Letter 162
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Pebonius
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore explains why Peter instructs husbands to honor their wives as the "weaker vessel" (1 Peter 3:7), and discusses the proper ordering of conjugal relations.
From the Epistle of Peter: Why does Peter command husbands to honor their wives as the weaker vessel?
Even though marriage is honorable and the marriage bed lawful [Hebrews 13:4], one should not always rush to it. Rather, there are seasons to observe, and nature must be allowed to recover and restore itself, so that it remains pure and capable of bearing children. This the Law decreed. And grace counseled the same thing, for the sake of purity and continuous prayer — as Paul also says [1 Corinthians 7:5].
As for "the weaker vessel": Peter is not diminishing women. He is acknowledging the physical difference and making it the basis for a duty — namely, that the stronger party bears the greater responsibility for consideration and care. The word "weaker" creates an obligation, not a permission.
Τῆς Ἐπιστολῆς Πέτρου. Διὰ τί τοὺς ἄνδρας ὡς ὦ Ετ Ἐρϊειοία Ῥειτῖ. Ονατό ΡεΙγις οἶνος ἡμύέαι πιμ- ἀσθενεστέρῳ σχεύει τῷ γυναικείῳ χε.ϊεύει τι- μὴν ἀπογέμειγ. ΕἸ χαὶ τίμιός ἔστιν ὁ γάμος, καὶ ἕννομος ἧ εὐνὴ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ ἀεὶ αὐτῇ ἐπιπηδητέον" ἀλλὰ χαιρούς τινας σχολαστέον, χαὶ παραχωρητέον τῇ φύσει, ἕως ἂν χα- θαρὰ μένῃ, χαὶ ἐπιτηδεία πρὸς παιδοποιίαν γένηται. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ὁ νόμος ἐθέσπισεν. Ἧ δὲ χάρις χαὶ διὰ τὴν ἀγνείαν, χαὶ τὰς συνεχεῖς προσευχὰς τοῦτο χίνεσθαι συνεδούλευσε " χαὶ διὰ μὲν Παύλον λέγουσα" « Ἵνα σχολάσητε τῇ προσευχῇ" » διὰ δὲ Πέτρου τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ μαθεῖν ἠθέλησας. Χρῆναι γὰρ ἔφη τοὺς ἄνδρας ὡς ἀσθενεστέρῳ σχεύει τῷ γυναιχείῳ ἀπονέμειν τιμὴν. ῬΚ΄. --- ἸΣΊΔΩΡΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΏ. Εἷς τό" « Εἰ δυνατὸν, τὸ ἐξ ὑμῶν.» Εἰ καὶ μηδεμίαν τὸν ὑδριστὴν ὁ λοιδορηθεὶς τῆς Πετῖϑις, ἰαπρααπι ἑηβτηβἑοτὶ υαϑὲ, Ἀοπογέμι (Υ- δμόγα ᾽'. Θυδληαχιδη γὙϑρογΆ δὶ οοι)υξίυπ), ἱ ἰοφὶ τὶ - τὴυπὶ ουὐ]. ἰλιθη ἸῸΠ ΒΕΙΡΟΡ δὲ ρϑδ:}) δὶ} “ἀἰ!οοῖα ἴῃ σοποαιθίιιπι ἰπ } πὶ ι, βδυηὶῖ ἰἀπΊροῦὰ αιιράδι), απίθυβ ἰοηροτίθι ορογίθαὶ ἃ οοἰϊω δϑιίηογο, οἱ οομοοώδη η) Βαϊυγῳ, ἀθηθα δἰῖ ρΡυγὰ, οἱ δρίλ δὶ δι. ἰἰυδγογι ον ρτοογδὶ ΠΟηΘι. Αἱ-. 'ος φυϊιίδη ἰὼχ ἰἰὰ βαηείνὶῖ. Ογαϊϊὰ διυίοπὶ (νδηϑ !) οἰἰδπὶ βέυάΐο οαϑι} , δὲ ργορίοΡ σοη- εἰηυ ρΓΘΟ ἰι ἢδγίὶ σοη}}}}, ργ Ραυΐ Ὁ) (ὐἱάθπα ἀΐςαῃ : « ὕιΆ νδοοιὶβ. ογαηιίοηὶ ᾽";.» ρΡ Ῥεοίγιιηι υϑιῦ ἰά ᾳυοά ἀἴξδοθτγα γνοἱυ͵ι|, Οροτίογο οηΐηι ἀἰχὶϊ Ὑἱγὸ αυλοῖ ἱπῆγιογὶ νϑ}}} τη] υτὶ ἱπηραγιϊγὶ [- Ὁ μοτθη). ΟΧΧ. --- ἸΘΙΏΟΠΟ ΕΡΙΒΘΟΘΡΟ. Ϊπν ἐππ ( Ραμίὶ αἰείκνα), « Ωμαπίυπι ἱν τοῦὶς ει δ,» φἰο. Εἰιοὶ ἰδ ! οοηνὶεἷο «ἴΐδοιυβ , τι! !διη ἰη ιι}}- ἈΓΔ{{|}. χ, . ΕΟ]. χυῆῖῖ, . [δὰ. . Βέότο. χιι, -. }Ὀῖγ. πι,, Οογ. νιν, ὅ. χοιῃ. ΣΙΙ, . ΨΑΒΙΑ ΠΕΟΤΙΌΝΕΘ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΙ. () Οοιἰ!. γαιΐο. θ οπιι καί. Υογβ. ἱπάθ Φ, ροβὶ ἔχοντας «(ἰἀΐι τε χαὶ παρέχοντας. ῬΟΒΒΙΝ. () Ῥτγὸ ἀλλ᾽ εἰ καὶ εἴρηται ἰ(πὶ . Γ} ἀλλ᾽ εἰ χαὶ εὕρηται υδῖὴ νυἱάδιιν Δθιηάδγο ΔΙΊ Γα εἰ ετβ. . τούτῳ τοῦϊλι ἴῃ τοῦτο. ἴν. Ρδτιοι. ὅκ. ΕΧΧΥΤΙΙ. () Ῥτο εἰ γάρ άθιη ἰορὶί οὐ γάρ. ν. () Ργὸ ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ἰθδιῃ σο]. βογίθ!: ἀλλὰ τῇ, οἱ ψεΓβ. ῆ. ρῥγῸ περιουσία τοιαύτη ροηἰϊ περιουσίᾳ τὰ τοιαῦτα" γ. ροϑὶ , ργῸ εἰσαγαγοῦσα [ προτ- αγαγοῦτα, ἴυ. . , ἸΘΙΌΟΒΙ ΡΕΠΌΒΞΙΟΤΈ εἷο διίψογβιι σοηυ εϊδίογοπι ἰπδιϊίυἱϊ! δοιϊοπ πὶ ΡΓΟ- Α τόλμης ἐν δικαστηρίῳ διὰ τὸ οἰχεῖον ἐπάγγελμα Ρίεγ ϑυυπὶ ργοπιϊβϑυπὶ (ι{| απῖπ αἰϊοχυίη ἰρϑυπ), ρωπδβ δογυπι, αὐ: ἀδείφπαν!, ρόγβοίαει- ΓΙ), ἴλη ϑι πς διιγυυ ζ. υἱ ἰηδοηδηίο "ᾶῦοι οοηίυπηθ)}. (υιοπίδιη ἰρίίυγ φΦ|υιπὶ οϑὶ, ἰρϑῦ δδηδγὶ : ᾿ιάσυπ δΠΠοι]οηυΠ) ΠῸὴ πιοάϊουδ, ργίοῦ ᾿ρϑυι αυΐ μἴαραπι ἰητυ}δ!, εἰ . τἱς ἀο]ϊοοὶ ρᾶαγοὶ δά Ἔσουβδηάμπη) [.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Pebonius
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore explains why Peter instructs husbands to honor their wives as the "weaker vessel" (1 Peter 3:7), and discusses the proper ordering of conjugal relations.
From the Epistle of Peter: Why does Peter command husbands to honor their wives as the weaker vessel?
Even though marriage is honorable and the marriage bed lawful [Hebrews 13:4], one should not always rush to it. Rather, there are seasons to observe, and nature must be allowed to recover and restore itself, so that it remains pure and capable of bearing children. This the Law decreed. And grace counseled the same thing, for the sake of purity and continuous prayer — as Paul also says [1 Corinthians 7:5].
As for "the weaker vessel": Peter is not diminishing women. He is acknowledging the physical difference and making it the basis for a duty — namely, that the stronger party bears the greater responsibility for consideration and care. The word "weaker" creates an obligation, not a permission.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.