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Pistis Sophia · 43 of 160 · tr. George Horner

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This is the work of those who slander with the Lord and those who say contrary to lawful (things) against my soul. But thou, O Lord, do mercy with me because of thy name. Save me because I am poor and I am miserable: my heart was disturbed in my inward part, they took me away from the midst, as a shadow which declined. They drive me away [99 ] as locusts. My knees weakened in the fasting, and my flesh changed because of (the want of) the oil. But I, I became to them for reproach: they saw me, they moved their heads. Help me, O Lord God, and save me according to thy mercy. Let them know that this is thy hand, and thou, thou fashionedst it, O Lord. This therefore is the explanation of the twelfth repentance, this which said the Pistis Sophia being in the Chaos. But added again Jesus in the word, said he to his disciples, It happened also after these (things), cried up at me the Pistis Sophia, saying, O Light of the Lights, I transgressed in the twelve [99 ] Aeons, I came down from them. Because of this I said twelve Repentances according to each one of the Aeons. Now therefore, O Light of the Lights, forgive to me my transgressions, because great greatly it is, because I forsook the Place of the Height, I came, I dwelt in the Place of the Chaos. These therefore, having said them the Pistis Sophia, she added also in the thirteenth Repentance, saying, Hear me while I hymn unto thee, O Light of the Lights. Hear me saying the Repentance of the thirteenth Aeon, the Place out of which I came down, that should be completed the thirteenth Repentance of [100 ] the thirteenth Aeon: these Aeons which I transgressed, I came down out of them. Now therefore, O Light of the Lights, hear me while I hymn unto thee in the thirteenth Aeon, my Place out of which I came. Deliver me, O Light, in thy great mystery, and forgive my transgression in thy forgivingness. And give to me the baptisms and forgive my sins, and cleanse me out of my transgression. And my own transgression is the power of face of lion, this which shall not be hidden from thee in every time, because I came down because of it. And I, I transgressed alone among the Invisibles, 55 in whose Place I become. I came down unto the Chaos, [100 ] I transgressed before thee, that thy precept should be completed. These therefore said the Pistis Sophia. Now therefore, he whose spirit moveth him for to understand her words, let him come forward and utter their meaning. Came forward Martha, said she, O Lord, my spirit moveth me for to utter the explanation of those (words) which said the Pistis Sophia. Thy power prophesied once concerning them by David in the fiftieth psalm, saying thus, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy. According to the multitude of thy compassions blot out my sin. Wash me greatly out of my unlawfulness. And my sin is in my presence [101 ] at every time: that thou shouldst be justified in thy words, and conquer in thy giving judgment unto me. This is the explanation of the words which said the Pistis Sophia. Said he to her, Jesus, Well (done) (and) fairly, Martha the happy.
Themes
Aeonscosmology

Divine archetypal beings or eternal attributes dwelling within the Pleroma, often arranged in male-female syzygies.

The text explicitly references 'twelve Aeons' and 'thirteenth Aeon' as the specific divine levels of transgression.

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Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

The divine is addressed with human attributes such as 'Lord', 'God', and 'O Light'.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

A clear opposition exists between the 'Place of the Height' and the 'Chaos'.

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Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

The text repeatedly invokes 'Light of the Lights' as a central divine attribute.

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Divine Providencetheology

Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.

God is described as having 'fashioned it' and 'fashioned' the hand that delivered the prayer.

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Fasting And Prayerpraxis

Ascetic disciplines that prepare the body and mind for spiritual receptivity or purification.

The passage describes physical suffering from fasting ('knees weakened in the fasting') and includes a direct prayer to God.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

Salvation is conditioned on understanding the meaning of the words rather than external rituals alone.

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The explanation of the Pistis Sophia's words is reserved for those whose spirit moves to understand them.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

God is portrayed as an active, responsive reality who can hear, forgive, and save.

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Meditationpraxis

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

The practice of 'hymn unto thee' constitutes a form of contemplative engagement with the divine.

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Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

The text is structured as a direct petitionary address to God ('Save me', 'Help me', 'Hear me').

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Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

The speaker asks for cleansing from transgression and the power of face of lion to be hidden.

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

Divine names like 'Lord' and 'Light of the Lights' are invoked for power and mercy.

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Separation From Sourcesoteriology

The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.

The speaker describes a profound felt condition of exile from the divine origin ('Place of the Height', 'Chaos').

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Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The text outlines a journey of repentance and return to the Place of the Height from the Chaos.

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Related passages · 7 parallels
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XCV
XCV. Enoch's Grief: fresh Woes against the Sinners . CHAPTER XCV. 1. Oh that mine eyes were [ a cloud of ] waters That I might weep over you, And pour down my tears as a cloud †of† waters: That so I might rest from my trouble of heart! 2. †…”
Both passages express a plea for divine intervention and justice against wrongdoers. They share themes of suffering, repentance, and the hope for redemption, though they come from different mystical traditions.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XCVII
XCVII. The Evils in Store for Sinners and the Possessors of unrighteous Wealth . CHAPTER XCVII. 1. Believe, ye righteous, that the sinners will become a shame And perish in the day of unrighteousness. 2. Be it known unto you (ye sinners) th…”
Both passages deal with the theme of divine judgment and repentance. Passage A describes the fate of sinners and the righteous on the day of judgment, while Passage B details the repentance of Pistis Sophia and the plea for forgiveness. Both emphasize the consequences of unrighteous actions and the need for divine mercy.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XCVIII
XCVIII. Self-indulgence of Sinners: Sin originated by Man: all Sin recorded in Heaven: Woes for the Sinners . CHAPTER XCVIII. 1. And now I swear unto you, to the wise and to the foolish, For ye shall have manifold experiences on the earth.…”
Both passages emphasize the consequences of sin and the recording of transgressions, with a call for divine mercy and judgment. They share themes of repentance, divine justice, and the inevitability of accountability for one's actions.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XCIX
XCIX. Woes pronounced on the Godless, the Lawbreakers: evil Plight of Sinners in the last Days: further Woes . CHAPTER XCIX. 1. Woe to you who work godlessness, And glory in lying and extol them: Ye shall perish, and no happy life shall be…”
Both passages emphasize the consequences of sin and the need for divine mercy. They share themes of divine judgment, the plight of sinners, and the importance of righteousness, though they come from different mystical traditions.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter CIV
CIV. Assurances given to the Righteous: Admonitions to Sinners and the Falsifiers of the Words of Uprightness . CHAPTER CIV. 1. I swear unto you, that in heaven the angels remember you for good before the glory of the Great One: and your na…”
Both passages deal with themes of repentance, divine mercy, and the struggle between righteousness and sin. They share a mystical tone and a focus on the individual's relationship with the divine, seeking forgiveness and redemption.
neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 16
Section 12 12. But if Soul is sinless, how come the expiations? Here surely is a contradiction; on the one side the Soul is above all guilt; on the other, we hear of its sin, its purification, its expiation; it is doomed to the lower world,…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the soul's descent, sin, and purification. They explore the idea of a higher, sinless aspect of the soul and a lower, sinful aspect that undergoes expiation and purification. The passages use similar imagery of descent and the need for purification to reconcile the two aspects.
sufism|The Masnavi, Book I (Rumi)|STORY IXd
I knew of myself what ye thought, But I desired that ye should speak it; As this boasting of yours is very improper, So shall my mercy be shown to prevail over my wrath: O angels, in order to show forth that prevailing, I inspired that pret…”
Both passages explore themes of divine mercy and repentance, with a focus on the vastness of divine compassion and the need for human humility and abstinence. They also share a mystical tone, emphasizing the unity and mystery of the divine.