Cyril of Alexandria — Commentary on Scripture

Proverbs 2:15

What is the meaning of “Prepare the way of the Lord”? Make ready for the reception of whatever Christ may wish to enact; withdraw your hearts from the shadow of the law; cease from the types; think no more perversely.… “Make the paths of our God straight.” For every path that leads unto good is straight and smooth and easy; but the other is crooked that leads down to wickedness those who walk therein. For of such it is written, “Whose paths are crooked, and the tracks of their wheels awry.” Straightforwardness, therefore, of the mind is as it were a straight path, having no crookedness.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 6

Proverbs 3:7

Ignorance is constantly, so to speak, accompanied by rashness and leads people on to attach great importance to their wretched fancies. Thus those who are the victims of this malady entertain a great idea of themselves and imagine themselves possessed of such knowledge as no one can gainsay. For they forget, it seems, Solomon, who says, “Be not wise in your own eyes,” that is, according to your own single judgment; and again, that “wisdom not put to the proof goes astray.” For we do not necessarily possess true opinions upon every individual doctrine that we hold, but often perhaps abandoning the right path, we err and fall into that which is not fitting. But I think it right that exercising an impartial and unprejudiced judgment, and not rendered rash by passion, we should love the truth, and eagerly pursue it.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 136

Proverbs 4:25

It is necessary that, before other things, you have a sound mind within yourselves and that you be mindful of holy Scripture addressing you and saying, “Let your eyes look straight ahead.” … To slip away from the rightness of holy doctrines would be nothing else except to sleep in death. We depart from this rightness when we do not follow the divinely inspired Scriptures.

LETTER 55:3

Proverbs 4:26

We remember holy Scripture crying out, “Make straight the path for your feet, and direct your ways.” They who honor the straight paths “run toward the goal to the prize of the heavenly calling in Christ.” But those who pay no heed to the apostolic and evangelical tradition and honor the newer, useless and truly ridiculous invention of their own mind, let them hear from all, “Pass not beyond the ancient bounds which your fathers have set.”

LETTER 31:3

Proverbs 6:8

Come, therefore, and let us also, wandering, as it were, around some intellectual meadow, gather the dew let fall by the Holy Spirit upon the divine message of the gospel, that so being enriched in mind we may bring forth the spiritual honey, even the word profitable and useful to all who thirst after the communication of the divine doctrines, whether they be noble and illustrious, or obscure and private persons in a humble rank of life. For it is written, “Good words are as honeycomb; and their sweetness is healing to the soul.”

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 62

Proverbs 6:23

Solomon also writes that “the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light.” This sensible light that is in the world, by falling on our bodily eyes, dispels the darkness. So also the law of God, when admitted into the mind and heart of people, illuminates it thoroughly and does not allow it to fall against the stumbling blocks of ignorance or be caught in the thickets of sin.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 55

Proverbs 8:11

It is written that “wisdom is better than stones of costly price; and all precious things are not comparable to her.” For the wisdom that comes from above, from God, is an incomparable blessing. When we attain to it by means of the holy Scripture, which is inspired of God, and gain the divine light to dwell in our minds, we then advance without wandering, and we come toward whatever is useful for our spiritual profit. Come, therefore, and let us now also scrupulously examine the meaning of the Gospel lessons.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 133

Proverbs 10:2

If a man cast his seed in ground that is fertile [only] in thorns, and fruitful in briars, and densely covered with useless stubble, he sustains a double loss; of his seed first, and also of his trouble. In order, therefore, that the divine seed may blossom well in us, let us first cast out of the mind worldly cares and the unprofitable anxiety which makes us seek to be rich. “For we brought nothing into the world, nor can we take anything out.” For what profit is there in possessing superfluities? “Treasures profit not the wicked,” as Scripture says, “but righteousness delivers from death.” For immediately upon the possession of affluence, there run up, and, so to speak, forthwith hem us in, the basest wickednesses; profligate banquets, the delights of gluttony and carefully prepared sauces; music and drunkenness, and the pitfalls of wantonness; pleasures and sensuality, and pride hateful to God. But as the disciple of the Savior has said, “Everything that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of the world; and the world passes away, and it…

If a man cast his seed in ground that is fertile [only] in thorns, and fruitful in briars, and densely covered with useless stubble, he sustains a double loss; of his seed first, and also of his trouble. In order, therefore, that the divine seed may blossom well in us, let us first cast out of the mind worldly cares and the unprofitable anxiety which makes us seek to be rich. “For we brought nothing into the world, nor can we take anything out.” For what profit is there in possessing superfluities? “Treasures profit not the wicked,” as Scripture says, “but righteousness delivers from death.” For immediately upon the possession of affluence, there run up, and, so to speak, forthwith hem us in, the basest wickednesses; profligate banquets, the delights of gluttony and carefully prepared sauces; music and drunkenness, and the pitfalls of wantonness; pleasures and sensuality, and pride hateful to God. But as the disciple of the Savior has said, “Everything that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of the world; and the world passes away, and its lust; but he that does the will of God abides for ever.”

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 41

Proverbs 16:24

You who love instruction and are eager to listen, receive once again the sacred words: delight yourselves in the honey of wisdom; for so it is written, “Good words are honeycombs, and their sweetness is the healing of the soul.” For the labor of the bees is very sweet and benefits in many ways the soul of man; but the divine and saving [honey] makes those in whom it dwells skillful in every good work and teaches them the ways of [spiritual] improvement.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 120

Proverbs 18:19

Truly spiritual affection is a strong city not able to be overcome or besieged by the devil either by undermining or by scaling. For it does not give way to the siege machines of Satan because it is guarded by Christ, the Lord, by Christ who conquered the world and has prepared eternal blessings for you, by Christ, who said, “He who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

LETTER 30:2

Proverbs 19:17

The lesson, therefore, which he teaches us is love for the poor, which is precious in the sight of God. Do you feel pleasure in being praised when you have any friends or relatives feasting with you? I tell you of something far better: angels shall praise your bounty, and the rational powers above, and holy men as well; and he too shall accept it who transcends all, and who loves mercy and is kind. Lend to him fearing nothing, and you will receive with interest whatever you gave, for “he,” it says, “who has pity on the poor lends unto God.”

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 103

Proverbs 20:9

The merciful God has provided for the inhabitants of earth repentance as the medicine of salvation. Some endeavor to dispense with repentance, saying of themselves that they are clean. In their great madness they do not understand that to entertain such an idea of themselves is full of all impurity. For “no man is free from defilement,” as it is written.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 149

Proverbs 21:13

Do you not agree that poverty, as I said, is more cruel than any beast of prey? Therefore you must aid those who are fallen under it. Incline your ear to the poor and listen to them, as it is written: “For he who stops his ears that he may not hear the feeble shall also cry, and there shall be none to listen.” Give so that you may receive; hear so that you may be heard; sow the little you have so that you may reap much. Besides, the pleasure of the body is short and temporary and ends in rottenness. But almsgiving and charity to the poor crown those who practice them with glory from God and lead to that incorruptible happiness which Christ bestows on those who love him.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 103

Proverbs 22:28

We do not permit the faith or the symbol of the faith defined by our holy fathers assembled in their day in Nicea to be shaken by anyone, and we do not trust ourselves or others to change a word of what was laid down there, or to depart from a single syllable of it. For we remember the one who said, “Do not alter the everlasting boundaries which your fathers set.”

LETTER TO JOHN OF ANTIOCH 39:7

Proverbs 24:27

The sacred Scripture has somewhere said, “Prepare your works for your departure, and make yourself ready for the field.” Now by our departure I imagine is meant our going from this world and removal from it. And this time must of course overtake every one; for, as the psalmist says, “What man is there that shall live and not see death, and that can save his soul from the hand of hell?” For the nature of man was condemned in Adam and fell away unto corruption, because he foolishly transgressed the commandment given him.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 118

Proverbs 25:25

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. Let us take our fill, and weary not in the drinking; for in these things more than enough is still for edification, and greediness is great praise.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 65

Proverbs 27:2

No one crowns himself, and that person is justly ridiculed who devises praises for himself, for it is written, “Let your neighbor praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” Though hypocrites may be able possibly to remain undetected and thus to seize the honors that people bestow, yet God knows your hearts. The judge cannot be deceived.… He knows who steals by fraud the honor which another truly deserves.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 110

Proverbs 27:23

It is not fitting to address simply to all who have believed in Christ instruction upon all points, for it is written, “With knowledge learn the souls of your flock.” For the way is very different by which we establish in the paths of truth one who has but just now become a disciple, from one more confirmed in mind and able to understand what is the height and depth, and what the length and breadth. In the former, use simple teaching, in which there is nothing profound or difficult to understand. Counsel him to escape from the error of polytheism and fittingly persuade him to discern by the beauty of things created, the universal creator and artificer, who is one by nature and truly God.

COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 93