John Chrysostom, Fragments on Proverbs

He speaks concerning creation, so that you might not look to the meanness of the bodily frame; see how he persuades not to be startled by sensible things; such things as are wiser than the wise, not of men, but of the animals, of the great irrational ones; these prevail by wisdom. See how the ant is provident of the future, how it is not idle, although the summer season commands it. How it corrects its natural weakness with foresight. For this reason it is necessary to have learned wisdom in the weak things, so that you might not seek after bodily things in every way. For if it were strong, wisdom would not have appeared. And the rock-badgers are a people not strong. Not simply does he mention the weakness of each, but that he might show the strength of wisdom; and those because of their food, these because of their dwelling are completely unassailable. And for these he speaks of their lodging-places. The locust is without a king. Here are the political virtues, the obedient, the like-minded, the mobile, that of unspeakable harmony. For these things hold our life together: food, dwelling, campaigning. Do you see how just as those are weak, so also these are without a ruler, and nothing has been harmed, but in their nature they have good order? One would not err in calling these things wiser even than men. In this way how it maintains its good order. And a gecko, supporting itself with its hands, is a house-mate to the powerful, he says. This creature is easily caught, and no one harms it. And a rooster, walking among the females, is of good courage. [ξοδ. φ. 115 α.] A rooster is beautiful among its own, he says. But just as this one among its own, so also you among men, do not be high-minded, he says. What is more lowly than a rooster? but in its own dominion it is high-minded. One prevails by body, another by nature, another by understanding. For it is not necessary to rule bodily and by nature like the irrational animals, but also by reason and persuasion; for what to one is strength, and to another is nature, this for the king is reason; for this reason he says: And a goat leading a flock of goats. He was teaching as one having authority, and not as the scribes, so that they were astonished. [ξοδ. φ. 115 β.] For this one, he says, is he who was slain for the sin of the world, and was offered as a sacrifice, and was sent as into a desert to the nations; and was crowned with scarlet wool on his head by the unbelievers; and became a ransom for men; and was shown to be the life of all. And a king addressing the people. The one prophesied by Isaiah; For a king, he says, you will see with glory. This is he who addresses a faithful people, and speaks with boldness through the Gospels. Press milk, and there will be butter. [ξοδ. φ. 116 β.] Press faithfully the two testaments of Christ, and you will find commandments, like milk; so that being nourished in them, you may be able to arrive at the perfect bread of a faithful one.

CHAPTER 31.

Give wine to drink to those in pain. [ξοδ. φ. 118 α.] Give wine, he said; for it is necessary for the dissolved soul to be warmed; not to lead the ruler who is full of pride to warmth; since the warmth from his rule is sufficient for him. Open your mouth wider, and receive the word spoken with boldness.

Λέγει περὶ τῆς κτίσεως, ἵνα μὴ πρὸς τὴν εὐτέλειαν τῆς κατασκευῆς ἴδῃς τῆς σωματικῆς· ὅρα πῶς πείθει μὴ πρὸς τὰ αἰσθητὰ ἐπτοῆσθαι· οἷά ἐστιν σοφώτερα τῶν σοφῶν, οὐχὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ τῶν ζώων, τῶν ἀλόγων τῶν μεγάλων· ταῦτα σοφίᾳ κρατεῖ. Ὅρα πῶς προνοητικὸς τοῦ μέλλοντος ὁ μύρμηξ, πῶς οὐ ῥᾳθυμεῖ, καίτοι τοῦ καιροῦ κελεύοντος τοῦ θέρους. Πῶς τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως ἀσθένειαν διορθοῦται τῇ προνοίᾳ. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς ἀσθενέσι μεμαθηκέναι [δεῖ] τὴν σοφίαν, ἵνα μὴ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου τὰ σωματικὰ συζητῇς. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν ἰσχυρὸν, οὐκ ἂν ἐφάνη ἡ σοφία. Καὶ οἱ χοιρογρύλλιοι ἔθνος οὐκ ἰσχυρόν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐφ' ἑκάστου μέμνηται τῆς ἀσθενείας, ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξῃ τῆς σοφίας τὴν ἰσχύν· κἀκείνους μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς τροφῆς, τούτους δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκήσεως τελείως ἀνάλωτα. Καὶ τούτοις τὰ καταγώγια λέγει. Ἀβασίλευτον ἡ ἀκρίς. Ἐνταῦθα τὰ πολιτικὰ, τὸ πειθήνιον, τὸ ὁμονοητικὸν, τὸ κινητικὸν, τὸ τῆς συμφωνίας τῆς ἀφάτου. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἡμῶν συνέχει τὴν ζωὴν, τροφὴ, οἴκησις, στρατεία. Ὁρᾷς ὥσπερ ἀσθενῆ ἐκεῖνα, οὕτως καὶ ταῦτα ἄναρχα, καὶ οὐδὲν παρεβλάβη, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ φύσει τὴν εὐταξίαν ἔχει; Οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ταῦτα σοφώτερα εἰπών. Κατὰ τοῦτο πῶς διατηρεῖ τὴν εὐταξίαν. Καὶ ἀσκαλαβώτης χερσὶν ἐρειδόμενος, ὁμορόφιος τοῖς κρατοῦσίν ἐστι, φησί. Τὸ ζῶον τοῦτο τὸ εὐάλωτον, καὶ οὐδεὶς λυμαίνεται τοῦτον. Καὶ ἀλέκτωρ ἐμπεριπατῶν ἐν θηλείαις εὔψυχος. [ξοδ. φ. 115 α.] Ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις καλὸς ἀλέκτωρ, φησίν. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οὗτος ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις, οὕτως καὶ σὺ ἐν ἀνθρώποις μὴ μέγα φρόνει, φησί. Τί δὲ εὐτελέστερον ἀλέκτορος; ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἀρχῆς μέγα φρονεῖ. Ὁ μὲν σώματι κρατεῖ, ὁ δὲ φύσει, ὁ συνέσει. Οὐ γὰρ δεῖ κατὰ τὰ ἄλογα σωματικῶς καὶ φυσικῶς διακρατεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγῳ καὶ πειθοῖ· ὅπερ γὰρ ἐκείνῳ μὲν ἰσχὺς, τούτῳ δὲ ἡ φύσις, τοῦτο τοῦ βασιλέως τὸ λογικόν· διὰ τοῦτό φησι· Καὶ τράγος ἡγούμενος αἰπολίου. Ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐδίδασκε, καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἱ γραμματεῖς, ὥστε ἐκπλήττεσθαι. [ξοδ. φ. 115 β.] Οὗτος γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐστὶν ὁ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας κόσμου σφαγεὶς, καὶ ὡς θῦμα προσαχθεὶς, καὶ ὡς ἐρήμῳ εἰς ἔθνη πεμφθείς· καὶ κόκκινον ἔριον ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπίστων στεφανωθείς· καὶ ἀνθρώπων λύτρον γενηθείς· καὶ ζωὴ πάντων δειχθείς. Καὶ βασιλεὺς δημηγορῶν ἔθνει. Ὁ ὑπὸ Ἡσαΐου προφητευθείς· Βασιλέα γὰρ, φησὶ, μετὰ δόξης ὄψεσθε. Οὗτος ὁ δημηγορῶν ἐν ἔθνει πιστῷ, καὶ παῤῥησίᾳ δι' Εὐαγγελίων ὁμιλῶν. Ἄμελγε γάλα, καὶ ἔσται βούτυρον. [ξοδ. φ. 116 β.] Ἄμελγε πιστῶς τὰς δύο διαθήκας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ εὑρήσεις ἐντολὰς, ὡς γάλα· ἵνα τρεφόμενος ἐν αὐταῖς, εἰς πιστὸν τέλειον ἄρτον καταντῆσαι δυνηθῇς.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΛΑʹ.

∆ίδοτε οἶνον πίνειν τοῖς ἐν ὀδύναις. [ξοδ. φ. 118 α.] ∆ίδοτε οἶνον, εἶπε· τὴν καταλελυμένην γὰρ ψυχὴν ἐκθερμαίνεσθαι χρή· οὐχὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα τὸν τύφου γέμοντα πρὸς τὴν θέρμην ἐξάγειν· τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς θερμασίας ἀρκούσης αὐτῷ. Πλάτυνον τὸ στόμα πλατύτερον, καὶ πεπαῤῥησιασμένον λάμβανε λόγον.