Commentary on Proverbs

Evagrius Ponticus

A proverb is a saying that, under the guise of physical things, signifies intelligible things.

Wisdom and understanding must precede, in order for the fear of God to coexist along with them.

Those who forget the law are the ones who violate it; yet those who remember the law are the ones who live in accordance with the law. Likewise, those who observe the sayings of God are those who keep them, and those who destroy them are those who do not want to follow them. "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be justified."

By "ant" Solomon seems to indicate the practical way, while the "bee" designates contemplation of creation and of the Creator. Both the pure and the impure, the wise and the foolish apply [this saying] for the benefit of their souls. It seems to me that the wax corresponds to the realities of creation, while the honey symbolizes the contemplation thereof. And while wax perishes, as it is written, "Heaven and earth will pass away," the honey does not perish. By the same token, the words of Christ our Savior do not pass away, about which Solomon says, "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, their sweetness is…

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