1 Occasiones quærit qui vult recedere ab amico: omni tempore erit exprobrabilis.
2 Non recipit stultus verba prudentiæ, nisi ea dixeris quæ versantur in corde ejus.
3 Impius, cum in profundum venerit peccatorum, contemnit; sed sequitur eum ignominia et opprobrium.
Athanasius of Alexandria · AD 373 Just as men who plunge into the deep, the deeper they go down, they descend into darker and deeper places, so it is with humankind. For they did not keep to idolatry in a simple form, nor did they abide in that with which they began.
Caesarius of Arles · AD 542 Not only slight sins but even greater offenses try to overtake us day and night. So let us not hold back repentance until the end of life, but while we are living let us endeavor to do penance daily.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 The impious are those who do not acknowledge divine piety. "But the impious man, when he has come into the depth of sins, shows contempt." The impious man is he who defends his own impiety, namely sin.
4 Aqua profunda verba ex ore viri, et torrens redundans fons sapientiæ.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 "The word in the heart of man is a deep water, and a river and fountain of life spring forth." By "deep water" he [Solomon] means "abundant" water which can often produce many rivers instead of one. Or, he says: it contains it deeply hidden in itself. As water is immeasurable, so the word in the heart of the person who lives according to God is without limit.
Bede · AD 735 Deep water, the words from the mouth of a man, etc. The words of the wise are compared to water because they both wash the minds of the listeners and irrigate them, lest they remain deformed by the filth of sins, or waste away through lack of heavenly doctrine, and as if perish through harmful dryness.
5 Accipere personam impii non est bonum, ut declines a veritate judicii.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 "It is not good to admire those who are impious," even though one of them has an important position or covers up what is right with persuasive speech. To admire the behavior of the impious is to sanction iniquity inspired by the devil.
6 Labia stulti miscent se rixis, et os ejus jurgia provocat.
7 Os stulti contritio ejus, et labia ipsius ruina animæ ejus.
8 Verba bilinguis quasi simplicia, et ipsa perveniunt usque ad interiora ventris. Pigrum dejicit timor; animæ autem effeminatorum esurient.
9 Qui mollis et dissolutus est in opere suo frater est sua opera dissipantis.
Bede · AD 735 He who is lazy and slack in his work, etc. Because he who does not strictly follow through with good beginnings imitates the hand of a destroyer through the laziness of negligence.
10 Turris fortissima nomen Domini; ad ipsum currit justus, et exaltabitur.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 It is good to have the sign of Zabulon, which is "a dwelling of fortitude," which implies the first stability. "Because Thou, O Lord, art my hope." Hence, "the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the just man runs to it and is safe." He alone is at peace who fixes himself upon that "with which there is no change, no shadow of alteration." Hence, "in Thee, O Lord, have I hoped,…
11 Substantia divitis urbs roboris ejus, et quasi murus validus circumdans eum.
Bede · AD 735 The wealth of the rich is his strong city, etc. Earthly wealth cannot always defend; indeed, many are captured or killed because of riches. Thus Ecclesiastes also says, Riches kept to the harm of their owner; for they perish in a terrible affliction.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 The gift of fortitude is given by God protecting. For God protects us according to hierarchical ordering, fortifying us within and without.
12 Antequam conteratur, exaltatur cor hominis, et antequam glorificetur, humiliatur.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 There is nothing to be proud about. For to sink to the state of being proud has its consequences according to the text: "Before ruin the heart of man is exalted and before glory it is humble." These words [also] concern the text: "Hear and hearken, and do not be proud, because the Lord has spoken."
13 Qui prius respondet quam audiat, stultum se esse demonstrat, et confusione dignum.
Desert Fathers · AD 500 A brother said to Poemen, 'If I see something wrong do you want me to tell you about it?' He said to him, 'It is written, "If a man answers before he has heard, it is foolishness to him and discredit" (Sirach 11:8). If you are asked, speak; if not, say nothing.'
Bede · AD 735 He who answers before he hears, etc. He who wants to be a teacher before he learns does not avoid the fault of foolishness. He who judges the deeds of his neighbors before he fully understands the cause of both parties hastily acts improperly, and he shows himself worthy of confusion.
14 Spiritus viri sustentat imbecillitatem suam; spiritum vero ad irascendum facilem quis poterit sustinere?
Bede · AD 735 Truly, the spirit is easily moved to anger, etc. He who is easily moved to anger cannot even sustain himself, so that when he is angry, he often says things which, when calm afterward, he regrets having said and often does not even remember having said. However, his madness is sometimes most easily endured through the moderation of the wise and is immediately quieted.
15 Cor prudens possidebit scientiam, et auris sapientium quærit doctrinam.
16 Donum hominis dilatat viam ejus, et ante principes spatium ei facit.
Evagrius Ponticus · AD 399 "A man's gift" is called an upright life. It is that gift that "makes room for him" and makes him worthy of the fullness of God. It is that very thing which is called the "throne" of the holy powers. Indeed, the "throne" of the mind is that excellent state which they maintain who are seated in a position that is fixed or immovable.
Bede · AD 735 The gift of a man makes his way broad, etc. The gift of charity or other virtues which the faithful receive from the Lord broadens the way of their actions because the more they are internally filled with the grace of the Spirit, the more they abundantly multiply their steps of good works outwardly, and they attain a peak of honor among the great leaders of the Church in the fu…
17 Justus prior est accusator sui: venit amicus ejus, et investigabit eum.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 But David too speaks in the same spirit in the Psalms and says: "I made known my iniquity, and I did not cover my sin. I said: I will pronounce against myself my injustice, and you forgave the impiety of my heart". You see, therefore, that "to pronounce the sin" merits the remission of sin.
Jerome · AD 420 Confess to the Lord, for he is good. And yet, even though heretics say that there is no repentance, still the prophet urges us to confess our sins. For God is good.
Bede · AD 735 The just man is the first to accuse himself, etc. Everyone who is truly just, when he observes the errors of sinners, first turns the eye of consideration upon himself, and while he anxiously accuses his own frailty, only then does he gently extend his tongue to rebuke others.
18 Contradictiones comprimit sors, et inter potentes quoque dijudicat.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "The lot suppresses contentions and determines even between the mighty." For it is better for God to decide in uncertainties of this kind than for people, whether he deigns to call the better ones to a share in his passion and to spare the weak, or to strengthen the former to bear these evils and to withdraw from this life those whose survival cannot be as beneficial to the chu…
19 Frater qui adjuvatur a fratre quasi civitas firma, et judicia quasi vectes urbium.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 "A brother helped by his brother is like a fortified and elevated city: and is as strong as a well fortified palace of kings." The disciples of Christ were of the same mind, like brothers, and were fortified like a royal palace surrounded by many walls as they helped each other. They were firm in their unity, and their mutual aid made them stronger and stronger.
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 Truly spiritual affection is a strong city not able to be overcome or besieged by the devil either by undermining or by scaling.
Bede · AD 735 A brother helped by a brother, etc. When both peoples, namely Jews and Gentiles, agree in fraternal charity in Christ, they now build a united city of the Catholic Church. And just as the bars fortify the gates of cities, so the doctrines of both Testaments defend the churches around the world, which make up the one Catholic Church, from the incursion of unbelievers.
20 De fructu oris viri replebitur venter ejus, et genimina labiorum ipsius saturabunt eum.
21 Mors et vita in manu linguæ; qui diligunt eam comedent fructus ejus.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 Christ makes the same point when he says, "By your own words you will be condemned, and by your words you will be justified."The tongue stands in the middle ready for either use; you are its master.
Valerian of Cimiez · AD 460 A wound arising from words is unbearable.… Truly, dearly beloved, if you look deeply, and diligently investigate the swelling tumor of an exasperated heart, you will discover that the wounds produced by words cause deaths.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." If the woman had kept silent when the devil said to her: "Why has God commanded you not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?" the devil would not have had the occasion to tempt her further.
22 Qui invenit mulierem bonam invenit bonum, et hauriet jucunditatem a Domino. Qui expellit mulierem bonam expellit bonum; qui autem tenet adulteram stultus est et impius.
23 Cum obsecrationibus loquetur pauper, et dives effabitur rigide.
Bede · AD 735 With supplications a poor man speaks, etc. The humble in spirit humbly worship the Lord, like the publican in the Gospel; the proud boast of their merits, like the Pharisee.
24 Vir amabilis ad societatem magis amicus erit quam frater.
Bede · AD 735 A lovable man to society, etc. The believing people from the Gentiles are more loved by the Lord than the Jewish people continuing in unbelief, among whom he was born according to the flesh. It can also be understood of the apostles born from Jews, that they loved the believers from the Gentiles more than the unbelievers of their own people.