Ephrem the Syrian

In his own words on Proverbs

• 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

  But our Lord bestowed the most part of His helps rather by persuasion than by reproof. For the gentle shower softens the earth and penetrates all through it: but violent rain binds and hardens the face of the earth, so that it does not receive it. For a harsh word excites wrath, and with it are bound up wrongs. And when a harsh word has opened the door, wrath enters in, and at the heels of wrath, along with it enter in wrongs.

  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 Gentiles praise Thee that Thy Word has become a mirror before them, that in it they might see death, secretly swallowing up their lives. But graven images were being adorned by their artificers; and by their adornments were disfiguring their adorners. But Thou didst draw them to Thy cross; and while the beauties of the body were disfigured upon it, the beauties of the mind shone forth upon it. Then, as for the Gentiles who used to go after gods which were no gods, He Who was God went after them, and by His words, as by a bridle, turned them from many gods to the One. This is that Mighty One, Whose preaching became a bridle in the jaws of the Gentiles, and led them away from idols to Him that 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