The Unjust and the Heart's Inquiry
The impious fall into misfortunes, and they are impious and yet enjoy good things as if they were righteous. For concerning these things the prophet says to the Lord: 'But I will speak judgments to you: why is the way of the impious prosperous?' (Ps 73:18) and David: 'A little while, he says, my steps were poured out; for I sought peace among the lawless, seeing the sinners' (Ps 37:10).
That with all this I gave into my heart, and my heart with all saw this. The man approaches things to the heart, turning them aside for their investigation, and after these things the heart knows the things; and this is the 'I encircled, and my heart to know.' For the thing circles, and the one approaching it to the heart through examination, and the heart again knowing it. But this must be known, that not all things which the man circles and the heart knows; for we examine many things, but we know few.
That there is no making and thought and knowledge and wisdom in Hades, where you go. If there is no thought in Hades, how does the rich man entreat Abraham to send Lazarus to him? (Luke 16:24)
And the man did not know his time. The man did not know that time is the season of uprightness; for time signifies the opportune moment.
And walk in the ways of your heart, blameless, and in the vision of your eyes, in practice and in contemplation (Ps 119:9). And turn away the passion from your heart and lead away evil from your flesh. From here we know that the passionate part is joined to the heart, and the lustful part to the flesh. Now he says evil: the fornication and the gluttony.
Greek
ἀσεβεῖς περιπίπτουσι συμφοραῖς, καὶ εἰσὶν ἀσεβεῖς καὶ ὡς δίκαιοι ἀπολαύουσιν ἀγαθῶν. Περὶ γὰρ τούτων καὶ ὁ προφήτης φησὶ πρὸς τὸν κύριον· «πλὴν κρίματα λαλήσω πρὸς σέ· τί ὅτι ὁδὸς ἀσεβῶν εὐοδοῦται;»· καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ· «παρ' ὀλίγον, φησίν, ἐξεχύθη τὰ διαβήματά μου· ὅτι ἐζήλωσα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνόμοις εἰρήνην ἁμαρτωλῶν θεωρῶν.» 68 9, 1.1–2 ὅτι σὺν πᾶν τοῦτο ἔδωκα εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου, καὶ καρδία μου σὺν πᾶν εἶδεν τοῦτο Ὁ μὲν ἄνθρωπος προσάγει τῇ καρδίᾳ τὰ πράγματα πρὸς τὴν ἔρευναν αὐτῶν ἀποκλίνων, ἡ δὲ καρδία μετὰ ταῦτα γινώσκει τὰ πράγματα· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ «ἐκύκλωσα ἐγώ, καὶ ἡ καρδία μου τοῦ γνῶναι». Κυκλοῖ γὰρ τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ ὁ προσάγων αὐτὸ τῇ καρδίᾳ διὰ τῆς ἐξετάσεως καὶ ἡ καρδία πάλιν γινώσκουσα αὐτό. Πλὴν τοῦτο ἰστέον, ὅτι οὐ πάντα ὅσα κυκλοῖ ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ γινώσκει ἡ καρδία· πολλὰ γὰρ ἐξετάζομεν, ὀλίγα δὲ γινώσκομεν. 69 9, 10.3–4 ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ποίημα καὶ λογισμὸς καὶ γνῶσις καὶ σοφία ἐν ᾅδῃ, ὅπου σὺ πορεύῃ ἐκεῖ Εἰ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ᾅδῃ λογισμός, πῶς ὁ πλούσιος παρακαλεῖ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἀποστεῖλαι τὸν Λάζαρον πρὸς αὐτόν; 70 9, 12.1 καί γε οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸν καιρὸν αὐτοῦ Οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὅτι καιρός ἐστι χρόνος κατορθώσεως· καιρὸν γὰρ τὴν εὐκαιρίαν δηλοῖ. 71 11, 9.3–4 καὶ περιπάτει ἐν ὁδοῖς καρδίας σου, ἄμωμος, καὶ ἐν ὁράσει ὀφθαλμῶν σου Ἐν πράξει καὶ θεωρίᾳ. 72 11, 10.1–2 καὶ ἀπόστησον θυμὸν ἀπὸ καρδίας σου καὶ παράγαγε πονηρίαν ἀπὸ σαρκός σου Ἐντεῦθεν γινώσκομεν ὅτι τὸ μὲν θυμικὸν τῇ καρδίᾳ συνέζευκται, τὸ δὲ ἐπιθυμητικὸν τῇ σαρκί. 73 Νῦν πονηρίαν τὴν πορνείαν λέγει καὶ τὴν γαστριμαργίαν. 11
About this text
Evagrius's notes on Ecclesiastes: vanity, toil, and where lasting meaning hides.
Original English Translation of Evagrius Ponticus’s Scholia in Ecclesiasten — new OET from PG 40 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 40 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.