21 Aug 2019

Friendship And Judgement



 Ἐπιγνώμων δίκαιος ἑαυτοῦ φίλος ἔσται αἱ δὲ γνῶμαι τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀνεπιεικεῖς ἁμαρτάνοντας καταδιώξεται κακά ἡ δὲ ὁδὸς τῶν ἀσεβῶν πλανήσει αὐτούς

Ὁ μὲν δίκαιος, εἰδὼς τὴν ἀνθρωπινην ἀσθένιαν, συγγινώσκει, κἂν ἁμάρτημα ᾗ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ φίλου· ἤ ὅτι κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐστιν ὁ φίλος, σύμφωνος ἑαυτοῦ ἐστι μετριοφρονῶν, καὶ φυλάσσων ἑαυτὸν, καὶ μηδὲν τῆς ἐχθρᾶς κακίας ἔχων, ἀστασιάστους ἔχει τοὺς λογισμούς.


Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Εἰς Παροιμίας Σολομώντος Εξηγήσεων, Κεφ ΙΒ'

Source: Migne PG 39.1636


A righteous arbitrator shall be his own friend; but the unjust judgements of the impious shall pursue sinners with evils; and the way of impious men shall deceive them. 1

The righteous man is conscious of human infirmities and sympathises even with the faults of a friend. Or because he knows a friend should be an image of God, he conducts himself prudently, guarding himself, and possessing no wickedness of the enemy, bears tranquil thoughts.


Didymus the Blind, On Proverbs, fragment  

1 Prov 12.26 LXX

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