Letter 65

Isidore of PelusiumPalladius|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: Palladius, bishop
Date: ~410 AD
Context: On Esau's profanity, and on the Psalmist's words about destroying sinners at dawn.

On "Lest anyone be a fornicator or profane person, like Esau" [Hebrews 12:16]: Scripture showed Esau as a glutton and needed nothing more to prove him immoral and profane.

To Bishop Palladius, on "In the mornings I destroyed all the sinners of the land" [Psalm 101:8]: When the Psalmist says this, he demonstrates the precision, unerring aim, and sobriety of justice. Neither anger nor drunkenness prompted the punishment. For anger, even if provoked the day before, softens through the long night. And drunkenness, even if heavy at evening, is thinned out by sleep. With a clear hand and a clear conscience, I armed myself against those who sin against God.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

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