THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Upon thorough examination, it becomes evident that through incremental sinning and the compounding of transgressions, we accumulate a significant total of sins. The term 'esebon,' which is translated as λογισμός, can be interpreted through its Hebrew origins as referring to 'number,' 'sum,' 'mind,' and 'thought.' However, the speaker reflects upon the search for a virtuous woman. He observes that among men, finding a genuinely good individual is rare, as only one may emerge from a thousand, while he could not identify a single righteous woman. Instead of guiding toward virtue, women often lead towards depravity. With this understanding, it is acknowledged that "the heart of man is partial to the wicked from his youth" (Genesis 8:21), and that the majority have provoked God's anger.
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Consequently, in the moral decline of humanity, women seem more susceptible to falter. As the poet stated, "Here and there is ever-changing Woman" (Virg. IV. Aeneid. V. 35), while the Apostle notes that they are "always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 3:7).
To clarify, it is not that he disparages the inherent nature of humanity or blames God for evil; rather, he articulates that humanity was created by God in goodness, yet due to the gift of free will, they fall into sin through their own choices, striving beyond their capacity. In reflecting on my own thoughts, I could find none that were not influenced by misguided ideas from without. Among a thousand men, only one stood as a true reflection of the Creator's image, while none among women met this standard. It should be noted that this perspective is metaphorical—through extensive contemplation, it is rare to locate a single thought that merits the designation of virtuous. Here, 'men' may represent thoughts, and 'women' may symbolize deeds, signifying the difficulty in finding pure thoughts, as actions, being physical, are invariably tied to imperfections.
In lieu of translating the Hebrew terms as 'number,' 'sum,' or 'foundation,' Simmachus provides a clearer interpretation with ‘one to one to find the number.’ This highlights that while we typically express these ideas in a general form, the Jewish interpretation embraces a feminine construction, as reflected in the Psalm: “I will ask one” of the Lord, which corresponds to “I will seek” (Ps. 26:4), instead of our terms for "one" and "that."