The Proverbial Exegesis

His heart will understand the words of God, including the practical, the natural, and the theological. For every matter according to Scripture is divided into three parts: ethical, natural, and theological; and the proverbs follow the first, the Preacher the second, and the songs of the senseless the third.

Do not put yourself forward as a guarantee, being ashamed of your face. Those who welcome evil thoughts and honor the wicked should strive for how much power good thoughts can restore; for if they are not able to do this, they will receive the layer beneath the sides of the soul, which is virtue, for this is called the garment of the mind standing in righteousness, but for the one who has fallen through evil thoughts, it is called a cushion. Do not shift eternal boundaries set by your fathers. He who shifts the boundaries of godliness demonstrates either superstition or impiety, and he who shifts the boundaries of courage achieves either audacity or cowardice. Likewise also concerning the other virtues, the dogmas, and faith itself: it must be perceived, but above all, this must be kept concerning the Holy Trinity; for he who does not theologize divides the Holy Spirit through baptism; and he who names others as gods brings the multitude into gods. And if you are less learned, do not desire his bonds: for not all possess the more mystical intellect of the Scripture. For these things have a life of falsehood: the divine Scripture must be perceived intellectually and spiritually; for sensory knowledge according to history is not true.

Do not join a man with a basket. If the basket eats the wheat of impiety and drinks lawless wine, one must not join with it; therefore, it is not right to be impious and lawless, for these vices defile spiritual knowledge. Say nothing to the ears of a fool: say nothing sensible, that is, deep and mystical, for it is not necessary to cast pearls before swine (Matt 7:6). Do not enter into the property of orphans: wickedness is the property of orphans, through which they were deprived of the Savior in the heavens. But rather be in the fear of the Lord all the day (Ps 112:1): if everyone turns away from evil through the fear of the Lord, it advises well to turn us away from...

from all evil. For if you keep these things, you will have offspring (cf. Alex. Cod.): 'The righteous thoughts and the spiritual contemplations are offspring,' he said to the mind; therefore also a soul is barren which does not have these offspring, which it is nature to bring forth from the spiritual bride. And everyone who is sleepy will dress in rags: There is no wedding garment torn and in rags. And do not despise that your mother has become old: I heard one of the elders saying the soul is the mother of the mind; for this mother he says leads the mind into light through the practical virtues; but he called the passive part of the soul 'the soul', which is divided into spirit and desire; for through courage, he says, and temperance, we acquire wisdom and knowledge of God; and courage and temperance are virtues of spirit and desire.

Do not get drunk with wine: These wines are from the vine of Sodom. Do not talk with men, but talk in walks: A mind talking in walks worthily of the calling wherewith it was called. For if you give your eyes to the bowls and the cups: Sin according to intellect resembles a bowl, but according to energy a cup. Later you will walk more nakedly than the proud: The proud person knocks much and does not open the place which he knocks at. But to the disciples the Lord says: Knock, and it shall be opened to you (Matt 7:7). Your eyes, when they see something foreign, then your mouth will speak crookedly: A mind having received a foreign thought will meditate on evil logismoi; but the one having kept himself will inherit life.

And like a pilot in much swell: Being tossed about by every wind of teaching. When will it be dawn?: The dawn of the soul is the knowledge of sin. After guidance comes war: Those shipwrecking regarding the faith do not fight with the spirits opposing theology after guidance; but it is possible to say this same thing regarding every virtue; for there is also shipwreck regarding temperance and regarding love and regarding freedom from greed, and regarding every dogma similarly a shipwreck happens to the catholic and apostolic church. And if it is necessary to fight with the opponents after guidance, life on the earth is near us like a naval battle. In gates the wise do not turn away from the mouth (Prov 31:23).