Chapter 16
[Proverbs 16:1] -- It is for man to prepare the soul, etc. It is certain that neither to prepare the mind, nor to govern the tongue, nor to do any good thing, we are able without divine grace; because without me, he says, you can do nothing (John XV, 5). How then is it for man to prepare the mind, and for God to govern the tongue, unless this specifically signifies in the time of persecution? about which the Lord said: But when they hand you over, do not be anxious about how or what you are to speak; for it will be given to you in that hour what you are to speak (Matthew X, 19).
[Proverbs 16:2] -- All the ways of a man are open to His eyes, etc. Thus the ways, that is, the actions of all, both good and evil, the Lord sees, so that He distinguishes with a certain scale even the individual spirits, what they secretly think. Hence it is rightly added:
[Proverbs 16:3] -- Commit your works to the Lord, etc. Indeed, we reveal our works to the Lord when we remember Him in all we do, knowing that nothing is hidden from Him, and we seek His help in all things. And when we do this devoutly, it happens that not only the same works, but even our inner thoughts proceed under His direction.
[Proverbs 16:4] -- The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, etc. The Lord had no other cause for creating the invisible or visible creature than His will, that He might show His goodness to the rational creature, whom He would make eternally blessed: and also the one who of his own will abandoned the good of his condition, that is, the devil and his followers, He justly condemned with severity.
[Proverbs 16:5] -- Every arrogant person is an abomination to the Lord, etc. Whoever attributes to himself the good that he does, even if he appears to work nothing evil with his hands, has already lost the innocence of his heart, in which he has preferred himself to the giver of the gifts. Therefore, his Creator abhors such a one, as guilty of being ungrateful for the benefits he contemplates.
[Proverbs 16:7] -- When a man's ways please the Lord, etc. Such is the sanctity of divine religion, that often even those who are outside hold it in veneration. And those whom they perceive to serve God perfectly, they begin to have peace with, even though they differ in religion. Hence because the ways of Daniel and the three youths pleased the Lord, He also turned their enemies, who had cast them into the fire or to the beasts, to peace. Because the ways of the holy preachers pleased the Lord, He converted many of their persecutors not only to peace but also to the same unity of faith and religion.
[Proverbs 16:8] -- Better is a little with righteousness, etc. And the Lord says, Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God (Matthew V). And again, Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation (Luke VI). It can also be understood thus, that it is better to serve God devoutly in simple conversation, than being abundant in many virtues, for example, alms, prayers, fastings, teaching, chastity, to despise the deeds of others, and to glory as it were in one’s unique sublimity.
[Proverbs 16:10] -- Divination is on the lips of the king, etc. He signifies that king, of whom it was said, God, give your judgment to the king (Psalm XVII). For who among temporal kings never errs in judgment? In whose lips is divination, because He not only directs His own words and deeds, but also controls what the soothsayers of the Gentiles, commonly called diviners, may answer to those who inquire; as evidenced by the prophet Micaiah, who testifies that a spirit was sent from the throne of the supreme judge to fill the mouths of his prophets and to arm them with the persuasion of things by which the wicked king would perish. For indeed the mouth of the Eternal King did not err in this judgment but permitted the erring prophets to speak to the impious king what he deserved to hear due to his previous sins. But also, Ezekiel says to the sinning and perishing people of the Ammonites, When you were seeing falsehood, and divining lies (Ezekiel XXI, 29). There is not the divination of demons, but the judgment of God; who put an end to perfect malice. Another translation of this verse has it more clearly of the Lord: Nothing false will come from His mouth; for He neither can be deceived by any lying, nor can He ever lie.
[Proverbs 16:11] -- A weight and balance are the judgments of the Lord, etc. He calls the stones of the age, just and strong in faith, such as the apostle Peter desired those to be whom he admonished, And you also, like living stones, are being built into spiritual houses. Therefore no one was chosen by his own virtue from the beginning of the world and fit for the heavenly building; but rather by His work, who, constituting all things by weight and measure and number, distributed to each as He willed, the measure of faith and graces.
[Proverbs 16:13] -- The will of kings is just lips. He speaks of holy kings who primarily command over vices and are accustomed to be surrounded by the ranks of virtues of the soul as of obedient companions. Of whom the Lord says, Many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see and have not seen it (Matthew XIII). Otherwise, earthly kings often detest just lips, as Herod of John, for which he punished him with death.
[Proverbs 16:13] -- Whoever speaks rightly will be guided. So that, namely, with the right steps of deeds he may reach eternal life. But on the contrary, the talkative man will not be guided on the earth. Nor does this statement contradict what is said of Antiochus, And deceit in his hand will be directed. For Scripture did not say that that man, whom it foresaw to be perverse and wicked, would be directed; but it says, deceit in his hand will be directed, because indeed the frauds and crimes which he planned, without anyone hindering, he brought to the effect he intended; yet having accomplished them, he himself perished forever as he deserved.
[Proverbs 16:14] -- The king's indignation is messengers of death. The messengers of death are the angels of Satan, that is, heretics and vain philosophers; indeed, all who announce those words to their neighbors, by which they are taken away to eternal death. The more they serve the author of death, the more they gravely offend the giver of life; yet the path of repentance is not closed to such. For it is added,
[Proverbs 16:14] -- And a wise man will appease him. For he can appease God by repenting, whom he happened to offend by speaking foolishly.
[Proverbs 16:15] -- In the cheerfulness of the face is the life of the king. Whoever deserves to see the cheerful face of Christ, will be given to live with Him forever. Otherwise, on the day of judgment, as it is written, Every flesh will see the salvation of God. But then the reprobate will see Him angry, the just will see Him placid.
[Proverbs 16:15] -- And mercy is like the late rain. The late rain in Judea until this day is accustomed to come to the already mature crops; where the Lord also promises the early rain, saying through the prophet, I will give you the early and the latter rain for your land (Isaiah XXX). Therefore, the early rain is, or is called temporary elsewhere when we first receive the seeds of believing in Christ; but the late rain, when, taken from this life with the mature fruits of virtues, we are stored in the Lord's barn. And rightly the mercy of the king is compared to the late rain because the fruit of life which we receive by acting well is not achieved by the freedom of our will, but by the irrigation of the heavenly gift.
[Proverbs 16:20] -- Instructed in the word he will find good, etc. Not only will he who is instructed for preaching the word of the Lord find good with Him, but also he who has learned to place his hope in the Lord, even if he is not fit to preach to others, will share in the same God's blessedness.
[Proverbs 16:23] -- He who is wise in heart, etc. He who keeps the wisdom of the Catholic faith, which he learned, unblemished in his heart, deservedly receives the name of prudent; but he who knows also to preach the same wisdom learnedly and to defend it against heretics will receive greater rewards for greater labor.
[Proverbs 16:23] -- The fountain of life is the instruction of the possessor, etc. When he said, of the possessor, he did not add, what the possessor holds. What then do we think was meant to be understood, except perhaps the very instruction itself? so that the full meaning is: The fountain of life is the instruction of the one possessing that very instruction; which is openly said to mean that the preacher truly opens the ways of life to his listeners who practices what he preaches himself; who possesses in his steadfast heart the love of the word, by which he instructs others, and does not scatter it like seed retained only in memory, as if gathered in a bosom, on the ground. But the teaching of fools is foolishness, because even if they have learned to say some good things by the practice of instruction, they themselves, foolish at heart, despise the same good things they speak.
[Proverbs 16:24] -- A honeycomb, composed words, etc. Many can sweetly pronounce good things through eloquence to those who love and favor them, which, however, they themselves do not love nor care to do. But words proceed only from the inner sweetness of your soul, which lead to the health of your bones, that is, to the spiritual growth of your virtues.
[Proverbs 16:26] -- The soul of the laborer labors for itself, etc. It is evident, according to the letter, that man expelled from paradise exercises daily labor so that he may not lack. For he compelled his mouth, when he spoke with the serpent and touched the forbidden thing, to suffer long exile with labor and to eat bread by the sweat of his face. But also the teacher compels his mouth to labor, because he must practice the good things he says.
[Proverbs 16:27] -- The wicked man digs up evil, etc. And the prophet says, They have labored to commit iniquity (Jeremiah IX). It can also specifically be understood about the heretic, who breaks up the most beautiful and flourishing fields of divine utterances with the harmful ploughshare of his tongue, to draw out from their inner parts wicked senses that are not there. In whose lips a fire burns, by which he destroys himself and his listeners forever. Hence James also says, The tongue is set among our members, defiling the whole body; and sets on fire the wheel of our birth, being set on fire by hell.
[Proverbs 16:29] -- A wicked man coaxes his friend, etc. It can also be understood about the heretic and every doer of evil. For the sinner is praised in the desires of his soul, and he who does iniquity is blessed (James I).
[Proverbs 16:30] -- He who thinks evil with astonished eyes, etc. It is more grievous to accomplish evil than to do it. Not only does he accomplish evil who acts perversely and harmfully with the members of his body, but also he who with fixed intention plans to commit it. For the proud, indignant, are accustomed to bite their lips, and to have astonished eyes, and not to see the present, who for some time silently ponder with diligent mind. Hence it can be inferred that thinking evil with astonished eyes says of him who thus seeks to commit the evils that he does not see the retribution of evil deeds that follows in the future.
[Proverbs 16:32] -- Better is the patient man than the strong man, etc. It is a lesser victory to conquer cities, because they are conquered externally; but what is conquered by patience is greater, because the spirit conquers itself, and submits itself to itself, when patience brings it down in the humility of tolerance.
[Proverbs 16:33] -- Lots are cast into the lap, etc. Just as lots are openly cast into the lap and kept secret in the lap, it is the divine judge’s part to decide whose lot will be taken up; so the deeds of men are indeed visible to each other in the present life, but the merit of each one will become clear in the future, with the judgment of each one then brought forth and manifested, as if from the lap of divine examination.