John Chrysostom, Fragments on Proverbs

unacceptable; A wife is fitted to a husband by the Lord. [ξοδ. φ. 82 α.] Either he says this, that it is of God to establish marriage; for this is much greater than that, I mean of riches; or he means marriage itself and the matter, or wishing to show how great a thing it is to obtain a good wife. He who keeps the commandment. Since the commandments were given with heaven and earth as witnesses, they are called testimonies. Therefore the mind that receives them is called a witness, who, if he falsifies them, will not go unpunished. He who has mercy on the poor lends to God. [ιβιδ.] For even if you do not receive it back immediately, do not be troubled. The longer it is postponed, the more the interest increases; and according to his gift, for instance if it is much, much; if little, little. But the much and the little are not defined by the measure of what is given. Or he lends to God as God appropriates what is given to him (the poor man). And according to the gift, that is according to the disposition of not giving out of grief or of necessity; for not what is given, but the disposition; A malicious man will suffer much loss. He will suffer loss of perception and knowledge. And he who imparts his wickedness to others, will also suffer the loss of the natural concept from God, having fallen into irrationality. Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, that you may be wise in your latter end. [ξοδ. φ. 82 β.] Here he calls God the father; and by instruction he means the way of life according to His commandments and the full knowledge of them. And "in your latter end" does not signify time, but the purity after the practical virtues. The fruit of a man is mercy. [ξοδ. φ. 83 α.] It is better to have practical virtue alone, than falsified knowledge. He will lodge in places. That is, going about everywhere, he will have such a place. He that unjustly hides his hands in his own bosom. That is, he who seizes and steals will be fruitless; but also he who does not live rightly, hides his hands unjustly in his 64.724 soul. For the practical virtues have the role of hands, bringing to our mouth the bread from the heavens; therefore he is not able even from the beginning, nor to be helped, being slothful. But if you reprove a prudent man. One reproves a prudent man either by rebuking him, or by offering proofs of the arguments. Nor will he bring them to his mouth. See the seriousness of his figure. He who dishonors his father will be a reproach. [ιβιδ.] He who does not keep the commandments of the Father over all generates impure thoughts in his soul, but has abandoned himself from them. He who becomes surety for a foolish child will insult justice; calling the surety justice, or philanthropy itself; or instead of, he acts insolently toward the law itself. But the mouth of the impious swallows up judgments. For they are self-condemned, not having an excuse for why they sinned; and they who claim there is no judgment swallow up judgments.

CHAP. XX.

Man is a great thing, etc. [ξοδ. φ. 44 α.] Man is a great thing in that he was made in the image of God; and if he should acquire the practical, in which is mercy, he becomes an honorable man; but to find one who does this in faith and knowledge is a task. He will leave his children blessed. [ξοδ. φ. 84 β.] He who keeps what is just toward God and toward men, will save both those who hear him and himself. Who will boast that he has a pure heart? Wickedness is twofold, opposite to virtue; of which one is theoretical, the other practical; and the "who" refers to what is rare; for it is rare to find someone pure in practice and theory. It also signifies the impossible; as in, If God is for us, who is against us? It also signifies a question; Who is this King of glory? It also indicates the individual; as in: A certain man was noble. -

ἀπρόσδεκτος· Παρὰ Κυρίου ἁρμόζεται γυνὴ ἀνδρί. [ξοδ. φ. 82 α.] Ἢ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι τὸ καταστῆσαι τὸν γάμον· πολλῷ γὰρ μεῖζον τοῦτο ἐκείνου, χρημάτων λέγω· ἢ αὐτὸν τὸν γάμον φησὶ καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἢ μέγα δεῖξαι βουλόμενος τὸ γυναικὸς ἐπιτυχεῖν ἀγαθῆς. Ὃς φυλάσσει ἐντολήν. Ἐπειδὴ ἐπὶ μαρτύρων οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ἐδόθησαν αἱ ἐντολαὶ, λέγονται μαρτύρια. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ δεξάμενος αὐτὰ νοῦς, ὀνομάζεται μάρτυς, ὅστις ψευσάμενος αὐτὰ, οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται. ∆ανείζει Θεῷ ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχόν. [ιβιδ.] Κἂν γὰρ μὴ εὐθέως ἀπολάβῃς, μὴ θορυβοῦ. Ὅσον ἀναβάλλεται, τοσοῦτον τὸν τόκον αὔξει· κατὰ δὲ τὸ δόμα αὐτοῦ, οἷον ἐὰν πολὺ ᾖ, πολύ· ἐὰν ὀλίγον, ὀλίγον. Τὸ δὲ πολὺ καὶ ὀλίγον, οὐ τῷ μέτρῳ τῶν διδομένων ὁρίζεται. Ἢ Θεῷ δανείζει ὡς οἰκειουμένου Θεοῦ τὰ εἰς ἐκεῖνον διδόμενα. Κατὰ δὲ τὸ δόμα, οἷον κατὰ τὴν διάθεσιν τοῦ μὴ ἐκ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης· οὐ γὰρ τὰ διδόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὴν διάθεσιν· Κακόφρων ἀνὴρ πολλὰ ζημιωθήσεται. Ζημιωθήσεται αἴσθησιν καὶ γνῶσιν. Ὁ δὲ τῆς κακίας ἑτέροις μεταδιδοὺς, καὶ τὴν φυσικὴν παρὰ Θεοῦ ἔννοιαν ζημιωθῇ, εἰς ἀλογίαν καταπεσών. Ἄκουε, υἱὲ, παιδείαν πατρός σου, ἵνα σοφὸς γένῃ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων σου. [ξοδ. φ. 82 β.] Πατέρα ἐνταῦθα τὸν Θεόν φησι· παιδείαν δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ πολιτείαν καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν δηλοῖ. Τὸ δὲ, ἐπ' ἐσχάτων, οὐ τὸν χρόνον σημαίνει, ἀλλὰ τὴν μετὰ τὰς πρακτικὰς ἀρετὰς καθαρότητα. Καρπὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐλεημοσύνη. [ξοδ. φ. 83 α.] Πρακτικὴν ἀρετὴν ἔχειν μόνην ἄμεινον, ἢ γνῶσιν ἐψευσμένην. Αὐλισθήσεται ἐν τόποις. Τουτέστι περιιὼν πανταχοῦ, τοιοῦτον ἕξει τόπον. Ὁ ἐγκρύπτων εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὑτοῦ χεῖρας ἀδίκως. Τουτέστιν ὁ ἁρπάζων καὶ κλέπτων, ἄκαρπος ἔσται· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ μὴ ὀρθῶς βιοὺς, κρύπτει ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐ 64.724 τοῦ τὰς χεῖρας ἀδίκως. Αἱ γὰρ πρακτικαὶ ἀρεταὶ χειρῶν ἔχουσι λόγον, τὸν ἄρτον τῷ στόματι ἡμῶν προσφέρουσαι τὸν ἀπ' οὐρανῶν· οὐ δύναται οὖν οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν, οὔτε ὠφεληθῆναι ὀκνηρὸς ὤν. Ἐὰν δὲ ἐλέγχῃς ἄνδρα φρόνιμον. Ἐλέγχει δέ τις φρόνιμον ἢ ἐπιτιμῶν, ἢ τῶν λόγων προσφέρων τὰς ἀποδείξεις. Οὐδὲ τῷ στόματι οὐ μὴ προσενείκῃ αὐτάς. Ὅρα αὐτοῦ τοῦ σχήματος τὸ ἀκαταγέλαστον. Ὁ ἀτιμάζων πατέρα, ἐπονείδιστος ἔσται. [ιβιδ.] Ἀκαθάρτους ἐν ψυχῇ γεννᾷ λογισμοὺς, ὁ μὴ τὰς ἐντολὰς τηρῶν τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων πατρὸς, ἀλλ' ἀπολιπὼν ἑαυτὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν. Ὁ ἐγγυώμενος παῖδα ἄφρονα, καθυβρίσει δικαίωμα· τὴν ἐγγύην δικαίωμα καλῶν, ἢ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν αὐτήν· ἢ ἀντὶ τοῦ, εἰς τὸν νόμον αὐτὸν ἐμπαροινεῖ. Στόμα δὲ ἀσεβῶν καταπίεται κρίσεις. Εἰσὶ γὰρ αὐτοκατάκριτοι μὴ ἔχοντες ἀπολογίαν δι' ἣν ἥμαρτον· καταπίνουσι κρίσεις καὶ οἱ φάσκοντες μὴ εἶναι κρίσιν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Κʹ.

Μέγα ὁ ἄνθρωπος, κ. τ. λ. [ξοδ. φ. 44 α.] Μέγα ὁ ἄνθρωπος καθ' ὃ κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐγένετο· εἰ δὲ προσλάβοι τὸ πρακτικὸν, ἐν ᾧ τὸ ἐλεεῖν, ἀνὴρ τίμιος γίνεται· τὸν δὲ ἐν πίστει καὶ ἐπιστήμῃ τοῦτο ποιοῦντα, ἔργον εὑρεῖν. Μακαρίους τοὺς παῖδας αὑτοῦ καταλείψει. [ξοδ. φ. 84 β.] Ὁ φυλάσσων τὰ πρὸς Θεὸν καὶ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους δίκαια, τοὺς ἀκούοντας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἑαυτὸν σώσει. Τίς καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν; ∆ιττὴ ἡ κακία ἀπεναντίας τῇ ἀρετῇ· ἧς ἡ μὲν, θεωρητικὴ, ἡ δὲ πρακτική· τὸ δὲ τίς, ἐπὶ τοῦ σπανίου· σπάνιον γὰρ εὑρεῖν τινα πράξει καὶ θεωρίᾳ καθαρόν. Σημαίνει καὶ τὸ ἀδύνατον· ὡς ἐν τῷ, Εἰ ὁ Θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, τίς καθ' ἡμῶν; Σημαίνει καὶ πεῦσιν· Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης; ∆ηλοῖ καὶ τὸ ἄτομον· ὡς τό· Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν εὐγενής. -