Scholia on Proverbs
If the sons of Christ are brothers to one another, and the angels and the righteous men are sons of Christ, then the angels and the holy men are brothers to one another, being born to this through the adoption in the Spirit. For this reason they are born by Wisdom, so that they might lead men from wickedness to virtue and from ignorance to the knowledge of God, if indeed 'the whole creation groans and suffers together and was made subject to futility not by its own will' (Romans 8:22).
A man prone to change will fall into evils; he is one who is prone to change readily from virtue into wickedness. One receiving gifts in his heart unjustly, his paths will not be straight; but the impious one turns away from the paths of righteousness. One receiving unjust thoughts in his heart, his paths will not be straight; for the passionate thoughts are called gifts being offered to us by the demons. Or the impious one will receive gifts in his heart to turn away from the paths of judgment.
But a foolish heart causes pain to that which possesses it; a father is not gladdened by an undisciplined son, but a wise son gladdens his mother. The wise one gladdens his mother, but the fool causes grief to the one who gave birth to him. The face of a wise man is a countenance of prudence; but the eyes of the fool are upon the edge of the earth, and the heart of the fool is in the extreme of wickedness.
A foolish son is anger to his father and grief to the one who gave birth to him. The wise son has both a father and a mother, but the foolish son has only the one who gave birth to him; for the mother is also the one who gave birth, but the one who gave birth is not always a mother. For if that which was born dies in wickedness and ignorance, she is indeed the one who gave birth, but she is not a mother, because that which was born did not share in the Spirit of adoption. Likewise, this will be understood regarding sensible mothers and regarding sensible death; for we will call the mother 'the one who gave birth', but the one who gave birth is no longer a mother once the child has died.
Regarding Prov 17:26, those who are just cannot seek to harm a just man, for they do not seek our things, but us.
Regarding 17:27, he who is sparing of a harsh word is known; but a patient man is wise. He called the thought that moves the passion a harsh word. Or he called the word that moves the passion of his neighbor a harsh word.
Regarding 17:28, when a fool asks for wisdom, wisdom will be calculated; but one making himself appear to be nothing will seem to be wise. If this one asks about wisdom, he is the one desiring to learn something about wisdom; while he who is silent from wisdom is the one desiring to know nothing about wisdom; therefore the former is said to be wiser than the latter.
Regarding 18:1, a man desiring to separate from friends seeks excuses; but at all times he will be a source of trouble. He says excuses regarding sins; 'for to make excuses is to make excuses in sins,' he says. But he joins all the saints to himself through virtue.
Regarding 18:2, one lacking sense does not need wisdom; for rather he is led by foolishness, for he loved the darkness more than the light.
Regarding 18:5, to marvel at the face of an impious man is neither good nor holy; the just man turns away in judgment. He who accepts the inherent evil and acts according to it, this one marvels at the face of the impious.
Regarding 18:6, the lips of a fool lead him into evils; and his mouth calls for his bold death. If death is born from boldness, and death separates the soul from true life, boldness separates us from the one saying, 'I am the life' (John 14:6). And just as death is born from boldness, so life is born from meekness; for meekness is the opposite of boldness.
Regarding 18:8.1, fear casts down the slackers; fear, namely, the enemy of fear, or the fear of the Lord, separating them from slackness through good works.
Regarding 18:8.2, the souls of the effeminate hunger; the effeminate is he who does not teach...
Greek
ἔστωσαν Εἰ οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ υἱοὶ ἀλλήλων εἰσὶν ἀδελφοί, οἱ ἄγγελοι δὲ καὶ οἱ δίκαιοι ἄνθρωποι Χριστοῦ εἰσιν υἱοί, οἱ ἄγγελοι ἄρα καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι ἄνθρωποι ἀλλήλων εἰσὶν ἀδελφοί, τῷ τῆς υἱοθεσίας γεννώμενοι πνεύματι. 164 17, 17.3 τούτου γὰρ χάριν γεννῶνται «Τούτου γὰρ χάριν γεννῶνται» ὑπὸ τῆς σοφίας, ἵνα ἀνθρώπους ὁδηγήσωσιν ἀπὸ κακίας ἐπ' ἀρετὴν καὶ ἀπὸ ἀγνωσίας ἐπὶ γνῶσιν θεοῦ, εἴγε «καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις στενάζει καὶ συνωδίνει ἡμῖν καὶ ὑπετάγη τῇ ματαιότητι οὐχ ἑκοῦσα». 165 17, 20.2 ἀνὴρ εὐμετάβολος γλώσσῃ ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς κακά Οὗτός ἐστιν εὐμετάβολος ὁ ῥᾳδίως ἀπὸ ἀρετῆς ἐπὶ κακίαν μεταβαλλόμενος. 166 17, 23 λαμβάνοντος δῶρα ἐν κόλπῳ ἀδίκως οὐ κατευοδοῦνται ὁδοί· ἀσεβὴς δὲ ἐκκλίνει ὁδοὺς δικαιοσύνης Ἐν καρδίᾳ νοήματα λαμβάνοντος ἄδικα οὐ κατευοδοῦνται ὁδοί· τὰ γὰρ ἐμπαθῆ νοήματα ὠνόμασε δῶρα παρὰ τῶν δαιμόνων ἡμῖν προσφερόμενα. Ἢ δῶρα ἐν κόλπῳ ἀσεβὴς λήψεται τοῦ ἐκκλῖναι ὁδοὺς κρίσεως. 167 17, 21 καρδία δὲ ἄφρονος ὀδύνη τῷ κεκτημένῳ αὐτήν, οὐκ εὐφραίνεται πατὴρ ἐφ' υἱῷ ἀπαιδεύτῳ· υἱὸς δὲ φρόνιμος εὐφραίνει μητέρα αὐτοῦ Ὁ μὲν φρόνιμος εὐφραίνει τὴν μητέρα· ὁ δὲ ἄφρων ὀδυνᾷ τὴν τεκοῦσαν αὐτόν. 168 17, 24 πρόσωπον συνετὸν ἀνδρὸς σοφοῦ· οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ ἄφρονος ἐπ' ἄκρᾳ γῆς Καρδία δὲ ἄφρονος ἐν ἄκρᾳ κακίᾳ. 169 17, 25 ὀργὴ πατρὶ υἱὸς ἄφρων καὶ ὀδύνη τῇ τεκούσῃ αὐτοῦ Ὁ μὲν φρόνιμος υἱὸς καὶ τεκοῦσαν ἔχει καὶ μητέρα· ὁ δὲ ἄφρων υἱὸς μόνον τεκοῦσαν· ἡ γὰρ μήτηρ καὶ τεκοῦσά ἐστιν· ἡ δὲ τεκοῦσα οὐ πάντως ἐστὶν καὶ μήτηρ. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀποθάνῃ τὸ τεχθὲν ἐν κακίᾳ καὶ ἀγνωσίᾳ, τεκοῦσα μέν ἐστιν, μήτηρ δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν, ὅτι μηδὲ τοῦ τῆς υἱοθεσίας πνεύματος μετέσχηκε τὸ τεχθέν. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν μητέρων νοηθήσεται καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ· τὴν γὰρ μητέρα ἐροῦμεν καὶ τεκοῦσαν· τὴν δὲ τεκοῦσαν οὐκέτι μητέρα τοῦ παιδίου ἀποθανόντος. 170 17, 26 ζημιοῦν ἄνδρα δίκαιον οὐ καλὸν οὐδὲ ὅσιον ἐπιβουλεύειν δυνάσταις δικαίοις Οὐ 14 γὰρ ζητοῦσι τὰ ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς. 171 17, 27 ὃς φείδεται ῥῆμα προέσθαι σκληρόν, ἐπιγνώμων· μακρόθυμος δὲ ἀνὴρ φρόνιμος Τὸν λογισμὸν τὸν κινοῦντα θυμὸν ὠνόμασεν ῥῆμα σκληρόν. Ἢ τὸν λόγον τὸν κινοῦντα τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ θυμὸν ὠνόμασεν ῥῆμα σκληρόν. 172 17, 28 ἀνοήτῳ ἐπερωτήσαντι σοφίαν σοφία λογισθήσεται· ἐνεὸν δέ τις ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας δόξει φρόνιμος εἶναι Εἰ οὗτος ἐρωτᾷ περὶ σοφίας ὁ βουλόμενός τι περὶ σοφίας μαθεῖν, οὗτος σιωπᾷ ἀπὸ σοφίας ὁ μηθὲν θέλων γνῶναι περὶ σοφίας· διὸ καὶ φρονιμώτερος λέγεται εἶναι ὁ πρότερος τοῦ δευτέρου. 173 18, 1 προφάσεις ζητεῖ ἀνὴρ βουλόμενος χωρίζεσθαι ἀπὸ φίλων· ἐν παντὶ δὲ καιρῷ ἐπονείδιστος ἔσται Προφάσεις λέγει τὰς ἁμαρτίας· «τοῦ προφασίζεσθαι γάρ, φησίν, προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις.» Φίλους δὲ πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους οἷς δι' ἀρετῆς συνήπτετο. 174 18, 2 οὐ χρείαν ἔχει σοφίας ἐνδεὴς φρενῶν· μᾶλλον γὰρ ἄγεται ἀφροσύνῃ Ἠγάπησεν γὰρ τὸ σκότος μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ φῶς. 175 18, 5 θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον ἀσεβοῦς οὐ καλὸν οὐδὲ ὅσιον ἐκκλίνειν τὸ δίκαιον ἐν κρίσει Ὁ τὴν ἐνυπάρχουσαν κακίαν τῷ διαβόλῳ ἀποδεχόμενος καὶ κατ' αὐτὴν ἐνεργῶν, οὗτος θαυμάζει τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς. 176 18, 6 χείλη ἄφρονος ἄγουσιν αὐτὸν εἰς κακά· τὸ δὲ στόμα αὐτοῦ τὸ θρασὺ θάνατον ἐπικαλεῖται Εἰ ὁ θάνατος γεννᾶται ἀπὸ θρασύτητος, ὁ δὲ θάνατος χωρίζει ψυχὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ὄντως ζωῆς, ἡ θρασύτης ἡμᾶς ἀποχωρίζει ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰπόντος· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή.» Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκ τῆς θρασύτητος γεννᾶται ὁ θάνατος, οὕτως ἐκ τῆς πραΰτητος ἡ ζωή· ἀντίκειται γὰρ τῇ θρασύτητι ἡ πραύτης. 177 18, 8.1 ὀκνηροὺς καταβάλλει φόβος Ὀκνηροὺς καταβάλλει φόβος ἤτοι ὁ ἐχθρὸς φόβος ἢ ὁ τοῦ κυρίου χωρίζων αὐτοὺς τοῦ ὄκνου διὰ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν. 178 18, 8.2 ψυχαὶ δὲ ἀνδρογύνων πεινάσουσιν Ἀνδρόγυνός ἐστιν ὁ μήτε διδάσκειν
About this text
Evagrius's short notes on Proverbs, turning each proverb toward the fight against temptation.
Original English Translation of Evagrius Ponticus’s Scholia in Proverbia — 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.