Exposition on Proverbs 1 part 4/4

'Thus it is unseemly for a righteous man to fall before an impious man': Of the mind's notions, some are called its falls, others its risings, others its sitting, others its standing, and others again its walking, and some of them are named its stumblings;

and others hard and soft, and fragrant and foul-smelling, and sweet and bitter, and smooth and straight and crooked;

and again some of them are called thorns and thistles, others light and darkness, and life and death, and others diseases and health;

and yet others again are named falsehood and truth;

and Scripture assigns many other names both to the soul and to its notions.

Now those which it assigns to the soul itself — to mention a few out of many — are these:

mind, soul, heart, man, husband, wife, slave, servant, father, son, spirit, eye, mouth, lips, tongue, throat, belly, bosom, arm, finger, wood, nostril, sheep, kid, shepherd — and there are yet many more names of the soul, which it is not possible to set out here now, since the form of the scholia does not admit of prolixity.

Here, then, a righteous mind falls before Satan, when it receives an unclean thought or a false doctrine.

'Before him shall all who go down to the earth fall prostrate.'

But this falling encompasses true knowledge and pure thoughts.

'Thus is a man who does anything without counsel': By 'counsel' here he means the heart's inclination toward what is better.

'A whip for the horse, and a goad for the donkey, and a rod for a foolish nation (

'unlawful' [variant reading]): The rod here is a symbol

of the ways). 'He who sends a message by the hand of a foolish messenger procures reproach for himself': One must not give holy things to dogs, nor cast pearls before swine.

'Take away the walking of the legs, and the proverb from the mouth of fools': Take away the fool's evil way, and put false knowledge far from him.

'He who binds a stone in a sling is like one who gives glory to a fool': Knowledge does not suit a fool, just as a worthless stone does not suit a golden sling.

'All the flesh of fools is sorely storm-tossed, for their derangement is shattered': If the derangement of fools, by which they were estranged from God, is shattered, then, becoming pure again, they draw near to God;

for 'all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'

But it must be observed here that he has called the souls thickened by vice 'the flesh of fools';

'My spirit shall not abide in these men forever, because they are flesh.'

'As a dog, when he returns to his own vomit, becomes hateful, so is a fool who reverts to his own vice (

): He who has cast off his vice and turns back again to it is like a dog eating its own vomit.

'The sluggard, having hidden his hand in his bosom, cannot bring it forth': If the tree of life grows from the fruits of righteousness, then everyone who conceals righteousness through unrighteousness shall not eat from this tree.

'As he who seizes a dog by the tail, so is he who involves himself in another's dispute': This saying must be applied against those who vote certain unworthy men into the priesthood or the clergy.

'But where there is no double-minded man, strife shall be stilled': By 'double-minded' he means the wrathful man.

'Smooth lips conceal a wicked heart': Grief shall not overtake a pure heart, for it has driven perishable desires out from itself.

'If your enemy beseeches you, entreating (

) with a loud voice — do not be persuaded by him': Satan entreats us, at times tickling us through unclean thoughts and drawing us on by the smoothness of pleasure, and at other times putting forth so articulate a voice, as though defeated, that one might trust him — yet one ought not to be persuaded, since he wages an implacable war against us.

'For there are seven wickednesses in his heart': These wickednesses stand opposed to the seven spirits.

'A soul that is full mocks honeycombs, but to a soul in want (

'in need') even bitter things appear sweet': A pure soul delights in knowledge;

but an unclean soul even considers falsely-named knowledge to be true knowledge.

'Thus a man is enslaved, when he is estranged from his own places': The place of the heart is virtue and knowledge; estranged from these, a man falls into vice and ignorance, and becomes a slave;

since 'everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.'

'The heart delights in perfumes and wines and incense': A mind free from passion delights in manifold wisdom;

but a mind subject to passion will fall into ignorances.

'Do not abandon your friend, nor your father's friend': 'They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have hewn out for themselves cisterns.'

'But do not enter your brother's house in misfortune': Such was the man who entered the wedding feast and did not have a wedding garment.

'Better is a friend near than a brother dwelling far off (

'dwelling' [variant reading]): Better is he who is joined to me through true knowledge than he who is joined to me through knowledge that is not true.

'Take away his garment, for an insolent man has passed by': This is what is said in the Gospel: 'And from him who has not, even what he seems to have shall be taken away from him.'

— that is, the garments of the knowledge of God, taken away from those men who have made ill use of them.

'He who plants a fig tree shall eat its fruits': Our Lord is the fig tree;

for its fruit heals leprosy.

'If you scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the assembly, you will not remove his folly': It is not by disgracing the fool that you will free him from his folly, but by teaching him what sort of disgrace folly brings about.

'You shall know well the souls of your flock': Give heed to yourself, and set your virtues aright, because men are not always equally strong in them;

nor do they pass soundly from virtue to virtue, or from knowledge to knowledge, since the human condition does not easily admit those who ... [lacuna in the text]

But that he calls 'generations' the virtues and the kinds of knowledge, according to which the saints are begotten, he shows through what he writes:

'The generation of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and wealth and glory and life.'

This proverb must also be applied to the shepherds of the churches, who ought to give heed not to outward appearances but to hearts, and to shepherd the sheep noetically.

'Attend to the green plants in the field, and you shall reap grass': By 'field' he means the mind, and by 'green plants' the virtues that exist within it potentially;

he who attends to these reaps grass, which is a symbol of the knowledge of God, which again he also calls 'mountain herbage';

for the mountain herbage is the knowledge of the holy powers, fitting to the more irrational condition of souls.

It is Scripture's custom to call the saints 'mountains.'

Thus David too lifts up his soul to the mountains, whence his help shall come;

and again, 'the mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like lambs of the flock,' at the salvation of Israel;

for if the angels rejoice over one who repents, how much more over so great a multitude journeying from vice to virtue.

Therefore also the knowledge of the holy angels alone nourishes the virtues in us, from which the soul puts on a heart of compassion, kindness, patience, humility, faith, self-control, love, and the good things begotten from this love.

That David too calls the rational souls 'fields' one may learn from the following:

'For your fields,' he says, 'shall be filled with fatness;'

'And the valleys shall abound with grain;'

'they shall cry out, for they shall also sing hymns.'

but hymn-singing and crying out belong by nature only to rational nature.

'A man given to impieties oppresses the poor': If there is a man courageous in impieties, there is also a man courageous in virtues;

And if the man who is courageous in impieties oppresses the poor, then the man who is courageous in virtues comforts the poor;

therefore everyone who comforts the poor is courageous in acts of piety.

“But those who love the law gird themselves about with a wall”: Everyone who loves the law does the law, and everyone who does the law acquires freedom from passion and knowledge of God;

and if those who love the law gird themselves about with a wall, here the wall signifies freedom from passion and the knowledge of God, which alone are by nature able to guard the rational nature.

“But he who shepherds dissoluteness dishonors his father”: By ‘shepherd’ he means the mind, and by ‘sheep’ the passionate notions within it, which, by nurturing them in himself through transgression of the law, he dishonors God;

for dissoluteness of the soul is passionate thoughts carried into effect through the body;

but dissoluteness of the mind is the acceptance of false doctrines and speculations.

“He who multiplies his wealth with interest and increase gathers it for him who shows mercy to the poor”: If the wealth of the impious is vice, and wise men will destroy it, then evidently the righteous and the wise destroy vice, leading the unclean back to virtue through spiritual teaching.

“He who turns away his ear so as not to listen” (

or, “to listen”) to the law, his prayer too is abominable”: It is not the law that abhors anyone's prayer, but God who gave the law.

But Scripture, foreseeing what was to come, put this in place of ‘he who gave the Scripture.’

“But he who expounds and reproves” (

or, “with reproofs”) “will be loved”: “I said,

I will confess my transgression against myself to the Lord, and you forgave the impiety of my heart.”

“A hungry lion and a thirsty wolf is he who, though poor, tyrannizes a needy people”: If those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, then lions and wolves are those who thirst and hunger for unrighteousness.

“A king lacking revenues is a great oppressor”: The revenues of the evil king are vices and false doctrines;

for these are the revenue that those ruled by him render to him.

“He who becomes surety for a man accused of murder will be a fugitive and not in safety”: He who becomes surety for Satan becomes surety for unrighteousness, promising to render to him the fruits of unrighteousness.

And concerning this the Gospel too speaks, of one who had been cast into prison for murder and insurrection.

“He will not obey a lawless nation”: The lawless nation is the order of demons, which the son who has been instructed does not obey.

“He who works his own land shall be filled with bread”: He who purifies himself will be filled with knowledge, but the unclean will be filled with ignorance.

“He who respects the faces of the unjust” (

or “of the just”), “is not good”: If the faces of the righteous are the virtues, then he who does not respect the virtues is not good;

and if the faces of sinners are the vices, then good is he who does not respect the vices.

“The envious man hastens to be rich”: Therefore the merciful, having received mercy from God in the age to come and having become angels, will rule over the impious.

And such a dignity the Lord also promised to give to his disciples, that they should sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And the throne is that on which the mind sits — spiritual knowledge, which gathers together those who have strayed from the reverence of God.

And ‘to judge’ here signifies ‘to teach,’ as in, ‘Open your mouth with the word of God, and judge all things soundly,’ in place of ‘Teach.’

And at the same time this too must be known: that the merciful man, having gained mastery over the envious man, will not himself become envious, but will rather make the envious man merciful.

“But at the destruction of those men the righteous will be multiplied”: If the impious put off being impious, they will become righteous;

for ‘destruction’ here signifies the abolition of impiety.

Thus also the Lord, having destroyed Matthew the tax-collector, granted him righteousness.

“For suddenly, while he is burning, there is no healing”: He did not say that there is no healing once the flame has ceased, but that there is no healing while he is burning, as one who evidently still has wood, hay, and stubble;

since indeed for those who are cauterized, health is by nature wont to come about after the cautery.

“When impious men rule, men groan”: As many as are under the rulers and the authorities and the world-rulers of this darkness, all these also groan.

“But he who keeps harlots will destroy his wealth”: And he who nurtures vices will destroy his wealth.

A good shepherd is the mind that has acquired thoughts free from passion;

and an evil shepherd is the mind that has acquired passionate thoughts.

And if this is so, then the goat-kid is a passionate thought, and the sheep is a thought free from passion;

wherefore the Lord also sets the goats on the left, and the sheep on the right;

and he calls ‘goats’ and ‘sheep’ those who have acquired goats and sheep, that is, those who have thoughts free from passion and passionate thoughts.

Thus too he called those who have the tares ‘tares,’ and those who have the wheat ‘wheat,’ naming them after their worst and best condition.

Such also is what is said in Paul, ‘Love does not boast,’ in place of ‘He who has love.’

“A righteous king raises up the land”: Christ raises up the rational nature;

but the Antichrist tears it down.

“And the poor man has no discerning mind”: Therefore the poor man is he who does not have a discerning mind.

“But the base man, when angered, is laughed to scorn and does not tremble”: And concerning him, David says, they will laugh and say:

“Behold the man who did not make God his helper.”

...partakers) hate the holy one, but the upright seek out (

or “will seek out”) his soul”: This man seeks out the soul of the righteous, who wishes to understand the things it has conceived.

“But the wise man dispenses [his anger] in part”: This is the man who dispenses his wrath in part — either he who is angered at righteous matters, or he who through patience consumes his wrath in part;

and to the simpler sort the former must be said, but to the earnest the latter.

“There shall be no expounder for a lawless nation”: For those who have kept the law there will be an expounder;

but for those who have transgressed the law, there will be no expounder, but there will be a chastiser;

since indeed it is not a word but a rod that is given to a lawless nation.

“A stubborn servant will not be instructed by words”: That no one is stubborn by nature is shown by the words, ‘For even if he understands, he will not obey’;

for he who is stubborn by nature would never understand anything rightly.

And I say this on account of Pharaoh, who was hardened concerning Israel, and was instructed not by words but by scourges.

“He who lives wantonly from childhood” (

or “from a servant-child”) “will become a servant”: If living wantonly causes one to sin, and everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin, then everyone who lives wantonly is a slave of sin.

“Insolence humbles a man”: Here he calls vice the insolence of the rational soul.

“He who shares with a thief hates his own soul”: The thief, he says, does not come except to steal and to slay and to destroy.

“But if, when an oath has been proclaimed, having heard it they do not declare [it]”: He called the law an oath;

for just as an oath places God within the soul, so also the law brings God into the soul;

and just as, conversely, perjury removes God from the soul, so also transgression of the law casts God out of it.

If, therefore, he says, when the law has been set forth they hear it and do not confess their own sins, having feared and been ashamed before men, they will be tripped up.

“I have sworn, and I have resolved, to keep the judgments of your righteousness.”

And again Solomon says:

“He who covers his own impiety will not prosper, but he who expounds and reproves will be loved.”

And David says, ‘I said, I will confess my transgression against myself to the Lord, and you forgave the impiety of my heart.’

And you, be the first to declare your iniquities.

Many court the faces of rulers: In doing what is right, we attend to the angels;

for they are our rulers, who took us from the beginning, when the Most High divided the nations and set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of his angels.

And the just verdict of that judgment shall be ours from the Lord on that day, when he judges the world in righteousness;

since the Father has given all judgment to the Son.

Who shall find a valiant woman? Courage is the best disposition of the rational soul, by which it has mastered the enemies set against it.

Such a woman shall not lack for spoils: Having conquered the opposing power, we despoil it, learning the principles that concern it.

Winding wool and flax: The soul winds wool and flax when it exercises itself in the principles concerning animate and inanimate things, or examines the principles concerning the practical and the natural.

But someone said that the soul winds wool and flax when, through the practical life, it draws to itself the contemplation concerning bodies and bodiless things.

And rising up while it was yet night (

and) gave food to her household: The sun of righteousness finds the soul that rises from the night watchful;

and certainly also praying, that it may not fall into temptation;

for it too hastens to say, 'I have kept watch, and have become like a sparrow alone upon the housetop.'

And her lamp is not extinguished the whole night: The lamp is the pure mind, filled with spiritual contemplation.

...) she puts her hands to the spindle: The spindle is the pure mind, interweaving virtue with virtue and doctrine with doctrine;

or the uttered word, which draws spiritual contemplation forth from the mind.

Her husband is not anxious for those in the house, whenever...

...wherever) she tarries: The mind would not advance, nor come to be in the contemplation of bodiless things, unless it has first set right the things within;

for the disturbance of household affairs is wont to turn it back to the things from which it had gone forth;

but having acquired this, it will abide long in contemplation, and will not be anxious for the things in the house;

for the irascible part has put on gentleness and humility, and the desiring part temperance and self-control.

Garments of fine linen and purple for herself: The principles of earth and sea are garments of fine linen and purple for the rational soul.

But another will say that the contemplation of the things that have come to be, and the contemplation of the Holy Trinity, is the garment of fine linen and purple for the pure mind.

She made linen sheets and sold them, and belts...

...) to the Canaanites: The linen sheet that appeared to Peter upon the housetop was a symbol of the sensible world;

for the living creatures contained within it signified the various characters of men, purified by the cross of Christ.

If then the one sheet signified this world, perhaps the several sheets contain the contemplation concerning the different worlds, which the pure soul, having contemplated, imparted also to others.

And if the Canaanites are interpreted as meaning 'the lowly,' rightly did she not give the sheets to those lowly in understanding, but the sheets to the pure, and to the Canaanites the belts, which are symbols of the practical life, girding tight the passible part of the soul.

The pursuits of her house are watertight: If the devil is king of all that are in the waters, and finds no rest through waterless places, rightly are the pursuits of the pure soul said to be watertight.

And she did not eat the bread of idleness: They say that the bread of idleness is the vices.

For a discerning woman is blessed; let her praise the fear of the Lord: If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, rightly does the soul that has attained wisdom praise the fear of the Lord, which has become for it the procurer of such knowledge.

These have been transcribed from what we found in the Hexapla,

and again Pamphilus and Eusebius corrected them by hand.