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brings punishment; but impious men, are those who are perfect in wickedness. V. 11. They hide in the earth those whom they persuade to mind earthly things; but you will understand a righteous man to be the one having a heavenly mindset. But these things can be understood both in reference to Christ, and in reference to the people of the Jews. Scripture indicates sufficiency through "swallowing up," as in: "lest such a one be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow." They say, therefore, that having cast down and conquered the one who has a heavenly mindset, let us convert him to ourselves, so that he minds earthly things. But he is swallowed up alive who has a right opinion concerning what must be done, and has cast it away. V. 11. By counsel he means the choice, according to which we choose to do what is to be done, or not; and by thought, that which is concerning things to be contemplated, so as to leave them and be appropriated to God, to keep his commandments with all one's strength. V. 3. He who has the virtues as a habit, not being superficially negligent of them, this one has them written on the tablet of his own heart, that is, on the depth of his own soul, or of his continual desire, so that the adversary may not turn you aside. V. 8. By body I mean the collection of the powers of the soul; by bones, its solid powers; for all our bones shall say: Lord, Lord. V. 16. Her right hand is the knowledge of divine things, from which comes eternal life; but her left, the knowledge of human things. V. 18. Here again he calls the cross the tree of life. For to those who are sincerely dependent on Christ, a varied life drips from the tree; but for those who rely on its foundations, a strong confirmation is unswervingly fixed, as for those who are securely established upon the Lord. -But if the wisdom of God is a tree of life, Adam was rightly prevented from partaking of it. For wisdom will not enter into a deceitful soul; since from the fruits of righteousness a tree of life grows. And not finding to what he might compare the one who hopes in the Lord, he turns the saying to himself, speaking as to the Lord: For he who relies on her, inasmuch as he hopes in God, is secure. V. 20. This is fitting also now for the Son of God, being the wisdom and prudence of God. But the faithful soul is also earth, bearing fruit a hundredfold; and she becomes wise from the richness of wisdom, when God the Father establishes her upon it. For He establishes in her the introduction of teaching, making a fixture from wisdom in her, and showing her always advancing; and he works out a most pure creation, heaven, the dwelling-place of angels and of intelligible beings. And having received perception of what is, and understanding the precision of things, such as the `πο 39.1628` great depth of the judgments of God, he called these things clouds, or he called the prophets clouds, and their teaching dew. Do not be outside the drinkable water of life. By counsel he means the movement concerning things to be done; by thought, that concerning things to be contemplated; he said the neck is the soul itself, which has borne the yoke of the Lord. And just as the neck is adorned with necklaces, so the soul will receive the rewards of God in the kingdom, as also in this life his commandments. Even the glorious things of the wicked are cursed; but even the more humble things of the righteous are blessed. By house he means the powers of the rational soul; and by folds, those of the spirited and the appetitive parts; for in them the irrational passions reside. V. 8. The honor of wisdom is the keeping of the commandments; and wisdom is Christ, whose bride is the soul that honors him through virtues, which will be embraced by him. V. 20. Just as for some infant child he always sets prizes for its attentions, and rouses it when it has been frightened away somewhere. And the fountains of life are the virtues, from which comes the living water, the knowledge of Christ.

For the one who advances in wisdom, there are many fountains, and not one; but according to the multitude of virtues. For those who keep these exhortations, he says, they become life; these are the prize. V. 26. Walk rightly the path of life, he says. The feet of the soul are its transitional impulses; for virtue is a mean. V. 2.

2

κόλασιν ἐπιφέρει· ἄνδρες γε μὴν ἀσεβεῖς, οἱ ἐν κακίᾳ τέλειοι. Στ. ιαʹ. Κρύπτουσιν εἰς γῆν, οὒς ἂν πείσωσι τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονεῖν· ἄνδρα δὲ δίκαιον νοήσεις τὸν οὐράνιον ἔχοντα φρόνημα. ∆ύναται δὲ ταῦτα νοεῖσθαι καὶ εἰς Χριστὸν, καὶ εἰς τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων λαόν. Τὸ ἱκανὸν ἡ Γραφὴ δηλοῖ διὰ τοῦ καταπιεῖν, ὡς ἐν τῷ· "Ἵνα μὴ τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ καταποθῇ τοιοῦτος." Φασὶν οὖν, ὅτι Τὸν οὐράνιον ἔχοντα φρόνημα καθελόντες καὶ νικήσαντες, εἰς ἑαυτοὺς μεταστήσωμεν, ὥστε τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονεῖν. Ζῶν δὲ καταπίεται ὁ δόξαν ἔχων ὀρθὴν περὶ τῶν πρακτέων, καὶ ταύτην ἀποβαλών. Στ. ιαʹ. Βουλὴν δὲ λέγει τὴν προαίρεσιν, καθ' ἣν αἱρούμεθα τὰ πρακτέα ποιεῖν, ἢ καὶ μή· ἔννοιαν δὲ τὴν περὶ τὰ θεωρητὰ, ὥστε καταλιμπάνειν αὐτὰ, καὶ Θεῷ προσοικειοῦσθαι, τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ὅση δύναμις φυλάττεσθαι. Στ. γʹ. Ἐν ἕξει τὰς ἀρετὰς ἔχων, μὴ ἐπιπολαίως καταῤῥᾳθυμῶν αὐτῶν, οὗτος ἔχει αὐτὰς γεγραμμένας ἐπὶ πλακὸς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ καρδίας, ἐπὶ τοῦ βάθους δηλαδὴ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς, ἤτοι τῆς διηνεκοῦς ἐπιθυμήσεως, ἵνα ὁ ἐξ ἐναντίας μὴ παρατρέπῃ σε. Στ. ηʹ. Σῶμα τὸ ἄθροισμα τῶν δυνάμεων τῆς ψυχῆς λέγω· ὀστᾶ, αἱ στερεαὶ δυνάμεις αὐτῆς· πάντα γὰρ τὰ ὀστᾶ ἡμῶν ἐροῦσι· Κύριε, Κύριε. Στ. ιςʹ. ∆εξιὰ αὐτῆς, ἡ τῶν θείων ἐπιστήμη, ἐξ ὧν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή· ἀριστερὰ δὲ, ἡ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων γνῶσις. Στ. ιηʹ. Ἐνταῦθα πάλιν ξύλον ζωῆς τὸν σταυρὸν ὀνομάζει. Τοῖς γὰρ εἱλικρινῶς ἐξηρτημένοις ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ ἡ διάφορος ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου ἀποστάζει ζωή· τοῖς δὲ ἐπερειδομένοις ταῖς κρηπῖσιν αὐτοῦ βεβαίωσις ὀχυρὰ πέπηγεν ἀκλινῶς, οἷα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ Κύριον ἀσφαλῶς ἱδρυμένοις. -Εἰ δὲ ξύλον ζωῆς, ἡ σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ· δικαίως κεκώλυται μεταλαβεῖν αὐτῆς ὁ Ἀδάμ. Εἰς γὰρ κακότεχνον ψυχὴν σοφία οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται· ἐπείπερ ἀπὸ καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς. Μὴ εὑρηκὼς δὲ τίνι ὁμοιώσει τὸν ἐλπίζοντα ἐπὶ Κύριον, εἰς ἑαυτὸν μεταστρέφει τὸν λόγον, λέγων ὡς ἐπὶ Κύριον· Ὁ γὰρ ἐπερειδόμενος ἐπ' αὐτῇ, ἅτε δὴ εἰς Θεὸν ἐλπίζων, ἐστὶν ἀσφαλής. Στ. κʹ. Ἁρμόττει τοῦτο καὶ νῦν τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει ὄντι Θεοῦ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ πιστὴ γῆ ἐστιν, ἑκατονταπλασίονα καρποφοροῦσα· αὔτη δὲ ἐκ τῆς πιότητος τῆς σοφίας γίνεται σοφὴ, θεμελιοῦντος αὐτὴν ἐπ' αὐτῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. Ἑδράζει γὰρ αὐτῇ τὴν εἰσαγωγὴν τῆς διδασκαλίας, πῆξιν ἀπὸ σοφίας ποιούμενος ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ ἀεὶ προκόπτουσαν αὐτὴν ἀποδεικνύς· οὐρανὸν δὲ ἐργάζεται καθαρώτατον κτίσμα, ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν νοερῶν οὐσιῶν οἰκητήριον. Λαβοῦσα δὲ αἴσθησιν τοῦ ὄντος, καὶ κατανοοῦσα τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκρίβειαν, οἷον τὸ πο 39.1628 λύβυθον τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ κριμάτων, νέφη ταῦτα προσεῖπεν ἢ νέφη τοῦς προφήτας ἐκάλεσε, δρόσον τὴν διδασκαλίαν. Μὴ ἐκτὸς γένῃ τοῦ ποτίμου τῆς ζωῆς ὕδατος. Βουλὴν δὲ λέγει τὴν περὶ πρακτέα κίνησιν· ἔννοιαν, τὴν περὶ τὰ θεωρητικά· τράχηλον τὴν αὐτὴν ψυχὴν εἶπε, τὴν βαστάσασαν τὸν ζυγὸν τοῦ Κυρίου. Ὥσπερ δὲ ὁ τράχηλος τοὺς στηθοδέσμους περίκειται, οὕτως ἡ ψυχὴ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ γέρα κομιεῖται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ, ὡς καὶ ἐν τῇδε τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ. Τῶν ἀσεβῶν καὶ τὰ ἐπίδοξα κεκατήραται· τῶν δὲ δικαίων καὶ τὰ εὐτελέστερα ηὐλόγηται. Οἶκον δὲ λέγει τῆς λογικῆς ψυχῆς τὰς δυνάμεις· ἐπαύλεις δὲ, τὰς τοῦ θυμικοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἐπιθυμητικοῦ· ἐν αὐταῖς γὰρ τὰ ἄλογα διατρίβουσι πάθη. Στ. ηʹ. Τιμὴ σοφίας, ἡ τήρησις τῶν ἐντολῶν· σοφία δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς, οὗ νύμφη ἡ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν τιμῶσα αὐτὸν ψυχὴ, ἥτις ὑπ' αὐτοῦ περιληφθήσεται. Στ. κʹ. Καθάπερ νηπίῳ τινὶ παιδίῳ ἔπαθλα ἀεὶ ταῖς προσοχαῖς τίθησι, καὶ διεγείρει ἔξω που διεπτοημένον. Πηγαὶ δὲ ζωῆς, αἱ ἀρεταὶ, ἀφ' ὧν τὸ ζῶν ὕδωρ, ἡ γνῶσις ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Τῷ κατὰ σοφίαν προκόπτοντι, πολλαὶ πηγαὶ, καὶ οὐ μία γίνεται· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀρετῶν. Τοῖς τὰς παραινέσεις, φησὶ, φυλάττουσι ταύτας, ζωὴ γίνονται· αὗται τὸ ἆθλον. Στ. κςʹ. Τὴν κατὰ τὸν βίον πορείαν ὀρθῶς βάδιζε, φησί. Πόδες εἰσὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αἱ μεταβατικαὶ ταύτης ὁρμαί· μεσότης γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀρετή. Στ. βʹ.