Letter 38
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An inquirer
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore explains the connection between Esau's gluttony and immorality.
Knowing full well that indulgence breeds passions and gluttony drags a person toward sexual immorality, I think you asked a superfluous question about the verse, "Lest anyone be a fornicator or profane person, like Esau" [Hebrews 12:16]. The explanation is straightforward. Scripture showed that Esau was a glutton — he sold his birthright for a bowl of stew — and that was enough to prove him both immoral and profane. The belly is the gateway to every other vice. Master your appetite, and you have mastered half the battle. Lose control of it, and everything else follows into ruin.
Εὶς τὸ, « Μήτις πόργος ἢ, βέθηξλος, ὡς. Ἡραῦ."» ᾿Αχριθῶς ἐπιστάμενος, ὅτι ὁ χόρος. τίχτει τὰ πάθη, χαὶ ἡ γαστριμαργία σύρει πρὸς τὰς λαγνείας, περιτ- τῶς, οἶμαι, ἡρώτησας τὸ, « Μήτις πόρνος ἣ βέδηλος, ὡς Ἡσαῦ, » ὁποίαν ἔχει ἐπίλυσιν, τῆς Γραφῆς προδό- τὴν () ἐλεγχούσης τῶν τῆς μήτρας πρεσδείων διὰ χόρον χοιλίας. Δείξασα γὰρ αὑτὸν γαστρίμαρτγον, ἠρχέσθη συναποδεῖξαι χαὶ πόρνον χαὶ βέθηλον. γδοίδίθι [ ἐοηνίποδι. Νἧὰπι οὐ δὺπὶ ρυ]. ἀδόϊμιηι ἤιΐ. οδἰοηυ δροῖ, νηᾷ αυρᾳυς (οτγηίοδίο» τρί θὲ ρεοίδηθηι [ι. μάβυ! ἀρῃηοη δι ΓΆββθ. ΓΟΟΧΣΙ. --- ΡΑΤΠΑΡΙΟ. ΕΡΙΘΟΟΡΘ. πη {Πμᾶ,| « Μαπε οεοεἰεϑαπι οπιηθδ ρεζοαίοτγθε . » «[η ηιδίψι}}. ᾿η!θ τ εἰαἰγλη) Οηη. ρροοδίργαβ )Ὁ (ΘΓΓΏΒ, ». ᾿ῃ}}:) Ρ}, [|ι}| δἰηρογδίριῃ. οἱ Ἰμιοαγί δίρηι. δὸ ῃΓυάοη!ίδιῃ (ΘοΙαγαὶ : πρηρα φιοι ἸΓΔοιη ἀΐδ,., . ἰδ] η}᾽ Θιπὶ. Δ σῳάσηι, ἰπ- Ὁ]ῦ,, Νάπι , οἰϑὶ ᾿ϑϑίργηο αἱ ἱμβίυ δλῃΪ- "δυπὶ εοηοίαὐδλὶ, ἃ,, ΡῈΓ ἡροί Ἰοησ! υὐΐηδη) πι}}- φλυαϊυν : ᾿ς ΓΌΓΒΒ,, Θἰδὶ ΥΘΑΡΟΓΟ ἰηβθδιιθ, - ϑογδῖ, ΡῈ. δβοιήηυπὶ (ΔΘ ῃ πιϊὶηυσίαῖυ ἐϊδουιϊθαίυγ. Ῥυγὰ ἰίδᾳυρ, ἰηᾳφυΐ,, δίᾳυθ ἰηίοξΓᾶ, τὐπν πηϑη, ἰὕπὶ ΠΙΠ Δάγογβι! ] θυ) - Ιου ῖθι βυΐδ ἰδοθϑϑεῦδηϊ, ἀγπηὰ ᾿πἀυθῦΔη). ΟΟΟΧΧΙΙ. -- ΤΙΜΟΤΗΕΟ ΚΕΌΤΟΙΙ. Νοπ, ορογίετο ἕμπὶ ἑθπατο υδτὺὶ ἑσοπίεπάέτε. Ουοδιαφαιπούυσῃ ῃαυὰ ἰμίυπὶ . οὐηὶ Ἰιοιηΐηα ρυ- ξηϑηΐ, ἀρβογίυπλ βογάζγαγο : δηξθηὶ πιο ἰαυὰ [ἃ- οἶ ι σαν Βρηνρ ἱπύάοςζια βϑγποηθ ΘΓ ρονογρ. {πῃ η)δπιὶ { οπμηΐ μηδ ΘΟγρΟΓΙ Υἱγίθυ ἴῃ δο᾽μἀΐηθ υἱδίιγ, μὰ ᾳμοι! 'ρθυπι οἰϊεηύαϊι, . Μαϊδοῖν. νι, . ὃ Ηδθῦτγ. χιι, . “ Ρβ]. α, . ΤΚΑ', -- ΠΑΛΛΑΔΙΩ ΕἸΣΙΣΚΟΠΟ. Εἰς τὸ, ε« Εἰς τὰς πρωΐας ἀπέχτϑινον. πάνεας τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς. » «Εἰς τὰς πρωΐας ἀπέχτεινον πάντας τοὺς ἁμαρτω- λοὺς τῆς γῆς, ν λέγων ὁ Ῥαλμῳδὸς, τὸ ἀχριδὲς χαὶ ἀπλανὲς, χαὶ νηφάλιον τῆς δίχης παρίστησιν, ὅτι () οὔτε θυμὸς, οὔτε μέθη τὴν ἀναίρεσιν ὑπετίθετο. Ὁ. μὲν γὰρ εἰ χαὶ τῇ χθὲς ἡμέρᾳ παρώξυνεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ μήχους τῆς νυχτὸς ἐμαλάσσετο" ἧ δὲ, εἰ χαὶ ὀψίας πολλὴ προσεγένετο, διὰ τοῦ ὕπνου ἱχανῶς ἐλεπτύ- νετο. Καθαρᾷ οὖν καὶ χειρὶ, χαὶ γνώμῃ, κατὰ τῶν ἐς Θεὸν ἁμαρτανόντων ἐξωπλιζόμην.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An inquirer
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore explains the connection between Esau's gluttony and immorality.
Knowing full well that indulgence breeds passions and gluttony drags a person toward sexual immorality, I think you asked a superfluous question about the verse, "Lest anyone be a fornicator or profane person, like Esau" [Hebrews 12:16]. The explanation is straightforward. Scripture showed that Esau was a glutton — he sold his birthright for a bowl of stew — and that was enough to prove him both immoral and profane. The belly is the gateway to every other vice. Master your appetite, and you have mastered half the battle. Lose control of it, and everything else follows into ruin.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.