1 A wise son heareth the doctrine of his father: but he that is a scorner, heareth not when he is reproved.
Bede · AD 735 "A wise son is the instruction of a father," etc. There is such a great difference between the wise and the foolish man, that the latter, at some point, arrives to teach even the one who had taught him with the advantage of learning, while the former, when reproved, does not know how to listen.
2 Of the fruit of his own month shall a man be filled with good things: but the soul of transgressors is wicked.
3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his soul: but he that hath no guard on his speech shall meet with evils.
4 The sluggard willeth, and willeth not: but the soul of them that work, shall be made fat.
Bede · AD 735 "And the sluggard desires and does not desire," etc. Rightly, the lazy person is marked by the term, who wants to reign with God but does not want to work for God. The rewards delight when they are promised; the struggles deter when they are commanded. Concerning this, James says, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1).
5 The just shall hate a lying word: but the wicked confoundeth, and shall be confounded.
6 Justice keepeth the way of the innocent: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
7 One is as it were rich, when he hath nothing and another is as it were poor, when he hath great riches.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 It is simply not to be credited that holy Scripture is concerned to advise us on these riches which the proud get such swollen heads about. I mean these visible, earthly riches, of course, as though we should either think they are very important or fear not to have them.
John Cassian · AD 435 And in these allusions and inconveniences all that are at all weak are sure to be entangled, as while they are even doubtful of their own salvation, and themselves stand in need of the teaching and instruction of others, they are incited by the devil's tricks to convert and guide others, and as, even if they succeed in gaining any advantage from the conversion of some, they was…
Bede · AD 735 "There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing," etc. He seemed rich to himself who was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day; but because he did not have God, he found in the end that nothing of what he had possessed existed.
8 The ransom of a man's life are his riches: but he that is poor, beareth not reprehension.
Clement of Alexandria · AD 215 Just as the foot is the measure of the sandal, so the physical needs of each person are the measure of what he should possess. Whatever is excessive—the things they call adornments, the trappings of the rich—are not adornments but a burden for the body.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 A man's riches ought to avail to the ransom of his soul, not to its destruction. And a treasure is a ransom, if a man use it well; on the other hand it is a snare, if a man know not how to use it. What is a man's money to him but a provision for his journey? Much is a burthen, a little is useful.
Bede · AD 735 As Solomon says, "A man's own wealth is the redemption of his soul." This might be temporal wealth which one distributes and gives to the poor so that one's righteousness may endure forever, or it might be spiritual wealth in the form of the righteousness that one has attained by taking pity on the poor or by doing other good things.
9 The light of the just giveth joy: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
Bede · AD 735 "The light of the righteous rejoices," etc. The light of the righteous, which perpetually rejoices, is the hope of future things; the lamp of the impious, which suddenly goes out, is the happiness of this fleeting world. Among the proud, there are always quarrels, but those who act with counsel are governed by wisdom.
10 Among the proud there are always contentions: but they that do all things with counsel, are ruled by wisdom.
11 Substance got in haste shall be diminished: but that which by little and little is gathered with the hand, shall increase.
Bede · AD 735 "Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle," etc. Those who want to become rich fall into temptation, and they do not possess those very riches, which they either acquire or desire, forever. But whoever strives justly for the acquisition of the wealth of heavenly rewards will receive the multiple gifts of heavenly blessedness. About this, he aptly adds:
12 Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul: desire when it cometh, is a tree of life.
Bede · AD 735 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick," etc. For certainly, as long as the hope of eternal things is deferred, the soul of the faithful is afflicted, either because of the delay of the good things they love or because of the imposition of the evils they endure.
13 Whosoever speaketh ill of any thing, bindeth himself for the time to come: but he that feareth the commandment, shall dwell in peace. Deceitful souls go astray in sins: the just are merciful, and shew mercy.
Bede · AD 735 "He who disparages something," etc. He who disparages a good thing binds himself in the future because, by doing what he ought not to, he prepares a punishment for himself by which he may be bound.
14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, that he may decline from the ruin of death.
15 Good instruction shall give grace: in the way of scorners is a deep pit.
16 The prudent man doth all things with counsel: but he that is a fool, layeth open his folly.
Bede · AD 735 "The shrewd man does everything with counsel," etc. Where he teaches that everything should be done with counsel, he understands more the divine counsel, which is clothed with sacred words, than the human counsel. For he is foolish who lives outside this counsel, even if he seems naturally shrewd and wise.
17 The messenger of the wicked shall fall into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.
Bede · AD 735 "The messenger of the wicked falls into trouble." He refers to Arius and Sabellius, and other angels, that is, messengers of Satan, who, because they neglected the counsel of the divine Scriptures, fell into the trouble of hellish torments. "But the faithful envoy is health." That is, every Catholic preacher acquires eternal health for himself and his listeners.
18 Poverty and shame to him that refuseth instruction: but he that yieldeth to reproof shall be glorified.
19 The desire that is accomplished, delighteth the soul: fools hate them that flee from evil things.
Bede · AD 735 If desire is fulfilled, it delights the soul, etc. Every desire, whether good or bad, when it anticipates affection, delights the soul; but the foolish, who enjoy only carnal desires, detest those who, for the love of heavenly things, despise lower entertainments.
20 He that walketh with the wise, shall be wise: a friend of fools shall become like to them.
Bede · AD 735 He who walks with the wise will be wise, etc. To walk with the wise is to imitate the actions of the wise. Therefore, however simple and rustic one may be, who cannot comprehend the secrets of wisdom, if he nevertheless follows the examples of the wise by living, he will rightly be counted among the wise.
21 Evil pursueth sinners: and to the just good shall be repaid.
22 The good man leaveth heirs, sons, and grandsons: and the substance of the sinner is kept for the just.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 "A good man will inherit children's children." The verb "he will inherit" does not mean that he will take the inheritance from his sons; in fact, this would be the greatest curse. Rather, it means the opposite, that is, that he will transmit his riches to his posterity and will leave behind descendants.
Bede · AD 735 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children, etc. We often see good men die without children, indeed promising greater rewards from the Lord to those who have preferred the chastity of virginity to the procreation of children, yet also the substance of the just being taken by sinners. For the Apostle glories in those who received the seizure of their goods with joy.
23 Much food is in the tillage of fathers: but for others it is gathered without judgment.
Bede · AD 735 Many foods are in the fresh fields of the fathers, etc. He acts without proper judgment who is diligently occupied with amassing riches and does not himself dispense these accumulated riches to the poor for the redemption of his soul, but reserves them to be dispensed by others after him, as it is said in the superior verse by the letter: And the substance of the sinner is stor…
24 He that spareth the rod, hateth his son: but he that loveth him, correcteth him betimes.
Apostolic Constitutions · AD 380 You fathers, educate your children in the Lord, bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and teach them such trades as are agreeable and suitable to the Lord, lest they by such opportunity become extravagant and continue without punishment from their parents, and so become slack before their time and go astray from that which is good.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "He that spares the rod hates his son." For, give us a person who with right faith and true understanding can say with all the energy of his heart, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" For such a person there is no need of the terror of hell, to say nothing of temporal punishments or imperial laws, seeing that with him it is so…
Bede · AD 735 He who spares the rod hates his son, etc. For both a good father teaches his son, and a catholic teacher instructs his disciple, lest he deflects to iniquity, solicitously.
25 The just eateth and filleth his soul: but the belly of the wicked is never to be filled.
Clement of Alexandria · AD 215 We have been created, not to eat and drink but to come to the knowledge of God. "The just man," Scripture says, "eats and fills his soul; but the belly of the wicked is ever in want," ever hungry with a greed that cannot be quenched.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 If you take [this verse] according to the literal sense that "when the just person eats he will fill his soul but the souls of the impious will be in poverty," it will appear false. For the souls of the impious take food with eagerness and strive after "satiety," but the just meanwhile are hungry.
Bede · AD 735 But the righteous eats and fills his soul, etc. The righteous receive the foods of wisdom, which are found to have sprung in the fresh fields of the fathers, that is, in the works and words of preceding just men, and they transfer these to the profit of their soul by living well.