John Chrysostom, Fragments on Proverbs

Hope. [exod. f. 52 a.] He hoped that his children would become good; he hoped to achieve great things; or the saying sends us on to the resurrection; or that it is for the descendants; or that having enjoyed all things, he will also enjoy the things to come; or that he enjoys glory even after death. A double-tongued man, etc. 64.688 [exod. f. 52 b.] Here he means the deceitful, the one who is not true; who, by saying what he does not have in his soul, tests each person's mind in council. But the faithful man, with a breath, that is, from the depth of his heart, managing his words in judgment, says some things for a beneficial purpose, and is silent about others. But the valiant are supported by wealth. [exod. f. 53 a.] Nor does he lead one away from wealth, which the energetic man possesses more than the slothful; or also spiritually: he who is not fervent in spirit, but slothful in zeal, is in need of spiritual wealth. Like an earring in a swine's snout, so is beauty to a foolish woman. [exod. f. 54 a.] For what reason, then, did he bring the example in this animal, and not take another animal? Because just as the sow, by stirring up the mire especially with this part of its body, ruins that golden ornament, so also the woman disgraces her comeliness. For what reason, then, was she made beautiful? And he does not say for what reason she was made foolish? God allows even foolish women to become beautiful, so that the prudent and wise woman may not marvel at the possession, but will perceive what is truly beautiful. He also allowed the foolish to become rich, so that the prudent man might know what is wanting, so that he may not be agitated about these things, but pursue that which makes these things beautiful. There are those who scatter their own, who make more; and there are those who gather what belongs to others, who are diminished. [ibid.] You might see scattering, a cause of income; and gathering, being diminished; but if there are some to whom the opposite happens, I agree, that this does not happen to all; so that virtue may not be compulsory. For if He had made all the covetous poor, and all the merciful rich, as if by necessity, all would have run to it; but He neither did it in every case, so that there would be no necessity; nor did He permit it in every case, so that He might not stir up wars. He who withholds grain, may he leave it behind for the nations. [exod. f. 54 b.] Wishing to show the terribleness of the matter, he has also used a curse; as in, may he not profit from it, but may it be left behind for enemies; so also Paul: I wish that those who are unsettling you would even cut themselves off; and the Jews, having the Old Scripture as grain and withholding it, left it behind for us the gentiles; for the kingdom has been taken from them. Or he means the common food; but if you reasonably make business and trade out of famine, and on the one hand you call upon God to make a good harvest, but you yourself engineer a famine, nothing is more wicked than this. For he who raises the price of grain is cursed by the people. Here it is not a destruction, but a curse; that is, may it be left behind for enemies. This one will rise up. [exod. f. 55 a.] Or that he becomes a light; as in, that man will die, not having reaped any of his own things; 64.689 but this one, will be a light, sowing in the present age, in hope of the future; or "will rise up," instead of "will sprout"; and if that one, much more his offspring. From the fruit of righteousness a tree of life springs up; but the untimely souls of the lawless are taken away. [ibid.] The fruit of righteousness, the end of virtue, from which springs a tree of life; but untimely not in age, but in work, not having ripe fruit; these things do not happen often; why is it that one met a prosperous old age, but another was snatched away at the threshold of life? Let us learn the cause, and not be perplexed. What then? That the opposite happens, so that virtue may not be compulsory. If the righteous man is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? [exod. f. 55 b.] Pay attention that life is long, the permanence of life is great, the plots are many; for he does not indeed say this, that it is after one has succeeded; except if he also says this, he speaks well; if

ἐλπίς. [ξοδ. φ. 52 α.] Ἤλπιζε τὰ παιδία γενέσθαι καλά· ἤλπιζε μεγάλων ἐπιτεύξασθαι· ἢ εἰς τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἡμᾶς ὁ λόγος παραπέμπει· ἢ ὅτι εἰς τὰ ἔκγονα· ἢ ὅτι πάντων ἀπολαύσας, ἀπολαύσεται καὶ τῶν μελλόντων· ἢ ὅτι τῆς δόξης καὶ μετὰ θάνατον ἀπολαύει. Ἀνὴρ δίγλωσσος, κ. τ. λ. 64.688 [ξοδ. φ. 52 β.] Τὸν δολερόν φησιν ἐνταῦθα, τὸν οὐκ ἀληθῆ· ὃς λέγων, ὃ μὴ ἔχει κατὰ ψυχὴν, τῆς ἑκάστου διανοίας ἐν συνεδρίῳ πεῖραν λαμβάνει. Ὁ δὲ πιστὸς πνοῇ ἤτοι ἀπὸ βάθους καρδίας, οἰκονομῶν τοὺς λόγους αὑτοῦ ἐν κρίσει, τὰ μὲν πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον λέγει, τὰ δὲ σιωπᾷ. Οἱ δὲ ἀνδρεῖοι ἐρείδονται πλούτῳ. [ξοδ. φ. 53 α.] Οὐδὲ τοῦ πλούτου ἀπάγει, ὃν μᾶλλον ἔχει ὁ ἐνεργὴς τοῦ ὀκνηροῦ· ἢ καὶ νοητῶς· ὁ μὴ τῷ πνεύματι ζέων, ἀλλ' ὀκνηρὸς τῇ σπουδῇ, πλούτου πνευματικοῦ ἐπιδέεται. Ὥσπερ ἐνώτιον ἐν ῥινὶ ὑὸς, οὕτως γυναικὶ ἄφρονι κάλλος. [ξοδ. φ. 54 α.] Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ζώῳ ἤγαγε τὸ παράδειγμα, καὶ οὐχ ἕτερον ἔλαβε ζῶον; Ὅτι καθάπερ ἡ ὗς τούτῳ μάλιστα τῷ μέρει τοῦ σώματος τὸν βόρβορον ἀνακινοῦσα, τὸν χρυσοῦν ἐκεῖνον διαφθείρει κόσμον, οὕτω καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καταισχύνει τὴν εὐμορφίαν. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν γέγονε καλή; καὶ οὐ λέγει τίνος ἕνεκεν γέγονεν ἄφρων; Συγχωρεῖ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ταῖς ἀνοήτοις γυναιξὶ γίνεσθαι καλαῖς, ἵνα ἡ φρονίμη καὶ συνετὴ μὴ θαυμάζῃ τὸ κτῆμα, ἀλλ' ἐπαισθήσεται τοῦ ὄντος καλοῦ. Συνεχώρησε καὶ τοῖς ἄφροσι γενέσθαι πλουσίοις, ἵνα ὁ φρόνιμος εἰδῇ τὸ ἐνδεὲς, ἵνα μὴ περὶ ταῦτα ἐπτοημένος ᾖ, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο διώκῃ τὸ καὶ ταῦτα ποιοῦν καλά. Εἰσὶν οἱ τὰ ἴδια σπείροντες, οἳ πλείονα ποιοῦσιν· εἰσὶ δὲ οἱ συνάγοντες τὰ ἀλλότρια, οἳ ἐλαττοῦνται. [ιβιδ.] Ἴδοις σκορπισμὸν, προσόδου ὑπόθεσιν· καὶ συναγωγὴν ἐλαττουμένην· εἰ δὲ εἰσὶ τινὲς, οἷς τοὐναντίον συμβαίνει, σύμφημι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπὶ πάντων τοῦτο συμβαίνει· ὥστε μὴ ἀναγκαστὴν εἶναι τὴν ἀρετήν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐποίησε πάντας τοὺς πλεονεκτοῦντας πένητας, καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐλεήμονας πλουσίους, ὡς ἀνάγκης οὔσης, πάντες ἐπέτρεχον· ἀλλ' οὔτε τὸ πᾶν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀνάγκη ᾖ· οὔτε τὸ πᾶν εἴασεν, ἵνα μὴ πολέμους ἐγείρῃ. Ὁ συνέχων σῖτον, ὑπολίποιτο αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. [ξοδ. φ. 54 β.] Θέλων δεῖξαι τὸ τοῦ πράγματος δεινὸν, καὶ ἀρᾷ κέχρηται· οἷον μὴ ἀπόναιτο αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ πολεμίοις ἀπολίποιτο· οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος· Ὄφελον, καὶ ἀποκόψονται οἱ ἀναστατοῦντες ὑμᾶς· καὶ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι σῖτον ἔχοντες τὴν παλαιὰν Γραφὴν καὶ συνέχοντες αὐτὴν, ὑπελίποντο αὐτὴν ἡμῖν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν· ἦρται γὰρ ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἡ βασιλεία. Ἢ τὴν κοινὴν τροφὴν λέγει· εἰ δὲ εἰκότως λιμὸν πραγματεύῃ καὶ ἐμπορεύῃ, καὶ τὸν μὲν Θεὸν παρακαλεῖς ποιῆσαι εὐετηρίαν, αὐτὸς δὲ λιμὸν κατασκευάζεις, οὐδὲν τούτου πονηρότερον. Ὁ τιμιουλκῶν γὰρ σῖτον δημοκατάρατος. Ἐνταῦθα οὐχὶ ἀναίρεσις, ἀλλὰ ἀρά· τουτέστιν ἀπολίποιτο τοῖς πολεμίοις. Οὗτος ἀνατελεῖ. [ξοδ. φ. 55 α.] Ἢ ὅτι φῶς γίνεται· οἷον, ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἀποθανεῖται, μὴ καρπωσάμενός τι τῶν αὐτοῦ· 64.689 ὁ δὲ, φῶς ἔσται, σπείρων ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, ἐλπίδι τοῦ μέλλοντος· ἢ τὸ ἀνατελεῖ, ἀντὶ τοῦ βλαστήσει· εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ γεννήματα αὐτοῦ. Ἐκ καρποῦ δικαιοσύνης φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς· ἀφαιροῦνται δὲ ἄωροι ψυχαὶ παρανόμων. [ιβιδ.] Καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης, τὸ τέλος τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἐξ οὗ φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς· ἄωροι δὲ οὐ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐργασίᾳ, μὴ ἔχοντες καρπὸν ὥριμον· οὐ πολλάκις ταῦτα γίνεται· διὰ τί, ὁ μὲν πρὸς γῆρας λιπαρὸν ἀπήντησεν, ὁ δὲ ἐν προθύροις ἀνηρπάσθη τῆς ζωῆς; Μάθωμεν τὴν αἰτίαν, καὶ μὴ ἀπορῶμεν. Τί οὖν; ὅτι τὸ ἐναντίον συμβαίνει, ἵνα μὴ ἀναγκαστὴ ἡ ἀρετὴ ᾖ. Εἰ ὁ μὲν δίκαιος μόλις σώζεται, ὁ ἀσεβὴς καὶ ἁμαρτωλὸς ποῦ φανεῖται; [ξοδ. φ. 55 β.] Πρόσεχε ὅτι μακρὸς ὁ βίος, πολὺ τὸ μόνιμον τῆς ζωῆς, πολλαὶ αἱ ἐπιβουλαί· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ κατορθῶσαι· πλὴν εἰ καὶ τοῦτο λέγῃ, καλῶς λέγει· εἰ