To a Young Widow 7
Greek text: PG 48.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 7
7PG 48:609
"Ὅλως. δὲ εἰ βούλει. καὶ πὰ χρήματά. σοι μένειν ἐν « ἀσφαλείᾳ, καὶ αὔξεσθαι. πάλιν, ἐγώ σοι καὶ τὸν τρόπον. ὑποδείξω καὶ τὸν τόπον, ἔνθα οὐδενὶ τῶν ἐ πιδουλευόντων θέμις εἰσελθεῖν. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν ὁ τόπος; Ὁ οὐρανός. ᾿Απόστειλον αὐτὰ πρὸς τὸν καλὸν ἐχεῖνον ἄνδρα, γαὶ οὔτε χλέπτης, οὔτε. ἐπίδαουλος, οὔτε. ἄλλη τι τῶν λυμαινομένων αὐτοῖς ἐπιπηδῆσαι δυνήσεται. "᾽ν ἐχεῖ χατορύξῃς ταῦτα τὰ χρήματα, πολὺν εὑρήσεις τὸν ἀπὸ τούτων χαρπόν. Τὰ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς φυτευόμενα πάντα παρ᾽ ἡμῶν καὶ πλείονα καὶ χρείττονα ἔχει τὴν φορὰν, ὦ καὶ τοιαύτην οἵαν εἰχὰς ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐῤῥιζωμένων αὐτῶν. Κἂν τοῦτο πράξῃς, ὅρα ποίων ἀπολαύσῃ χαλῶν" πρῶτον μὲν τῆς. αἰωνίου ζωῇς καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν Θεὸν ἔ, ἃ οὔτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδεν, οὔτε οὗς ἤχουσεν, οὔτε ἐπὶ χαρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέδη, ἔπειτα τοῦ πάντα συνοιχῆσαι τῷ χαλῷ τούτῳ τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα δὲ φροντίδων καὶ φόδων καὶ κινδύνων «καὶ ἐπιδονλῶν καὶ ἔχθρας καὶ μέσαυς ἀπαλλάξεις σαυ- “τὴν. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ αὐτὰ περιχειμένη ἧς, ἴσως ἔσονταί “ινὲς οἱ ἐπιτεθησόμενοι " ἂν δὲ πρὸς «τὸν οἀρᾳγὸν αὑτὰ ᾿μεταθῇς, ἀχένδυνον καὶ : ἀσφαλῆ. καὶ. πολλῆς ἡσυχίας γέμοντα βιώσῃ βίον, αὐταρχείας μετὰ εὐσεδείας ἀπο- «λαύονσα δ. Καὶ γὰρ πολλῆς ἀλογίας, ἀγρὸν -μὲν βουλόμενον ὠνήσασθαι τὴν εὐφοροῦσαν γῆν ἐπιζητεῖν, οὐρατι νοῦ" δὲ ἀντὶ γῆς προχειμένου, παρὸν. ἐκεῖ κτήσασθαι αι χωρίον,. μένειν -ἐπὶ : τῆς.γῆς,. καὶ τὧν ἐκ. ταύτης ἀνκέχεσθαι πόνων ᾿καὶ τῶν δε ἁμαρτιῶν Ἀ]: πολλάκις γὰρ σφάλλει πἢς ἐλπίδος ἡμᾶς. Ἐπειδὴ δέ σου δεινῶς στρέφει τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ θορυβεῖ τὸ προσδοκηθὲν πολλάκις αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν ὑπάρχων ἥξειν ἀξίωμα, καὶ προανηρπάσθαι τῆς ἀρχῆς; πρῶτον. μὲν. ἐχεῖνο. σκόπει, ὅτι εἰ καὶ σφόδρα δήλη ἦν αὔτη ἡ ἐλπὶς, ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ἀνθρώπων ἐλπὶς ἦν, πολλάκις διαπίπτουτα᾽ καὶ πολλὰ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τοιαῦτα δρῶμεν γινόμενα, καὶ τῶν σφόδρα προσδοκηθέντων ἀτελέστων μεινάντων, τὰ δὲ μηδ᾽ εἰς νοῦν ἐλθόντα ἡ εἶν εἰς τέλος ἐξῆλθε πολλάχις. καὶ τοῦτο χὰν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς, κἀν ταῖς βασιλείαις, χἀν ταῖς χληρονομίαις, καὶ τοῖς γάμοις, καὶ πανταχοῦ συμδαῖνον ὁρῶμεν ἀεί. "Ὥστε εἰ καὶ σφόδρα ἐγγὺς ἣν ὁ χαιρὸς, ἀλλὰ πο.1λὰ, κατὰ τὴν Καὶ ἡ Γραφὴ δέ φησιν᾽ ᾿Απὸ πρωΐθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας μεταθάλλει καιρός. Οὕτω καὶ βασιλεὺς ὁ σήμερον ὧν αὔριον τελευτᾷ. Καὶ πάλιν τὸ παρ᾽ ἐλπίδας ἐμφαίνων ἡμῖν αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ σοφός φησι" Πο.1.λοὶ τύρανγοι ἐκάθισαν ἐπὶ ἐδάξους, ὁ δὲ ἀνυπογόητος ἐφόρεσε διάδημα. Καὶ οὐ πάντως δῆλον ἦν ὅτι ζήσας ἐπ᾽ ἐχείνην ἥξει τὴν ἀρχήν" τὸ γὰρ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἄδηλον καὶ ἕτερα ὑποπτεύειν παρεῖχεν ἡμῖν. Πόθεν γὰρ δῆλον ὅτι ζήσας ἐπ᾽ ἐχείνην ἥξει τὴν ἀρχήν; ὅτι οὐχὶ καὶ τὰ ἐναντία ἐξέθαινε, καὶ τῆς οὔσης ἐξέπιπτε τιμῆς νόσῳ παραδοθεὶς, καὶ φθόνῳ καὶ βασχανίᾳ τῶν βουλομένων αὐτὸν ᾿ παρενημερῇσαι βληθεὶς, ἢ καὶ ἕτερόν τι παθὼν χαλεπόν; Θῶμεν δὲ, εἰ βούλει, καὶ δῆλον εἶναι σαφῶς ὅτι. πάντως ἐπιδιώσας, ταύτης ἔμελλεν ἐπιτυγχάνειν τῆς χορυφῆς ᾿ ὅσῳ γὰρ ἡ ἀξία μείζων, τοσούτῳ καὶ μείζονας ἔχειν ἀνάγκη τοὺς κινδύνους ἣν καὶ φροντίδας καὶ ἐπιθουλάς. Μηδὲ ταῦτα ἔστω, ἀλλ᾽ ἀκινδύνως καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἡσυχίας ἐχεῖνο διαπλείτω τὸ πέλαγος " καὶ πἰ τὸ πέρας, εἰπέ μοι; οὐ τοῦτο ὅπερ νῦν, μᾶλλον δὲ οὗ τοῦτο, ἀλλ᾽ ἕτερον ἴσως ἀηδὲ; καὶ ἀπευχτόν. Πρῶτον μὲν τὸ βραδύτερον ἰδεῖν τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ὅπερ οὗ μιχρὰ ζημίας τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν μελ᾿ιόντῶν πεπιστευχόσιν ἐστίν " ἔπειτα δὲ, εἰ καὶ σφόδρα ἐδίου καθαρῶς, ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως τὸ μῆχος τοῦ βίου καὶ ἡ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐχείνης ἀνάγχη οὐχ ἂν ἀφῆχεν οὕτως ἀπελθεῖν χαθαρὸν ὥσπερ νῦν. ΓΑδηλον δὲ εἰ καὶ πολλὰς δεξάμενος μεταθολὰς καὶ πρὸς ῥᾳθυμίαν ἀποχλίνας ἐσχάτὴν ἀπέπνευσε », Νῦν μὲν γὰρ θαῤῥοῦμεν, ὅτι τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀναπαύσεως ἀπέπτη χωρίον, διὰ τὸ μηδὲν αὐτῷ τετολμῆσθαι τῶν ἀποχλειόντων τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν" τότε δὲ πολὺν χρόνον δημοσίοις - πράγμασιν ἐνδιατρίψας ὁ, ἴσως ἂν καὶ ῥύπον πολὺν προσετρίψατο. Τὸ γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ στρεφόμενον τοσούτων χαχῶν χατορθῶσαι μὲν τῶν σφόδρα σπανίων ἐστὶν, ἁμαρτεῖν δὲ καὶ ἄχοντα καὶ ἑχόντα, τῶν εἰχότων καὶ συμθαινόντων ἀεί. ᾿Αλλὰ νῦν τούτου τοῦ δέους ἀπηλλάγμεθα, καὶ σφόδρα πεπείσμεθα ὅτι ἐν ἐχείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ μετὰ πολλῆς ἥξει τῆς φαιδρότητος, ἐγγὺς τρῦ βασιλέως ἀπολάμπων, καὶ μετ᾽ ἀγγέλων προηγούμενος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἄῤῥητον δόξαν ἠμφιεσμένος, καὶ χρίνοντι παρεστὼς τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ τὰ πρῶτα διαχονούμενος αὐτῷ. Διὸ τοὺς θρήνους ἀφεῖσα καὶ τὰς οἰμω γὰς ἔχου τῆς αὑτῆς πολιτείας, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀχριθεστέ» ρας, ἵνα πρὸς τὴν ἴσην αὐτῷ φθάσασα ἀρετὴν, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐχείνῳ χατοιχήσῃς σχηνὴν, καὶ συναφθῆναι πάλιν αὐτῷ δυνηθῇς εἰς τοὺς ἀθανάτους αἰῶνας ἐχείνους, οὗ ταύτην τὴν τοῦ γάμου συνάφειαν, ἀλλ' ἑτέραν πολλῷ βελτίονα. Αὕτη μὲν γὰρ σωμάτων ἐστὶ συμπλοχὴ μόνον᾿ τότε δὲ ψυχῇς ἔσται πρὸς ψυχὴν ἕνωσις ἀχριόεστέρα, καὶ ἡδίων πολλῷ καὶ βελτίων.
"Holōs. de ei boulei. kai pa chrēmata. soi menein en « asphaleią, kai auxesthai. palin, egō soi kai ton tropon. hypodeixō kai ton topon, entha oudeni tōn e pidouleuontōn themis eiselthein. Tis oun estin ho topos? Ho ouranos. ᾿Aposteilon auta pros ton kalon echeinon andra, gai oute chleptēs, oute. epidaoulos, oute. allē ti tōn lymainomenōn autois epipēdēsai dynēsetai. "᾽n echei chatoryxę̄s tauta ta chrēmata, polyn heurēseis ton apo toutōn charpon. Ta gar en tois ouranois phyteuomena panta par᾽ hēmōn kai pleiona kai chreittona echei tēn phoran, ō kai toiautēn hoian eichas en ouranois errhizōmenōn autōn. Kan touto praxę̄s, hora poiōn apolausę̄ chalōn" prōton men tēs. aiōniou zōę̄s kai tōn epēngelmenōn tois agapōsi ton Theon e, ha oute ophthalmos eiden, oute hous ēchousen, oute epi chardian anthrōpou anedē, epeita tou panta synoichēsai tǭ chalǭ toutǭ ton aiōna, kai tōn entautha de phrontidōn kai phodōn kai kindynōn «kai epidonlōn kai echthras kai mesaus apallaxeis sau- “tēn. Heōs men gar auta pericheimenē hēs, isōs esontai “ines hoi epitethēsomenoi " an de pros «ton oarągon hauta ᾿metathę̄s, achendynon kai : asphalē. kai. pollēs hēsychias gemonta biōsę̄ bion, autarcheias meta eusedeias apo- «lauonsa d. Kai gar pollēs alogias, agron -men boulomenon ōnēsasthai tēn euphorousan gēn epizētein, ourati nou" de anti gēs procheimenou, paron. ekei ktēsasthai ai chōrion,. menein -epi : tēs.gēs,. kai tōn ek. tautēs ankechesthai ponōn ᾿kai tōn de hamartiōn A]: pollakis gar sphallei pēs elpidos hēmas. Epeidē de sou deinōs strephei tēn psychēn kai thorybei to prosdokēthen pollakis auton epi to tōn hyparchōn hēxein axiōma, kai proanērpasthai tēs archēs? prōton. men. echeino. skopei, hoti ei kai sphodra dēlē ēn autē hē elpis, all᾽ homōs anthrōpōn elpis ēn, pollakis diapiptouta᾽ kai polla en tǭ biǭ toiauta drōmen ginomena, kai tōn sphodra prosdokēthentōn atelestōn meinantōn, ta de mēd᾽ eis noun elthonta hē ein eis telos exēlthe pollachis. kai touto chan tais archais, kan tais basileiais, chan tais chlēronomiais, kai tois gamois, kai pantachou symdainon horōmen aei. "Hōste ei kai sphodra engys hēn ho chairos, alla po.1la, kata tēn Kai hē Graphē de phēsin᾽ ᾿Apo prōïthen heōs hesperas metathallei kairos. Houtō kai basileus ho sēmeron hōn aurion teleutą. Kai palin to par᾽ elpidas emphainōn hēmin autos houtos ho sophos phēsi" Po.1.loi tyrangoi ekathisan epi edaxous, ho de anypogoētos ephorese diadēma. Kai ou pantōs dēlon ēn hoti zēsas ep᾽ echeinēn hēxei tēn archēn" to gar tou mellontos adēlon kai hetera hypopteuein pareichen hēmin. Pothen gar dēlon hoti zēsas ep᾽ echeinēn hēxei tēn archēn? hoti ouchi kai ta enantia exethaine, kai tēs ousēs exepipte timēs nosǭ paradotheis, kai phthonǭ kai baschanią tōn boulomenōn auton ᾿ parenēmerę̄sai blētheis, ē kai heteron ti pathōn chalepon? Thōmen de, ei boulei, kai dēlon einai saphōs hoti. pantōs epidiōsas, tautēs emellen epitynchanein tēs choryphēs ᾿ hosǭ gar hē axia meizōn, tosoutǭ kai meizonas echein anankē tous kindynous hēn kai phrontidas kai epithoulas. Mēde tauta estō, all᾽ akindynōs kai meta pollēs tēs hēsychias echeino diapleitō to pelagos " kai pi to peras, eipe moi? ou touto hoper nyn, mallon de hou touto, all᾽ heteron isōs aēde? kai apeuchton. Prōton men to bradyteron idein ton ouranon, kai ta en tois ouranois, hoper hou michra zēmias tois hyper tōn mel᾿iontōn pepisteuchosin estin " epeita de, ei kai sphodra ediou katharōs, all᾽ homōs to mēchos tou biou kai hē tēs archēs echeinēs ananchē ouch an aphēchen houtōs apelthein chatharon hōsper nyn. GAdēlon de ei kai pollas dexamenos metatholas kai pros rhąthymian apochlinas eschatēn apepneuse », Nyn men gar tharrhoumen, hoti tę̄ tou Theou chariti pros to tēs anapauseōs apeptē chōrion, dia to mēden autǭ tetolmēsthai tōn apochleiontōn tēs basileias tōn ouranōn" tote de polyn chronon dēmosiois - pragmasin endiatripsas ho, isōs an kai rhypon polyn prosetripsato. To gar en mesǭ strephomenon tosoutōn chachōn chatorthōsai men tōn sphodra spaniōn estin, hamartein de kai achonta kai hechonta, tōn eichotōn kai symthainontōn aei. ᾿Alla nyn toutou tou deous apēllagmetha, kai sphodra pepeismetha hoti en echeinę̄ tę̄ hēmerą meta pollēs hēxei tēs phaidrotētos, engys try basileōs apolampōn, kai met᾽ angelōn proēgoumenos tou Christou, kai tēn arrhēton doxan ēmphiesmenos, kai chrinonti parestōs tǭ basilei, kai ta prōta diachonoumenos autǭ. Dio tous thrēnous apheisa kai tas oimō gas echou tēs hautēs politeias, mallon de kai achritheste» ras, hina pros tēn isēn autǭ phthasasa aretēn, tēn autēn echeinǭ chatoichēsę̄s schēnēn, kai synaphthēnai palin autǭ dynēthę̄s eis tous athanatous aiōnas echeinous, hou tautēn tēn tou gamou synapheian, all' heteran pollǭ beltiona. Hautē men gar sōmatōn esti symplochē monon᾿ tote de psychę̄s estai pros psychēn henōsis achrioestera, kai hēdiōn pollǭ kai beltiōn.
And in general, if you want your money too to remain in safety and to increase again, I will show you both the way and the place where none of the plotters may enter. What, then, is the place? Heaven. Send it to that good husband, and neither thief nor plotter nor anything else that harms it will be able to fall upon it. If you bury this money there, you will find great fruit from it. For all things planted by us in heaven yield a crop both greater and better, and such as is likely when they are rooted in heaven. And if you do this, see what goods you will enjoy: first, eternal life and the things promised to those who love God, which “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man”; then, dwelling with this good man for the whole age; and you will free yourself from the cares and fears and dangers and plots and enmity and hatred here. For as long as you have it about you, there will perhaps be some who attack you; but if you transfer it to heaven, you will live a life free of danger and secure and full of much quiet, enjoying contentment with godliness. For it is great folly, when one wishes to buy a field, to seek fertile land, but when heaven is offered instead of earth, and it is possible to acquire a property there, to remain on earth and endure the toils that come from it; for it often deceives our hope. And since it terribly twists your soul and troubles you that he was often expected to come to the dignity of the prefects, and that he was snatched away before the office, consider first that even if this hope was very clear, yet it was a human hope, which often fails; and we see many such things happening in life, with things greatly expected remaining unfulfilled, while things that never came to mind have often come to fulfilment; and we always see this happening in offices, in kingdoms, in inheritances, in marriages, and everywhere. So even if the time was very near, yet many things, according to the … And the Scripture too says: “From morning until evening the time changes.” So too “a king who is today dies tomorrow.” And again, showing us the unexpected, this same wise man says: “Many tyrants have sat on the ground, and one never thought of has worn the diadem.” And it was not at all clear that, if he lived, he would come to that office; for the uncertainty of the future gave us cause to suspect other things too. For whence was it clear that, if he lived, he would come to that office? That the opposite would not have turned out, and he have fallen from the honour he had, given over to illness, or struck by the envy and malice of those wishing to get the better of him, or suffering some other hardship? But let us suppose, if you will, that it was quite clear that, surviving, he was certainly going to reach that height: the greater the rank, the greater the dangers and cares and plots one must have. Let there be none of these either, but let him sail that sea without danger and with much quiet; and what is the end, tell me? Is it not this which is now? Or rather not this, but perhaps something else, unpleasant and to be prayed against. First, to see heaven later, and the things in heaven, which is no small loss to those who have believed in the things to come; then, even if he lived very purely, the length of life and the necessities of that office would not have let him depart as pure as he has now. And it is uncertain whether he would not have breathed his last after undergoing many changes and turning aside to carelessness. For now we are confident that by the grace of God he has flown away to the place of rest, because he dared nothing of the things that shut one out of the kingdom of heaven; but then, having spent a long time in public affairs, he might perhaps have contracted much defilement. For to act rightly when moving amid so many evils is very rare, but to sin, both unwillingly and willingly, is what is likely and always happens. But now we have been freed from this fear, and are fully persuaded that on that day he will come with much brightness, shining near the King, and advancing with angels before Christ, clothed in unspeakable glory, standing by the King as he judges, and serving him in the first rank. Therefore, leaving lamentations and wailings, hold to the same way of life as he, or rather a more exact one, so that, attaining to virtue equal to his, you may dwell in the same tabernacle with him, and be able to be joined to him again for those immortal ages — not in this union of marriage, but in another, much better. For this is only an intertwining of bodies; but then there will be a union of soul with soul more perfect, and much sweeter and better.
Matt 6:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 6:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 25:31 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Chrysostom urges the widow to store her wealth in heaven, reminds her that her husband's hoped-for prefecture was uncertain and dangerous, and promises that by imitating his life she will be joined to him again in a union better than marriage.
- Letter to a Young Widow, staging ref 7. Translated from the Greek, then compared with NPNF¹ 9. The line “twists your soul and troubles you that he was often expected to come to the dignity of the prefects, and that he was snatched away”, displaced by the OCR into ref 6, is restored here by a logged correction. A passage after “according to the” is lost in the OCR (“…”). Leaked apparatus and column numbers are removed by logged corrections. Quotations: 1 Cor 2:9; Sir 18:26; Sir 10:10; Sir 11:5; allusions: Matt 6:19–20; 1 Tim 6:6; Matt 25:31.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne column number in the text; a line displaced by the OCR into ref 6 (ἐφει τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ θορυβεῖ τὸ προσδοκηθέν, πολλάκις αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν ὑπάρχων ἥξειν ἀξίωμα, καὶ προανηρ-) restored to its place; apparatus leaked into the text; note number in the text): [548] → ; στρέφπάσθαι → στρέφει τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ θορυβεῖ τὸ προσδοκηθὲν πολλάκις αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν ὑπάρχων ἥξειν ἀξίωμα, καὶ προανηρπάσθαι; ἃ (ΟἹΡ. τίς. ἐνεπίστευσε τι ῳ- 6 Τὸν χὰρ οὐρανὸν ζήτει, ἔα οἱ ὅ4Υ. [αἴγα ἰάθη (ΟἿ. τῶν ΠΑΝ οἱ Μογοὶ. τὸν Κύριον. ὲ δίς (οἱ0. οἱ ϑ4ν}. Αἱ Μογοὶ. ἀπολαύοντα. Νοχ πες, καὶ τῶν δι’ ἁμαρτιῶν, ἴῃ → ; γάμοις 8, → γάμοις,; 8. (018. κἀν τοῖς γάμοις. Ἰηΐγα ροϑὶ ἄχρου (ΟἹ θοτῖ. οἱ ϑανῖ → ; [249] → .
Extrabiblical texts: Sir 18:26 (Sirach [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation); Sir 10:10 (Sirach [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation); Sir 11:5 (Sirach [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Topics: Marriage, Eschatology, Heaven and eternal reward, Wealth and poverty
Cite (SBL): Chrysostom, Vid. iun. 7 (PG 48:609; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-ad-viduam-iuniorem/7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-ad-viduam-iuniorem/7
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 48, archive.org OCR); compared afterwards with NPNF¹ 9 ('Letter to a Young Widow').