Spiritual Friendship and False Witness
He is unable to learn anything from another, desiring to be independent.
He who does not discipline himself in his own works is a brother to him who defiles himself. And Paul says: 'If anyone cleanses himself, he will be a vessel useful to the master.'
Great in power is the name of the Lord; but those running to him are exalted as righteous. The name of the Lord signifies the knowledge of God. And through righteous living the righteous run toward him; but through contemplation they are exalted.
Before crushing, the heart of a man is exalted, and before glory it is humbled. Just as crushing follows pride, so glory follows humbling.
He who answers a word before hearing it, folly is to him and a reproach. It is a reproach to this man, who, not having received knowledge from God, attempts to teach others. And David says: 'To hear the voice of your lovingkindness and' then 'to recount' and to others 'your wonders.' And again Solomon says: 'What your eyes have seen, speak.'
A man's spirit is stilled by a prudent servant; but who will consider a small-souled man? Just as our Lord is said to become a rushing leopard toward those who transgress and a stone of stumbling toward those who disobey, so also the small-souled man is toward those sinning. It can also be said that the evil one and every demon has fallen away from virtue and knowledge regarding the small-souled.
A man's house expands him and establishes him among the powerful. He spoke of the upright life just now, 'a man's house,' which expands him and provides him worthy of the fullness of God, which he calls the seat of the holy powers; for the mind is a seat, an excellent state, difficult to move or immovable, preserving the one seated.
A lot stops contention; but among the powerful it defines the state. Knowledge stops folly; for this is the lot of the rational nature.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those holding it give its fruits. Here he says the soul is receptive of death and life, from which we fashion its free agency.
He who found a good wife, found grace... But he who holds an adulterous, foolish, and impious wife. 'He who found' wisdom 'good, found grace.' 'But he who...'
He possesses wickedness, the fool and the ungodly. Wealth adds many friends, but the poor man is deprived even of the friend he already had. Wealth adds many angels to us through knowledge and wisdom, but the unclean man is separated even from the angel given to him from childhood. For spiritual friendship is virtue and knowledge of God, through which we are joined to holy friendship by power, if repentant men become causes of joy to the angels. Thus also the Savior calls his servants friends, having at times deemed them worthy of the greater vision. Thus also Abraham, having become rich in that mystical knowledge, set 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), the spirit of the Lord calling the angel; 'for he who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a burning fire' (Ps 104:4), he says. And that even angels believe in men, the Lord teaches in the Gospels: 'See,' he says, 'do not despise one of these little ones, for their angels always behold the face of my Father in heaven' (Matt 18:10). And again Jacob: 'the angel who delivers me from all evils' (Gen 32:30). And Zechariah: 'and the angel was speaking in me' (Luke 1:19).
A false witness shall not go unpunished; 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 those again, being troubled by their own passions, think virtue to be unavailing, these accuse the Giver of the law unjustly.
A good understanding draws near to those who know it; but a prudent man will find it. The knowledge of God now names 'understanding,' and those who know it are the pure in heart.
He who does much evil perfects wickedness; but he who provokes words shall not be saved. Passionate thoughts provoke the soul toward wickedness.
Luxury does not benefit the fool. Neither intellectual luxury nor sensual luxury benefits the fool. For he will trample it underfoot with his feet, being a lover of pigs; but by the...
Greek
ἄλλον δυνάμενος μήτε μανθάνειν ὑφ' ἑτέρου βουλόμενος. 179 18, 9 ὁ μὴ ἰώμενος ἑαυτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ ἀδελφός ἐστιν τοῦ λυμαινομένου ἑαυτόν Καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· «ἐὰν οὖν τις ἐκκαθάρῃ ἑαυτόν, ἔσται σκεῦος χρήσιμον τῷ δεσπότῃ.» 180 18, 10 ἐκ μεγαλωσύνης ἰσχύος ὄνομα κυρίου· αὐτῷ δὲ προσδραμόντες δίκαιοι ὑψοῦνται Τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν σημαίνει. Καὶ διὰ μὲν τοῦ ὀρθοῦ βίου προστρέχουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ δίκαιοι· διὰ δὲ θεωρίας ὑψοῦνται. 181 18, 12 πρὸ συντριβῆς ὑψοῦται καρδία ἀνδρὸς καὶ πρὸ δόξης ταπεινοῦται Ὥσπερ τῇ ὑπερηφανίᾳ ἕπεται συντριβή, οὕτως τῇ ταπεινώσει δόξα. 182 18, 13 ὃς ἀποκρίνεται λόγον πρὶν ἀκοῦσαι, ἀφροσύνη αὐτῷ ἐστιν καὶ ὄνειδος Χρηστέον τούτῳ τῷ ῥητῷ πρὸς τοὺς μὴ λαβόντας μὲν γνῶσιν παρὰ θεοῦ, διδάσκειν δὲ ἄλλους ἐπιχειροῦντας. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ φησιν· «τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι φωνὴν αἰνέσεώς σου καὶ» τότε «διηγήσασθαι» καὶ ἄλλοις «τὰ θαυμάσιά σου». Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Σολομών φησιν· «ἃ εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, λέγε.» 183 18, 14 θυμὸν ἀνδρὸς πραΰνει θεράπων φρόνιμος· ὀλιγόψυχον δὲ ἄνδρα τίς ὑποίσει; Ὥσπερ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν πάρδαλις ἀπορουμένη λέγεται γίνεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πλημμελοῦντας καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου πρὸς τοὺς ἀπειθοῦντας, οὕτω καὶ ὀλιγόψυχος ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν. ∆ύναται δὲ ὀλιγόψυχον λέγειν καὶ τὸν πονηρὸν καὶ πάντα δαίμονα ἀρετῆς ἐκπεπτωκότα καὶ γνώσεως. 184 18, 16 δόμα ἀνθρώπου ἐμπλατύνει αὐτὸν καὶ παρὰ δυνάσταις καθιζάνει αὐτόν Τὸν βίον τὸν ὀρθὸν νῦν εἶπεν δόμα ἀνθρώπου, ὅστις αὐτὸν πλατύνει καὶ παρέχει τοῦ πληρώματος ἄξιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅπερ καθέδραν τῶν ἁγίων δυνάμεων ὀνομάζει· νοῦ γὰρ καθέδρα ἐστὶν ἕξις ἀρίστη δυσκίνητον ἢ ἀκίνητον διατηροῦσα τὸν καθεζόμενον. 185 18, 18 ἀντιλογίας παύει κλῆρος· ἐν δὲ δυνάσταις ὁρίζει Ἄνοιαν παύει γνῶσις· αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ὁ κλῆρος τῆς φύσεως τῆς λογικῆς. 186 18, 21 θάνατος καὶ ζωὴ ἐν χειρὶ γλώσσης· οἱ δὲ κρατοῦντες αὐτῆς ἔδονται τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς Ἐνταῦθα λέγει τὴν ψυχὴν εἶναι θανάτου καὶ 15 ζωῆς δεκτικήν, ἀφ' ὧν τὸ αὐτεξούσιον αὐτῆς γεγονέναι κατασκευάζομεν. 187 18, 22.1 ὃς εὗρεν γυναῖκα ἀγαθήν, εὗρεν χάριτας ... 18, 22α.2 ὁ δὲ κατέχων μοιχαλίδα ἄφρων καὶ ἀσεβής «Ὃς εὗρεν» σοφίαν «ἀγαθήν, εὗρεν χάριτας». 188 «Ὁ δὲ κατέχων» κακίαν «ἄφρων καὶ ἀσεβής». 189 19, 4 πλοῦτος προστίθησι φίλους πολλούς· ὁ δὲ πτωχὸς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος φίλου λείπεται Πλοῦτος γνώσεως καὶ σοφίας προστίθησιν ἡμῖν ἀγγέλους πολλούς· ὁ δὲ ἀκάθαρτος καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ δοθέντος αὐτῷ ἐκ παιδὸς ἀγγέλου χωρίζεται. Ἡ γὰρ πνευματικὴ φιλία ἐστὶν ἀρετὴ καὶ γνῶσις θεοῦ, δι' ὧν συναπτόμεθα πρὸς φιλίαν ταῖς ἁγίαις δυνάμεσιν, εἴγε οἱ μετανοοῦντες ἄνθρωποι χαρᾶς αἴτιοι γίνονται τοῖς ἀγγέλοις. Οὕτως καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ φίλους καλεῖ τοὺς δούλους ποτὲ τῆς μείζονος αὐτοὺς θεωρίας καταξιώσας. Οὕτω καὶ Ἀβραὰμ πλουτήσας ἐν γνώσει τὴν μυστικὴν ἐκείνην παρατίθησι τράπεζαν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν μεσημβρίαν φίλοις φανεῖσιν αὐτῷ. Σαοὺλ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος φίλου διὰ τὴν κακίαν χωρίζεται· γέγραπται γὰρ «καὶ ἀπέστη πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἀπὸ Σαοὺλ καὶ πνεῦμα πονηρὸν παρὰ κυρίου ἔπνιγε τὸν Σαούλ», πνεῦμα κυρίου λέγων τὸν ἄγγελον· «ὁ ποιῶν γάρ, φησίν, τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον.» Ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἄγγελοι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πεπίστευνται, διδάσκει ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ὁ κύριος· «ὁρᾶτε, λέγων, μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων, ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.» Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Ἰακώβ· «ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ ῥυόμενός με ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κακῶν». Καὶ ὁ Ζαχαρίας· «καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοί.» 190 19, 5 μάρτυς ψευδὴς οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται· ὁ δὲ ἐγκαλῶν ἀδίκως οὐ διαφεύξεται Ὅσοι τοὺς περὶ κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας ἀγνοοῦντες λόγους τὸν δημιουργὸν βλασφημοῦσιν, οὗτοι ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἀδίκως. Καὶ ὅσοι πάλιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων παθῶν ἐνοχλούμενοι νομίζουσιν ἀκατόρθωτον εἶναι τὴν ἀρετήν, οὗτοι τῷ δεδωκότι τὸν νόμον ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἀδίκως. 191 19, 7.3–4 ἔννοια ἀγαθὴ τοῖς εἰδόσιν αὐτὴν ἐγγιεῖ· ἀνὴρ δὲ φρόνιμος εὑρήσει αὐτήν Τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν νῦν ὠνόμασεν ἔννοιαν καὶ τοὺς εἰδότας αὐτὴν τοὺς καθαροὺς τῇ καρδίᾳ. 192 19, 7.5–6 ὁ πολλὰ κακοποιῶν τελεσιουργεῖ κακίαν· ὃς δὲ ἐρεθίζει λόγους οὐ σωθήσεται Οἱ ἐμπαθεῖς λογισμοὶ ἐρεθίζουσι τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς κακίαν. 193 19, 10.1 οὐ συμφέρει ἄφρονι τρυφή Οὔτε ἡ νοητὴ τρυφὴ οὔτε ἡ αἰσθητὴ συμφέρει τῷ ἄφρονι. Τὴν μὲν γὰρ καταπατήσει τοῖς ποσί, χοῖρος φιλήδονος ὤν· ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς
About this text
Evagrius's short notes on Proverbs, turning each proverb toward the fight against temptation.
Original English Translation of Evagrius Ponticus’s Scholia in Proverbia — new OET from PG 40 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 40 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.