John Chrysostom, Fragments on Proverbs

He who seeks the Lord will find knowledge with righteousness. He who genuinely seeks the Lord will achieve a contemplative and practical life. But those who rightly seek him will find peace. That is, they will rest from the passions in calmness, they will live in tranquility. The ungodly man is kept for an evil day. That is, for a difficult danger, for a perilous circumstance. And why does he not destroy him, says Paul? So that longsuffering may be revealed; let someone be evil; if he changes, he has gained; but if he remains evil, again he has benefited others, by providing a cause for greater punishment. The balance of the scale is righteousness from the Lord. [ibid.] And if he wishes to establish and bring justice under a rule he is pleased, God is inclined toward justice, not exact; for he does not bring a punishment worthy of the sins committed. An abomination to a king is he who does evil things. Both to God and to the wise king he who does evil things is abominable. For this is a corrective for a king; if you are a king, he says, imitate the king. But if you do not imitate, you are not a king; for not only private citizens are judged, but also the kings themselves. Righteous lips are acceptable to a king. He said what kind of king one ought to be; he also speaks about the subjects, how it is necessary to fear him; In the light of life, the king's son. That is, in many good things, in prosperity; But those acceptable 64.709 to him, are like a late cloud. Instead of, pleasant, wonderful. And a late cloud are those who believed near the coming; but it seems to me he says these things, not to attack a tyranny, but to allow the matters of succession according to lineage. The broods of wisdom are more desirable than gold. The small thoughts of Christ are more desirable than the arrogant education of those outside; or the offspring of the wisdom of God, are more desirable than the wisdom of the world. Insolence precedes destruction. [ξοδ. φ. 70 β.] Destruction sometimes signifies sin, and sometimes punishment; and there are times when it means both. Therefore do not be insolent, that is, do not sin, so that you may flee punishment. Better is the gentle-spirited with humility. It is better, he says, to be humble with poverty, than rich with insolence; although both those things are pitiable and wretched; but these are better, he says. Or better is he who with little knowledge masters the passions, than one who knows how to analyze arguments with evil and arrogant thoughts. The wise and prudent, they call worthless; but those who are sweet in speech will hear more. [ξοδ. φ. 70 β.] Perhaps prudence seems to be greater than wisdom; or by 'wise,' he means those wise from the outside, those with some knowledge; but those who are sweet in speech, the flatterers, will be more acclaimed than the wise, and will hear more than what they possess. Or also thus; Not only will they be heard as prudent and wise, but also as something more honorable than these. A fountain of life is understanding to those who possess it, but the instruction of fools is evil. [ξοδ. φ. 71 α.] There is, he says, instruction also among them, but it is evil. Or by understanding, he meant the discerning of things as they are; but by instruction, that which brings death; or also unrefuted wickedness. The heart of a wise man will understand the things from his own mouth. [ibid.] For this one speaks with foresight. For the prophets also knew what they were uttering, and not in ecstasy, as the Phrygians say. For if God is light, it is clear that being enlightened they saw the future. Honeycombs are good words. A honeycomb because of the preparation and the quality; for they have the sweetness from the truth that heals souls; for the spiritual honey heals the soul; and otherwise he who is gracious in words is pleasant to all; A man in toils toils for himself, etc. That is, he lays a necessity upon himself so as to be destroyed. For in many places toil is such a thing. But it seems to me that he means wickedness, for instance; that he is wicked to himself; or instead of this, he who subdues the passions, labors for himself and not for another, and thrusts out destruction, being saved. A foolish man digs up evils for himself. [ξοδ. φ. 71 β.] The heterodox who dig up the Scriptures not to find pearls, but to corrupt and set a trap, treasure up fire,

ζητῶν τὸν Κύριον, εὑρήσει γνῶσιν μετὰ δικαιοσύνης. Ὁ ζητῶν γνησίως τὸν Κύριον, κατορθώσει βίον θεωρητικὸν καὶ πρακτικόν. Οἱ δὲ ὀρθῶς ζητοῦντες αὐτὸν, εὑρήσονται εἰρήνην. Τουτέστιν ἐν γαλήνῃ διαναπαύσονται παθῶν, ἐν ἀταραξίᾳ βιώσουσιν. Φυλάσσεται ἀσεβὴς εἰς ἡμέραν κακήν. Τουτέστιν εἰς κίνδυνον χαλεπὸν, εἰς περίστασιν. Καὶ διὰ τί μὴ ἀναιρῇ, λέγει Παῦλος; Ἵνα ἡ μακροθυμία φανῇ· ἔστω τις κακός· ἂν μὲν μεταβάληται, ἐκέρδανεν· ἂν δὲ ἐπιμείνῃ κακὸς, πάλιν ὠφέλησεν ἑτέρους, μείζονος τιμωρίας παρασχὼν ὑπόθεσιν. Ῥοπὴ ζυγοῦ δικαιοσύνη παρὰ Κυρίου. [ιβιδ.] Κἂν στῆσαι βουληθῇ καὶ ὑπὸ κανόνα ἀγαγεῖν τὸ δίκαιον ἥδεται, ἐπιῤῥεπής ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς τὸ δίκαιον, οὐκ ἀκριβής· οὐ γὰρ ἀξίαν τῶν ἡμαρτημένων ἐπάγει ποινήν. Βδέλυγμα βασιλεῖ ὁ ποιῶν κακά. Καὶ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τῷ συνετῷ βασιλεῖ βδελυκτός ἐστιν ὁ ποιῶν κακά. Τοῦτο γὰρ διορθωτικὸν βασιλέως· εἰ βασιλεὺς εἶ, τὸν βασιλέα, φησὶ, μιμοῦ. Εἰ δὲ οὐ μιμῇ, οὐκ εἶ βασιλεύς· οὐ γὰρ ἰδιώταις δικάζεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν αὐτοῖς. ∆εκτὰ βασιλεῖ χείλη δίκαια. Εἶπεν οἷον δεῖ τὸν βασιλέα εἶναι· λέγει καὶ περὶ τῶν ὑπηκόων, πῶς αὐτὸν φοβεῖσθαι χρή· Ἐν φωτὶ ζωῆς, υἱὸς βασιλέως. Τουτέστιν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς πολλοῖς, ἐν εὐπραγίᾳ· Οἱ δὲ προσδεκτοὶ 64.709 αὐτῷ, ὥσπερ νέφος ὄψιμον. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἡδεῖς, θαυμαστοί. Ὄψιμον δὲ νέφος οἱ ἐγγὺς τῆς παρουσίας πιστεύσαντες· ταῦτα δὲ λέγειν ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, μὴ ἐπιτίθεσθαι τυραννίδι, ἀλλ' ἐᾷν κατὰ γένος τὰ τῆς διαδοχῆς. Νοσσιαὶ σοφίας αἱρετώτεραι χρυσίου. Τὰ μικρὰ νοήματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ αἱρετώτερα τῆς ὑπερηφάνου παιδείας τῶν ἔξω· ἢ τὰ κυήματα τῆς σοφίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, αἱρετώτερα τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σοφίας. Πρὸ συντριβῆς ἡγεῖται ὕβρις. [ξοδ. φ. 70 β.] Ἡ συντριβὴ σημαίνει ποτὲ μὲν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, πῆ δὲ τὴν τιμωρίαν· ἔστι δὲ ὅτε ἀμφότερα. Μὴ οὖν ὑβρίσῃς, τουτέστι μὴ ἁμαρτήσῃς, ἵνα φύγῃς τὴν τιμωρίαν. Κρείσσων πραΰθυμος μετὰ ταπεινώσεως. Βέλτιόν φησι ταπεινὸν εἶναι μετὰ πενίας, ἢ πλούσιον μετὰ ὕβρεως· καίτοι ἐκεῖνα ἀμφότερα ἐλεεινὰ καὶ ἄθλια· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα βελτίω, φησίν. Ἢ κρείσσων ὁ μετ' ὀλίγης γνώσεως κρατῶν τῶν παθῶν, ἢ ὃς οἶδε διαιρεῖν λόγους μετὰ κακῶν καὶ ὑπερηφάνων λογισμῶν. Τοὺς σοφοὺς καὶ φρονίμους, φαύλους καλοῦσιν· οἱ δὲ γλυκεῖς ἐν λόγῳ, πλείονα ἀκούσονται. [ξοδ. φ. 70 β.] Τάχα ἡ φρόνησις, τῆς σοφίας δοκεῖ πλείων εἶναι· ἢ σοφοὺς, τοὺς ἔξωθεν σοφοὺς φησὶ, τοὺς ἐν ἐπιστήμῃ τινί· οἱ δὲ γλυκεῖς ἐν λόγῳ, οἱ κόλακες πλέον τῶν σοφῶν συγκροτηθήσονται, καὶ πλεῖον τῶν αὐτοῖς προσόντων ἀκούσονται. Ἢ καὶ οὕτως· Οὐχὶ φρόνιμοι καὶ σοφοὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων εἴ τι τιμιώτερον ἀκούσονται. Πηγὴ ζωῆς, ἔννοια τοῖς κεκτημένοις, παιδεία δὲ ἀφρόνων κακή. [ξοδ. φ. 71 α.] Ἔστι, φησὶ, καὶ παρ' ἐκείνοις παιδεία, ἀλλὰ κακή. Ἢ ἔννοιαν μὲν, τὸ διαλαμβάνειν τῶν πραγμάτων ὡς ἔχουσιν εἶπε· παιδείαν δὲ τὸν θάνατον ἐπιφέρουσαν· ἢ καὶ τὴν κακίαν τὴν ἀνεξέλεγκτον. Καρδία σοφοῦ νοήσει τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου στόματος. [ιβιδ.] Προειδὼς γὰρ οὗτος φθέγγεται. Καὶ οἱ προφῆται γὰρ ᾔδεσαν ἃ ἐφθέγγοντο, καὶ οὐκ ἐνθουσιῶντες, ὥς φασι Φρύγες. Εἰ γὰρ φῶς ὁ Θεὸς, δηλονότι φωτιζόμενοι ἑώρων τὰ μέλλοντα. Κηρία μέλιτος, λόγοι καλοί. Κηρίον διὰ τὴν ἑτοιμασίαν καὶ τὴν ποιότητα· ἔχουσι γὰρ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας γλυκύτητα ἰωμένην ψυχάς· ἰᾶται γὰρ ψυχὴν τὸ μέλι τὸ νοητόν· ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ὁ προσηνὴς ἐν λόγοις, πᾶσιν ἡδύς· Ἀνὴρ ἐν πόνοις πονεῖ ἑαυτῷ, κ. τ. λ. Τουτέστιν ἀνάγκην ἐπιτίθησιν ἑαυτῷ ὥστε ἀπολέσθαι. Πολλαχοῦ γὰρ τοιοῦτον ὁ πόνος. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ ὅτι πονηρίαν λέγει, οἷον· ὅτι ἑαυτῷ πονηρός ἐστιν· ἢ ἀντὶ τοῦ, ὁ ὑποτάσσων τὰ πάθη, ἑαυτῷ κάμνει καὶ οὐκ ἄλλῳ, καὶ ἐξωθεῖ τὴν ἀπώλειαν σωζόμενος. Ἀνὴρ ἄφρων ὀρύσσει ἑαυτῷ κακά. [ξοδ. φ. 71 β.] Οἱ ὀρύσσοντες τὰς Γραφὰς ἑτερόδοξοι οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ μαργαρίτας εὑρεῖν, ἀλλὰ παραφθεῖραι καὶ παγίδα στῆσαι, θησαυρίζουσι πῦρ,