Ii.2 The Letter
II. 13-14
II. 14
THE LETTER
διά τούτο η σοφία τού Θεού διά Σολομώντος παραγγβλλ€ί , " άπο κρίνου τω μωρώ βκ της μωρίας αυτού " without acknowledgment two considerable sections of Questions . . . on Genesis
(II. 474. 1-20; 474.23-475.11). Therefore this saying may have come into the letter from Philo; cf. Reumann's note on τ αληθή above, on 1. 10. On the other hand, it may have been a popular proverb (though it does not appear in the Corpus paroemiographorum). For further parallels to the idea see Nock, review of Goodenough V-VI,
527ff and, for the relation of Paul to Philo, Chadwick, St. Paul and Philo. On 2g7f
Chadwick discusses the question of veracity; he has an additional parallel to the present passage ( Cherubim 15). διά τούτο . . . παραγγελλει. I. iq6.9f (also following a quotation), διά τούτο φνλάττεσθ cu τοΐς νηπίοις διά Σολομώντος παραγγελλει followed by Prov. 1. 1 off as here by Prov.
26.5; cf. also Lk. 1 1.49, quoted in the following paragraph. For the structure of this whole sentence (διά τούτο . . . διδάσκουσα) see below, on δεΐν . . . διδάσκουσα. ή σοφία του θεόν. 1. 172.13^ ή θεία σοφία. . . παραγγελλει, followed as here by a quotation from Prov. (23-2of); cf. II. 294. 5, ή θεία σοφία . . . λεγει, followed by Wis.
3.2ff. ή σοφία του θεόν probably comes from Lk. 1 1.49, διά τούτο και ή σοφία τοΰ θεόν εΐπεν, followed by a quotation from some lost sacred book. [The Christians of Clement's time often quote Proverbs as "Wisdom" and also share Clement's fondness for Psalms; see my remarks on " Traditio ," AJP 67 (1946) 365!!. A.D.N.] διά Σολομώντος παραγγελλει. See the two preceding paragraphs and 1. 138.4, ταυ'ττ / τοι και διά Σολομώντος παραγγελλεται, followed by Prov. 23*14 a f°rm differing considerably from LXX. Again 1. 142.28, προτροπή 6 παιδαγωγός διά Σολομώντος, with Prov. 8.4,6, also in a variant form. The διά Σολομώντος formula is frequent — especially, as here, to introduce quotations from Proverbs. άποκρίνον . . . αύτον. Prov. 26.5. Clement was particularly fond of Proverbs (IV.6f, three and a half columns of citations, which ties it with Genesis for second place among the books of the OT ; Psalms comes first with over 4 columns, and Isaiah third with 3). In II.338.8f Clement quotes this same verse (26.5) in this same form, which differs widely from that of LXX ( άποκρίνον αφρονι κατά την άφροσυνην αυτόν). [This is of capital importance. An imitator would be likely to know Proverbs and unlikely to give Clement's form of the text. E.B.] In II.338.8f the exegesis is also basically the same as in the letter — like is to be given to like; this implies deception of the wicked, and again the justification, besides this verse of Proverbs, is the example of Paul who was all things to all men. See the preceding paragraphs on μεθ ' ορκου and ου γάρ . . .
II. 14-15
THE LETTER
1 1 · 1 5 προς τους τυφλούς τον νουν λεκτεον for Clement's other uses of I Cor. 9.22b to excuse deception. In II. 338.8^ however, the other consequences of the same principle are the more fully developed.
Since like is to be given to like, truth is to be presented to those who desire it in whatever form their training and tradition make most acceptable. But there can be no question that toward hostile or heretical outsiders Clement advocated the same policy of secrecy as does this letter. He makes that plain in another passage which leads to a quotation from Proverbs: II.116. 25ff, oi μεν τό άγιον πνεύμα κεκτημενοι ερευνώσι "τα βάθη του Θεού" <(cf. above, 1. 5)' τουτεστι της περί τάς προφητείας επικρυφεως επηβολοι γίνονται, των 8ε αγίων μετα8ι8όναι τοις κυσίν απαγορεύεται , εστ'άν μενη θηρία, ον γάρ ποτέ εγκιρνάναι προσηκει φθονεροΐς και τεταραγμενοις, άπίστοις τε ετι ηθεσιν, εις υλακήν ζητησεως άναιδεσ ι, του θείου καί καθαρού νάματος, του ζώντος νδατος. "μη δη ύπερεκχείσθω σοι υδατα εξω πηγης σου, εις δε σάς πλατείας διαπορενεσθω σά υδατα ."
Prov. 5. 16. Even in his dealings with fellow Christians Clement advocated and claimed to have followed the policy of concealing certain aspects of Christian doctrine or practice. He declares in the Stromateis that he has no intention of writing what he would hesitate even to say (II. 1 1 . if), and in his major justification of the practice of secrecy in religious teaching ( Stromateis V.IV-X = II. 338-370) he makes clear that one of the reasons for secrecy within Christianity is the difference between "common faith" and "gnostic perfection," II.342.2ff. The latter is not for every believer,
II.367.24; 370.10-16; indeed, ignorant believers may be deceived by the gnostic for their own good, II. 494. 1 1-16. Hort and Mayor, lvi-lvii, remark that this attitude flourished especially in Alexandria. (See above II. 2, on μυστήρια.) πρός. With επικρυπτεσθαι, of concealing truth from the unworthy, II. 363. 5. The passage is an exegesis of Ex. 21.33E "If any man open a pit . . . and do not cover it, and an ox or donkey fall into it, the owner of the pit shall pay." ινα οΰν μη τις τούτων
<( those without understanding) εις την υπό σοΰ διδα σκομενην γνώσιν άκρζο ?)>ατης γενόμενος της αλήθειας, παρακουση τε καί παραπεση, ασφαλής, φησί, περί την χρησιν τοΰ λόγον γίνου, καί πρός μεν τους άλόγως προσιόντας απόκλειε την ζώσαν εν βάθει πηγην, ποτόν δε ορεγε τοίς της αλήθειας δεδιφηκόσιν. επικρυπτόμενος δ'ούν πρός τους ουχ οΐους τε όντας παραδεξασθαι τό " βάθος της γνώσεως " {see above, 1. 5) κατακάλυπτε τον λάκκον. ( ακροατής for άκρατης is Heyse's emendation, accepted by Stahlin but not by Fruchtel.) The connections with the passage quoted in the preceding paragraph are striking. τους τυφλούς τον νουν. 1
. 75* 1 2 ? τνφλοί μεν τον νουν, κωφοί δε την συνεσιν of idolaters, just previously called Sodomites. The metaphor of mental blindness was one Clement often used: 1. 67. 16; 164.10; III. 70. 4; 182.20; etc. [Here it may be a reminiscence of Sophocles, Oedipus tyrannus 37 1 ; such reminiscences of classical authors are frequent in Clement. W.M.C.]