Verse 5. 'Whose harvest the hungry shall eat.' 10. The wicked man who understands and speaks what is right has a harvest which others eat. The fool also has a harvest, when any wicked man receives the gift of right understanding: he is taught by the sentences of Holy Scripture, he speaks good things, yet in no way does he do what he says: he brings forth the words of God, yet does not love them; by praising he magnifies them, by living he tramples them down. Because, then, this fool both understands and speaks right things, yet does not love them by doing, he fasts while having a harvest. Which harvest assuredly the hungry man eats, because he who pants after God with holy desires learns what he hears, does what he has learned;
and while he is refreshed by the right preaching of a depraved teacher, what else is he but satisfied by the corn of the fool? Did not the Truth admonish His hungry ones to eat the harvest of the fool, when, to those burning with holy desires, He gave charge concerning the Pharisees, saying: 'What they say, do; but according to their works do ye not' (Matthew xxiii, 3). As if He plainly said: The harvest of the word they cultivate by speaking, but this by evil living they in no way touch. Let this harvest, therefore, refresh your hunger, because through the loathing of their own folly they keep it for you. And it is well subjoined: