Clement of Alexandria — Commentary on Scripture

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Wherefore by Solomon He commands the children to beware: "My son, let not sinners deceive thee, and go not after their ways; and go not, if they entice thee, saying, Come with us, share with us in innocent blood, and let us hide unjustly the righteous man in the earth; let us put him out of sight, all alive as he is into Hades." This is accordingly likewise a prediction concerning the Lord's passion.

Proverbs 2:1

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

Wisdom is open to all and loves humankind. Anyway, Solomon says, “My son, if you accept my words of instruction and keep them deep within you, your ear will listen to wisdom.” This means that the word is sown and kept deep in the soul of the learner as if in the ground. This is spiritual growth.So he adds, “You shall direct your heart to understanding and direct it towards instruction for your son.” For in my view, the union of soul with soul and spirit with spirit in accordance with the sowing of the word brings growth to the seed sown and produces life. Everyone who is educated in obedience to his educator becomes a son.

Proverbs 2:3

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

God’s wisdom … [works] “in many forms and many ways” through technical skill, scientific knowledge, faith, prophecy; it shows us its power to our benefit, because “all wisdom comes from the Lord and is with him to all eternity,” as the wisdom of Jesus puts it. “For if you call for practical wisdom and perception at the top of your voice, if you seek it as you would a treasure of silver, and if you track it down ardently, then you will realize the meaning of reverence for God and you will grasp the perception of God.” The prophet spoke to distinguish this from the philosophic approach to perception. He is teaching us with great dignity and solemnity to search it out in order to progress toward reverence for God. So he opposed to it perception made in reverence for God, alluding to revealed knowledge in these words: “For God grants wisdom from his mouth together with perception and practical wisdom, and stores up help for the righteous.” When people are made righteous by philosophy, they have stored help for themselves and inward perception which leads to reverence for God.

Proverbs 3:11-12

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

And He uses the bitter and biting language of reproof in His consolations by Solomon, tacitly alluding to the love for children that characterizes His instruction: "My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth;" "For a man who is a sinner escapes reproof." Consequently, therefore, the Scripture says, "Let the righteous reprove and correct me; but let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head."

Proverbs 3:23

Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

Before the Lord’s coming, philosophy was an essential guide to righteousness for the Greeks. At the present time, it is a useful guide toward reverence for God. It is a kind of preliminary education for those who are trying to gather faith through demonstration. “Your foot will not stumble,” says Scripture, if you attribute good things, whether Greek or Christian, to Providence. God is responsible for all good things: of some directly, like the blessings of the Old and New Covenants, of others indirectly, like the riches of philosophy. Perhaps philosophy too was a direct gift of God to the Greeks before the Lord extended his appeal to the Greeks. For philosophy was to the Greek world what the Law was to the Hebrews, a tutor escorting them to Christ. So philosophy is a preparatory process; it opens the road for the person whom Christ brings to his final goal.

Proverbs 4:10-11

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

There is only one way of truth, but different paths from different places join it, just like tributaries flowing into a perennial river. So these are really inspired words: “Hear, my son, and accept my words, to have many paths of life. I am teaching you the ways of wisdom, so that its springs may never fail you”—that is, those which spurt from the same soil. He is not merely affirming that there is more than one path of salvation for a single righteous person. He adds that there are plenty of righteous people and plenty of routes for them. He explains this as follows: “The paths of the righteous shine like light.”

Proverbs 5:20

And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

When Scripture says, “Do not keep going steady with a foreign woman,” it is advising us to make use of secular education but not to settle there permanently. Each generation received beneficial gifts at the appropriate points, but they were in preparation for the Word of the Lord.

Proverbs 6:8

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

Scripture says, “Go to the ant, you sluggard, and become wiser than he.” The ant at the time of harvest lays up an ample and varied store of food against the threat of winter. “Or go to the bee and learn her diligence.” For she feeds over the whole meadow to produce a single honeycomb.

Proverbs 8:4

Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.

When the educator says in one of the passages of Solomon’s work, “O men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. Hear, for I will speak of great things,” and the rest of the passage, he is making use of persuasion—persuasion to something that is useful. Since advice is called for when there is a question of free acceptance or rejection, he is here advising what will lead to salvation.… There are three possible methods of giving advice. The first is to take examples from times gone by, such as the punishments the Jews met with after they had worshiped the golden calf, or when they had committed fornication, or after similar misdeeds. The second method is to call attention to some conclusion drawn from present events, as a conclusion readily grasped by the mind, such was the answer given by the Lord to those who asked him, “Are you the Christ, or should we look for another?” “Go,” he said, “report to John that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the dead rise, and blessed is he who is not scandalized in me.” … Finally, the third method of advice is drawn f…

When the educator says in one of the passages of Solomon’s work, “O men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. Hear, for I will speak of great things,” and the rest of the passage, he is making use of persuasion—persuasion to something that is useful. Since advice is called for when there is a question of free acceptance or rejection, he is here advising what will lead to salvation.… There are three possible methods of giving advice. The first is to take examples from times gone by, such as the punishments the Jews met with after they had worshiped the golden calf, or when they had committed fornication, or after similar misdeeds. The second method is to call attention to some conclusion drawn from present events, as a conclusion readily grasped by the mind, such was the answer given by the Lord to those who asked him, “Are you the Christ, or should we look for another?” “Go,” he said, “report to John that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the dead rise, and blessed is he who is not scandalized in me.” … Finally, the third method of advice is drawn from future events, in which things that are to come put us on our guard; an example is that saying that those falling into sin “will be put forth into the darkness outside, there will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth,” and sayings of the same import. Therefore, it can be clearly seen that the Lord calls humankind to salvation by using progressively every kind of treatment.

Proverbs 8:9-11

They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

[Jesus] “spoke all things in parables, and without a parable he spoke nothing” [to the apostles]; and if “all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made,” consequently also prophecy and the law were by him and were spoken by him in parables. “But all things are right,” says the Scripture, “before those who understand,” that is, those who receive and observe, according to the church’s rule of faith, the exposition of the Scriptures explained by him. And the church’s rule is the concord and harmony of the law and the prophets in the covenant delivered at the coming of the Lord. Knowledge is then followed by practical wisdom and practical wisdom by self-control, for it may be said that practical wisdom is divine knowledge and exists in those who share in God’s life, while the self-control that is mortal, which is present in those who philosophize, is not yet wise.

Proverbs 9:17

Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

Scripture sets down bread and water in clear reference simply to the heresies that use bread and water in their offertory contrary to the rules of the church. There are some who actually celebrate the Eucharist with plain water. “Jump up; do not linger in her place.” Scripture is using the ambiguous word place to designate the synagogue rather than the church. Then it adds, “In this way you will be crossing a foreign water,” regarding heretical baptism as foreign and improper, “and traversing a foreign river”—one which takes you astray and dumps you in the sea, where everyone who allows himself to be led away from the firm ground of the truth is deposited.

Proverbs 10:10 · 2 passages

He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

The eyes especially are to be sparingly used, since it is better to slip with the feet than with the eyes. Accordingly, the Lord very summarily cures this malady: "If thine eye offend thee, cut it out," He says, dragging lust up from the foundation. But languishing looks, and ogling, which is to wink with the eyes, is nothing else than to commit adultery with the eyes, lust skirmishing through them. For of the whole body, the eyes are first destroyed. "The eye contemplating beautiful objects, gladdens the heart;" that is, the eye which has learned rightly to see, gladdens. "Winking with the eye, with guile, heaps woes on men."

By consequence, also we must treat of what is called the curriculum of study-how far it is serviceable; and of astrology, and mathematics, and magic, and sorcery. For all the Greeks boast of these as the highest sciences. "He who reproves boldly is a peacemaker."

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

Ignorance involves a lack of education and learning. It is teaching which implants in us the scientific knowledge of things divine and human. It is possible to live uprightly in poverty. It is also possible in wealth. We admit that it is easier and quicker to track down virtue if we have a preliminary education. It can be hunted down without these aids, although even then those with learning, “with their faculties trained by practice,” have an advantage. “Hatred,” says Solomon, “stirs up strife, but education guards the paths of life.”

Proverbs 11:5

The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

To be repeatedly requesting forgiveness for offenses repeatedly committed is not repentance, only its appearance. “The righteousness of the blameless keeps their way straight,” proclaims Scripture, and again, “The righteousness of the innocent will set straight their way.”

Proverbs 11:22

As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

Reason also forbids us to do violence to nature by piercing the lobes of the ear. Why not pierce the nostrils also? The Scriptures would then be accomplished indeed: “As a ring in the nose of the swine, so is beauty in a foolish woman.” To conclude, if anyone thinks he is decorated when he wears gold, then he is less than his gold, and he who is less than gold is not its master.

Proverbs 13:8

The ransom of a man's life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke.

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. If one is to use violence to ascend to heaven, it is necessary to carry the good staff of holy deeds and first to share our goods with the oppressed before laying hold of the true rest. Scripture declares that really “his own wealth is the redemption of the soul of man,” that is, if a person is rich, he will obtain salvation by sharing his wealth.

Proverbs 13:25

The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

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.

Proverbs 14:8

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

“The wisdom of able men will understand the paths of wisdom, but the folly of fools goes in the wrong direction.” Prophecy says, “To whom shall I look if not to the man who is gentle and tranquil and who trembles at my words.” We have been taught that there are three forms of friendship. The first and best of these is based on virtue, since the love which proceeds from reason is firmly based. The second stands between the others and is based on mutuality. It involves mutual sharing and is beneficial to life. Friendship on the basis of free giving is mutual. The third, and last, comes, as we put it, from habit. Some say that it chops and changes, being based on pleasure.

Proverbs 14:16

A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

The fear of God is Deoj [in Greek]. But if fear is perturbation of mind, as some will have it that fear is perturbation of mind, yet all fear is not perturbation. Superstition is indeed perturbation of mind; being the fear of demons, that produce and are subject to the excitement of passion. On the other hand, consequently, the fear of God, who is not subject to perturbation, is free of perturbation. For it is not God, but failing away from God, that the man is terrified for. And he who fears this-that is, falling into evils-fears and dreads those evils. And he who fears a fall, wishes himself to be free of corruption and perturbation. "The wise man, fearing, avoids evil: but the foolish, trusting, mixes himself with it," says the Scripture.