Texts in Conversation
In 1 Clement, the author follows the praise God gives David with nearly all of Psalm 51 in the Greek Septuagint translation, one of the longest quotations in the letter, so that the king God approved is heard confessing his sins as a model of humility.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
LXX Psalms 50:3
Septuagint
3 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy. According to the magnitude of your compassions blot out my iniquity. 4 Wash me thoroughly from my lawlessness, and cleanse me from my sin. 5 For I know my lawlessness, and my sin is always before me. 6 Against you alone did I sin, and I did the evil deed before you, so that you would be vindicated in your words and prevail when you judge. 7 For look, in evils I was conceived, and in sins my mother conceived me. 8 For look, you loved truth. You showed to me the unknown things and the secret things of your wisdom. 9 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed. Wash me, and I will be made more white than snow.
Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 18:2
First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
Early Christian
2 Yet he too says to God “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the multitude of Your compassions blot out my iniquity.” 3 “Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against You only did I sin, and I did evil in Your sight; that You may be justified in Your words, and may conquer in Your pleading.” 4 “For behold, in iniquities was I conceived, and in sins did my mother bear me. For behold You have loved truth: the dark and hidden things of Your wisdom have You shown to me.” 5 “You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean. You shall wash me, and I shall become whiter than snow.”
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Notes and References
“... OT quotations or allusions pervade the letter of the church at Rome to the church at Corinth known as 1 Clement (see Clement of Rome). The approximately seventy direct quotations constitute about one-fourth of this long epistle [...] Some of the quotations are lengthy. Psalms, Isaiah, Job, Genesis and Proverbs, in this order, are the most frequently cited. [...] The pattern followed is to state why the hero may be regarded as approved by God and then to cite passages that give evidence of his humility: Abraham (Is 41:8 contrasted with Gen 18:27), Job (Job 1:1 contrasted with Job 14:4– 5), Moses (Num 12:7 contrasted with Ex 3:11; 4:10 and an unknown source); David (1 Sam 13:14; Ps 88:21 contrasted with Ps 50:3–19 LXX). ...”
Martin, Ralph P.
Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments
(p. 1196) InterVarsity Press, 1997
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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