1.1  The words of the Preacher [“Ecclesiastic”], the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.

1,1 < Ῥήματα Ἐκκλησιαστοῦ υἱοῦ Δαυίδ, βασιλέως Ἰσραὴλ ἐνἸερουσαλήμ. >

1. The Church of purified souls is true knowledge of ages and worlds and of the judgment and providence [manifest with]in them.  The Preacher is the Christ, the progenitor of this knowledge: or the Preacher is the one purifying souls through ethical contemplations [1] and leading them to natural contemplation. [2]

1. Ἐκκλησία ἐστὶν ψυχῶν καθαρῶν γνῶσις ἀληθὴς αἰώνων καὶ κόσμων καὶ τῆς ἐν αὐτοῖς κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας. Ἐκκλησιαστὴς δέ ἐστιν ὁ ταύτης τῆς γνώσεως γεννήτωρ Χριστός·  ἢ Ἐκκλησιαστής ἐστιν ὁ διὰ τῶν ἠθικῶν θεωρημάτων καθαίρων ψυχὰς καὶ προσάγων αὐτας τῇ φυσικῇ θεωρίᾳ.

1.2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

1.2 < ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, εἶπεν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής, ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων, τὰ πάντα ματαιότης.

2.  To those who have entered the intelligible Church, and who have admired ( or “been amazed by”)  the contemplation of created [beings] the word says: O, do not think that this is the final goal stored up for you in the promises: these are all vanity of vanities in the face of the knowledge of God Himself.  Just as medications are vain after the final healing, so [in comparison] with the knowledge of the Blessed Trinity are the logoi of the ages and worlds vain.

2.  Πρὸς τοὺς εἰσελθόντας εἰς τὴν νοητὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ θαυμάζοντας τὴν θεωρίαν τῶν γεγονότων, ὁ λόγος φησί· μὴ νομίσητε τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ ἔσχατον τέλος, ὦ οὗτοι, τὸ ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις ὑμῖν ἐναποκείμενον· ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα ματαιότης ἐστὶ ματαιοτήτων ἐνώπιον τῆς γνώσεως αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ μάταια μετὰ τὴν τελείαν ὑγείαν τὰ φάρμακα, οὕτω μετὰ τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος μάταιοι τῶν αἰώνων καὶ κόσμων οἱ λόγοι.

1, 111 There is no memory of the first [things]

1,11 ¹ < οὐκ ἔστιν μνήμη τοῖς πρώτοις, >

3.  If  there is no memory of the first [thing]s  how can David say:  I have remembered the ancient days and I have remembered the original ages  (Ps 142:5)  and: I have remembered the everlasting years  (Ps 76:6) Perhaps [because] of the forgetfulness of all these things which will come to pass when reasoning nature receives [“welcomes into one’s house”] the Blessed Trinity; for then God will be all in all (cf. 1 Cor 15:28). If representations of objects that form in the thoughts drive the intellect to remember objects and if the intellect which has contemplated God is separated from all representations, the intellect which has received the Blessed Trinity forgets all created things.

3.  Εἰ οὐκ ἔστι μνήμη τοῖς πρώτοις, πῶς ὁ Δαυίδ φησιν·  "ἐμνήσθην ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων" καὶ "ἔτη αἰώνια ἐμνήσθην"; ἢ τὸ τηνικαῦτα λήθη τούτων πάντων γενήσεται, ὁπηνίκα ἂν  ἡ λογικὴ φύσις ὑποδέξηται τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα· τότε γὰρ ὁ  θεὸς ἔσται τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ νοήματα τῶν  πραγμάτων ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ γινόμενα εἰς ἀνάμνησιν ἄγει τῶν  πραγμάτων τὸν νοῦν, πάντων δὲ τῶν νοημάτων χωρίζεται  νοῦς θεὸν θεασάμενος, πάντων ἄρα τῶν γεγονότων  ἐπιλανθάνεται νοῦς ὑποδεξάμενος τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα.

1,  134-6  For it is an evil distraction (“occupation”) that God has given to the sons of men with which they are distracted (“occupied”)

1, 13^4-6 <ὅτι περισπασμὸν πονηρὸν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦ περισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ.>

4.  It calls evil what is painful, not what is opposed to the good, because the latter God gives to no one:  he is not the cause of evil; rather he is the source of all good. Unless it does not say give except in the sense of “allowed,” according to the language of dereliction.

4.  Πονηρὸν τὸ ἐπίπονον λέγει, οὐ τὸ τῳ ἀγαθῷ ἀντικείμενον· ἐκεῖνο γὰρ οὐδενὶ δίδωσιν ὁ θεός· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν αἴτιος κακῶν, πηγὴ ἀγαθωσύνης ὑπάρχῶν, πλὴν εἰ μὴ λέγεται διδόναι ὡς συγχωρῶν κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἐγκαταλείψεως λόγον.

1,15 That which is bent cannot be straightened:
and deficiency cannot be numbered

1.15 < διεστραμμένον οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ ἐπικοσμηθῆναι,
καὶ ὑστέρημα οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ ἀριθμηθῆναι.>

5. It qualifies as bent the impure intellect:  because it says: a bent heart builds evil (Pr 6.14).  In Proverbs, it designates as an adornment  wisdom, where it says:  wisdom is an adornment for the young (Pr 20.29) wisdom will not enter the soul skillful in evil [or “fraudulent”] (Wis 1:4). It does not say, will not be able to be adorned, but rather, will not be able to receive other adornments , because the straight life adorns, and the wisdom of God brings the new adornment.  Therefore the bent intellect can be adorned, but it can not receive a new adornment if it is not purified by virtues and does not make itself a useful vase for the Master. (cf.  2 Tim 2.21)

.5. Διεστραμμένον τὸν νοῦν τὸν ἀκάθαρτον λέγει·  "διεστραμμένη γάρ, φησί, καρδία τεκταίνεται κακά." Κόσμον δὲ τὴν σοφίαν ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις ὠνόμασεν, ἔνθα λέγει·  "κόσμος νεανίαις σοφία"· "εἰς κακότεχνον οὖν ψυχὴν οὐκ  εἰσελεύσεται σοφία." Οὐκ εἶπε δέ· οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ κοσμηθῆναι, ἀλλ'· οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ ἐπικοσμηθῆναι· κοσμεῖ μὲν  γάρ τινα βίος ὀρθός, ἐπικοσμεῖ δὲ σοφία θεοῦ. Διεστραμμένος τοιγαροῦν νοῦς κοσμηθῆναι μὲν δύναται· ἐπικοσμηθῆναι δὲ οὐ δύναται, ἐὰν μὴ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐκκαθάρῃ  ἑαυτὸν καὶ ποιήσῃ σκεῦος χρήσιμον τῷ δεσπότῃ. 

  Scholin 6

  If David also says that there is no number to the intelligence of God (cf. Ps 146.5) , he does not write it because [God] is unworthy of number, but because it is not in His nature to be submitted to a number, given His ungraspable nature.  Because just as the word “invisible” applies in two ways: [first] that which is naturally invisible, such as God; and [second] that which can naturally be seen, but which happens , like iron at the bottom of the sea, not to to be [seen] because it is hidden by the water - so the word innumerable can apply in two ways: [first,] that which cannot naturally be counted; and [second,] what is not counted for some reason.

Εἰ δὲ λέγει ὁ Δαυὶδ καὶ τῆς συνέσεως τοῦ θεοῦ  μὴ εἶναι ἀριθμόν, οὐχ ὡς ἀναξίας αὐτῆς οὔσης τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ  τοῦτο γράφει, ἀλλ' ὡς μὴ πεφυκυίας αὐτῆς διὰ τὸ ἀκατάληπτον ὑποβάλλεσθαι ἀριθμῷ.Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ ἀόρατον  διχῶς λέγεται, καὶ τὸ μὴ πεφυκὸς ὁρᾶσθαι, ὡς θεός, καὶ τὸ  πεφυκὸς μὲν ὁρᾶσθαι, οὐ μὴν δὲ ὁρώμενον, ὡς ἐν τῷ βυθῷ  σίδηρος διὰ τὸ καλύπτεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος, οὕτω καὶ τὸ  ἀναρίθμητον διχῶς λέγεται, καὶ τὸ μὴ πεφυκὸς ἀριθμεῖσθαι  καὶ τὸ μὴ ἀριθμούμενον δι' αἰτίαν τινά.  

2,6  I made myself pools of water, to water the timber-bearing wood.

2.6 < ἐποίησά μοι κολυμβήθρας ὑδάτων τοῦ ποτίσαι ἀπ○ αὐτῶν δρυμὸν βλαστῶντα ξύλα·>

7.  There is an inversion.  The correct reading of this verse is as follows  To water some trees of a plantation in order to cause germination.

7. Υπερβατῶς εἴρηται· ἔστι δὲ αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐπ' εὐθεῖαν  ἀνάγνωσις ἥδε· τοῦ ποτίσαι ἀπ' αὐτῶν τὰ ξύλα δρυμοῦ  βλαστῶντα.

2, 10  And whatever my eyes desired
I did not withold from them,
I did not withold my heart
from all my mirth

2,10 < καὶ πᾶν, ὃ ᾔτησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου,
οὐχ ὑφεῖλον ἀπ○ αὐτῶν,
οὐκ ἀπεκώλυσα τὴν καρδίαν μου
ἀπὸ πάσης εὐφροσύνης, >

8. It is not by a word that the soul asks for knowledge, but through purity,because it is said:  It is not those who say to me ‘Lord, Lord’ who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but those who do the will of my Father in Heaven. (Mt 7.21)  It is indeed according to our state that we receive knowledge, if it is true that it is with the measure by which we measure that we ourselves will be measured (cf. Mt 7.2)   The intelligible demand is consequently that apatheia of the reasoning soul which attracts holy knowledge.. Therefore he does not withdraw anything from the eyes that are rendered capable of receiving all knowledge:  I mean to say all the knowledge which can naturally occur in a soul linked to flesh and blood.

8. Οὐ λόγῳ αἰτεῖ γνῶσιν ψυχή, ἀλλὰ τῇ καθαρότητι· "οὐ  γὰρ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι· κύριε, κύριε, εἰσελεύσεται, φησίν, εἰς  τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου"· κατὰ ἀναλογίαν γὰρ τῆς καταστάσεως καὶ  τὴν γνῶσιν δεχόμεθα, εἴγε ᾧ μέτρῳ μετροῦμεν καὶ  ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ἡμῖν· αἴτησις τοίνυν ἐστὶ νοητὴ ἀπάθεια  ψυχῆς λογικῆς ἁγίαν γνῶσιν ἐπισπωμένη. Οὕτως οὖν οὐδὲν  ὑφαιρεῖ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὁ πάσης τῆς γνώσεως παρέχων  ἑαυτὸν δεκτικόν· πᾶσαν δὲ λέγω γνῶσιν, τὴν πεφυκυῖαν ἐπισυμβαίνειν ψυχῇ συνδεδεμένῃ αἵματι καὶ σαρκί.

9.  He who commits no sin does not withold from his heart any spiritual joy.

9.Ὁ μηδὲν ἁμαρτάνων οὐκ ἀποκωλύει τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ πάσης πηευματικῆς εὐφροσύνης

  scholion 10

2.11 4  and behold all was vanity and waywardness of spirit.

2.11 ⁴ < καὶ ἰδοὺ τὰ πάντα ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος, >

10.  It calls the soul spirit , because waywardness is a certain movement of the nous.  And David says, Into your hands I will commend my spirit. (Ps 30.6);   and Stephen [says] Lord Jesus, receive my spirit (Acts 7.59) and in Kings it is said, David did not sadden the spirit of Ammon his son. (2Sam 13.21).

Πνεῦμα τὴν ψυχὴν ὀνομάζει· ἡ γὰρ προαίρεσίς ἐστι  ποιὰ νοῦ κίνησις. Καὶ ὁ Δαυίδ· "εἰς χεῖράς σου παραθήσομαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου"· καὶ ὁ Στέφανος· "κύριεἸησοῦ, φησί,  δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου"· καὶ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις· "οὐκ  ἐλύπησε, φησίν, ὁ Δαυὶδ τὸ πνεῦμαἈμνὼν τοῦ υἱοῦ  αὐτοῦ."

11

2.14 1  The wise man’s eyes are in his head.

2.14 ¹ <τοῦ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ, >

11. If the Christ is the head of the whole man (1Cor 11.3)  and if the sage also is a man, the Christ is the head of the sage.  But since the Christ is our wisdom -for he has become for us wisdom from God (1Cor 1.30)  -, the head of the sage is therefore wisdom, in which the sage has eyes of concepts when he contemplates in them the logoi of the created beings.

Εἰ "παντὸς ἀνδρὸς κεφαλὴ ὁ Χριστός", ἀνὴρ δὲ καὶ  ὁ σοφός, κεφαλὴ τοῦ σοφοῦ ὁ Χριστός· ἀλλ' ὁ Χριστὸς ἡμῶν  σοφία ἐστίν–"ἐγεννήθη γὰρ ἡμῖν σοφία ἀπὸ θεοῦ"–, ἡ  κεφαλὴ ἄρα τοῦ σοφοῦ ἡ σοφία ἐστίν, ἐν ᾗ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς  ἔχει τῆς διανοίας ὁ σοφὸς θεωρῶν ἐν αὐτῇ τοὺς λόγους τῶν  γεγονότων.

  scholion12

2.22  For it happens to a man in all his labor, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labors under the sun.

2.22 < ὅτι γίνεται τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν προαιρέσει καρδίας αὐτοῦ, ᾧ αὐτὸς μοχθεῖ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον >

12. Here it shows that the choice of the spirit is the choice of the heart.

12. Εντεῦθεν δείκνυται ὅτι ἡ προαίρεσις τοῦ πνεύματος  προαίρεσις καρδίας ἐστίν.  

  Scholion 13

2.25  For who shall eat or who shall drink without him?

2.25 < ὅτι τίς φάγεται καὶ τίς φείσεται πάρεξ αὐτοῦ >

13. Who indeed would be able without Christ to eat His flesh or drink His blood, which are symbols of the virtues and knowledge?

13. Τίς γὰρ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ δυνήσεται φαγεῖν τὰς σάρκας  αὐτοῦ ἢ πιεῖν τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ, ἅπερ ἀρετῶν σύμβολά ἐστι  καὶ γνώσεως;

2.26  He has given to the sinner distraction, to add to and to heap that he may give to him that is good before God;
for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.

2,26 ^4-6 < καὶ τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι ἔδωκεν περισπασμὸν τοῦ προσθεῖναι καὶ τοῦ συναγαγεῖν τοῦ δοῦναι τῷ ἀγαθῷ πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ· ὅτι καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος. >

14. This resembles the proverb which states: He who  multiplies his wealth by usuries and [unjust] gains gathers it for him who has pity on the poor, (Pr 28.8)  and [another]:  An envious man makes haste to be rich, and knows not that the merciful man will have the mastery over him. (Pr 28.22) . This is why we must be content with the scholia placed there.  But it is nevertheless necessary to know this:  it declares to be vanity the gathering of sins, not the fact that it obtains from God a good master.

14. Τοῦτο ὅμοιόν ἐστι τῇ παροιμίᾳ τῇ λεγούσῃ· "ὁ  πληθύνων τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ μετὰ τόκων καὶ πλεονασμῶν  τῷ ἐλεῶντι πτωχοὺς συνάγει αὐτὸν" καὶ "σπεύδει πλουτεῖν  ἀνὴρ βάσκανος καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι ἐλεήμων κρατήσει  αὐτοῦ"· διόπερ ἀρκεσθῶμεν τοῖς ἐκεῖσε κειμένοις σχολίοις.   Πλὴν τοῦτο ἰστέον, ὅτι ματαιότητα τὴν συναγωγὴν τῶν  ἁμαρτιῶν ἀπεφήνατο, οὐ τὸ τυχεῖν αὐτὸν παρὰ θεοῦ ἀγαθοῦ  διδασκάλου.

  scholion_15

3, 10 I have seen the distraction that God has given to the sons of men by which they are distracted

11 All the things he has made are beautiful in his time: he has also set the ages in their heart, that man may not find out the work that God has performed from the beginning until the end.

12  I know that there is no good in them,  except [for a man] to rejoice and to do good in his life.

13  And all men who eat and drink  and see good in all their labor -   this is a gift of God

3. 10 εἶδον σὺν τὸν περισπασμόν, ὃν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ ερισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ.

  11  σὺν τὰ πάντα ἐποίησεν καλὰ ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ καί γε σὺν τὸν αἰῶνα ἔδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν, ὅπως μὴ εὕρῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸ ποίημα, ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, ἀπ○ ἀρχῆς καὶ μέχρι τέλους.

  12  ἔγνων ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς εἰ μὴ τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι καὶ τοῦ ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐν ζωῇ αὐτοῦ·

  13  καί γε πᾶς ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς φάγεται καὶ πίεται καὶ ἴδῃ ἀγαθὸν ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, δόμα θεοῦ ἐστιν.

15.  I have seen, he says, objects perceived by the senses that distract the thoughts of men, objects that God gave to men before their purification in order that they might be distracted by them.  He says their beauty is temporal and not eternal, because after the purification the pure no longer behold sensible objects as distractions for their nous (intellect), but rather as passages[3] [of Scripture] for [the intellect’s] spiritual contemplation.

15.  Εἶδον, φησί, τὰ αἰσθητὰ πράγματα περισπῶντα, τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἅπερ ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸ τῆς καθάρσεως τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἵν᾿ἐν αὐτοῖς περισπῶνται. Πρόσκαιρον δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν καλλονὴν λέγει καὶ οὐκ ἀΐδιον· μετὰ γὰρ τὴν κάθαρσιν οὐκ ἔτι ὡς περισπῶντα τὸν ῃοῦν αὐτοῦ μόνον ὁ καθαρὸς τὰ αἰσθητὰ πράγματα καθορᾷ, ἀλλ᾿ὡς ἐγκείμενα αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν πνευματικὴν θεωρίαν. [π80-π82,7]

It is one thing for the intellect to be stamped in a sensate way when applying itself to the perception of sensible things.[4]  It is a different matter for (the nous) to contemplate by means of sensed things the inner meanings they contain.  This [latter] knowledge, however, is attained only by the pure, while the comprehension of realities through sensation (belongs) to both the pure and the impure.

Αλλως γὰρ τυποῦται ὁ νοῦς τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἐπιβάλλων αἰσθητῶς, καὶ ἄλλως διατίθεται τοὺς λόγους τοὺς ἐναποκειμένους τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς θεωρῶν· ἀλλ᾿ αὕτη μὲν ἡ γνῶσις καθαροῖς μόνον ἐπισυμβαίνει, ἡ δὲ διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων κατανόησις τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ καθαροῖς καὶ ἀκαθάρτοις. [π82,7-12]

This is why he describes this temporal distraction as given by God: God in his providence towards the sensing soul has given it senses and sensible realities in order that, distracted by  these and meditating upon them, it may escape the tempting thoughts hurled by the enemies.

Διὸ καὶ περισπασμὸν πρόσκαιρον εἶπεν αὐτὴν θεοῦ δεδομένην· προνοούμενος γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῆς ἐμπαθοῦς ψυχῆς ἔδωκεν αὐτῇ αἰσθήσεις καὶ πράγματα αἰστητά, ὅπως ἐν αὐτοῖς περισπωμένη καὶ νοηματιζομένη ἐκφεύγῃ τοὺς μέλλοντας αὐτῇ παρὰ τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἐμβάλλεσθαι λογισμούς. [π82,13-18

It says he has given them  in addition the ages, that is  the inner meanings of the ages; because it is there that we have the kingdom of heaven within us, as the Lord has said; (cf. Lk 17,21) but [since it is] hidden beneath the passions, it is not discovered by men.

 Ἔδωκε δὲ αὐτοῖς, φησί, καὶ τὸν αἰῶνα, τουτέστι τοὺς λόγους τοῦ αἰῶνος· αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἣν ἐντὸς ἔχειν ἡμᾶς εἶπεν ὁ κύριος,^α ἥτις καλυπτομένη ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν οὐχ εὐρίσκεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. [π82,18-21]

I have seen, he says, that it is not the realities [themselves] that are good, but rather the logoi of the realities, on account of which the reasoning nature has grown to rejoice and to do good; [for] nothing so nourishes and gives drink to the intellect as virtue and the knowledge of God.

Ἔγνων οὖν, φησίν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τὰ πράγματα ἀγαθά ἀλλ᾿ οἱ λόγοι τῶν πραγμάτων, ἐφ᾿ οἷς καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι πέφυκεν ἡ φύσις ἡ λογικὴ καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν· οὐδὲν τρέφει καὶ ποτίζει τὸν νοῦν ὡς ἀρετὴ καὶ γνῶσις θεοῦ. [π82,21-25]

16.  We do good through the timely (eukairos) use of the things God has given us; thus shall everything be good ‘in its time’ (kairos) and, ‘lo, all things [shall be] very good’ (cf. Gen 1.31).

16. Τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποιοῦμεν διὰ τῆς εὐκαίρου χρήσεως τῶν  ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ δεδομένων ἡμῖν· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ πάντα καλὰ  ἔσται ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ "ἰδοὺ πάντα καλὰ λίαν".

3.14 ‘I have recognised that everything that God made will exist forever. It is impossible to add to it, and it is impossible to subtract from it. And God made them so that they should be in awe in his presence.’

3, 14 <ἔγνων ὅτι πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, αὐτὰ ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ἐπ' αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστιν προσθεῖναι,
καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφελεῖν, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν, ἵνα φοβηθῶσιν ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ>

17.  By If ‘everything that God made will exist forever’ and God did not make vice, then vice will not exist forever.

17. Εἰ "πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα",  τὴν δὲ κακίαν ὁ θεὸς οὐκ ἐποίησεν, οὐκ ἔσται ἄρα εἰς τὸν  αἰῶνα ἡ κακία.

18.  By It is impossible to subtract from the ‘richly variegated wisdom’ (cf. Eph 3.10),’ and impossible to add to it. For God made it, he says, so that men who strive for wisdom would cease from vice: for ‘by the fear of God everyone shall turn from evil’ (Prov 15.27).

18 .Ἀπὸ τῆς πολυποικίλου σοφίας οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφελεῖν  καὶ ταύτῃ οὐκ ἔστι προσθεῖναι.Ἐποίησε δέ, φησίν, αὐτὴν ὁ  θεὸς ἵνα οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐφιέμενοι τῆς γνώσεως παύσωνται τῆς  κακίας· "τῷ γὰρ φόβῳ κυρίου ἐκκλίνει πᾶς ἀπὸ κακοῦ."

3.15. ‘That which has already been created, is; and that which is going to be created, has already been created; and God seeks out that which has followed.’

3,15 <τὸ γενόμενον ἤδη ἐστίν,
καὶ ὅσα τοῦ γίνεσθαι, ἤδη γέγονεν, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ζητήσει τὸν διωκόμενον  >

19. If ‘those who are persecuted for the kingdom of heaven’ are blessed, ‘for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Mt 5.10) and the meanings of the ages that have been and will be created are the kingdom of heaven — then those who are persecuted will be blessed, since they have known the contemplation of what has been created. For God is said to seek out the one he has illuminated by knowledge, and not to seek out the one he has not illuminated by knowledge. As David said, ‘I have wandered like a lost sheep: seek out your servant, for I have not forgotten your commandments’ (Ps 118.176); and he was also persecuted: ‘many are they who Many are they who persecute me, and afflict me; but I have not turned away from your testimonies. (Ps 118.157)

19. Εἰ "μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι  αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν", ἡ δὲ βασιλεία τῶν  οὐρανῶν οἱ λόγοι τῶν γεγονότων καὶ γενησομένων αἰώνων  εἰσί, μακάριοι ἄρα οἱ δεδιωγμένοι, ὅτι αὐτοὶ γνώσονται τὴν  θεωρίαν τῶν γεγονότων. Τοῦτον γὰρ λέγεται ζητεῖν ὁ θεὸς  ὃν φωτίζει τῇ γνώσει καὶ τοῦτον μὴ ζητεῖν ὃν μὴ φωτίζει τῇ  γνώσει· "ἐπλανήθην, φησὶν ὁ Δαυίδ, ὡς πρόβατον  ἀπολωλός· ζήτησον τὸν δοῦλόν σου, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολάς σου οὐκ  ἐπελαθόμην"· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἦν διωκόμενος· "πολλοί,  φησίν, οἱ ἐκδιώκοντές με καὶ θλίβοντές με· ἐκ τῶν  μαρτυρίων σου οὐκ ἐξέκλινα." 

3, 18.  There I said in my heart concerning the chatter of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to show that they are animals.

3, 18  ἐκεῖ εἶπα ἐγὼ ἐν καρδίᾳ μου περὶ λαλιᾶς υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι διακρινεῖ αὐτοὺς ὁ θεός, καὶ τοῦ δεῖξαι ὅτι αὐτοὶ κτήνη εἰσὶν.

20.  Now it has named the life of the sons of man chatter: and it is true that for every trivial word we will render an account of the day of judgment, (Mt 12:36) on which both the pure and the impure are made manifest.

20. Λαλιὰν νῦν τοῦ ἀνθροώπου τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ ὠνόμαεν, εἴγε περὶ παντὸς ἀγροῦ λόγου δώσομεν εὐθύνας ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, ἐν ᾗ καὶ οἱ καθαροὶ καὶ οἱ ἀκάθαρτοι φανεροῦνται.

3, 19  And theirs are the [random] event[s] of the sons of man, and the [random] event[s ]of the animal, one [random] event befalls them [all]: as is the death of the one, so also is the death of the other; and there is one spirit in all; and what more has the man than the animal?  Nothing, for all is vanity.

3, 20.  All [go] to one place, all were formed of the dust, and all will return to dust.

3, 21.  And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward; and the spirit of an animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?

3, 22. And I saw that there was no good except for a man to rejoice in his works, for it is his portion: for who shall bring him to see any thing of that which shall be after him?

3, 19 καὶ γε αὐτοῖς συνάντημα υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ συνάντημα τοῦ κτήνους, συνάντημα ἓν αὐτοῖς· ὡς ὁ θάνατος τούτου, οὕτως ὁ θάνατος τούτου, καὶ πνεῦμα ἓν τοῖς πᾶσιν·καὶ τί ἐπερίσσευσεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος παρὰ τὸ κτῆνος; οὐδέν, ὅτι τὰ πάντα ματαιότης.

3, 20 τὰ πάντα πορεύεται εἰς τόπον ἕνα· τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο ἀπὸ τοῦ χοός, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐπιστρέφει εἰς τὸν χοῦν·

3, 21 καὶ τίς οἶδεν πνεῦμα υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ ἀναβαίνει αὐτὸ εἰς ἄνω, καὶ πνεῦμα τοῦ κτήνους εἰ καταβαίνει αὐτὸ κάτω εἰς γῆν;

3, 22 καὶ εἶδον ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν εἰ μὴ ὃ εὐφρανθήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐν ποιήμασιν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι αὐτὸ μερὶς αὐτοῦ· ὅτι τίς ἄξει αὐτὸν τοῦ ἰδεῖν ἐν ᾧ ἐὰν γένηται μετ○ αὐτόν;

21.  It calls [random] event what happens in common to all men in this world, whether just or unjust; for example, life, death, illness, health, wealth, poverty, loss of limbs, wives, children goods: these things do not distinguish before the judgment between the just and the impious.

21.  Συνάτημα λέγει τὰ κοινῶς συμβαίνοντα πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις καὶ δικαίος καὶ ἀδίκοις ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, οἷον ζωήν, θάνατον, νόσον, ὑγείαν, πλοῦτον, πενίαν, ἀποβολὰς μελῶν, γυναικῶν, τέκνων, ὑπαρχόντων, ἀφ○ ὧν οὐκ ἔστι διαγνῶναι πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως τὸν δίκαιον καὶ τὸν ἀσεβῆ.

It says they have in common that they are from dust and are returning again to dust, having [among] them one soul, not in number but in nature: for spirit, it says, is in them all. Now it called animal the “man that had come to be honored” but without understanding, reveling instead in irrational pleasures “with animals deprived of understanding, which he [now] resembles.” (cf. Ps 48:13 & 21)

Κοινὸν δὲ λέγει αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ χοὸς εἶναι καὶ τὸ ἐπιστρέφειν πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸν χοῦν καὶ τὸ μίαν αὐτοὺς ἔχειν ψυχὴν οὐ τῷ αριθμῷ, ἀλλὰ τῇ φύσει· < πνεῦμα γάρ, φησίν, ἓν τοῖς πᾶσι. >  Κτῆνος δὲ νῦν εἶπε τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν γενόμενον ἐν τιμῇ καὶ μὴ συνιέντα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν ἀλόγων ἡδονῶν συμπαραβληθέντα τοῖς κτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις καὶ ὁμοιωθέντα αὐτοῖς.

 Everything is indeed vanity apart from the spiritual joy that occurs naturally through performance [of works] and human virtues. Because whoever loses this joy will not return again to do what contributes to its acquisition.

scholion 35

5, 1-2 Do not be hasty with your mouth, and do not let your heart be swift to utter anything before God;

² for God is in heaven above, and you are on earth: therefore let your words be few.
For through the multitude of temptation a dream comes; and a fool's voice is in a multitude of words.

5.1-2  < μὴ σπεῦδε ἐπὶ στόματί σου͵ καὶ καρδία σου μὴ ταχυνέτω τοῦ ἐξενέγκαι λόγον πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ· ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ͵ καὶ σὺ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἔστωσαν οἱ λόγοι σου ὀλίγοι. ²  ὅτι παραγίνεται ἐνύπνιον ἐν πλήθει πειρασμοῦ καὶ φωνὴ ἄφρονος ἐν πλήθει λόγων

By “dream”, he means the demon who attacks sleeping souls with a multitude of temptations and deeply troubles the soul, about whom Job said to the Lord, “you have frightened me with dreams and terrified me by visions” [Job 7.141. And David, avoiding this enemy, called out to the Lord, saying, “Enlighten my eyes lest I sleep unto death, lest my enemy say of me, "I have overcome him"“ [Ps 12.4-51. And in the Proverbs, “Do not give sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids, so that you may be saved like a roe from the noose and like a bird from the trap” [Prov 6.41. He also called it “the voice of the senseless”, which stands near with lying words and deceives the soul; the verse “from the voice of the reproachful and the shouter” [Ps 43.17] is the same. 1.

  scholion 38

5, 7  If you should see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgment and of justice in the land, wonder not at the matter: for [there ie] a high one to watch over him that is high, and high ones over them

  8. Also the abundance of the earth is for everyone; the king is dependent on the tilled field.

  9. He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof?  this is also vanity.

 10. In abundance of goods [all] are increased that eat it: and what strength has the owner, but that of beholding it with his eyes?

11. The sleep of a servant is sweet, whether he eat little or much:but to one who is satisfied with wealth, there is none that suffers him to sleep.

5.7  < Ἐὰν συκοφαντίαν πένητος καὶ ἁρπαγὴν κρίματος καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἴδῃς ἐν χώρᾳ, μὴ θαυμάσῃς ἐπὶ τῷ πράγματι· ὅτι ὑψηλὸς ἐπάνω ὑψηλοῦ φυλάσσει καὶ ὑψηλοὶ ἐπ○ αὐτούς.

 8 καὶ περισσεία γῆς ἐπὶ παντί ἐστι, βασιλεὺς τοῦ ἀγροῦ εἰργασμένου.

 9 Ἀγαπῶν ἀργύριον οὐ πλησθήσεται ἀργυρίου· καὶ τίς ἠγάπησεν ἐν πλήθει αὐτῶν γένημα; καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.

10 ἐν πλήθει τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης ἐπληθύνθησαν ἔσθοντες αὐτήν· καὶ τί ἀνδρεία τῷ παρ○ αὐτῆς ὅτι ἀλλ○ ἢ τοῦ ὁρᾶν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ;

11 γλυκὺς ὕπνος τοῦ δούλου, εἰ ὀλίγον καὶ εἰ πολὺ φάγεται· καὶ τῷ ἐμπλησθέντι τοῦ πλουτῆσαι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφίων αὐτὸν τοῦ ὑπνῶσαι. >

38.  It says that if you see men who are oppressed, others suffering injustice through judgment, and [still] others practicing justice, you should not be amazed at what happens, as though there were no providence.  Know, rather, that God watches over all through Christ, and the former exerts his providence over all through the holy angels, who have abundant knowledge of those things [which are] on earth. (cf. 2Sam 14:20)

38. Ἐαν ἴδῃς φησίν ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τοὺς μὲν συκοφαντουμένους, τοὺς δὲ ἀδικουμένους ἐν κρίσει καὶ ἄλλους δικαιοπραγοῦντας, μὴ θαυμάσῃς ἐπὶ τοῖς γινομένοις ὡς οὐκ οὔσης προνοίας.  Γίνωσκε γὰρ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ φυλάσσει τὰ πάντα καὶ οὗτος πάλιν προνοεῖ πάντων διὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων περισσευομένων ἐν γνώσει τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς.

For God is king of the world which has come into being through him, and he will return affliction to those who have preferred the greed and vanity of this life to the knowledge of Christ: but to those who have lived in kindness and courage and who have been servants of justice He will give the knowledge of God and sweet rest - those who have known [only] a few or many of the logoi of things here [on earth],  having had partial knowledge and having spoken a partial prophesy. (cf. 1 Cor 13:9-10) This is the end that the latter will achieve, while the former who were filled with vice will not be left to rest by the worm to which they have given birth.

Βασιλεὺς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς τοῦ γεγονότος δι○ αὐτοῦ κόσμου, ὃς ἀποδώσει θλῖψιν μὲν τοῖς πλεονεξίαν καὶ τὴν ματαιότητα τοῦ βίου τούτου προτιμήσασι τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ, [π130] τοῖς δὲ ἐν ἀγαθωσύνῃ ζήσασιν καὶ ἐν ἀνδρείᾳ καὶ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ δουλεύσασι δώσει γνῶσιν θεοῦ καὶ γλυκεῖαν ἀνάπαυσιν, εἰ καὶ ὀλίγους τινὰς τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἢ πολλοὺς λόγους ἐγνώκασιν, ἐκ μέρους ἐγνωκότες καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύσαντες· καὶ τοὺς μὲν τοιοῦτον διαδέξεται τέλος, τοὺς δὲ ἐμπλησθέντας τῆς κακίας οὐκ ἐάσει διαναπαύσασθαι ὁ ἐξ αὐτῆς τικτόμενος σκώληξ.

For the Lord has entrusted this world to angels as Moses showed, saying “When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the borders of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.” (Deu 32:8)  The world is a field, as our Lord himself describes it in the Gospels, saying, “The world is [the] field.” (Mt 13:38)

Οτι δὲ τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον πεπίστευκεν ἀγγέλοις ὁ κύριος, δείκνυσι Μωσῆς λέγων· < ὅτε διεμέριζεν ὁ ὕψιστος ἔθνη, ὡς διέσπειρεν υἱοὺςἈδάμ, ἔστησεν ὅρια ἐθνῶν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀγγέλων θεοῦ.>  Τὸν δὲ κόσμον ἀγρὸν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κύροις ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ὠνόμασε λέγων· < ἀγρός ἐστιν ὁ κόσμος.>

The abundance of the earth is said to be the knowledge of things on the earth:  If it true that “blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth,” (Mt. 5:5) what other inheritance is there for reasoning natures than the knowledge of God?  It calls the angels “places on high” since they participate in in the Lord on high, for “Exalted” it says “above all the nations is the Lord.” (Ps 112:4)

Τὴν δὲ περισσείαν τῆς γῆς τὴν γνῶσιν λέγει τῶν ἐπι γῆς, εἴγε < μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν >· τίς δέ ἐστιν ἄλλη κληρονομία τῆς φύσεως τῆς λογικῆς πλὴν τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ; Ὑψηλοὺς δὲ εἶπε τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐπειδὴ τοῦ ὑψηλοῦ κυρίου μετεχουσιν· < ὑψηλὸς > γάρ, φησίν, < ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ὁ κύριος.>

40

5,  13. And that wealth shall perish in an evil distraction (“preoccupation”);

and [the man] begetting a son has nothing in his hand.

5,13 < καὶ ἀπολεῖται ὁ πλοῦτος ἐκεῖνος ἐν περισπασμῷ πονηρῷ,

καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱόν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ οὐδέν.,>

40.  Evil distraction is ignorance joined to punishment that separates the impure from spiritual contemplation.

40.  Περισπασμὸς πονηρός ἐστιν ἄγνοια μετὰ κολάσεως ἀπὸ τῆς πνευματικῆς θεωρίας χωρίζουσα τὸν ἀκάθαρτον.

5, 14-15. As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labour, that it should go with him in his hand. ¹⁵ And this is also an evil infirmity: for as he came, so also shall he return: and what is his gain, for which he vainly labors?

5, 14 <καθὼς ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ γαστρὸς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ γυμνός, ἐπιστρέψει τοῦ πορευθῆναι ὡς ἥκει καὶ οὐδὲν λήμψεται ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πορευθῇ ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ. ^{5, 15.1–2} καί γε τοῦτο πονηρὰ ἀρρωστία·
ὥσπερ γὰρ παρεγένετο, οὕτως καὶ ἀπελεύσεται>

41. Job, too, said, “naked I came from my mother's womb, naked shall I depart;” (Job 1.21) and this person also shall return back and depart naked, just as he came from his mother’s womb. But Job, since he is righteous, departs naked of vice and wickedness; while this person will depart from here with the same ignorance that accompanied him into the world.

41. Καὶ ὁ Ἰώβ φησιν· "αὐτὸς γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας  μητρός μου, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι ἐκεῖ"· ὁ δὲ ἐνταῦθα "καθὼς ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ γαστρὸς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ γυμνός, ἐπιστρέψει τοῦ πορευθῆναι ὡς ἥκει".Ἀλλ' ὁ Ἰὼβ μὲν ὡς  δίκαιος γυμνὸς ἄπεισι κακίας τε καὶ πονηρίας· οὗτος δὲ μεθ'  ἧς ἀγνοίας ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον, μετὰ ταύτης καὶ  ἀπελεύσεται ἐκεῖ.

5, 17. Behold, I have seen good, that it is a fine thing [for a man] to eat and to drink and to see good in all his labor in which he may labor under the sun [all] the number of the days of his life that God has given to him; for it is his portion.

 18  Yes and [as for] every man to whom God has given wealth and possessions, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

 19  For he shall not much remember the days of his life;
for God distracts him in the mirth of his heart.

5,  17 <Ἰδοὺ ὃ εἶδον ἐγὼ ἀγαθόν, ὅ ἐστιν καλόν, τοῦ φαγεῖν καὶ τοῦ πιεῖν καὶ τοῦ ἰδεῖν ἀγαθωσύνην ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, ᾧ ἐὰν μοχθῇ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, ὧν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεός· ὅτι αὐτὸ μερὶς αὐτοῦ.

 18 καί γε πᾶς ἄνθρωπος, ᾧ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς πλοῦτον καὶ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ ἐξουσίασεν αὐτὸν τοῦ φαγεῖν ἀπ○ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ λαβεῖν τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦκαὶ τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, τοῦτο δόμα θεοῦ ἐστιν.

 19 ὅτι οὐ πολλὰ μνησθήσεται τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ·

 ὅτι ὁ θεὸς περισπᾷ αὐτὸν ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ καρδίας αὐτοῦ>

    scholion 42

42.  The knowledge of God is considered the food and drink of the intellect,  its happiness and its portion, its wealth and its inheritance, its joy and its divine distraction (occupation), its light, its life and its gift.  The Holy Spirit uses many other names for knowledge that it is impossible to enumerate now, for the rule of the scholia does not  allow it. [Rules of scholia: Sch 317 on Prov. 3:26; Sch. 5 on Ps 88.9]

42.  Ἡ γνῶσις ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ λέγεται τοῦ νοῦ καὶ βρῶσις καὶ πόσις καὶ αγαθωσύνη καὶ μερὶς καὶ πλοῦτος καὶ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ εὐφροσύνη και περισπασμὸς θεοῦ καὶ φῶς καὶ ζωὴ καὶ δόμα· καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα ὀνόματα τίθησι τῇ γνώσει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἅπερ νῦν καταλέγειν οὐ δυνατόν μὴ συγχωροῦντος τοῦ τῶν σχολίων κανόνος.

43.  To distinguish [this man] from those who have received the treasure of wisdom and knowledge, [cf. Rom 11:33] but have not preserved it, it says: And he has given him the power.  And indeed the treacherous Judas received an intelligible wealth and spiritual goods, but was not given the power over them since he, for profit, betrayed the wisdom and the truth of God. [cf. Mat 26,14-16.]

43. Πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῶν λαβόντων μὲν πλοῦτον σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως, οὐ μὴν δὲ διαφυλαξάντων εἴρηται τὸ <καὶ ἐξουσίασεν αὐτόν>. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ προδότης Ἰούδας ἔλαβε πλοῦτον νοητὸν καὶ ὑπάρχοντα πνευματικά, ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἐξουσίασεν αὐτῶν κέρδους ἕνεκεν προδεδωκὼς τὴν σοφίαν καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ θεου

44.  When a human being receives spiritual knowledge from God, he seldom remembers this present existence and the life of the senses, because his heart applies itself continually to contemplation.

44. Ὅταν ἄνθρωπος παρὰ θεοῦ δέξηται γνῶσιν πνευματικήν ὀλιγάκις μέμνηται τούτου τοῦ βίου καὶ τῆς αἰσθητῆς ζωῆς, τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ ἀεὶ περὶ τὴν θεωρίαν ἀσχολουμένης.

  45

45.  The distraction [that comes] from God is true  knowledge that separates the purified soul from objects of sense.

45.  Περισπασμὸς θεοῦ ἐστι γνῶσις ἀληθὴς ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν πραγμάτων χωρίζουσα τὴν κεκαθαρμένην ψυχήν.

  52

6, 10.  If anything has been, its name has already been called: and it is known what man is; and he cannot contend with one who is stonger than he.

6, 11. For there are many words which increase vanity.  What advantage has a man?

6, 12. For who knows what is good for a man in his life, during the number of the life of the days of his vanity? And he has spent them as a shadow; for who shall tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? And who shall tell him how it shall be?

6,10 < Εἴ τι ἐγένετο, ἤδη κέκληται ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγνώσθη ὅ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ κριθῆναι μετὰ τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ ὑπὲρ αὐτόν·

6,11 ὅτι εἰσὶν λόγοι πολλοὶ πληθύνοντες ματαιότητα. τί περισσὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ;

6,12 ὅτι τίς οἶδεν τί ἀγαθὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν ζωῆς ματαιότητος αὐτοῦ; καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰς ἐν σκιᾷ· ὅτι τίς ἀπαγγελεῖ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τί ἔσται ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον; καὶ καθὼς ἔσται, τίς ἀπαγγελει αὐτῷ;^[5] >

52.  Some names pertain to corporeal nature, others to incorporeal [nature];  the names of corporeal nature signify the quality of each object which is composed of magnitude, color, and form;  the names of incorporeal [beings] show the state of each to be reasoning, and whether it is laudable or blameworthy.  But the first names are simply applied to objects, [this is] not simply [so for] the second [names]: these depend on a previous choice.

52. [π150]  Τῶν ὀνομάτων τὰ μὲν τῆς σωματικῆς ἐστι φύσεως, τὰ δὲ τῆς ἀσωμάτου· καὶ τὰ μὲν τῆς σωματικῆς φύσεως ὀνόματα σημαίνει τὴν ἑκάστου πράγματος ποιότητα, ἥτις συνίσταται ἐκ μεγέθους καὶ χρώματος καὶ σχήματος· τὰ δὲ τῶν ἀσωμάτων ὀνόματα δηλοῖ τῆν ἑκάστου λογικοῦ κατάστασιν, ἤτοι ἐπαινετὴν οὖσαν ἢ ψεκτήν· ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν πρότερα ὀνόματα ἁπλῶς τοῖς πράγμασι τέθειται, τὰ δὲ δεύτερα οὐχ ἁπλως· τῆς γὰρ προαιρέσεως ἤρτηται.

The [role] of free will is to incline towards virtue, thus to be accounted worthy of the knowledge that makes one an angel, an archangel, a “throne, or a dominion; (cf. Col 1:16)  or to incline towards vice, thus completing the ignorance that makes one a demon, a Satan, or another “ruler of this world’s darkness.” (cf. Eph 6:12)

Τοῦ γὰρ αὐτεξουσίου ἐστὶ τὸ ῥέψαι πρὸς ἀρετὴν καὶ καταξιωθῆναι γνώσεως τῆς ποιούσης αὐτὸν ἄγγελον ἢ ἀρχάγγελον ἢ θρόνον ἢ κυριότητα ἢ ῥέψαι πρὸς κακίαν καὶ πλησθῆναι ἀγνοίας τῆς ποιούσης αὐτὸν δαίμονα ἢ σατανᾶν ἢ ἄλλον τινὰ κοσμοκράτορα τοῦ σκότους τούτου.

If anything, as is said,  came to be at the time of the world’s creation, it received a name designating its state; man also has received a name appropriate to his state.  Therefore, as is said, let man not ask “by what grace have I been joined to such a body and why have I not been made an angel: is there no partiality with God, (cf. Rom 2:11) or have we not been endowed with free will?”  For these words multiply vanities.

Εἴ τι οὖν, φησίν, γέγονε κατὰ τὸν τῆς κοσμοποιΐας καιρόν, ἔλαβεν ὄνομα σημαῖνον αὐτοῦ τὴν κατάστασιν, ἔλαβε δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸ οἰκεῖον τῆς καταστάσεως αὐτοῦ ὄνομα. Μὴ τοίνυν λεγέτω, φησίν, ὁ ἄνθρωπος· τίνος χάριν τοιούτῳ σώματι συνεζεύχθην καὶ διὰ τί μὴ γέγονα ἄγγελος, εἰ μὴ ἄρα προσωποληψία ἐστὶ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ἢ αὐτεξούσιοι οὐ γεγόναμεν; οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι λόγοι πληθύνουσι ματαιότητα.

How can “something molded say to the one who molded it, ‘Why have you made me thus?’” Or how can it “answer back to God?” (cf. Rom 9:20)  But [it should rather] cease from these words and perform what contributes to virtue and knowledge, so that while in this age of shadows it considers all that is here  below as vanity and shadow,  and as if by forgetting the things of this life will be covered with the passing [of life].

Πῶς δὲ ἐρεῖ καὶ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι· τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως; ἢ πῶς ἀνταποκρίνεται τῳ θεῷ; ἀλλὰ τούτων μὲν παυσάσθω τῶν λόγων, τὰ δὲ συντελοῦντα πρὸς ἀρετὴν καὶ γνῶσιν ποιείτω, ἐφ○ ὅσον ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ σκιώδει τούτῳ αἰῶνι, πάντα τὰ τῇδε  [π.152] μάταια καὶ σκιὰν λογιζόμενος καὶ ὡς λήθῃ καλυφθήσεται τὰ τοῦ βίου τούτου μετὰ τὴν ἔξοδον.

7.3  Better irascibility than laughter; for in the illness of his countenance the heart will be made better.

  4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth

  5.  Better to hear the reproof of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

  6.  As the sound of thorns under a caldrom, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.

  7. For false accusation makes the wise unsteady and destroys the [“well-strung”] vigor of his heart.

7. 3 < ἀγαθὸν θυμὸς ὑπὲρ γέλωτα, ὅτι ἐν κακίᾳ προσώπου ἀγαθυνθήσεται καρδία.

  4 καρδία σοφῶν ἐν οἴκῳ πένθους, καὶ καρδία ἀφρόνων ἐν οἴκῳ εὐφροσύνης.

  5 ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀκοῦσαι ἐπιτίμησιν σοφοῦ ὑπὲρ ἄνδρα ἀκούοντα ᾆσμα ἀφρόνων·

  6 ὅτι ὡς φωνὴ τῶν ἀκανθῶν ὑπὸ τὸν λέβητα, οὕτως γέλως τῶν ἀφρόνων· καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης.

  7 ὅτι ἡ συκοφαντία περιφέρει σοφὸν καὶ ἀπόλλυσι τὴν καρδίαν εὐτονίας αὐτοῦ. >

56. When in its combat for the virtue the irascible [part] strikes against the demons, it is strong and praiseworthy, but when it fights against men in view to obtain from corruptible things, it becomes blameworthy.

56. Ὅταν μὲν ὑπερ τῆς ἀρετ͂ς ἀγωνιζόμενος ὁ θυμὸς ² πυκτεύῃ τοῖς δαίμοσιν, ἔστιν ἰσχυρὸς καὶ ἐπαινετός· ὅταν δὲ ³ ὑπὲρ τῶν φθαρτῶν πραγμάτων διαμάχηται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ⁴ γίνεται ψεκτός.

Here therefore, is what this means:  The senseless finds his happiness in his malice, he laughes some and rejoices some, he does not repels neither shameful chants nor laughter that destroy his soul to the manner of a fire lighted in thorns;

Ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν ὃ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, ὅτι ὁ  μὲν ἄφρων ἀγαθύνεται ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ καὶ γελᾷ καὶ εὐφραίνεται  ἐπ' αὐτῇ, μήτε ᾄσματα αἰσχρὰ παραιτούμενος μήτε γέλωτας  τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ διαφθείροντας δίκην πυρὸς ἐν ἀκάνθαις  ἀναπτομένου

but the just is angered against such passions, it some unworthy, it judges the preferable mourning to a such joy and the reproof of the preferable sage to such chants.

^[8] ὁ δὲ δίκαιος καὶ θυμοῦται κατὰ τῶν τοιούτων ⁹ παθῶν καὶ ἀγανακτεῖ καὶ προτιμότερον ἡγεῖται εἶναι πένθος ¹⁰ μὲν τῆς τοιαύτης εὐφροσύνης, ἐπιτίμησιν δὲ σοφοῦ τῶν ¹¹ τοιούτων ᾀσμάτων·

It accounts as vanity and oppression such a life, that easily abuses the heart of the wise and relaxes his vigor in [keeping] the virtues.

ματαιότητα δὲ τὴν τοιαύτην ζωὴν ¹² ὀνομάζει καὶ συκοφαντίαν, ευ0κόλως ἀπατῶσαν καρδίαν ¹³ σοφοῦ καὶ διαλύουσαν τὴν ἐν ταῖς ἀρεταῖς αὐτῆς εὐτονίαν.

7.9 Be not hasty in spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.

7. 9 < μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν πνεύματί σου τοῦ θυμοῦσθαι, ὅτι θυμὸς ἐν κόλπῳ ἀφρόνων ἀναπαύσεται. >

58.  It is necessary to note that it here clearly designates the soul as “breast” because one would know to say only that anger rests in the sensitive breast.

58.  Σημειωτέον ὅτι κόλπον ἄντικρυς ἐνταῦθα τὴν ψυχὴν  ὀνομάζει· οὐ γὰρ ἄν τις εἴποι τὸ θυμὸν ἐν τῷ αἰσθητῷ  ἀναπαύσασθαι κόλπῳ.

8.12-13 But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and by patience be borne withal, I know from thence that it shall be well with them that fear God, who dread his face. ¹³ But let it not be good with the wicked, neither let his days be prolonged, but as a shadow let them pass away that fear not the face of the Lord.

8, 12.3–5 <ὅτι καί γε γινώσκω ἐγὼ   ὅτι ἔσται ἀγαθὸν τοῖς φοβουμένοις τὸν θεόν,   ὅπως φοβῶνται ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ· ¹³ καὶ ἀγαθὸν οὐκ ἔσται τῷ ἀσεβεῖ,   καὶ οὐ μακρυνεῖ ἡμέρας ἐν σκιᾷ   ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν φοβούμενος ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ>

66.  Here “good” refers to the knowledge of God.

66.  Νῦν ἀγαθὸν τὴν γνῶσιν λέγει τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ.

9, 12. ‘And not even man knows his time.’

9,9. 12.¹ <καί γε οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸν καιρὸν αὐτοῦ>

70.  Man does not know that his time (kairos) is the moment (chronos) for reform; for ‘time’(kairos) indicates ‘proper time’ (eukairos).

70. Οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὅτι καιρός ἐστι χρόνος κατορθώσεως· καιρὸν γὰρ τὴν εὐκαιρίαν δηλοῖ.

11, 9.  ‘And march, blameless, in the paths of your heart and in the vision of your eyes.’

11. 9^3-4 < καὶ περιπάτει ἐν ὁδοῖς καρδίας σου, ἄμωμος,   καὶ ἐν ὁράσει ὀφθαλμῶν σου >

71.  In ascetic practice and contemplation.

71.  ̓Εν πράξει καὶ θεωρίᾳ.

11, 10^2-3 Therefore remove anger from your heart and put away evil from your flesh

11. 10^1-2 < καὶ ἀπόστησον θυμὸν ἀπὸ καρδίας σου καὶ παράγαγε πονηρίαν ἀπὸ σαρκός σου >

72.  By this we know that the irascible part is joined to the heart and the concupiscible part to the flesh

72. Ἐντυθεν γινώσκομεν ὅτι τὸ μὲν θυμικὸν τῇ καρδίᾳ συνέζευκται, τὸ δὲ ἐπιθυμητικὸν τῇ σαρκί.

73.  Here lust and gluttony are called “evil”.

73.  Νῦν πονηρίαν τὴν πορνείαν λέγει καὶ τὴν γαστριμαργίαν.

11, 10^2-3 There

11. 10^1-2 <  >

70.  By

72.