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Vision 4 Chapter 1
1  [Ὅρασις δ] Ἣν εἶδον, ἀδελφοί, μετὰ ἡμέρας εἴκοσι τῆς πρότερας ὁράσεως τῆς γενομένης, εἰς τύπον τῆς θλίψεως τῆς ἐπερχομένης. "The fourth vision which I saw, brothers, twenty days after the previous vision took place, was a type [or foreshadowing] of the tribulation that is coming.
2 ὑπῆγον εἰς ἀγρὸν τῇ ὁδῷ τῇ καμπανῇ.

ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς δημοσίας ἐστὶν ὡσεὶ στάδια δέκα· ῥᾳδίως δὲ ὁδεύεται ὁ τόπος. 		I was going into the field by the Via Campana [i.e., Companion Way].

The place is about ten stades from the public road, and it is easily traveled.
3 μόνος οὖν περιπατῶν ἀξιῶ τὸν κύριον, ἵνα τὰς ἀποκαλύψεις καὶ τὰ ὁράματα, ἅ μοι ἔδειξεν διὰ τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ, τελειώσῃ, ἵνα με ἰσχυροποιήσῃ καὶ δῷ τὴν μετάνοιαν τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἐσκανδαλισμένοις, ἵνα δοξασθῇ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ τὸ μέγα καὶ ἔνδοξον, ὅτι με ἄξιον ἡγήσατο τοῦ δεῖξαί μοι τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ. Walking alone, therefore, I ask the Lord that He would complete the revelations and the visions which He showed me through His holy Church, so that He might strengthen me and grant repentance to His servants who have stumbled, so that His great and glorious name might be glorified, because He considered me worthy to show me His wonders.
4 καὶ δοξάζοντός μου καὶ εὐχαριστοῦντος αὐτῷ, ὡς ἦχος φωνῆς μοι ἀπεκρίθη· Μὴ διψυχήσεις, Ἑρμᾶ. ἐν ἐμαυτῷ ἠρξάμην διαλογίζεσθαι καὶ λέγειν· Ἐγὼ τί ἔχω διψυχῆσαι, οὕτω τεθεμελιωμένος ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἰδὼν ἔνδοξα πράγματα; And while I was glorifying and giving thanks to Him, an answer came to me as the sound of a voice: 'Do not be double-minded, Hermas.'

I began to reason within myself and to say: 'Why should I be double-minded, having been so established by the Lord and having seen glorious things?'
5 καὶ προσέβην μικρόν, ἀδελφοί, καὶ ἰδού, βλέπω κονιορτὸν ὡς εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ ἠρξάμην λέγειν ἐν ἐμαυτῷ· Μήποτε κτήνη ἔρχονται καὶ κονιορτὸν ἐγείρουσιν;

οὕτω δὲ ἦν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὡς ἀπὸ σταδίου. 		And I went forward a little, brothers, and behold, I see a dust cloud reaching as if to heaven, and I began to say within myself: 'Are cattle coming, perhaps, and raising a dust cloud?' And it was about a stade away from me.
6 γινομένου μείζονος καὶ μείζονος κονιορτοῦ ὑπενόησα εἶναί τι θεῖον· μικρὸν ἐξέλαμψεν ὁ ἥλιος, καί ἰδού βλέπω θηρίον μέγιστον ὡσεὶ κῆτός τι, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀκρίδες πύριναι ἐξεπορεύοντο ἦν δὲ τὸ θηρίον τῷ μήκει ὡσεὶ ποδῶν ρ', τὴν δὲ κεφαλὴν εἶχεν ὡσεὶ κεράμου. As the dust cloud grew larger and larger, I suspected it was something divine; the sun shone out a little, and behold, I see a huge beast, like some sea-monster, and out of its mouth fiery locusts were proceeding.

Now the beast was about a hundred feet in length, and it had a head like a pottery jar.
7 καὶ ἠρξάμην κλαίειν καὶ ἐρωτᾶν τὸν κύριον, ἵνα με λυτρώσηται ἐξ αὐτοῦ.

καὶ ἐπανεμνήσθην τοῦ ῥήματος οὗ ἀκηκόειν· Μὴ διψυχήσεις, Ἑρμᾶ. 		And I began to weep and ask the Lord that He would rescue me from it; and I remembered the word which I had heard: 'Do not be double-minded, Hermas.'
8 ἐνδυσάμενος οὖν, ἀδελφοί, τὴν πίστιν τοῦ κυρίου καὶ μνησθεὶς ὧν ἐδίδαξέν με μεγαλείων, θαρσήσας εἰς τὸ θηρίον ἐμαυτὸν ἔδωκα.

οὕτω δὲ ἤρχετο τὸ θηρίον ῥοίζῳ, ὥστε δύνασθαι αὐτὸ πόλιν λυμᾶναι. 		Having clothed myself, therefore, brothers, in the faith of the Lord and remembering the great things which He had taught me, taking courage I gave myself up to the beast.

Now the beast was coming on with such a rush as to be able to destroy a city.
9 ἔρχομαι ἐγγὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ τηλικοῦτο κῆτος ἐκτείνει ἑαυτὸ χαμαὶ καὶ οὐδὲν εἰ μὴ τὴν γλῶσσαν προέβαλλεν καὶ ὅλως οὐκ ἐκινήθη, μέχρις ὅτε παρῆλθον αὐτό· I come near it, and such a great sea-monster stretches itself out on the ground and put forth nothing except its tongue, and did not move at all until I had passed by it.
10 εἶχεν δὲ τὸ θηρίον ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς χρώματα τέσσαρα· μέλαν, εἶτα πυροειδὲς καὶ αἱματῶδες, εἶτα χρυσοῦν, εἶτα λευκόν. Now the beast had four colors upon its head: black, then fiery and bloody, then golden, then white."
Summary
This section introduces Vision 4, which presents Hermas with an apocalyptic encounter depicting the Great Tribulation (ἡ θλῖψις ἡ ἐπερχομένη). While traveling along the Via Campana near Rome, Hermas prays for the completion of revelations and for the spiritual restoration of fallen believers. He is warned divine-voice-style not to be double-minded, after which a terrifying cosmic beast appears—a hundred feet long, breathing fiery locusts, and moving with destructive force.

Refusing to succumb to fear, Hermas clothes himself in faith, remembers his divine instruction, and walks directly past the monster. Confronted by steadfast faith, the beast collapses harmlessly to the ground, extending only its tongue. The vision concludes by highlighting four distinct colors on the monster's head, which set up the upcoming interpretation in Visio 4.2–4.3.
Key Themes & Narrative Elements
 Foreshadowing of the Great Persecution: The beast is explicitly identified as a τύπος (symbol/foreshadowing) of the ultimate eschatological trial facing the Church.

 Conquering Fear through Faith: Hermas overcomes terror not by human strength, but by casting off διψυχία (double-mindedness) and putting on faith (ἐνδυσάμενος τὴν πίστιν).

 The Powerlessness of the Adversary: When met with courageous, single-minded faith, the monstrous entity capable of leveling cities (δύνασθαι αὐτὸ πόλιν λυμᾶναι) is rendered entirely inert (ὅλως οὐκ ἐκινήθη).
Significant Greek Expressions
 εἰς τύπον τῆς θλίψεως τῆς ἐπερχομένης: "As a type [foreshadowing] of the coming tribulation." Establishes the core thematic focus of Visio 4—preparing believers to endure intense persecution without apostatizing.

 τῇ ὁδῷ τῇ καμπανῇ: "By the Via Campana." A specific geographical landmark in the Roman countryside leading toward the salt works at the mouth of the Tiber, providing a concrete real-world setting for the vision.

 Μὴ διψυχήσεις: "Do not be double-minded." The foundational refrain of The Shepherd, delivered here as a heavenly warning (ἦχος φωνῆς) right before Hermas encounters the threat of death.

 θηρίον μέγιστον ὡσεὶ κῆτός τι: "A huge beast like some sea-monster." Echoes biblical apocalyptic iconography (such as Leviathan/Behemoth in Job and the sea-beast of Revelation 13), symbolizing demonic hostility and imperial persecution.

 ἀκρίδες πύριναι: "Fiery locusts." A visual trope combining imagery from the plague of locusts (Exodus 10; Joel 2; Revelation 9) to represent destructive judgment and demonic trial.
Vision 4 Chapter 2
1 Μετὰ δὲ τὸ παρελθεῖν με τὸ θηρίον καὶ προελθεῖν ὡσεὶ πόδας λ', ἰδοὺ ὑπαντᾷ μοι παρθένος κεκοσμημένη ὡς ἐκ νυμφῶνος ἐκπορευομένη, ὅλη ἐν λευκοῖς καὶ ὑποδήμασιν λευκοῖς, κατακεκαλυμμένη ἕως τοῦ μετώπου, ἐν μίτρᾳ δὲ ἦν ἡ κατακάλυψις αὐτῆς· εἶχεν δὲ τὰς τρίχας αὐτῆς λευκάς. "Now after I passed by the beast and went forward about thirty feet, behold, a virgin meets me, adorned as if coming out of a bridal chamber, all in white and with white sandals, veiled up to her forehead, and her head-covering was on a turban; and she had white hair.
2 ἔγνων ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν προτέρων ὁραμάτων, ὅτι ἡ Ἐκκλησία ἐστίν, καὶ ἱλαρώτερος ἐγενόμην.

ἀσπάζεταί με λέγουσα· Χαῖρε σύ, ἄνθρωπε· καὶ ἐγὼ αὐτὴν ἀντησπασάμην· Κυρία, χαῖρε· 		I knew from the former visions that she is the Church, and I became more cheerful.

She greets me, saying: 'Greetings, man!'

And I greeted her in turn: 'Lady, greetings!'
3 ἀποκριθεῖσά μοι λέγει· Οὐδέν σοί ἀπήντησεν;

λέγω αὐτῇ· Κυρία, τηλικοῦτο θηρίον, δυνάμενον λαοὺς διαφθεῖραι· ἀλλὰ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ κυρίου καὶ τῇ πολυσπλαγχνίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐξέφυγον αὐτό. 		Answering me, she says: 'Did nothing happen to meet you?'

I say to her: 'Lady, a beast of such size, able to destroy populations; but by the power of the Lord and His great compassion, I escaped it.'
4 Καλῶς ἐξέφυγες, φησίν, ὅτι τὴν μέριμνάν σου ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐπέριψας καὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἤνοιξας πρὸς τὸν κύριον, πιστεύσας ὅτι δι' οὐδενὸς δύνῃ σωθῆναι εἰ μὴ διὰ τοῦ μεγάλου καὶ ἐνδόξου ὀνόματος διὰ τοῦτο ὁ κύριος ἀπέστειλεν τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν θηρίων ὄντα, οὗ τὸ ὄνομά ἐστιν Θεγρί, καὶ ἐνέφραξεν τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μή σὲ λυμάνῃ.

μεγάλην θλῖψιν ἐκπέφευγας διὰ τὴν πίστιν σου καὶ ὅτι τηλικοῦτο θηρίον ἰδὼν οὐκ ἐδιψύχησας· 		'You escaped well,' she says, 'because you cast your anxiety upon God and opened your heart to the Lord, believing that you can be saved through nothing except through the great and glorious Name.

For this reason the Lord sent His angel who is over the beasts, whose name is Thegri, and shut its mouth, so that it might not harm you.

You have escaped great tribulation because of your faith, and because when you saw a beast of such size you were not double-minded.
5 ὕπαγε οὖν καὶ ἐξήγησαι τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς τοῦ κυρίου τὰ μεγαλεῖα αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰπὲ αὐτοῖς, ὅτι τὸ θηρίον τοῦτο τύπος ἐστὶν θλίψεως τῆς μελλούσης τῆς μεγάλης·

ἐὰν οὖν προετοιμάσησθε καὶ μετανοήσητε ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας ὑμῶν πρὸς τὸν κύριον, δυνήσεσθε ἐκφυγεῖν αὐτήν, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν γένηται καθαρὰ καὶ ἄμωμος καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς τῆς ζωῆς ἡμέρας ὑμῶν δουλεύσητε τῷ κυρίῳ ἀμέμπτως.

ἐπιρίψατε τὰς μερίμνας ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον, καὶ αὐτὸς κατορθώσει αὐτάς. 		Go, therefore, and explain His great deeds to the elect of the Lord, and tell them that this beast is a type [foreshadowing] of the great coming tribulation.

If, therefore, you prepare yourselves beforehand and repent with your whole heart toward the Lord, you will be able to escape it—if your heart becomes pure and blameless and you serve the Lord blamelessly for the remaining days of your life.

Cast your anxieties upon the Lord, and He Himself will direct them.
6 πιστεύσατε τῷ κυρίῳ, οἱ δίψυχοι, ὅτι πάντα δύναται καὶ ἀποστρέφει τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ ἀφ' ὑμῶν καὶ ἐξαποστέλλει μάστιγας ὑμῖν τοῖς διψύχοις.

οὐαὶ τοῖς ἀκούσασιν τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα καὶ παρακούσασιν· αἱρετώτερον ἦν αὐτοῖς τὸ μὴ γεννηθῆναι. 		Believe in the Lord, you double-minded, because He can do all things, and He turns away His wrath from you and sends forth scourgings upon you double-minded ones.

Woe to those who hear these words and disregard them; it would have been better for them not to have been born.'"
Summary
In this passage, immediately following his encounter with the terrifying apocalyptic beast, Hermas meets a virgin dressed in bridal array—a transformed manifestation of the Church. She clarifies how Hermas was able to pass the monster unscathed: his steadfast refusal to succumb to double-mindedness (διψυχία) and his reliance on God allowed him to be protected by an angel appointed over wild beasts named Thegri (or Segri).

The Church then charges Hermas with a pastoral mission: he must announce to the community that the beast represents the coming Great Tribulation. Believers can survive this impending trial only through preparation, wholehearted repentance (μετανοήσητε ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας), and shedding their double-mindedness before it is too late.
Key Themes & Narrative Elements
 Transformation of the Church: The Church shifts from her earlier form as an old woman to a glorious virgin adorned as a bride (ὡς ἐκ νυμφῶνος ἐκπορευομένη), reflecting the pristine purity and ultimate destiny of the redeemed community.

 Angelic Intervention: The mention of the angel over beasts—Thegri (Θεγρί, likely derived from a corruption of Hebrew/Aramaic terms for "shutting" or "locking," echoing the Danielic tradition of closing the lions' mouths; cf. Daniel 6:22)—provides a rare named angel outside canonical Scripture.

 Apocalyptic Warning: The beast is confirmed to be a τύπος of the final tribulation (θλῖψις ἡ μέλλουσα ἡ μεγάλη). Safety during persecution is not guaranteed by physical escape, but by moral purity (καθαρὰ καὶ ἄμωμος) and total trust in the divine Name.
Significant Greek Expressions
 ὡς ἐκ νυμφῶνος ἐκπορευομένη: "As if coming out of a bridal chamber." A vivid bridal imagery motif mirroring biblical descriptions of the glorified Church (cf. Psalm 19:5; Revelation 21:2).

 τὴν μέριμνάν σου ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐπέριψας: "You cast your anxiety upon God." Another direct invocation of Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7, reinforcing that reliance on God neutralizes the power of demonic threats.

 Θεγρί (Thegri): A unique proper name for an angel charged with restraining dangerous beasts. Scholars often link the name etymologically to the Hebrew root sagar (סָגַר, "to shut/close").

 οἱ δίψυχοι: "You double-minded ones." Addressed directly with a mixture of stern warning and promise: while God turns His wrath away from the single-minded faithful, He sends scourgings (μάστιγας) to discipline those who vacillate in their commitment.

 αἱρετώτερον ἦν αὐτοῖς τὸ μὴ γεννηθῆναι: "It would have been better for them not to have been born." A solemn prophetic woe drawing directly upon gospel phrasing (cf. Matthew 26:24 / Mark 14:21) regarding those who hear divine warnings yet disregard them (παρακούσασιν).
Vision 4 Chapter 3
1 Ἠρώτησα αὐτὴν περὶ τῶν τεσσάρων χρωμάτων ὧν εἶχεν τὸ θηρίον εἰς τὴν κεφαλήν.

ἡ δὲ ἀποκριθεῖσά μοι λέγει· Πάλιν περίεργος εἶ περὶ τοιούτων πραγμάτων.

Ναί, φημί, κυρία· γνώρισόν μοι τί ἐστιν ταῦτα. 		"I asked her concerning the four colors which the beast had upon its head.

Answering me, she says: 'Again you are overly curious about such matters.'

'Yes, Lady,' I say, 'make known to me what these things are.'
2 Ἄκουε, φησίν· τὸ μὲν μέλαν οὗτος ὁ κόσμος ἐστίν, ἐν ᾧ κατοικεῖτε· 'Listen,' she says: 'The black portion is this world in which you dwell;
3 τὸ δὲ πυροειδὲς καὶ αἱματῶδες, ὅτι δεῖ τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον δι' αἵματος καὶ πυρὸς ἀπόλλυσθαι· and the fiery and bloody portion [signifies] that this world must be destroyed through blood and fire;
4 τὸ δὲ χρυσοῦν μέρος ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ ἐκφυγόντες τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον.

ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ χρυσίον δοκιμάζεται διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ εὔχρηστον γίνεται, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς δοκιμάζεσθε οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν αὐτοῖς.

οἱ οὖν μείναντες καὶ πυρωθέντες ὑπ' αὐτῶν καθαρισθήσεσθε.

ὥσπερ τὸ χρυσίον ἀποβάλλει τὴν σκωρίαν αὐτοῦ, οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀποβαλεῖτε πᾶσαν λύπην καὶ στενοχωρίαν, καὶ καθαρισθήσεσθε καὶ χρήσιμοι ἔσεσθε εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου. 		and the golden portion is you who have escaped this world.

For just as gold is tested through fire and becomes useful, so also you who dwell in them [these trials] are tested.

Those, therefore, who endure and are burned by them will be cleansed.

Just as gold casts off its dross, so also you will cast off all grief and distress, and you will be cleansed and become useful for the building of the tower.
5 τὸ δὲ λευκὸν μέρος ὁ αἰὼν ὁ ἐπερχόμενός ἐστιν, ἐν ᾧ κατοικήσουσιν οἱ ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ· ὅτι ἄσπιλοι καὶ καθαροὶ ἔσονται οἱ ἐκλελεγμένοι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. And the white portion is the age to come, in which the elect of God will dwell; because those chosen by God for eternal life will be spotless and pure.
6 σὺ οὖν μὴ διαλίπῃς λαλῶν εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν ἁγίων.

ἔχετε καὶ τὸν τύπον τῆς θλίψεως τῆς ἐρχομένης μεγάλης.

ἐὰν δὲ ὑμεῖς θελήσητε, οὐδὲν ἔσται.

μνημονεύετε τὰ προγεγραμμένα. 		You, therefore, must not cease speaking into the ears of the saints.

You have also the type [foreshadowing] of the great coming tribulation.

If you yourselves are willing, it will be nothing.

Remember the things written before.'
7 ταῦτα εἴπασα ἀπῆλθεν, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον, ποίῳ τόπῳ ἀπῆλθεν· νέφος γὰρ ἐγένετο· κἀγὼ ἐπεστράφην εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω φοβηθείς, δοκῶν ὅτι τὸ θηρίον ἔρχεται. Having said these things, she departed, and I did not see to what place she departed; for a cloud appeared. And I turned back in fear, thinking that the beast was coming."
Summary
This section brings Vision 4 to a close as the Church decodes the symbolic meaning of the four colors on the beast’s head (μέλαν, πυροειδὲς καὶ αἱματῶδες, χρυσοῦν, λευκόν).

The allegory outlines a grand eschatological framework: the present dark age (ὁ κόσμος) will undergo violent destruction (αἷμα καὶ πῦρ). Believers who stand firm during tribulation are purified like gold (χρυσίον), losing their spiritual dross so they can be built into the Great Tower. Ultimately, they pass into the unblemished white age to come (ὁ αἰὼν ὁ ἐπερχόμενος). The vision concludes with the Church vanishing into a cloud, leaving Hermas with a final exhortation to warn the community and remember the previous instructions.
Key Themes & Symbolism
 The Four Colors decoded:

 Black (μέλαν): Represents the present evil world order.

 Fiery/Bloody (πυροειδὲς καὶ αἱματῶδες): Represents the cataclysmic destruction awaiting the world through persecution and divine judgment.

 Golden (χρυσοῦν): Represents the faithful believers who endure the furnace of trial and emerge purified for the Tower.

 White (λευκόν): Represents the pristine, eternal age to come (ὁ αἰὼν ὁ ἐπερχόμενος).

 Metallurgical Metaphor of Purification: Trials are portrayed not as arbitrary destruction, but as a refining fire (δοκιμάζεται διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς) that strips away human grief, distress, and sin (σκωρία / dross).

 Overcoming the Tribulation: The Church offers a striking promise: ἐὰν δὲ ὑμεῖς θελήσητε, οὐδὲν ἔσται ("If you yourselves are willing, it will be nothing"). Faith and total resolve neutralize the power of the impending persecution.
Significant Greek Expressions
 τὸ χρυσίον δοκιμάζεται διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς: "Gold is tested through fire." A standard biblical metaphor for faith refined through suffering (cf. 1 Peter 1:7; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2–3).

 σκωρία: "Dross / slag." The waste material separated from metal during smelting; allegorically represents spiritual impurities, anxieties (λύπη), and worldly pressures (στενοχωρία).

 ὁ αἰὼν ὁ ἐπερχόμενος: "The age to come." The classical early Christian contrast between the present temporal age (ὁ αἰὼν οὗτος) and the eternal kingdom.

 ἄσπιλοι καὶ καθαροί: "Spotless and pure." Describes the requisite moral state of the elect (οἱ ἐκλελεγμένοι) who will inherit eternal life.

Hermas: The Shepherd
Book One
Visions