The Exegesis on the Soul
NHC II, 6
The following translation has been committed to the public domain and may be freely copied and used, changed or unchanged, for any purpose. It is based on the Coptic text of Nag Hammadi Codex II, 6. The Nag Hammadi texts were written in the fourth century, subsequently buried, and then rediscovered in 1945. This tractate describes the fall and restoration of the soul, depicted as a woman (the word “soul” is feminine in Coptic), using extensive citations from the Bible, 1 Clement, and Homer. Note, these citations are often paraphrases rather than literal quotations.
This translation from the Coptic is by Samuel Zinner and was edited by Mark M. Mattison with the generous support of Other Gospels.
Symbols
[ ] Gap in the text (known as a “lacuna”)
( ) Editorial insertion to clarify the text
[127] Page number of the Coptic codex (hyperlinked)
The Fall of the Soul
[127] Long ago sages gave the soul a feminine name. She is in fact also female in her nature. She even has a womb.
For as long as she dwelt in solitude with the Father, she was virgin, and in form she was androgynous. When she, however, fell into a body and entered this life, she then fell into the hands of many robbers. And the cruel creatures passed her between each other and [violated] her. Some used her forcefully, while others seduced her with a gift. To be brief, they defiled her, and she [lost] her [128] virginity.
And in her body she practiced prostitution and gave herself to all without exception, thinking of each one she was ready to embrace as her husband. When she had surrendered herself to cruel, faithless adulterers, so they could misuse her, she then moaned profoundly and repented.
Yet even when she turned away her face from those adulterers, she ran to others, and they forced her to live with them and to be of service to them on their bed, as though they were her masters. Ashamed, she stopped daring to leave them. They, for their part, tricked her for a long time, posing as loyal, true husbands, as though they greatly reverenced her. And after all this, they forsook her and went away.
Next she became a helpless, poor, desolate widow. In the time of her distress, not a morsel of food was left for her. All she ever gained from them was the sullying that came from sexual intercourse. And her children from the adulterers are dumb, blind, ailing, and weak-minded.
When, however, the exalted Father visited her and looked on her, and saw her moaning in her pains and shame, repenting for the prostitution she practiced, and when she started to invoke his name that he might help her, [she moaned] with all her heart and said: “Save me, my Father. Look on me, because I will give [an account to you], because I forsook my house and [129] escaped from my maiden’s quarters. Restore me to yourself once more.”
When he beholds her in this condition, he will then consider her worthy of bestowing his mercy on her, because many are the sufferings that befell her because she forsook her house.
The Prostitution of the Soul according to the Scriptures
Now, regarding the prostitution of the soul, the Holy Spirit prophesies in many places, saying in the prophet Jeremiah:
If a husband divorces his wife and she goes and takes another man, can she go back to him again? Has not that woman completely polluted herself? “And you played the harlot to many shepherds and you returned to me,” said the Lord. “Take a clear look and see where you played the harlot. Were you not sitting in the streets polluting the land with your harlotries and your wickedness? And you took many shepherds as a stumbling block to you. With everyone you were without shame. You called not on me as a relative or as father or guardian of your virginity.” (Jeremiah 3:1-4)
Again, it is written in the prophet Hosea:
“Come, go to court with your mother, for she will not be a wife to me, and I will not be a husband to her. I shall take away her harlotry from before me, and I shall take away her adultery from between her breasts. I shall strip her naked as on the day she was born, and I shall make her a wilderness like a waterless land, and I shall make her [yearn in childlessness]. I will not have compassion on her children, for they are children of harlotry, because their mother played the harlot and [acted shamefully to her children]. [130] For she said, ‘I shall play the harlot to my lovers. They gave me my bread and my water, and my vesture and my garments, and my wine and my oil, and everything I had need of.’ Behold, therefore, I shall close them in so that she cannot run after her lovers. And when she seeks them but does not find them, she will say, ‘I shall go back to my former husband; I was better off then than now.’” (Hosea 2:2-7)
Again, he says in Ezekiel:
“It came to pass after much wickedness,” said the Lord, “you built a brothel and you made a place for your beauty in the streets. And you built brothels on every street, and you squandered your beauty, and you spread your legs in every alley, and you multiplied your acts of harlotry. You played the harlot to the sons of Egypt, your neighbors, men great of flesh.” (Ezekiel 16:23-26)
What, however, does “the sons of Egypt, men great of flesh” mean, except the kingdom of the flesh and the perceptible realm and earthly affairs, which sully the soul here, obtaining bread from them, and wine besides, and oil, garments, and further senseless external things around the body, things she believes are necessary for her?
Regarding this prostitution, however, the apostles of the Savior insisted: “Guard yourselves from it; purify yourselves from it.” This pertains not only to bodily prostitution, but especially of the soul. For this cause the apostles write [to the churches] of God, so that [this kind (of prostitution)] might not happen among us.
Nevertheless, the most difficult [challenge] pertains to the prostitution [131] of the soul. From it originates also bodily prostitution. Therefore Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said, “I wrote you in the letter, ‘Do not associate with prostitutes,’ not at all (referring to) the prostitutes of this world or the greedy or robbers or idolaters, because then you would need to leave the world.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-10). In this case he is speaking spiritually, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,” as he said, “but against the world rulers of this darkness and the spirits of wickedness.” (Ephesians 6:12)
For as long as the soul continues running around everywhere, having sex with everyone she meets and sullying herself, she suffers what she deserves.
The Restoration of the Soul
When, however, she realizes the trouble she is in and cries before the Father and repents, the Father then will show mercy to her. And he will cause her womb to turn away from the outward kingdom, and will cause it to return inward, making the soul reclaim her good character. Because such is not the way of a woman, for the bodily womb is inward, like the other internal organs of the body.
The womb of the soul, however, surrounds outwardly like the male’s outward genitals. When, therefore, the womb of the soul turns inward by the will of the Father, it is baptized and immediately purified from the outward pollution which was forced on it, like filthy [garments] soaked [in water and] moved around until the dirt is gone and they are clean. Thus the purification of the soul is a reclaiming of the renovation of [132] her former nature, and a return to herself. That is her baptism.
Then she will become mad at herself, acting like a woman during labor, writhing and raging in the hour of birth. However, because she is a female, on her own she is unable to conceive a child. From heaven the Father sent her a man – her brother, the firstborn. The bridegroom then went down to the bride. She stopped her earlier prostitution and purified herself from the pollutions of the adulterers. She was even renewed to become a bride. She purified herself in the bridal chamber, filling it with perfume, sitting there awaiting her true bridegroom. She no longer ran around the marketplace, having sex with everyone she wanted. Instead, she kept waiting for him: “When will he arrive?” And she continued to fear him, because she knew not what he looked like. She no more remembered the time she fell from her Father’s house. By the will of the father, however, [. . .] And she dreamed of him like a woman who loves a man.
Then, however, the bridegroom, agreeing with the Father’s will, went down to her, into the bridal chamber, which had been prepared, and he adorned the bridal chamber.
The Marriage of the Soul
Because that marriage is unlike carnal marriage, those who will have sex with each other will be content with that kind of sex. And, as though it were a weight, they leave behind them the bother of bodily lust, [turning away their faces] from each other. This marriage, however, [is different]. When, however, they have joined [with one another], they become one life.
[133] Because of this the prophet said about the first man and the first woman, “They will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)
For they were at first joined to each other when they dwelt with the Father before the woman led astray the man who is her brother. This marriage has joined them together again, and the soul has been united with her true love, her original master; as it is written, “For the woman’s master is her husband.” (Genesis 3:16; Ephesians 5:23)
One step at a time she then recognized him, and she rejoiced again, weeping in his presence, recalling her earlier shame as a widow. And she beautified herself even more so that he would be delighted to abide with her.
And the prophet said in the Psalms:
Hear, my daughter, and look, and incline your ear,
and forget your people and your father’s house,
and the king will desire your beauty,
for he is your lord.” (Psalm 45:10-11)
For he commands her to turn her gaze away from her people and from the crowd of her adulterers, among whom she once dwelt, to dedicate herself to her king alone, her true Lord, and to forget her earthly father’s house, where the situation was appalling for her, and instead to remember her Father who is in heaven.
Accordingly, it was also said to Abraham: “Go from your country and your kindred and from your father`s house.” (Genesis 12:1)
In this way, after the soul [had beautified] herself once more in her splendor, [she desired] to adore her beloved, and [he, too], loved her. And when she united with him, she obtained [134] from him the seed of the life-giving spirit. By it she bears upright children and raises them, because this is the great, perfect miracle of birth. And so this marriage is completed by the will of the Father.
It is appropriate that the soul regenerates herself and again becomes what she earlier was. The soul then moves by her own will, and from the Father she obtains the divine nature for her renewal, to restore her to the place where she was at first:
This is the resurrection from the dead.
This is redemption from slavery.
This is the rising journey of ascent to heaven.
This is the path of ascent to the father.
The prophet, therefore, said:
Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, praise his holy name.
My soul, praise God,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who ransoms your life from death,
who crowns you with mercy,
who satisfies your longing with good things.
Your youth will be renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:1-5)
After she is young again, she will ascend, praising the Father and her brother who saved her. In this way, by being born again, the soul is saved. And this is not by repeating formulas or by educated expertise or by learning from books. It is instead by the grace of the [Spirit]; it is the gift of the compassionate [God]. This is the way of this heavenly reality.
The Savior therefore calls out: [135] “No one can come to me unless my Father draws him and brings him to me; and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44)
Repentance
And so it is appropriate to pray to the Father and to invoke him with all our soul, sighing, not outwardly with the lips, but with the inward spirit that comes from the depth, repenting the former life we led, confessing our sins, understanding the vacuous lie we lived in, and the hollow zealotry, wailing because of the darkness and the wave that engulfed us, weeping for ourselves so that he would show us compassion, hating ourselves because of what we are now.
The Savior again said:
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be pitied.
Blessed are those who are hungry, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:4,6; Luke 6:21)
He said once more, “If one does not hate his soul he cannot follow me.” (Luke 14:26)
This is because the beginning of salvation is repentance. And so, “Before Christ appeared, John came, preaching the baptism of repentance.” (Acts 13:24)
And repentance occurs in pain and sorrow. The Father, however, is good and loves humanity, and he listens to the soul who calls on him, sending it the light of salvation. By the Spirit he therefore said to the prophet:
Say to the children of my people:
“[If] your sins reach [from earth to] heaven,
and if they are [red] as scarlet,
and blacker than sackcloth,
[and if] [136] you return to me with all your soul,
and say to me ‘my Father!’
I will listen to you as a holy people.” (1 Clement 8:3)
Yet another passage: “Thus says the Lord, the holy one of Israel: ‘If you return and weep, then you will be saved, and you will know where you were when you hoped in what is empty.’” (Isaiah 30:15)
And in another passage, he said:
Jerusalem wept much, saying, “Have pity on me.” He will be gracious to you at the sound of your weeping. And when he saw, he answered you. And the Lord will give you bread of adversity and water of affliction. From now on, those who lie to you will not approach you again. Your eyes will see those who lie to you. (Isaiah 30:19-20)
And so it is appropriate to pray to God both night and day, spreading out our hands to him like those who sail in the middle of the sea. They pray to God with all their heart without duplicity, because those who pray with duplicity only lie to themselves. In fact, so that he might know who deserves salvation, God examines the inward parts and searches the depths of the heart. For no one who is still in love with the place of lies deserves salvation.
The Repentance of Odysseus and Helen
It is accordingly written in the poet:
Odysseus sat on the island suffering and grieving
and turning away his face from the words of Calypso and from her charms,
yearning to see his village again and smoke rising up from it.
And if he had not [received] assistance from Heaven,
[he could not have returned] to his village. (Homer, Odyssey 1.48-1.59)
Again, [Helen also] says:
My heart changed in me;
[137] it is to my home I would return. (Homer, Odyssey 4.260-261)
Because she moaned, saying:
It is Aphrodite who misled me
and took me away from my village.
My own daughter I forsook,
and my husband, good, intelligent, handsome. (Homer, Odyssey 4.261-4.264)
Because when the soul forsakes her perfect husband on account of the disloyalty of Aphrodite, who comes to exist here by the act of begetting, then she will come to injury. If however, she moans and repents, she will be returned to her house.
Conclusion
Israel certainly would not have been visited in the beginning, to be rescued from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, if it had not groaned to God and moaned over the tyranny of its slavery.
Again in the Psalms it is written:
I was greatly wearied by my groaning.
I will flood my bed and my couch every night with my tears.
I have grown old in the midst of all my enemies.
Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for behold, the Lord has heard the cry of my weeping,
and the Lord has accepted my prayer. (Psalm 6:6-9)
If we repent, God will surely listen to us, he who is patient and richly merciful, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen!
The Exegesis on the Soul