Expositio in Proverbia

 the things that have fallen, that is, from the pretext of Uriah. How then does Solomon say before: “He who rejoices 17.165 at another's destruction wi

 would have difficulty, just as the desire for money a pure mind draws near to wisdom since it knows well but the impure will be far from it. Adam i

 but here, that he names the mind a good gift, on account of the one who unjustly receives gifts in his bosom, and is not prospered for those unjust g

 of virtue And this persuades me, in a small way, that the rich man being judged in Hades for his wickedness was not completely given over to every ev

 to you, You shall not be angry. It must be noted here that he calls the natural harmonious movement of the ant, wisdom for indeed one wiser than a wi

 for he was the lamp that was burning and shining a light, the New Testament For I, he says, am the light of the world a refutation of evil things,

 of the kemphos fish in the sea, flying in schools here and there which the sailors, having baited a many-hooked line, catch and not only does it not

 come to the introductions but when they become wise, and are strengthened, reprove them. And Christ, when his disciples were still young, did not rep

 of the evil one. But the impious who sin will not only fall from the kingdom, but they will inhabit the fire and not the earth. Instead of, he is full

 be not silent to me, says David, and I will be like those who go down into the pit. A lawless man will be passed over in silence by God, that is, he w

 sinning. Here he calls the senses ways but he who guards them, keeps his own soul from death unto life for life is the Holy Trinity that gives life

 afflicted, distressed? And how will the unbeliever not have an obol, when many unbelievers are clothed with much wealth, I mean kings and rulers of th

 the love of God for humanity which also brings us to God the Father himself, as sons weaned, and desiring spiritual solid food so that just as his S

 your eyes, say: for many, even without having begun virtue, not only advise others to act rightly, but also compel and exhort them. Here he says man

 body is profitable to the foolish man for he will trample it underfoot, being a pleasure-loving pig and by sensible luxury his flesh will be moved t

 that is, to imitate the virtues of the righteous and prophets who shone in the six ages before the coming of Christ, who also feed the widow and orpha

 of the Lord, is the knowledge of the Lord, and the light of the Lord is the breath of men, therefore the knowledge of the Lord is the breath of men b

 He calls the mind a horse, which is warred against by the devil, and which wars in return For you will mount, he says, upon your horses and your rid

 he slanders us to God, taking from us the virtues which he has not given us, so also we slander him taking from him the vices which we have not given

 But do not enter into the land of those who have orphaned themselves from God, who possess wickedness as the property of demons, on account of which t

 but vice diminishes virtue, and virtue obviously corrupts vice and this will happen in the age to come, until vice ceases for shall be defiled, in

 earth-born nations, and having strengthened them with virtues in faith in him, Christ the God, and having stored up the heavenly water that which flo

 is, the law given to us by him in righteousness and those who gouge out the eyes of the impious, he called ravens but those who devour him whole, he

 of lands, he keeps his own justly. Cast a precious sardius into a golden earring, and the wisdom of the Lord into a dispassionate and obedient mind to

 defines servants or those under his hand for the rod is a symbol of punishment. From his own feet, etc. Here he calls servants 'feet' and from them

 to the devil who made it, to yield as to a brother, so as to be destroyed with him. -Better is he who is joined to me through true knowledge, than he

 lawless, are the doctrines of demons, which the instructed son does not obey and by son he means the mind but he who restrains his mind from being c

 of blood are the demons, who killed those living in Christ by the shedding of blood but the upright will seek out his soul these are they who wish t

 a soul of abundance for its bodily house. He says that the soul of the diligent man has the Church as a tree of knowledge and a tree of life of knowl

the love of God for humanity; which also brings us to God the Father himself, as sons weaned, and desiring spiritual solid food; so that just as his Son Jesus Christ became our brother in likeness, so also we may conduct ourselves in deed and word; And our mother is also the Church, whom God the Father betrothed to himself as a wife by the Holy Spirit; for through her he always bears for himself sons and daughters; and both our Father God and our mother the Church rejoice over those instructed in the knowledge and wisdom of God; but over the uninstructed, she is very concerned and grieved, as we are not willing to turn back and be saved, but persist in wickedness. Here by "face" he means contemplation; for the contemplation of the thoughts of an intelligent man is wisdom and knowledge and righteousness; but the intellectual eyes of the foolish man, even in the body, are in the extremity of wickedness and evil. Wrath is sent out from God the Father to the foolish son on the day of judgment; but for the Church that has given birth by the Spirit, and for the choir of saints, there will then surely be pain over the destruction of the foolish son; and because the wise son has both one who gave birth and a mother; but the foolish son only one who gave birth; for the mother also gave birth; but she who gave birth will not in every case also be a mother; for if the one born dies in wickedness and ignorance, she is one who gave birth, but she is not a mother; because the one born has not partaken of the Spirit of adoption; and likewise it will be understood in the case of physical mothers, and in the case of physical death; for we will call the mother also the one who gave birth, but no longer the mother of the child who has died. Someone transgresses, taking away what is just from the just man, or perverting his disciples to injustice, he sins; for having them as a possession, he has suffered loss; for they do not seek what is ours, but us; and he calls "rulers" those who reign in Christ. He who is led by the foolishness of demons has no need of the wisdom or knowledge of God; because he loved 17.204 the darkness more than the light; and since he rejoices in foolishness, he thinks he has no need of wisdom. Just as water gives life to plants, so the word of a man strengthened by virtues refreshes and gives wings toward God to those willing to be made wise; and he speaks of a gushing river, the ineffable wisdom of the gifts of the all-holy Spirit, the ever-flowing wisdom of the triply-radiant, single Godhead. He who accepts the wickedness belonging to the devil, and acts according to it in contemplation and speech, this man admires the face of the ungodly; but it is not a good or holy thing to pervert what is just in judgment, and in the case of bodies. Rashness, separating the soul from the gentle one, gives it over to death. Not the fear of God, but that of demons, casts the slothful into repentance; for they rouse them to despair; or the [fear] of the Lord, separating them from the slothful one, and rousing them from wickedness through good works to repentance; and he is androgynous in soul and body, the dissolute, the effeminate, who is able neither to teach himself, nor willing to learn from others; or the fear of evils casts down beforehand those who are slothful toward virtue, not having encouragement for the future; but a man who is female in his purpose will not possess nourishing virtue; but they will hunger, when they see the kingdom from the opposite side, being tormented in torment. The wealth of the knowledge of the Lord, and the effective power of the Word, he calls strength; for he alone knows things past, and present, and future; he also commanded, saying, "Let there be light," heaven, and earth, and the things in them, were brought from non-existence into being; and these things show him to be the only Lord and God; and through an upright life the just run to him, and through contemplation they are exalted; or that from the created things, or their greatness, it is clear that God is all-powerful. This saying must be used against those who have not received knowledge from God, but attempt to teach others; for David says: To hear the voice of your praise, and then to declare to others your wonderful works; and Solomon says: What the

τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν· ἣ καὶ προσάγει ἡμᾶς αὐτῷ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, ὡς υἱοὺς ἀπογαλακτισθέντας, καὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς στερεᾶς τροφῆς ἐφιεμένους· ἵν' ὡς καθ' ὁμοιότητα ἀδελφὸς ἡμῖν γεγονὼς ὁ Υἱὸς αὐ τοῦ Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς πράξει καὶ λόγῳ πολιτευώμεθα· ἔστι δὲ μήτηρ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ Ἐκκλησία, ἣν τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ ἑαυτῷ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ ἡρμόσατο εἰς γυναῖκα· τίκτει γὰρ ἀεὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἑαυ τῷ υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας· καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῖς πεπαιδευ μένοις τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ γνῶσιν καὶ σοφίαν, εὐφραίνεται καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἡμῶν Θεὸς, καὶ ἡ μήτηρ ἡ Ἐκκλησία· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς ἀπαιδεύτοις, πάνυ μὲν κήδεται καὶ λυπεῖ ται, ὡς μὴ θελόντων ἡμῶν ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ σωθῆναι, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ προσμένειν. Πρόσωπον ἐνταῦθα τὴν θεωρίαν φησί· θεωρία γὰρ νοημάτων συνετοῦ ἀνδρὸς, σοφία καὶ γνῶσις καὶ δι καιοσύνη· οἱ δὲ νοεροὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ ἄφρονος, καὶ ἐν σώματι ἐν ἄκρᾳ κακίας καὶ πονηρίας. Ὀργὴ τῷ ἄφρονι υἱῷ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἐκπέμπεται ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως· τῇ δὲ Ἐκκλη σίᾳ τῇ γεννησαμένῃ τῷ Πνεύματι, καὶ τῇ τῶν ἁγίων χορείᾳ, ὀδύνη τότε πάντως ἔσται ἐπὶ τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ τοῦ ἄφρονος υἱοῦ· καὶ ὅτι ὁ μὲν φρόνιμος υἱὸς καὶ τεκοῦσαν ἔχει καὶ μητέρα· ὁ δὲ ἄφρων μόνην τεκοῦσαν· ἡ γὰρ μήτηρ καὶ τεκοῦσα· ἡ δὲ τεκοῦσα, οὐ πάντως ἔσται καὶ μήτηρ· ἐὰν γὰρ ἀποθάνῃ τὸ τεχθὲν ἐν κακίᾳ καὶ ἀγνωσίᾳ, τεκοῦσα μὲν ἔστι, μήτηρ δὲ οὐκ ἔστι· διότι μηδὲ τοῦ τῆς υἱοθεσίας μετέσχηκε Πνεύματος τὸ τεχθέν· ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν μητέρων νοηθήσεται, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ· τὴν γὰρ μητέρα ἐροῦμεν καὶ τεκοῦσαν· οὐκέτι δὲ μητέρα τοῦ παιδὸς ἀποθανόντος. Πλημμελεῖ τις, τοῦ δικαίου τὸ δίκαιον ἀφαιρῶν, ἢ διαστρέφων αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἀδικίαν τοὺς μαθητὰς, ἁμαρτάνει· κτῆσιν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἔχων, ἐζημίωται· οὐ γὰρ ζητοῦσι τὰ ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς· δυνάστας δὲ λέγει τοὺς ἐν Χριστῷ βασιλεύοντας. Ὁ ἀγόμενος τῇ τῶν δαιμόνων ἀφροσύνῃ, οὐ χρείαν ἔχει σοφίας Θεοῦ ἢ γνώσεως· διότι ἠγάπησε μᾶλλον 17.204 τὸ σκότος ἢ τὸ φῶς· κἂν ἀφροσύνῃ χαίρει, οἴεται μὴ χρείαν ἔχειν σοφίας. Ὥσπερ τὸ ὕδωρ ζωογονεῖ τὰ φυτὰ, οὕτως ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ἀνδρὸς ἐστομωμένου λόγος ἀναψύχει, καὶ πρὸς Θεὸν πτεροῖ τοὺς ἐθέλοντας σοφισθῆναι· ποταμὸν δὲ ἀναπηδῶντά φησι, τὴν ἀνεκδιήγητον τῶν χαρίτων σο φίαν τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος, τὴν ἀείῤῥυτον σοφίαν τῆς τρισσοφαοῦς ἑνιαίας Θεότητος. Ὁ τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν τῷ διαβόλῳ κακίαν ἀποδεχό μενος, καὶ κατ' αὐτὴν ἐνεργῶν θεωρίᾳ καὶ λόγῳ, οὗ τος θαυμάζει τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς· τὸ δίκαιον δὲ ἐν κρίσει, ἐν λόγῳ τε σωμάτων, οὐ καλὸν ἐκκλῖναι ὅσιον. Ἡ θρασύτης, ἀπὸ τοῦ πράου χωρίζουσα τὴν ψυχὴν, τῷ θανάτῳ δίδωσιν. Ὀκνηροὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν καταβαλεῖ οὐ φόβος Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ὁ τῶν δαιμόνων· διεγείρουσι γὰρ αὐτοὺς εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν· ἢ ὁ τοῦ Κυρίου [φόβος], χωρίζων αὐτοὺς τοῦ ὀκνηροῦ, καὶ διεγείρων αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς κακίας δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν εἰς μετάνοιαν· ἀνδρόγυνος δέ ἐστι ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα, ὁ ἐκκεχυμένος, ὁ μαλακὸς, ὁ μήτε διδάσκειν δυνάμενος ἑαυτὸν, μήτε μανθάνειν παρ' ἑτέ ρων βουλόμενος· ἢ τοὺς ὀκνοῦντας πρὸς ἀρετὴν ὁ τῶν κακῶν φόβος προκαταβάλλει, τὸ παραθαῤῥῦνον πρὸς τὸ μέλλον οὐκ ἔχοντας· ἀνὴρ δὲ τὴν προαίρεσιν θῆλυς, οὐχ ἕξει τὴν τρέφουσαν ἀρετήν· πεινάσουσι δὲ, ὅτε ἐξ ἐναντίας ἴδωσι τὴν βασιλείαν, ἐν τῇ βασάνῳ βασανιζόμενοι. Τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ τὸ ἐνερ γητικὸν τοῦ Λόγου, ἰσχύν φησιν· αὐτὸς γὰρ μόνος γινώσκει τὰ πρῴην, καὶ τὰ ἐνεστῶτα, καὶ τὰ μέλ λοντα· αὐτὸς καὶ ἐνετείλατο εἰπὼν, γενηθήτω φῶς οὐρανὸς, καὶ γῆ, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρήχθησαν· αὐτὰ δὲ δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν Κύριον καὶ Θεὸν μόνον εἶναι· καὶ διὰ μὲν τοῦ ὀρθοῦ βίου προστρέχουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ δίκαιοι, διὰ δὲ τῆς θεωρίας ὑψοῦνται· ἢ ὅτι ἐκ τῶν κτισμάτων, ἢ τῆς μεγα λοσύνης αὐτῶν, φανερόν ἐστιν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς παντοδύ ναμος. Χρηστέον τούτῳ τῷ ῥητῷ πρὸς τοὺς μὴ λαβόντας μὲν γνῶσιν παρὰ Θεοῦ, διδάσκειν δὲ ἄλλους ἐπιχει ροῦντας· ὁ γὰρ ∆αυΐδ φησι· Τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι μὲν φω νῆς αἰνέσεώς σου, καὶ τότε διηγήσασθαι ἄλλοις τὰ θαυμάσιά σου· καὶ ὁ Σολομῶν φησι· Ἃ εἶδον οἱ