Sophia Scriptura

Miscellanies 6.15.120

Clement of Alexandria · Miscellanies · ca. 198–203 · Alexandria · Read in context

Summary: The grafting into the good olive may mean being planted into Christ, or better, faith grafted into the soul, where the Spirit is given to each; Wisdom seeks out those worthy of her.

Greek text · Stählin 2:492

Δύναται δὲ ὁ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου λεγόμενος ἐγκεντρισμὸς εἰς τὴν καλλιέλαιον γίγνεσθαι, τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτόν, τῆς ἀνημέρου καὶ ἀπίστου φύσεως καταφυτευομένης εἰς Χριστόν, τουτέστι τῶν εἰς Χριστὸν πιστευόντων· ἄμεινον δὲ τὴν ἑκάστου πίστιν ἐν αὐτῇ ἐγκεντρίζεσθαι τῇ ψυχῇ. καὶ γὰρ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ταύτῃ πως μεταφυτεύεται διανενεμημένον κατὰ τὴν ἑκάστου περιγραφὴν ἀπεριγράφως. περὶ δὲ τῆς γνώσεως ὁ Σολομὼν διαλεγόμενος τάδε φησί· λαμπρὰ καὶ ἀμάραντός ἐστιν ἡ σοφία καὶ εὐχερῶς θεωρεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγαπώντων αὐτήν· φθάνει τοὺς ἐπιθυμοῦντας προγνωσθῆναι. ὁ ὀρθρίσας ἐπʼ αὐτὴν οὐ κοπιάσει· τὸ γὰρ ἐνθυμηθῆναι περὶ αὐτῆς φρονήσεως τελειότης, καὶ ὁ ἀγρυπνήσας διʼ αὐτὴν ταχέως ἀμέριμνος ἔσται· ὅτι τοὺς ἀξίους αὐτῆς αὕτη περιέρχεται ζητοῦσα (οὐ γὰρ πάντων ἡ γνῶσις) καὶ ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις φαντάζεται αὐτοῖς εὐμενῶς· τρίβοι δὲ ἡ τοῦ βίου διεξαγωγὴ καὶ ἡ κατὰ τὰς διαθήκας πολυειδία. αὐτίκα ἐπιφέρει·

English · Claude translation

The grafting into the good olive spoken of by the apostle can be into Christ himself, the untamed and unbelieving nature being planted into Christ, that is, the nature of those who believe in Christ. But it is better to say that each one's faith is grafted into the soul itself. For the Holy Spirit too is in some way transplanted in this manner, distributed without limit according to each one's limit. And Solomon, discussing knowledge, says this: “Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and is easily seen by those who love her; she is quick to make herself known to those who desire her. Whoever rises early for her will not labor; for to think about her is perfection of prudence, and whoever keeps vigil for her will soon be free from care. For she goes about seeking those worthy of her” (for knowledge does not belong to all) “and appears to them graciously in the paths.” The paths are the conduct of life and the variety according to the covenants. Then he adds:

About this passage

Source
Stählin 2:492 · Otto Stählin, ed., Clemens Alexandrinus, vol. 2, Stromata Buch I–VI, GCS 15 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1906); vol. 3, Stromata Buch VII und VIII, GCS 17 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1909) · Greek text: Otto Stählin, Clemens Alexandrinus 2–3 (GCS 15, 17, 1906–1909), digitized by the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0
Text
As printed in Stählin, GCS 15, 17. 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), 2026-09-27 · Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Stählin (1906–1909); 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) · Book 3 is left partly untranslated (in Latin) there.
Scripture
Extrabiblical texts
  • Wis 6:12–16 (Wisdom of Solomon) · quotation, high confidence

Notes

Translation notes

  • The allusion is Rom 11:24; the quotation is Wis 6:12–16, with Clement's comments in parentheses and afterward.

Cite this passage

Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.15.120 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/15/120/).

Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.15.120 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/15/120/).

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