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Stromata Editions · The Shepherd of Hermas

Mandate XII

Man. 12.1.1–12.6.5

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Chapter 1

Man. 12.1.1

Greek source

Λέγει μοι· Ἆρον ἀπὸ σεαυτοῦ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν πονηράν, ἔνδυσαι δὲ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τὴν ἀγαθὴν καὶ σεμνήν· ἐνδεδυμένος γὰρ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ταύτην μισήσεις τὴν πονηρὰν ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ χαλιναγωγήσεις αὐτὴν καθὼς βούλει·

Translation

He said to me, “Remove every wicked desire from yourself and put on the good and reverent desire. Once you have put on this desire, you will hate the wicked desire and bridle it as you wish.

Man. 12.1.2

Greek source

ἀγρία γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἐπιθυμία ἡ πονηρά, καὶ δυσκόλως ἡμεροῦται· φοβερὰ γάρ ἐστι, καὶ λίαν τῇ ἀγριότητι αὐτῆς δαπανᾷ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους· μάλιστα δὲ ἐὰν ἐμπέσῃ εἰς αὐτὴν δοῦλος θεοῦ καὶ μὴ ᾖ συνετός, δαπανᾶται ὑπ’ αὐτῆς δεινῶς. δαπανᾷ δὲ τοὺς τοιούτους τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας ἔνδυμα τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀγαθῆς, ἀλλὰ ἐμπεφυρμένους τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ. τούτους οὖν παραδίδωσιν εἰς θάνατον.

Translation

“For wicked desire is savage and difficult to tame. It is terrifying and consumes people fiercely in its savagery. In particular, if a servant of God falls into it and lacks understanding, it consumes that person terribly. It consumes those who are not clothed in good desire but are entangled in this age. These it hands over to death.”

Man. 12.1.3

Greek source

Ποῖα, φημί, κύριε, ἔργα ἐστὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς πονηρᾶς τὰ παραδιδόντα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς θάνατον; γνώρισόν μοι, ἵνα ἀφέξωμαι ἀπ’ αὐτῶν. Ἄκουε, φησίν, ἐν ποίοις ἔργοις θανατοῖ ἡ ἐπιθυμία ἡ πονηρὰ τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ.

Translation

“Sir,” I asked, “what are the deeds of wicked desire that hand people over to death? Make them known to me, so that I may keep away from them.” “Listen,” he said, “to the deeds by which wicked desire puts God's servants to death.

Chapter 2

Man. 12.2.1

Greek source

Πάντων προέχουσα ἐπιθυμία γυναικὸς ἀλλοτρίας ἢ ἀνδρὸς καὶ πολυτελείας πλούτου καὶ ἐδεσμάτων πολλῶν ματαίων καὶ μεθυσμάτων καὶ ἑτέρων τρυφῶν πολλῶν καὶ μωρῶν· πᾶσα γὰρ τρυφὴ μωρά ἐστι καὶ κενὴ τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ θεοῦ.

Translation

“Foremost is desire for another's wife or husband, for the extravagance of wealth, for an abundance of useless foods, for intoxicating drinks, and for many other foolish luxuries. For every luxury is foolish and empty for God's servants.

Man. 12.2.2

Greek source

αὗται οὖν αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι πονηραί εἰσι, θανατοῦσαι τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ. αὕτη γὰρ ἡ ἐπιθυμία ἡ πονηρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου θυγάτηρ ἐστίν. ἀπέχεσθαι οὖν δεῖ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν τῶν πονηρῶν, ἵνα ἀποσχόμενοι ζήσητε τῷ θεῷ.

Translation

“These desires are therefore wicked and put God's servants to death. This wicked desire is the devil's daughter. You must keep away from wicked desires, so that by keeping away from them you may live for God.

Man. 12.2.3

Greek source

ὅσοι δὲ ἂν κατακυριευθῶσιν ὑπ’ αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἀντισταθῶσιν αὐταῖς, ἀποθανοῦνται εἰς τέλος. θανατώδεις γάρ εἰσιν αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι αὗται.

Translation

“All who are mastered by them and do not resist them will die utterly, for these desires are deadly.

Man. 12.2.4

Greek source

σὺ οὖν ἔνδυσαι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ καθοπλισάμενος τὸν φόβον τοῦ κυρίου ἀντίστηθι αὐταῖς. ὁ γὰρ φόβος τοῦ θεοῦ κατοικεῖ ἐν τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῇ ἀγαθῇ. ἡ ἐπιθυμία ἡ πονηρὰ ἐὰν ἴδῃ σε καθωπλισμένον τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθεστηκότα αὐτῇ, φεύξεται ἀπὸ σοῦ μακράν, καὶ οὐκέτι σοι ὀφθήσεται φοβουμένη τὰ ὅπλα σου.

Translation

“So put on the desire for righteousness. Arm yourself fully with the fear of the Lord and resist them. For the fear of God dwells in good desire. If wicked desire sees you armed with the fear of God and resisting it, it will flee far from you and no longer appear to you, because it fears your weapons.

Man. 12.2.5

Greek source

σὺ οὖν νῖκος λαβὼν καὶ στεφανωθεὶς κατ’ αὐτῆς ἐλθὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ παραδοὺς αὐτῇ τὸ νῖκος ὃ ἔλαβες, δούλευσον αὐτῇ καθὼς αὐτὴ βούλεται. ἐὰν δουλεύσῃς τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῇ ἀγαθῇ καὶ ὑποταγῇς αὐτῇ, δυνήσῃ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς πονηρᾶς κατακυριεῦσαι καὶ ὑποτάξαι αὐτὴν καθὼς βούλει.

Translation

“So, having gained victory and been crowned over it, approach the desire for righteousness. Hand over to it the victory you have won, and serve it as it wishes. If you serve good desire and submit to it, you will be able to master wicked desire and subject it as you wish.”

Chapter 3

Man. 12.3.1

Greek source

Ἤθελον, φημί, κύριε, γνῶναι ποίοις τρόποις με δεῖ δουλεῦσαι τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῇ ἀγαθῇ. Ἄκουε, φησίν· ἔργασαι δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀρετήν, ἀλήθειαν καὶ φόβον κυρίου, πίστιν καὶ πραότητα, καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ὅμοιά ἐστιν ἀγαθά. ταῦτα ἐργαζόμενος εὐάρεστος ἔσῃ δοῦλος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ζήσῃ αὐτῷ· καὶ πᾶς ὃς ἂν δουλεύσῃ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῇ ἀγαθῇ, ζήσεται τῷ θεῷ.

Translation

“Sir,” I said, “I would like to know how I must serve good desire.” “Listen,” he said. “Practise righteousness and virtue, truth and fear of the Lord, faith and gentleness, and all good things like these. By doing them you will be a pleasing servant of God and will live for him. Everyone who serves good desire will live for God.”

Man. 12.3.2

Greek source

Συνετέλεσεν οὖν τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς δώδεκα καὶ λέγει μοι· Ἔχεις τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας· πορεύου ἐν αὐταῖς, καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας παρακάλει ἵνα ἡ μετάνοια αὐτῶν καθαρὰ γένηται τὰς λοιπὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν.

Translation

He had now completed the twelve commandments, and said to me, “You have these commandments. Live by them and encourage those who hear them, so that their repentance may be pure for the remaining days of their lives.

Man. 12.3.3

Greek source

τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην ἥν σοι δίδωμι τέλει ἐπιμελῶς, καὶ πολὺ ἐργάσῃ· εὑρήσεις γὰρ χάριν ἐν τοῖς μέλλουσι μετανοεῖν καὶ πεισθήσονταί σου τοῖς ῥήμασιν· ἐγὼ γὰρ μετὰ σοῦ ἔσομαι καὶ ἀναγκάσω αὐτοὺς πεισθῆναί σοι.

Translation

“Perform this service I give you diligently, and you will accomplish much. For you will find favour with those who are going to repent, and they will obey your words. I will be with you and compel them to obey you.”

Man. 12.3.4

Greek source

λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὗται μεγάλαι καὶ καλαὶ καὶ ἔνδοξοί εἰσι καὶ δυνάμεναι εὐφρᾶναι καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου τοῦ δυναμένου τηρῆσαι αὐτάς. οὐκ οἶδα δὲ εἰ δύνανται αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὗται ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου φυλαχθῆναι, διότι σκληραί εἰσι λίαν.

Translation

I said to him, “Sir, these commandments are great, good, and glorious. They can gladden the heart of anyone able to keep them. But I do not know whether a person can keep them, because they are very hard.”

Man. 12.3.5

Greek source

ἀποκριθεὶς λέγει μοι· Ἐὰν σὺ σεαυτῷ προθῇς ὅτι δύνανται φυλαχθῆναι, εὐκόπως αὐτὰς φυλάξεις, καὶ οὐκ ἔσονται σκληραί· ἐὰν δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἤδη ἀναβῇ μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτὰς ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου φυλαχθῆναι, οὐ φυλάξεις αὐτάς.

Translation

He answered, “If you resolve that they can be kept, you will keep them easily, and they will not be hard. But if the thought that a person cannot keep them has already entered your heart, you will not keep them.

Man. 12.3.6

Greek source

νῦν δέ σοι λέγω· ἐὰν ταύτας μὴ φυλάξῃς, ἀλλὰ παρενθυμηθῇς, οὐχ ἕξεις σωτηρίαν, οὔτε τὰ τέκνα σου οὔτε ὁ οἶκός σου, ἐπεὶ ἤδη σεαυτῷ κέκρικας τοῦ μὴ δύνασθαι τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου φυλαχθῆναι.

Translation

“Now I tell you: if you do not keep them but neglect them, neither you nor your children nor your household will have salvation, because you have already decided for yourself that a person cannot keep these commandments.”

Chapter 4

Man. 12.4.1

Greek source

Καὶ ταῦτά μοι λίαν ὀργίλως ἐλάλησεν, ὥστε με συγχυθῆναι καὶ λίαν αὐτὸν φοβηθῆναι· ἡ μορφὴ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἠλλοιώθη, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι ἄνθρωπον ὑπενεγκεῖν τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ.

Translation

He spoke these words to me very angrily, so that I was dismayed and deeply afraid of him. His appearance had changed, and no person could endure his anger.

Man. 12.4.2

Greek source

ἰδὼν δέ με τεταραγμένον ὅλον καὶ συγκεχυμένον ἤρξατό μοι ἐπιεικέστερον καὶ ἱλαρώτερον λαλεῖν, καὶ λέγει· Ἄφρον, ἀσύνετε καὶ δίψυχε, οὐ νοεῖς τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ, πῶς μεγάλη ἐστὶ καὶ ἰσχυρὰ καὶ θαυμαστή, ὅτι ἔκτισε τὸν κόσμον ἕνεκα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν αὐτοῦ ὑπέταξε τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν πᾶσαν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ τοῦ κατακυριεύειν τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν πάντων;

Translation

When he saw me utterly disturbed and dismayed, he began to speak more gently and more cheerfully. He said, “You foolish, uncomprehending, wavering man, do you not understand God's glory, how great, strong, and wonderful it is? He created the world for humanity's sake, subjected all his creation to humanity, and gave human beings full authority to master everything under heaven.

Man. 12.4.3

Greek source

εἰ οὖν, φησί, πάντων ὁ ἄνθρωπος κύριός ἐστι τῶν κτισμάτων τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πάντων κατακυριεύει, οὐ δύναται καὶ τούτων τῶν ἐντολῶν κατακυριεῦσαι; δύναται, φησί, πάντων καὶ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων κατακυριεῦσαι ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ ἔχων τὸν κύριον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ.

Translation

“If a human being is master of everything God has created and has mastery over it all,” he said, “can they not also master these commandments? A person who has the Lord in their heart can master everything and all these commandments.

Man. 12.4.4

Greek source

οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς χείλεσιν ἔχοντες τὸν κύριον, τὴν δὲ καρδίαν αὐτῶν πεπωρωμένην, καὶ μακρὰν ὄντες ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου, ἐκείνοις αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὗται σκληραί εἰσι καὶ δύσβατοι.

Translation

“But for those who have the Lord on their lips while their hearts are hardened, and who are far from the Lord, these commandments are hard and difficult to follow.

Man. 12.4.5

Greek source

θέσθε οὖν ὑμεῖς, οἱ κενοὶ καὶ ἐλαφροὶ ὄντες ἐν τῇ πίστει, τὸν κύριον ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι οὐδέν ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων, οὔτε γλυκύτερον, οὔτε ἡμερώτερον.

Translation

“So you who are empty and fickle in faith, put your Lord in your heart. You will know that nothing is easier than these commandments, or sweeter, or gentler.

Man. 12.4.6

Greek source

ἐπιστράφητε ὑμεῖς οἱ ταῖς ἐντολαῖς πορευόμενοι τοῦ διαβόλου, ταῖς δυσκόλοις καὶ πικραῖς καὶ ἀγρίαις καὶ ἀσελγέσι, καὶ μὴ φοβήθητε τὸν διάβολον, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ δύναμις οὐκ ἔστι καθ’ ὑμῶν·

Translation

“Turn back, you who follow the devil's commandments, which are difficult, bitter, savage, and licentious. Do not fear the devil, because he has no power against you.

Man. 12.4.7

Greek source

ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔσομαι μεθ’ ὑμῶν, ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς μετανοίας ὁ κατακυριεύων αὐτοῦ. ὁ διάβολος μόνον φόβον ἔχει, ὁ δὲ φόβος αὐτοῦ τόνον οὐκ ἔχει· μὴ φοβήθητε οὖν αὐτόν, καὶ φεύξεται ἀφ’ ὑμῶν.

Translation

“For I will be with you, the angel of repentance who has mastery over him. The devil can only frighten, and the fear he brings has no force. So do not fear him, and he will flee from you.”

Chapter 5

Man. 12.5.1

Greek source

Λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, ἄκουσόν μου ὀλίγων ῥημάτων. Λέγε, φησί, ὃ βούλει. Ὁ μὲν ἄνθρωπος, φημί, κύριε, πρόθυμός ἐστι τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ θεοῦ φυλάσσειν, καὶ οὐδείς ἐστιν ὁ μὴ αἰτούμενος παρὰ τοῦ κ[υρίου ἵν]α ἐνδυναμωθῇ ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑποταγῇ αὐταῖς· ἀλλ’ ὁ διάβολος σκληρός ἐστι καὶ καταδυναστεύει αὐτῶν.

Translation

I said to him, “Sir, listen to a few words from me.” “Say what you wish,” he said. “Sir,” I said, “a person is eager to keep God's commandments. There is no one who does not ask the [Lord, so that] they may be strengthened in his commandments and submit to them. But the devil is harsh and oppresses them.”

Man. 12.5.2

Greek source

Οὐ δύναται, φησί, καταδυναστεύειν τῶν δούλων τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας ἐλπιζόντων ἐπ’ αὐτόν. δύναται ὁ διάβολος ἀντιπαλαῖσαι, καταπαλαῖσαι δὲ οὐ δύναται. ἐὰν οὖν ἀντισταθῆτε αὐτῷ, νικηθεὶς φεύξεται ἀφ’ ὑμῶν κατῃσχυμμένος. ὅσοι δέ, φησίν, ἀπόκενοί εἰσι, φοβοῦνται τὸν διάβολον ὡς δύναμιν ἔχοντα.

Translation

“He cannot,” he said, “oppress God's servants who place their hope in God with all their heart. The devil can wrestle against them, but cannot throw them down. If you resist him, he will be defeated and flee from you in shame. But those who are empty,” he said, “fear the devil as though he had power.

Man. 12.5.3

Greek source

ὅταν ὁ ἄνθρωπος κεράμια ἱκανώτατα γεμίσῃ οἴνου καλοῦ καὶ ἐν τοῖς κεραμίοις ἐκείνοις ὀλίγα ἀπόκενα ᾖ, ἔρχεται ἐπὶ τὰ κεράμια καὶ οὐ κατανοεῖ τὰ πλήρη· οἶδε γὰρ ὅτι πλήρη εἰσί· κατανοεῖ δὲ τὰ ἀπόκενα, φοβούμενος, μήποτε ὤξισαν· ταχὺ γὰρ τὰ ἀπόκενα κεράμια ὀξίζουσι καὶ ἀπόλλυται ἡ ἡδονὴ τοῦ οἴνου.

Translation

“When a person fills a great many jars with good wine and a few of those jars are not full, he comes to the jars and pays no attention to the full ones, because he knows they are full. He examines the ones that are not full, fearing that they may have turned sour. For wine in depleted jars quickly turns sour and loses its pleasant taste.

Man. 12.5.4

Greek source

οὕτω καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἔρχεται ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκπειράζων αὐτούς. ὅσοι οὖν πλήρεις εἰσὶν ἐν τῇ πίστει, ἀνθεστήκασιν αὐτῷ ἰσχυρῶς, κἀκεῖνος ἀποχωρεῖ ἀπ’ αὐτῶν μὴ ἔχων τόπον, ποῦ εἰσέλθῃ. ἔρχεται οὖν τότε πρὸς τοὺς ἀποκένους καὶ ἔχων τόπον εἰσπορεύεται εἰς αὐτούς, καὶ ὃ δὲ βούλεται ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐργάζεται, καὶ γίνονται αὐτῷ ὑπόδουλοι.

Translation

“In the same way, the devil comes to all God's servants to tempt them. Those who are full of faith resist him strongly, and he leaves them because he has no place to enter. Then he comes to the empty ones. Having a place, he enters them, does whatever he wishes within them, and they become enslaved to him.

Chapter 6

Man. 12.6.1

Greek source

Ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῖν λέγω, ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς μετανοίας· μὴ φοβήθητε τὸν διάβολον. ἀπεστάλην γάρ, φησί, μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἶναι τῶν μετανοούντων ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας αὐτῶν καὶ ἰσχυροποιῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ πίστει.

Translation

“But I, the angel of repentance, tell you: do not fear the devil. I was sent,” he said, “to be with you who repent with all your heart and to strengthen you in faith.

Man. 12.6.2

Greek source

πιστεύσατε οὖν τῷ θεῷ ὑμεῖς οἱ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν ἀπεγνωκότες τὴν ζωὴν ὑμῶν καὶ προστιθέντες ἁμαρτίαις καὶ καταβαρύνοντες τὴν ζωὴν ὑμῶν, ὅτι, ἐὰν ἐπιστραφῆτε πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν καὶ ἐργάσησθε τὴν δικαιοσύνην τὰς λοιπὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς ὑμῶν καὶ δουλεύσητε αὐτῷ ὀρθῶς κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ, ποιήσει ἴασιν τοῖς προτέροις ὑμῶν ἁμαρτήμασι καὶ ἕξετε δύναμιν τοῦ κατακυριεῦσαι τῶν ἔργων τοῦ διαβόλου. τὴν δὲ ἀπειλὴν τοῦ διαβόλου ὅλως μὴ φοβήθητε· ἄτονος γάρ ἐστιν ὥσπερ νεκροῦ νεῦρα.

Translation

“So trust God, you who have given up on your life because of your sins, who add to your sins and weigh your life down. If you turn toward the Lord with all your heart, practise righteousness for the remaining days of your life, and serve him rightly according to his will, he will heal your earlier sins. You will have the power to master the devil's deeds. Do not fear the devil's threat at all, for it has no strength, like the sinews of a dead body.

Man. 12.6.3

Greek source

ἀκούσατε οὖν μου καὶ φοβήθητε τὸν πάντα δυνάμενον, σῶσαι καὶ ἀπολέσαι, καὶ τηρεῖτε τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας, καὶ ζήσεσθε τῷ θεῷ.

Translation

“So listen to me and fear the one who can do everything, both save and destroy. Keep these commandments, and you will live for God.”

Man. 12.6.4

Greek source

λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, νῦν ἐνεδυναμώθην ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς δικαιώμασι τοῦ κυρίου, ὅτι σὺ μετ’ ἐμοῦ εἶ. καὶ οἶδα, ὅτι συγκόψεις τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ διαβόλου πᾶσαν καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοῦ κατακυριεύσομεν καὶ κατισχύσομεν πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐλπίζω, κύριε, δύνασθαί με τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας, ἃς ἐντέταλσαι, τοῦ κυρίου ἐνδυναμοῦντος φυλάξαι.

Translation

I said to him, “Sir, now I have been strengthened in all the Lord's ordinances, because you are with me. I know that you will break all the devil's power, and we will master him and overcome all his deeds. I hope, sir, that with the Lord strengthening me I will be able to keep these commandments you have given.”

Man. 12.6.5

Greek source

Φυλάξεις, φησίν, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία σου καθαρὰ γένηται πρὸς κύριον· καὶ πάντες δὲ φυλάξουσιν, ὅσοι ἂν καθαρίσωσιν ἑαυτῶν τὰς καρδίας ἀπὸ τῶν ματαίων ἐπιθυμιῶν τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ ζήσονται τῷ θεῷ.

Translation

“You will keep them,” he said, “if your heart becomes pure toward the Lord. All who cleanse their hearts of this age's empty desires will keep them too, and they will live for God.”

Reader’s notes

  1. 1. 12.2.1–5

    The desire for someone else's wife or husband preserves both objects named in the Greek. The images of armour, a bridle, victory, and a crown remain distinct. “Compel” in 12.3.3 retains the force of ἀναγκάσω.

  2. 2. 12.4.2–7

    The claim about humanity's dominion and the contrast between the devil's intimidation and actual power remain as stated. The ability to keep the commandments is framed by the author's religious argument, not recast as self-help advice.

  3. 3. 12.5.1 — partial supplied span

    The source has κ⟦supplied⟧[υρίου ἵν]⟦/supplied⟧α, with the supplied span beginning and ending inside Greek words. English cannot reproduce those letter boundaries while remaining readable. ⟦supplied:partial⟧[Lord, so that]⟦/supplied:partial⟧ marks the affected expression and retains square brackets; it does not mean that the entire Greek words were supplied. Confirmation of the printed reading and its apparatus remains open.

  4. 4. 12.5.3

    “Not full” and “depleted” interpret ἀπόκενα in the comparison of wine turning sour in jars. This reading takes the jars as having insufficient contents, rather than being wholly empty of wine. The inference is required by the comparison but merits lexical review; the empty jar in 11.15 is a separate image.

  5. 5. 12.6.2–5

    The sinews of a dead body retain the concrete ancient image of powerless threats. Conditions attached to turning toward the Lord and cleansing one's heart remain conditions, not unconditional assurances.

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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