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| From the Commentary of St. Hippolytus on Proverbs.
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On Proverbs. From the
Commentary of St. Hippolytus on Proverbs.1217
| 1217
Mai, Bibliotheca nova Patrum, vii. ii. 71, Rome,
1854. |
Proverbs, therefore, are words of exhortation
serviceable for the whole path of life; for to those who seek their way
to God, these serve as guides and signs to revive them when wearied
with the length of the road. These, moreover, are the proverbs of
“Solomon,” that is to say, the “peacemaker,”
who, in truth, is Christ the Saviour. And since we understand the
words of the Lord without offence, as being the words of the Lord, that
no one may mislead us by likeness of name, he tells us who wrote these
things, and of what people he was king, in order that the credit of the
speaker may make the discourse acceptable and the hearers attentive;
for they are the words of that Solomon to whom the Lord said:
“I will give thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that
there has been none like thee upon the earth, and after thee there
shall not arise any like unto thee,”1218
and as follows in what is written of
him. Now he was the wise son of a wise father; wherefore there is
added the name of David, by whom Solomon was begotten. From a
child he was instructed in the sacred Scriptures, and obtained his
dominion not by lot, nor by force, but by the judgment of the Spirit
and the decree of God.
“To know wisdom and
instruction.” He who knows the wisdom of God, receives from
Him also instruction, and learns by it the mysteries of the Word; and
they who know the true heavenly wisdom will easily understand the words
of these mysteries. Wherefore he says: “To understand
the difficulties of words;”1219
for things spoken in strange language by
the Holy Spirit become intelligible to those who have their hearts
right with God.
1220
These things he
understands of the people of the Jews, and their guilt in the blood of
Christ; for they thought that He had His conversation (citizenship) on
earth only.
1221
They will not
simply obtain, but inherit. The wicked, again, even though they
are exalted, are exalted only so as to have greater dishonour.
For as one does not honour an ugly and misshapen fellow, if he exalts
him, but only dishonours him the more, by making his shame manifest to
a larger number; so also God exalts the wicked, in order that He may
make their disgrace patent. For Pharaoh was exalted, but only to
have the world as his accuser.
1222
It must be
noted, that he names the law a good gift, on account of the man who
takes gifts into his bosom unrighteously. And he forsakes the law
who transgresses it; the law, namely, of which he speaks, or which he
has kept.
1223
And what is
meant by “exalt (fortify) her?” Surround her with
holy thoughts; for you have need of large defence, since there are many
things to imperil such a possession. But if it is in our power to
fortify her, and if there are virtues in our power which exalt the
knowledge of God, these will be her bulwarks,—as, for example,
practice, study, and the whole chain of other virtues; and the man who
observes these, honours wisdom; and the reward is, to be exalted to be
with her, and to be embraced by her in the chamber of heaven.
1224
The heterodox
are the “wicked,” and the transgressors of the law are
“evil men,” whose “ways”—that is to say,
their deeds—he bids us not enter.
1225
He “looks
right on” who has thoughts free of passion; and he has true
judgments, who is not in a state of excitement about external
appearances. When he says, “Let thine eyes look right
on,” he means the vision of the soul; and when he gives the
exhortation, “Eat honey, my son, that it may be sweet to thy
palate,” he uses “honey” figuratively, meaning divine
doctrine, which restores the spiritual knowledge of the soul. But
wisdom embraces the soul also; for, says he, “love her, that she
may embrace thee.” And the soul, by her embrace being made
one with wisdom, is filled with holiness and purity. Yea more,
the fragrant ointments of Christ are laid hold of by the soul’s
sense of smell.
1226
Virtue
occupies the middle position; whence also he says, that manly courage
is the mean between boldness and cowardice. And now he mentions
the “right,” not meaning thereby things which are right by
nature, such as the virtues, but things which seem to thee to be right
on account of their pleasures. Now pleasures are not simply
sensual enjoyments, but also riches and luxury. And the
“left” indicates envy, robberies, and the like. For
“Boreas,” says he, “is a bitter wind, and yet is
called by name right.”1227
For, symbolically, under Boreas he
designates the wicked devil by whom every flame of evil is kindled in
the earth. And this has the name “right,” because an
angel is called by a right (propitious) name. Do thou,
says he, turn aside from evil, and
God will take care of thine end; for He will go before thee, scattering
thine enemies, that thou mayest go in peace.
1228
He shows
also, by the mention of the creature (the hind), the purity of that
pleasure; and by the roe he intimates the quick responsive affection of
the wife. And whereas he knows many things to excite, he secures
them against these, and puts upon them the indissoluble bond of
affection, setting constancy before them. And as for the rest,
wisdom, figuratively speaking, like a stag, can repel and crush the
snaky doctrines of the heterodox. Let her therefore, says he, be
with thee, like a roe, to keep all virtue fresh. And whereas a
wife and wisdom are not in this respect the same, let her rather lead
thee; for thus thou shalt conceive good thoughts.
1229
That
thou mayest not say, What harm is there in the eyes, when there is no
necessity that he should be perverted who looks? he shows thee that
desire is a fire, and the flesh is like a garment. The latter is
an easy prey, and the former is a tyrant. And when anything
harmful is not only taken within, but also held fast, it will not go
forth again until it has made an exit for itself. For he who
looks upon a woman, even though he escape the temptation, does not come
away pure of all lust. And why should one have trouble, if he can
be chaste and free of trouble? See what Job says: “I
made a covenant with mine eyes, that I should not think of
another’s wife.”1230
Thus well does he know the power of
abuse. And Paul for this reason kept “under his body, and
brought it into subjection.” And, figuratively speaking, he
keeps a fire in his breast who permits an impure thought to dwell in
his heart. And he walks upon coals who, by sinning in act,
destroys his own soul.
The “cemphus”1231
| 1231
Prov. vii. 22. The Hebrew word, rendered
“straightway” in our version, is translated κεπφωθείς in
the Septuagint, i.e., “ensnared like a cepphus.”
[Quasi agnus lasciviens, according to the Vulgate.] | is a kind of wild sea-bird, which has so
immoderate an impulse to sexual enjoyment, that its eyes seem to fill
with blood in coition; and it often blindly falls into snares, or into
the hands of men.1232
| 1232 [If
the “cemphus” of the text equals “cepphus” of
note, then “cepphus” equals “cebus” or
“cepus,” which equals κῆβος, a sort of monkey.
The “Kophim” of 1
Kings x. 22 seems to supply
the root of the word. The κέπφος, however, is said to
be a sea-bird “driven about by every wind,” so that it is
equal to a fool. So used by Aristophanes.] | To
this, therefore, he compares the man who gives himself up to the harlot
on account of his immoderate lust; or else on account of the insensate
folly of the creature, for he, too, pursues his object like one
senseless. And they say that this bird is so much pleased with
foam, that if one should hold foam in his hand as he sails, it will sit
upon his hand. And it also brings forth with pain.
1233
You
have seen her mischief. Wait not to admit the rising of lust; for
her death is everlasting. And for the rest, by her words, her
arguments in sooth, she wounds, and by her sins she kills those who
yield to her. For many are the forms of wickedness that lead the
foolish down to hell. And the chambers1234
| 1234
ταμεῖα,
“magazines.” | of death mean either its depths or its
treasure. How, then, is escape possible?
1235
He intends the
new Jerusalem, or the sanctified flesh. By the seven pillars he
means the sevenfold unity of the Holy Spirit resting upon it; as Isaiah
testifies, saying, “She has slain” her
“victims.”
1236
Observe that
the wise man must be useful to many; so that he who is useful only to
himself cannot be wise. For great is the condemnation of wisdom
if she reserves her power simply for the one possessing her. But
as poison is not injurious to another body, but only to that one which
takes it, so also the man who turns out wicked will injure himself, and
not another. For no man of real virtue is injured by a wicked
man.
1237
The
fruit of righteousness and the tree of life is Christ. He alone,
as man, fulfilled all righteousness. And with His own underived
life1238
He has
brought forth the fruits of knowledge and virtue like a tree, whereof
they that eat shall receive eternal life, and shall enjoy the tree of
life in paradise, with Adam and all the righteous. But the souls
of the unrighteous meet an untimely expulsion from the presence of God,
by whom they shall be left to remain in the flame of
torment.
1239
Not from men,
but with the Lord, will he obtain favour.
1240
He asks of
wisdom, who seeks to know what is the will of God. And he will
show himself prudent who is sparing of his words on that which he has
come to learn. If one inquires about wisdom, desiring to learn
something about wisdom, while another asks nothing of wisdom, as not
only wishing to learn nothing about wisdom himself, but even keeping
back his neighbours from so doing, the former certainly is deemed to be
more prudent than the latter.
1241
As to the
horse-leech. There were three daughters fondly loved by
sin—fornication, murder,1242
| 1242 Other
reading (φθόνος) ="envy.” |
and idolatry. These three did not satisfy her, for she is not to
be satisfied. In destroying man by these actions, sin
never varies, but only grows continually. For the fourth, he
continues, is never content to say “enough,” meaning that
it is universal lust. In naming the “fourth,” he
intends lust in the universal. For as the body is one, and yet
has many members; so also sin, being one, contains within it many
various lusts by which it lays its snares for men. Wherefore, in
order to teach us this, he uses the examples of Sheol (Hades), and the
love of women, and hell1243
(Tartarus), and the earth that is not
filled with water. And water and fire, indeed, will never say,
“It is enough.” And the grave1244
| 1244
[Sheol, rather,—the receptacle of departed
spirits. See vol. iii. pp. 59 and 595; also vol. iv. p.
194.] | (Hades) in no wise ceases to receive the
souls of unrighteous men; nor does the love of sin, in the instance of
the love of women, cease to be given to fornication, and it becomes the
betrayer of the soul. And as Tartarus, which is situated in a
doleful and dark locality, is not touched by a ray of light, so is
every one who is the slave of sin in all the passions of the
flesh. Like the earth not filled with water he is never able to
come to confession, and to the laver of regeneration, and like water
and fire, never says, “It is enough.”
1245
For as a
serpent cannot mark its track upon a rock, so the devil could not find
sin in the body of Christ. For the Lord says, “Behold, the
prince of this world cometh, and will find nothing in
me.”1246
—For as a
ship, sailing in the sea, leaves no traces of her way behind her, so
neither does the Church, which is situate in the world as in a sea,
leave her hope upon the earth, because she has her life reserved in
heaven; and as she holds her way here only for a short time, it is not
possible to trace out her course.—As the Church does not leave
her hope behind in the world, her hope in the incarnation of Christ
which bears us all good, she did not leave the track of death in
Hades.—Of whom but of Him who is born of the Holy Spirit and the
Virgin?—who, in renewing the perfect man in the world, works
miracles, beginning from the baptism of John, as the Evangelist also
testifies: And Jesus was then beginning to be about thirty years
of age. This, then, was the youthful and blooming period of the
age of Him who, in journeying among the cities and districts, healed
the diseases and infirmities of men.
1247
“The
eye that mocketh at his father, and dishonours the old age of his
mother.” That is to say, one that blasphemes God and
despises the mother of Christ, the wisdom of God,—his eyes may
ravens from the caves tear out, i.e., him may unclean and wicked
spirits deprive of the clear eye of gladness; and may the young eagles
devour him: and such shall be trodden under the feet of the
saints.
1248
“There be three things which
I cannot understand, and the fourth I know not: the tracks of an
eagle flying,” i.e., Christ’s ascension; “and the
ways of a serpent upon a rock,” i.e., that the devil did not find
a trace of sin in the body of Christ; “and the ways of a ship
crossing the sea,” i.e., the ways of the Church, which is in this
life as in a sea, and which is directed by her hope in Christ through
the cross; “and the ways of a man in youth,”1249
| 1249 [The
Authorized Version reads very differently; but our author follows the
Sept., with which agrees the Vulgate.] | —the ways
of Him, namely, who is born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin.
For behold, says the Scripture, a man whose name is the
Rising.1250
| 1250 The
reference probably is to Zech.
vi. 12, where the word is
rendered “Branch.” The word in the text is
ἀνατολή. |
1251
“Such is
the way of an adulterous woman, who, when she has done the deed of sin,
wipeth herself, and will say that no wickedness has been
done.” Such is the conduct of the Church that believes on
Christ, when, after committing fornication with idols, she renounces
these and the devil, and is cleansed of her sins and receives
forgiveness, and then asserts that she has done no wickedness.
1252
“By three
things the earth is moved,” viz., by the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost. “And the fourth it cannot bear,” viz.,
the last appearing of Christ. “When a servant
reigneth:” Israel was a slave in Egypt, and in the land of
promise became a ruler. “And a fool when he is filled with
meat:” i.e., getting the land in possession readily, and
eating its fruit, and being filled, it (the people) kicked.
“And a handmaid when she casts out her mistress:”
i.e., the synagogue which took the life of the Lord, and crucified the
flesh of Christ.
1253
“There be four things which
are least upon the earth, and these are wiser than the wise: The
ants have no strength, yet they prepare their meat in the
summer.” And in like manner, the Gentiles by faith in
Christ prepare for themselves eternal life through good works.
“And the conies,1254
| 1254
χοιρογρύλλοι,
i.e., “grunting hogs.” |
a feeble folk, have made their houses in the rocks.” The
Gentiles, that is to say, are built upon Christ, the spiritual rock,
which is become the head of the corner. “The
spider,1255
| 1255
ἀσκαλαβώτης,
i.e., a “lizard.” | that supports
itself upon its hands, and is easily caught, dwells in the strongholds
of kings.” That is, the thief with his hands extended (on
the cross), rests on the cross of Christ and dwells in Paradise, the
stronghold of the three Kings—Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost.
“The locust
has no king, and yet marches out in array as by one
command.” The Gentiles had no king, for they were ruled by
sin; but now, believing God, they engage in the heavenly warfare.
1256
“There be three things which go
well,1257
and the fourth
which is comely in going;” that is, the angels in heaven, the
saints upon earth, and the souls of the righteous under the
earth. And the fourth, viz. God, the Word Incarnate, passed in
honour through the Virgin’s womb; and creating our Adam anew, he
passed through the gates of heaven, and became the first-fruits of the
resurrection and of the ascension for all.
“The whelp of the lion is stronger than the
beasts:” i.e., Christ as prophesied of by Jacob in the
person of Judah. “A cock walking with high spirit among his
dames:” such was Paul, when preaching boldly among the
churches the word of the Christ of God. “A goat heading the
herd:” such is He who was offered for the sins of the
world. “And a king speaking among the people:”
so Christ reigns over the nations, and speaks by prophets and apostles
the word of truth.
1258
| 1258 Cf.
xxvii. 22, the Septuagint rendering being:
“Though thou shouldest disgrace and scourge a fool in the midst
of the council, thou wilt not strip him of his folly.”
[What version did our author use?] | That is
one confirmed in wickedness.1259
| 1259 Cf.
xxvii. 22, the Septuagint rendering being:
“Though thou shouldest disgrace and scourge a fool in the midst
of the council, thou wilt not strip him of his folly.”
[What version did our author use?] | The apostle, too, says, “Them
that sin, rebuke before all;”1260
that is to say, all but reprobate.
Who are meant by the “conies,”1261
| 1261
Literally, “grunting hogs.” | but we ourselves, who once were like hogs,
walking in all the filthiness of the world; but now, believing in
Christ, we build our houses upon the holy flesh of Christ as upon a
rock?
1262
| 1262
Ch. xxx. 21, etc. [As to version, see
Burgon, Lett. from Rome, p. 34.] | The shaking
(of the earth) signifies the change of things upon earth.—Sin,
then, which in its own nature is a slave, has reigned in the mortal
body of men: once, indeed, at the time of the flood; and again in
the time of the Sodomites, who, not satisfied with what the land
yielded, offered violence to strangers; and a third time in the case of
hateful Egypt, which, though it obtained in Joseph a man who
distributed food to all, that they might not perish of famine, yet did
not take well with his prosperity, but persecuted the children of
Israel. “The handmaid casting out her
mistress:” i.e., the Church of the Gentiles, which, though
itself a slave and a stranger to the promises, cast out the free-born
and lordly synagogue, and became the wife and bride of Christ. By
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the whole earth is moved. The
“fourth it cannot bear:” for He came first by
lawgivers, and secondly by prophets, and thirdly by the Gospel,
manifesting Himself openly; and in the fourth instance He shall come as
the Judge of the living and the dead, whose glory the whole creation
will not be able to endure.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
