Exegesis of Proverbs and the Soul

to overwhelm

He speaks of things that are, and perceiving the precision of matters, such as the flint of God's judgments, he says these are clouds, or he calls the prophets clouds, chilling the teaching. Let it not be outside of the water of life which is profitable.

He speaks of 'will' as the movement concerning practical things; 'understanding' as that concerning theoretical things; 'neck' he says of the same soul, which bore the yoke of the Lord (Matt 11:29-30). Just as the neck encircles the breast-bands, so the soul carries the things of God in the kingdom, just as it does his commandments here. For the ungodly, even the prosperous things are cursed; but for the righteous, even the most humble things are blessed. He calls the powers of the rational soul a 'house'; and 'dwellings' the powers of the spirited and the appetitive; for within them the irrational suffer passions.

honor of wisdom is the keeping of the commandments; but wisdom is Christ, whose bride is the soul honoring him through virtues, which shall be received by him. As a certain infant always sets forth struggles with attentions, and wakes him up when he is wandering off. And the springs of life are the virtues, from which the living water is (John 4:14), namely the knowledge of Christ. To the one progressing according to wisdom, many springs become, and not only one; but according to the abundance of virtues. To those who guard these exhortations, he says, they become life; these are the contest.

correctly in the course according to life, he says. The impulses of this soul are its feet; for virtue is a mean. Not attend to a deceptive teaching, enticed through flattering speech, that is, heresy, and idolatry, and vain words. Il the hearing, their beauty. For such is the deception: the tructive is accustomed to hide, but the pleasant is set forth so as to be seen; otherwise they would have fled immediately. But God is not so; rather he hides the pleasant and sets forth the bitter. And he did not say, 'Flow away,' but, 'Recede,' so as not to encounter the bitterness, though later it is more bitter than bile; not so much the pleasant as the bitter, but much more.

says here the way for the mind leading to virtue (Prov 3:6); or perhaps virtue stands before us to separate us from evil. St. 11. That is, in old age; which, through the wearing out of the flesh, signifies incontinence.

Greek

Ἰουδαίων λαόν. Τὸ ἱκανὸν ἡ Γραφὴ δηλοῖ διὰ τοῦ καταπιεῖν, ὡς ἐν τῷ· “Ἵνα μὴ τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ καταποθῇ τοιοῦτος.” Φασὶν οὖν, ὅτι Τὸν οὐράνιον ἔχοντα φρόνημα καθελόντες καὶ νικήσαντες, εἰς ἑαυτοὺς μεταστήσωμεν, ὥστε τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονεῖν. Ζῶν δὲ καταπίεται ὁ δόξαν ἔχων ὀρθὴν περὶ τῶν πρακτέων, καὶ ταύτην ἀποβαλών. Στ. ιαʹ. Βουλὴν δὲ λέγει τὴν προαίρεσιν, καθ' ἣν αἱρούμεθα τὰ πρακτέα ποιεῖν, ἢ καὶ μή· ἔννοιαν δὲ τὴν περὶ τὰ θεωρητὰ, ὥστε καταλιμπάνειν αὐτὰ, καὶ Θεῷ προσοικειοῦσθαι, τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ὅση δύναμις φυλάττεσθαι. Στ. γʹ. Ἐν ἕξει τὰς ἀρετὰς ἔχων, μὴ ἐπιπολαίως καταῤῥᾳθυμῶν αὐτῶν, οὗτος ἔχει αὐτὰς γεγραμμένας ἐπὶ πλακὸς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ καρδίας, ἐπὶ τοῦ βάθους δηλαδὴ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς, ἤτοι τῆς διηνεκοῦς ἐπιθυμήσεως, ἵνα ὁ ἐξ ἐναντίας μὴ παρατρέπῃ σε. Στ. ηʹ. Σῶμα τὸ ἄθροισμα τῶν δυνάμεων τῆς ψυχῆς λέγω· ὀστᾶ, αἱ στερεαὶ δυνάμεις αὐτῆς· πάντα γὰρ τὰ ὀστᾶ ἡμῶν ἐροῦσι· Κύριε, Κύριε. Στ. ιςʹ. ∆εξιὰ αὐτῆς, ἡ τῶν θείων ἐπιστήμη, ἐξ ὧν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή· ἀριστερὰ δὲ, ἡ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων γνῶσις. Στ. ιηʹ. Ἐνταῦθα πάλιν ξύλον ζωῆς τὸν σταυρὸν ὀνομάζει. Τοῖς γὰρ εἱλικρινῶς ἐξηρτημένοις ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ ἡ διάφορος ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου ἀποστάζει ζωή· τοῖς δὲ ἐπερειδομένοις ταῖς κρηπῖσιν αὐτοῦ βεβαίωσις ὀχυρὰ πέπηγεν ἀκλινῶς, οἷα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ Κύριον ἀσφαλῶς ἱδρυμένοις. –Εἰ δὲ ξύλον ζωῆς, ἡ σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ· δικαίως κεκώλυται μεταλαβεῖν αὐτῆς ὁ Ἀδάμ. Εἰς γὰρ κακότεχνον ψυχὴν σοφία οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται· ἐπείπερ ἀπὸ καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς. Μὴ εὑρηκὼς δὲ τίνι ὁμοιώσει τὸν ἐλπίζοντα ἐπὶ Κύριον, εἰς ἑαυτὸν μεταστρέφει τὸν λόγον, λέγων ὡς ἐπὶ Κύριον· Ὁ γὰρ ἐπερειδόμενος ἐπ' αὐτῇ, ἅτε δὴ εἰς Θεὸν ἐλπίζων, ἐστὶν ἀσφαλής. Στ. κʹ. Ἁρμόττει τοῦτο καὶ νῦν τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει ὄντι Θεοῦ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ πιστὴ γῆ ἐστιν, ἑκατονταπλασίονα καρποφοροῦσα· αὔτη δὲ ἐκ τῆς πιότητος τῆς σοφίας γίνεται σοφὴ, θεμελιοῦντος αὐτὴν ἐπ' αὐτῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. Ἑδράζει γὰρ αὐτῇ τὴν εἰσαγωγὴν τῆς διδασκαλίας, πῆξιν ἀπὸ σοφίας ποιούμενος ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ ἀεὶ προκόπτουσαν αὐτὴν ἀποδεικνύς· οὐρανὸν δὲ ἐργάζεται καθαρώτατον κτίσμα, ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν νοερῶν οὐσιῶν οἰκητήριον. Λαβοῦσα δὲ αἴσθησιν τοῦ ὄντος, καὶ κατανοοῦσα τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκρίβειαν, οἷον τὸ πο 39.1628 λύβυθον τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ κριμάτων, νέφη ταῦτα προσεῖπεν ἢ νέφη τοῦς προφήτας ἐκάλεσε, δρόσον τὴν διδασκαλίαν. Μὴ ἐκτὸς γένῃ τοῦ ποτίμου τῆς ζωῆς ὕδατος. Βουλὴν δὲ λέγει τὴν περὶ πρακτέα κίνησιν· ἔννοιαν, τὴν περὶ τὰ θεωρητικά· τράχηλον τὴν αὐτὴν ψυχὴν εἶπε, τὴν βαστάσασαν τὸν ζυγὸν τοῦ Κυρίου. Ὥσπερ δὲ ὁ τράχηλος τοὺς στηθοδέσμους περίκειται, οὕτως ἡ ψυχὴ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ γέρα κομιεῖται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ, ὡς καὶ ἐν τῇδε τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ. Τῶν ἀσεβῶν καὶ τὰ ἐπίδοξα κεκατήραται· τῶν δὲ δικαίων καὶ τὰ εὐτελέστερα ηὐλόγηται. Οἶκον δὲ λέγει τῆς λογικῆς ψυχῆς τὰς δυνάμεις· ἐπαύλεις δὲ, τὰς τοῦ θυμικοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἐπιθυμητικοῦ· ἐν αὐταῖς γὰρ τὰ ἄλογα διατρίβουσι πάθη. Στ. ηʹ. Τιμὴ σοφίας, ἡ τήρησις τῶν ἐντολῶν· σοφία δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς, οὗ νύμφη ἡ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν τιμῶσα αὐτὸν ψυχὴ, ἥτις ὑπ' αὐτοῦ περιληφθήσεται. Στ. κʹ. Καθάπερ νηπίῳ τινὶ παιδίῳ ἔπαθλα ἀεὶ ταῖς προσοχαῖς τίθησι, καὶ διεγείρει ἔξω που διεπτοημένον. Πηγαὶ δὲ ζωῆς, αἱ ἀρεταὶ, ἀφ' ὧν τὸ ζῶν ὕδωρ, ἡ γνῶσις ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τῷ κατὰ σοφίαν προκόπτοντι, πολλαὶ πηγαὶ, καὶ οὐ μία γίνεται· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀρετῶν. Τοῖς τὰς παραινέσεις, φησὶ, φυλάττουσι ταύτας, ζωὴ γίνονται· αὗται τὸ ἆθλον. Στ. κςʹ. Τὴν κατὰ τὸν βίον πορείαν ὀρθῶς βάδιζε, φησί. Πόδες εἰσὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αἱ μεταβατικαὶ ταύτης ὁρμαί· μεσότης γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀρετή. Στ. βʹ. 2 Μὴ πρόσεχε ἀπατηλῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, διὰ τῆς χρηστολογίας δελεαζούσῃ, τουτέστιν αἱρέσει, καὶ τῇ εἰδωλολατρίᾳ, καὶ ματαίοις ῥήμασι. Στ. γʹ. Μέχρι τῆς ἀκοῆς, αὐτῶν τὸ καλόν. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ ἀπάτη· τὸ μὲν ὀλέθριον κρύπτειν εἴωθε, προβάλλεται δὲ τὸ ἡδὺ, ὥστε ἑλεῖν· ἦ γὰρ ἂν εὐθέως ἀπεπήδησαν. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς οὐχ οὕτως· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἡδὺ ἀποκρύπτει, τὸ δὲ ἐπίπονον προτίθησι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀποῤῥεῖ, ἀλλὰ, Ἀποστάζει ὡς μὴ προσκορῆ γενέσθαι τὴν πικρίαν, ὕστερον μέντοι πικρότερον χολῆς· οὐχ ὅσον τὸ ἡδὺ, τοσοῦτον τὸ πικρόν· ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλέον. Στ. ηʹ. Ὁδὸν εἶπεν ἐνταῦθα τὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ὁδεύοντα νοῦν· ἢ τάχα τὴν ἀρετὴν προστάσσει χωρίζειν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ κακίας. Στ. ιαʹ. Τουτέστιν ἐν γήρᾳ· ἣ διὰ τοῦ κατατριβῆναι τὰς σάρκας, τὴν ἀκολασίαν δηλοῖ

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