Basil of Caesarea, Homily on the Beginning of Proverbs

ready to hear. Through these and such things, therefore, he gives the young child the sense of healthy hearing. And when he says, Pay no heed to a worthless woman; and again, Do not rest your eye upon her; and, Let your eyes look straight ahead; it is clear that he is bestowing, as it were, the sight of the soul on the child. And when he advises, Eat honey, son, that your throat may be sweetened (calling the divine teaching honey tropologically; For how sweet, he says, are your words to my throat, sweeter than honey to my mouth); through this advice he perfects the spiritual taste of the soul, about which it is said: 31.416 Taste and see that the Lord is good. There is also a certain touch of the soul, by which wisdom grasps it, as if embracing its own virtue. For he says, Love her, that she may embrace you; and again Ecclesiastes, A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. For bodies are defiled by unclean embraces; but the soul, being united to wisdom through and through by its embrace, is filled with sanctification and purity. Thus, then, he bestows perception on a young child. But how does he create understanding? When he says: Possessions will not profit in an evil day. For he casts a thought into your heart concerning that day, in which the multitude of your riches will not suffice you, nor will it deliver you from eternal punishment. Or when he says: But the innocent will inherit the earth; that earth of which the meek are also heirs, according to the Psalmist who says: But the meek shall inherit the earth; and according to the beatitude of the Lord: For blessed, he says, are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth; and again: The wise shall inherit glory.

He awakens the soul to the desire for the good things in the promises. He gives this understanding to the young child: fear of the things threatened to sinners, and desire for the things prepared for the righteous. For having heard these things, a wise man will become wiser. The saying bears witness to a great power in the Proverbs, that it surpasses the wisdom of the wise, and the teachings handed down from this book are greater than the lessons laid up for them. So that, while the students of other teachers are the inexperienced, the hearers of this book are the wise. But since the name of the "wise" is homonymous (for both those of this world are called wise, and also those who have received the true wisdom, our Lord Jesus Christ, from faith in him), the saying promises that those who are outside our teaching, whenever they approach the sound teaching of the Proverbs, will become wiser, disdaining the knowledge of vain things, and transferring their wonder to the truth. Or since "the wise man" is spoken of in many ways (for he who desires wisdom, and he who is already making progress in the contemplations of wisdom, and he who is perfected in his state are similarly addressed), upon hearing these things, the wise man—whether the lover of wisdom, or he who has already advanced in it—will become wiser, having been instructed in many things concerning divine doctrines, and taught many things concerning human affairs, as the book in various ways banishes wickedness, and in many ways 31.417 in turn introduces virtue. It bridles an unjust tongue, it chastens an eye that looks on evil things, it does not permit unjust hands to rule; it drives away idleness, it punishes improper desires, it teaches prudence, it teaches courage, it extols self-control. He, therefore, who has been instructed in these things, and having within himself a strong aversion to worse things, and having acquired a longing for the good with a greater impulse, as if through some prompting, being wise through his own impulse, has become wiser through the perfection that comes from the teaching. And the man of understanding will acquire guidance. It is necessary for one who is about to approach the undertaking of some art to have the natural aptitudes prepared; the wrestler, the constitution of the body and

εὐήκοον. ∆ιὰ τούτων οὖν καὶ τῶν τοιούτων δίδωσι τῷ νέῳ παιδὶ τὴν τῆς ἀκοῆς αἴσθησιν ὑγιαίνουσαν. Ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ, Μὴ πρόσεχε φαύλῃ γυναικί· καὶ πάλιν, Μὴ ἐρείσῃς σὸν ὄμμα πρὸς αὐτήν· καὶ, Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὀρθὰ βλεπέτωσαν· δῆλός ἐστι τὴν οἱονεὶ ὅρασιν τῆς ψυχῆς τῷ παιδὶ χαριζόμενος. Καὶ ὅταν παραινῇ, ὅτι Φάγε μέλι, υἱὲ, ἵνα γλυκανθῇ ὁ φάρυγξ σου (μέλι τροπικῶς ὀνομάζων τὴν θείαν διδασκαλίαν· Ὡς γλυκέα γὰρ, φησὶ, τῷ λάρυγγί μου τὰ λόγιά σου, ὑπὲρ μέλι τῷ στόματί μου)· διὰ τῆς παραινέσεως ταύτης τὴν πνευματικὴν γεῦσιν τῆς ψυχῆς καταρτίζει, περὶ ἧς εἴρηται· 31.416 Γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε, ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ Κύριος. Ἔστι δέ τις καὶ ἁφὴ τῆς ψυχῆς, καθ' ἣν ἐφάπτεται αὐτῆς ἡ σοφία, οἱονεὶ περιπτυσσομένη τὴν ἑαυτῆς ἀρε- τήν. Ἐράσθητι γὰρ, φησὶν, αὐτῆς, ἵνα σε περιλάβῃ· καὶ πάλιν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, Καιρὸς τοῦ περιλαβεῖν, καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ μακρυνθῆναι ἀπὸ περιλήψεως. Σώματα μὲν γὰρ περιπλοκαῖς ἀκαθάρτοις καταμιαίνεται· ψυχὴ δὲ, τῇ τῆς σοφίας περιπλοκῇ ὅλη δι' ὅλης πρὸς αὐτὴν ἐνωθεῖσα, ἁγιασμοῦ πληροῦται καὶ καθαρότητος. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν αἴσθησιν παιδὶ χαρίζεται νέῳ. Ἔννοιαν δὲ πῶς ἐμποιεῖ; Ὅταν λέγῃ· Οὐκ ὠφελήσει ὑπάρχοντα ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῇ. Ἐμβάλλει γὰρ ἐνθύμιον τῇ καρδίᾳ σου περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης, ἐν ᾗ σοι τὸ πλῆθος τῶν χρημάτων οὐκ ἐπαρκέσει, οὐδὲ ἐξαιρήσεταί σε τῆς αἰωνίου κολάσεως. Ἢ ὅταν λέγῃ· Ἄκακοι δὲ κληρονομήσουσι γῆν· γῆν ἐκείνην, ἧς καὶ οἱ πραεῖς εἰσι κληρονόμοι, κατά τε τὸν Ψαλμῳδὸν τὸν λέγοντα· Οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν· καὶ κατὰ τὸν μακαρισμὸν τοῦ Κυρίου· Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν· καὶ πάλιν· ∆όξαν σοφοὶ κληρονομήσουσι.

Πρὸς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῶν ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις ἀγαθῶν τὴν ψυχὴν διανίστησι. Ταύτην δίδωσι τῷ παιδὶ τῷ νέῳ τὴν ἔννοιαν, φόβον μὲν τῶν τοῖς ἁμαρ- τωλοῖς ἀπειληθέντων, ἐπιθυμίαν δὲ τῶν τοῖς δικαίοις ἡτοιμασμένων. Τῶνδε γὰρ ἀκούσας σοφὸς σοφώτερος ἔσται. Μεγάλην μαρτυρεῖ δύναμιν ταῖς Παροιμίαις ὁ λόγος, ὅτι ὑπερβαίνει τῶν σοφῶν τὴν σοφίαν, καὶ τῶν ἐναποκειμένων αὐτοῖς παιδευμάτων μείζονά ἐστι τὰ ἐκ τῆς βίβλου ταύτης παραδιδόμενα. Ὥστε τῶν μὲν ἄλλων διδασκάλων οἱ ἄπειροί εἰσι μαθηταί· τῆς δὲ βίβλου ταύτης ἀκροαταί εἰσιν οἱ σοφοί. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁμώνυμόν ἐστι τὸ τῶν σοφῶν ὄνομα (σοφοὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου λέγονται, σοφοὶ καὶ οἱ τὴν ἀληθινὴν σοφίαν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐκ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν πίστεως ὑποδεξάμενοι), τοὺς ἔξωθεν ὄντας τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς λόγου, ἐπειδὰν προσέλθωσι τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ τῶν Παροιμιῶν διδασκαλίᾳ, σοφωτέρους ἔσεσθαι ὁ λόγος κατεπαγγέλλεται· ἀτιμάζοντας μὲν τὴν τῶν ματαίων γνῶσιν, μετατιθέντας δὲ τὸ θαῦμα πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἢ ἐπειδὴ πολλαχῶς λέγεται ὁ σοφὸς (ὅ τε γὰρ ἐπιθυμῶν σοφίας, καὶ ὁ ἐν προκοπῇ ἤδη ὢν τῶν τῆς σοφίας θεωρημάτων, καὶ ὁ τετελειωμένος κατὰ τὴν ἕξιν, ὁμοίως προσαγορεύονται, τούτων ἀκούσας ὁ σοφὸς, εἴτε ὁ ἐραστὴς τῆς σοφίας, εἴτε καὶ ὁ ἤδη διαβεβηκὼς ἐν αὐτῇ, σοφώτεροι ἔσονται, πολλὰ μὲν περὶ τῶν θείων παιδευθέντες δογμάτων, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἐκδιδασκόμενοι, ποικίλως μὲν τὴν κακίαν ἐξοριζούσης τῆς βίβλου, πολυτρόπως δὲ 31.417 πάλιν ἀντεισαγούσης τὴν ἀρετήν. Γλῶσσαν ἄδικον χαλινοῖ, ὀφθαλμὸν παιδεύει πονηρὰ βλέποντα, χειρῶν ἀδίκων ἄρχειν οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει· ἀργίαν ἀποδιώκει, ἑπιθυμίας ἀτόπους κολάζει, διδάσκει φρόνησιν, διδάσκει ἀνδρίαν, σωφροσύνην ἀποσεμνύνει. Ὁ οὖν ταῦτα παιδευθεὶς, καὶ τήν τε πρὸς τὰ χείρονα διαβολὴν ἰσχυρὰν ἔχων παρ' ἑαυτῷ, καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἔφεσιν μείζονι τῇ ὁρμῇ, οἷον διά τινος ὑποφωνήσεως, προσκτησάμενος, σοφὸς ὢν διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ὁρμὴν, σοφώτερος γέγονε διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς διδασκαλίας τελείωσιν. Ὁ δὲ νοήμων κυβέρνησιν κτήσεται. Χρὴ τὸν μέλλοντα προσιέναι τέχνης τινὸς ἀναλήψει τὰς ἐκ τῆς φύσεως ἐπιτηδειότητας ηὐτρεπισμένας ἔχειν· τὸν παλαιστὴν τὴν τοῦ σώματος διάπλασιν καὶ