Sophia Scriptura

The Instructor 2.6.50

Clement of Alexandria · The Instructor · ca. 190–200 · Alexandria · Read in context

Summary: Paul forbids foul and foolish talk; we will give account for every idle word; keeping company with the righteous guards ears and eyes.

Greek text · Stählin 1:187–188

ἄμεινον εἶναι λέγων τοῖς ποσὶν ἢ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ὀλισθαίνειν. ταύτην ἀποκρουόμενος τὴν αἰσχρολογίαν ὁ ἀπόστολος »πᾶς λόγος σαπρὸς ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν« φησὶν »μὴ ἐκπορευέσθω, ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ἀγαθός«. πάλιν τε αὖ· »καθὼς πρέπει ἁγίοις, μὴ ὀνομαζέσθω ἐν ὑμῖν αἰσχρότης καὶ μωρολογία ἢ εὐτραπελία, ἃ οὐκ ἀνῆκεν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστία.« εἰ δὲ ὁ μωρὸν εἰπὼν τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἔνοχος εἰς κρίσιν, τί περὶ τοῦ μωρολογοῦντος ἀποφανούμεθα; ᾗ καὶ περὶ τούτου γέγραπται· »ὃς ἂν λαλήσῃ λόγον ἀργόν, ἀποδώσει λόγον κυρίῳ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως.« αὖθίς τε »ἐκ τοῦ λόγου σου δικαιωθήσῃ« φησίν, »καὶ ἐκ τοῦ λόγου σου καταδικασθήσῃ«. τίνες οὖν αἱ ἀντωτίδες αἱ σωτήριοι; καὶ τίνες αἱ τῶν ὀλισθηρῶν ὀφθαλμῶν παιδαγωγήσεις; αἱ μετὰ τῶν δικαίων συναναστροφαὶ προλαμβάνουσαι καὶ προεμφράττουσαι τὰ ὦτα τοῖς ἀπάγειν τῆς ἀληθείας βουλομένοις. φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί, ἡ ποιητικὴ λέγει.

English · Claude translation

saying that it is better to slip with the feet than with the eyes. Driving back this foul speech, the apostle says, “Let no rotten word come out of your mouth, but only what is good.” And again: “As befits saints, let not shamefulness or foolish talk or coarse jesting be named among you, which are not fitting, but rather thanksgiving.” And if the one who calls his brother a fool is liable to judgment, what shall we declare about the one who talks foolishness? Of him too it is written: “Whoever speaks an idle word will give account to the Lord on the day of judgment.” And again, “By your words you will be justified,” he says, “and by your words you will be condemned.” What then are the saving ear-guards? And what is the training of slippery eyes? Associating with the righteous, which forestalls and blocks the ears against those who wish to lead us away from the truth. “Bad company corrupts good morals,” says poetry.

About this passage

Source
Stählin 1:187–188 · Otto Stählin, ed., Clemens Alexandrinus, vol. 1, Protrepticus und Paedagogus, GCS 12 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1905) · Greek text: Otto Stählin, Clemens Alexandrinus 1: Protrepticus und Paedagogus (GCS 12, 1905), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0
Text
As printed in Stählin, GCS 12. Manuscript variants and the editor's apparatus are not reproduced; no textual problem is noted in this passage.
Translation
Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26 · Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Stählin (1905); made independently of existing English translations.
Compare
Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2 (1885) (an older public-domain English translation, whole volume at CCEL; checked against ours only after ours was made)
Scripture
Extrabiblical texts
  • Sir 20:18 (Sirach) · echo, medium confidence
  • Menander, Thais (Menander, Thais) · quotation, high confidence
Topics
Ethics, Eschatology

Notes

Translation notes

  • The saying about slipping with the feet recalls Sir 20:18 (where it is the tongue). The quotations are Eph 4:29, Eph 5:3–4, Matt 5:22 (freely), Matt 12:36–37, and Menander's line (from the Thais) quoted also in 1 Cor 15:33.

Cite this passage

Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.6.50 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/2/6/50/).

Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.6.50 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/2/6/50/).

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