Miscellanies 6.16.133
Summary: The Ten Commandments, written by God's finger (his power), picture creation: a heavenly decalogue of sun, moon, stars, and elements and an earthly one of living things; the ark is wisdom, and the two tablets foretell two covenants.
Greek text · Stählin 2:499
Ὑπόδειγμα δʼ ἡμῖν κατὰ παραδρομὴν ἐκκείσθω εἰς σαφήνειαν γνωστικὴν ἡ δεκάλογος. καὶ ὅτι μὲν ἱερὰ ἡ δεκάς, παρέλκει λέγειν τὰ νῦν. εἰ δὲ αἱ πλάκες αἱ γεγραμμέναι ἔργον θεοῦ, φυσικὴν ἐμφαίνουσαι δημιουργίαν εὑρεθήσονται· δάκτυλος γὰρ θεοῦ δύναμις νοεῖται θεοῦ, διʼ ἧς ἡ κτίσις τελειοῦται οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὧν ἀμφοῖν αἱ πλάκες νοηθήσονται σύμβολα. θεοῦ μὲν γὰρ γραφὴ καὶ εἰδοποιία ἐναποκειμένη τῇ πλακὶ δημιουργία τοῦ κόσμου τυγχάνει. ἡ δεκάλογος δὲ κατὰ μὲν οὐράνιον εἰκόνα περιέχει ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην, ἄστρα, νέφη, φῶς, πνεῦμα, ὕδωρ, ἀέρα, σκότος, πῦρ. αὕτη φυσικὴ δεκάλογος οὐρανοῦ. ἡ δὲ τῆς γῆς εἰκὼν περιέχει ἀνθρώπους, κτήνη, ἑρπετά, θηρία καὶ τῶν ἐνύδρων ἰχθύας καὶ κήτη, τῶν τε αὖ πτηνῶν ὁμοίως τά τε σαρκοβόρα καὶ τὰ ἡμέρῳ χρώμενα τροφῇ, φυτῶν τε ὡσαύτως τὰ καρποφόρα καὶ ἄκαρπα. αὕτη φυσικὴ δεκάλογος γῆς. καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς δὲ ἡ ταῦτα περιειληφυῖα ἡ τῶν θείων τε καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων γνῶσις εἴη ἂν καὶ σοφία. τάχα δʼ ἂν εἶεν αἱ δύο πλάκες αὗται δισσῶν προφητεία διαθηκῶν.
English · Claude translation
As an example, in passing, for the knower's clarity, let the Decalogue be set before us. That ten is a holy number it is superfluous to say at present. If the tablets that were written are the work of God, they will be found to display natural creation. For the finger of God is understood as the power of God, through which the creation of heaven and earth is completed, and the tablets will be understood as symbols of both. For God's writing and forming of shapes set in the tablet is the creation of the world. And the Decalogue, as a heavenly image, includes sun and moon, stars, clouds, light, wind, water, air, darkness, and fire. This is the natural decalogue of heaven. And the image of the earth includes men, cattle, reptiles, wild beasts, and, of creatures in the water, fishes and sea monsters; likewise, of birds, those that eat flesh and those that use gentle food; and of plants likewise the fruit-bearing and the fruitless. This is the natural decalogue of the earth. And the ark that contains these would be the knowledge of things divine and human, and wisdom. Perhaps these two tablets are a prophecy of two covenants.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusions are Exod 31:18 (32:16) and Luke 11:20 (the finger of God as his power). Wisdom as “knowledge of things divine and human” is the Stoic definition.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (accent: grave on ἂν): δʼ ἃν εἶεν → δʼ ἂν εἶεν.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.16.133 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/16/133/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.16.133 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/16/133/).
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