The heard and the condemned: prayer and Scripture

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Epiphanius is teaching his monks through contrasts between those heard by God and those condemned, then through David's example of constant prayer and the value of Scripture.

The same one said: The Canaanite woman cries out and is heard; the woman with the flow of blood is silent and is called blessed; the Pharisee shouts and is condemned; the tax collector does not even open his mouth and is heard.

The same one said that David the prophet prayed at an untimely hour, rose at midnight, called upon God before dawn, stood before God at dawn, made his request in the morning, supplicated in the evening and at noon, and for this reason he said: Seven times a day I have praised you (Psalm 118:164; Psalm 119:164 in Hebrew numbering).

He said again that the possession of Christian books is necessary for those who have them. For the very sight of the books by itself makes us more reluctant to sin and urges us to rise up more eagerly toward righteousness.

He said again that a great safeguard against sinning is the reading of the Scriptures.

He said again that a great cliff and a deep pit is ignorance of the Scriptures.

He said again that a great betrayal of salvation is to know none of the divine laws.

The same one said that the sins of the righteous are about the lips, but those of the impious are from the whole body. Therefore David sings: Set a guard, Lord, over my mouth, and a door of enclosure around my lips (Psalm 140:3; Psalm 141:3 in Hebrew numbering); and: I said, I will guard my ways, so that I do not sin with my tongue (Psalm 38:2; Psalm 39:1 in Hebrew numbering).

Greek

Ὁ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν· Ἡ Χαναναία βοᾷ καὶ ἀκούεται· καὶ ἡ αἱμόῤῥους σιωπᾷ

καὶ μακαρίζεται· ὁ δὲ Φαρισαῖος κράζει καὶ κατακρίνεται· ὁ τελώνης οὐδὲ ἀνοίγει τὸ

στόμα καὶ ἀκούεται.

ζʹ. Ὁ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι ∆αβὶδ ὁ προφήτης, ἐν ἀωρίᾳ ηὔχετο, μεσονύκτιον

ἐξηγείρετο, πρὸ τοῦ ὄρθρου παρεκάλει, ὄρθρου παρίστατο, πρωΐας ἐδέετο, ἑσπέρας

καὶ μεσημβρίας ἱκέτευε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν· Ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ᾔνεσά σε. ηʹ. Εἶπε

πάλιν, ὅτι ἀναγκαία τῶν Χριστιανῶν βιβλίων ἡ κτῆσις τοῖς ἔχουσι. Καὶ αὐτὴ γὰρ

καθ' ἑαυτὴν τῶν βιβλίων ἡ ὄψις, ὀκνηροτέρους ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζεται,

καὶ πρὸς δικαιοσύνην μᾶλλον διανίστασθαι προτρέπεται.

θʹ. Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι μεγάλη ἀσφάλεια πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν, τῶν Γραφῶν ἡ

ἀνάγνωσις.

ιʹ. Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι μέγας κρημνὸς καὶ βαθὺ βάραθρον, τῶν Γραφῶν ἡ ἄγνοια.

ιαʹ. Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι μεγάλη προδοσία σωτηρίας, τὸ μηδένα τῶν θείων νόμων

εἰδέναι.

ιβʹ. Ὁ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι τὰ τῶν δικαίων ἁμαρτήματα περὶ τὰ χείλη ἐστὶ, τὰ δὲ

τῶν ἀσεβῶν, ἐξ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος. Ὅθεν ψάλλει ∆αβίδ· Θοῦ, Κύριε, φυλακὴν τῷ

στόματί μου, καὶ θύραν περιοχῆς περὶ τὰ χείλη μου· Καί· Εἶπα, Φυλάξω τὰς ὁδούς

μου, τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν με ἐν γλώσσῃ μου.

ιγʹ.

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About this text

A collection of wise and mysterious sayings from a 4th-century bishop, offering insight into early Christian life and beliefs.

Epiphanius of Salamis (c. 310/320–403) was bishop of Salamis, the chief city of Cyprus, for nearly forty years. Before becoming bishop he had lived as a monk in Egypt and founded a monastery in Palestine.

The sayings open with stories of divine judgment on paganism, including the destruction of the Serapeum idol by Theophilus of Alexandria and the death of the emperor Julian foretold by crows. Epiphanius then rebukes his monks for keeping only the third, sixth, and ninth hours while neglecting prayer during the other hours of the day. He exchanges mutual respect with Abba Hilarion, who acknowledges Epiphanius's greater way of life.

Epiphanius contrasts humble faith with proud religiosity. The closing sayings emphasize Scripture reading as protection against sin, the small cost at which God sells righteousness, God's readiness to forgive repentant sinners while demanding more from the righteous, and the beatitudes and Ten Commandments as the substance of the Christian way.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 41 – 43 (Greek)

This work has passed our source check. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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