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

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 the Lord. Just as water flowing from snow in harvest during the heat helps, and cools the scorching heat, so is God to those who receive both the knowledge and wisdom, and his commandments; and as the scorching heat melts snow, so does the counsel of a righteous man melt the wickedness of a soul. Just as winds and clouds are most manifest to sailors for not being shipwrecked, so to those in the wisdom of God is false knowledge, for not being destroyed with those who boast in it. Just as bones are strength to the body and the security of its vigor, so are the virtues to the soul by nature; but it breaks these bones by not guarding against sins; but some have called the irascible soul soft, which breaks its own spiritual bones toward God, which are made to say: Lord, Lord, who is like you? The way of evil is wickedness; and the foot of the lawless is lawlessness; but it will be destroyed on the day of judgment; a state will be understood by the way, and an activity by the foot. Just as vinegar on a wound that is beginning to rot is unhelpful, although it is a food for pleasantness, so the sight and conversation of a woman tears the heart of one who has given himself to virtue and is beginning. For the passion that befalls the heart is wickedness; by the privation of which some are called passionless. -Grief is the corruptible privation of corruptible pleasure; but praiseworthy grief is the privation of virtues and the knowledge of God. Here he calls bread the solid food of the soul's commandments; and drink, he indicates the divine knowledge; and coals of fire the gifts of the most holy Spirit, which inflame and cleanse the blemishes of men; for with a coal of fire one of Isaiah's seraphim once touched his lips; and he who was cleansed, Di 17.237 learn righteousness, cried out to all; for by cleansing his own ruling faculty through this goodness and beneficence, you will cause him to be constrained not only to receive the fiery graces of the Holy Spirit, but you will also make him your zealous follower in every good work, as he has become your agent in all things to the friends of God. He called the devil a shameless face, provoking the soul to wickedness, and stirring up, as the north wind stirs up clouds, evil thoughts in the soul; and everywhere Solomon calls the tongue the mind; therefore it is not good to respect this face in judgment. Here therefore a righteous mind falls before Satan, having received an unclean thought, or a false dogma; and one might block the spring of wisdom by turning away from its knowledge, and by casting away the outlet of the knowledge of God. And of the thoughts of the mind, some are called falls, and others risings, and others sittings, and others standings, and others a walking about, and some of them are named stumbling blocks, and others hard and soft, and fragrant and foul-smelling, and sweet and bitter, and smooth and straight, and crooked; and again, some of it are called thorns and thistles, and others light and darkness, and life and death; and others, sickness and health, and others again are named falsehood and truth, and Scripture applies many other names, both to the soul and to its thoughts. But it is possible to say a few things out of many; and these are they: mind, soul, heart, man, husband, wife, slave, servant, father, son, spirit, eye, mouth, lips, tongue, throat, belly, bosom, arm, finger, nostril, sheep, kid, shepherd, and many other names of the soul, which it is not possible to set forth now according to their kind. Here he spoke of counsel as the inclination of the heart toward what is better; when someone, not invoking the help of God in himself, should make a plan to do something good after deliberation, but begins it presumptuously and boastfully; it will not be accomplished, but what he attempts will collapse, because he did not wall himself about with the help of God for his counsel. Here he calls a horse the person who is quick to learn wisdom, and receptive of righteousness; but he scourges through riddles; and a goad for a donkey; to spur on the slow in these things with harsh words, inspiring fear; but for a foolish nation to be beaten with a rod, the shameless

γῶν, τὰ ἑαυτοῦ φυλάσσει εὐσυναλλάκτως. Ἔμβαλε σάρδιον πολυτελὲς εἰς ἐνώτιον χρυσοῦν, καὶ σοφίαν Κυρίου εἰς νοῦν ἀπαθῆ καὶ εὐήκοον Κυρίῳ. Ὥσπερ τὸ ἐκ χιόνος ἐκρέον ὕδωρ ἐν ἀμητῷ κατὰ καῦμα ὠφελεῖ, καὶ ἀναψύχει καύσωνα, οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ τοῖς δεχομένοις τήν τε γνῶσιν καὶ σοφίαν, καὶ τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ὥσπερ χιόνα τήκει καύσων, οὕτω κακίαν ψυχῆς, δικαίου παραίνεσις. Ὥσπερ ἄνεμοι καὶ νέφη πλωτῆρσιν ἐπιφανέστα τοι τοῦ μὴ ναυαγῆσαι, οὕτω τοῖς ἐν σοφίᾳ Θεοῦ ἡ ψευδὴς γνῶσις, τοῦ μὴ σὺν τοῖς καυχωμένοις ἐν αὐ τῇ ἀπολέσθαι. Ὥσπερ τῷ σώματι τὰ ὀστᾶ ἰσχὺς καὶ ἀσφάλεια ῥώμης, οὕτω τῇ ψυχῇ αἱ ἀρεταὶ πεφύκασι· συντρί βει δὲ ταῦτα τὰ ὀστᾶ μὴ παραφυλασσομένη ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις· τινὲς δὲ τὴν θυμώδη ψυχὴν ὠνόμασαν μα λακὴν, ἥτις συντρίβει τὰ ἑαυτῆς πρὸς Θεὸν πνευμα τικὰ ὀστᾶ, τὰ πεφυκότα λέγειν· Κύριε, Κύριε, τίς ὅμοιός σοι; Κακοῦ ὁδὸς, ἡ κακία ἐστί· καὶ ποῦς παρανόμου, ἡ παρανομία ἐστίν· ἀπολεῖται δὲ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρί σεως· ἕξις διὰ τῆς ὁδοῦ, καὶ ἐνέργεια διὰ τοῦ ποδὸς νοηθήσεται. Ὥσπερ τὸ ὄξος ἐν ἕλκει τοῦ ἀρχὴν σῆψιν ἔχοντος ἀσύμφορον, καίτοι βρώματος ὄντος εἰς ἡδύτητα, οὕτω γυναικὸς θεωρία καὶ ὁμιλία καρδίαν σπαράσσει τοῦ πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἑαυτὸν ἐκδόντος καὶ ἀρχὴν ἔχοντος. Τὸ γὰρ προσπίπτον τῇ καρδίᾳ πάθος, ἡ κακία ἐστίν· ἧς κατὰ στέρησίν τινες ἀπαθεῖς ὀνομάζονται. -Λύπη ἐστὶ φθαρτὴ στέρησις φθαρτῆς ἡδονῆς· λύπη δέ ἐστιν ἐπαινετὴ στέρησις ἀρετῶν καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ. Ἄρτον ἐνταῦθα τὴν στερεὰν τῶν ἐντολῶν τῆς ψυ χῆς τροφήν φησι· πόμα δὲ, τὴν θείαν γνῶσιν δηλοῖ· ἄνθρακας δὲ πυρὸς τὰς τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος δωρεὰς, τὰς φλογιζούσας καὶ καθαιρούσας τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ῥυτίδας· ἄνθρακι γὰρ πυρὸς τῶν Ἡσαΐου σεραφεὶμ θίγει χειλέων ποτέ· ὁ δὲ καθῃράμενος, ∆ι 17.237 καιοσύνην μάθετε, πᾶσιν ἐκραύγαζε· διὰ γὰρ ταύ της τῆς χρηστότητος καὶ εὐποιίας καθαρίζων αὑτοῦ τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν, τὰς πυρφόρους χάριτας τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ποιήσεις αὐτὸν βιασθῆναι, οὐ μόνον προσ λαβέσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζηλωτήν σου αὐτὸν ἐργάσῃ ἐν πάσῃ ἀγαθοεργίᾳ, ὡς προξένου σου γεγονότος αὐτοῦ ἐν πᾶσι τῷ Θεῷ φίλοις. Τὸν διάβολον εἶπε πρόσωπον ἀναιδὲς, ἐρεθίζοντα τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς κακίαν, καὶ ἐγείροντα, ὡς βοῤῥᾶς νέφη, λογισμοὺς τῇ ψυχῇ πονηρούς· πανταχοῦ δὲ ὁ Σολομῶν γλῶσσαν τὸν νοῦν λέγει· τοῦτο οὖν τὸ πρόσ ωπον αἰδεῖσθαι ἐν κρίσει οὐ καλόν. Ἐνταῦθα οὖν πίπτει δίκαιος νοῦς ἐνώπιον τοῦ Σατανᾶ, λογισμὸν ἀκάθαρτον, ἢ ψευδὲς δόγμα ὑποδε ξάμενος· τὴν δὲ πηγὴν τῆς σοφίας φράσσοι τις ἀπο στρεφόμενος τὴν γνῶσιν αὐτῆς, καὶ τὴν διέξοδον τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποῤῥυπῶν τὰ δὲ νοήματα τοῦ νοῦ, τὰ μὲν πτώματα λέγονται, τὰ δὲ ἐγέρσεις, τὰ δὲ καθέδρα, τὰ δὲ στάσις, καὶ ἄλλα περίπατος, καί τινα αὐτῶν προσκόμματα ὀνομάζεται, καὶ ἄλλα σκληρὰ καὶ μαλακὰ, καὶ εὐώδη καὶ δυσώδη, καὶ γλυ κεῖα καὶ πικρὰ, καὶ λεῖα καὶ ὀρθὰ, καὶ σχολιά· καὶ πάλιν, τὰ μὲν αὐτοῦ καλεῖται ἄκανθαι καὶ τρίβολοι, τὰ δὲ φῶς καὶ σκότος, καὶ ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος· τὰ δὲ, νόσος καὶ ὑγίεια, καὶ ἄλλα πάλιν ὀνομάζεται ψεῦ δος καὶ ἀλήθεια, καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα ὀνόματα τίθησι Γραφὴ, κατά τε τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τῶν νοημάτων αὐτῆς. Ὀλίγα δὲ ἐκ πολλῶν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν· ἔστι δὲ ταῦτα· νοῦν, ψυχὴν, καρδίαν, ἄνθρωπον, ἄνδρα, γυναῖκα, δοῦλον, οἰκέτην, πατέρα, υἱὸν, πνεῦμα, ὀφθαλμὸν, στόμα, χείλη, γλῶσσαν, λάρυγγα, κοιλίαν, κόλπον, βραχίονα, δάκτυλον, μυκτῆρα, πρόβατον, ἔριφον, ποιμένα, καὶ ἄλλα πλείονα ὀνόματα τῆς ψυχῆς, ἃ οὐ δυνατὸν νῦν παραθέσθαι κατ' εἶδος. Βουλὴν εἶπεν ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον ῥοπὴν τῆς καρδίας· ὅταν τις οὐκ ἐπικαλούμενος τὴν βοή θειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἑαυτῷ, εἰς βουλὴν ποιήσῃ τι ἀγα θὸν μετὰ σκέψεως, ἀλλὰ αὐθαδῶς καὶ ἀλαζονευόμε νος ἄρξηται· οὐ τελεσθήσεται δὲ, ἀλλὰ συμπτωθήσε ται ὃ ἐπιχειρεῖ, ὅτι οὐ περιετείχισεν ἑαυτὸν τῇ βοη θείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς βουλήν. Ἵππον ἐνταῦθά φησι τὸν ταχὺν εἰς μάθησιν σο φίας, καὶ δικαιοσύνης δεκτικὸν ἄνθρωπον· δι' αἰνι γμάτων δὲ μαστίζει· ὄνῳ δὲ κέντρον· τὸν βραδὺν ἐν τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις σκληροῖς κεντᾷν, φόβον ἐμποι οῦντας· ἔθνει δὲ ἄφρονι ῥάβδῳ τύπτεσθαι, τοὺς ἀναι