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Second Pseudo-Clement

Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter 10

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter X.—David’s Sin, So Admonitory to Us Weak Men.

Does not the case of David instruct thee, whom God

‹ Chapter 9 Chapter 11 ›

“

found

a

man

after

His

heart

,

”

one

faithful

,

faultless

,

pious

,

true

?

This

same

man

saw

the

beauty

of

a

woman

—

I

mean

of

Bathsheba

—

when

he

saw

her

as

she

was

cleansing

herself

and

washing

unclothed

.

This

woman

the

holy

man

saw

,

and

was

thoroughly

captivated

with

desire

by

the

sight

of

her

.

See

,

then

,

what

evils

he

committed

because

of

a

woman

,

and

how

this

righteous

man

sinned

,

and

gave

command

that

the

husband

of

this

woman

should

be

killed

in

battle

.

Ye

have

seen

what

wicked

schemes

he

laid

and

executed

,

and

how

,

because

of

his

passion

for

a

woman

,

he

perpetrated

a

murder

—

he

,

David

,

who

was

called

“

the

anointed

of

the

Lord

.

”

Be

admonished

,

O

man

:

for

,

if

such

men

as

these

have

been

brought

to

ruin

through

women

,

what

is

thy

righteousness

,

or

what

art

thou

among

the

holy

,

that

thou

consortest

with

women

and

with

maidens

day

and

night

,

with

much

silliness

,

without

fear

of

God

?

Not

thus

,

my

brethren

,

not

thus

let

us

conduct

ourselves

;

but

let

us

be

mindful

of

that

word

which

is

spoken

concerning

a

woman

:

“

Her

hands

lay

snares

,

and

her

heart

spreadeth

nets

;

but

the

just

shall

escape

from

her

,

whilst

the

wicked

falleth

into

her

hands

.

”

Therefore

let

us

,

who

are

consecrated

,

be

careful

not

to

live

in

the

same

house

with

females

who

have

taken

the

vow

.

For

such

conduct

as

this

is

not

becoming

nor

right

for

the

servants

of

God

.

Notes

1
1 Sam. xvi. 13; Ps. lxxxix. 20, seqq.; Acts xiii. 22.
2
Lit. “verily.”
3
“By the pleasure derived from the sight of her.”—Beelen.
4
Ps. xviii. 50; 2 Sam. xix. 21.
5
Eccl. vii. 26.
6
Lit. “holy.”