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Fragments on Proverbs

FROM THE COMMENTARIES OF DIDYMUS ON THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. EX DIDYMI IN RPOVEPBIA SALOMONIS COMMENTAPIIS.

39.1621 A proverb is, for example, "Sweet is war to the inexperienced," and, "A constant drop hollows out a rock." The proverb is so named; For in the beginning, when the paths were still unmarked, what are now called miles by the Romans, then called signs, the ancients would place at certain places on the road, and on these they would inscribe certain problems. For they did this for two reasons: both for the traveler to know the distance of the road, and so that, by reading the epigram and becoming engaged in its clarification, his weariness might be relieved. For the road is called a path. 39.1624 Verse 2. To know words of wisdom is properly, of course, of virtue, as also the other interpreters clarify, having rendered it as, not words of wisdom, but words of understanding. Or he says "words of wisdom" means those that are sophistical and crafty. Verse 3. The Word, convicting those who put on the appearance of justice and say they have it as they ought, says: "If you indeed speak righteousness, judge uprightly, O sons of men." Verse 6. I hear the interpretation of Theodotion, which Symmachus also put forth, that they rendered it as "problem." What then is a dark saying? One confused in speech, thought, and phrasing; like that in the prophet Isaiah: "Woe to the land of winged ships, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia! Who sends hostages by sea, and letters of papyrus on the water." For none of these has clear wording in parables, nor a clear narrative of history. And of a riddle it is possible to understand the literal meaning, but of a dark saying, not even the literal meaning. A dark saying is a general term, while a parable is specific; and "dark" means not that which is deprived of light, but that which is hidden, so that the ignorant person is darkened. And "sayings" are eloquent maxims; and a riddle is a word signifying the truth with concealment; such as, "Open your gates, O Lebanon, and let the fire devour your cedars." Verse 7. For true fear is reverence according to respect; and understanding is good. One should pause here. For it is not sufficient for blessedness to know the good, unless one also does it; and piety towards God is the beginning of understanding. Verse 8. The Father of the righteous is God. For everyone who does righteousness has been born of God. And our mother is the Church, whose bridegroom is our Lord Jesus Christ. And "laws" are the apostolic ordinances. -Although the preceding things have a spiritual meaning, yet they also apply to natural parents, when, being God-fearing, they raise their children. But since the teacher is a man, who has begotten through the Gospel those who are being instructed, his spouse and the mother of those begotten is the Church, or rather, the ecclesiastical mind and way of life. If then, he says, you listen to me, the author of proverbs, now as a teacher and father, now as wisdom and virtue instead of a mother, you will be crowned with a wreath of graces, and your neck will be adorned with a collar, made of spiritual gold and ornament. For the material of the wreath with which the head of the inner man is bound, the collection of virtues, happen to be called graces. In harmony with the wreath, being spiritual, we must also understand the golden collar placed on the neck of the soul, that is, on its submissive part. Verse 9. By head and neck he means the mind; and by golden collar, the knowledge and the spiritual adornment of the soul; or the golden collar is submission to God, and the embrace of the divine oracles. 39.1625 Verse 10. And to sin with others

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Fragmenta in Proverbia

ΕΚ ΤΩΝ ∆Ι∆ΥΜΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΠΑΡΟΙΜΙΑΣ ΣΟΛΟΜΩΝΤΟΣ ΕΞΗΓΗΣΕΩΝ. EX DIDYMI IN RPOVEPBIA SALOMONIS COMMENTAPIIS.

39.1621 Παροιμία ἐστὶν οἷον, Γλυκὺς ἀπείρῳ πόλεμος, καὶ, Ῥανὶς ἐνδελεχοῦσα

κοιλαίνει πέτραν. Ἡ παροιμία εἴρηται· Ἐν ἀρχῇ γὰρ ἔτι τῶν τρίβων οὐσῶν ἀσήμων, τὰ νῦν προσαγορευόμενα μίλια παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις, τότε σημεῖα καλούμενα, οἱ παλαιοὶ κατά τινας τῆς ὁδοῦ τόπους ἐτίθεσαν, καὶ τούτοις ἐπέγραφόν τινα ζητήματα. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐποίουν δυοῖν ἕνεκεν, τοῦ τε γνωρίζειν τὸν ὁδεύοντα τὸ ποσὸν τῆς ὁδοῦ, καὶ τοῦ, ἀναγινώσκοντα τὸ ἐπίγραμμα, καὶ περὶ τὴν τούτου σαφήνειαν γινόμενον, τοῦ καμάτου ἐπικουφίζεσθαι. Οἶμος γὰρ λέγεται ἡ ὁδός. 39.1624 Στ. βʹ. Τὸ γνῶναι λόγους φρονήσεως, κυρίως ἐστὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς δηλονότι, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἑρμηνευταὶ σαφηνίζουσιν, ἐκδεδωκότες ὡς, οὐ φρονήσεως, ἀλλὰ συνέσεως λόγους. Ἢ λόγους φρονήσεώς φησι τοὺς σοφισματώδεις καὶ πανουργευομένους. Στ. γʹ. Ἐλέγχων ὁ λόγος τοὺς ἐπιμορφαζομένους τὴν δικαιοσύνην, καὶ λέγοντας ἔχειν αὐτὴν ὡς δεῖ, φησίν· Εἰ ἀληθῶς ἄρα δικαιοσύνην λαλεῖτε, εὐθείας κρίνατε, υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Στ. ςʹ. Ἀκούω τοῦ Θεοδοτίωνος ἑρμηνείαν, ἣν ἐξέδωκε καὶ Σύμμαχος, ὅτι πρόβλημα ἐκδεδώκασιν. Τί οὖν ἐστιν ὁ σκοτεινὸς λόγος· Ὁ συγκεχυμένος κατά τε λόγον καὶ διάνοιαν καὶ φράσιν· οἷον τὸ παρὰ τῷ προφήτῃ Ἡσαΐᾳ· "Οὐαὶ γῆς πλοίων, ἐπέκεινα ποταμῶν Αἰθιοπίας! Ὁ ἀποστέλλων ἐν θαλάσσῃ ὅμηρα, καὶ ἐπιστολὰς βιβλίνους ἐπάνω τοῦ ὕδατος." Οὐδὲν γὰρ τούτων οὔτε ἐν παραβολαῖς τὴν λέξιν σαφῆ ἔχει, οὔτε μὲν ἱστορίας διήγησιν φανεράν. Καὶ τοῦ μὲν αἰνίγματος ἔστι νοεῖν τὸ ῥητὸν, τοῦ δὲ σκοτεινοῦ λόγου οὐδὲ τὸ ῥητόν. Σκοτεινὸς μὲν λόγος γενική ἐστι φωνή· ἡ δὲ παραβολὴ, ἰδική· σκοτεινὸς δὲ, οὐ τὸν κατὰ στέρησιν φωτὸς, ἀλλὰ τὸν κεκρυμμένον, ὡς σκοτίζεσθαι τὸν ἀγνοοῦντα. Ῥήσεις δὲ τὰ καλλιεπῆ ἀποφθέγματα· αἴνιγμα δὲ, λόγος μετ' ἐπικρύψεως σημαίνων τὸ ἀληθές· ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ, "∆ιάνοιξον, ὁ Λίβανος, τὰς πύλας σου, καὶ καταφαγείτω πῦρ τὰς κέδρους σου." Στ. ζʹ. Ἀληθὴς γὰρ φόβος, ἡ κατὰ σεβασμὸν εὐλάβεια· σύνεσις δὲ, ἀγαθή. Εἰς τόδε ὑποστικτέον. Οὐκ ἀρκεῖ γὰρ εἰς μακαριότητα τὸ εἰδῆσαι τὸ ἀγαθὸν, εἰ μὴ καὶ πράττοι τις αὐτό· εὐσέβεια δὲ εἰς Θεὸν, ἀρχὴ συνέσεως. Στ. ηʹ. Πατὴρ μὲν δικαίων, ὁ Θεός. Πᾶς γὰρ ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγένηται. Μήτηρ δὲ ἡμῶν, ἡ Ἐκκλησία, ἧς νυμφίος ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Θεσμοὶ δὲ, αἱ ἀποστολικαὶ διατάξεις. -Εἰ καὶ ἀναγωγὴν ἔχει τὰ προκείμενα, ἀλλ' ἐφαρμόζονται καὶ τοῖς κατὰ φύσιν γονεῦσιν, ὅταν θεοσεβεῖς ὄντες ἀνατρέφωσι τὰ τέκνα. Ὄντος δὲ ἀνδρὸς τοῦ διδασκάλου, τοῦ γεννήσαντος διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τοὺς παιδευομένους, σύζυγος τούτῳ καὶ μήτηρ τῶν τεχθέντων ἐστὶν ἡ Ἐκκλησία, μᾶλλον δὲ ἡ ἐκκλησιαστικὴ γνώμη καὶ πολιτεία. Ἢν τοίνυν ἐμοῦ, φησὶ, τοῦ παροιμιαστοῦ, νῦν ὡς καθηγητοῦ καὶ πατρὸς, νῦν δὲ σοφίας καὶ ἀρετῆς ἀντὶ μητρὸς κατακούσῃς, στεφθήσῃ χαρίτων στεφάνῳ, καὶ τὸν τράχηλον κοσμηθήσῃ κλοιῷ, ἐκ νοητοῦ χρυσοῦ καὶ κόσμου κατεσκευασμένῳ. Ὕλη γὰρ στεφάνου ὂν ἀναδεῖται ἡ τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου κεφαλὴ, ἡ τῶν ἀρετῶν περιοχὴ, χάριτες ὀνομαζόμεναι τυγχάνουσι. Συμφώνως τῷ στεφάνῳ, νοητῷ ὄντι, ἐκληπτέον καὶ τὸν χρυσοῦν κλοιὸν ἐπιβαλλόμενον τῷ τῆς ψυχῆς τραχήλῳ, τουτέστι τῷ ὑποτακτικῷ αὐτῆς. Στ. θʹ. Κορυφὴν δὲ καὶ τράχηλον λέγει τὸν νοῦν· κλοιὸν δὲ χρύσεον, τὴν γνῶσιν καὶ τὸν νοητὸν τῆς ψυχῆς κόσμον· ἢ κλοιὸς χρύσεος, ἡ ὑποταγὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἡ τῶν θείων λογίων περιοχή. 39.1625 Στ. ιʹ. Καὶ τὸ σὺν ἄλλοις μὲν ἁμαρτάνειν