Chapter 22
[Proverbs 22:1] -- 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.
[Proverbs 22:1] -- 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.
[Proverbs 22:2] -- 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.
[Proverbs 22:3] -- 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.
[Proverbs 22:4] -- 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).
[Proverbs 22:5] -- 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.
[Proverbs 22:6] -- It is a proverb, Train up a child in the way he should go, etc. It is evident that many change from the vices they had as youths in old age, by the gift of the Lord, and conversely, some, by the Lord deserting them, abandon the virtues they seemed to have displayed in their youth. But because much more often each one is accustomed to follow the habits with which he was imbued from youth into the remaining time of his life, he says there is a proverb, because what anyone takes up in youth, he will not change in old age. However, he does not always confirm that it happens this way. Therefore, he posits this kind of proverb to persuade his listeners to pursue virtues from early age, lest perhaps in old age they are unable to learn pursuits which they despised to embrace in tender age. For 'What is once imbued in fresh clay will long preserve its scent,' and Greek history tells that Alexander, the most powerful king, ruler of the world, could not refrain in his manners and conduct from the vices with which he had been infected when he was still a boy by his tutor Leonidas.
[Proverbs 22:7] -- "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.
[Proverbs 22:8] -- "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:
[Proverbs 22:9] -- "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.
[Proverbs 22:10] -- "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.
[Proverbs 22:11] -- "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.
[Proverbs 22:12] -- "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.
[Proverbs 22:13] -- "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.
[Proverbs 22:14] -- "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.
[Proverbs 22:15] -- "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.
[Proverbs 22:16] -- 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.
[Proverbs 22:18] -- 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.
[Proverbs 22:20] -- 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.
[Proverbs 22:22] -- 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.
[Proverbs 22:24] -- 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.
[Proverbs 22:26] -- 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).
[Proverbs 22:28] -- Do not remove the ancient landmarks, etc. Do not transgress the boundaries of faith established by the Catholic teachers from the beginning.
[Proverbs 22:29] -- 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.