Exposition of Proverbs

It is the carpenter's work. A tree of life grows from the fruit of righteousness: This tree of life is the one planted in the midst of paradise, which Adam is prevented from touching after the sin, having cast away the seeds of righteousness, from which the tree of life grows. But a lawless man shall be silent: 'Do not cast me off from myself,' says David (Psalm 51:11), 'and I shall be like those descending into the pit.'

93 Wealth is stored up for the righteous of those sinning: The wealth of the impious is wickedness. But the righteous will consume it, clearly through good teaching, whether now or even in the age to come, having become more than fifteen cities (Matthew 13:53). And Paul says: 'According to your hardness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God' (Romans 2:5).

And wise lips are weapons of perception: For nothing evil opposes wisdom, because it is an invincible weapon; for only against it are the demons able. The houses of the lawless shall owe a cleansing: So that, having become pure, they may see God; for this is the blessed end, which has been preserved for every rational nature.

And from his thoughts, a good man: 'Thoughts' now means the habits of the virtues, just as it was set against the paths of the impudent. But the cunning ones will hold perception. He set wickedness against perception; but if wickedness opposes virtue, 'perception' now signifies virtue. In increasing righteousness, much strength: 'Unless your righteousness abounds more than that of the Pharisees and scribes, you will by no means enter the kingdom of the heavens' (Matthew 5:20).

But those who hate reproofs shall end shamefully: 'Reproofs' now means the commandments; for these reprove us when sinning. But the good ones are at rest always: Quiet is the abstention from wickedness. Paths of life are the thoughts of the prudent: 'Paths of life' says the practical virtues which lead to knowledge. And through these also the enemies...

Friends are made: as Paul preached, those who were once enemies were reconciled to God through the death of his Son. However, one must take care whether all enemies become friends through the righteous, so that Christ might also say to all, 'I no longer call you servants, but friends' (John 15:15).

A king's lips are a divination (Proverbs 16:22): Christ is the Knower of Hearts, and he will judge the inhabited world in righteousness. Smokes of wisdom are more excellent than gold: knowledge is wisdom above gold, and knowledge of prudence is above silver.

He who guards reproofs will be a sophist: by reproofs he means the commandments of God; for these reproof us when we are sinning. But the education of fools is evil: he has now named that uncontrollable education as the education of fools; but if the education of fools is evil, then the uncontrollable education is foolishness.

And he will carry epistemic-knowledge upon his lips: he called knowledge epistemic-knowledge because it recognizes all things. A crooked man sends out evils (Proverbs 14:1): the Word attempts to make the demons, learning from the devil, try to approach the saints and tempt them, separating them from the knowledge which has been able to bind them to friendship with the heavenly powers. Solomon, as I think, has also revealed this very thing through this proverb, calling Satan a crooked man, describing the evil demons going about with deceits instead of being taught, and the saints being bound to one another through knowledge.

This is a furnace of wickedness: the wind of drought fans out the flame of this furnace. Everything comes into the bosom of the unrighteous: it should be noted that here he has spoken of the bosom of the hearts of the unrighteous; but I think that the bosom also signifies the mind or the knowledge everywhere; and if there is also a 'false bosom,' it will signify ignorance. A wise servant...