Fragments on Proverbs
Fragmenta ex commentariis in Proverbia
Proverbs of Solomon son of David; wisdom; parable and house (Prov 1)§1
1Fragments from the commentaries on Proverbs. From Origen on the Proverbs of Solomon. Chapter 1.
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David. The Savior too is called son of David. This peaceable Savior of ours, who came from David seed according to the flesh, reigned in Israel. That is why, as he completed the economy for human beings, he was also labeled: This is the King of the Jews. Jews are Israel — those over whom the peaceable Savior reigns as over people who see clearly — if they are truly Israel. For not all who are Abraham seed are also children, when they do not do Abraham works.
To know wisdom and training. Wisdom is knowledge that takes hold of divine and human affairs. Some say it is a vapor of God power and a pure outflow of the Almighty glory; nothing dark falls into it. It is a radiance of everlasting light, a spotless mirror of God working, and an image of his goodness. Whoever knows wisdom works knows these: that radiance, that spotless mirror, that image of goodness. And that is nothing other than to know the Son of God love, and the Wisdom who is Christ. For Christ is God power and God wisdom. This is not unveiled from flesh and blood, but from the heavenly Father. Whoever also knows the science of the divine oracles — of the Law and the prophets, of the Gospels and the apostles — knows wisdom.
He sets the foundation on the rock, that is on faith in Christ, so that it can hold against rains and winds and spirits — against temptations from whatever quarter. And if Luke says he praised the steward of injustice, he stretched the word, taking the praise for shrewdness and for sharpness of mind. That seems to show also in the serpent was shrewdest of all the beasts, and in the saying be shrewd as serpents — as if not inexperienced in the serpent tricks.
He will also understand a parable and a dark saying, sayings of the wise and riddles. Let us see how these differ. First, what is a parable, from the Gospel materials we have? Others used the name, and Matthew writes: On that day Jesus went out of the house, sat beside the sea, and the whole crowd stood on the shore, and he spoke many things to them in parables: Look, a sower went out to sow. A parable, then, is speech as about something that happened, which did not happen according to the letter yet could happen, and which points figuratively to realities by transferring what the parable says. For the sower went out did not happen as history happens; yet it could happen according to the letter.
I think that when Jesus speaks in parables to those outside — to whom, being outside, it was not given to know the mysteries of God kingdom — he has gone out of the house, as Matthew reports, and not without reason when he writes that on that day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Toward those who could not enter the house but stood outside it, it was fitting that he go out. That Matthew intends this is clear from what follows: leaving the crowds, he entered his house and opens the parable to the disciples. Watch how he speaks to the crowds in parables and says nothing to them without a parable — as he still does, for crowds cannot take an interpretation of parables. Attend also to Leaving the crowds, he entered his own house,
Greek · §1
Fragmenta ex commentariis in Proverbia ΕΚ ΤΩΝ ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΑΣ ΠΑΡΟΙΜΙΑΣ ΣΟΛΟΜΩΝΤΟΣ. 13.17 ΚΕΦ. Αʹ. Παροιμίαι Σολομῶντος υἱοῦ ∆αυΐδ. Υἱὸς ∆αυῒδ καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ λέγεται. Οὗτος εἰρηνικὸς ἡμῶν Σωτὴρ ὁ γενόμενος ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυῒδ, τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν Ἰσραήλ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπεγράφη τὴν ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων οἰκονομίαν τελῶν· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βασι λεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων. Ἰουδαῖοί εἰσιν, ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, ὧνεἰρηνικὸς Σωτὴρ βασιλεύει ὡς διορατικῶν, ἐὰν ὦσιν ἀληθῶς Ἰσραήλ. Οὐ γὰρ ὅσοι σπέρμα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, πάντως καὶ τέκνα, τῷ μὴ ποιεῖν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Ἀβραάμ. Τοῦ γνῶναι σοφίαν καὶ παιδείαν. Σοφία ἐστὶν ἐπιστήμη θείων καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων κατά 13.20 ληψις· κατὰ δέ τινας, ἀτμίς ἐστι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυ νάμεως, καὶ ἀπόῤῥοια τῆς τοῦ Παντοκράτορος δόξης εἰλικρινής· οὐδὲν γὰρ εἰς αὐτὴν σκοτεινὸν ἐμπίπτει· ἀπαύγασμα γάρ ἐστι φωτὸς ἀϊδίου, καὶ ἔσοπτρον ἀκηλίδωτον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνεργείας, καὶ εἰκὼν τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ. Ὁ γινώσκων ἔργα σοφίας, ταῦτα γινώσκει, τουτέστι, τὸ ἀπαύγα σμα τοῦ ἀϊδίου, καὶ τὸ ἀκηλίδωτον ἔσοπτρον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνεργείας, καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ γνῶναι τὸν Υἱὸν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγάπης, καὶ τὴν σοφίαν τὸν Χρι στόν. Χριστὸς γὰρ Θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἀπὸ σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανίου Πατρὸς ἀποκαλύπτεται. Γινώσκει δὲ σοφίαν, καὶ ὁ τὴν ἐπιστήμην εἰδὼς τῶν θείων, νομικῶν καὶ προφητικῶν, εὐαγγελικῶν τε καὶ ἀποστολικῶν λο γίων. Ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν τίθησι τὸν θεμέλιον, τουτέ στιν ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει Χριστοῦ, ὡς ἀντέχειν πρὸς βρο χὰς, καὶ ἀνέμους, καὶ πνεύματα, δηλαδὴ τοὺς ὁθεν οῦν γινομένους πειρασμούς. Εἰ δέ φησιν ὁ Λουκᾶς ὡς ἐπῄνεσε τὸν οἰκονόμον τῆς ἀδικίας, κατεχρήσατο, τὸν ἔπαινον ἐπὶ τῆς ἐντρεχείας λαβὼν, διά τε τῆς δια νοίας ὀξύ· ὅπερ ἔοικε δηλοῦσθαι κἀν τῷ, Ὁ δὲ ὄφις φρονιμώτατος πάντων τῶν θηρίων, καθ' ὃ λέλεκται καὶ τὸ, Γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι ὡς ὁ ὄφις· οἱονεὶ μὴ ἄπειροι τῶν τοῦ ὄφεως πανουργημάτων. Νοήσει τε παραβολὴν καὶ σκοτεινὸν λόγον, ῥή σεις τε σοφῶν καὶ αἰνίγματα. Τίνα διαφορὰν ἔχει ταῦτα πρὸς ἄλληλα, κατανοήσωμεν· καὶ πρῶτον τί ποτέ ἐστι παραβολὴ ἴδωμεν, ἀφ' ὧν ἔχομεν εὐαγγε λικῶν ἀφορμῶν. Ἐχρήσαντο γὰρ τῷ ὀνόματι τῆς παραβολῆς ἄλλοι τε, καὶ Ματθαῖος οὕτως· Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ἐξελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας ἐκάθητο παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν εἱστήκει, καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς πολλὰ ἐν παραβολαῖς· Ἰδοὺ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπεῖραι. Ἔστι τοίνυν παραβολὴ λόγος ὡς περὶ γενομένου, μὴ γενομένου μὲν κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν, δυνα μένου δὲ γενέσθαι, τροπικῶς δηλωτικὸς πραγμάτων ἐκ μεταλήψεως τῶν ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ λελεγμένων. Οὐ γὰρ γέγονε κατὰ τὴν λέξιν τὸ, Ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων, ὡς λέγομεν γεγονέναι τὰ τῆς ἱστορίας· πλὴν δυνατὸν γενέσθαι κατὰ τὸ ῥητόν· Ἰδοὺ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων, κ. τ. ἑ. Ἐγὼ μέντοι νομίζω τοῖς ἔξω λαλοῦντα τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐν παραβολαῖς, οἷς, διὰ τὸ εἶναι ἔξω, οὐκ ἐδέ δοτο εἰδέναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐξεληλυθέναι τῆς οἰκίας, ὡς ὁ Ματθαῖος ἀνέγραψεν, οὐ χωρὶς αἰτίας καὶ λόγου ποιήσας τὸ, Ἐν τῇ ἡμέ ρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ἐξελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῆς οἰκίας, ἐκάθητο παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν. Ἔπρεπε γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς μὴ χωροῦντας εἰσελθεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, ἀλλ' ὄντας ἔξω αὐτῆς, ἐξελθεῖν αὐτῆς. Ὅτι δὲ τοιοῦτόν τι τῷ Ματθαίῳ κατὰ τὸν τόπον νενόηται, σαφὲς ἔσται τῷ τετηρηκότι τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα· Ἀφεὶς γὰρ, φησὶ, τοὺς ὄχλους, εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὑτοῦ, καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἀνακαλύπτει τὰ τῆς παραβολῆς. Παρατή ρει γὰρ ἐν τούτοις τίνα τρόπον τοῖς ὄχλοις ἐν παρα 13.21 βολαῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λάλει, καὶ χωρὶς παραβολῆς οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς λαλεῖ· ὃ καὶ μέχρι τῆς δεῦρο ποιεῖ· οἱ γὰρ ὄχλοι οὐ χωροῦσι παραβολῶν ἑρμηνείαν. Πρόσχες δὲ καὶ τῷ, Ἀφεὶς τοὺς ὄχλους εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰ κίαν αὑτοῦ,
Crowds outside the house; dark saying; Psalm 32 bones (Prov 1)§2
2…very wisely written, because the crowds could not come to him, but only those who separated themselves from the crowds — his disciples — who could speak freely enough to enter Jesus e, not as people outside but able to be inside, they come to the teacher and ask to learn the inner sense of the parables. Because they could follow him as he went into the house, he answered Explain the parable to us with what he said.
Jesus does not only leave his house so that, standing outside, he may speak parables to those outside; he also sits beside the sea, hinting that the crowds and the outsiders are not far from the sea waves and its salt water. Watch this: many crowds gathered to Jesus who had left the house and sat by the sea; yet it is no longer many crowds, but the few who travel the narrow, hard road and find the way that leads to life — disciples — who enter to him into the house.
Testing what fits a gospel word as far as I can, and Jesus purpose when he stepped into the boat and spoke in parables to the whole crowd on the shore, I say: perhaps the Word, not having planted a foot and not standing, but being in sea water, speaks as he is carried on what can, as far as possible, stand on water — and that is called a boat. Do not be surprised if such thoughts are brought in with more beauty, so that the outsider and the crowd will not think there is no hidden mind at all, dense and elegant, stored for the gospel disposition; for that too was a work of the grace that manages God Word.
I also try to hear more deeply: The disciples came and said, Why do you speak to them in parables? and Leaving the crowds he came into his house; and his disciples came saying, Explain the parable to us. Crowds who hear a parable never even pause over it as needing explanation. Disciples see that he speaks in parables to crowds because they are outside; they follow Jesus as he leaves the crowds; they see they can learn the parables nowhere else than by entering Jesus house; so they enter, come to him, and say, Explain to us the parable we want to learn. That is the parable.
Next is the dark saying. In the Scriptures some things are said so deliberately dark that no one can catch even a casual sense in them without much hard examination — muddled in phrasing, in thought, and in how the wording is put together. I take that to be what a book calls a dark saying. An example from the Psalms, from Psalm 32: Because I was silent, my bones grew old, and what follows. Of ordinary thought you can grasp the letter, as we will show; of a dark saying, not even that. Compare Isaiah: Woe, wings of a land of ships beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, sending hostages by sea and papyrus letters on the water. Clarifying each of these and lighting its darkness by interpretation is not for this moment, lest we digress too far. It is enough to clarify the psalm saying somehow. As long as I cried out hymning God and spoke of God all day, nothing in me grew old; I was being made new. But when I fell idle from theology and was silent, oldness sank as far as my bones and what seemed firmest in me. Then followed Your hand heavy on me night and day, and so from earlier oversight your weighted hand was turned into my misery. I deserved it: a thorn was fixed in me when cares, or wealth, or life pleasures held me. That the prophet meant this is clear from what follows: I made known my sin, and so on. After that we can ask what the sayings of the wise are, then what riddles are — sayings of which wise men the hearer becomes wiser than himself. Are they only of the wise according to God and
Greek · §2
πάνυ συνετῶς ἀναγεγραμμένῳ ἐπὶ μὴ οἷόν τε ἦν τοὺς ὄχλους αὐτῷ συνελθεῖν, ἀλλὰ μόνους τοὺς διαφέροντας παρὰ τοὺς ὄχλους, οἵτινες ἦσαν μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ δυνάμενοι παῤῥησίαν ἔχειν πρὸς τὸ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Ἐκεῖ, οὐχ ὡς οἱ ὄντες ἔξω, ἀλλὰ χωρήσαντες τὸ γενέσθαι ἔσω, προσελθόντες τῷ διδασκάλῳ, τὸν ἔσω νοῦν ἀξιοῦσι τῶν παραβολῶν μαθεῖν. Καὶ ἐπείπερ ἐχώρησαν αὐ τῷ ἀκολουθῆσαι εἰσιόντι εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, διὰ τοῦτο ἀπο κριθεὶς πρὸς τὸ, Φράσον ἡμῖν τὴν παραβολὴν, εἶ πεν ἃ εἶπεν. Οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐξέρχεται τῆς οἰκίας αὑ τοῦ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἵνα τοῖς ἔξω ἔξω γενόμενος λαλήσῃ τὰς παραβολὰς, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν καθ ίζεται, αἰνισσόμενος, ὅτι οἱ ὄχλοι καὶ οἱ ἔξω τῶν τῆς θαλάσσης κυμάτων, καὶ τοῦ ἁλμυροῦ ὕδατος αὐτῆς, οὐκ εἰσὶ μακράν. Παρατήρει δὲ, ὅτι πρὸς μὲν τὸν ἐξελθόντα τῆς οἰκίας καὶ καθήμενον παρὰ τὴν θάλασ σαν Ἰησοῦν συνήχθησαν ὄχλοι πολλοί· οὐκ ἔτι δὲ ὄχλοι πολλοὶ, ἀλλ' οἱ τὴν στενὴν καὶ τεθλιμμένην ὁδεύοντες ὀλίγοι, καὶ εὑρίσκοντες τὴν ἐπάγουσαν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν ὁδὸν μαθηταὶ εἰσέρχονται πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν. Λόγῳ τοίνυν τὸ πρέπον εὐαγγελικῷ κατὰ δύναμιν ἐξετάζων, καὶ τῷ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ βουλήματι ἐμ βάντος εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ λέγοντος παντὶ τῷ ὄχλῳ τῷ παρὰ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν ἐν παραβολαῖς, φημὶ, μήποτε ὁ λόγος τοῖς ὄχλοις οὐ βεβηκὼς, οὐδὲ ἑστὼς, ἀλλ' ἐν ὕδατι θαλάσσης τυγχάνων, λαλεῖ ὀχούμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ, ὡς οἷόν τε ἐστὶ, δυναμένου βεβηκέναι ἐπὶ ὕδατος· ὅπερ πλοῖον εἴρηται. Μὴ θαυμάσῃς δὲ, εἰ τὰ τοιαῦτα νοήματα ὡραιότερον ἐνήνεκται, ὡς ἂν τὸν ἔξω καὶ τὸν ὄχλον μὴ νομίσαι, μηδὲ νοῦν τινα εἶναι κεκρυμ μένον καὶ ἐχόμενον πυκνῆς γλαφυρότητος τὸν τῇ εὐαγγελικῇ διαθέσει ἀποκείμενον· καὶ γὰρ ἦν τῆς οἰκονομούσης χάριτος τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγον, ἔργον. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τὸ, Προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· ∆ιὰ τί ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖς αὐτοῖς; καὶ τὸ, Ἀφεὶς τοὺς ὄχλους ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὑτοῦ· καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Φράσον ἡμῖν τὴν παραβολὴν, βαθύτερον ἀκούειν πειρῶμαι. Ἀεὶ γὰρ οἱ μὲν ὄχλοι, ἐὰν ἀκούωσι παρα βολῆς, οὐδὲ ἐφιστᾶσιν αὐτῇ δεομένῃ ἐξηγήσεως· οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ θεωροῦντες, ὅτι ἐν παραβολαῖς τοῖς ὄχλοις λαλεῖ, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἔξω, ἀφιέντι τοὺς ὄχλους τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἕπονται, καὶ ἰδόντες, ὅτι οὐκ ἀλλαχοῦ δύ νανται μανθάνειν τὰ τῶν παραβολῶν ἢ εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ εἰσέρχονται πρὸς αὐ τὸν, καὶ προσελθόντες αὐτῷ, φασί· Φράσον ἡμῖν τὴν παραβολὴν, περὶ ἧς μαθεῖν βούλονται. Ἀλλὰ τοι αύτη μὲν ἡ παραβολή. Ἑξῆς δέ ἐστιν ὁ σκοτεινὸς λόγος. Ἔστι τοίνυν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς τινα τοσοῦτον ἐπίτηδες σκοτεινῶς εἰ ρημένα, ὥστε μηδὲ τὸ τυχὸν ἐκλαβεῖν ἄν τινα ἐν αὐ τοῖς χωρὶς πολλῆς καὶ μεγάλης ἐξετάσεως συγκε χυμένης καὶ κατὰ τὴν φράσιν, καὶ κατὰ τὸ διανόημα, 13.24 καὶ κατὰ τὴν σύνθεσιν τῆς λέξεως· ἅπερ νομίζω εἶ ναι τὸν λεγόμενον ἐν βίβλῳ σκοτεινὸν λόγον. Παρά δειγμα τῶν τοιούτων ἐκθήσομαι ἀπὸ Ψαλμῶν ἐκ τοῦ λαʹ ψαλμοῦ τὰ οὕτω λελεγμένα· Ὅτι ἐσίγησα, ἐπα λαιώθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ ἁπλῶς τοῦ μὲν νοήματος νοῆσαι ἔστι τὸ ῥητὸν, ὡς δείξομεν· τοῦ δὲ σκοτεινοῦ λόγου, οὐδὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον· οἷον κἀκεῖνο ἐν Ἡσαΐᾳ· Οὐαὶ γῆς πλοίων πτέρυγες, ἐπέκεινα ποταμῶν Αἰθιοπίας, ἀποστέλλων ἐν θαλάσσῃ ὅμηρα καὶ ἐπιστολὰς βυβλίνας ἐπάνω τοῦ ὕδα τος. Ἕκαστον δὲ τούτων σαφηνίσαι καὶ νοῆσαι φω τίζοντα τῇ διηγήσει τὸ σκοτεινὸν αὐτοῦ οὐ τοῦ παρ όντος ἐστὶ καιροῦ, ἵνα μὴ πολλὰς καὶ ἀκαίρους ποιώμεθα παρεκβάσεις. Ἀρκεῖ δὲ μόνον τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ οὕτω πως σαφηνίσαι λεγόμενον. Ὅσον γὰρ ἐκεκράγειν ὑμνῶν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ δι' ὅλης τῆς ἡμέρας θεολογῶν, οὐδέν μου ἐπαλαιοῦτο, ἀλλ' ὅσον ἀνεκαι νούμην. Ὅτε δὲ ἀργήσας ἀπὸ τοῦ λέγειν τὰ τῆς θεο λογίας ἐσιώπησα, τότε ἡ παλαιότης εἰσέδυ μέχρι τῶν ὀστέων μου, καὶ τῶν δοκούντων ἐν ἐμοὶ στεῤῥο τάτων. Καὶ τούτοις ἠκολούθησε τὸ βαρεῖαν γενέσθαι τὴν χεῖρά σου νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας κατ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῆς προτέρας ἐπισκοπῆς ἐστράφη εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ταλαιπωρίαν ἡ βαρυνομένη σου χεὶρ κατ' ἐμοῦ. Καὶ ἀξίως γε ταῦτα πέπονθα, παγείσης μοι ἀκάν θης, ἡνίκα ἐκρατήθην ὑπὸ μεριμνῶν, ἢ καὶ πλού του, καὶ ἡδονῶν βιωτικῶν. Ὅτι δὲ τοιαῦτά τινα τῷ Προφήτῃ ἐν τούτοις νενόηται, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιφέ ρεσθαι τούτοις τὸ, Τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μου ἐγνώρισα, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Μετὰ ταῦτα ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τίνες αἱ ῥήσεις τῶν σο φῶν· εἶτα τίνα τὰ αἰνίγματα· ποίων σοφῶν ῥήσεις ὁ τῶνδε ἀκούσας σοφὸς, καὶ διὰ τὸ ἀκηκοέναι αὐτῶν ἑαυτοῦ γενόμενος σοφώτερος. Ἆρα γὰρ μόνων τῶν κατὰ Θεὸν καὶ
Sayings of the wise; riddles; crown of graces; golden collar (Prov 1)§3
3…his truth — or not of these alone, but also of those whose craftiness God will seize? For the word has named those people wise too. Why should the hearer understand the sayings of the blessed wise, yet not stretch to the words of the other wise, and have a mind smaller than the mind of this world wise, unable to follow what they say?
Is it not as with the eye, whose work is not only to see what is in order but also what is otherwise — or as craft wishes in such cases — so also with the mind: its work is to contemplate both thoughts that hit and thoughts that miss, so that it is not caught by the persuasiveness in falsehoods, and so that it can rescue those who are caught, if it also understands the sayings of the other wise wherever they play at wisdom, how they reason falsely, how the sophism is loosed, and how the false reasoning is exposed. That is how, through his own wise, God threatens to set aside wisdom that deserves to perish because of falsehood, and the deceptive understanding of those not intelligent according to him, and so through his own he will seize the craftiness of this age wise.
At once: if the Lord disciples did not understand the sayings of worldly wise people, how did they campaign to cast down strongholds, casting down reasonings and every height that lifts itself against the knowledge of God? And how could anyone keep Peter word perfectly — Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a word about the hope in you — without full preparation in speech, so as to be ready to defend that hope before every Greek and barbarian, every wise and senseless person, by understanding wise sayings, accusing some, overturning others, and establishing and proving these? Do not wonder if the one truly wise according to God is hard to find now; most of the exceptional gifts have failed, so they appear either not at all or rarely.
It remains to say what riddles are. I take a riddle to be an extended account about things as if they happened that did not happen and cannot happen, yet that signify something unspeakable in hiddenness. Sample from Judges: The trees went to anoint a king over themselves. Which three fruit trees — fig, vine, olive — refused to reign over trees unworthy of their kingship, and what is the thorny bramble that sends fire from itself to eat Lebanon cedars — the wise person sees, referring these to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the bramble to the opposing one. In Kingdoms there is such a riddle too: The thorn in Lebanon sent to the Cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son as wife, and what follows. In the prophets you also find riddles, as in Ezekiel: The great eagle, long-winged, long in stretch, full of feathers, and what follows.
So much we could hold for now toward what is before us: parable and dark saying, sayings of the wise and riddles. A parable is speech as about something that happened which did not happen according to the letter yet could happen, pointing figuratively to riddles — as The sower went out to sow, which did not happen by the wording even if it is led up into other things. And how does Open my mouth in parables fit? What he added did happen: Before their fathers he did wonders. According to the letter he split a sea and led them through; all of it happened, even if those events are symbols of the modes of gospel parables. Someone else will say Open my mouth in parables is not aimed at Exodus but at Christ parables in the Gospel, as he speaks in the prophet: Attend, my people, to my law, and what follows.
A crown of graces: the circuit of the virtues, because they are bound to one another. A golden collar about your neck: he calls the golden collar the surrounding radiance and circular gleam of the divine oracles, and he calls the neck the mind. Let us lift his memory from earth. Those who said This is the heir; come, let us kill him so the inheritance may be ours would also say this. Cast your lot among us: leave that way of life, be with us, keep sabbath with us, keep the unleavened rites with us, and the other law observances. For they themselves share in the murder.
Greek · §3
τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῦ σοφῶν, ἢ οὐ τού των μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧν δράξεται ὁ Θεὸς τῆς πανουρ γίας; Καὶ γὰρ τούτους ὠνόμασεν ὁ λόγος σοφούς. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ ὁ εἰρημένος νοήσει μὲν τὰς τῶν μακαρίων σοφῶν ῥήσεις, οὐ διαρκέσει δὲ πρὸς τὸ νοῆσαι καὶ τοὺς τῶν λοιπῶν σοφῶν λόγους, ἀλλ' ἔσται αὐτῷ ὁ νοῦς ἐλάττων τοῦ νοῦ τῶν σοφῶν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος παρακολουθεῖν τοῖς ὑπ' ἐκείνων λεγομένοις; Καὶ ἄρα μήποτε ὥσπερ ὀφθαλμοῦ ἔργον ἐστὶν οὐ μόνον τὰ τεταγμένα ὁρᾷν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἄλ λως ἔχοντα, ἢ ὡς τὸ ἐν τούτοις τεχνικὸν βούλεται· οὕτω νοῦ ἔργον ἐστὶ τά τε ἐπιτυγχανόμενα ἐννοήματα θεωρεῖν, καὶ τὰ μὴ, εἴπως αὐτός τε ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τοῖς ψεύδεσι πιθανότητος οὐχ ἁλώσεται, καὶ τοὺς ἁλόντας ῥύσεται, ἐὰν νοήσῃ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων σοφῶν τὰς ῥήσεις, εἴπου σοφίζονται, καὶ τίνα τρόπον παραλογίζονται· καὶ πῶς τὸ σόφισμα λύεται, καὶ ὁ παραλογισμὸς ἐλέγ χεται. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ σοφῶν ἀπειλεῖ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι τὴν διὰ τὸ ψεῦδος ἀξίαν ἀπολέσθαι σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν ἀθετήσει, καὶ τὴν ἀπατηλὴν σύνεσιν τῶν μὴ κατ' αὐτὸν συνετῶν, καὶ οὕτω διὰ τῶν ἰδίων δρά ξεται τῆς πανουργίας τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου σοφῶν. Αὐ τίκα οἱ μαθηταὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, εἰ μὴ ἐνόουν τὰς τῶν 13.25 κοσμικῶν σοφῶν ῥήσεις, πῶς ἐστρατεύοντο πρὸς καθ αίρεσιν ὀχυρωμάτων, λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες καὶ πᾶν ὕψωμα ἐπαιρόμενον κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ; Πῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Πέτρου λεγόμενον τελείως τηρήσαιτό τις ἂν, τὸ, Ἕτοιμοι ἀεὶ πρὸς ἀπολο γίαν παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντι ὑμᾶς λόγον περὶ τῆς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐλπίδος, μὴ τελείως ἔχων τὴν ἐν λόγῳ παρα σκευὴν, ἵνα παντὶ Ἕλληνι καὶ παντὶ βαρβάρῳ, καὶ παντὶ σοφῷ, καὶ παντὶ ἀνοήτῳ ἕτοιμος ᾖ πρὸς ἀπο λογίαν περὶ τῆς ἐν αὑτῷ ἐλπίδος, τῷ συνιέναι τὰς τῶν σοφῶν ῥήσεις, τῶν μὲν κατηγορῶν, τὰ δὲ ἀνα τρέπων, ταῦτα δὲ συνιστὰς καὶ ἀποδεικνύς; Μὴ θαυμάσῃς δὲ εἰ νῦν ὁ ἀληθῶς κατὰ Θεὸν σοφὸς οὐχ εὑρίσκεται· ἐκλέλοιπε γὰρ τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν ἐξαιρέ των χαρισμάτων, ὡς ἢ μηδαμῶς ἢ σπανίως εὑρίσκε σθαι. Λείπεται ἀποδοῦναι καὶ τίνα τὰ αἰνίγματα. Αἴ νιγμα δὲ εἶναι νομίζω διέξοδόν τινα περὶ ὡς γεγονό των μὴ γεγονότων, μήτε γενέσθαι δυναμένων, ση μαινόντων δ' ἐν ἀποκρυφῇ ἀπόῤῥητόν τι· οἷον ὡς ἀπὸ παραδείγματος τὸ ἐν τοῖς Κριταῖς· Πορευόμενα ἐπορεύθησαν τὰ ξύλα, τοῦ χρῖσαι ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν βα σιλέα. Τίνα γὰρ τρία ξύλα καρποφόρα, ἡ συκῆ, ἡ ἄμπελος, ἡ ἐλαία, μὴ βουληθέντα βασιλεύειν τῶν οὐκ ἀξίων τῆς αὐτῶν βασιλείας ξύλων· καὶ τίς ἡ ἀκαν θώδης ῥάμνος καὶ πῦρ ἐξ αὑτῆς ἀφιεῖσα κατεσθίειν τὰς κέδρους τοῦ λιβάνου, τοῦ σοφοῦ ἐστιν ἰδεῖν, ἀναφέροντος ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, τὴν δὲ ῥάμνον ἐπὶ τὸν ἀντικείμενον. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις αἴ νιγμα τοιοῦτον· Ὁ ἄκανθος ὁ ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ ἀπ έστειλε πρὸς τὴν Κέδρον τὴν ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ, λέ γων· ∆ὸς τὴν θυγατέρα σου τῷ υἱῷ μου εἰς γυ ναῖκα, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Εὕροις δ' ἂν καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφή ταις αἰνίγματα, ὡς ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ τὸ, Ὁ ἀετὸς ὁ μέγας ὁ μεγαλοπτέρυγος, ὁ μακρὸς τῇ ἐκτάσει, πλήρης πίλων, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τοσαῦτα χωρῆσαι ἐπὶ τοῦ παρ όντος δεδυνήμεθα εἰς τὸ προκείμενον· ταῦτα δὲ ἦν παραβολὴ καὶ σκοτεινὸς λόγος, ῥήσεις τε σοφῶν καὶ αἰνίγματα. Παραβολή ἐστι λόγος ὡς περὶ γενομένου τοῦ μὴ γενομένου μὲν κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν, δυναμένου δὲ γενέσθαι, τροπικῶς δηλωτικὸς αἰνιγμάτων, ὡς τὸ, Ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπεῖραι· οὐ γὰρ γέγονε κατὰ τὴν λέξιν, κἂν ἀνάγηται εἰς ἕτερα. Καὶ πῶς ἁρμόσαι τούτῳ τὸ, Ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα μου; Γέγονε γὰρ ὅπερ ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐναντίον τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν ἐποίησε θαυμάσια. Καὶ κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν διέῤῥηξε θάλασσαν, καὶ διήγαγεν αὐ τούς· πάντα γὰρ γέγονεν, εἰ καὶ σύμβολά ἐστι τῶν ἐφ' ἅπερ ἀνήγετο τρόπων παραβολῶν εὐαγγελικῶν λαμβανόμενα. Ἕτερος δέ τις ἐρεῖ, οὐκ ἐπὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐξόθου ἀναφέρεσθαι τὸ, Ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα μου· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὰς ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ παρα βολὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ· Προσ έχετε, λαός μου, νόμον μου, καὶ τὰ ἐπ' αὐτῷ. Στέφανος χαρίτων. Ἡ περιοχὴ τῶν ἀρετῶν, διὰ τὸ συνδεδέσθαι ἀλλήλαις. 13.28 Κλοιὸν χρύσεον περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ. Κλοιὸν χρύ σεον λέγει τὸν περιαυγασμὸν καὶ τὸ κυκλοειδὲς σέ λας τῶν θείων λογίων. Τράχηλον δὲ λέγει τὸν νοῦν. Ἄρωμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν μνήμην ἐκ γῆς. Φήσαιεν δὲ ταῦτα καὶ οἱ εἰπόντες· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κληρονόμος· δεῦτε, ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτὸν, ἵνα ἡμῶν γένηται ἡ κληρονομία. Τὸν δὲ σὸν κλῆρον βάλε ἐν ἡμῖν. Ἐκείνης
Call on wisdom-Christ; hide the command; honor from just labors (Prov 1–5)§4
4…leave that way of life, be with us, keep sabbath with us, keep the unleavened rites with us, and the other law observances. For they themselves share in the murder. God gives good things; we are causes of evils — of things that harm. You would also say this of the Jews who shared in blood, both of the prophets and of Christ himself. These are the roads of all who complete lawless deeds. To complete, I think, is not merely to do something, but to fill the measure of their fathers, and to be liable for every blood from Abel to Zechariah.
Wisdom is hymned in goings-out. Kept silent by a wise man, it is not hymned; once it obtains a going-out, it is hymned. For there will be a time when you call upon me. As Lord we call upon the wisdom that is Christ. So whoever calls upon Christ, if he understands who he is, calls upon wisdom, understanding, sanctification, righteousness, and every virtue — if not with lips, then with practices. But let us not become the sort who call, only for him not to listen.
Chapter 2: If, receiving a saying of my commandment, you hide it with yourself. Someone hides it not for empty glory, but eager to escape notice. Then you will understand fear of the Lord. See after how many steps we will understand that fear; it too is unclear, as simpler people show: some fear the Lord where they need not, and do not fear where they ought. And give your voice to understanding. Each person gives his voice to something — to anger speaking its lines, or to grief, or to sexual immorality. The blessed one dedicates his whole voice to the Lord, so that whatever he speaks may be wisdom. As another seeks silver, seek wisdom that way, becoming a lover of silver in this. Let a bad counsel not overtake you. Those alien to the Church promise one thing at the start and another at the end: first they pull people from idolatry toward the Creator; then they change and set aside the Old Scripture, opposing elemental youth. With church teachers the ends agree with the first elements.
Chapter 3: Let your heart keep my words. After the commands and bans of God law, the words of God wisdom announce unlying knowledge of the things that are. Such also is Out of Zion will go the law, and a word of the Lord out of Jerusalem. Whoever keeps the laws will take up wisdom. Sow for yourselves righteousness; harvest into a time of life. Then next to the practical comes: Light for yourselves a light of knowledge. Provide good things before the Lord and humans. If you do what you practice in wisdom, you will be a son of God, as it says: You made all things in wisdom. Honor the Lord from your just labors. Divine Scripture customarily takes honor for a gift: Honor widows, the true widows means Share, so as not to humble the widow by refusing to say alms. The Savior also says: It is written in the law: Honor your father and your mother, and what follows. He said from just labors so it would not be from seizure and greed. Let no one hesitate to give; after the Gospel widow who threw her whole living and was justified — not beside those who threw from seizure, but beside those who threw from surplus — no one has a defense. Everything is a gift toward God: works of temperance and the other virtues. Give firstfruits from every offspring to Church and poor; rising from sleep give prayer as firstfruit to God; give a firstfruit of words — psalms. Then it will be said to you: Blessed are your storehouses and your leftovers — meaning the things of the soul.
God founded earth by wisdom. The faithful soul too is earth, bearing fruit a hundredfold. From that richness, which is wisdom, she becomes wise, as God founds her upon it. He seats the introduction of teaching for her, fixing it from wisdom, and as she always advances he works her into a heaven — a most pure creature, a dwelling of angels and thinking essences. Taking perception of what is, and contemplating the exactness of affairs, she begins to divide and cut them through. Chapter 5: Make your road far from her. He calls road the mind traveling on virtue; or he also commands to separate virtue from vice. And a woman of men hunts precious souls
Greek · §4
τῆς πολιτείας ἀποστὰς, γενοῦ μεθ' ἡμῶν, σαββάτιζε μεθ' ἡμῶν, τὰ ἄζυμα ποίει μεθ' ἡμῶν, καὶ τὰς ἄλ λας τοῦ νόμου παρατηρήσεις. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἱ φόνου μετέχοντες. Ἀγαθῶν μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς δοτήρ· κακῶν δὲ ἡμεῖς αἴτιοι, δη λαδὴ κακωτικῶν. Φαίης δ' ἂν ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τῶν μετασχόντων αἵματος Ἰουδαίων, τῶν τε προφητῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Αὗται αἱ ὁδοί εἰσι πάντων τῶν συντελούντων τὰ ἄνομα. Συντελεῖν οὐχ ἁπλῶς οἶμαί τι ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι τὸ μέτρον τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν, καὶ ὑπο κεῖσθαι παντὶ αἵματι ἀπὸ Ἄβελ μέχρι Ζαχαρίου. Σοφία ἐν ἐξόδοις ὑμνεῖται. Σιωπωμένη μὲν ὑπὸ σοφοῦ, οὐχ ὑμνεῖται· ἐξόδου δὲ τυχοῦσα, ὑμνεῖται. Ἔσται γὰρ ὅταν ἐπικαλέσησθέ με. Ὡς Κύριον γὰρ ἐπικαλούμεθα τὴν σοφίαν οὖσαν Χριστόν. Ὁ οὖν ἐπικαλούμενος τὸν Χριστὸν, εἰ νοεῖ τίς ἐστιν, ἐπικαλεῖται σοφίαν, σύνεσιν, ἁγιασμὸν, δικαιοσύνην, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀρετήν· εἰ καὶ μὴ χείλεσιν, ἀλλὰ πράξε σιν. Ἀλλὰ μὴ τοιοῦτοι γενώμεθα, ὡς ἐπικαλεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς, αὐτὸν δὲ μὴ ὑπακούειν. {1ΚΕΦ. Βʹ.}1 Ἐὰν, δεξάμενος ῥῆσιν ἐμῆς ἐντολῆς, κρύψῃς παρὰ σεαυτῷ. Κρύπτει δέ τις, μὴ ἐπὶ κενοδοξίᾳ ταύτην ποιῶν, ἀλλὰ σπουδάζων λανθάνειν. Τότε συνήσεις φόβον Κυρίου. Ὅρα δὲ μεθ' ὅσα συνήσομεν φόβον Κυρίου· ἀσαφὴς γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς, ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τῶν ἁπλουστέρων· ἔστι γὰρ τινὰς ἰδεῖν οὐκ ἐν οἷς δεῖ φοβουμένους τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἐν οἷς χρὴ μὴ φοβουμένους. Καὶ τῇ συνέσει δῷς φωνήν σου. Ἕκαστος δὲ δίδωσι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φωνήν τινι, ἢ τῇ ὀργῇ τυχὸν τὸ αὐτῆς φθεγγόμενος, ἢ τῇ λύπῃ, ἢ τῇ πορνείᾳ. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος ὅλην τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φωνὴν ἀνατίθησι τῷ Κυ ρίῳ, ἵνα ἃ δ' ἂν λαλῇ, σοφία ᾖ. Ὡς ἄλλος δὲ τὸ ἀρ γύριον, οὕτω ζήτει σὺ τὴν σοφίαν, οἱονεὶ φιλάργυ ρος ἐν τούτῳ γινόμενος. Μή σε καταλάβῃ βουλὴ κακή. Οἱ ἀλλότριοι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἄλλα μὲν ἐπαγγέλλονται κατ' ἀρχὰς, ἄλλα δὲ κατὰ τέλη· ἀφιστᾶσι μὲν γὰρ εἰδωλολατρείας ἐξ ἀρχῆς, καὶ προσάγουσι τῷ ∆ημιουργῷ· εἶτα με τατιθέμενοι, τὴν Παλαιὰν ἀθετοῦσι Γραφὴν ἐναν 13.29 τιούμενοι τῇ στοιχειώδει νεότητι. Παρὰ δὲ τοῖς ἐκ κλησιαστικοῖς διδασκάλοις σύμφωνα τοῖς ἐν ἀρχῇ στοιχείοις τὰ τέλη. {1ΚΕΦ. Γʹ.}1 Τὰ δὲ ῥήματά μου τηρείτω σὴ καρδία. Μετὰ τὰ προστακτικὰ καὶ ἀπαγορευτικὰ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὰ ῥήματα τῆς σοφίας τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπαγγέλλει τὴν τῶν ὄντων γνῶσιν ἀψευδῆ. Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ, Ἐκ Σιὼν ἐξελεύσεται ὁ νόμος, καὶ λόγος Κυρίου ἐξ Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ὁ γὰρ τηρῶν τοὺς νόμους ἀναλήψεται τὴν σοφίαν. Σπείρατε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἑαυτοῖς δικαιοσύνην· τρυγήσατε εἰς καιρὸν ζωῆς. Εἶθ' ἑξῆς τῷ πρακτικῷ ἐπιφέρεται· Φωτίσατε ἑαυ τοῖς φῶς γνώσεως. Προνοοῦ καλὰ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων. Ἐὰν ἐν σοφίᾳ ποιῇς τὸ πραττόμενον, υἱὸς ἔσῃ Θεοῦ, ὡς εἴρηται· Πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας. Τίμα τὸν Κύριον ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων. Τὸ τῆς τιμῆς ὄνομα συνήθως ἐπὶ δόσεως ἡ θεία λαμβά νει Γραφή· Χήρας γὰρ, φησὶ, τίμα, τὰς ὄντως χήρας, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μεταδίδου, ἵνα μὴ ταπεινώσῃ τὴν χήραν, ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ εἰπών. Καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ δέ φησι· Γέγραπται ἐν τῷ νόμῳ· Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου· καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἀπὸ δι καίων δὲ πόνων εἶπεν, ἵνα μὴ ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς εἴη καὶ πλεονεξίας. Καὶ μηδεὶς ὀκνείτω διδόναι· ἀπολογίαν γὰρ οὐχ ἕξει μετὰ τὴν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ Εὐαγγελίῳ χήραν ὅλον ἑαυτῆς βαλοῦσαν τὸν βίον, καὶ δικαιωθεῖσαν, οὐ παρὰ τοὺς ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοὺς ἐκ περιου σίας βαλόντας. Πάντα δὲ, δόσις ἐστὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, σωφροσύνης ἔργα καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν. ∆εῖ γὰρ καὶ ἀπαρχὰς ἀπὸ παντὸς διδόναι γεννήματος Ἐκ κλησίᾳ καὶ πένησι· καὶ ἀπὸ ὕπνου δὲ ἀνιστάμενον ἀπαρχὴν δοτέον Θεῷ τὴν εὐχήν· καὶ τῶν λόγων ἀπαρ χὴν διδόναι προσήκει, ψαλμούς. Οὕτω γάρ σοι ῥηθή σεται· Καὶ εὐλογημέναι αἱ ἀποθῆκαί σου, καὶ τὰ ἐγκαταλείμματά σου· λέγει δὲ τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς. Ὁ Θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐθεμελίωσε γῆν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ πιστὴ, γῆ ἐστιν, ἑκατονταπλασίονα καρ ποφοροῦσα. Αὕτη δὲ ἐκ τῆς πιότητος, ἥ ἐστι σοφία, σοφὴ γίνεται, θεμελιοῦντος αὐτὴν ἐπ' αὐτῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἑδράζει γὰρ αὐτῇ τὴν εἰσαγωγὴν τῆς διδασκαλίας, πῆξιν ἀπὸ σοφίας ποιούμενος, καὶ ἀεὶ προκόπτου σαν οὐρανὸν ἀπεργάζεται, καθαρώτατον κτίσμα, ἀγ γέλων τε καὶ νοερῶν οὐσιῶν οἰκητήριον. Λαβοῦσα αἴσθησιν τοῦ ὄντος, καὶ κατανοοῦσα τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκρίβειαν, ἄρχεται διαιρεῖν καὶ ἀνα τέμνειν αὐτά. {1ΚΕΦ. Εʹ.}1 Μακρὰν ποίησον ἀπ' αὐτῆς σὴν ὁδόν. Ὁδόν φησι τὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ὁδεύοντα νοῦν· ἢ καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν κελεύει τῆς κακίας χωρίσαι. {1ΚΕΦ. ʹ.}1 Γυνὴ δὲ ἀνδρῶν τιμίας ψυχὰς
She hunts the soul; I was beside him; she enriches; tree of life (Prov 6–12)§5
5She hunts. And the soul hunted by a woman is precious by nature, for it is not earthy by nature. Or again: since the mindset and soul of the brave are precious, she still hunts even these.
Chapter 8: “I was the one in whom he rejoiced.” Said of God, “I was” does not mark time. It is temporal when it points to something under time, as in “I was in the marketplace.” But if she was with God in a way that fits the One without beginning, she herself is everlasting.
Chapter 10: “She enriches.” If everyone the Lord blesses is rich, and those who walk in the Lord’s law are blessed by the Lord, and the prophets walked in the Lord’s law, then those prophets were rich. “In laughter a fool does evil”: while he does evil he takes pleasure and rejoices. Wisdom, by contrast, bears understanding for a man—practical virtue.
Chapter 11: “Whoever does not go about with his own house will inherit winds.” Our house is God, in whom we move and are. So the one who does not walk in God’s commandments will share inheritance with the opposing powers. “From the fruit of righteousness a tree of life grows.” The fruit of righteousness is virtue’s end. A person has as many trees of life as fruits of righteousness. This is the tree of life planted in the middle of paradise, which Adam is barred from touching after the sin, having thrown away the seeds of righteousness from which that tree grows.
Chapter 12: “He will be a friend to himself.” Origen does not mention this line at all; it was found in
Greek · §5
ἀγρεύει. Καὶ ἡ 13.32 ἀγρευομένη ὑπὸ γυναικὸς ψυχὴ τιμία ἐστὶ τῇ φύ σει· οὐ γάρ ἐστι τῇ φύσει χοϊκή. Ἢ ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἀν δρείων τὸ φρόνημα καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ τιμία, ὅμως καὶ ταύ τας ἀγρεύει. {1ΚΕΦ. Ηʹ.}1 Ἐγὼ ἤμην ᾗ προσέχαιρε. Τὸ, ἤμην, ἐπὶ Θεοῦ χρόνον οὐ προσημαίνει· χρονικὸν γὰρ, ἡνίκα τι τῶν ὑπὸ χρόνον προσημαίνει, ὡς τὸ, Ἤμην ἐν ἀγορᾷ. Εἰ δὲ παρὰ Θεῷ ἦν ἁρμόζουσα τῷ ἀνάρχῳ, ἀΐδιος καὶ αὐτή. {1ΚΕΦ. Ιʹ.}1 Αὕτη πλουτίζει. Εἰ πᾶς ὁ εὐλογημένος παρὰ Κυρίου πλούσιος, οἱ δὲ πορευόμενοι ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου εὐλογοῦνται ὑπὸ Κυρίου, ἐπορεύθησαν δὲ ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου προφῆται· οὗτοι ἄρα πλούσιοι ἦσαν. Ἐν γέλωτι ἄφρων πράσσει κακά. Πράττων τὰ κακὰ ἥδεται καὶ χαίρει. Ἡ δὲ σοφία ἀνδρὶ τίκτει φρόνησιν, πρακτικὴν ἀρετήν. {1ΚΕΦ. ΙΑʹ.}1 Ὁ μὴ συμπεριφερόμενος τῷ ἑαυτοῦ οἴκῳ, κλη ρονομήσει ἀνέμους. Οἶκος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἐν ᾧ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμέν. Ὁ ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς οὖν τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ περιπατῶν συγκληρονόμος ἔσται τῶν ἐναν τίων δυνάμεων. Ἐκ καρποῦ δικαιοσύνης φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς. Καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης τὸ τέλος τῆς ἀρετῆς. Τοσαῦτα δένδρα ζωῆς ἔχει τις, ὅσους καρποὺς δικαιοσύνης. Τοῦτο τὸ δένδρον τῆς ζωῆς ἐστι τὸ φυτευθὲν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ παραδείσου, οὗ ἅψασθαι μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν κω λύεται Ἀδὰμ, τὰ σπέρματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀποβα λὼν, ἀφ' ὧν φύεται τὸ δένδρον τῆς ζωῆς. {1ΚΕΦ. ΙΒʹ.}1 Ἑαυτοῦ φίλος ἔσται. Τοῦτον τὸν στίχον ὅλως οὐ μέμνηται Ὠριγένης· εὑρέθη δὲ ἔν
King’s wrath as death’s messenger; three things hard to grasp (Prov 16–30)§6
6…in certain manuscript copies; for it stands neither in the Seventy nor in the others.
Chapter 16: “A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will propitiate him”—if the holy one is free of passion; or else the wrath must be read allegorically.
Chapter 25: “But in the places of the ungodly people are caught.” Their places are also the gatherings of the heretics.
Chapter 30: “Three things are impossible for me to understand.” For someone being led into scientific grasp, a theorem can be impossible; for a human it is impossible to contemplate and know what is beyond the human—say, the healing of the crab, even if angels know it; and it is impossible for anyone to understand what in no way exists and cannot come to be, for example that three is four. So the saying seems to concern things that do not exist. When an eagle leaves no tracks while flying through the air—unlike the tracks left in sandy ground by those who step on it—those tracks cannot be grasped; so also with a snake: on yielding earth paths can be known, but not on rock. “And the paths of a ship going through the sea.” Perhaps here the ship should be called Jesus and his disciples, and sometimes them alone—not sea-going, for at once the boat was at the land toward which they were going, by divine power. But a ship that does not carry Jesus
Greek · §6
τισιν ἀντι γράφοις· οὔτε γὰρ παρὰ τοῖς Οʹ, οὐδὲ παρ' ἄλλοις κεῖται. {1ΚΕΦ. Ι ʹ.}1 Θυμὸς βασιλέως ἄγγελος θανάτου· ἀνὴρ δὲ σοφὸς ἐξιλάσεται αὐτὸν, εἴπερ ὁ ἅγιος ἀπαθής· ἢ τὸν θυμὸν ἀλληγορητέον. {1ΚΕΦ. ΚΕʹ.}1 Ἐν δὲ τόποις ἀσεβῶν ἁλίσκονται ἄνθρωποι. Τόποι δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν αἱρετικῶν αἱ συνά ξεις. {1ΚΕΦ. Λʹ.}1 Τρία δέ μοί ἐστιν ἀδύνατα νοῆσαι. Ἀδύνατον εἰς νόησιν ἐπιστημονικὴν εἰσαγομένῳ θεώρημα, καὶ ἀδύνατον ἀνθρώπῳ θεωρεῖν τὰ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον καὶ νοεῖν, οἷον τοῦ καρκίνου τὴν θεραπείαν, κἂν ἄγγελοι ταύτην ἐπίστανται· ἀδύνατον νοηθῆναί τινι καὶ τὸ μηδαμῶς ὑπάρχον, μηδὲ γίνεσθαι δυνάμενον, οἷον τὸ τρία τέσσαρα εἶναι. Ἔοικε τοίνυν περὶ τῶν μὴ ὑπαρ χόντων εἰρῆσθαι. Μὴ καταλιπόντος γὰρ ἀετοῦ ἴχνη ἐν τῷ πέτεσθαι περὶ τὸν ἀέρα, ἀνάλογον τοῖς καταλει 13.33 πομένοις ἴχνεσιν ἐν τῇ γῇ τῇ ψαμμώδει τῶν ἐπιβάν των αὐτῆς, ἀδύνατόν ἐστι νοηθῆναι· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ ὄφεως· ἐν μὲν εὐείκτῳ γῇ δυνατὸν νοεῖσθαι ὁδοὺς, ἐν δὲ τῇ πέτρᾳ μή. Καὶ τρίβους νηὸς ποντοπορούσης. Μήποτε δὲ ναῦν ἐν τούτοις λεκτέον τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ τοὺς μαθη τὰς αὐτοῦ, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ μόνους αὐτούς· οὐ ποντοπο ροῦσαν· Εὐθέως γὰρ ἐγένετο τὸ πλοῖον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, εἰς ἣν ὑπῆγον, θείᾳ δυνάμει. Ναῦς δὲ μὴ φέρουσα τὸν Ἰησοῦν
Ship without Jesus; youth’s unstable ways; locust-like Church (Prov 30)§7
7…goes through the sea, and does so always, thrown off balance by opposing winds. And since life’s affairs are vanity—people always at sea, and no one advancing into eternal life—their paths cannot be grasped. So of the famous kings of the earth, or rulers too, no work foreign to piety is left after death; their glory has gone out.
He also says the ways of a man during youth are not recognizedized, inflamed by desires because manners are unstable; and of the adulteress likewise, because of shamelessness. Or this is the Church of the nations, which after washing through baptism says she has done nothing out of place. The righteous one is not “in youth,” since, perfected in a little, he filled long times. Such also is every adulterous woman—or a soul that alienated herself from the bridegroom, left her husband, and went after lovers.
“And she marches out from one command in good order.” The locust too is praised as orderly, obeying the command of God’s Word. Such is the Church: despised by people and compared to a locust as to living on the earth; yet because she gathers with Jesus
Greek · §7
ποντοπορεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο διὰ παντὸς, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων ἀκαταστατοῦσα πνευμάτων. Καὶ ἐπεὶ τοῦ βίου τὰ πράγματα ματαιότης, ποντοπορούντων ἀεὶ, καὶ μηδενὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων προάγοντος εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, οὐ δυνατὸν νοηθῆναι τὰς τρίβους αὐτῶν. Τοιγαροῦν τῶν ἐνδόξων τῆς γῆς βασιλέων ἢ καὶ ἀρχόντων ἀλλότριον θεοσεβείας ἔργον οὐδὲν καταλείπεται μετὰ τελευτήν. Ἐσβέσθη γὰρ αὐτῶν ἡ δόξα. Οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκονται δὲ, φησὶν, οὐδὲ ὁδοὶ ἀνδρὸς ἐν νεότητι, ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις πεπυρωμένου διὰ τὸ ἄστατον τῶν τρόπων· καὶ τῆς μοιχαλίδος, ὁμοίως διὰ τὸ ἀναίσχυντον. Ἢ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡ τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησία, ἥτις μετὰ τὸ ἀπολούσασθαι διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος οὐδέν φησιν ἄτοπον πεπραχέναι. Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν νεότητι, ἐπεὶ, τελειωθεὶς ἐν ὀλίγῳ, ἐπλήρωσε χρόνους μακρούς. Τοιαύτη καὶ πᾶσα γυνὴ μοιχαλὶς, ἢ ἀλλοτριώσασα ἑαυτὴν τοῦ νυμφίου, καὶ ψυχὴ καταλιποῦσα τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ ὀπίσω τῶν ἐραστῶν πορευομένη. Καὶ ἐκστρατεύει ἀφ' ἑνὸς κελεύσματος εὐτάκτως. Ὡς εὔτακτος ἐπαινεῖται καὶ ἡ ἀκρὶς, τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγου πειθομένη κελεύσματι. Τοιαύτη τίς ἐστιν ἡ Ἐκκλησία, διὰ τὸ πρὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων καταφρονεῖσθαι, ἀκρίδι ὡς πρὸς τὸ ζῇν ἐπὶ γῆς παραβαλλομένη· διὰ δὲ τὸ μετὰ Ἰησοῦ
Church camps under one command; he-goat leading the flock to height (Prov 30)§8
8…and not scattering, but putting on the full armor of God so as to stand against the devil’s schemes, camping in good order from one command. She is without a king under Pharaoh, but not under God, and the labors of the Egyptians are handed over to her. Perhaps because we were not under a king before Christ’s kingship, the locust is called kingless. They have no leader as bees do; each one leads. These are those lightened by choice from earthly things, walking an ordered life. Or locusts are also those who want to fly by intellect yet cannot, and so climb only a little from the earth. But if they share in the practical life, they will be led into one practical rank.
“And a he-goat leading a flock of goats.” Third is the he-goat—according to the Seventy alone—leading a goat flock, increasing and multiplying it and guiding it to pastures on the heights. No herd of animals climbs the high places like this. Such is the one who leads Christ’s people in the goat flock, raising them toward height. Otherwise the he-goat types Christ, offered for sin. To this one who is on high the whole multitude of the godly follows.
Greek · §8
συνάγεσθαι καὶ μὴ σκορπίζειν, ἀλλ' ἐνδύεσθαι τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα ἀντιστῇ πρὸς τὰς μεθοδείας τοῦ διαβόλου, ἀφ' ἑνὸς κελεύσματος εὐτάκτως στρατοπεδεύουσα· ἔστι δὲ ἀβασίλευτος ὑπὸ τοῦ Φαραὼ, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων οἱ πόνοι παραδίδονται ταύτῃ. Ἴσως δὲ διὰ μὴ βασιλεύεσθαι ἡμᾶς πρὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ βασιλείας, ἀβασίλευτον ἡ ἀκρίς. Οὐ γὰρ ἔχουσιν ἡγούμενον, καθάπερ αἱ μέλισσαι, ἀλλ' ἑκάστη ἡγεῖται. Οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ προαιρέσει κουφιζόμενοι τῶν γηΐνων, τεταγμένην ὁδεύοντες ζωήν. Ἢ καὶ ἀκρίδες, ὅσοι, τῇ νοήσει βουλόμενοι πέτεσθαι, ἀδυνατοῦντες ὀλίγον τῆς γῆς ἀνατρέχουσιν. Εἰ δὲ πρακτικὸν μεταλάβοιεν, εἰς ἓν τάγμα πρακτικὸν ἐναχθήσονται. Καὶ τράγος ἡγούμενος αἰπολίου. Τρίτος ὁ τράγος κατὰ μόνους τοὺς Οʹ ἡγούμενος αἰπολίου, αὔξων τε καὶ πληθύνων αὐτὸ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς ἐν ὑψηλοῖς νομὰς ὁδηγῶν. Οὐδεμία γὰρ ἀγέλη ζώων οὕτως ἐπιβαίνει τῶν ὑψηλῶν. Τοιοῦτος ὁ ἡγούμενος Χριστοῦ τοὺς ἐν τῷ αἰπολίῳ πρὸς ὕψος ἀνάγων. Ἄλλως ὁ τράγος τυποῖ τὸν Χριστὸν, ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας προσφερόμενος. Τούτῳ ἐν ὕψει ὄντι ἕπεται πᾶσα τῶν θεοσεβῶν ἡ πληθύς.