Commentaries on the Sages, Vol. 2 - Commentaries on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes

The Fathers, especially of the East, did not leave us many commentaries on the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament, even though frequently cited the figure of Job and Solomon's proverbs in their other works. This neglect may perhaps be accounted for by a reluctance to see the sages as recipients of inspiration in the same fashion as psalmists and prophets, Wisdom often seems to be the fruit of human experience. It is, therefore, doubly gratifying that recent scholarship has unearthed commentaries on the text of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes by the celebrated preacher of Antioch, John Chrysostom. Not only do these texts complete the already huge corpus of his works, but they reveal the response of a Greek Father to this distinct sapiential material, which the ancients found challenging, sometimes pragmatic, sometimes quaint. We may debate the Fathers' degree of appreciation of biblical Wisdom; but, as Chrysostom says of Proverbs, "it makes no trifling contribution to our moral life." Contents Abbreviations p. xi Introduction p. 1 Circumstances of Composition of The Commentaries p. 1 Text of The Commentaries; Chrysostom’s Biblical Text The Gere of the Works p. 7 Chrysostom’s Style of Commentary p. 13 Chrysostom’s Approach to Proverbs and Ecclesiastes p. 17 Theological Accents in The Commentary p. 22 Commentary on Proverbs p. 29 Commentary on Ecclesiastes p. 167 Bibliography p. 199 Notes p. 203 General Index p. 241 Index of Biblical Citations p. 243 Product Description Paperback: 246 Pages Publisher: Holy Cross Orthodox Press ISBN: 978-1-885652-78-2 Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.8 inches Translator: Robert Charles Hill Publication Year: 2006