1 These [are] also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
Hippolytus of Rome · AD 235 And where is all this rich knowledge? and where are these mysteries? and where are the books? For the only ones extant are Proverbs, and Wisdom, and Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. What then? Does the Scripture speak falsely? God forbid.
Bede · AD 735 These are also the parables of Solomon, etc. Hence, he begins to speak in a new order, not as before, as if he were addressing the listener, but rather he himself, discussing what the reason of truth contains. In which, however, anyone reading or hearing may very clearly discern what to seek, or what to avoid.
2 [It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings [is] to search out a matter.
Bede · AD 735 The glory of the Lord, to conceal the word, etc. The glory of the Lord is more to show himself in the flesh of his humanity than in his divinity to the eyes of mortals, and to confess himself rather through the miracles of his works and mystical words, than through open assertions, the Word, that is, the Son of God.
3 The heaven for hight, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings [is] unsearchable.
Bede · AD 735 Heaven above, and earth below, etc. Just as the height of heaven and the depth of the earth cannot be comprehended by men, so the knowledge of the prophets and apostles, who, by the Spirit revealing, knew the secrets of divinity, transcends the capacity of our frailty.
4 Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
Bede · AD 735 Remove the dross from the silver, etc. Remove the surface of the letter from the sacred word, and you will find the purest meaning hidden by the subtlety of the letter, and spiritual mysteries were concealed under the figures of carnal ceremonies.
5 Take away the wicked [from] before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
Bede · AD 735 Remove the impiety from the face of the king, etc. Remove the impiety of persecuting Christians from the mind of Saul, or of any other zealots of the law, and when they begin to preach Christ, the justice of their doctrine will be established, which impiety previously drove to their ruin, as long as, opposing the justice of God, they strove to put their own first.
6 Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great [men]:
Bede · AD 735 Do not appear glorious before the king, etc. He had previously warned the leader, now the subordinate: for, as he said there, Let him show cheerful faces to his subjects, so now he advises that he should not appear arrogant in the presence of the greater, but rather, placed in a moderate position, he should deserve to be called higher.
7 For better [it is] that it be said to thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldst be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thy eyes have seen.
8 Go not forth hastily to strive, lest [thou know not] what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbor hath put thee to shame.
Bede · AD 735 What your eyes have seen, do not quickly bring forth in a quarrel, etc. And in the Gospel, the Lord: If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him between you and him alone, etc. (Matt. XVIII)
9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbor [himself]; and reveal not a secret to another:
10 Lest he that heareth [it] put thee to shame, and thy infamy turn not away.
Evagrius Ponticus · AD 399 Solomon frequently mentions "friend" and "friendship." Therefore, it is fitting now to look into what he means by friendship. He says [in effect] that grace and friendship liberate.
11 A word fitly spoken [is like] apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Bede · AD 735 Golden apples in silver settings, etc. The sacred words are most rightly compared to silver settings; settings, namely, because they provide rest for the souls of the listeners; silver, however, because they shine splendidly with the virtues of the fathers. Where it is written: The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth (Psalm XI).
12 [As] an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, [so is] a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
Bede · AD 735 A golden earring and a shining pearl, etc. Rightly, the humble listener is compared to a golden earring, because while he willingly lends his ear to the reproving and teaching, he already prepares himself to receive the clarity of heavenly wisdom, he already approaches the vision of the divine light.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 The fourth column of the house of wisdom is persuadability in the affections. There is no one who is persuadable to good unless he is benign: and this also accords with wisdom.
13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, [so is] a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
Bede · AD 735 The cold of snow in the harvest, etc. There is some quiet for those who preach from the persecution of the resisters. It is therefore rightly said, As the cold of snow in the day of harvest, so is the faithful legate to him who sent him; he makes his soul to rest.
14 Whoever boasteth himself of a false gift [is like] clouds and wind without rain.
John Cassian · AD 435 Humility therefore is the mistress of all virtues, it is the surest foundation of the heavenly building, it is the special and splendid gift of the Saviour. For he can perform all the miracles which Christ wrought, without danger of being puffed up, who follows the gentle Lord not in the grandeur of His miracles, but in the virtues of patience and humility.
Bede · AD 735 Clouds and wind, etc. This seems similar to what was said earlier, Do not beguile anyone with your lips. But that verse specifically contains this, that you do not promise to take a person in and then deceive by not fulfilling it; this verse, however, can both contain this, and that which the Apostle says, Having a form of godliness, but denying its power (II Timothy III).
15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
Bede · AD 735 By patience, a ruler shall be pacified, etc. Although you have offended the Lord by sinning, yet you can merit his clemency if you bear adversities imposed on you for your sins with patience, and with humble satisfaction render the hardness of your former stubbornness.
16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled with it, and vomit it.
Bede · AD 735 Have you found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for you, etc. You have found the sweetness of heavenly understanding, which is ministered to you by the office of spiritual fathers, as the labor of most prudent bees.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 The fourth need is good measure, so that a man seek not to savor beyond his means, but that he do so according to moderation. Hence, the Wise Man says: "If you find honey, eat only what you need, lest you become glutted with it and vomit it up." Do not extend yourself beyond the point your intelligence can reach; but neither remain short of it.
17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house; lest he be weary of thee, and [so] hate thee.
Bede · AD 735 Withdraw your foot from your neighbor's house, etc. Although you find the conversation or visitation of any neighbor sweeter than honey, it is better, nevertheless, that by coming less often, you make him always love your coming, than that you either stay with him too long at one time or come to him so often that he gets tired of seeing you and seeks that you do not return.
18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor [is] a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Athanasius of Alexandria · AD 373 He that has been struck by a stone goes to a physician, but sharper than a stone are the strokes of calumny. For, as Solomon has said, "A false witness is a war club, and a sword, and a sharp arrow," and its wounds truth alone is able to cure. If truth is set at naught, the wounds grow worse and worse.
19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble [is like] a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
Bede · AD 735 A rotten tooth and a stumbling foot, etc. And Jeremiah says: Cursed is the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm (Jeremiah XIII).
20 [As] he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, [and as] vinegar upon nitre; so [is] he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.
Bede · AD 735 Vinegar upon niter, etc. Niter took its name from the province of Nitria, where it is especially accustomed to be produced; nor does it differ much from the appearance of ammoniac salt.
21 If thy enemy shall hunger, give him bread to eat; and if he shall thirst, give him water to drink:
Romans · AD 56 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Desert Fathers · AD 500 He also said, 'Evil cannot drive out evil. If anyone hurts you, do good to him and your good will destroy his evil.'
Bede · AD 735 "If your enemy is hungry, feed him," etc. This can be understood both of physical food and spiritual nourishment.
22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD will reward thee.
Bede · AD 735 "For you will heap coals of fire on his head," etc. It does not speak of the burning of punishments; for wisdom would not teach that you should minister good to an enemy for the cause of his destruction; but the coals upon his head signify the ardor of charity in his heart.
23 The north wind driveth away rain: so [doth] an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
Bede · AD 735 "The north wind drives away rain," etc. If you listen with a cheerful face to a slanderer, you give him fuel for slandering; but if you listen with a gloomy face, as a certain man said, he will learn not willingly to say what he has learned is not willingly heard.
24 [It is] better to dwell in a corner of the house-top, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.
Jerome · AD 420 What necessity rests upon me to run the risk of the wife I marry proving good or bad? "It is better," [Solomon] says, "to dwell in a desert land than with a contentious and passionate woman." He who is married knows how seldom we find a wife without these faults.
Bede · AD 735 "It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop," etc. A housetop is a high and secret place. For what in Greek is called doma, in Latin is called a roof. Accordingly, in the Acts of the Apostles, where it is written that Peter went up to the upper parts to pray, in Greek it is written doma for the upper parts.
25 [As] cold waters to a thirsty soul, so [is] good news from a far country.
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 Just as "waters are pleasant to the thirsty soul," as Scripture says, so to the mind that loves instruction is the life-giving knowledge of the mysteries of our Savior. Let us, therefore, draw from the sacred springs the living and life-giving waters, even those that are rational and spiritual.
Fructuosus of Braga · AD 665 We have learned from the story in sacred Scripture how pleasing to a man is "good news from a far country." And what other better news could we expect than the love of Christ, than the spotless profession and propagation of the catholic church, than the pure lives, successful work, and faithful doctrine of the friends of God and the bishops and priests of Christ?
Bede · AD 735 "Like cold water to a thirsty soul," etc. The Psalmist says: "As the deer longs for the water brooks, so my soul longs for you," and so forth (Psalm XLI).
26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked [is as] a turbid fountain, and a corrupt spring.
Bede · AD 735 "A muddied spring, and a corrupt fountain," etc. The mouth and tongue of the just are the spring and fountain of life, which meditates wisdom and speaks judgment. And if it happens that this is overcome by the devil and brought to a fall, then rightly it is called a muddied spring trodden down by the adversary, and a corrupt fountain.
27 [It is] not good to eat much honey: so [for men] to search their own glory [is not] glory.
Bede · AD 735 "As he who eats much honey," etc. For the sweetness of honey, if more than is necessary is consumed, where the mouth delights, from there the life of the eater is harmed.
28 He that [hath] no rule over his own spirit [is like] a city [that is] broken down, [and] without walls.
John Cassian · AD 435 And again "like a city that has its walls destroyed and is not fenced in, so is a man who does anything without counsel." And how injurious the absence of this is to a monk, the illustration and figure in the passage quoted shows, by comparing it to a city that is destroyed and without walls.
Bede · AD 735 "As a city broken down and without walls," etc. For if it does not have the wall of silence, the city of the mind lies open to the darts of the enemy. And as it casts itself outside through words, it exposes itself openly to the adversary; which he overcomes without effort, as much as the one who is conquered fights against herself through much talking.