Notes on Proverbs · §22

Interpretations of Proverbs

Crows, mocking a father and dishonoring a mother in her old age, tore him away from the ravines, and young eagles devoured him.

These crows mystically feed the righteous, but they slaughter the unrighteous, gouging out the eyes of injustice, because they mocked the Father of all, who is God, and they dishonored the ancient knowledge that bore them. Regarding those gouging out the eyes, he called them crows; but regarding those devouring the whole man, he named them eagles, because one believes in a partial purification and the other in a total purification.

If the unpure are standing on the left of the Savior, and the goat leads these, let us hope the goat does not now signify the devil.

The weak will not be able to judge correctly if, by drinking, they forget wisdom.

Give a drink to those in sorrows and let those in pains drink wine, so that they may forget their poverty and may no longer remember their labors; for he who is intoxicated by the potency of the master's house forgets his pains.

Open your mouth and judge justly; but distinguish the poor and the weak. The poor is he who is destitute of knowledge, and the weak is the unpure.

The glory of God hides the Word, but the glory of a king honors commands. He who possesses the glory of God, he called the glory of God, and he who possesses the glory of the heavenly king, he called the glory of a king. For they hide the Word of God within themselves, so that they might not sin and so that they might honor the commands through which they act. Often we have noted this: that those possessing virtues or vices are named by the virtues or the vices. Thus, 'The Lord is just and loves justice' Psalm 11:7 refers to the just, instead of the just ones; and 'The fear of the Lord hates injustice, pride, and arrogance' Proverbs 8:13, that is, the unjust, the insolent, and the arrogant. And here too, he called the one possessing the glory of God 'the glory of God' and the one possessing the glory of the king 'the glory of a king.' Or perhaps he says 'glory of God' regarding the one glorifying God, and 'glory of a king' regarding the one glorifying the king, so that the saying might be such: the one glorifying God...

one establishes his own mind in righteousness

Greek

294 30, 17 ὀφθαλμὸν καταγελῶντα πατρὸς καὶ ἀτιμάζοντα γῆρας μητρὸς ἐκκόψαισαν αὐτὸν κόρακες ἐκ τῶν φαράγγων καὶ καταφάγοισαν αὐτὸν νεοσσοὶ ἀετῶν Οὗτοι οἱ κόρακες τοὺς μὲν δικαίους τρέφουσι μυστικῶς, τοὺς δὲ ἀδίκους κολάζουσι τοὺς τῆς ἀδικίας ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξορύττοντες, διότι τοῦ πάντων πατρὸς καὶ θεοῦ κατεγέλασαν καὶ τὴν γεννῶσαν αὐτοὺς ἀρχαίαν γνῶσιν ἠτίμασαν. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐξορύσσοντας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς κόρακας εἶπεν· τοὺς δὲ ὅλον αὐτὸν κατεσθίοντας ὠνόμασεν ἀετούς, διὰ τὸ τοὺς μὲν τὴν μερικήν, τοὺς δὲ τὴν καθόλου κάθαρσιν πεπιστεῦσθαι. 295 30, 31.2 καὶ τράγος ἡγούμενος αἰπολίου Εἰ ἔριφοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀκάθαρτοι ἐξ ἀριστερῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἱστάμενοι, ὁ δὲ τράγος ἡγεῖται τούτων, μήποτε ὁ τράγος νῦν τὸν διάβολον σημαίνει. 296 31, 5 ἵνα μὴ πιόντες ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς σοφίας καὶ ὀρθὰ κρίνειν οὐ μὴ δύνωνται τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς Οὐ μὴ δύνωνται ὀρθῶς διδάσκειν. 297 31, 6 δίδοτε μέθην τοῖς ἐν λύπαις 31, 7 καὶ οἶνον πίνειν τοῖς ἐν ὀδύναις, ἵνα ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς πενίας καὶ τῶν πόνων μὴ μνησθῶσιν ἔτι Ὁ μεθυσθεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς πιότητος τοῦ οἴκου κυρίου ἐπιλανθάνεται τῶν ὀδυνῶν. 298 31, 9 ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα καὶ κρῖνε δικαίως· διάκρινε δὲ πένητα καὶ ἀσθενῆ Πένητα λέγει τὸν ἐστερημένον τῆς γνώσεως, ἀσθενῆ δὲ τὸν ἀκάθαρτον. 299 25, 2 δόξα θεοῦ κρύπτει λόγον· δόξα δὲ βασιλέως τιμᾷ προστάγματα Τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ δόξαν εἶπεν θεοῦ καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἐπουρανίου βασιλέως δόξαν βασιλέως ὠνόμασεν. Οὗτοι γὰρ κρύπτουσι τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὅπως ἂν μὴ ἁμάρτωσι καὶ τιμῶσι τὰ προστάγματα, δι' ὧν ποιοῦσιν αὐτά. Πολλάκις δὲ τοῦτο παρεσημειωσάμεθα ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρετῶν ὀνομάζονται καὶ 24 τῶν κακιῶν οἱ ἔχοντες τὰς ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰς κακίας. Οὕτω «δίκαιος κύριος καὶ δικαιοσύνας ἠγάπησεν», ἀντὶ τοῦ δικαίους· καὶ «φόβος κυρίου μισεῖ ἀδικίαν, ὕβριν τε καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν», τουτέστιν ἄδικον καὶ ὑβριστὴν καὶ ὑπερήφανον. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δόξαν καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ βασιλέως δόξαν θεοῦ καὶ δόξαν βασιλέως ὠνόμασεν. Ἢ τάχα δόξαν θεοῦ λέγει τὸν δοξάζοντα τὸν θεὸν καὶ δόξαν βασιλέως τὸν δοξάζοντα τὸν βασιλέα, ἵν' ᾖ τοιοῦτον τὸ λεγόμενον· ὁ δοξάζων τὸν θεὸν κρύπτει τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ δοξάζων τὸν βασιλέα τιμᾷ τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ· ὁ γὰρ ἀτιμάζων αὐτὸν διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου ἀτιμάζει αὐτόν. 300 25, 5 κτεῖνε ἀσεβεῖς ἐκ προσώπου βασιλέως, καὶ κατορθώσει ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ Ὁ λόγῳ πνευματικῷ τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀποκτέννων τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης κατορθοῖ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νοῦν, ὅστις λέγεται εἶναι θρόνος θεοῦ. Οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ πέφυκεν ἀλλαχοῦ καθέζε-σθαι σοφία καὶ γνῶσις καὶ δικαιοσύνη εἰ μὴ ἐν φύσει λογικῇ· ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός. 301 25, 6 μὴ ἀλαζονεύου ἐνώπιον βασιλέως μηδὲ ἐν τόποις δυναστῶν ὑφίστασο· 25, 7.1–2 κρεῖσσον γὰρ τὸ ῥηθῆναί σοι· ἀνάβαινε πρός με, ἢ ταπεινῶσαί σε ἐν προσώπῳ δυνάστου Μὴ εἴπῃς· «ἐπάνω τῶν ἄστρων θήσομαι τὸν θρόνον μου· ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ ὑψίστῳ.» Κρεῖσσον γὰρ τὸ ῥηθῆναι περὶ σοῦ τὸ «διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα». 302 25, 8.1–2 μὴ πρόσπιπτε εἰς μάχην ταχέως, ἵνα μὴ μεταμεληθῇς ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ∆ιὰ τῆς μάχης τὴν κακίαν ᾐνίξατο. 303 25, 8.3 ἡνίκα δ' ἄν σε ὀνειδίσῃ ὁ φίλος, 25, 9 ἀναχώρει εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, μὴ καταφρόνει Καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ὀνειδίζει ταῖς πόλεσιν, «ἐν αἷς αἱ πλεῖσται αὐτοῦ δυνάμεις γεγόνασιν ὅτι οὐ μετενόησαν, οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν, οὐαί σοι λέγων Βηθσαϊδά». 304 25, 10.1–2 χάρις καὶ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ, ἃς τήρησον σεαυτῷ, ἵνα μὴ ἐπονείδιστος γένῃ Πυκνότερον ὁ Σολομὼν φίλου τε μέμνηται καὶ φιλίας. ∆ιὸ καλῶς ἔχει νῦν προσέχειν τῷ ὀνόματι, τί βούλεται αὐτῷ σημαίνειν ἡ φιλία· «χάρις γάρ, φησίν, καὶ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ.» Καίτοι ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις πρὸς τοὺς πεπιστευκότας αὐτῷ Ἰουδαίους φησίν· «ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, ἀληθῶς μαθηταί μού ἐστε καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς.» Παῦλος δὲ πάλιν γράφει· «Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἠλευθέρωσεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου.» Εἰ οὖν ἡ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθεροῖ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐλευθεροῖ, Χριστός ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ φιλία. Ὅθεν καὶ πάντες οἱ ἔχοντες τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ φίλοι ἀλλήλων εἰσίν. Οὕτω καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς φίλους εἴρηκεν ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ Ἰωάννης φίλος ἦν τοῦ νυμφίου, Μωσῆς καὶ πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι. Καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτης μόνον τῆς φιλίας

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.