Chapter 11
The examples of Lot and his wife
|
1 Διὰ
φιλοξενίαν
καὶ
εὐσέβειαν
Λὼτ
ἐσώθη
ἐκ
Σοδόμων,
τῆς
περιχώρου
πάσης
κριθείσης
διὰ
πυρὸς
καὶ
θείου,
πρόδηλον ποιήσας ὁ δεσπότης, ὅτι τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπ' αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐγκαταλείπει, τοὺς δὲ ἑτεροκλινεῖς ὑπάρχοντας εἰς κόλασιν καὶ αἰκισμὸν τίθησιν. |
Because of his hospitality and godliness, Lot was saved out of Sodom, when all the surrounding country was judged by fire and sulphur.
The Master clearly demonstrated that he does not forsake those who hope in him but hands over for punishment and torment those who turn aside. |
| 2 συνεξελθούσης γὰρ αὐτῷ τῆς γυναικὸς ἑτερογνώμονος ὑπαρχούσης καὶ οὐκ ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ, εἰς τοῦτο σημεῖον ἐτέθη, ὥστε γενέσθαι αὐτὴν στήλην ἁλὸς ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης, εἰς τὸ γνωστὸν εἶναι πᾶσιν, ὅτι οἱ δίψυχοι καὶ οἱ διστάζοντες περὶ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεως εἰς κρίμα καὶ εἰς σημείωσιν πάσαις ταῖς γενεαῖς γίνονται. | Of this his wife was destined to be a sign, for after leaving with him she changed her mind and was no longer in harmony, and as a result she became a pillar of salt to this day, that it might be known to all that those who are double-minded and those who question the power of God fall under judgment and become a warning to all generations. |
Summary
In Chapter 11, Clement continues his OT typology of virtue, focusing on Lot as a companion model to Abraham. Like Abraham in Chapter 10, Lot’s deliverance from catastrophic divine judgment (διὰ πυρὸς καὶ θείου) is attributed to the twin virtues of hospitality (φιλοξενία) and piety (εὐσέβειαν).
Clement draws a sharp rhetorical contrast between Lot’s faithful hope in God (τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας) and his wife’s double-mindedness. Because Lot’s wife was "of a different mind" (ἑτερογνώμων) and lacked concord (οὐκ ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ), her transformation into a pillar of salt serves as a permanent, visible warning sign (σημεῖον) across all generations against double-mindedness (δίψυχοι) and hesitation regarding God’s power—a direct admonition to the wavering Corinthians.
Significant Greek Expressions
Διὰ φιλοξενίαν καὶ εὐσέβειαν (On account of hospitality and piety): Continues Clement’s core emphasis on philoxenia (welcoming strangers/messengers; cf. Genesis 19:1–3). Clement explicitly links social/communal openness (philoxenia) with true reverent devotion to God (eusebeia).
τοὺς ἑτεροκλινεῖς (Those who turn aside to other ways): From heteroklinēs (literally "leaning or slanting another way"). Describes those who deviate from the straight path of faith, inclining toward division, doubt, or worldly desires.
ἑτερογνώμονος... καὶ οὐκ ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ (Of a different mind... and not in harmony): Heterognōmōn denotes divided allegiance or holding contrary opinions. Clement contrasts her lack of homonoia (harmony/concord) with the unified mindset required within the church, identifying her internal division as the cause of her ruin.
στήλην ἁλὸς ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης (A pillar of salt unto this day): Alludes to Genesis 19:26. The phrase heōs tēs hēmeras tautēs ("unto this day") reflects ancient historiographical and apologetic tropes, treating the physical salt formations near the Dead Sea as enduring empirical proof of divine judgment.
οἱ δίψυχοι καὶ οἱ διστάζοντες (The double-minded and those who doubt): Dipsychos ("double-minded" or "split-souled") is a signature term in early Christian moral literature (cf. James 1:8, 4:8; Didache 4.4; Hermas). Clement uses it alongside distazō (to hesitate or vacillate) to diagnose the core spiritual disease of the Corinthian dissenters: a divided heart that lacks firm trust in God’s sovereign power (dynamis).
εἰς σημείωσιν (For a warning sign / token): Uses sēmeiōsis (a mark, signal, or indicative sign), framing Lot’s wife not merely as a historical casualty, but as a perpetual cautionary monument for the covenant community.