Olympiodus of Alexandria, Commentaries on Ecclesiastes

teaches that the long-suffering man is good; but God opposes him who is puffed up in spirit, that is, in mind, out of pride. "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger resteth in the bosom of fools." The, Be not hasty, means, Do not take on an angry disposition in your mind; but even if it is necessary to feign anger, do not fall into the passion; for reprehensible anger, being called into the ruling faculty of fools, dwells and rests in their bosom. And in another way, you will understand "in the bosom" to mean, Do not flatter, nor nurse, anger, by being eager to avenge yourself on those who have grieved you. "Say not, What is the reason that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire in wisdom concerning this." The unwise among men say this in many ways: That, he says, in ancient times God spoke to men through prophets and angels, that it was permitted for the ancients to have many wives, to have an abundance of possessions; but now the word of the Gospel curtails these things. And there are others who say that, Formerly God helped me, but now I have been abandoned, for this reason I cannot do good. But all these are the words of fools. For one can hear others also saying: Now the world is filled with evils; and some days are bad, and others are good. But he who lives according to virtue is always passing from life to life, and progressing in virtues from faith to faith, 93.565 he neither knows a difference of days, but also understands the reasons for the things previously questioned. "Good is wisdom with an inheritance; and an advantage to those who see the sun, because in its shadow is wisdom, as the shadow of money; because the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to those who belong to her." To whom the word of wisdom is given through the Spirit, this one has wisdom with an inheritance, that is, that from the Holy Spirit. This one also has an advantage in beholding the sun; for he is neither deceived, nor does he think it a god; nor does he stop at admiring it, or taking pleasure in it; but beholding its Creator analogically, he is illumined by the divine light; and wisdom does what money also does, it snatches from dangers, builds cities, protects its possessor; for by shadow it means protection. But wisdom has the preeminence, life-giving knowledge; persuading one to despise the things that are seen, and to look only to eternal life. Alternatively: Wisdom, he says, with an inheritance, that is, faith with works, has something preeminent beyond others, the sun; what is preeminent? And the Word is taken as money according to the contemplation. Just as therefore the shadow of money, that is, the detailed and manifest word, teaches us the lessons concerning wisdom; so the shadow of wisdom, that is, the introductory and practical virtue being a shadow, leads us on to perfect wisdom, the contemplation and understanding of more divine things. And such a possession of wisdom bestows on us eternal life. "Behold the works of God, for who will be able to set right him whom God has made crooked, in the day of His goodness? From the irregularity of life, some have dared to say, as if defending God, so as not to call him the cause of evils: that He neither made the world, nor does He provide for it; For if God exercised providence, he says, why are not all rich? Why are not all healthy? Ecclesiastes, casting out this opinion, says that God is also the maker, and no one can straighten what is crooked except Him, to heal the lame; and similar things. But if you wish, he says, to know that God directs all things for our benefit, pay attention to what follows; 93.568 "Live in good, and see in a day of evil: see, and this indeed is harmonious. For this reason God has acted concerning speech, so that man may find nothing after him." Live, he says, according to virtue, and observe in the temptations that occur, if God has not made all things harmoniously and consistently, and has well hidden the teaching concerning these things. Which indeed he also calls speech, so that man may not know the things that are going to happen to him. For harmoniously also what seems to be evil is brought on, after what seemed to be good; and the opposite; for instance, someone is healthy, and

διδάσκει, ὡς ὁ μὲν μακρόθυμος ἀγαθός· τῷ δὲ ἐξ ὑπερηφανείας κουφιζομένῳ τῷ πνεύματι, τουτέστι τῇ διανοίᾳ, ὁ Θεὸς ἀντιτάσσεται. "Μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν πνεύματί σου θυμοῦσθαι, ὅτι θυμὸς ἐν κόλπῳ ἀφρόνων ἀναπαύσεται." Τὸ, Μὴ σπεύσῃς, Μὴ ἕξιν ἀναλάβῃς θυμικὴν ἐν τῇ γνώμῃ· ἀλλὰ κἂν δεήσῃ προσποιήσασθαι θυμὸν, μὴ εἰς τὸ πάθος ἐμπέσῃς· καὶ γὰρ ψεκτὸς θυμὸς ἐν τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ τῶν ἀφρόνων κόλπῳ καλούμενος οἰκεῖ καὶ ἐπαναπαύεται. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ τὸ, ἐν κόλπῳ, νοήσεις, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μὴ κολάκευε, μηδὲ θεράπευε, τὸν θυμὸν, τῷ σπουδάζειν ἀμύνασθαι τοὺς λελυπηκότας. "Μὴ εἴπῃς· Τί ἐγένετο ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πρότεραι ἀγαθαὶ ἦσαν ὑπὲρ ταύτας; ὅτι οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐπηρώτησας περὶ τούτου." Πολυτρόπως τοῦτό φασιν οἱ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἄσοφοι· Ὅτι, φησὶ, κατὰ τὸ παλαιὸν ὁ Θεὸς διὰ προφητῶν καὶ ἀγγέλων τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐλάλει, ὅτι ἐξὸν ἦν τοῖς παλαιοῖς πολυγαμεῖν, κτημάτων ἔχειν περιουσίας· νῦν δὲ ταῦτα περικόπτει ὁ εὐαγγελικὸς λόγος. Καὶ ἄλλοι δέ εἰσι λέγοντες, ὅτι Πάλαι μοι ὁ Θεὸς ἐβοήθει, νῦν δὲ ἐγκαταλέλειμμαι, διὰ τοῦτο οὐ δύναμαι ἀγαθοεργεῖν. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἀφρόνων ῥήματα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἄλλων ἔστι ἀκοῦσαι, λεγόντων· Νῦν ὁ κόσμος ἐπληρώθη κακῶν· καὶ ἕτεραι μὲν αἱ ἡμέραι κακαὶ, ἕτεραι δὲ καλαί. Ὁ δὲ κατ' ἀρετὴν ζῶν ἀεὶ ἐκ ζωῆς εἰς ζωὴν μεταβαίνων, καὶ ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν ταῖς ἀρεταῖς προκόπτων, 93.565 οὕτε ἡμερῶν οἶδε διαφορὰν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν προαπορηθέντων τοὺς λόγους ἐπίσταται. "Ἀγαθὴ σοφία μετὰ κληροδοσίας· καὶ περισσεία τοῖς θεωροῦσι τὸν ἥλιον, ὅτι ἐν σκιᾷ αὐτοῦ ἡ σοφία, ὡς σκιὰ τοῦ ἀργύρου· ὅτι περισσεία γνώσεως τῆς σοφίας ζωοποιήσει τοὺς παρ' αὐτῆς." Ὧ δίδοται λόγος σοφίας διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, οὗτος σοφίαν ἔχει μετὰ κληροδοσίας, ἀντὶ τοῦ, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Οὗτος καὶ περισσείαν ἔχει ἐν τῷ θεωρεῖν τὸν ἥλιον· οὕτε γὰρ ἀπατᾶται, καὶ Θεὸν τοῦτον νομίζει· οὔτε μέχρι τοῦ θαυμάζειν αὐτὸν, ἢ ἐπιτέρπεσθαι μένει· ἀλλὰ ἀναλόγως τὸν γενεσιουργὸν αὐτοῦ θεωρῶν, τῷ θείῳ καταλάμπεται φωτί· καὶ ποιεῖ μὲν ἡ σοφία ὃ ποιεῖ καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον, ἀπὸ κινδύνων ἁρπάζει, πόλεις οἰκοδομεῖ, σκέπει τὸν ἔχοντα· σκιὰν γὰρ τὴν σκέπην λέγει. Ἔχει δὲ ἡ σοφία τὸ περιττὸν, τὴν γνῶσιν τὴν ζωοποιόν· πείθουσα μὲν καταφρονεῖν τῶν ὁρωμένων, εἰς μόνην δὲ ἀποβλέπειν τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν. Ἄλλως· Ἡ σοφία, φησὶν, ἡ μετὰ κληροδοσίας, τουτέστι ἡ πίστις μετὰ τῶν ἔργων, περιττόν τι ἔχει παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους, τὸν ἥλιον· ποῖον τὸ περιττόν; Ἀργύριον δὲ κατὰ τὴν θεωρίαν ὁ Λόγος παρείληπται. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἡ σκιὰ τοῦ ἀργυρίου, τουτέστι ὁ διεξοδικὸς καὶ προφανὴς λόγος, διδάσκει ἡμᾶς τὰ περὶ σοφίας μαθήματα· οὕτως ἡ σκιὰ τῆς σοφίας, τουτέστι ἡ εἰσαγωγικὴ καὶ πρακτικὴ ἀρετὴ σκιὰ οὖσα, παραπέμπει ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν τελείαν σοφίαν, τὴν τῶν θειοτέρων θεωρίαν καὶ κατανόησιν. Ἡ δὲ τοιαύτη τῆς σοφίας κτῆσις τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῖν χαρίζεται τὴν αἰώνιον. "Ἴδε τὰ ποιήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι τίς δυνήσεται τοῦ κοσμῆσαι ὃν ἂν ὁ Θεὸς διαστρέψῃ αὐτὸν, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀγαθωσύνης αὐτοῦ; Ἐκ τῆς περὶ τὸν βίον ἀνωμαλίας ἐτόλμησαν εἰπεῖν τινες ὡς ὑπεραπολογούμενοι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα μὴ αὐτὸν εἴπωσι τῶν κακῶν αἴτιον· ὅτι οὔτε τὸν κόσμον ἐποίησε, οὔτε προνοεῖ αὐτοῦ· Εἰ γὰρ προενόει, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς, διὰ τί μὴ πάντες πλούσιοι; ∆ιὰ τί μὴ πάντες ὑγιεῖς; Ταύτην τὴν δόξαν ἐκβάλλων ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, φησὶν ὅτι καὶ ποιητής ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται ἀνορθῶσαι τὰ διεστραμμένα πλὴν αὐτοῦ, τὸν χωλὸν ὑγιάσαι· καὶ τὰ ὅμοια. Εἰ δὲ θέλεις, φησὶ, γνῶναι ὅτι πάντα κατὰ τὸ συμφέρον ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς διοικεῖ, πρόσεχε τοῖς ἑξῆς· 93.568 "Ζῆθι ἐν ἀγαθῷ, καὶ ἴδε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακίας· ἴδε, καί γε τοῦτο σύμφωνον. Τούτῳ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς περὶ λαλιᾶς, ἵνα μὴ εὕρῃ ἄνθρωπος ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ μηδέν." Ζῆθι, φησὶ, κατὰ ἀρετὴν, καὶ ἐπιτήρει ἐν τοῖς συμβαίνουσι πειρασμοῖς, εἰ μὴ συμφώνως καὶ ἐναρμονικῶς πάντα ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τὴν περὶ τούτων καλῶς ἀπέκρυψε διδασκαλίαν. Ἣν δὴ καὶ λαλιάν φησι, ἵνα μὴ γνῷ ἅνθρωπος τὰ μέλλοντα αὐτῷ συμβήσεσθαι. Συμφώνως γὰρ καὶ τὸ δοκοῦν εἶναι κακὸν ἐπάγεται, μετὰ τὸ δόξαν εἶναι καλόν· καὶ τὸ ἐναντίον· οἷον ὑγιαίνει τις, καὶ