Miscellanies 3.9.66
Summary: The ascetics omit the rest of the Salome dialogue: when she said she did well not to bear children, the Lord answered, “Eat every plant, but not the bitter one,” leaving marriage or celibacy to free choice.
Greek text · Stählin 2:226
τί δὲ οὐχὶ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς τῶν πρὸς Σαλώμην εἰρημένων ἐπιφέρουσιν οἱ πάντα μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ κατὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν εὐαγγελικῷ στοιχήσαντες κανόνι; φαμένης γὰρ αὐτῆς καλῶς οὖν ἐποίησα μὴ τεκοῦσα, ὡς οὐ δεόντως τῆς γενέσεως παραλαμβανομένης, ἀμείβεται λέγων ὁ κύριος· πᾶσαν φάγε βοτάνην, τὴν δὲ πικρίαν ἔχουσαν μὴ φάγῃς. σημαίνει γὰρ καὶ διὰ τούτων ἐφʼ ἡμῖν εἶναι καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἀνάγκης κατὰ κώλυσιν ἐντολῆς ἤτοι τὴν ἐγκράτειαν ἢ καὶ τὸν γάμον, καὶ ὅτι ὁ γάμος συνεργάζεταί τι τῇ κτίσει προσδιασαφῶν.
English · Claude translation
And why do those who follow anything rather than the true gospel rule not also cite what follows in the words to Salome? For when she said, “Then I did well in not bearing children,” as though birth were not properly accepted, the Lord answers, saying: “Eat every plant, but do not eat the one that has bitterness.” For by these words too he signifies that either self-control or marriage rests with us, and not by necessity through a prohibiting commandment, and he makes clear besides that marriage cooperates in some way with creation.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotation is the Gospel of the Egyptians.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.9.66 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/9/66/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.9.66 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/9/66/).
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