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since the name of wisdom confesses to being created by the one who made all things, 3.1.22 they propose this utterance. But I think that the pious meaning of this saying is clear to the more attentive and industrious, so that no harm comes to the word of faith for those who have been taught the riddles of the proverb; however, I think it is necessary to discuss the argument concerning this in a few words, so that when the meaning of this saying has been more clearly revealed, the argument of the heresy might have no boldness from any quarter, as if having its testimony from the divinely inspired 3.1.23 scripture. For it is agreed by all that in scriptural usage the name of "proverb" is not employed for an obvious meaning, but is said of some hidden meaning, just as the gospel calls enigmatic and obscure sayings "proverbs", so that a proverb is, if one were to define the interpretation of this name, a saying that through some things understood at a surface level indicates something else in a hidden way, or a saying not showing the aim of its meaning directly, but giving its teaching obliquely 3.1.24 through indirect signification. And this name is inscribed on this book in a special way, and the meanings of this appellation are distinguished at once in the introductions by the wise Solomon. For he did not call the words in this book maxims nor counsels nor clear teaching, but proverbs, adding the interpretation of what the significance of this name is; "To know," he says, "wisdom and instruction," not placing instruction before wisdom according to the common custom in other subjects, but he first commands one to become wise from preliminary training, and then to receive the instruction from the proverb. For he says they are words of prudence, 3.1.25 revealing their aim through a "turning." For what is not understood directly needs some turning for the comprehension of what is hidden, and just as Paul promised to change his tone when he was about to transpose history into a tropological contemplation, so here the revelation of hidden things is called a "turning of speech" by Solomon, since the beauty of the thoughts cannot be understood, unless someone turns the apparent meaning of the speech to its opposite and sees the hidden ray of meaning; as happens with the feather, with which 3.1.26 the peacock is beautified in its tail. For in this case, one who sees the back of the feather, which is unadorned and shapeless, certainly despises the sight as commonplace; but if one turns it and shows the other side, one sees the varied painting of nature and the incomplete circle shining in purple dye in the middle, and the golden air around the circle girded and illuminated at the edge with multicolored rainbows. Since, therefore, no beauty is present in the surface meaning of the word ("For all the glory," he says, "of the king's daughter is within," shining in the golden thoughts with hidden adornment), Solomon of necessity suggests the "turning of speech" to those who encounter this book, so that through this they might understand a parable and a dark saying, and the sayings of the wise and riddles. 3.1.27 Since, therefore, this proverbial teaching contains these things, no one of sound mind would accept unexamined and unconsidered the things brought forth from this book, even if it happens to be especially clear and familiar on the surface. For there certainly underlies even what seems to be manifest a contemplation according to the anagogical sense. But if the surface meanings of this scripture necessarily require more detailed examination, how much more those things in which there is much that is obscure and 3.1.28 difficult to contemplate from an immediate understanding? Let us examine, therefore, from the context of the words around that passage, if the reading of the adjacent text has anything clear. The word prefigures wisdom, certain sayings from its own

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τοῦ τῆς σοφίας ὀνόματος ὁμολογοῦντος τὸ ἐκτίσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ τὰ πάντα ποιή 3.1.22 σαντος τὴν φωνὴν ταύτην προτείνονται. ἐγὼ δὲ φανερὰν μὲν ἡγοῦμαι τοῖς προσεχεστέροις τε καὶ φιλοπονωτέροις τὴν εὐσεβῆ τοῦ ῥητοῦ τούτου διάνοιαν, ὡς μηδεμίαν γενέσθαι βλάβην κατὰ τοῦ λόγου τῆς πίστεως τοῖς πεπαιδευμένοις τὰ τῆς παροιμίας αἰνίγματα· πλὴν δι' ὀλίγων οἶμαι δεῖν τὸν περὶ τούτου λόγον διαλαβεῖν, ὡς ἂν φανερώτερον τῆς τοῦ ῥητοῦ τούτου διανοίας ἐκκαλυφθείσης μηδαμόθεν ἔχοι παρρησίαν ὁ τῆς αἱρέσεως λόγος, ὡς ἐκ τῆς θεοπνεύστου 3.1.23 γραφῆς τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἔχων. ὁμολογεῖται μὲν γὰρ παρὰ πάντων ἐν τῇ γραφικῇ καταχρήσει τὸ τῆς παροιμίας ὄνομα μὴ κατὰ φανεροῦ τετάχθαι νοήματος, ἀλλ' ἐπί τινος κε κρυμμένης λέγεσθαι διανοίας, οὕτω τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τὰς αἰνιγματώδεις τε καὶ ἀσαφεῖς ῥήσεις παροιμίας κατονομά ζοντος, ὡς εἶναι τὴν παροιμίαν, εἴ τις ὅρῳ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου διαλαμβάνοι, λόγον δι' ἑτέρων τῶν κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον νοουμένων ἕτερόν τι κατὰ τὸ κρυπτὸν ἐνδεικνύμενον, ἢ λόγον οὐκ ἐπ' εὐθείας τὸν τοῦ νοήματος σκοπὸν προδεικνύοντα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ λοξὸν τὴν διδασκαλίαν 3.1.24 ποιούμενον διὰ πλαγίας ἐμφάσεως. τῷ δὲ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ κατ' ἐξαίρετον τὸ τοιοῦτον ἐπιγέγραπται ὄνομα, καὶ τῆς προσηγορίας ταύτης αἱ ἐμφάσεις εὐθὺς ἐν τοῖς προοιμίοις παρὰ τοῦ σοφοῦ Σολομῶντος διῄρηνται. οὐ γὰρ γνώμας οὐδὲ συμβουλὰς οὐδὲ διδασκαλίαν σαφῆ τοὺς ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ λόγους, ἀλλὰ παροιμίας ὠνόμασεν, ἐπαγαγὼν τὴν ἑρμηνείαν, τί βούλεται τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου τὸ σημαινό μενον· Γνῶναι γάρ, φησί, σοφίαν καὶ παιδείαν, οὐ κατὰ τὴν κοινὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων μαθημάτων συνήθειαν προτάξας τῆς σοφίας τὴν παίδευσιν, ἀλλὰ σοφὸν ἐκ προπαιδεύσεως γενέ σθαι πρῶτον διακελεύεται, εἶθ' οὕτως τὴν ἐκ τῆς παροι μίας παιδείαν χωρῆσαι. φρονήσεως γὰρ εἶναι λόγους, φησί, 3.1.25 διὰ στροφῆς τὸν σκοπὸν ἐκκαλύπτοντας. τὸ γὰρ μὴ ἐπ' εὐθείας νοούμενον στροφῆς τινος χρῄζει πρὸς τὴν τοῦ κεκρυμμένου κατάληψιν, καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ Παῦλος ἀλλάξειν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν φωνὴν ἐπηγγείλατο, μέλλων μετατιθέναι τὴν ἱστορίαν εἰς τροπικὴν θεωρίαν, οὕτως ἐνταῦθα ἡ τῶν κε κρυμμένων φανέρωσις στροφὴ λόγου παρὰ τοῦ Σολομῶντος κατονομάζεται, ὡς οὐ δυναμένου κατανοηθῆναι τοῦ κάλ λους τῶν νοημάτων, εἰ μή τις τοῦ λόγου τὸ προφαινό μενον εἰς τὸ ἔμπαλιν ἀναστρέψας ἴδοι τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην αὐγὴν τοῦ νοήματος· οἷον ἐπὶ τοῦ πτεροῦ συμβαίνει, ᾧ 3.1.26 κατὰ τὸ οὐραῖον ὁ ταὼς καλλωπίζεται. ἐπὶ τούτου γὰρ ὁ μὲν τὰ νῶτα τοῦ πτεροῦ θεασάμενος κατὰ τὸ ἀκαλλές τε καὶ ἄμορφον καταφρονεῖ πάντως ὡς εὐτελοῦς τοῦ θεά ματος· εἰ δέ τις ἀναστρέψας αὐτοῦ τὴν ἑτέραν ὄψιν προ δείξειεν, ὁρᾷ τὴν ποικίλην ζωγραφίαν τῆς φύσεως καὶ τὸν ἡμιτελῆ κύκλον ἐν πορφυρᾷ τῇ βαφῇ κατὰ τὸ μέσον ἐκ λάμποντα καὶ τὸν χρυσοειδῆ περὶ τὸν κύκλον ἀέρα ταῖς πολυχρόοις ἴρισι κατὰ τὸ ἄκρον διεζωσμένον τε καὶ λαμ πόμενον. ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐδὲν τῷ προχείρῳ τῆς λέξεως ἔπεστι κάλλος (Πᾶσα γάρ, φησίν, ἡ δόξα τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ βασι λέως ἔσωθεν, ἐν τοῖς χρυσοῖς νοήμασι τῷ κρυπτῷ δια λάμπουσα κόσμῳ), ἀναγκαίως ὁ Σολομὼν τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι τούτῳ τῷ βιβλίῳ τὴν τοῦ λόγου στροφὴν ὑποτίθεται, ἵνα διὰ τούτου νοήσωσι παραβολὴν καὶ σκοτεινὸν λόγον, ῥήσεις τε σοφῶν καὶ αἰνίγματα. 3.1.27 Ταῦτα τοίνυν περιεχούσης τῆς παροιμιακῆς ταύτης διδασκαλίας, οὐδὲν ἄν τις τῶν εὖ φρονούντων ἀνεξετάστως τε καὶ ἀθεωρήτως τῶν ἐκ τῆς βίβλου ταύτης προφερομένων δέξεται, κἂν ὅτι μάλιστα σαφὲς ἐκ τοῦ προχείρου καὶ γνώ ριμον τυγχάνῃ. πάντως γὰρ ὕπεστί τις καὶ τοῖς προδήλοις εἶναι δοκοῦσιν ἡ κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν θεωρία. εἰ δὲ τὰ πρόχειρα τῆς γραφῆς ταύτης ἀναγκαίως ἐπιζητεῖ τὴν λεπτομερεστέραν ἐξέτασιν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνα οἷς πολὺ τὸ ἀσαφές τε καὶ 3.1.28 δυσθεώρητον ἐκ τῆς αὐτόθεν ἐστὶ κατανοήσεως; ἐξετάσω μεν τοίνυν ἐκ τῆς περὶ τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον συμφράσεως τῶν ῥημάτων, εἴ τι σαφὲς ἡ τῶν παρακειμένων ἀνάγνωσις ἔχει. προδιαγράφει τὴν σοφίαν ὁ λόγος ῥήσεις τινὰς ἐξ οἰκείου