Similitude 10

Similitude 10 IV

The angel then said to me, “Conduct yourself manfully in this service, and make known to every one the great things of God, and you will have favour in this ministry. Whoever, therefore, shall walk in these commandments, shall have life, and will be happy in his life; but whosoever shall neglect them shall not have life, and will be unhappy in this life. Enjoin all, who are able to act rightly, not to cease well-doing; for, to practise good works is useful to them. And I say that every man ought to be saved from inconveniences. For both he who is in want, and he who suffers inconveniences in his daily life, is in great torture and necessity. Whoever, therefore, rescues a soul of this kind from necessity, will gain for himself great joy. For he who is harassed by inconveniences of this kind, suffers equal torture with him who is in chains. Moreover many, on account of calamities of this sort, when they could not endure them, hasten their own deaths. Whoever, then, knows a calamity of this kind afflicting a man, and does not save him, commits a great sin, and becomes guilty of his blood. Do good works, therefore, ye who have received good from the Lord; lest, while ye delay to do them, the building of the tower be finished, and you be rejected from the edifice: there is now no other tower a-building. For on your account was the work of building suspended. Unless, then, you make haste to do rightly, the tower will be completed, and you will be excluded.”

After he had spoken with me he rose up from the couch, and taking the Shepherd and the virgins, he departed. But he said to me that he would send back the Shepherd and the virgins to my dwelling. Amen.

Footnote 1692:

This sentence may be also rendered thus, giving ἕνεκεν the meaning of “as regards,” “respecting”—a usual enough signification: “What then do you intend to do, as you have a law in your own city regarding your lands and the rest of your possessions?” The Vatican punctuates the passage so that it runs as follows: “What then will you do, who have a law in your own city? Will you, on account of your land, or any other of your preparations, be able to deny your law?” The Vatican also omits several clauses that are in the Greek, down to “for if thou shalt deny, and shalt desire to return,” etc.

Footnote 1693:

See ... law, omitted in Lips.

Footnote 1694:

The Vatican has: “Acquit widows, and do justice to orphans.”

Footnote 1695:

The Vatican renders, “Do not covet, therefore, the riches of the heathen.”

Footnote 1696:

The Vatican, rendering παραχαράσσετε, adulterare, proceeds as if the reference were to adultery. “Neither touch another man’s wife, nor lust after her, but desire your own work, and you will be saved.”

Footnote 1697:

The Vatican reads: “Unless this vine be attached to the elm, and rest upon it, it cannot bear much fruit. For, lying upon the ground, it produces bad fruit, because it is not suspended upon the elm.”

Footnote 1698:

The Vatican here makes Hermas interrupt the Shepherd, and ask, “How greater than the vine?”

Footnote 1699:

The translation of the text is based on the Palatine. Lips. reads: “When the rich man fills out upon the poor.” Hilgenfeld amends this: “When the rich man recovers breath upon the poor.” Neither gives sense. The Æthiopic has: “But if the rich man lean on the poor;” and the Greek of Hilgenfeld might mean: “When the rich man recovers his breath by leaning on the poor.” The Vatican is quite different: “When, therefore, the rich man helps the poor in those things which he needs, the poor man prays to the Lord for the rich man, and God bestows all blessings upon the rich man, because the poor man is rich in prayer, and his prayer has great merit with God. Then the rich man accordingly assists the poor man’s things, because he feels that he is fully heard (exaudiri) by the Lord; and the more willingly and unhesitatingly does he give him every help, and takes care that he wants for nothing. The poor man gives thanks to God for the rich man, because they do their duty in respect to the Lord (a Domino).”

Footnote 1700:

The sentence in brackets is not in Lips. It is taken from Pal.

Footnote 1701:

The Vatican renders this thus: “Why do they resemble those that are, as it were, withered?”

Footnote 1702:

Summer. Throne.—Lips.

Footnote 1703:

The Vatican has, “And all the merry and joyful shall be restored in that age.”

Footnote 1704:

The Vatican adds, “for his successors.”

Footnote 1705:

i.e. attach the vines to stakes.

Footnote 1706:

The Vatican adds, “Having called together his friends.”

Footnote 1707:

Pseudo-Athanasius gives this paragraph as follows: “First of all be on your guard to fast from every evil word and evil report, and purify your heart from every defilement and revenge, and base covetousness. And on the day on which you fast, be content with bread, and herbs, and water, giving thanks to God. And having calculated the amount of the cost of the meal which you intended to have eaten on that day, give it to a widow, or an orphan, or to some one in want, so that, having clearly filled his own soul, he shall pray to the Lord on your behalf. If you therefore perform your fasting as I enjoined you, your sacrifice will be acceptable before the Lord, and inscribed in the heavens in the day of the requital of the good things that have been prepared for the righteous.”

Footnote 1708:

Literally, “self-willed” (αὐθάδης).

Footnote 1709:

This clause occurs only in the Vatican. It does not occur in Lips., Pal., or in the Æth.

Footnote 1710:

The sentence in brackets is omitted in Lips. and Æth., occurs in Vat. and Pal.

Footnote 1711:

This passage varies in each of the forms in which it has come down, and is corrupt in most, if not in all. The Vatican (Lat.) has, “Because the messenger hears the Holy Spirit, which was the first of all that was poured (infusus) into a body in which God might dwell. For understanding (intellectus) placed it in a body as seemed proper to Him.” The Pal. reads: “For that Holy Spirit which was created pure [first] of all in a body in which it might dwell, God made and appointed a chosen body which pleased Him.” The Æth. reads: “The Holy Spirit, who created all things, dwelt in a body in which He wished to dwell.”

Footnote 1712:

The Vatican renders this sentence: “This body, therefore, into which the Holy Spirit was led, was subject to that Spirit, walking rightly, modestly, and chastely, and did not at all defile that Spirit. Since, then, that body had always obeyed the Holy Spirit, and had laboured rightly and chastely with it, and had not at any time given way, that wearied body passed its time as a slave; but having strongly approved itself along with the Holy Spirit, it was received unto God.” The Palatine is similar. The Æth. reads: “That body served well in righteousness and purity, nor did it ever defile that Spirit, and it became His partner, since that body pleased God.”

Footnote 1713:

πορεία. Vatican, potens cursus.

Footnote 1714:

The passages within brackets are omitted by Lips. and Æth.

Footnote 1715:

Omitted in Lips. Æth. has simply, “But be on your guard now.”

Footnote 1716:

The Vatican has a sentence before this: “For if you sin not afterwards, you will greatly fall away from your former [transgressions].”

Footnote 1717:

Found only in Pseudo-Athanasius. It occurs in none of the translations.

Footnote 1718:

καταφθοράν, translated in Pal. and Vat. by defectio, apostasy, as departure from goodness and truth. The Æthiopic has “ruin.”

Footnote 1719:

Of ... deceit, omitted in Lips. Our translation is made from the Vat.

Footnote 1720:

Pseudo-Athanasius has, “of such men the life is death.”

Footnote 1721:

Pseudo-Athanasius has, “Corruption, therefore, has a hope of resurrection up to a certain point.”

Footnote 1722:

βιωτικαί. The Vatican and Pal. render this, “the various punishments and tortures which men suffer daily in their lives.” Pseudo-Athanasius has: “For when they revolt from God, thinking to be in rest and in wealth, then they are punished, some meeting with losses,” etc.

Footnote 1723:

Pseudo-Athanasius has: “And they cannot bear for the rest of their days to turn and serve the Lord with a pure heart. But if they repent and become sober again, then they understand that they were not prosperous on account of their evil deeds; and so they glorify the Lord, because He is a just Judge, and because they suffered justly, and were punished (ἐπαιδεύθησαν) according to their deeds.”

Footnote 1724:

The Vatican inserts the following sentence before this: “And when they begin to repent of their sins, then the works in which they have wickedly exercised themselves arise in their hearts; and then they give honour to God, saying that He is a just Judge, and that they have deservedly suffered everything according to their deeds.” So does Pal. The Æthiopic becomes very condensed in this portion.

Footnote 1725:

τρόπον. The Vat. and Pal. have, “for the same time” (per idem tempus).

Footnote 1726:

Omitted in Lips.

Footnote 1727:

Pseudo-Athanasius has “nothing” (οὐδέν) instead of ἐλάχιστος.

Footnote 1728:

ποτὲ.

Footnote 1729:

The Vat. and Pal. have protenus, “immediately.”

Footnote 1730:

The Lips. has lost here a few words, which are supplied from the Latin translations.

Footnote 1731:

The Vatican has: “But rather give thanks to the Lord, that He, knowing what is to come to pass, has deemed you worthy to tell you beforehand that affliction is coming upon those who are able to bear it.”

Footnote 1732:

Omitted by Lips.

Footnote 1733:

Omitted in Lips. and Vat.

Footnote 1734:

Omitted in Lips.

Footnote 1735:

Num. xviii. 8.

Footnote 1736:

4 Esdras ii. 43.

Footnote 1737:

“And by this law the Son of God was preached to all the ends of the earth.”—Vat.

Footnote 1738:

And ... cut, omitted in Pal.

Footnote 1739:

Omitted in Lips. Translation is made from Vat.

Footnote 1740:

The versions vary in some of the minute particulars.

Footnote 1741:

Omitted in Lips.; supplied from Vat.

Footnote 1742:

“Withered, all but their tops, which alone were green.”—Vat. and Pal.

Footnote 1743:

Omitted in Lips., which has instead, “are afraid.”

Footnote 1744:

Literally, “the calling that was made by His Son to be saved.” The Vatican renders this, “He wishes to preserve the invitation made by His Son.” The Pal. has, “wishes to save His church, which belongs to His Son.” In the text, κλῆσις is taken as = κλητοί.

Footnote 1745:

The Spirit.—Vat.

Footnote 1746:

To a fruitful hill.—Pal. Omitted in Vat.

Footnote 1747:

Omitted in Lips.

Footnote 1748:

All carried the gate.—Pal.

Footnote 1749:

Omitted in Lips.

Footnote 1750:

Omitted in Lips.

Footnote 1751:

And they replied that he would forthwith come.—Vat.

Footnote 1752:

4 Esdras ii. 43.

Footnote 1753:

Omitted in Lips. The text is from Vat.; slight variations in Pal. and Æth.

Footnote 1754:

Also omitted from Lips. The text is in all the translations.

Footnote 1755:

Omitted in Lips. The text in all the translations.

Footnote 1756:

His. God’s.—Lips.

Footnote 1757:

Omitted in Lips. The text in Vat. and Pal. The Æth. different in form, but in meaning the same.

Footnote 1758:

Lord. God.—Vat.

Footnote 1759:

This portion of the Leipzic Codex is much eaten away, and therefore the text is derived to a considerable extent from the translations.

Footnote 1760:

The name of the Son of God. The name of God.—Lips.

Footnote 1761:

All the translations and Clemens Alexandrinus (Strom. vi. 6, 46, p. 764) have this passage. It is omitted in Lips.

Footnote 1762:

Name of the Son of God. Name of God.—Lips.

Footnote 1763:

God in Pal.; Lord in Vat. and Æth.; Christ in Lips.

Footnote 1764:

Omitted in Vat., Æth., Lips.

Footnote 1765:

Omitted in Lips. The text from Vat. Substantially the same in the other two.

Footnote 1766:

Matt. xix. 23, 24.

Footnote 1767:

Omitted in Lips.

Footnote 1768:

Jas. iv. 12.

Footnote 1769:

Sir. xx. 15, xli. 22; Jas. i. 5.

Footnote 1770:

Cf. Donaldson’s Hist. of Christ. Lit. vol. i. p. 291.

Footnote 1771:

διάκονοι.

Footnote 1772:

Bishops. Bishops, that is, presidents of the churches.—Vat.

Footnote 1773:

Matt. xviii. 3.

Footnote 1774:

Here ends Codex Lipsiensis. The rest of the text is from the common translation corrected by the Palatine and Æthiopic.

Footnote 1775:

Matt. xviii. 3, xix. 14.

Footnote 1776:

Servants of God. Servant of the Lord.—Æth.

Footnote 1777:

Lord. God.—Pal.

Footnote 1778:

But he has his own honour ... despise him, omitted in Vat.

Footnote 1779:

Angel, Æth.; Pastor, Pal.; omitted in Vat.

Footnote 1780:

God, common version; Lord, Æth., Pal.; Lord God, Vat.

Footnote 1781:

The Vatican has: “Here ends the Book of the Shepherd, the disciple of the blessed apostle Paul. Thanks be to God.” The Æthiopic has: “May the name of him who wrote this book be written on a pillar of gold. With thanksgiving to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, this book of the prophet Hermas has been finished. Amen. Finished are the visions, and commandments, and similitudes of the prophet Hermas, who is Paul, in the year 191 of mercy, 23d night and 22d day of the month,” etc. The writer goes on to show that Hermas is Paul, appealing to Acts xiii. 12.