Miscellanies 1.5.30
Summary: As general studies serve philosophy, philosophy serves wisdom, the knowledge of things divine and human; Abraham first took Hagar, worldly learning, and afterward Sarah, true wisdom, bore Isaac.
Greek text · Stählin 2:19–20
Ἀλλʼ ὡς τὰ ἐγκύκλια μαθήματα συμβάλλεται πρὸς φιλοσοφίαν τὴν δέσποιναν αὐτῶν, οὕτω καὶ φιλοσοφία αὐτὴ πρὸς σοφίας κτῆσιν συνεργεῖ. ἔστι γὰρ ἡ μὲν φιλοσοφία ἐπιτήδευσις σοφίας, ἡ σοφία δὲ ἐπιστήμη θείων καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων καὶ τῶν τούτων αἰτίων. κυρία τοίνυν ἡ σοφία τῆς φιλοσοφίας ὡς ἐκείνη τῆς προπαιδείας. εἰ γὰρ ἐγκράτειαν φιλοσοφία ἐπαγγέλλεται γλώσσης τε καὶ γαστρὸς καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ γαστέρα, καὶ ἔστιν διʼ αὑτὴν αἱρετή, σεμνοτέρα φανεῖται καὶ κυριωτέρα, εἰ θεοῦ τιμῆς τε καὶ γνώσεως ἕνεκεν ἐπιτηδεύοιτο. τῶν εἰρημένων μαρτυρίαν παρέξει ἡ γραφὴ διὰ τῶνδε· Σάρρα στεῖρα ἦν πάλαι, Ἀβραὰμ δὲ γυνή. μὴ τίκτουσα ἡ Σάρρα τὴν ἑαυτῆς παιδίσκην ὀνόματι Ἄγαρ τὴν Αἰγυπτίαν εἰς παιδοποιίαν ἐπιτρέπει τῷ Ἀβραάμ. ἡ σοφία τοίνυν ἡ τῷ πιστῷ σύνοικος (πιστὸς δὲ ἐλογίσθη Ἀβραὰμ καὶ δίκαιος) στεῖρα ἦν ἔτι καὶ ἄτεκνος κατὰ τὴν γενεὰν ἐκείνην, μηδέπω μηδὲν ἐνάρετον ἀποκυήσασα τῷ Ἀβραάμ, ἠξίου δὲ εἰκότως τὸν ἤδη καιρὸν ἔχοντα προκοπῆς τῇ κοσμικῇ παιδείᾳ (Αἴγυπτος δὲ ὁ κόσμος ἀλληγορεῖται) συνευνασθῆναι πρότερον, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ αὑτῇ προσελθόντα κατὰ τὴν θείαν πρόνοιαν γεννῆσαι τὸν Ἰσαάκ.
English · Claude translation
But as the encyclical studies contribute to philosophy, their mistress, so philosophy itself works together for the acquisition of wisdom. For philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, and wisdom is the knowledge of things divine and human and their causes. Wisdom, then, is mistress of philosophy, as philosophy is of preliminary education. For if philosophy promises control of the tongue, the belly, and what is below the belly, and is to be chosen for its own sake, it will appear more venerable and more sovereign if it is pursued for the honor and knowledge of God. Scripture will provide testimony to what has been said in these words: Sarah was long barren, the wife of Abraham. Sarah, not bearing, allows her own maidservant, named Hagar the Egyptian, to Abraham for the begetting of children. Wisdom, then, the companion of the faithful man (and Abraham was reckoned faithful and righteous), was still barren and childless in that generation, having not yet borne anything virtuous to Abraham; and she fittingly thought it right that he, being already at the time for advancement, should first lie with worldly education (Egypt is allegorized as the world), and afterward, coming to her too, according to divine providence, beget Isaac.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The definition of wisdom is Stoic. The allusions are Gen 16:1–2 and Gen 15:6. The allegory of Sarah and Hagar is from Philo, On the Preliminary Studies.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text; word repeated in the digital text): σεμνοτέρα φανεῖται καὶ κυριωτέρα. εἰ θεοῦ → σεμνοτέρα φανεῖται καὶ κυριωτέρα, εἰ θεοῦ; τῷ πιστῷ πιστῷ σύνοικος → τῷ πιστῷ σύνοικος.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.5.30 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/5/30/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.5.30 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/5/30/).
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