Ephrem the Syrian — Commentary on Scripture

Proverbs 3:18

Risen is the light of the kingdom, in Ephrata the city of the king. The blessing wherewith Jacob blessed, to its fulfillment came today! That tree likewise, [the tree] of life, brings hope to mortal men! Solomon’s hidden proverb had today its explanation! Today was born the child, and his name was called Wonder! For a wonder it is that God as a babe should show himself.

HYMNS ON THE NATIVITY 1

Proverbs 4:5

Open up the treasury door for us, Lord, at the prayers of our supplications; let our prayers serve as our ambassador, reconciling us with your Divinity. Listen, all who are wise, pay attention, all who are learned, acquire understanding and knowledge, seeing that you are instructed and wise.

HYMNS PRESERVED IN ARMENIAN 1:1

Proverbs 10:19

Stir up your soul, so that, by his wisdom, you may know what is fitting, and that, by his will, what is in the commandment may come to pass. One who is pleasing to the wicked is more evil than they. Impure words are only verbiage and empty noise. “Abundance of words will not go blameless.” Abundance of words is the sign of no discipline.

COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 22:4

Proverbs 15:1

Our Lord gave most of his assistance with persuasion rather than with admonition. Gentle showers soften the earth and thoroughly penetrate it, but a beating rain hardens and compresses the surface of the earth so that it will not be absorbed. “A harsh statement evokes anger,” and with it comes injury. Whenever a harsh word opens a door, anger enters in, and on the heels of anger, injury.

HOMILY ON OUR LORD 22:3

Proverbs 20:1

Those who eat the heavenly bread become heavenly without doubt! Wine teaches us in that it makes those who are familiar with it like itself: for it hates those who are fond of it and is intoxicating and maddening and a mocker of them.

HYMNS ON THE NATIVITY 3

Proverbs 26:3

The nations confess you because your word became a mirror before them in which they might see hidden death devouring their lives. Idols are ornamented by those who craft them, but they disfigure their crafters with their ornamentation. [The mirror] brought [the nations] directly to your cross, where physical beauty is disfigured but spiritual beauty is resplendent. The one who was God pursued the nations who were pursuing gods that were not gods at all. And [using] words like bridles, he turned them away from many gods [and brought them] to one.This is the mighty one whose proclamation [of the gospel] became a bridle in the jaws of the nations, turning them away from idols to the one who sent him.

HOMILY ON OUR LORD 5:1-2

Proverbs 29:21

Formed, surrounded and coddled by delicacies and pleasures since its infancy, Israel, in spite of the [prefigured] images of the cross, “grew fat, became gross and recalcitrant,” so that, finally, captivity imprisoned it among the Gentiles. “The one who is pampered in his infancy will be handed over to servitude.”

COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 38

Proverbs 30:3-4

Indeed, that Will
for whom everything is easy
constrains these abundant
fountains of paradise,
confining them with land,
like water channels;
he summoned them to issue forth
in our direction,
just as he bound up the waters
in the bosom of his clouds,
ready to be sent forth into the atmosphere
at the bidding of his Will.

HYMNS ON PARADISE 9