Ship without Jesus; youth’s unstable ways; locust-like Church (Prov 30)
…goes through the sea, and does so always, thrown off balance by opposing winds. And since life’s affairs are vanity—people always at sea, and no one advancing into eternal life—their paths cannot be grasped. So of the famous kings of the earth, or rulers too, no work foreign to piety is left after death; their glory has gone out.
He also says the ways of a man in youth are not recognized, inflamed by desires because manners are unstable; and of the adulteress likewise, because of shamelessness. Or this is the Church of the nations, which after washing through baptism says she has done nothing out of place. The righteous one is not “in youth,” since, perfected in a little, he filled long times. Such also is every adulterous woman—or a soul that alienated herself from the bridegroom, left her husband, and went after lovers.
“And she marches out from one command in good order.” The locust too is praised as orderly, obeying the command of God’s Word. Such is the Church: despised by people and compared to a locust as to living on the earth; yet because she gathers with Jesus
Greek
ποντοπορεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο διὰ παντὸς, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων ἀκαταστατοῦσα πνευμάτων. Καὶ ἐπεὶ τοῦ βίου τὰ πράγματα ματαιότης, ποντοπορούντων ἀεὶ, καὶ μηδενὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων προάγοντος εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, οὐ δυνατὸν νοηθῆναι τὰς τρίβους αὐτῶν. Τοιγαροῦν τῶν ἐνδόξων τῆς γῆς βασιλέων ἢ καὶ ἀρχόντων ἀλλότριον θεοσεβείας ἔργον οὐδὲν καταλείπεται μετὰ τελευτήν. Ἐσβέσθη γὰρ αὐτῶν ἡ δόξα. Οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκονται δὲ, φησὶν, οὐδὲ ὁδοὶ ἀνδρὸς ἐν νεότητι, ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις πεπυρωμένου διὰ τὸ ἄστατον τῶν τρόπων· καὶ τῆς μοιχαλίδος, ὁμοίως διὰ τὸ ἀναίσχυντον. Ἢ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡ τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησία, ἥτις μετὰ τὸ ἀπολούσασθαι διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος οὐδέν φησιν ἄτοπον πεπραχέναι. Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν νεότητι, ἐπεὶ, τελειωθεὶς ἐν ὀλίγῳ, ἐπλήρωσε χρόνους μακρούς. Τοιαύτη καὶ πᾶσα γυνὴ μοιχαλὶς, ἢ ἀλλοτριώσασα ἑαυτὴν τοῦ νυμφίου, καὶ ψυχὴ καταλιποῦσα τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ ὀπίσω τῶν ἐραστῶν πορευομένη. Καὶ ἐκστρατεύει ἀφ' ἑνὸς κελεύσματος εὐτάκτως. Ὡς εὔτακτος ἐπαινεῖται καὶ ἡ ἀκρὶς, τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγου πειθομένη κελεύσματι. Τοιαύτη τίς ἐστιν ἡ Ἐκκλησία, διὰ τὸ πρὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων καταφρονεῖσθαι, ἀκρίδι ὡς πρὸς τὸ ζῇν ἐπὶ γῆς παραβαλλομένη· διὰ δὲ τὸ μετὰ Ἰησοῦ
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Fragmenta ex commentariis in Proverbia (Greek).
Original English Translation of Origen’s Fragmenta ex commentariis in Proverbia — new OET from PG 13 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 13 (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.