Proverbs of Solomon son of David; wisdom; parable and house (Prov 1)
Fragments 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
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,
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Fragmenta ex commentariis in Proverbia (Greek).
Original English Translation of Origen’s Fragmenta ex commentariis in Proverbia — new OET from PG 13 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 13 (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.