καὶ ἀποκρίνεται κενοῖς· ὃ γὰρ ἐὰν ἐπερωτηθῇ, πρὸς τὸ κένωμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀποκρίνεται. τινὰ δὲ καὶ ῥήματα ἀληθῆ λαλεῖ· ὁ γὰρ διάβολος πληροῖ αὐτὸν τῷ αὐτοῦ πνεύματι, εἴ τινα δυνήσεται ῥῆξαι τῶν δικαίων.
Translation
“For being empty himself, he gives empty answers to empty people. Whatever he is asked, he answers in keeping with the questioner's emptiness. But he also speaks some true words, for the devil fills him with his own spirit to see whether he can break down any of the righteous.
Greek source
ὅσοι οὖν ἰσχυροί εἰσιν ἐν τῇ πίστει τοῦ κυρίου, ἐνδεδυμένοι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τοῖς τοιούτοις πνεύμασιν οὐ κολλῶνται, ἀλλ’ ἀπέχονται ἀπ’ αὐτῶν. ὅσοι δὲ δίψυχοί εἰσι καὶ πυκνῶς μετανοοῦσι, μαντεύονται ὡς καὶ τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἑαυτοῖς μείζονα ἁμαρτίαν ἐπιφέρουσιν εἰδωλολατροῦντες· ὁ γὰρ ἐπερωτῶν ψευδοπροφήτην περὶ πράξεώς τινος εἰδωλολάτρης ἐστὶ καὶ κενὸς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ ἄφρων.
Translation
“Those who are strong in faith in the Lord, clothed in truth, do not attach themselves to such spirits, but keep away from them. Those who waver and frequently repent consult divination as the nations do. They bring a greater sin upon themselves by practising idolatry. For whoever questions a false prophet about some undertaking is an idolater, empty of truth and without understanding.
Greek source
πᾶν γὰρ πνεῦμα ἀπὸ θεοῦ δοθὲν οὐκ ἐπερωτᾶται, ἀλλὰ ἔχον τὴν δύναμιν τῆς θεότητος ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ λαλεῖ πάντα, ὅτι ἄνωθέν ἐστιν ἀπὸ τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ θείου πνεύματος.
Translation
“No spirit given by God is consulted in this way. Having divine power, it speaks everything of its own accord, because it comes from above, from the power of the divine spirit.
Greek source
τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐπερωτώμενον καὶ λαλοῦν κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπίγειόν ἐστι καὶ ἐλαφρόν, δύναμιν μὴ ἔχον· καὶ ὅλως οὐ λαλεῖ ἐὰν μὴ ἐπερωτηθῇ.
Translation
“But the spirit that is questioned and speaks according to people's desires is earthly, fickle, and powerless. It does not speak at all unless it is questioned.”
Greek source
Πῶς οὖν, φημί, κύριε, ἄνθρωπος γνώσεται τίς αὐτῶν προφήτης καὶ τίς ψευδοπροφήτης ἐστίν; Ἄκουε, φησί, περὶ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν προφητῶν· καὶ ὥς σοι μέλλω λέγειν, οὕτω δοκιμάσεις τὸν προφήτην καὶ τὸν ψευδοπροφήτην. ἀπὸ τῆς ζωῆς δοκίμαζε τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν ἔχοντα τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ θεῖον.
Translation
“How, then, sir,” I asked, “will someone know which is a prophet and which is a false prophet?” “Listen,” he said, “about both kinds of prophet. You will test the prophet and the false prophet in the way I am going to tell you. Test the person who has the divine spirit by their life.
Greek source
πρῶτον μὲν ὁ ἔχων τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἄνωθεν πραΰς ἐστι καὶ ἡσύχιος καὶ ταπεινόφρων καὶ ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ πάσης πονηρίας καὶ ἐπιθυμίας ματαίας τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἐνδεέστερον ποιεῖ πάντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν ἀποκρίνεται ἐπερωτώμενος, οὐδὲ καταμόνας λαλεῖ, οὐδὲ ὅταν θέλῃ ἄνθρωπος λαλεῖν, λαλεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἀλλὰ τότε λαλεῖ, ὅταν θελήσῃ αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς λαλῆσαι.
Translation
“First, the person who has the spirit from above is gentle, quiet, and humble, keeps away from every wickedness and empty desire of this age, and makes himself lower than everyone else. He gives no answer to anyone who questions him and does not speak in private. Nor does the holy spirit speak whenever a person wants it to speak; it speaks when God wants that person to speak.
Greek source
ὅταν οὖν ἔλθῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ ἔχων τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ θεῖον εἰς συναγωγὴν ἀνδρῶν δικαίων τῶν ἐχόντων πίστιν θείου πνεύματος, καὶ ἔντευξις γένηται πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τῆς συναγωγῆς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων, τότε ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ προφητικοῦ ὁ κείμενος ἐπ’ αὐτῷ πληροῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ πλησθεὶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ λαλεῖ εἰς τὸ πλῆθος καθὼς ὁ κύριος βούλεται.
Translation
“When the person who has the divine spirit comes into a gathering of righteous men who have faith in the divine spirit, and that gathering of men petitions God, then the angel of the prophetic spirit appointed over him fills the person. Filled with the holy spirit, that person speaks to the crowd as the Lord wishes.
Greek source
οὕτως οὖν φανερὸν ἔσται τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς θεότητος. ὅση οὖν περὶ τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς θεότητος τοῦ κυρίου ἡ δύναμις, αὕτη.
Translation
“In this way the divine spirit will become evident. Such is the power of the Lord's divine spirit.
Greek source
ἄκουε νῦν, φησί, περὶ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἐπιγείου καὶ κενοῦ καὶ δύναμιν μὴ ἔχοντος, ἀλλὰ ὄντος μωροῦ.
Translation
“Now listen,” he said, “about the spirit that is earthly, empty, without power, and foolish.
Greek source
πρῶτον μὲν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ὁ δοκῶν πνεῦμα ἔχειν ὑψοῖ ἑαυτὸν καὶ θέλει πρωτοκαθεδρίαν ἔχειν, καὶ εὐθὺς ἰταμός ἐστι καὶ ἀναιδὴς καὶ πολύλαλος καὶ ἐν τρυφαῖς πολλαῖς ἀναστρεφόμενος καὶ ἐν ἑτέραις πολλαῖς ἀπάταις, καὶ μισθοὺς λαμβάνων τῆς προφητείας αὐτοῦ· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ λάβῃ, οὐ προφητεύει. δύναται οὖν πνεῦμα θεῖον μισθοὺς λαμβάνειν καὶ προφητεύειν; οὐκ ἐνδέχεται τοῦτο ποιεῖν θεοῦ προφήτην, ἀλλὰ τῶν τοιούτων προφητῶν ἐπίγειόν ἐστι τὸ πνεῦμα.
Translation
“First, that person who seems to have a spirit exalts himself and wants the foremost seat. He is immediately brazen, shameless, and talkative, lives amid great luxury and many other deceptions, and takes payment for his prophecy. If he receives no payment, he does not prophesy. Can a divine spirit take payment and prophesy? God's prophet cannot do this; the spirit of such prophets is earthly.
Greek source
εἶτα ὅλως εἰς συναγωγὴν ἀνδρῶν δικαίων οὐκ ἐγγίζει, ἀλλ’ ἀποφεύγει αὐτούς. κολλᾶται δὲ τοῖς διψύχοις καὶ κενοῖς, καὶ κατὰ γωνίαν αὐτοῖς προφητεύει, καὶ ἀπατᾷ αὐτοὺς λαλῶν κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν πάντα κενῶς· κενοῖς γὰρ καὶ ἀποκρίνεται. τὸ γὰρ κενὸν σκεῦος μετὰ τῶν κενῶν συντιθέμενον οὐ θραύεται, ἀλλὰ συμφωνοῦσιν ἀλλήλοις.
Translation
“Then, he does not approach a gathering of righteous men at all, but avoids them. He attaches himself to the wavering and empty, prophesies to them in a corner, and deceives them by speaking entirely empty things according to their desires. For it is to empty people that he gives answers. An empty vessel placed together with empty ones does not break; instead, they agree with one another.
Greek source
ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ εἰς συναγωγὴν πλήρη ἀνδρῶν δικαίων ἐχόντων πνεῦμα θεότητος, καὶ ἔντευξις ἀπ’ αὐτῶν γένηται, κενοῦται ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐπίγειον ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου φεύγει ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ κωφοῦται ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος καὶ ὅλως συνθραύεται, μηδὲν δυνάμενος λαλῆσαι.
Translation
“But when he comes into a gathering full of righteous men who have a divine spirit, and they offer a petition, that person is emptied. The earthly spirit flees from him in fear, and he becomes mute and is utterly shattered, unable to say anything.
Greek source
ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς ἀποθήκην στιβάσῃς οἶνον ἢ ἔλαιον καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς θῇς κεράμιον κενόν, καὶ πάλιν ἀποστιβάσαι θελήσῃς τὴν ἀποθήκην, τὸ κεράμιον ἐκεῖνο ὃ ἔθηκας κενόν, κενὸν καὶ εὑρήσεις· οὕτω καὶ οἱ προφῆται οἱ κενοὶ ὅταν ἔλθωσιν εἰς πνεύματα δικαίων, ὁποῖοι ἦλθον, τοιοῦτοι καὶ εὑρίσκονται.
Translation
“For if you stock a storeroom with wine or oil and put an empty jar among them, then later decide to empty the storeroom, you will find that the jar you placed there empty is still empty. So when empty prophets come among the spirits of the righteous, they are found to be just as they were when they came.
Greek source
ἔχεις ἀμφοτέρων τῶν προφητῶν τὴν ζωήν. δοκίμαζε οὖν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων καὶ τῆς ζωῆς τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν λέγοντα ἑαυτὸν πνευματοφόρον εἶναι.
Translation
“You now have the lives of both kinds of prophet. So test the person who claims to be a bearer of the spirit by their deeds and their life.
Greek source
σὺ δὲ πίστευε τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἐρχομένῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἔχοντι δύναμιν· τῷ δὲ πνεύματι τῷ ἐπιγείῳ καὶ κενῷ μηδὲν πίστευε, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ δύναμις οὐκ ἔστιν· ἀπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου γὰρ ἔρχεται.
Translation
“But trust the spirit that comes from God and has power. Put no trust in the earthly and empty spirit, because there is no power in it; it comes from the devil.
Greek source
ἄκουσον οὖν τὴν παραβολὴν ἣν μέλλω σοι λέγειν. λάβε λίθον καὶ βάλε εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, ἴδε εἰ δύνασαι ἅψασθαι αὐτοῦ· ἢ πάλιν λάβε σίφωνα ὕδατος καὶ σιφώνισον εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, ἴδε εἰ δύνασαι τρυπῆσαι τὸν οὐρανόν.
Translation
“Listen, then, to the image I am going to give you. Take a stone and throw it toward heaven; see whether you can touch heaven with it. Or take a water siphon and spray toward heaven; see whether you can pierce heaven.
Greek source
Πῶς, φημί, κύριε, δύναται ταῦτα γενέσθαι; ἀδύνατα γὰρ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα εἴρηκας. Ὡς ταῦτα οὖν, φησίν, ἀδύνατά ἐστιν, οὕτω καὶ τὰ πνεύματα τὰ ἐπίγεια ἀδύνατά ἐστι καὶ ἀδρανῆ.
Translation
“How, sir,” I asked, “can these things happen? Both things you have described are impossible.” “Just as these things are impossible,” he said, “so earthly spirits are powerless and ineffectual.
Greek source
λάβε νῦν τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἄνωθεν ἐρχομένην. ἡ χάλαζα ἐλάχιστόν ἐστι κοκκάριον, καὶ ὅταν ἐπιπέσῃ ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ἀνθρώπου, πῶς πόνον παρέχει· ἢ πάλιν [λάβε τὴν] σταγόνα ἣ ἀπὸ τοῦ κεράμου πίπτει χαμαὶ καὶ τρυπᾷ τὸν λίθον.
Translation
“Now consider the power that comes from above. A hailstone is a very small pellet, yet what pain it causes when it falls on someone's head! Or again, [consider the] drop that falls to the ground from a roof tile and pierces the stone.
Greek source
βλέπεις οὖν ὅτι τὰ ἄνωθεν ἐλάχιστα πίπτοντα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν μεγάλην δύναμιν [ἔχουσιν·] οὕτω καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ θεῖον ἄνωθεν ἐρχόμενον δυνατόν ἐστι· τούτῳ οὖν τῷ πνεύματι πίστευε, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἑτέρου ἀπέχου.
Translation
“So you see that the smallest things falling from above to the earth [have] great power. In the same way, the divine spirit coming from above is powerful. Trust this spirit, then, and keep away from the other.”
Reader’s notes
1. 11.5–9, 11.12–13
The contrast is between a prophet who speaks when God wills in the gathered community and a diviner who supplies private answers on demand and for payment. The rendering does not impose a modern denominational structure. The righteous spirit's not being “consulted in this way” reflects the kind of questioning under discussion, not an added prohibition on all conversation.
2. 11.9
“Faith in the divine spirit” renders the genitive πίστιν θείου πνεύματος. Its exact relation may admit another construal. The angel of the prophetic spirit and the divine spirit are left in the relationships the sentence states; they are not silently identified with one another.
3. 11.13–15
The empty vessels' agreement and the empty jar's remaining empty are retained. The translation does not add a rattling sound to the vessels or imply that proximity to full jars fills an empty one.
4. 11.18–21
The water-spraying device and the drop falling from above preserve the ancient comparison. The κέραμος in 11.20 is a roof tile in this context. The supplied words in 11.8, 11.18, 11.20, and 11.21 remain marked, including the source's square brackets.
About this edition
English translation v02. Greek source v01: Molly Whittaker, second revised edition, 1967; Patristic Text Archive (2018), Annette von Stockhausen — conversion to CTS-compliant PTA TEI and markup of places and persons. Technical derivative: Stromata Editions, 2026-09-29. Fixed version ef861ab3.
Dotted underlining marks editorial supplied spans in the selected source and the corresponding translation, including partial spans. The sign alone does not establish the intervention’s nature or necessarily indicate a conjecture. Original square brackets are preserved.
Latin ending: the ancient Vulgata edited by Adolphus Hilgenfeld, Hermae Pastor (Leipzig, 1873), pp. 155–164; project source HER-ENDING-SOURCE-v01. Hilgenfeld took the insertion in Sim. 10.2.4 from the Palatina and added habet himself. The Greek digital source’s license does not automatically cover the Latin edition or the translations.
The translation is a reviewed working version following an AI editorial pass; human philological review is not claimed.
The reproduced Greek source and its technical derivative: CC BY-SA 4.0. Whitespace adapted for reading; words and diacritics preserved. Attribution does not imply endorsement of Stromata by PTA contributors.
Vulgata · Hilgenfeld 1873 · StromataPTA · ef861ab3CC BY-SA 4.0
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