Proverbs 1 · The Lantern

The parables of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel,

The proverb, according to barbarian philosophy, is called a mode of prophecy, and the parable is so called, and the enigma in addition.

A proverb is a saying such as, "War is pleasant to the inexperienced," or "A drop constantly falling hollows a stone." The name proverb derived from the fact that once roads were marked off with no signs. Now there are signs, which are called miliaria (milestones) by the Romans, while they were just called signs before.

The Parables of Solomon, etc. The Greek word Parables is translated as Similitudes in Latin; Solomon named this book so that we might understand its contents more deeply and not just according to the letter, in which he signifies that the Lord would sometimes speak to the crowds in parables.

in order to know wisdom and discipline,

"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.

The purpose for which the royal Father gave to the royal Son his judgment and his justice is sufficiently shown when he says, "To judge your people in justice," that is, for the purpose of judging your people. Such an idiom is found in … the Proverbs of Solomon, for the purpose of knowing wisdom and discipline.

To know wisdom, etc. To know wisdom and discipline is to understand how to believe rightly, how one ought to live, to have truly learned where to direct the intention of the heart, and to know what is fitting to do. When it adds:

to understand words of prudence, and to accept the instruction of doctrine, justice and judgment, and equity,

Those concepts which are expressed by the Holy Spirit in parables through their counterpart of speech become quite clear when one brings them before God with a faithful heart. For they understand the true righteousness which was announced by Christ.

To confess that we are imperfect, and have not yet apprehended, nor yet obtained, this is true wisdom in man: know thyself to be imperfect; and, if I may so speak, the perfection of all who are righteous, so long as they are in the flesh, is imperfect.

Justice, and judgment, etc. Justice is in those things we do well according to the rule of truth; judgment, in those things we act with right discernment with our neighbors. Equity is in that action wherein with sincere intention we strive to please God alone in the things we rightly do or judge.

so as to give discernment to little ones, knowledge and understanding to adolescents.

By listening, the wise shall become wiser and the intelligent shall possess governments.

He who accepts the doctrines of wisdom, sometimes, in addition to the first doctrines because of which he is already wise, takes up second doctrines in reference to which he was not formerly wise, and [then] he will be wiser, just as also it is said, "For when a wise man has heard these things, he will be wiser."

There are indeed many who know how so to control their outward advancement as by no means to fall inwardly thereby. Whence it is written, "God casteth not away the mighty, seeing that He also Himself is mighty." And it is said through Solomon, "A man of understanding shall possess governments." But to me these things are difficult, since they are also exceedingly burdensome; an…

"The wise man hearing shall be wiser, and the one who understands shall possess counsels." In the second word Solomon shows that it is useful to hear the word of God; and the reason is that in the hearing of the word of God both he who understands profits, and likewise he who does not understand: therefore both the wise and the simple ought to go to hear the word of God.

He shall turn his soul to a parable and to its interpretation, to the words of the wise and their enigmas.

We must observe that not every time something is named "darkness" is it taken in a bad sense; there are times when it has also been used in a good sense. It is because the heterodox did not make this distinction that they accepted the most irreverent doctrines concerning the Creator and withdrew from him and abandoned themselves to the fictions of myths.

[Daniel 2:22] "It is He who reveals deep and hidden things, and He knows what is placed in the darkness, and with Him is the light." A man to whom God makes profound revelations and who can say, "O the depth of the riches of the knowledge and wisdom of God!" (Romans 11:33), he it is who by the indwelling Spirit probes even into the deep things of God, and digs the deepest of we…

He will comprehend a proverb and a parable, etc. This humility was given to the disciples by the wisdom that taught them in the flesh so that they could understand both its parables, which the crowds could not comprehend, and the enigmas of the prophets and the law, that is, the obscure sayings that they would spiritually perceive and elucidate for their listeners.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The foolish despise wisdom as well as doctrine.

There are things practiced in a vulgar style by some people, such as control over pleasures. For as among the heathen there are those who, from the impossibility of obtaining what one sees and from fear of men, and also for the sake of greater pleasures, abstain from the delights before them, so also, in the case of faith, some practice self-restraint, either out of regard to t…

You should regulate your life and conduct by the commandments of God, which we have received to enable us to lead a good life, beginning with a religious fear, for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," whereby human pride is broken down and weakened.

Fools despise wisdom and discipline. It has been said of the wise man that he will become wiser upon hearing the word, and the one who understands will learn to rightly govern his actions. In contrast, it is said of fools that they do not only fail to attain the wisdom of right doctrine and the discipline of pure conduct but also despise knowing it.

Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother,

so that grace may be added to your head and a collar to your neck.

My son, if sinners should entice you, do not consent to them.

If they should say: “Come with us. We will lie in wait for blood. We will lay traps against the innocent, without cause.

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.

There is one text in Proverbs so far from being obscure that its relationship to Christ and his possession, the church, can be grasped without any such trouble. Wicked men are speaking: "Let us unjustly hide away in the earth the just man, let us swallow him up alive like hell.

"Let us lay in wait for the innocent without cause." They did this when they said: "Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" (Mark 12) and countless other similar things. Truly he was innocent, who did no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. Truly they laid traps for him in vain, by whom they were not harmed, but from whom they had experienced many benefits.

Let us swallow him alive, like Hell, and whole, like one descending into the pit.

We will discover every precious substance. We will fill our houses with spoils.

Cast your lot with us. One purse will be for us all.”

My son, do not walk with them. Preclude your feet from their paths.

For their feet rush to evil, and they hurry to shed blood.

But a net is thrown in vain before the eyes of those who have wings.

Now, the Scripture saith, "Not unjustly are nets spread out for birds." This means that the man perishes justly, who, having a knowledge of the way of righteousness, rushes off into the way of darkness.

If then nets are not wrongfully stretched for birds, as it is said in Proverbs, but God justly leads men into the snare, as it is said, "You led us into the snare," and if not even a sparrow, cheapest of birds, falls into the snare without the will of the Father (its fall into the snare being due to its failure to use properly the power of its wings given to it to soar), let us…

"Surely in vain the net is spread," etc. Truly the snare of persecution or death is spread in vain for the elect, who have the wings of hope and charity and other virtues, by which they desire heavenly things while they live, so that they may deserve to reach them after death.

Likewise, they lie in ambush against their own blood, and they undertake deceits against their own souls.

Thus, the ways of all those who are greedy seize the souls of those who possess.

Wisdom forewarns far and wide; she bestows her voice in the streets.

It is written: "Wisdom is made known in death," that is to say, the life of the wise man is praised at the end of his life.

Wisdom preaches in the streets, etc. The Wisdom of God, indeed, is Christ, who, having lived in the world, revealed the mysteries of His divinity to a few and instructed them not to preach that He was Jesus Christ before His passion and resurrection, lest they tell anyone the glory they saw on the mount; and then, He showed His Majesty's power more by works than by words, fulfi…

This wisdom has been made manifest, hence "wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the open squares she raises her voice." And yet we do not find her, resembling the unlettered man who owns a book and has no concern for it. And so with us: the Scriptures were given to us in Greek, in the vernacular and in Hebrew, and yet they are unknown as a source.

She cries out at the head of crowds; at the entrance of the gates of the city, she offers her words, saying:

“Little ones, how long will you choose to be childish, and how long will the foolish desire what is harmful to themselves, and how long will the imprudent hate knowledge?

Be converted by my correction. Lo, I will offer my spirit to you, and I will reveal my words to you.

So, then, let us obey his most holy and glorious name and escape the threats which wisdom has predicted against the disobedient. In that way we shall live in peace, having our confidence in his most holy and majestic name. Accept our advice, and you will never regret it.

For where at all have they found in divine Scripture, or from whom have they heard, that there is another Word and another wisdom besides this Son, that they should frame to themselves such a doctrine?

Behold, I will pour out my Spirit to you, etc. If you still, he says, neglect to convert, I will bring upon you the vengeance you have deserved, and I will show that the words I have predicted about your destruction are true. Indeed, he names his spirit the power of vengeance, about which Moses said: You sent your spirit, and the sea covered them (Exodus XV).

For I called, and you refused. I extended my hand, and there was no one who watched.

And these, if anyone should meditate upon them in the law of the Lord day and night, and if anyone, like the just man whose mouth meditates the wisdom of the Lord, shall be able to investigate them more diligently, he will also be able to find them — provided nevertheless that he has sought rightly, and, seeking, has knocked at the door of wisdom, asking of God that it may be o…

For this is why the Lord says through Solomon: "I called, and you refused; I stretched out my hand, and there was no one who paid attention; you despised all my counsel, and neglected my reproofs. I also will laugh at your destruction, and will mock when what you feared comes upon you.

Against those who speak against the counsels of God, it is said in Proverbs: 'I have called and you refused; you have despised all my counsel and neglected my reproofs; therefore I will laugh at your destruction.' A dog, when it lies in the straw and does not wish to eat, does not permit another to eat.

You have despised all my counsels, and you have neglected my rebukes.

Similarly, I will ridicule you at your demise, and I will mock you, when that which you feared shall overcome you.

When sudden calamity rushes upon you, and your demise advances like a tempest, when tribulation and anguish overcome you,

then they will call to me, and I will not heed, they will arise in the morning, and not find me.

What is it then which Scripture says in many places: "They shall call, and I will not hear them"? Yet surely you are merciful to all who call upon you.... Some call, yet call not upon him of whom it is said, "They have not called upon God." They call, but not on God. You call upon whatever you love: you call upon whatever you draw to yourself, whatever you wish to come to you.

"But I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper." Behold, he calls through himself, he calls through angels, he calls through the fathers, he calls through the prophets, he calls through the apostles, he calls through pastors, he calls also through us, he often calls through miracles, he often calls through scourges, he sometimes calls through th…

For they held hatred for discipline, and they would not accept the fear of the Lord;

they would not consent to my counsel, but they detracted from all of my corrections.

Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way, and they shall have their fill of their own counsels.

The loathing of the little ones shall destroy them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall perish them.

But whoever will listen to me shall rest without terror, and shall have full enjoyment of abundance, without fear of evils.”

Proverbs1