1. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 17.1-17.2, 38.18 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 17.1. זֹאת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְרוּ בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ הִמּוֹל לָכֶם כָּל־זָכָר׃ 17.1. וַיְהִי אַבְרָם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִים שָׁנָה וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנִים וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה אֶל־אַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי־אֵל שַׁדַּי הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וֶהְיֵה תָמִים׃ 17.2. וּלְיִשְׁמָעֵאל שְׁמַעְתִּיךָ הִנֵּה בֵּרַכְתִּי אֹתוֹ וְהִפְרֵיתִי אֹתוֹ וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֹתוֹ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר נְשִׂיאִם יוֹלִיד וּנְתַתִּיו לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל׃ 17.2. וְאֶתְּנָה בְרִיתִי בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ וְאַרְבֶּה אוֹתְךָ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד׃ 38.18. וַיֹּאמֶר מָה הָעֵרָבוֹן אֲשֶׁר אֶתֶּן־לָּךְ וַתֹּאמֶר חֹתָמְךָ וּפְתִילֶךָ וּמַטְּךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדֶךָ וַיִּתֶּן־לָּהּ וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ וַתַּהַר לוֹ׃ | 17.1. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him: ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be thou wholehearted. 17.2. And I will make My covet between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.’ 38.18. And he said: ‘What pledge shall I give thee?’ And she said: ‘Thy signet and thy cord, and thy staff that is in thy hand.’ And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 17. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.,And God said: ‘‘Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covet with him for an everlasting covet for his seed after him.,And God said unto Abraham: ‘As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.,And I will bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her; yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.’,And I will establish My covet between Me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covet, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.,And Abraham said unto God: ‘Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee! ’,He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covet shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covet.,Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart: ‘Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?’,And all the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.,Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.,And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covet betwixt Me and you.,And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.,And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.,And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covet.’,But My covet will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.’,In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.,And He left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.,’As for Me, behold, My covet is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations.,And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.,This is My covet, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised.,And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him: ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be thou wholehearted.,And God said unto Abraham: ‘And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covet, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.,And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying:,And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed.,And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.,And I will make My covet between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.’,And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’ |
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2. Plato, Phaedrus, None (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
| 247d. τὸν τόπον. ἅτʼ οὖν θεοῦ διάνοια νῷ τε καὶ ἐπιστήμῃ ἀκηράτῳ τρεφομένη, καὶ ἁπάσης ψυχῆς ὅσῃ ἂν μέλῃ τὸ προσῆκον δέξασθαι, ἰδοῦσα διὰ χρόνου τὸ ὂν ἀγαπᾷ τε καὶ θεωροῦσα τἀληθῆ τρέφεται καὶ εὐπαθεῖ, ἕως ἂν κύκλῳ ἡ περιφορὰ εἰς ταὐτὸν περιενέγκῃ. ἐν δὲ τῇ περιόδῳ καθορᾷ μὲν αὐτὴν δικαιοσύνην, καθορᾷ δὲ σωφροσύνην, καθορᾷ δὲ ἐπιστήμην, οὐχ ᾗ γένεσις πρόσεστιν, οὐδʼ ἥ ἐστίν που ἑτέρα | 247d. and is visible only to the mind, the pilot of the soul. Now the divine intelligence, since it is nurtured on mind and pure knowledge, and the intelligence of every soul which is capable of receiving that which befits it, rejoices in seeing reality for a space of time and by gazing upon truth is nourished and made happy until the revolution brings it again to the same place. In the revolution it beholds absolute justice, temperance, and knowledge, not such knowledge as has a beginning and varies as it is associated with one |
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3. Septuagint, Ecclesiasticus (Siracides), 18 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 18. He who lives for ever created the whole universe;, the Lord alone will be declared righteous., To none has he given power to proclaim his works;and who can search out his mighty deeds?, Who can measure his majestic power?And who can fully recount his mercies?, It is not possible to diminish or increase them,nor is it possible to trace the wonders of the Lord., When a man has finished, he is just beginning,and when he stops, he will be at a loss., What is man, and of what use is he?What is his good and what is his evil?, The number of a mans days is great if he reaches a hundred years., Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain of sand so are a few years in the day of eternity., Therefore the Lord is patient with them and pours out his mercy upon them., He sees and recognizes that their end will be evil;therefore he grants them forgiveness in abundance., The compassion of man is for his neighbor,but the compassion of the Lord is for all living beings. He rebukes and trains and teaches them,and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock., He has compassion on those who accept his discipline and who are eager for his judgments., My son, do not mix reproach with your good deeds,nor cause grief by your words when you present a gift., Does not the dew assuage the scorching heat?So a word is better than a gift., Indeed, does not a word surpass a good gift?Both are to be found in a gracious man., A fool is ungracious and abusive,and the gift of a grudging man makes the eyes dim., Before you speak, learn,and before you fall ill, take care of your health., Before judgment, examine yourself,and in the hour of visitation you will find forgiveness., Before falling ill, humble yourself,and when you are on the point of sinning, turn back., Let nothing hinder you from paying a vow promptly,and do not wait until death to be released from it., Before making a vow, prepare yourself;and do not be like a man who tempts the Lord., Think of his wrath on the day of death,and of the moment of vengeance when he turns away his face., In the time of plenty think of the time of hunger;in the days of wealth think of poverty and need., From morning to evening conditions change,and all things move swiftly before the Lord., A wise man is cautious in everything,and in days of sin he guards against wrongdoing., Every intelligent man knows wisdom,and he praises the one who finds her., Those who understand sayings become skilled themselves,and pour forth apt proverbs., Do not follow your base desires,but restrain your appetites., If you allow your soul to take pleasure in base desire,it will make you the laughingstock of your enemies., Do not revel in great luxury,lest you become impoverished by its expense., Do not become a beggar by feasting with borrowed money,when you have nothing in your purse. |
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4. Septuagint, Wisdom of Solomon, 18.14 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
| 18.14. And they have erred not since the day He created them. Since the generations of old they have not withdrawn from their path, Unless God commanded them (so to do) by the command of His servants. 18.14. For while gentle silence enveloped all things,and night in its swift course was now half gone 18. Lord, Thy mercy is over the works of Thy hands for ever; Thy goodness is over Israel with a rich gift., Thine eyes look upon them, so that none of them suffers want;, Thine ears listen to the hopeful prayer of the poor. Thy judgements (are executed) upon the whole earth in mercy;, And Thy love (is) toward the seed of Abraham, the children of Israel. Thy chastisement is upon us as (upon) a first-born, only-begotten son,, To turn back the obedient soul from folly (that is wrought) in ignorance., May God cleanse Israel against the day of mercy and blessing, Against the day of choice when He bringeth back His anointed., Blessed shall they be that shall be in those days, In that they shall see the goodness of the Lord which He shall perform for the generation that is to come,, Under the rod of chastening of the Lord’s anointed in the fear of his God, In the spirit of wisdom and righteousness and strength;, That he may direct (every} man in the works of righteousness by the fear of God, That he may establish them all before the Lord,, A good generation (living) in the fear of God in the days of mercy. Selah., Great is our God and glorious, dwelling in the highest., (It is He) who hath established in (their) courses the lights (of heaven) for determining seasons from year to year, And they have not turned aside from the way which He appointed them, In the fear of God (they pursue) their path every day, From the day God created them and for evermore., And they have erred not since the day He created them. Since the generations of old they have not withdrawn from their path, Unless God commanded them (so to do) by the command of His servants. 18. But for thy holy ones there was very great light. Their enemies heard their voices but did not see their forms,and counted them happy for not having suffered,, and were thankful that thy holy ones, though previously wronged, were doing them no injury;and they begged their pardon for having been at variance with them., Therefore thou didst provide a flaming pillar of fire as a guide for thy peoples unknown journey,and a harmless sun for their glorious wandering., For their enemies deserved to be deprived of light and imprisoned in darkness,those who had kept thy sons imprisoned,through whom the imperishable light of the law was to be given to the world., When they had resolved to kill the babes of thy holy ones,and one child had been exposed and rescued,thou didst in punishment take away a multitude of their children;and thou didst destroy them all together by a mighty flood., That night was made known beforehand to our fathers,so that they might rejoice in sure knowledge of the oaths in which they trusted., The deliverance of the righteous and the destruction of their enemies were expected by thy people.", For by the same means by which thou didst punish our enemies thou didst call us to thyself and glorify us.", For in secret the holy children of good men offered sacrifices,and with one accord agreed to the divine law,that the saints would share alike the same things,both blessings and dangers;and already they were singing the praises of the fathers., But the discordant cry of their enemies echoed back,and their piteous lament for their children was spread abroad., The slave was punished with the same penalty as the master,and the common man suffered the same loss as the king;, and they all together, by the one form of death,had corpses too many to count. For the living were not sufficient even to bury them,since in one instant their most valued children had been destroyed., For though they had disbelieved everything because of their magic arts,yet, when their first-born were destroyed,they acknowledged thy people to be Gods son., For while gentle silence enveloped all things,and night in its swift course was now half gone,, thy all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne,into the midst of the land that was doomed,a stern warrior, carrying the sharp sword of thy authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death,and touched heaven while standing on the earth., Then at once apparitions in dreadful dreams greatly troubled them,and unexpected fears assailed them;, and one here and another there, hurled down half dead,made known why they were dying;, for the dreams which disturbed them forewarned them of this,so that they might not perish without knowing why they suffered., The experience of death touched also the righteous,and a plague came upon the multitude in the desert,but the wrath did not long continue., For a blameless man was quick to act as their champion;he brought forward the shield of his ministry,prayer and propitiation by incense;he withstood the anger and put an end to the disaster,showing that he was thy servant., He conquered the wrath not by strength of body,and not by force of arms,but by his word he subdued the punisher,appealing to the oaths and covets given to our fathers., For when the dead had already fallen on one another in heaps,he intervened and held back the wrath,and cut off its way to the living., For upon his long robe the whole world was depicted,and the glories of the fathers were engraved on the four rows of stones,and thy majesty on the diadem upon his head., To these the destroyer yielded, these he feared;for merely to test the wrath was enough. |
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5. Philo of Alexandria, On Dreams, 2.45 (1st cent. BCE - 1st cent. CE)
| 2.45. for God gives to the soul a seal, a very beautiful gift, to show that he has invested with shape the essence of all things which was previously devoid of shape, and has stamped with a particular character that which previously had no character, and has endowed with form that which had previously no distinctive form, and having perfected the entire world, he has impressed upon it an image and appearance, namely, his own word. |
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6. New Testament, Galatians, 3.26-3.28 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 3.26. Πάντες γὰρ υἱοὶ θεοῦ ἐστὲ διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. 3.27. ὅσοι γὰρ εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε· 3.28. οὐκ ἔνι Ἰουδαῖος οὐδὲ Ἕλλην, οὐκ ἔνι δοῦλος οὐδὲ ἐλεύθερος, οὐκ ἔνι ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ· πάντες γὰρ ὑμεῖς εἷς ἐστὲ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. | 3.26. For you are all sons ofGod, through faith in Christ Jesus. 3.27. For as many of you as werebaptized into Christ have put on Christ. 3.28. There is neither Jewnor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither malenor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 3. Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey thetruth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth among you as crucified? ,I just want to learn this from you. Did you receivethe Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? ,Areyou so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed inthe flesh? ,Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeedin vain? ,He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you, and worksmiracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or byhearing of faith? ,Even as Abraham "believed God, and it wascounted to him for righteousness." ,Know therefore that those whoare of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. ,The Scripture,foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached thegospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you all the nations will beblessed." ,So then, those who are of faith are blessed with thefaithful Abraham. ,For as many as are of the works of the law areunder a curse. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who doesn'tcontinue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to dothem." ,Now that no man is justified by the law before God isevident, for, "The righteous will live by faith." ,The law is notof faith, but, "The man who does them will live by them." ,Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become acurse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on atree," ,that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentilesthrough Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spiritthrough faith. ,Brothers, I speak like men. Though it is only aman's covet, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void,or adds to it. ,Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and tohis seed. He doesn't say, "To seeds," as of many, but as of one, "Toyour seed," which is Christ. ,Now I say this. A covetconfirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundredand thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of noeffect. ,For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more ofpromise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise. ,What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions,until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It wasordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. ,Now amediator is not between one, but God is one. ,Is the law thenagainst the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a lawgiven which could make alive, most assuredly righteousness would havebeen of the law. ,But the Scriptures shut up all things undersin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to thosewho believe. ,But before faith came, we were kept in custodyunder the law, shut up to the faith which should afterwards berevealed. ,So that the law has become our tutor to bring us toChrist, that we might be justified by faith. ,But now that faithis come, we are no longer under a tutor. ,For you are all sons ofGod, through faith in Christ Jesus. ,For as many of you as werebaptized into Christ have put on Christ. ,There is neither Jewnor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither malenor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ,If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise. |
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7. New Testament, John, 1.1-1.18 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.1. ΕΝ ΑΡΧΗ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. 1.2. Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν. 1.3. πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν. 1.4. ὃ γέγονεν ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· 1.5. καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν. 1.6. Ἐγένετο ἄνθρωπος ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ θεοῦ, ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ἰωάνης· 1.7. οὗτος ἦλθεν εἰς μαρτυρίαν, ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός, ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσιν διʼ αὐτοῦ. 1.8. οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖνος τὸ φῶς, ἀλλʼ ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός. 1.9. Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. 1.10. ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω. 1.11. Εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθεν, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον. 1.12. ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτόν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ 1.13. οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς ἀλλʼ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν. 1.14. Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας·?̔ 1.15. Ἰωάνης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγεν λέγων — οὗτος ἦν ὁ εἰπών — Ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν·̓ 1.16. ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος· 1.17. ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωυσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο. 1.18. θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε· μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο. | 1.1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 1.2. The same was in the beginning with God. 1.3. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. 1.4. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 1.5. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it. 1.6. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 1.7. The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him. 1.8. He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light. 1.9. The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. 1.10. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn't recognize him. 1.11. He came to his own, and those who were his own didn't receive him. 1.12. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name: 1.13. who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 1.14. The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. 1.15. John testified about him. He cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.' 1.16. From his fullness we all received grace upon grace. 1.17. For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 1.18. No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him. |
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8. Clement of Alexandria, Extracts From The Prophets, 2.1 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
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9. Clement of Alexandria, Excerpts From Theodotus, 19.2 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
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10. Clement of Alexandria, Christ The Educator, (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
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11. Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies, 2.16.74 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
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