Exegesis of Proverbs
God sends; for His works are pure and upright. If the works of God are pure and upright, and the mind is one of His works, then the mind was created by the Lord upright and pure.
It is better to dwell on an open corner than in houses inhabited through injustice and in a common house. He set the open corner against the house that is inhabited and common. If the inhabited and common house is wickedness, then the open corner is virtue. A corner, therefore, is a practice of contemplation, touching and being illuminated by the sun of justice. And Paul also rightly said of the high priest of the Jews that the wall was inhabited and would be struck by God. And the Savior in the Gospels said of the Pharisees that they were tombs inhabited. It is also well said of the corner, where the stone lies, rejected by the builders and having become the head of a corner. And he who is not of the one God said 'common'.
A secret gift subdues passions; but he who restrains his temper stirs up a strong gift. A secret gift is such that the left hand does not know what the right hand does. A man wandering from the way of righteousness will find rest in a gathering of giants. The gathering of giants is wickedness and ignorance.
It is better to dwell in a desert land than with a contentious, talkative, and angry woman. And David says: 'In a desert land and uncultivated and without water, thus I appeared to you in the holy place.' A desert, therefore, is the virtue which does not have the old men dwelling in it, those who decay according to the desires of disease. Therefore the devil does not even find rest in it, if 'he passes through waterless places seeking rest and does not find it'; 'for he himself is king of all those in the waters'; and again of wisdom: 'the dwellings of her are narrow.' If this is so, is not the contentious, talkative, and angry woman wickedness itself?
He makes the one living with her a fighter, a talker, and an angry person.
A desirable treasure rests upon the mouth of the wise; but foolish men swallow it. The wisdom of the Lord rests in the heart of the wise, but foolish men destroy it.
A wise man ascended fortified cities and pulled down the rampart upon which the ungodly had trusted. Wisdom is a fortified city in which the wise dwell, 'demolishing arguments and every exaltation raised up against the knowledge of God' (2 Cor 10:5).
He who guards his mouth and preserves his tongue keeps his soul from distress. Mouth and tongue are soul and mind; for soul they say is passion and desire, which some call the passive part of the soul.
An ungodly man desires evil desires all day long; but the righteous man shows mercy and compassion without stint. Regarding angels, it is never to desire evil desires; regarding men, it is sometimes to desire and sometimes not to desire evil desires; regarding demons, it is always to desire evil desires. For 'all the day' signifies through life. Such is also 'be in the fear of the Lord all the day,' instead of through life.
A horse is prepared for the day of war; but the help is from the Lord. The mind says 'horse'; for 'will he not mount your horses, and your cavalry is salvation' (Ps 20:7), he says; and regarding Paul, the Lord says, 'to bear my name' (Acts 9:16).
A more excellent name is better than much wealth; but grace is better than silver and gold. He said the virtue signified by the proper name is beautiful; for this beautiful name is that which the signified good possesses. Thus, we shall not praise an unjust woman even if she is called justice, but the one possessing justice, even if she is named injustice.
A rich man and a poor man met one another; but the Lord made both.
Greek
ἀποστελεῖ ὁ θεός· ἁγνὰ γὰρ καὶ ὀρθὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ Εἰ ἁγνὰ καὶ ὀρθὰ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ, ἓν δὲ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἐστιν καὶ ὁ νοῦς, ὀρθὸς ἄρα καὶ ἁγνὸς ἐκτίσθη παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου ὁ νοῦς. 224 21, 9 κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐπὶ γωνίας ὑπαίθρου ἢ ἐν κεκονιαμένοις μετὰ ἀδικίας καὶ ἐν οἴκῳ κοινῷ Τῷ οἴκῳ τῷ κεκονιαμένῳ καὶ κοινῷ τὴν ὕπαιθρον γωνίαν ἀντέθηκεν. Εἰ δὲ ὁ οἶκος ὁ κεκονιαμένος καὶ κοινὸς ἡ κακία ἐστίν, ἡ ὕπαιθρος γωνία ἡ ἀρετή ἐστιν. Γωνία τοίνυν ὕπαιθρός ἐστιν πρᾶξις θεωρίας ἐφαπτομένη καὶ φωτιζομένη ὑπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡλίου. Καλῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τὸν ἀρχιερέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων τοῖχον εἶπεν κεκονιαμένον τυπτηθησόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. Καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ δὲ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις τοὺς φαρισαίους τάφους εἶπεν κεκονιαμένους. Εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ γωνίας εἰπεῖν ἔνθα ὁ λίθος κεῖται ὁ ἀποδοκιμασθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκοδόμων καὶ γενόμενος κεφαλὴ γωνίας. Κοινὸν δὲ εἶπεν ὁ μὴ τοῦ ἑνός ἐστιν θεοῦ. 225 21, 14 δόσις λάθριος ἀνατρέπει ὀργάς· δώρων δὲ ὁ φειδόμενος θυμὸν ἐγείρει ἰσχυρόν ∆όσις λάθριός ἐστιν, ἵν' ὃ ποιεῖ ἡ δεξιὰ μὴ γινώσκῃ ἡ ἀριστερά. 226 21, 16 ἀνὴρ πλανώμενος ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαιοσύνης ἐν συναγωγῇ γιγάντων ἀναπαύσεται Ἡ συναγωγὴ τῶν γιγάντων ἡ κακία καὶ ἡ ἀγνωσία ἐστίν. 227 21, 19 κεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐν γῇ ἐρήμῳ ἢ μετὰ γυναικὸς μαχίμου καὶ γλωσσώδους καὶ ὀργίλου Καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ φησιν· «ἐν γῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ ἀβάτῳ καὶ ἀνύδρῳ, οὕτως ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ ὤφθην σοι.» Ἔρημος τοίνυν γῆ ἐστιν ἡ ἀρετὴ ἡ μὴ ἔχουσα τοὺς παλαιοὺς ἀνθρώπους οἰκοῦντας τοὺς φθειρομένους κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης. ∆ιὸ οὐδὲ εὑρίσκει ἐν αὐτῇ ἀνάπαυσιν ὁ διάβολος, εἴγε «διέρχεται δι' ἀνύδρων τόπων ζητῶν ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκει»· «αὐτὸς γὰρ βασιλεύς ἐστι πάντων τῶν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι»· καὶ πάλιν τῆς σοφίας· «στεγναί, φησίν, αἱ διατριβαὶ οἴκων αὐτῆς.» Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ μάχιμος καὶ γλωσσώδης καὶ ὀργίλος ἡ κακία ἐστίν, ἥτις τὸν συζῶντα αὐτῇ ποιεῖ μάχιμον καὶ γλωσσώδη καὶ ὀργίλον. 228 21, 20 θησαυρὸς ἐπιθυμητὸς ἀναπαύσεται ἐπὶ στόματος σοφο ἐπὶ στόματος σοφοῦ· ἄφρονες δὲ ἄνδρες καταπίονται αὐτόν Σοφία κυρίου ἀναπαύσεται ἐν καρδίᾳ σοφοῦ· ἄφρονες δὲ ἄνδρες διαφθεροῦσιν αὐτήν. 229 21, 22 πόλεις ὀχυρὰς ἐπέβη σοφὸς καὶ καθεῖλεν τὸ ὀχύρωμα, ἐφ' ᾧ ἐπεποίθεισαν οἱ ἀσεβεῖς Ἡ σοφία ἐστὶν πόλις ὀχυρά, ἐν ᾗ οἱ σοφοὶ κατοικοῦσι «λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες καὶ πᾶν ὕψωμα ἐπαιρόμενον κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ». 230 21, 23 ὃς φυλάσσει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν γλῶσσαν διατηρεῖ ἐκ θλίψεως τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ Στόμα καὶ γλῶσσαν ψυχὴν καὶ νοῦν· ψυχὴν δέ φασιν θυμὸν καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν, ὅπερ τινὲς παθητικὸν μέρος ὀνομάζουσι τῆς ψυχῆς. 231 21, 26 ἀσεβὴς ἐπιθυμεῖ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπιθυμίας κακάς· ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐλεᾷ καὶ οἰκτείρει ἀφειδῶς Ἀγγέλων μὲν τὸ μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν ποτε ἐπιθυμίας κακάς· ἀνθρώπων δὲ τό ποτε μὲν ἐπιθυμεῖν, ποτὲ δὲ μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν ἐπιθυμίας κακάς· δαιμόνων δὲ τὸ ἀεὶ ἐπιθυμεῖν ἐπιθυμίας κακάς. Τὸ γὰρ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν τὸ διὰ βίου δηλοῖ. Τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν καὶ τὸ «ἐν φόβῳ κυρίου ἴσθι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν», ἀντὶ τοῦ διὰ βίου. 232 21, 31 ἵππος ἑτοιμάζεται εἰς ἡμέραν πολέμου· παρὰ δὲ κυρίου ἡ βοήθεια Ἵππον λέγει τὸν νοῦν· «ἐπιβήσῃ γάρ, φησίν, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους σου καὶ ἡ ἱππασία σου σωτηρία»· καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Παύλου ὁ κύριος «τοῦ βαστάσαι τὸ ὄνομά μού» φησιν. 233 22, 1 αἱρετώτερον ὄνομα καλὸν ἢ πλοῦτος πολύς· ὑπὲρ δὲ ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον χάρις ἀγαθή Τὴν σημαινομένην ἀρετὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ οἰκείου ὀνόματος ὄνομα εἶπεν καλόν· τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ ὄνομα καλόν ἐστιν ὅπερ ἔχει τὸ σημαινόμενον ἀγαθόν. Οὕτως οὐδὲ τὴν ἄδικον γυναῖκα δικαιοσύνην καλουμένην ἐπαινέσομεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἔχουσαν τὴν δικαιοσύνην, κἂν ἀδικία ὀνομάζηται. 234 22, 2 πλούσιος καὶ πτωχὸς συνήντησαν ἀλλήλοις· ἀμφοτέρους δὲ ὁ κύριος ἐποίησεν Ὁ μὲν πλούσιος διὰ τῶν
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.