John Chrysostom, Fragments on Proverbs

to have been delivered; but the commandment also sets this right; and the teaching of the heretics might be as a married woman, and their slanderous speech, which he advises to guard against. - Let not the enchantments of refined phrasing carry you away. The price of a harlot is as much as one loaf of bread. Through the one loaf of bread he has shown the brevity of the pleasure, and the cheapness of its wage. -[ξοδ. φ. 34. α.] He will not be held guiltless. Nor will he who is clean of the act, but is defiled by other associations, be held guiltless; that is, he will not be clean; for just as it is not possible for those who have opened their eyes not to see, so it is not possible for desire not to be born when a woman is seen; why then do you heap fire upon nature? For he steals to fill his hungry soul. [ξοδ. φ. 34. β.] He says this not to release the thief from the charge, but for comparison; for the one has poverty as a defense, but the other is overcome by foolishness alone; and the one, when caught, will be subject to a fine only, but the other to death, and a disgraceful one at that; and according to theory, that it is not at all surprising if someone uses one or a second theorem of outside wisdom, so as to bring the truth to light through them, and to refute what seems certain to them; such as Paul taking every thought captive to Christ, and having dealt with the Athenians from their own inscription; but if, having abandoned true wisdom, we shall love that of the world, we commit adultery foolishly.

CHAPTER 7.

Bind them on your fingers. [ξοδ. φ. 35 α.] Fingers, on the one hand, signify more specific actions; but the hand is assigned to the whole action; he says therefore, that you should work at virtue even down to the smallest details; for thus you will have a broad heart for the reception of virtues; which Paul advised the Corinthians who did not have it, saying, Be ye also enlarged. [ξοδ. φ. 35. β.] Contemplation is a sister to us who have come into being, produced together with the incorporeal beings, whose forms are prudence, knowledge, education. From the strange woman, the polytheistic teaching; for it teaches pleasant things, being talkative, pleasure and love of money; If she should accost you with words intended to please; The words that accost to please are impassioned thoughts; but he who is devoted to the wisdom of God is kept from the evil that begets them. Her house, the breadth of her doctrines; a window, the particular.

CHAPTER 8.

Son, do you proclaim wisdom, etc. [ξοδ. φ. 38 α.] Desire, he says, wisdom, and the disposition of your mind will obey you; and the phrase "On the high places," either means that what she says is manifest, or that she makes men lofty; and the perfect man, knowing that wisdom made all things, sees both her height and her lowliness or treading upon the paths; but the newly planted, knowing only her height, ought to call her to him that he may see her; so as to easily hear her voice; Only walk to her; and the phrase "by the gates of the mighty," either means that she makes men mighty, or that they especially have need of her; or that she attends upon the introductory words of teachers; for one who is in her vestibules hears her being praised; and she is said sometimes to be praised in the goings out, and sometimes in the comings in by those who are departing from evil and entering into virtue. Then he introduces her discoursing, which is sufficient to attract; You, O men, I exhort; and I send forth my voice to the sons of men. Even if the profit is yours, he says, yet I exhort; and man is the same as sons of men; or men, on the one hand, are the perfect, deemed worthy of exhortation;

ἀπηλλάχθαι· ἀλλ' ἡ ἐντολὴ καὶ τοῦτο κατορθοῖ· εἴη δ' ἂν καὶ ὕπανδρος ἡ τῶν ἑτεροδόξων διδασκαλία, καὶ ὁ συκοφάντης αὐτῶν λόγος, ἣν φυλάσσεσθαι παραινεῖ. - Μή σε συναρπάσῃ τὰ γοητεύματα τῆς κεκομψευμένης φράσεως. Τιμὴ πόρνης ὅση καὶ ἑνὸς ἄρτου. Τὴν βραχύτητα τῆς ἡδονῆς, καὶ τὴν εὐτέλειαν τοῦ ταύτης μισθώματος διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἐνέφηνεν ἄρτου. -[ξοδ. φ. 34. α.] Οὐκ ἀθωωθήσεται. Οὐδὲ ὁ καθαρεύων τῆς πράξεως, ταῖς δὲ λοιπαῖς ὁμιλίαις μιαινόμενος, ἀθωωθήσεται· ἀντὶ τοῦ, καθαρὸς οὐκ ἔσται· ὡς γὰρ οὐκ ἔνι τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀνοίξαντας, μὴ βλέπειν, οὕτως οὐκ ἔνι γυναικὸς ὁρωμένης, ἐπιθυμίαν μὴ τίκτεσθαι· τί οὖν πῦρ ἐπιστοιβάζεις τῇ φύσει; Κλέπτει γὰρ ἵνα ἐμπλήσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ πεινῶσαν. [ξοδ. φ. 34. β.] Οὐκ ἀπολύων τὸν κλέπτην ἐγκλήματος τοῦτο λέγει, ἀλλὰ πρὸς σύγκρισιν· ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὴν πενίαν ἔχει ἀπολογίαν, ὁ δὲ ἀφροσύνῃ μόνῃ χειροῦται· καὶ ὁ μὲν ζημίᾳ ὑποκείσεται ἁλοὺς μόνῃ, ὁ δὲ θανάτῳ καὶ τούτῳ ἐπονειδίστῳ· κατὰ δὲ θεωρίαν, ὅτι οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν, εἴ τις ἑνὶ καὶ δευτέρῳ κέχρηται θεωρήματι τῆς ἔξω σοφίας, ὡς δι' αὐτῶν εἰς φῶς ἄγειν τὸ ἀληθὲς, καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῖς δοκοῦντα βέβαια διελέγχειν· ὁποῖος ὁ Παῦλος αἰχμαλωτίζων πᾶν νόημα εἰς Χριστὸν, καὶ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας ποιήσας ἐπιγραφῆς· εἰ δὲ τὴν ἀληθῆ σοφίαν ἀφέντες, ἀγαπήσομεν τὴν τοῦ κόσμου, ἀφρόνως μοιχεύομεν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ζʹ.

Περίθου αὐτοὺς τοῖς δακτύλοις. [ξοδ. φ. 35 α.] ∆άκτυλοι μὲν, τὰς μερικωτέρας πράξεις δηλοῦσιν· ἡ δὲ χεὶρ, ἐπὶ τῆς ὁλοσχεροῦς τάττεται πράξεως· φησὶν οὖν, ὅτι καὶ τῶν λεπτῶν μέχρι ἐργάζου τὴν ἀρετήν· οὕτως γὰρ πλατεῖαν ἕξεις τὴν καρδίαν εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀρετῶν ὑποδοχήν· ὃ τοῖς Κορινθίοις οὐκ ἔχουσι παρῄνει Παῦλος, Πλατύνθητε, λέγων, καὶ ὑμεῖς. [ξοδ. φ. 35. β.] Ἀδελφὴ ἡμῶν τῶν γεγονότων ἡ θεωρία, συμπαραχθεῖσα τοῖς ἀσωμάτοις, ἦς εἴδη φρόνησις, γνῶσις, παιδεία. Ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ἀλλοτρίας, τῆς πολυθέου διδασκαλίας· ἡδέα γὰρ διδάσκει, στωμύλος οὖσα, ἡδονὴν καὶ φιλοχρηματίαν· Ἐάν σε λόγοις τοῖς πρὸς χάριν ἐμβάλληται· Οἱ πρὸς χάριν ἐμβάλλοντες λόγοι, οἱ ἐμπαθεῖς εἰσι λογισμοί· τηρεῖται δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς γεννώσης αὐτοὺς πονηρίας ὁ τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ σχολάζων. Οἶκος αὐτῆς, τὸ πλάτος τῶν δογμάτων· θυρὶς, τὸ μερικόν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ηʹ.

Υἱὲ, σὺ τὴν σοφίαν κήρυξον, κ. τ. λ. [ξοδ. φ. 38 α.] Ἐπιθύμησον, φησὶ τὴν σοφίαν, καὶ ἡ ἕξις τῶν φρενῶν ὑπακούσεταί σου· τὸ δὲ Ἐπ' ἄκρων, ἢ ὅτι φανερά ἐστιν, ἃ λέγει, ἢ ὅτι ὑψηλοὺς ποιεῖ· καὶ ὁ τέλειος εἰδὼς, ὅτι πάντα ἡ σοφία ἐποίησεν, ὁρᾷ καὶ ὕψος αὐτῆς, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν τρίβων ταπείνωσιν ἢ ἐπίβασιν· ὁ δὲ ἀρτίφυτος μόνον τὸ ὕψος εἰδὼς, προσκαλέσασθαι αὐτὸν ὀφείλει ἵνα ἴδῃ αὐτήν· ὥστε ῥᾳδίως ἐπακοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς· Μόνον βάδισον ἐπ' αὐτήν· τὸ παρὰ πύλαις δὲ δυναστῶν, ἢ ὅτι δυνάστας ποιεῖ, ἢ ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι μάλιστα αὐτῆς χρείαν ἔχουσιν· ἢ ὅτι τοῖς εἰσαγωγικοῖς παρεδρεύει τῶν διδασκάλων λόγοις· ἐν γὰρ τοῖς προθύροις αὐτῆς τις γενόμενος, ὑμνουμένης ἀκούει· λέγεται δὲ ποτὲ μὲν ἐν ἐξόδοις, ποτὲ δὲ ἐν εἰσόδοις ὑμνεῖσθαι παρὰ τοῖς ἐξερχομένοις ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας, καὶ εἰσερχομένοις εἰς τὴν ἀρετήν. Εἶτα εἰσάγει αὐτὴν διαλεγομένην, ὅπερ ἱκανὸν ἐπισπάσασθαι· Ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, παρακαλῶ· καὶ προΐεμαι ἐμὴν φωνὴν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων. Εἰ καὶ ὑμῶν ἐστι τὸ κέρδος, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ παρακαλῶ· ταὐτὸν δὲ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων· ἢ ἄνθρωποι μὲν, οἱ τέλειοι παρακλήσεως ἀξιούμενοι·