Structure and Definitions

Scholia on Proverbs. Asterisk, obelus. Sayings to which obeli are attached were found neither among the other translators nor in the Hebrew, but only among the Seventy; and sayings to which asterisks are attached were found in the Hebrew and among the other translators, but no longer among the Seventy. Sayings marked with both asterisk and obelus are found among the Seventy and are also found in the Hebrew and among the other translators, but the others and the Hebrew differ from the Seventy in position alone — hence they are marked with both obelus and asterisk, as found among all but not in the same places. The book, then, follows the order and sequence of the Seventy, but the sequence of the others is also marked, as the sayings stand among them; and where the transposition occurred in a few sayings, it is clear at once from the signs placed beside them, but where it occurred in more — which is also the last instance — it has this sequence among the others: after ‘Who will know the punishments of both?’ they join ‘But I say these things to you that you may know, O wise,’ down to ‘And your want like a good runner’; then ‘These are the instructions of Solomon,’ down to ‘But an abomination to the lawless is the straight way’; then ‘A son who keeps the word shall be outside destruction,’ down to ‘And their poor from men’; then ‘The leech had three daughters,’ down to ‘But judge the poor and the weak’; then ‘Who shall find a valiant woman?’ We have set these things down so that, should such a copy turn up, the book may not seem to have erred. The others have: ‘The punishments’; then ‘I say these things,’ down to ‘And your want’; then ‘These are the instructions,’ down to ‘But an abomination to the lawless’; then ‘A son who keeps the word,’ down to ‘And the poor’; then ‘The leech, three,’ down to ‘But judge’; then ‘A valiant woman.’

A scholion of Evagrius. There are as many sayings as have their number prefixed here, as many as have ‘Origen’ inscribed with this monosyllable ω6ρ6; and they are mostly in Job. As for the scholia concerning the disagreement of certain sayings in the text or the editions — which also have a dotted downturned mark prefixed below — they belong to those who have collated the book. As for sayings lying doubtfully outside, which have a dotted downturned mark prefixed outside, they were added on account of the scholia, according to the great teacher’s own words, so that the scholion might not seem to be brought in vain — since in many copies of the sayings they stand thus, but in this one they are not so placed or are not found at all, and for this reason they were added.

α. Proverb. A proverb is a word signifying intelligible things through sensible things. β. The kingdom of Israel is spiritual knowledge containing discourses concerning God and incorporeal and corporeal things and judgment and providence, or revealing the contemplation concerning ethics, physics, and theology. For this reason he says: ‘He made instruction and wisdom reign in Israel, to know instruction and wisdom’ (Prov 1:2). And wisdom is the knowledge of corporeal and incorporeal things and of the judgment and providence contemplated in them; but instruction is moderation of the passions, contemplated with regard to the passionate or irrational part of the soul. δ. ‘To direct judgment’ shows that the criterion is right and unperverted. There are three criteria in us: sensation, word, and mind — sensation of sensible things, word of names and sayings and things spoken, mind of intelligible things. α. Just as through the senses the mind applies itself to sensible things, so also through the virtues it surveys intelligible things; hence wise Solomon teaches us that these hold the place of sensation. β. Those who acquire wickedness will despise wisdom and instruction; but in word, I think, no one despises wisdom and instruction. γ. Just as the summit and the neck signify the mind here, so also the crown and the collar signify it here.