Proverbs 22

A good name is more excellent than money, and good favor is better than heaps of silver. Faith itself redounds to itself, sufficiently rich and more than rich in its possession. There is nothing which is not the possession of the wise person except what is contrary to virtue, and wherever he goes he finds all things to be his. The whole world is his possession, since he uses it all as his own.

Letter 15

A good name is better, etc. He speaks of a good name, not one praised by the masses of the ignorant, but praised by the testimony of the faithful, even if few. For he did not shun having a good name, but sought to be praised only by the good, who says: If I were still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians I). Therefore, a good name is the name of religion, which is rightly preferred to worldly riches; for even if one were to gain the whole world, he would rightly despise it, only so that his name might be written in heaven, and his memory fixed eternally both among angels and among holy men.

Commentary on Proverbs

Better than silver and gold is good grace. He signifies that grace when one is praised by the good for his good work, and indeed, for the conferred gifts of merit, the Father who is in heaven is glorified.

Commentary on Proverbs

“The poor man and the rich have met each other.” Where have they met each other? In this life. This one was born, that one was born, their lives were crossed, they have met each other. And who made them? The Lord. The rich man, to help the poor; the poor man, to test the rich.

Sermon 39:6

The rich and the poor meet together. In what way, except in this present life? The rich and the poor are born alike. You meet one another as you walk along the way together. The poor must not defraud the rich; the rich must not oppress the poor. The one has need, the other has plenty, but “the Lord is the maker of them both.” The Lord helps the one in need by the one who has; by the one who has not the Lord tests the one who has.

Sermon 85.7

Both of you are traveling the same road; you are companions on the journey. Lightly laden are the poor man’s shoulders, but yours are burdened with heavy luggage. Give away some of the load that is weighing you down; give away some of your luggage to the needy man—and you will thus afford relief both to yourself and to your companion. The Scripture says, “The rich and the poor have met one another, but the Lord has made them both.” Where have they met, except in this life? The one is now arrayed in costly garments, while the other is clad in rags. When did they meet? Both were born naked, and even the rich man was born poor. Let him disregard what he found when he had come; let him consider what he brought with him.

Sermon 11:6

I beseech you, beloved brethren, be eager to engage in divine reading whatever hours you can. Moreover, since what a person procures in this life by reading or good works will be the food of his soul forever, let no one try to excuse himself by saying he has not learned letters at all. If those who are illiterate love God in truth, they look for learned people who can read the sacred Scriptures to them. This even illiterate merchants have learned to do, for they hire literate mercenaries and through their reading or writing acquire great profits. Now, if people do this for earthly wealth, how much more should we do it for the sake of eternal life? It often happens that a learned person may be poor in food or clothing, while one who does not know letters has more abundant wealth. The illiterate person who abounds in earthly goods summons the poor learned one, and they mutually give each other what they need. The one by reading feeds the other with the sweet word of God, while the other by giving material substance does not allow his neighbor to suffer want. The learned man should satisfy the soul of the rich man, while the latter should warm the body of the poor man with clothing and refresh him with earthly food. If this is done with charity, there will be fulfilled what is written: “The rich and poor have met one another: the Lord is the maker of them both.” Being pressed down with a heavy burden by possessing more than was necessary, the rich man was unable to walk, while the poor man perhaps was learned but was failing because of not having the necessities of life. For this reason, there was holy sharing on the part of both men. While the rich man gave the poor material wealth from his possessions, the poor man imparted the sacred lessons to the rich, and they both happily reach the eternal country on the road of this life.

Sermon 8:1

The rich and the poor meet together, etc. Do not despise the rich because of their wealth and honors, nor the poor because of their poverty, but revere in each the merit that is the work of God, for they are made in the image and likeness of God.

Commentary on Proverbs

The prudent sees danger and hides himself, etc. Many of the leaders believed in the Lord, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess, so as not to be expelled from the synagogue: for they were prudent, seeing the danger of impending persecution, and they hid the faith of piety which they had briefly conceived. However, the innocent apostles continued on the straight path of profession which they had begun and were afflicted by scourging, chains, prison, and even sentenced to death. The example of both groups is followed even now by many, both in the struggle of faith and in common acts. Ancient translators rendered this verse more clearly but in a different sense: The wise seeing the wicked punished, learns much discipline; fools, however, passing by, are afflicted by loss.

Commentary on Proverbs

The reward of humility is the fear of the Lord, etc. By humility, he means the steadfastness of good works; by the fear of the Lord, he means that fear which remains forever. Since indeed the perfection of virtues is to ascend to this state of mind, by which we greatly fear to offend the grace of the Creator even in the slightest: preferring nothing at all to His memory, which elsewhere is called charity, casting out perfect fear (1 John IV), namely servile and beginning fear, by which anyone fears lest by sinning, he may deserve to be subjected to punishments. What he adds, Riches, and glory, and life, he signifies in the future. Therefore, the reward of humility is the fear of the Lord, riches, and glory, and life: since indeed the perfection of virtues in this life is to fear the Lord with holy fear, that is, to worship Him with sincere love. The reward of virtues in the future is to receive from the Lord the riches of the promised inheritance of the heavenly kingdom, glory, and life without end. Hence Peter says: Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls (1 Peter III).

Commentary on Proverbs

Swords and arrows in the way of the perverse, etc. This is to be understood in two ways, because the perverse are always armed to harm their neighbors, either by word or wicked deed, and they themselves are always awaited by the prepared retribution of the divine judgment. But he who seeks to save his soul for eternity, far avoids such swords and arrows, for he restrains his mind and hand from harming his neighbors, and lest he be struck by the punishment of the strict judge, he cautiously avoids it with an attentive mind.

Commentary on Proverbs

"A rich man rules over the poor," etc. It is clear according to the letter; but also the rich in virtues in the judgment of the secret inspector rule over those who lack the riches of virtues, indeed they are future judges of them. And whoever receives the word of salutary teaching from a teacher, is a servant of the same teacher, that is, a debtor to fulfill all that he [the teacher] rightfully commands by the authority of heavenly teachings.

Commentary on Proverbs

"He who sows iniquity," etc. It is certain that he who teaches iniquity either by word or example, will receive vengeance; but because it follows, "And the rod of his anger will be finished," he seems to be speaking particularly of that iniquity which is perpetrated with a harsh and impious mind, such as practicing robbery, oppressing men with servitude, tearing them apart with tortures, killing them by death, taking a widow's ox as a pledge, refusing to avenge her from an adversary when possible. For such a one, by right, the rod of his anger will be finished; because, as the Lord says, "All who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matt. XXVI, 52), that is, those who unjustly rage against others, procure their own destruction by the same cruelty. But since he spoke of the wicked, he follows contrarily of the pious:

Commentary on Proverbs

"He who is kind-hearted will be blessed," etc. This is similar to that of the same judge, who discerning the merciful from the impious, says: "Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food," and so forth (Matt. XXV, 34, 35). But the bread given to the poor can be understood not only as carnal nourishment, but also spiritual doctrine, by which the soul is refreshed.

Commentary on Proverbs

If some persist in their disobedience, finding fault in secret and not openly stating their grievance, thus becoming the cause of quarreling in the community and undermining the authority of the commands given, they should be dismissed from the community as teachers of disobedience and rebellion. For the Scripture says, “Cast out the scoffer from the council, and contention shall go out with him” and also, “Put away the evil one from yourselves, for a little leaven corrupts the whole lump.”

The Long Rules 47

"Drive out the scoffer, and strife will go out," etc. Drive out the heretic whom you cannot correct from the Church; and when you take away his freedom to preach, you contribute to the peace of the Catholic Church.

Commentary on Proverbs

"He who loves purity of heart," etc. He who rightly preaches with a pure heart will be numbered among those, about whom the prophet says to the same King and Creator of the ages: "But to me, your friends, O God, are greatly honored" (Ps. CXXXVIII). For if anyone shows the grace of lips by preaching rightly, but neglects to keep the purity of heart, such a one is by no means to be considered able to enjoy the friendship of the eternal king.

Commentary on Proverbs

"The eyes of the Lord keep knowledge," etc. The divine inspection always keeps in the Church the knowledge of the truth which it taught; the words of heretics, indeed all speech contrary to piety and justice, because it is not preserved by the ruling Lord, is subverted along with its author.

Commentary on Proverbs

"The sluggard says: There is a lion outside," etc. Often in his spirit, the one who is lazy in doing good works, timid in confessing the faith he holds in his heart, says: I dare not profess the faith I hold outside, lest the impious persecutor, hearing that I am faithful, should kill me. I fear to proceed in public to exercise acts of virtue, lest perhaps the adversity of the ancient enemy may tempt me more grievously; or also any perverse man with his crowd may mock me, confuse me with insults, afflict me with injuries; or consume me with tortures and death, as with many just ones, who disagree with his life. "There is a lion outside," he says, "I shall be killed in the midst of the streets." Which is to say openly. Both words and deeds of virtues, where they begin to be shown outside, are immediately accompanied by persecution either of men or of unclean spirits. And I am not able to resist the temptations, but in them, I am overcome in the undertakings of a good intention.

Commentary on Proverbs

The mouth of one speaking ill is a great pit, a steep precipice for the innocent, but steeper for one of ill will. An innocent person, though easily credulous, falls quickly, but when he has fallen rises again. The slanderer is thrown headlong by his own acts, from which he will never emerge or escape.

Letter 15

"A deep pit is the mouth of a strange woman," etc. He who willingly embraces the words or kisses of a harlot, as if he already knocks at the door of the infernal pit, will soon be drowned if he does not withdraw his foot cautiously, if he does not restrain his other members from vices of the penal pit, into which no one falls unless he is a son of wrath.

Commentary on Proverbs

"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child," etc. We know many children endowed with wisdom; for Jeremiah undertook the ministry of prophecy as a child. And Daniel writes, "Because God gave to the children abstaining knowledge and discipline in every word and wisdom" (Dan. II). Wherefore, it remains to understand that by children in this place he means not by age, but by sense, the little ones; such as the Apostle forbade the Corinthians to be, to whom he said: "Do not be children in understanding; but in malice be children" (I Cor. XIV). For such children, that is, souls dedicated to foolishness, or to licentiousness, or to sloth, it is necessary that they be disciplined by youthful correction and guided by the vigor of the wise to the right path of life.

Commentary on Proverbs

He who oppresses the poor, etc. It is evident that the rapacious, those who take from the poor and also those who seem to justly possess what they have, lose everything equally, when, in the examination of the strict judge, they receive punishment for the things they have done. But even those who slander their brother, poor in spirit, by detracting from his virtues, in order to increase the wealth they desire, that is, the glory of human praise, appearing holier by his reproach; rightfully such a slanderer loses whatever good action he seemed to possess and will remain void of the fruit of virtues in the end. This is the furthest point reached by the title of the Proverbs of Solomon, set above; from which it is proven he assumed a new manner of speaking so that what he says appears not as if teaching someone else but as if reasoning alone with himself. Indeed, the first verse of these Proverbs is, A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother. This is the last verse to which we have explained down to here. From here, he returns to the previous manner of speaking to address a specific person to whom he gives instruction; which so begins, Incline your ear, etc. He sets a most beautiful beginning of the new speech, so that one whom he teaches, he bids to incline his ear to listen and his heart to understand what wise men say.

Commentary on Proverbs

Which will be beautiful to you when you keep it in your belly, etc. Often, the doctrine of wisdom seems harsh and undesirable to the foolish; but when one has perceived its power in the innermost heart, and learned to keep it with works, and also to share it with brothers by word, they will find this doctrine more beautiful than the others.

Commentary on Proverbs

Solomon counsels that what we read “be transcribed in the heart in a threefold manner.” I shall make known to your ears that which occurs to my mind, even beyond the things that we have said, and you yourself [should] do what is written: “Let one speak and the rest judge.” Therefore, as I speak what I perceive, you consider and judge if it is correct or not correct.

Homilies on Joshua 21

He who has opened his heart through purity, contemplates the words of God in their practical, physical and theological sense. Accordingly, the whole corpus of Scripture may be divided into three parts: ethical, physical and theological. Consequently, Proverbs corresponds to the first part, Ecclesiastes to the second, and Song of Songs to the third.

Scholia on Proverbs 247:22.20

As human beings consist of body, soul and spirit, so also Scripture consists of the body of letters, by which the ignorant man is benefited; and that is called “manual instruction.” Second, it consists of soul, that is, a higher meaning, which the one who is higher in learning understands. It also consists of spirit, that is, a more sublime and spiritual contemplation which those who are perfect understand and speak.

Commentary on the Proverbs of Solomon, Fragment 22:20

There are three kinds of spiritual knowledge—tropological, allegorical, anagogical—of which we read as follows in Proverbs: “But you describe these things to yourself in three ways according to the largeness of your heart.”

Conference 14:8

Behold, I have described it to you in three ways, etc. He delineated his doctrine to the listener in three ways: thinking, speaking, and executing it in works. With this threefold description, the whole little book shines richly if considered well.

Commentary on Proverbs

Do not do violence to the poor, etc. It can be understood of any poor or needy person, of whom it is said: To you the poor man is left, you will be a helper to the orphan (Ps. XIX). Indeed, because it follows, And He will pierce those who have pierced his soul, it is better understood of Him who, though He was rich, became poor for us (2 Cor. VIII); nor only to become poor, to enrich us, but also to be crucified to redeem us. Wisdom thus forbids its listeners to bring violence and death to the Lord preaching in the flesh because undoubtedly certain destruction awaits those who did not fear to lay hands on the author of life.

Commentary on Proverbs

A secluded and remote habitation also contributes to the removal of distraction from the soul. Living among those who are unscrupulous and disdainful in their attitude toward an exact observance of the commandments is dangerous, as is shown by the following words of Solomon: “Do not be a friend to an angry man, and do not walk with a furious man, lest perhaps you learn his ways and take snares unto your soul.”

The Long Rules 5

Do not be friends with an irascible man, etc. And although this can generally be taken of any irascible or raging person, yet nothing hinders from understanding it of those who raged with mad minds against the Saviour and His disciples; from whose friendship and company all believing in Him, caring for their salvation, were banned, so that also being neighbors to the wicked they themselves would not perish; which is proven to be possible in Judas Iscariot’s case. Generally, it is said that, just as perfect men should not avoid perverse neighbors, because they often bring them to righteousness and are never drawn to perversity; so, those who are weak should avoid depraved society, lest the evil they often see and cannot correct they be tempted to imitate.

Commentary on Proverbs

Do not be with those who bind their hands, etc. Do not be with those who, though free and keeping themselves available to themselves, bind themselves in the care of the salvation of the wicked, promising to render an account to the Lord for their souls. If he for whom you stood surety does not have good works to make you free and secure of your surety, what good is it to you to be judged for his soul on the day of judgment and to lose the habit of righteousness with which you seemed to be clothed? Hence also the Lord: The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few (Matt. IX).

Commentary on Proverbs

Nonetheless, it is clear that many examples, which we never read in those Scriptures that we deem canonical but nonetheless are found in the apocryphal books and are shown clearly to have been taken from them, have been brought forth and inserted into the New Testament either by the apostles or the Evangelists. But we must not give credence to the apocryphal books even in this way, for the eternal boundaries, which our fathers erected, must not be moved. It could be that the apostles or the Evangelists, filled with the Holy Spirit, knew what had to be taken from those writings and what had to be refuted. But it is not for us to presume some such ability without danger, when we do not have such abundance of the Spirit.

Commentary on the Song of Songs, Prologue

Consider whether it would not be well to remember the words, “You shall not remove the ancient landmarks which your fathers have set.” Nor do I say this because I hesitate to examine the Jewish Scriptures, comparing them with ours and noticing their differences. This, if it is not arrogant to say it, I have already to a great extent done to the best of my ability, laboring hard to get at the meaning in all the editions and various readings. I paid particular attention to the Septuagint translation, lest I might be found to accredit any forgery to the churches which are under heaven and give an occasion to those who seek such a pretext for gratifying their desire to slander prominent persons and to bring forth some accusation against those who are outstanding in our fellowship. And I make it my endeavor not to be ignorant of their various readings, so that in my controversies with the Jews I may not quote to them what is not found in their copies and that I may make some use of what they accept, even if it is not found in our Scriptures. For if we are so prepared for them in our discussions, they will not, as is their manner, scornfully laugh at Gentile believers on the grounds that we do not know the true readings recorded in their texts.

Letter to Julius Africanus 5

The one who moves the boundaries of piety demonstrates either superstition or impiety. And the one who moves the boundaries of courage changes it into either audacity or cowardice. In the same manner, this applies to other virtues as well as to dogmas and other matters of faith. This especially pertains to the doctrine of the holy Trinity. Thus, whoever rejects the divinity of the Holy Spirit rejects baptism; and whoever names some others as gods introduces a whole pantheon of gods.

Scholia on Proverbs 249:22.28

We reject all the doctrines introduced recently either through letters or through pamphlets as confusing the common people, since we are content with the ancient legislation of the fathers and obey the one who said, “Remove not the ancient landmarks which your fathers set up.”

Letter to Cyril of Alexandria 2

We do not permit the faith or the symbol of the faith defined by our holy fathers assembled in their day in Nicea to be shaken by anyone, and we do not trust ourselves or others to change a word of what was laid down there, or to depart from a single syllable of it. For we remember the one who said, “Do not alter the everlasting boundaries which your fathers set.”

Letter to John of Antioch 39:7

I cannot help wondering about such madness in certain people, the dreadful impiety of their blinded minds, their insatiable lust for error that they are not content with the traditional rule of faith as once and for all received from antiquity but are driven to seek another novelty daily. They are possessed by a permanent desire to change religion, to add something and to take something away—as though the dogma were not divine so that it has to be revealed only once. But they take it for a merely human institution, which cannot be perfected except by constant emendations, rather, by constant corrections. Yet, the divine prophecies say, “Pass not beyond the ancient bounds which your fathers have set,” and “Judge not against a judge,” and “he that breaks a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.”

Commonitories 21

Do not remove the ancient landmarks, etc. Do not transgress the boundaries of faith established by the Catholic teachers from the beginning.

Commentary on Proverbs

He has revealed to us what it was expedient for us to know, whereas that which we were unable to bear he has withheld. With these things let us be content, and in them let us abide, and let us not step over the ancient bounds or pass beyond the divine tradition.

Orthodox Faith 1:1

Do you see a man quick in his work, etc. Whomever you see quick in his work, that is, in his good work, which was his duty to do, diligent and attentive, know that he will stand in the presence of the apostles in the day of the last examination, who will sit with Christ to judge the world, because he kept their commands and avoided the error of the ignoble doctors, that is, he will not be placed at the left hand of the judge.

Commentary on Proverbs