Exegesis of Proverbs
According to the Scripture, the matter is divided quite sharply into the ethical, the natural, and the theological. To the first follows Proverbs, to the second Ecclesiastes, and to the third the Hymns of the Hymns.
Regarding Proverbs 24:8, 26: 'Do not give yourself as a surety, being ashamed of your face'; and 24:27: 'For if you do not have something from which to spread it, the layer under your sides shall be taken.' Those who entertain bad thoughts and thus honor the evil one should strive to whatever power they can through good thoughts to restore the bad ones. For if they are not able to do this, the layer under the sides of the soul—that is, virtue—shall be taken. For this is called the garment of the mind when it stands in righteousness, but it is called a cushion when the rest has fallen due to bad thoughts.
Regarding Proverbs 24:28: 'Do not move the eternal boundaries which your fathers set.' He who moves the boundaries of godliness demonstrates either superstition or impiety, and he who moves the boundaries of courage achieves either rashness or cowardice. Likewise, this should be considered regarding the other virtues, regarding the dogmas, and regarding faith itself. Above all, this must be observed concerning the Holy Trinity; for he who does not theologize divides the Holy Spirit by baptism, and he who names others as gods introduces a crowd of gods.
Regarding Proverbs 23:1: 'If you sit to dine at the table of a powerful man, observe mindfully what is set before you...' and 23:3: 'But if you are more gluttonous, do not desire his delicacies'; for these things possess a false life. For not everyone contains the more mystical intellect of the Scripture. It is necessary that the Divine Scripture be understood mindfully and spiritually; for sensory knowledge according to the history is not true.
Regarding Proverbs 23:6: 'Do not dine with a coarse man'; nor desire his foods; 23:7: 'For in whatever way anyone swallows hair, so he eats and drinks'; 23:8: 'Nor let him be brought to you, and eat your bread with him'; for he will vomit him out and will defile your beautiful words. If the coarse man eats the grain of impiety and drinks lawless wine, one must not dine with him; therefore, it is not right to be impious and lawless, for these vices defile spiritual knowledge. Regarding Proverbs 23:9: 'Say nothing into the ears of a fool'...
Regarding the acquisition of your wise words: 'Say nothing wise,' that is to say, profound and mystical; for it is not fitting to cast pearls before swine. Regarding the boundaries: 'Do not shift the eternal boundaries which your fathers set,' and 'Do not enter the estate of orphans,' for wickedness is that by which they were deprived of their Father in heaven.
Regarding jealousy: 'Let not your heart envy sinners,' but be in the fear of the Lord all your days. Since it is said, 'All turns away from evil by the fear of the Lord' (Proverbs 23:17), it rightly exhorts us to turn away from all evil throughout our whole life.
Regarding offspring: 'If you keep these, you shall have offspring,' and 'your hope shall not be disappointed.' The mind has said that the right reasonings and the spiritual contemplations are offspring. Therefore, the soul is barren which does not have these offspring, which it is nature to bring forth from the spiritual bridegroom.
Regarding drunkenness and fornication: 'Every drunkard and fornicator shall be poor, and shall clothe himself in torn and ragged things.' There is no wedding garment that is torn and ragged. Regarding the mother: 'Listen, son, to the father of him who begot you, and do not despise that your mother has grown old.' One of the elders heard someone saying the soul is the mother of the mind; for this, he says, leads the mind into light through the practical virtues. The 'soul' referred to was the passionate part of the soul, which is divided into spirit and desire. For through courage and temperance, he says, we acquire wisdom and knowledge of God. Courage and temperance are the virtues of spirit and desire.
Regarding wines: 'Not of those who intoxicate with wines? Not of those who track where the drinking takes place?' These wines are from the vine of Sodom. Regarding fellowship: 'Do not get drunk with wine, but converse with righteous men, and converse in your walkings.' The Mind, conversing in walkings, walks worthily of the calling wherewith he was called.
Regarding eyes and cups: 'If you give your eyes to bowls and cups.' Sin resembles a bowl according to thought, and a cup according to energy. Regarding nakedness: 'Later you will walk more naked than the proud.' The proud knock much and do not open the place they knock at. But to the disciples the Lord says, 'Knock and it shall be opened to you' (Matthew 7:7). Regarding the eyes and mouth: 'Your eyes, when they see something foreign, your mouth then will speak.'
Greek
κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν πραγματεία τέμνεται τριχῶς εἰς ἠθικὴν καὶ φυσικὴν καὶ θεολογικήν. Καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ τῇ μὲν πρώτῃ αἱ Παροιμίαι, τῇ δὲ δευτέρᾳ ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής, τῇ δὲ τρίτῃ τὰ Ἄσματα τῶν ᾀσμάτων. 248 22, 26 μὴ δίδου σεαυτὸν εἰς ἐγγύην αἰσχυνόμενος πρόσωπον· 22, 27 ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἔχῃς πόθεν ἀποτείσῃς, λήμψονται τὸ στρῶμα τὸ ὑπὸ τὰς πλευράς σου Οἱ τοὺς φαύλους ἀναδεχόμενοι λογισμοὺς καὶ τούτῳ τιμῶντες τὸν πονηρὸν σπουδαζέτωσαν ὅση δύναμις διὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν λογισμῶν ἀποδιδόναι τοὺς χείρονας. Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἰσχύσωσι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, λήψονται τὸ στρῶμα τὸ ὑπὸ τὰς πλευρὰς τῆς ψυχῆς, τουτέστιν τὴν ἀρετήν. Αὕτη γὰρ τοῦ μὲν ἑστῶτος ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ νοῦ ἱμάτιον λέγεται· τοῦ δὲ λοιπὸν πεσόντος διὰ τῶν φαύλων λογισμῶν ὑπόστρωμα καλεῖται. 249 22, 28 μὴ μέταιρε ὅρια αἰώνια ἃ έθεντο οἱ πατέρες σου Ὁ μετατιθεὶς τὰ ὅρια τῆς θεοσεβείας δεισιδαιμονίαν ἢ ἀσέβειαν αὐτὴν ἀποδείκνυσι καὶ ὁ μετατιθεὶς τὰ ὅρια τῆς ἀνδρείας θρασύτητα ἢ δειλίαν αὐτὴν ἀπεργάζεται. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀρετῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δογμάτων καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς πίστεως νοητέον. Μάλιστα δὲ τοῦτο τηρητέον ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας τρίαδος· ὁ γὰρ μὴ θεολογῶν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διαλύει τὸ βάπτισμα· ὁ δὲ καὶ ἄλλους τινὰς ὀνομάζων θεοὺς δῆμον εἰσάγει θεῶν. 250 23, 1 ἐὰν καθίσῃς δειπνεῖν ἐπὶ τραπέζης δυναστοῦ, νοητῶς νόει τὰ παρατιθέμενά σοι ... 23, 3 εἰ δὲ ἀπληστότερος εἶ, μὴ ἐπιθύμει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων αὐτοῦ· ταῦτα γὰρ ἔχεται ζωῆς ψευδοῦς Οὐ γὰρ πάντες χωροῦσι τὴν μυστικωτέραν διάνοιαν τῆς γραφῆς. 251 ∆εῖ τὴν θείαν γραφὴν νοητῶς νοεῖσθαι καὶ πνευματικῶς· ἡ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν αἰσθητὴ γνῶσις οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθής. 252 23, 6 μὴ συνδείπνει ἀνδρὶ βασκάνῳ· μηδὲ ἐπιθύμει τῶν βρωμάτων αὐτοῦ· 23, 7 ὃν τρόπον γὰρ εἴ τις καταπίοι τρίχα, οὕτως ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει· 23, 8 μηδὲ πρὸς σὲ εἰσαγάγῃς αὐτὸν καὶ φάγῃς τὸν ψωμόν σου μετ' αὐτοῦ· ἐξεμέσει γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ λυμανεῖται τοὺς λόγους σου τοὺς καλούς Εἰ ὁ βάσκανος σῖτα ἀσεβείας ἐσθίει καὶ οἴνῳ παρανόμῳ μεθύσκεται, οὐ δεῖ δὲ συνδειπνεῖν τούτῳ, οὐ χρὴ ἄρα εἶναι ἀσεβῆ καὶ παράνομον· αὗται γὰρ αἱ κακίαι λυμαίνονται γνῶσιν πνευματικήν. 253 23, 9 εἰς ὦτα ἄφρονος μηδὲν λέγε, 253 μήποτε μυκτηρίσῃ τοὺς συνετοὺς λόγους σου Μηδὲν λέγε συνετόν, τουτέστιν βαθὺ καὶ μυστικόν· οὐ δεῖ γὰρ βάλλειν τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων. 254 23, 10 μὴ μεταθῇς ὅρια αἰώνια ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πατέρες σου· εἰς δὲ κτῆμα ὀρφανῶν μὴ εἰσέλθῃς Κτῆμα ὀρφανῶν ἡ κακία ἐστίν, δι' ἣν ἐστερήθησαν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πατρός. 255 23, 17 μὴ ζηλούτω ἡ καρδία σου ἁμαρτωλούς, ἀλλὰ ἐν φόβῳ κυρίου ἴσθι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν Εἰ «τῷ φόβῳ κυρίου ἐκκλίνει πᾶς ἀπὸ κακοῦ», καλῶς παραινεῖ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου ἐκκλίνειν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ. 256 23, 18 ἐὰν γὰρ τηρήσῃς αὐτά, ἔσται σοι ἔγγονα· ἡ δὲ ἐλπίς σου οὐκ ἀποστήσεται Τοὺς ὀρθοὺς λογισμοὺς καὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ θεωρήματα ἔγγονα εἶπεν τοῦ νοῦ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἄτεκνός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ μὴ ἔχουσα ταῦτα τὰ ἔγγονα, ἅπερ πέφυκε τίκτεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ νυμφίου. 257 23, 21 πᾶς γὰρ μέθυσος καὶ πορνοκόπος πτωχεύσει καὶ ἐνδύσεται διερρηγμένα καὶ ῥακώδη πᾶς ὑπνώδης Οὐκ ἔστιν ἔνδυμα γάμου διερρηγμένον ἱμάτιον καὶ ῥακῶδες. 258 23, 22 ἄκουε, υἱέ, πατρὸς τοῦ γεννήσαντός σε καὶ μὴ καταφρόνει ὅτι γεγήρακέν σου ἡ μήτηρ Ἤκουσά τινος τῶν γερόντων τὴν 21 ψυχὴν εἰπόντος μητέρα τοῦ νοῦ· αὕτη γάρ, φησίν, διὰ τῶν πρακτικῶν ἀρετῶν εἰς φῶς προάγει τὸν νοῦν. Ψυχὴν δὲ ἔλεγεν τὸ παθητικὸν μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς, ὅπερ διαιρεῖται εἰς θυμὸν καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ ἀνδρείας, φησί, καὶ σωφροσύνης κτώμεθα σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν θεοῦ. Ἀνδρεία δὲ καὶ σωφροσύνη θυμοῦ καὶ ἐπιθυμίας ἐστὶν ἀρεταί. 259 23, 30 οὐ τῶν ἐγχρονιζόντων ἐν οἴνοις; οὐ τῶν ἰχνευόντων ποῦ πότοι γίνονται; Οἱ οἶνοι οὗτοι ἐκ τῆς σοδομιτικῆς εἰσιν ἀμπέλου. 260 23, 31.1–2 μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ, ἀλλὰ ὁμιλεῖτε ἀνθρώποις δικαίοις καὶ ὁμιλεῖτε ἐν περιπάτοις Νοῦς ὁμιλῶν ἐν περιπάτοις ἀξίως περιπατεῖ τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθη. 261 23, 31.3 ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς τὰς φιάλας καὶ τὰ ποτήρια δῷς τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου Ἡ μὲν κατὰ διάνοιαν ἁμαρτία ἔοικε φιάλῃ, ἡ δὲ κατ' ἐνέργειαν ποτηρίῳ. 262 23, 31.4 ὕστερον περιπατήσεις γυμνότερος ὑπέρου Πολλὰ κρούει τὸ ὕπερον καὶ οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸν τόπον ὃν κρούει. Τοῖς δὲ μαθηταῖς ὁ κύριός φησι· «κρούετε καὶ ἀνοιγήσεται ὑμῖν.» 263 23, 33 οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἀλλοτρίαν, τὸ στόμα σου τότε λαλήσει
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.