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Vision 2 Chapter 1
1 Πορευομένου μου εἰς Κώμας κατὰ τὸν καιρόν, ὃν καὶ πέρυσι, περιπατῶν ἀνεμνήσθην τῆς περυσινῆς ὁράσεως, καὶ πάλιν με αἴρει πνεῦμα καὶ ἀποφέρει εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον, ὅπου καὶ πέρυσι. "While I was traveling to Cumae at the very same time of year as last year, as I walked, I recalled the vision from last year. And again a spirit seized me and carried me away to the same place where I had been last year.
2 ἐλθὼν οὖν εἰς τὸν τόπον τιθῶ τὰ γόνατα καὶ ἠρξάμην προσεύχεσθαι τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ δοξάζειν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα, ὅτι με ἄξιον ἡγήσατο καὶ ἐγνώρισέν μοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου τὰς πρότερον. Therefore, having arrived at the place, I placed my knees on the ground and began to pray to the Lord and to glorify His name, because He considered me worthy and made known to me my past sins.
3 μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἐγερθῆναί με ἀπὸ τῆς προσευχῆς βλέπω ἀπέναντί μου τὴν πρεσβυτέραν, ἣν καὶ πέρυσιν ἑωράκειν, περιπατοῦσαν καὶ ἀναγινώσκουσαν βιβλαρίδιον, καὶ λέγει μοι· Δύνῃ ταῦτα τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναγγεῖλαι;

λέγω αὐτῇ· Κυρία, τοσαῦτα μνημονεῦσαι οὐ δύναμαι· δὸς δέ μοι τὸ βιβλίδιον, ἵνα μεταγράψωμαι αὐτό.

Λάβε, φησίν, καὶ ἀποδώσεις μοι. 		And after I stood up from prayer, I saw opposite me the elderly woman whom I had also seen last year, walking about and reading a little book. And she says to me: 'Are you able to announce these things to the elect of God?'

I say to her: 'Lady, I cannot remember so much; but give me the little book, so that I may copy it.'

'Take it,' she says, 'and you will give it back to me.'
4 ἔλαβον ἐγώ, καὶ εἴς τινα τόπον τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἀναχωρήσας μετεγραψάμην πάντα πρὸς γράμμα· οὐχ ηὕρισκον γὰρ τὰς συλλαβάς.

τελέσαντος οὖν τὰ γράμματα τοῦ βιβλιδίου ἐξαίφνης ἡρπάγη μου ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς τὸ βιβλίδιον· ὑπὸ τίνος δὲ οὐκ εἶδον. 		I took it, and having retired to a certain place in the country, I transcribed everything letter by letter; for I could not decipher the syllables.

Then, when I had finished the letters of the little book, suddenly the little book was snatched from my hand; but by whom, I did not see."
Summary
This passage marks the opening of Hermas’s Second Vision (Visio 2), taking place exactly one year after the first vision on the road to Cumae. Hermas returns to the same sacred spot, prays, and experiences a new revelation. The Church again appears as an elderly woman (πρεσβυτέρα), this time carrying a scroll/little book (βιβλαρίδιον / βιβλίδιον). Lacking the ability to memorize its contents, Hermas asks to transcribe it directly. He copies it laboriously letter by letter without understanding the full words—highlighting that divine revelation must first be received faithfully before it can be interpreted—after which the manuscript is supernaturally snatched away.
Key Themes & Narrative Elements
 Liturgical/Annual Recurrence: The phrase κατὰ τὸν καιρόν, ὃν καὶ πέρυσι highlights an annual cycle of visionary experience, placing Hermas's revelations into a deliberate, structured framework of spiritual development.

 Transcription and Revelation: Hermas acts as a scribe/copyist for heavenly texts. His inability to group the letters into syllables reflects the script used at the time (scriptio continua—text written without spaces between words), but also carries symbolic weight: human understanding of divine prophecy is mechanical until God grants true insight.
Significant Greek Expressions
 αἵρει πνεῦμα καὶ ἀποφέρει: "A spirit seizes and carries [me] away." Language reminiscent of prophetic transport in Ezekiel and Revelation, emphasizing divine initiation over human effort.

 τὴν πρεσβυτέραν: "The elderly woman." While πρεσβῦτις was used in Visio 1, πρεσβυτέρα appears here—a term that also carries ecclesiastical connotations ("elder" or "presbyter"), fitting the allegorical personification of the Church.

 βιβλαρίδιον / βιβλίδιον: "A little book / small scroll." A diminutive form matching apocalyptic motifs (cf. Revelation 10:2, where John is given a biblaridion to consume or transcribe).

 πρὸς γράμμα· οὐχ ηὕρισκον γὰρ τὰς συλλαβάς: "Letter by letter, for I could not find [decipher] the syllables." Refers to copying text character by character without being able to process the syntax or words yet—a vivid detail showing how Hermas faithfully preserved the heavenly message before its meaning was unsealed.
Vision 2 Chapter 2
1 Μετὰ δὲ δέκα καὶ πέντε ἡμέρας νηστεύσαντός μου καὶ πολλὰ ἐρωτήσαντος τὸν κύριον ἀπεκαλύφθη μοι ἡ γνῶσις τῆς γραφῆς.

ἦν δὲ γεγραμμένα ταῦτα· 		"Now after fifteen days, when I had fasted and asked the Lord repeatedly, the meaning of the writing was revealed to me. And these things were written:
2 τὸ σπέρμα σου, Ἑρμᾶ, ἠθέτησαν εἰς τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἐβλασφήμησαν εἰς τὸν κύριον καὶ προέδωκαν τοὺς γονεῖς αὐτῶν ἐν πονηρίᾳ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἤκουσαν προδόται γονέων καὶ προδόντες οὐκ ὠφελήθησαν, ἀλλὰ ἔτι προσέθηκαν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν τὰς ἀσελγείας καὶ συμφυρμοὺς πονηρίας, καὶ οὕτως ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι αὐτῶν. 'Your offspring, Hermas, set God aside and blasphemed against the Lord, and they betrayed their parents in great wickedness; they were called betrayers of parents, and having betrayed them, they gained nothing, but added to their sins licentiousness and combinations of wickedness, and thus the measure of their lawlessness was filled up.
3 ἀλλὰ γνώρισον ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα τοῖς τέκνοις σου πᾶσιν καὶ τῇ συμβίῳ σου τῇ μελλούσῃ ἀδελφῇ· καὶ γὰρ αὕτη οὐκ ἀπέχεται τῆς γλώσσης, ἐν ᾗ πονηρεύεται·

ἀλλὰ ἀκούσασα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἀφέξεται καὶ ἕξει ἔλεος. 		So then, make these words known to all your children and to your wife, who is about to be your sister; for she too does not control her tongue, with which she acts wickedly.

But when she hears these words, she will control it and will obtain mercy.
4 μετὰ τὸ γνωρίσαι σὲ ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῖς, ἃ ἐνετείλατό μοι ὁ δεσπότης ἵνα σοί ἀποκαλυφθῇ, τότε ἀφίενται αὐτοῖς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι πᾶσαι, ἃς πρότερον ἥμαρτον, καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς ἁμαρτήσασιν μέχρι ταύτης τῆς ἡμέρας, ἐὰν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας μετανοήσωσιν καὶ ἄρωσιν ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν τὰς διψυχίας. After you make known to them these words, which the Master commanded me to reveal to you, then all the sins that they previously committed are forgiven them, and to all the saints who have sinned up to this day, if they repent with their whole heart and remove double-mindedness from their heart.
5 ὤμοσεν γὰρ ὁ δεσπότης κατὰ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτοῦ· ἐὰν ὡρισμένης τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ἔτι ἁμάρτησις γένηται, μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς σωτηρίαν· ἡ γὰρ μετάνοια τοῖς δικαίοις ἔχει τέλος· πεπλήρωνται αἱ ἡμέραι μετανοίας πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις· καὶ τοῖς δὲ ἔθνεσιν μετάνοιά ἐστιν ἕως ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας. For the Master swore by His glory concerning His elect: if, now that this day has been fixed, sin is committed any longer, they will have no salvation; for repentance for the righteous has an end. The days of repentance have been completed for all the saints, yet for the Gentiles repentance is available until the last day.
6 ἐρεῖς οὖν τοῖς προηγουμένοις τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἵνα κατορθώσωνται τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἵνα ἀπολάβωσιν ἐκ πλήρους τὰς ἐπαγγελίας μετὰ πολλῆς δόξης. You will say, therefore, to the leaders of the church, that they may set straight their ways in righteousness, so that they may receive the promises in full with much glory.
7 ἐμμείνατε οὖν οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν δικαιοσύνην καὶ μὴ διψυχήσητε, ἵνα γένηται ὑμῶν ἡ πάροδος μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἁγίων.

μακάριοι ὑμεῖς, ὅσοι ὑπομένετε τὴν θλῖψιν τὴν ἐρχομένην τὴν μεγάλην καὶ ὅσοι οὐκ ἀρνήσονται τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν. 		Persevere, therefore, you who practice righteousness, and do not be double-minded, so that your passage may be with the holy angels.

Blessed are you, as many as endure the great tribulation that is coming, and as many as will not deny their life.
8 ὤμοσεν γὰρ κύριος κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, τοὺς ἀρνησαμένους τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτῶν ἀπεγνωρίσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν, τοὺς νῦν μέλλοντας ἀρνεῖσθαι ταῖς ἐρχομέναις ἡμέραις· τοῖς δὲ πρότερον ἀρνησαμένοις, διὰ τὴν πολυσπλαγχνίαν ἵλεως ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς. For the Lord swore by His Son that those who denied their Christ have been disowned from their life—namely, those who are now about to deny Him in the coming days; but to those who denied Him previously, because of His abundant mercy He became gracious to them.'"
Summary
This pivotal section of the Vision contains the decoded message of the heavenly little book (βιβλίδιον), granted to Hermas after fifteen days of fasting and prayer.

The text provides specific moral directives for Hermas’s immediate family while delivering a major theological revelation to the broader Christian community: a limited window of post-baptismal repentance is declared for believers.
Key Themes & Narrative Elements
 Familial Reproof & Transformation: Hermas's children are denounced as parent-betrayers (προδόται γονέων), and his wife—who is instructed to become his "sister" (τῇ μελλούσῃ ἀδελφῇ, reflecting an ascetic shift toward celibacy or spiritual siblinghood)—is rebuked for an unbridled tongue.

 The Deadline for Repentance: The passage lays out one of Hermas's most famous contributions to early Christian penitential discipline: a strict, fixed cutoff date (ὡρισμένης τῆς ἡμέρας) for post-baptismal forgiveness. While Gentiles can repent until the end of time, the window for existing believers ("the saints") is closing.

 Persecution and Apostasy: The text explicitly addresses the threat of denial (ἀρνέομαι) under upcoming persecution (τὴν θλῖψιν τὴν ἐρχομένην τὴν μεγάλην), offering past apostates a chance for restoration through God's mercy while warning future apostates of total exclusion.
Significant Greek Expressions
 ἡ γνῶσις τῆς γραφῆς: "The knowledge/meaning of the writing." Divine inspiration unveils the true spiritual meaning behind the raw text Hermas laboriously transcribed letter-by-letter.

 τῇ συμβίῳ σου τῇ μελλούσῃ ἀδελφῇ: "Your wife who is about to be your sister." Reflects an early Christian practice of married couples abstaining from sexual relations to live as spiritual brother and sister (ἀδελφή) in commitment to holiness.

 διψυχία / μὴ διψυχήσητε: "Double-mindedness / do not be double-minded." Διψυχία (a term prominent in the Epistle of James and Early Christian literature) is the quintessential sin in The Shepherd—denoting division of heart, wavering faith, or moral hesitation.

 μετάνοια τοῖς δικαίοις ἔχει τέλος: "Repentance for the righteous has an end." Highlights the urgent eschatological gravity of the message: grace is not an infinite license to sin, but a limited opportunity requiring immediate heart reform.

 τοῖς προηγουμένοις τῆς ἐκκλησίας: "The leaders [those taking the lead] of the church." Indicates an established ecclesiastical structure (presbyters/bishops) tasked with leading the congregation in moral rectitude (κατορθώσωνται τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν).
Vision 2 Chapter 3
1 Σὺ δέ, Ἑρμᾶ, μηκέτι μνησικακήσῃς τοῖς τέκνοις σου μηδὲ τὴν ἀδελφήν σου ἐάσῃς, ἵνα καθαρισθῶσιν ἀπὸ τῶν προτέρων ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν.

παιδευθήσονται γὰρ παιδείᾳ δικαίᾳ, ἐὰν σὺ μὴ μνησικακήσῃς αὐτοῖς.

μνησικακία θάνατον κατεργάζεται.

σὺ δέ, Ἑρμᾶ, μεγάλας θλίψεις ἔσχες ἰδιωτικὰς διὰ τὰς παραβάσεις τοῦ οἴκου σου, ὅτι οὐκ ἐμέλησέν σοί περὶ αὐτῶν· ἀλλὰ παρενεθυμήθης καὶ ταῖς πραγματείαις σου συνανεφύρης ταῖς πονηραῖς· 		"But you, Hermas, must no longer bear a grudge against your children, nor allow your sister [to go uninstructed], so that they may be cleansed from their former sins.

For they will be disciplined with righteous discipline, if you do not bear a grudge against them.

Bearing a grudge works death.

Now you, Hermas, have had great personal tribulations because of the transgressions of your household, because you did not care about them; rather, you were negligent and became entangled with their wicked business affairs.
2 ἀλλὰ σώζει σὲ τὸ μὴ ἀποστῆναί σὲ ἀπὸ θεοῦ ζῶντος καὶ ἡ ἁπλότης σου καὶ ἡ πολλὴ ἐγκράτεια· ταῦτα σέσωκέν σε, ἐὰν ἐμμείνῃς, καὶ πάντας σώζει τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐργαζομένους καὶ πορευομένους ἐν ἀκακίᾳ καὶ ἁπλότητι.

οὗτοι κατισχύσουσιν πάσης πονηρίας καὶ παραμενοῦσιν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. 		Yet your not departing from the living God saves you, along with your simplicity and your great self-control; these things have saved you, if you abide in them, and they save all who practice such things and walk in guilelessness and simplicity.

These will prevail over all wickedness and will endure unto eternal life.
3 μακάριοι πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν δικαιοσύνην.

οὐ διαφθαρήσονται ἕως αἰῶνος. 		Blessed are all who practice righteousness; they will not perish forever.
4 ἐρεῖς δὲ Μαξίμῳ· Ἰδοὺ θλῖψις ἔρχεται· ἐάν σοι φανῇ, πάλιν ἄρνησαι.

ἐγγὺς κύριος τοῖς ἐπιστρεφομένοις, ὡς γέγραπται ἐν τῷ Ἐλδὰδ καὶ Μωδάτ, τοῖς προφητεύσασιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῷ λαῷ. 		And you will say to Maximus: 'Behold, tribulation is coming; if it seems good to you, deny [your faith] again.'

'The Lord is near to those who turn to Him,' as it is written in Eldad and Modat, who prophesied to the people in the wilderness."
Summary
This section wraps up the directives given to Hermas within his second vision. The heavenly voice instructs Hermas on how to restore his household while addressing his own personal shortcomings and offering encouragement for the broader community facing trial.
Key Themes & Narrative Elements
 Family Restoration & Overcoming Resentment: Hermas must let go of past grievances against his children (μηκέτι μνησικακήσῃς) so that family discipline can operate effectively. Resentment is condemned as spiritually lethal.

 Hermas's Negligence: Hermas's past suffering (μεγάλας θλίψεις) arose because he compromised his role as household head, becoming distracted and entangled in worldly/wicked business dealings (πραγματείαις).

 Virtues of Salvation: Hermas is spared due to three core virtues: steadfast loyalty to God, moral simplicity/singleness of heart (ἁπλότης), and self-control (ἐγκράτεια).

 Warning to Maximus & Apocryphal Citation: Hermas is told to deliver a sarcastic or grave warning to a certain Maximus—likely a believer who had previously recanted during persecution. The passage closes by reassuring believers of God's closeness during impending tribulation, citing the lost Jewish apocryphal book Eldad and Modat (cf. Numbers 11:26–29).
Significant Greek Expressions
 μνησικακία / μνησικακέω: "Bearing a grudge / harboring resentment" (literally "remembering bad things"). In early Christian ethics (especially in Hermas), holding onto past wrongs breaks communal harmony and blocks forgiveness (μνησικακία θάνατον κατεργάζεται).

 παρενεθυμήθης: "You were negligent / paid no heed." Highlights Hermas's passive failure of responsibility toward his family's spiritual conduct.

 ἁπλότης καὶ ἐγκράτεια καὶ ἀκακία: "Simplicity, self-control, and guilelessness." The defining triad of virtues throughout The Shepherd. Ἁπλότης (purity of motive/generosity) and ἀκακία (innocence) contrast sharply with διψυχία (double-mindedness).

 Ἐλδὰδ καὶ Μωδάτ: "Eldad and Modat." An explicit citation of an extra-canonical Jewish pseudepigraphon based on the two elders in Numbers 11 who prophesied in the camp. This is one of the few places where Hermas explicitly names an outside text.
Vision 2 Chapter 4
1 Ἀπεκαλύφθη δέ μοι, ἀδελφοί, κοιμωμένῳ ὑπὸ νεανίσκου εὐειδεστάτου λέγοντός μοι· τὴν πρεσβυτέραν, παρ' ἧς ἔλαβες τὸ βιβλίδιον, τίνα δοκεῖς εἶναι;

ἐγώ φημι· Τὴν Σίβυλλαν.

Πλανᾶσαι, φησίν, οὐκ ἔστιν.

Τίς οὖν ἐστιν;

φημί.

Ἡ Ἐκκλησία, φησίν.

εἶπον αὐτῷ· Διατί οὖν πρεσβυτέρα;

Ὅτι, φησίν, πάντων πρώτη ἐκτίσθη· διὰ τοῦτο πρεσβυτέρα· καὶ διὰ ταύτην ὁ κόσμος κατηρτίσθη. 		"Now it was revealed to me, brothers, while I was sleeping, by a very handsome young man who said to me: 'The elderly woman from whom you received the little book—who do you think she is?'

I say: 'The Sibyl.'

'You are mistaken,' he says, 'she is not.'

'Who is she then?' I say.

'The Church,' he says.

I said to him: 'Why then is she elderly?'

'Because,' he says, 'she was created first of all things; for this reason she is elderly, and for her sake the world was formed.'
2 μετέπειτα δὲ ὅρασιν εἶδον ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου.

ἦλθεν ἡ πρεσβυτέρα καὶ ἠρώτησέν με, εἰ ἤδη τὸ βιβλίον δέδωκα τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις.

ἠρνησάμην δεδωκέναι.

Καλῶς, φησίν, πεποίηκας· ἔχω γὰρ ῥήματα προσθεῖναι.

ὅταν οὖν ἀποτελέσω τὰ ῥήματα πάντα, διὰ σοῦ γνωρισθήσεται τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς πᾶσιν. 		Afterward I saw a vision in my house. The elderly woman came and asked me if I had already given the book to the elders. I denied having given it.

'You have done well,' she says, 'for I have words to add. Therefore, when I finish all the words, it will be made known through you to all the elect.
3 γράψεις οὖν δύο βιβλαρίδια καὶ πέμψεις ἓν Κλήμεντι καὶ ἓν Γραπτῇ.

πέμψει οὖν Κλήμης εἰς τὰς ἔξω πόλεις, ἐκείνῳ γὰρ ἐπιτέτραπται· Γραπτὴ δὲ νουθετήσει τὰς χήρας καὶ τοὺς ὀρφανούς.

σὺ δὲ ἀναγνώσῃ εἰς ταύτην τὴν πόλιν μετὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῶν προϊσταμένων τῆς ἐκκλησίας. 		You will write two little books, then, and you will send one to Clement and one to Grapte. Clement will send it to the cities abroad, for that is his duty; and Grapte will admonish the widows and the orphans. But you will read [it] to this city together with the elders who preside over the church.'"
Summary
This section brings Vision 2 to a climax by delivering two key elements: an explicit identification of the vision's central allegorical figure and practical distribution instructions for the revelation.

Hermas is informed by an angelic young man (νεανίσκος) that the elderly woman is not a pagan prophetess (the Sibyl), but the Church—which is portrayed as primordial, existing before creation. Following this explanation, the Church reappears in Hermas's house with administrative commands regarding the manuscript: Hermas is to copy it twice and send it to Clement (for foreign distribution) and Grapte (for local pastoral care), while reading it aloud himself alongside the local presbyters in Rome.
Key Themes & Historical Details
Pre-existence of the Church: Early Christian ecclesiology often viewed the Church as existing in the divine plan before the creation of the cosmos (πάντων πρώτη ἐκτίσθη).

Administrative Roles in the Early Church: The text offers a valuable window into 2nd-century Roman church leadership and responsibilities:

 Clement acts as a foreign corresponding secretary (traditionally identified with Clement of Rome).

 Grapte oversees vulnerable women and orphans (a deaconess-like or specialized administrative role).

 The Elders (πρεσβύτεροι) serve as local congregational leaders (προϊστάμενοι).
Significant Greek Expressions
 Τὴν Σίβυλλαν / Ἡ Ἐκκλησία: "The Sibyl / The Church." The Sibyl was a revered pagan prophetess associated with ancient Greco-Roman oracles (notably at Cumae, where Hermas's vision occurs). The revelation explicitly redirects Hermas's assumption: the authority behind the vision is ecclesial, not pagan-oracular.

 διὰ ταύτην ὁ κόσμος κατηρτίσθη: "For her sake the world was formed." Expresses a teleological theology of creation—that the material universe was created to serve as the setting for God's redeemed community (the Church).

 τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις / τῶν προϊσταμένων τῆς ἐκκλησίας: "The elders / those who preside over the church." Demonstrates plural leadership (presbyteros/proistamenos) governing the local assembly in Rome during this period.

Hermas: The Shepherd
Book One
Visions