Exegesis of Proverbs

He found good wisdom; he found grace. But he who holds a net is a fool and impious; and he who holds onto wickedness is a fool and impious.

Wealth adds many friends: wealth of knowledge and wisdom adds to us many friendly angels; but the unclean one is separated from the angel given to him from childhood; for spiritual friendship is virtue and knowledge of God, through which we are joined to holy angelic friendships by divine powers, if repentant men become causes of joy to the angels. Thus also the Savior calls his servants friends at last, having deemed them worthy of the greater vision. Thus also Abraham, having become rich in that mystical knowledge, sets a table for the friends appearing to him at midday. But Saul is separated even from his existing friend because of wickedness; for it is written: 'And the Spirit of God departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented Saul' (1 Sam 16:14); 'a spirit of the Lord' saying the angel: 'For he says the Maker makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire' (Ps 104:4). Since also angels watch over men, the Lord teaches in the Gospels: 'See,' saying, 'do not despise one of these little ones, for their angels always see the face of my Father in heaven' (Matt 18:10). And again Jacob: 'The angel who delivers me from all evils' (Gen 48:16). And Zechariah: 'And the angel was speaking in me' (Luke 1:19). But he who accuses unjustly shall not escape: Those who, being ignorant of the words concerning judgment and providence, blaspheme the Creator, these accuse unjustly; and again, those who, being troubled by their own passions, think virtue to be impossible, these accuse Him who gave the law unjustly.

A good concept draws near to those who know it: He now named the knowledge of God 'concept,' and those who know it, the pure in heart. But he who provokes the words shall not be saved: Passionate thoughts provoke the soul toward wickedness. Luxury does not benefit a fool: Neither intellectual luxury nor sensual luxury benefits the fool; for he will trample the former with his feet, being a lover of pigs; and by the sensual luxury, his flesh will be moved. A merciful man is patient, but his boast comes to nothing...

If one boasts rightly in the Lord, and our Lord is wisdom, then the one boasting thus boasts rightly in wisdom. The boasting of the long-suffering and merciful—which is his wisdom and his knowledge—comes upon the lawless, freeing them from wickedness, now somewhat and necessarily in the age to come.

The threat of a king is like a lion's roar: Our Lord becomes a consuming fire and an angry lion toward those sinning, burning wood, brush, and reed, and consuming the flesh that wages war against the spirit; but toward those walking uprightly, he is light and dew, showing them the words of things that have happened, and quenching the inflamed arrows of the evil one, and refreshing the heat arising from the practical life.

Not pure thanks from a prostitute's reward: He named the unclean soul a prostitute; and regarding this, he called the reward the condition, from which they do not become pure prayers.

Fathers divide house and substance: To teach the sons about virtue and the knowledge of God is the work of fathers; but to give wisdom to the children is the work of the Lord; for there he calls wisdom a wife: For he says, 'She loved wisdom, and she will keep you; honor her, so that she may take hold of you.'

He who keeps a commandment keeps his own soul: The commandments are called commandments as toward the God who commands; but as toward the mind walking in them, they are called ways; and again, because the commandments were given upon the witnesses of heaven and earth (Heb 1:2), they are called testimonies; therefore also he who received them is named a witness, who, having not lied about them, will not be dishonored.

According to his gift he will repay him: He named now the purity of heart a gift; for by analogy of our apatheia, we are made worthy of knowledge.

A man of evil mind will suffer much loss: I think the great loss contains the deprivation of the contemplation of things that have happened, and the addition of the soul is the destruction of the natural notions concerning God, the whole of which falls into irrationality. And the Savior says in the Gospels: 'What will a man profit, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul and is harmed?' (Matt 16:26). But here the loss is ignorance.