καὶ οὐ λέγω τοῦτο μὴ δεῖν πάντοτε μεμνῆσθαι
θεοῦ. μὴ πάλιν ἐπιφυέσθωσαν ἡμῖν οἱ πάντα εὔκολοι καὶ
ταχεῖς. μνημονευτέον γὰρ θεοῦ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀναπνευστέον·
 καί, εἰ οἷόν τε τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, μηδὲ ἄλλο τι ἢ τοῦτο πρακτέον.
κἀγὼ τῶν ἐπαινούντων εἰμὶ τὸν λόγον, ὃς μελετᾷν ἡμέρας
καὶ νυκτὸς διακελεύεται, καὶ ἑσπέρας καὶ πρωὶ καὶ μεσημβρίς
διηγεῖσθαι, καὶ εὐλογεῖν τὸν κύριον ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ·
εἰ δεῖ καὶ τὸ Μωυσέως εἰπεῖν, κοιταζόμενον, διανστάμενον,
 ὁδοιποροῦντα, ὅ τι οὖν ἄλλο πράττοντα, καὶ τῆ μνήμη
 2 βλάπτωσιν bc || 3 ὑπερβαίνοντας a || 4 δὴ] ’δε cd || 6 βαρηθέντες c 
 4. 7 om τοῦτο a || II λόγον] νόμον bd 
 4. τοῖς στεπποῖς τῶν λόγων] Though
Gr. is fond of the partitive gen. (οἱ
στερροὶ τῶν λόγων = οἱ λόγοι οἱ στερροί),
it seems best here to suppose
τοῖς ’στ’. to be neut., ’the solid qualities
of our discourses? Perh. Gr. is
still using the metaphor or simile of
food. It would seem to suit καταπιεσθέντες
κ. βαρυνθέντες as well as
τοῖς στερροῖς. Cf. Heb. v 12 στερεά
τροφή). 
 6. ζημ. καὶ εἰς τ. ἁ. δ.] The εἰς
does not denote the extent of the
damage, but the quarter in which it
is felt. Over-strong meat not only
fails to increase the vital forces of
those to whom it is administered;
it even impairs those which they
possessed. Cp. v 26. 
 4. It is always right to think of
God; but not always suitable to discourse
of Him. 
 8. ἐπιφυέσθωσαν] ἐπιφύειν is ’to
plant upon ’ ; hence in pass. ‘to fasten
upon and cling ’ like hounds upon
a quarry. Plutarch frequently uses
the word in this way; e.g. § 1
ἐπιφυομένους, ὥσπερ θηρίοις εὐγενεῖς
σκύλακας. Gr. uses it again in v ιι. 
 ib. οἱ π. εὔκολοι] ‘ who are always
(lit. in all points) so agile and ’
ὕκολος (cp. δύσκολος), from κόλον,
’diet,’ means originally one whose
food agrees with him. Hence it
comes to be used for facility in any
direction. Plato Legg. 942 D uses
the substantive in the sense of bodily
activity, which (metaphorically applied)
plied) is the sense here. 
 9. μνήμον. κτλ.] ’It is more necessary
to remember God than to
breathe.’ 
 11 . τῶν ἐπ’. εἰμι] ‘ am one of those
who approve.’ 
 ib. μελετᾷν ἤμ’. κ. νυκτός] Psalm
i 2 (Josh, i 8). 
 12. ἑσπέρας κτλ.] Psalm liv 18
(lv Ι7). 
 13. εὐλογεῖν κτλ.] Psalm xxxiii 2
(xxxiv 1). 
 14. κοιταζόμενον κτλ.] Deut. vi
7 (cp. xi 19). 

 
τυποῦσθαι πρὸς καθαρότητα. ὥστε οὐ τὸ μεμνῆσθαι δίη.
νεκῶς κωλύω, τὸ θεολογεῖν δέ· οὐδὲ τὴν θεολογίαν, ὥσπερ
ἀσεβές, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀκαιρίαν· οὐδὲ τὴν διδασκαλίαν, ἀλλὰ
τὴν ἀμετρίαν. ἢ μέλιτος μὲν πλησμονὴ καὶ κόρος ἔμετον
ἐργάζεται, καίπερ ὄντος μέλιτος, καὶ καιρὸς τῷ παντὶ 
πράγματι, ὡς Σολομῶντι κἀμοὶ δοκεῖ, καὶ τὸ καλὸν οὐ
καλόν, ὅταν μὴ καλῶς γίνηται, ὥσπερ ἄνθος ἐν χειμῶνι
παντελῶς ἄωρον, καὶ γυναιξὶ κόσμος ἀνδρεῖος, ἢ γυναικεῖος
ἀνδράσι, καὶ πένθει γεωμετρία, καὶ πότῳ δάκρυον, ἐνταῦθα
δὲ μόνον τὸν καιρὸν ἀτιμάσομεν, οὗ μάλιστα τιμητέον τὸ 
εὔκαιρον ;