Testimonia — Early Christian Bible Commentary

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Proverbs 27

1Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.

2Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

3A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

4Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?

5Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

6The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

7A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.

8As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.

9Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.

10Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.

11Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.

12A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

13Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!

14He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.

15A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:

16restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.

17Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.

18Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.

19Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.

20Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.

21The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.

22Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

23Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds,

24for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations.

25The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.

26The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.

27There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.

Early Christian commentary

Late 1st century AD (traditionally c. 95–100) | Clement of Rome

Let our whole body, then, be preserved in Christ Jesus; and let every one be subject to his neighbour, according to the special gift bestowed upon him. Let the strong not despise the weak, and let the weak show respect unto the strong. Let the rich man provide for the wants of the poor; and let the poor man bless God, because He hath given him one by whom his need may be supplied. Let the wise man display his wisdom, not by [mere] words, but through good deeds. Let the humble not bear testimony to himself, but leave witness to be borne to him by another. Let him that is pure in the flesh not grow proud of it, and boast, knowing that it was another who bestowed on him the gift of continence. Let us consider, then, brethren, of what matter we were made,—who and what manner of beings we came into the world, as it were out of a sepulchre, and from utter darkness. He who made us and fashioned us, having prepared His bountiful gifts for us before we were born, introduced us into His world. Since, therefore, we receive all these things from Him, we ought for everything to give Him thanks; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Commentary · First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter XXXVIII · Original source · The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers (T. & T. Clark, 1870), edited and translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson; independent electronic transcription: David King and the Online Proofreading Team, Project Gutenberg ebook 77576. · Licence · Source revision · Whitespace normalized; source pagination and footnote reference markers removed. English wording unchanged.

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