19-21. Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart to the straight path. Do not be among those who are drunk with wine, nor among those who are satiated with meat: for the drunkard and the satiated
they will become poor, and drowsiness will be dressed in rags. Solomon repeatedly exhorts us to listen, and in this he is similar to our Lord, who also gently but persistently urged us to use our ears (Matt. 11:15; 13:9) - Listening is living wisely. For wisdom, like faith, comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17).
In this parable, the sage calls for resisting a common temptation. God's creatures abuse His gifts. Wine is consumed in excessive quantities. Gluttony causes both soul and body to suffer. The sage teaches us not only to beware of these vices, but also to avoid people who have succumbed to these vices. Can we be among people with the plague and not get infected? The best way show your love by working for their conversion, not by sitting with them. And if it doesn’t work out, then you need to avoid them. Young men, remember: “Youth is as susceptible to wickedness as wood is to fire, wax is to stamp, and paper is to ink” (Greenhill). Do not think that the enemy of your soul wants you to be happy at least in this life. He only throws poisoned bait. Poverty and shame are flowers. The enemy had planned a much more terrible end for his victims - eternal torment.
The drunken Noah and the believers in the Corinthian church who profaned the holy sacrament with drunkenness and gluttony serve as a warning to us and teach the man of God to watch and pray in the face of temptation (Matt. 26:41). Parents should warn their children against these vices. Do not get drunk, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:13-14).
22. Listen to your father: he begat you; and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Scripture gives us many examples of the correct relationship of children to parents: Isaac and Abraham, Jacob and his parents, Joseph and his elderly father, Moses and his father-in-law, Ruth and her mother-in-law.
And the most important example is the care of the dying Savior for His mother. In his biography of Dr. Taylor, Fox described his “pious instructions to his son, which will benefit all young men”: “When your mother is old, do not forget her, but take care of her with all your strength, taking care that she needs nothing, for the Lord bless you, give it to you long life on earth and well-being, which is what I pray to God for.”
23-25. Buy truth and do not sell wisdom, and teaching, and reason. The father of the righteous triumphs, and he who begat the wise man rejoices over him. May your father rejoice and may your mother, who gave birth to you, rejoice. Here
the merchant who sold everything to buy one pearl of great price (Matt. 13:45-46). This is the gift of God that no amount of money can buy (Isa. 55:1). It is priceless, but given free of charge. The same parable teaches us to get it at any cost. Make sure that the Seller is not a scammer, He is not cheating. The Savior says that we can buy from Him (Rev. 3:18). If we refuse to buy a product from an honest seller, it means that we don’t really need this product. We only buy what we crave.
Note that the value of this purchase is enormous. Truth is the only means of salvation, the only liberation from sin, the only way to holiness, the only thing needed (Luke 10:42). It is impossible to overpay for it. Any price is too low. Pleasure lovers appreciate Vanity Fair trinkets. Bunyan superbly portrayed the pilgrims, who, to the mocking question: “What would you like?”, raising their eyes to the sky, answered: “We would buy the truth.”
But we must be careful and buy the original. A lot of fakes are sold. To make the right purchase, you need to compare the product with God's standard. That which brings wisdom, instruction and understanding is the truth of God.
26-28. My son! Give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways, for a harlot is a deep pit, and another man's wife is a narrow well; she, like a robber, sits in ambush and multiplies lawbreakers among people. Solomon here speaks in the name of divine Wisdom (see 1:20; 8:1). Who else can you give your heart to? After all, Jesus Christ bought it at the cost of his own blood.
All the blessings of the gospel are yours, but if you reject them, you trample them underfoot. You are rebelling against your best friend. If you live without Christ, you will die without hope, cursed and lost. This mandate is an invitation to love. Think about it. Think that responding to this invitation is the most correct and reasonable thing to do. If you commit your heart to the tender care of the dying Savior, your joy will know no bounds! When you make Him the object of your aspirations, you will be faced with a new task - to decisively reject all possible temptations. “If the heart is given to God, everything else will follow. Eyes, ears, tongue, hands will become holy in the sight of God” (Leighton). His Word will become the rule of our lives, and His providence will be our interpreter. The heart will not be torn apart by contradictions. The eyes will stop mindlessly wandering around.
By giving our hearts to God, we will have the strength to resist the powerful temptations of the enemy (see 2:10-11, 16). God owns my heart and He will keep it. If we live according to our sinful nature, we will certainly die. But we will live if by the power of the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:13). Heavenly light shows the true face of all the temptations of sin. A harlot inspires fear, like a deep abyss or a narrow well from which it is impossible to get out. Even strong men fell there. “Samson broke the enemy’s chains, but could not cope with the bonds of his lusts. He strangled the lion, but could not strangle dissolute love” (Ambrose). The temptress looks quite safe while she sits in ambush, waiting for her victim. Blessed be God, for although the lusts of the flesh have destroyed thousands and tens of thousands, we have been able, by giving our hearts to the Lord, to turn from temptation and give glory to our faithful God for redemption.
29-35. In this parable, a drunkard looks at himself in the mirror. Let him look at his face. Let him hang his portrait on the wall in the house, or better yet, in the pub. Every sin brings its own misfortune. The voice of wisdom calls to avoid the temptations of sin. Often a seemingly harmless glance leads to deadly temptation.
One temptation leads to another. One evil desire prepares the way for the next. Drunkenness opens the door to debauchery.
Although all human nature is corrupted and infected with sin, we confidently affirm that nothing is impossible for the Lord. Let us glorify His name for freeing us from the slavery of sin, including from the chains of drunkenness. The drunkard becomes a teetotaler, the wicked becomes a saint, the glutton learns moderation. The love of Christ overcomes the love of sin. Then pleasures can be enjoyed without fear, for the serpent and adder cannot live in His presence, and the new way of being transforms the whole person, restoring the image of God in him (see 1 John 3:9; 5:18).
CHAPTER 24
1-2. Do not be jealous of evil people and do not want to be with them, because their heart thinks of violence, and their mouth speaks of evil. Similar advice was heard recently (23:17). But in the false splendor of worldly glory it is very difficult to walk by faith, which is the assurance of things unseen. Impatience and unbelief surround us everywhere, we envy peace in our souls. And envy, if it does not become the source of open sin, still brings a curse upon our blessings, weakens our virtues, destroys the peace, undermines confidence, and denigrates the Christian profession. The wicked have a full house, we look at them, and we want to do the same, to do the same as they do. But remove the deceptive veil, and who will envy them? I would like to be only with the man of God. In this world, only a Christian should be envied. The Imaginary Blessings Possessed evil people, is God's curse. If we are righteous before heaven, every cross becomes a blessing, and every blessing a guarantee of future happiness. If God does not favor us, all blessings are His judgment, and judgment is the path to eternal destruction.
1-6. Introduction to the book: its writer; the purpose, general content and main character of the book. 7. The main principle of the wisdom of piety. 8-9. About the authority of parents in teaching piety - wisdom. 10-19. A warning against temptations from the wicked. 20-23. Exhorting and Convicting Wisdom Sermon.
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel,
1. Verse one and subsequent, according to the 6th art. inclusive, form the inscription of the book of Proverbs. Solomon's name in v. 1, denotes most closely the compiler of the first nine chapters of the book, but, as we have already said, metonymically and the whole book may be called the work of Solomon. Midrash jalkut to Proverbs (§ 929) draws attention to the capitalization of the first letter of the verse ( meme), and based on numerical value this letter is 40, sees here an indication that Solomon, asking God for wisdom (1 Kings III:9), fasted, like Moses on the mountain of legislation (Exodus XXXIV:28), forty days (Midrasch Mischle ubertr v. A. Wunsche. S. 1); This expresses the view of the Jewish tradition on wisdom and, in general, the entire content of the book of Proverbs as an interpretation of the Torah or the Law of Moses. - Regarding word production and the meaning of the Slavic-Russian name “Parable”, it should be noted that it is usually derived from the root flow(go) or poke(to meet) in both cases it, in the words of St. Basil the Great, means a passing (corresponding to the Greek paroimia = para oimoV) saying, i.e. one that serves as an indicator of the path, guides a person on the paths of life, giving him means for a successful flow along these paths. In a similar way explain the meaning of the name "Parable" of St. Athanasius the Great and John: “The name of the Parable” (paramoi) comes from the fact that similar sayings were written on every path for the admonition and edification of those passing along the path, but they were written along the way so that people who could not engage in the word of truth would at least, in passing, they noticed what was written, delved into it, and received instructions. Therefore, some define them this way: Parables are roadside(parodion) a saying that transfers a thought from one thing to many. IN last words one of the main features of the parable is indicated: the applicability of the thought expressed in the parable to many (similar) cases, the typicality of this thought. According to another opinion, the Russian-Slavic “parable” comes from ch. “to stick”, “to stitch” (for example, when weaving - at the end of a strip with threads of different colors) - in this case, the name will indicate a decorating, figurative external way of expressing thoughts in parables. The internal and external character of the parables that make up the contents of the book of this name is made clear in the following verses, v. 2-6, which clarify the meaning and meaning of the parables, and together the purpose and purpose of the book itself.
2 to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the sayings of reason;
2-6. It indicates both the purpose of this collection of proverbs, the book of Proverbs, and the property different types parable, which together concisely defines the whole content of the entire book. And above all, parables give knowledge wisdom And teachings(v. 2a). “Since the pagans (Greeks) claim that they have wisdom, and heretics think that they have knowledge, Solomon shows what true wisdom and true knowledge consist of, so that someone, carried away by the similar name of wisdom, does not fall into the wisdom of the pagans and heretics." Having heard his divine sayings, every wise person will become even wiser (St. Athan. Vel. and John Zlat.). Wisdom, Heb. Chokmah(LXX: sofia, Vulg.: sapientia), according to the philological composition of the Hebrew word, means (according to Schultens): soliditas, hardness, solidity (own condensation, puknothV), then the highest understanding of life and things in their essence, finally, the ability to arrange one’s life in accordance with this knowledge, to normally determine one’s relationship with God and one’s neighbor and through this obtain happiness in life. Obviously, “wisdom” is broader than all the following concepts and includes them in its scope. The practical side of “wisdom” is represented by “teaching” or “ instruction", glory - punishment, euro - musar, LXX: paideia, Vulg. : disciplina - the entire system of educational measures, not excluding punitive ones.
According to midrash, "wisdom" ( Chokmah) and "teaching" ( musar) are inextricably linked with each other, with the second being a consequence of the first. The book of Proverbs further states understanding of words or sayings wisdom euro bina, LXX: dronhsiV, Vulg. : prudentia (Heb. bina by its fundamental meaning includes the moment distinctions- for example, between good and evil (1 Kings III:9), wisdom and stupidity, higher and lower, useful and harmful), i.e. (according to St. Athan. Vel. and John Chrysostom) “the acquisition of knowledge about the one true God." As for the pagans, some of them called the substance god, while others likened it to idols; Heretics are also in error regarding the true God. It is against them that Solomon expounds the true concept of God, speaks of His ineffability (XXV: 2); about fishery (XV:3-21, XXII:2; XXIII:13); about justice (XV:8-25), about peacemaking he does not simply speak, but asserts that the Lord created everything with His Word and wisdom (III:19; VIII:26-27, 30), since the property of the true God is especially that He is the Father of the Son. In Art. 3 indicates the first fruits of “wisdom” and “learning”: both contribute to the acquisition of “rules of prudence” (Heb. Musar Haskel), justice (more precisely, truth, tzedek), ships ( mishpat) and correctness (honesty, mix), Vulg. : ad suscipiendam eruditionem doctrinae, justitiam et judicium et aequitatem. LXX otherwise conveys the first half of Art. 3rd: dexaqsai strofaV logwn, and according to other lists (codd. 68, 109, 147, 157, 161, 248) in Golmes, Compl. Ald, more +: kai luseiV ainigmatwn. In glory Ostrog and Elisabeth Bibles, according to the last addition, the entire first half of 3rd century. reads: accept the development of words and the resolution of fortune-telling. Coil of words, explain St. Afan. Vel. and I. Zlat., are “those sayings in which we discover the meaning hidden in them, rotating the mind, or exploring them by reflection (for example X: 5, XXVII: 25).” Thus, parables refine a person’s mind, make him resourceful, capable of guessing the meaning of mysterious speeches.
3
learn the rules of prudence, justice, justice and righteousness;
4
give intelligence to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the youth;
5
a wise man will listen and will increase his knowledge, and a wise man will find wise advice;
4-5. Specified in Art. 3 the meaning of parables is primarily for youth, but then also for adults, experienced and wise people. The first to be given in parables is “intelligence,” Heb. orma, own wickedness (Gen. III:1), as in Greek. panourgia, lat. astutia; here in a good sense (cf. VIII: 5, 12; XIII: 16; XIV: 15; XXII: 3) - prudence or foresight, to avoid the snares of cunning and malicious ones (cf. Matthew X: 16), - and also in general knowledge and prudence (Heb. daat uzimma, LXX: aioqhsin k. engoian, Vulg. : scientiam el intellectum). But parables, as ready-made rules for everyday and spiritual wisdom, are also useful for mature and wise people: a wise person by listening to these parables becomes even wiser, and a wise person will acquire “the art of governing” (especially the state, fn. XI:14), Heb. tahbulot. LXX: kuberughsiV (ship control). Vulg. : gubernacula, slav. : construction, i.e., in general, the art or skill for improving life (sn. XX:18; XXIV:6). In Art. 6 says that with the help of parables, a wise person will not only be able to improve his life (religious, moral, family and social), but will also learn to understand intricate and mysterious speeches, Heb. Melitsa Vehidot, LXX: skoteinwn logon k . ainigmata. Apparently, this refers to special parables of a mysterious nature, which especially take place in ch. XXX. The ancients, especially the Easterners, highly valued the art of proposing and solving riddles (cf. Judgment XIV:12-19). The Queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem from a distant country to test Solomon with riddles and learn from the wisdom of Solomon contained in them (1 Kings X: 1). However, due to the fact that in the article in question. 6 expression "intricate speech" ( melitsa) and "riddle" ( Hida) are compared with the more general expressions "parable" ( waved) and "words of the wise" ( dibre hakamim), one might think (St. Athan. Vel. and I. Zlat.) that in Art. 6 we mean “not intricately woven words that seduce with the appearance of verisimilitude, but precise ones, as if known by the speakers themselves and expressing, as it were, the sentences they pronounce” (for example, XV: 13-14). Usually people determine actions by their consequences, but the wise one reveals the reasons for actions, so that a person, knowing the causes of evils, would beware of them, and presents, as it were, a brief outline of the movement of the soul (for example, X:12; XIII:4; XIV:11) ".. .If you examine every saying of the book, you will find that it is said and written so that those who listen, knowing the causes of evil and good, will avoid evil and do good.” The midrash sees the entire verse as a reference to the Torah.
6
to understand the parable and the intricate speech, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord; [good understanding of all who are led by him; and reverence for God is the beginning of understanding;] fools only despise wisdom and instruction.
7. Does not refer to the inscription (as Ewald, Philippson, Berto, Keil and others thought), but begins the first part of the book up to the ninth chapter inclusive. In glory Russian In the Bible, the middle of the verse (in the Russian synod. translation enclosed in brackets) is read only in LXX and represents a borrowing from Ps. CX: 10, although this addition fits well with the content of the verse according to the texts of Heb. and Vulg., serving as an explanation of its meaning.
The first words of Art. 7 have the meaning of an epigraph or theme of the entire book, mainly its first part (chapters I-IX). The fear of God, reverent awe of God is inseparable from the very concept of God’s reverence and piety; it was the fear of God that was the basis of Jehovah's Covenant with Israel (Deut. IV:10). The fear of God is, at the same time, the beginning of true knowledge and true wisdom - in the sense that in the chain of knowledge necessary for the acquisition of wisdom, reverence for God should occupy the first initial place, that it should be the main and primary subject of knowledge, as well as in that piety—a constant reverent disposition toward God—should be the dominant spiritual disposition in the seeker of wisdom. In his desire to acquire wisdom, he must be imbued with the conviction that wisdom in the strict sense belongs to the one God, that He is the source of wisdom (II:6 fn. James I:5 f.), that without the light of His revelation the human mind would forever wander in the darkness of ignorance and error regarding the most important truths (cf. 1 Cor. I:20). From this conviction stems the obligation for the seeker of wisdom to seek God’s blessing for his labors to acquire knowledge, to serve with these labors the glory of God and the benefit of his neighbors, to perform this service with reverent fear of angering the Lord with false wisdom, and to give thanks for successes in wisdom ( Ep. Vissarion. Commentary on Parimia II, p. 9-10). Both wisdom and piety are rejected, to their destruction, by wicked people whose wickedness darkens their common sense (cf. Jer. IV:22). The Book of Proverbs is not intended for them at all, and if it very often speaks of the wickedness - the madness of such people, then this is done with the aim of admonishing the rational and pious, since the fear of God (and wisdom), on the other hand, is hatred of untruth and sin (cf. VIII:13).
8
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not reject your mother’s covenant,
9
for this is a beautiful wreath for your head and an ornament for your neck.
8-9. Already in this section, both positive and negative incentives for wisdom - piety - are proposed. Having spoken about the fear of God (v. 7), as the beginning or basis of true wisdom, the Wise One in second place, according to the sequence of commandments in the decalogue of Moses (Ex XX: 12; Deut V: 16, cf. Eph VI: 1-3), supplies teaching authority of parents - father and mother (Talmud understands ab"father" and Em“mother” in a figurative sense, meaning by father God, and by mother the community of Israel, or, in another opinion, wisdom, but this is already a reinterpretation of the grammatical-historical meaning of both concepts in this text), and the father receives instructions (glory: punishment, Greek - paideia, lat. - discipline, heb. - musar), - sometimes combined with measures and physical influence of the father on the son (XXIII: 13-14, fn. XXII: 15), - for the mother - only a covenant (Russian) or covenants (Greek - qesmoi, Lat. - Iex, heb. - Torah). The one to whom Solomon addresses (here as in I:10; II:1; III:1) with instructions, he calls son, partly first of all in the physical sense (he could mean Rehoboam), and then youth in general , by right of teaching, as a sign of paternal participation and goodwill; nothing can be concluded from this about the age of the listeners; in any case, the indicated intimate conversion is not only a literary device, although it does not yet contain the New Testament idea of birth into spiritual life, as in the Apostle (1 Cor. IV:15; Philm. 10; Gal. IV:19). Midrash understands v. 8 in the sense of an exhortation to observe everything commanded on Mount Sinai regarding respect for parents. - Obedience to parents, their advice and covenants, serves as the best decoration for a young man - like a lovely wreath on his head (cf. IV:9) and a necklace on his neck (III:3; VI:21).
10
My son! if sinners persuade you, do not agree;
11
if they say: “Come with us, we will set up an ambush for murder, we will lie in wait for the blameless without guilt,
12
We will swallow them up alive, like hell, and whole, like those descending into the grave;
13
Let us gather all kinds of precious possessions, let us fill our houses with spoils;
14
you will cast your lots with us, we will all have the same storehouse,”
15
my son! do not go on a journey with them; keep your foot from their path,
16
because their feet run to evil and hasten to shed blood.
17
In the eyes of all the birds the net is laid in vain,
18
but they lay an ambush for their blood and lie in wait for their souls.
19
These are the ways of anyone who covets someone else's goods: it takes the life of the one who takes possession of it.
10-19. After a general appeal and admonition to the disciple (vv. 8-9), Solomon offers him a private admonition, a specific warning against being carried away by evil on the part of “sinners” (v. 10), Heb. hattaim, Vulg. : peccalores, LXX: andreV asebeiV, slav. - men of wickedness- villains for whom crime has become a custom (cf. Ps. I: 1, Proverbs XVI: 29). Warning his disciple against the disastrous influence of such villains, Solomon reveals the true essence and true motives of their villainous plans (11-14): encroaching on the property and life of their neighbor, without any guilt on his part, with the greatest impudence and cruelty, the villains tried to seduce the invitee into complicity the young man with the thought of impunity for the crime (Article 12) and a large share in the expected booty (13-14). Having depicted the seductive and criminal intentions of the villains, the Wise from Art. 15 (decrease in period) in a positive categorical form warns its listener against following their “path”; This warning, both in content and form of speech, resembles the opening words of the Psalter: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners"(Ps. I:1). Art. 16, repeated by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah LIX:7) and Ap. Paul (Rom III:15), is not available in the LXX: however, consider this verse in Hebrew. Vulg. glory Russian, borrowed from the prophet Isaiah, has no basis; rather, the prophet Isaiah’s quotations from older biblical books do not represent anything unusual; Moreover, in many codes. LXX (23, 68, 157, 252, 254, 295, 296, 161, 248, etc. in Golmez, Compl. Ald.) have art. 16. In art. 17-19 the listener is protected from the influence of the seductive speeches of villains - an indication of the punishment awaiting them - final death, contrary to the impunity for which they were counting.
20
Wisdom proclaims in the streets, in the squares she raises her voice,
21
in the main meeting places he preaches, at the entrances to the city gates he speaks:
22
“How long, O ignoramuses, will you love ignorance? how long will the violent ones delight in violence? How long will fools hate knowledge?
23
Turn to my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit on you, I will proclaim my words to you.
20-32. In contrast to the seductive speeches of criminal people (vv. 11-19), looking for like-minded people, Wisdom is shown here also calling disciples to herself and encouraging them to repentance; but while the criminal speeches of villains are conducted under the veil of deep secrecy, the broadcasts and vestments of Wisdom are heard for all to hear - "in the streets, in the squares, ... in the main meeting places"(20-21). This wisdom, judging by the nature of Her instructions and admonitions, as well as by the entire image of Her speech, is not limited human power, but the omnipotent power of God, which alone can speak with such authority, the power in whose obedience lies all good and happiness for people , and in resistance - death. The opinion of some Westerners, who see in the depiction of Wisdom in Proverbs I:20ff., VIII:22ff., is completely arbitrary and erroneous. influence of Parsism on biblical writing. In fact, the concept of “Wisdom” grew on purely biblical, original soil. In the book of Job (XV:7-8; XXVIII:12 ff.) Wisdom is depicted very similar to the book of Proverbs. The very image of the speech of Wisdom (20-21 ff.) is quite reminiscent of the preaching or teaching activity of the people's teachers of the law (cf. 2 Chronicles XVII: 7-9), as well as the prophets and - later - the apostles (Matthew X: 27; Luke XIV: 21) , all the messengers of the same Wisdom (Luke XI:49). Further, from Art. 22, sets out the very content of the sermon of Wisdom.
The first half of Art. 22 LXX and glory. ( “For as long as time has passed, without malice they will adhere to the truth, they will not be ashamed”) are not conveyed in an accusatory sense, as in Hebrew. Vulg. Russian, and in the positive - in the sense of praise to the “kind” ones. But with the context of the speech of Art. 22 the accusatory meaning is more consistent (similar to Ps. IV: 3): people of three categories are exposed: 1) ignoramuses (simpletons, Heb. petaim), 2) violent mockers, blasphemers, despisers of all that is holy (Heb. letzim) and 3) fools - people who are alien to knowledge, stupid and always ready to fall spiritually (Heb. kesilim), in a word, everyone who, either intentionally or out of ignorance, opposes the truth. And in Art. 23 Wisdom, from the fullness of her spiritual wealth, desires to shed the spirit of wisdom (cf. XVIII:4) to everyone without distinction who needs it; wisdom and piety, according to the view of the Wise One, as well as according to the teaching of the entire Bible, are not the property of only chosen natures, but are poured out abundantly into every mind, soul and heart, since they are open to influence from above (cf. John VII: 37-39).
24
I called, and you did not listen; I stretched out my hand, and there was no one to hear;
25
and you rejected all my advice, and did not accept my reproofs.
24-25. But since such impressive, touching and repeated broadcasts of Wisdom were not successful, her speech changes tone and character: after lengthy, but fruitless, calls to repentance, Divine Wisdom menacingly announces the death of all those who stubbornly remain stuck in evil.
26
For this reason I will laugh at your destruction; I will rejoice when horror comes upon you;
27
when terror comes upon you like a storm, and trouble comes upon you like a whirlwind; when sorrow and distress befall you.
28
Then they will call me, and I will not hear; They will look for me in the morning and will not find me.
29
Because they hated knowledge and did not choose For myself fear of the Lord,
30
they did not accept my advice, they despised all my reproofs;
31
therefore they will eat the fruit of their ways and be satisfied with their thoughts.
26-31. The pitiful, desperate state of people who stubbornly despised the command of Wisdom is depicted with all clarity and completeness: suddenness of death (v. 27, fn. 1 Sol V:7), lack of sympathy from the outside (v. 26), futility of repentance (v. 28) in all this the wicked will only reap the natural and inevitable fruits of their wickedness (v. 31, fn. Gal. VI: 7).
32
Because the stubbornness of the ignorant will kill them, and the carelessness of fools will destroy them,
33
and he who listens to me will live safely and calmly, without fear of evil.”
In Art. 32-33 there is an expressive contrast between the disastrous state of those who despise Wisdom and the strength of happiness of those who obey Her voice. The latter always remain calm because external successes and hardships, as well as all earthly, temporary life, are not given the exceptionally important significance that all this has in the eyes of the wicked. The view of the pious on life and its blessings, in the Wise One, as in the Apostle, defines it by the rule: “Godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the present life and the life to come.”(1 Tim IV:8). In the first half of Art. 32 reading Russian. translation "perseverance...(Archim. Macarius - disobedience) will kill them", accurately conveying Heb. reading and resp. - Vulgates, Greek should be preferred. and glory "if you hurt babies, there will be murders".
3) parabolic parables, combining elements of synonymous and antithetical parables: they represent something similar in completely different types of phenomena, especially ethical and physical phenomena, and the first line of the verse represents some stroke from the pictures of nature, and the second - some ethical truth , the first hemistich represents, so to speak, an allegorical picture, and the second is an explanatory caption to it (for example).
From such an artificial form of parables, it naturally follows that they cannot at all be identified or brought closer to folk proverbs, of which every nation has many (among the Greeks: a collection of parables of the seven wise men, poets and Pythagoras; among the Romans - Cato, Yu. Caesar) , there were especially many among the peoples of the ancient East, for example. among the Arabs (collections of parables, as works of folk wisdom, were known among the Arabs under the name Abu Abayda and Maidani). On the contrary, in the collection of Solomon's parables, the experiments of one or more wise men are given - to embrace truths or general wisdom as applied to possible diverse particular cases of life and express them in short, witty and easy-to-memorize sayings (cf. Interpretations. Bibl. vol. II, p. 383), which, without having a close logical connection with each other, are located only in external connection with each other.
Although it is indisputable that “proverbs” are, in a sense, a product of the subjective creativity of the sage, a product of the sage’s amateur exercise in the law, the idea of some Western biblical scholars that the wisdom of the book of Proverbs has no connection with the religion of the people of God is completely unacceptable, and even stands in contradiction with her; on the contrary, religion constitutes the basic basis of all the sayings of the book of Proverbs, the law of Moses is the basic assumption of all the moralizing and other ideas of this book: Divine revelation is the unchanging source of all the divinely enlightened wisdom of the sacred source. Hence, Solomon’s parables differ from other eastern parables precisely in their religious direction and the imprinted character of the revelation from which they stem, and as a result of this, in the character of purity, certainty and infallibility with which all relations of life are understood here and raised to the knowledge of man’s destiny determined by God .
The totality of sayings contained in the book of Proverbs constitutes what is called “wisdom,” Heb. Chokmah. This wisdom, spoken by various sages, is an independent and self-active Power, speaking through the sages, giving them and everyone knowledge of revealed truth (: “ without a revelation from above, the people are not curbed, but he who keeps the law is blessed"). The entire teaching of the book of Proverbs is the word of Jehovah or the law of Jehovah: more specifically, it comes from the person of the eternal Wisdom who created the world (sn.), and even before the creation of the world was with God (), always close to the sons of men (), in Israel it is deliberately preaching publicly in all places of public meetings (), listening to the prayers of those asking (), pouring out the spirit of wisdom on those who receive it (), in a word - the personal or hypostatic Wisdom of God.
The essential character of the wisdom that the book of Proverbs teaches, as well as all the so-called Chokmic sacred biblical writing (some psalms: , , , the book of Job, the book of Ecclesiastes, the book of Jesus, the son of Sirach), is composed of two main features. This wisdom, firstly, is entirely based on a religious basis and is in its essence true knowledge of God and reverence for God: “ the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord» (); « the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (). This wisdom, secondly, is first and foremost of a practical nature: whereas in the prophetic writings a lot of space is devoted to speeches about the destinies of the people of God, about their beliefs, etc., in the book of Proverbs this entire theoretical element is only a basis, an assumption all judgments of the priest. writer, the main subject of his speech is always the practical life of a theocratic society and its individual member according to the guidance of Jehovah’s law. There is a way of the Lord and this way is a stronghold to the blameless, and a fear to the workers of iniquity(). The source of all true wisdom is in the law of Jehovah: “ Man's steps are directed from the Lord; How can a person know his path?" (). According to whether people follow the path of Jehovah or deviate from it, all of humanity is divided into the wise and the foolish, that is, those who are disposed to accept the law of God and follow his path - pious people, and who are trying to put their own will in place of the common will of God for all. partial will and thus those who violate the harmony of the world - wicked and sinful people (see, for example,). Moreover, the inevitable consequence, according to God’s judgment, of virtue is goodness and happiness, and of wickedness and sin - all kinds of disaster (see, for example,). From this basic principle flow all the numerous instructions of the book of Proverbs, which embrace all the diversity of human life and everyday relationships. In general, the totality of the sayings of the book of Proverbs represents, as it were, special moral legislation, parallel to the legislation of Moses. But if the books of Moses, by their very purpose as books of law, pay primary attention to the development national forms civil and religious life of the Jews, as exclusively God’s chosen people, then the legislation of the book of Proverbs stands on a universal point of view (the name of Israel is never mentioned in the whole book) and sets the goal, along with the specific features of biblical Jewry, to also develop the universal aspects of spiritual life, general humanitarian direction towards truth and goodness. The concept of wisdom - in the sense of the book of Proverbs - is not limited to religiosity, piety, piety alone, but embraces the life of a theocratic Jew in all its diversity, in all directions and in all respects, for example, the concept of wisdom necessarily includes: prudence, insight, prudence , artistic talents and many others. etc. Converging in terms of the prevailing legislative content with the books of the Law of Moses and differing in this from the historical and prophetic writings, the book of Proverbs has the similarity with the latter in that the moral element in it, like that of the prophets, decisively prevails over the liturgical, ritual, cultic. But there can be no talk of any allegedly hostile attitude of the philosophy of the book of Proverbs to the Law of Moses (which, for example, I. F. Bruch admitted, Weishertslehre der Hebraer. En Beitrag zur Geschichte der Philos. Strassburg. 1851). On the contrary, the law of Moses in the moral legislation of the book. Proverbs found a new point of support, since the development of universal humane virtues was supposed to soften the stiff-necked spirit of the people and dispose them to fulfill the commandments of the law, moreover, the book of Proverbs provides solutions to moral issues only in the spirit of the law. It is fair, therefore, that the Jewish tradition (Midrash on the book) asserted that Solomon, gradually moving from saying to saying, from comparison to comparison, in this way explored the secrets of the Torah, and even that before Solomon no one properly understood the words of the Torah. If justice and good deeds are placed above sacrifice, then this is by no means a protest against the Mosaic Law (the authority of which, on the contrary, is strongly protected in the book of Proverbs, see: “ Whoever turns away his ear from hearing the law, his prayer is an abomination"), but only the clarification of its meaning is the same as that which we find in full force and repeatedly in the prophets (see ; ; ). Since, according to the view of the book of Proverbs itself, in order to understand its instructions and advice, certain wisdom, developed meaning and a sense of human dignity are required, then the legislation of the book. The parable, like our moral Christian philosophy, was originally intended specifically for the intelligentsia of the people, primarily for the rulers of the people themselves (as can be seen from many places in the book, the heirs of Solomon were edified by its lessons first and foremost).
Judging by the entire content of the book of Proverbs, as a teaching about wisdom, as well as by the very inscription of the book, in which it is called, among other things, wisdom and the words of the wise, it should be considered the ancient name of the book, parallel to the generally accepted “Proverbs”, Heb. Michelet, other: "book of wisdom or wisdom", Heb. Sefer Chokmah. This book was already known with this name in ancient Hebrew tradition (in the Talmud, see tosefta to tr. Baba batra 14b), and from there this name passed into the Christian, ancient church tradition. Although he only uses the name “Proverbs” when he conveys Heb. Michelet Greek transcription Μισλώθ, but the more common title of our book among ancient church teachers was σοφία, πανάρετος σοφία. Yes, St. Clement of Rome (1 Cor. 67:3), citing the passage, expresses: ὄυτως γὰρ λέγει ή πανάρετος σοφία . Melito of Sardis (in Eusebius of Caesarea’s “Ecclesiastical History,” book IV, chapter 26, §13) cites both titles of the book as equally common: Σολομῶνογ παροιμίαι , ἤ καί Σοφία . According to the testimony of the church historian Eusebius (Ts. Ist. book IV, chapter 22, §9), not only Meliton of Sardia, Egesippus and St., quoted by him. Irenaeus of Lyons, but all Christian antiquity called the parables of Solomon all-perfect wisdom, πανάρετος σοφία ( ὁ πᾶγ τῶν ἀρχαίων χορός πανάρετος σοφία τὰς Σολομῶνος παροιμὶας ἐκὰλουν ) and, according to Eusebius, this name came “from an unwritten Jewish tradition” ( ἕξ Ιουδαϊκῆς ἀγράφου παραδόσεος ). The name “book of Wisdom” is, without a doubt, more befitting the book of Proverbs of Solomon than the two non-canonical teaching books: “The Book of the Wisdom of Solomon” and “The Book of the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach.” And even in comparison with the two canonical books - the book of Job and the book of Ecclesiastes, usually classified as chochmic biblical writing, i.e. containing the revelation of the doctrine of wisdom - the book of Proverbs has the advantage of completeness, integrity and completeness of the disclosure of the doctrine of wisdom.
In the Greek, Slavic and Russian Bibles, as well as in the Vulgate, the book of Proverbs belongs to the sevenfold clergy. books - book Job, the Psalter, the Proverbs of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, the Wisdom of Solomon and the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach - which, according to their content, are called teaching books (Orthodox Catechism) or wisdom books, because in them we learn reason and true wisdom (Preface to the first printed Slav. Bible), and in the form of their presentation poetic (St. Gregory the Theologian, Cyril of Jerusalem, John of Damascus, etc.), that is, poetic in a broad sense, more specifically in their presentation everywhere representing the so-called parallelism of members (about the types of this parallelism in the book of Proverbs we said above).
Origin and composition of the book of Proverbs. King Solomon is called the creator of the parable. And Christian antiquity recognized the book of Proverbs as a single work of Solomon alone, just as the book of Psalms was known with the name of David. The authorship of Solomon in relation to the book of Proverbs is supported by both external biblical evidence and the internal character of the influx of wisdom from the book. Proverbs. According to Solomon, he spoke three thousand proverbs (and his songs were one thousand and five). Jesus, the son of Sirach, glorifying the wisdom of Solomon, among other things, appeals to him “ your soul covered the earth, and you filled it with mysterious parables... countries marveled at you for your songs and sayings, for your parables and explanations" (). The fame of Solomon’s wisdom, and according to the testimony of the 3rd book of Kings (ff.), spread very far, and his wisdom, serving as a subject of surprise to the surrounding peoples, subsequently became a subject for them for various kinds of legends and fairy tales poetry. True, those 3000 parables, which, according to Solomon, cannot be identified with the canonical book of Proverbs, either in their number, or in their very nature and content; in the whole book of Proverbs there are no more than 915 verses, and therefore most of the 3000 parables of Solomon could not enter the book of Proverbs: moreover, judging by, the parables and the wisdom of Solomon in general were expressed most of all in the knowledge of nature and its individual phenomena, etc. ; on the contrary, in the book of Proverbs there are no parables of this kind, but life-practical and especially religious-moral motives predominate. Therefore, the assumption that the book of Proverbs included only a certain, selected part of all the parables of Solomon, of a predominantly religious and moral nature, is not without significance. The inscription “Proverbs of Solomon” () repeated three times in the book of Proverbs represents, in any case, important evidence in favor of the origin of at least most of the book of Proverbs from Solomon. Some particular features and indications of the content of the book of Proverbs, by their correspondence with the personality and circumstances of Solomon’s life, testify in favor of the origin of the book from him. Proverbs. Here, for example, the advice is very often repeated to avoid a dissolute woman and debauchery, and in general to beware of being attracted to a woman (). These tips remind the reader of the story of the fall of Solomon through women (sl.): it is natural to see in these tips a warning against the same danger that the wise tributary himself was exposed to. The book of Proverbs, further, says a lot about royal power, about the benefits of the reign of a wise king (), God's anointed and herald of God's righteousness (), mercy and truth (), about his anger at the wicked and about good deeds for the righteous (); about wise and foolish rulers, about their advisers and the nature of their rule (). And here you can see the fruit of the state experience of the wise Jewish king - Solomon, who was completely devoted to the rule of the people and experienced both the light and dark sides royal service. In the same way, the testimony of Pritochnik about himself, as a beloved son of his father and mother, as a son whom his father carefully taught the law of God (), is exactly applicable to Solomon: he speaks of David teaching Solomon to keep the law (see Interpretations. Bibl. vol. II (St. Petersburg, 1905) p. 368).
But along with the indicated external and internal evidence of the origin of the book of Proverbs from Solomon, there is another series of data, also sometimes external, sometimes internal, the presence of which requires limiting Solomon’s writing to only the known, even the most significant, part of the book. Namely, in the book of Proverbs, in addition to the general inscription at the beginning of the book (), there are six other inscriptions with which the book is divided into sections of somewhat unequal volume - sections, and some of these sections, apparently, do not belong to Solomon as a writer, but occurred later than Solomon and from other persons. There is some indication of these other writers already at the beginning of the book, where " words of the wise men and their riddles" (dibre – hakamim vehidotam ) as one of components contents of the book of Proverbs. Then in ch. X, art. 1 () according to the Hebrew Masoretic text, and the Latin translation of Blessed. Jerome, as in the Russian synod. and Archimandrite Macarius, there is an inscription “The Proverbs of Solomon”: this inscription, apparently, marks a new period in the tributary work of Solomon, and new department from to – differs markedly from the first section of the book, ch. - if in the first section the doctrine of wisdom and motivations for it is presented in a coherent periodic speech, then in the second section the speech of the influx is constructed in the form of brief, aphoristic judgments on the principle of, for the most part, antithetical parallelism. Many Western biblical commentators (led by the famous Ewald), on the basis of such an aphoristic form of speech in the section, considered this section to be the oldest part of the book of Proverbs, which belonged to the pen of Solomon himself, while the first section, with its unusually systematic development of thoughts, is considered by Western biblical exegesis to be the most the later part of the book, not only in character and content, but also chronologically close to the book of Jesus son of Sirach. But the difference in the form of speech, in itself, does not give reason to consider the first and second sections of the book to be of different times and belonging to different writers; the genius of Solomon naturally had a variety of forms of expression of thoughts: while remaining on biblical soil, we, in any case, must recognize the entire part of the book of ch. – 22Solomon’s work. The situation is different with subsequent sections of the book. So, the sections: the third (Glory 18) - and the fourth, judging by the inscriptions, belong to some unnamed sages; it is possible that these wise men were contemporaries of Solomon, even belonging to his school, like those mentioned in Ethan, Heman, Chalkol and Darda. The fifth section of the book or its third main part is formed by ch. , "the parables of Solomon, which were collected(Heb.: getik. LXX: ἐξεγράψαντο, Vulg.: transtulerunt) men of Hezekiah king of Judah”, (), in which they usually see the prophet Isaiah, as well as Eliakim, Shebna and Joah (); Thus, this section contains parables, although originating from Solomon, but which received their real form only 300 years after Solomon - from the learned college of God-enlightened men of Hezekiah, who collected these parables from archival records (according to the reading of the LXX) or even from oral tradition . In, according to the Hebrew inscription, are the parables of Agyr, the son of Iakeev, to certain Ithiel and Ukal (). In the LXX, these names are rendered as common nouns, which is why the meaning of the inscription is verse 1st chapter. XXX lost. Blazh. Jerome also renders Heb. the inscription is a common noun: Verba congregantis filii vomentis, and the first means Solomon, as the collector of wisdom, and the second means David, who belched the word good (). But the common noun understanding of a person’s own name, moreover, having a patronymic (“Iakeeva”), is hardly acceptable. Solomon, even in his allegorical name Ecclesiastes, is called the son of David (); It remains to see in Agura an unknown sage. concludes the instructions of a certain king Lemuel, taught to him by his mother. This name is usually seen as a symbolic name of either Solomon (Blessed Jerome) or Hezekiah (Aben - Ezra, Prof. Olesnitsky). conclude an alphabetically composed (acrostic) praise of a virtuous wife. In view of the evidence that Solomon wrote more than 1000 songs, and the obvious similarity of the “songs and” of the virtuous wife with undoubtedly Solomon’s parables (e.g. cf. and ; and ; and ; and ), it is natural to consider this praise to come from Solomon, only its position at the end The book apparently speaks for the later origin of this department.
Thus, from the inscriptions of the book - these self-testimonies of the book about itself - we learn that its writers were Solomon, Agur, Lemuel and some other, not named, sages. If, on the basis of a general inscription, the book of Proverbs is called the name of Solomon, then this inscription and this name are metonymy, since the name of wisdom has always been connected, as it is now with us, the name of Solomon, the wisest of people; the book of Proverbs should or can be called Solomon's in the same sense as the entire Psalter was and is called David's, i.e. in the sense of the primary and most important authorship of Solomon in this area. The entire composition of the current book of Proverbs already existed by the time of King Hezekiah, the society of whose friends, according to testimony, published the entire book of Proverbs - according to the inaccurate expression of the Talmud (Bababatra 15a), wrote the book of Proverbs - more precisely, edited it, gave it its present form , adding to those collected, perhaps, by Solomon himself (the opinion of St. and Blessed Jerome) ch. - 24The last seven chapters of the book, and they included parables that were not included in the collection of Solomon himself. The fathers and teachers of the Church, without attaching importance to the question of the origin of the present edition of the book, saw and glorified in it the wisdom of Solomon. Indeed, the question of participation in its compilation along with Solomon and other writers does not in the least affect the understanding of the book, as long as faith in the inspiration of the book is maintained.
There have been voices against the inspiration and canonical dignity of the book of Proverbs, both among Jews and Christians. The first were confused by the seeming contradiction between the parables and, and the supposedly inappropriate plastic description of a dissolute wife in the holy book. Both of these objections were raised at the Jewish Council of Jamnia (c. 100 A.D.), but there they received a satisfactory resolution, and the book as a whole was recognized as canonical. Lonely voices were heard in the Christian Church (in ancient times, for example, Theodore of Mopsuet, in modern times - Cleric, Meyer, etc.), as if the book of Proverbs contained only the earthly, purely human wisdom of Solomon, which had in mind the earthly well-being of man. But although the rules, regulations and instructions of the book of Proverbs about gaining wisdom do not yet reach the perfection and ideal purity of the moral teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles, yet this inspiration and canonical authority is already confirmed by repeated references to the book of Proverbs in the New Testament. Eg.
The second part of the book is formed by “The Proverbs of Solomon” (), with two additions: “words of the wise” -. Here, on the basis of the general concepts about wisdom and piety outlined in the first part of the book, private, varied rules and instructions are proposed for religious and moral behavior and social relations of people. The third part of the book consists of Solomon's parables, which were collected and written into the book by the friends of Hezekiah, the king of Judah (), political parables predominate here (about the king and his government, etc.) and practical (in relation to civil and public life). The conclusion of the book consists of two additions to the parables of Solomon (: a) the parables of a certain Agur, in a very artificial and intricate form teaching true wisdom and its implementation (), and b) the instructions of the mother of Lemuel the king () and praise of a virtuous wife (). For general introductory information about the book of Proverbs, see the “Review of the Book of Proverbs of Solomon” synopses of St. Athanasius the Great of Alexandria (Christ. Reading 1841, part 4 p. 355 et seq.) and St. John Chrysostom (Conversations on different places Holy Scripture, Russian. translation St. Petersburg 1861, p. 537 given), extracting patristic material about the book of Proverbs can be read in the book. prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, Guiding information about the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments from the works of St. oo. and teaches. Churches (St. Petersburg, 1894, p. 67 next). Scientific research on the book of Proverbs - Russian 1) the same prof. A. A. Olesnitsky The Book of Proverbs of Solomon and its newest critics (Proceedings of the Kiev Spiritual Academy. 1883, Nos. 11–12), 2) Bishop Michael, Biblical Science. Educational books Old Testament(Tula, 1900), p. 86 next, and 3) Prof. P. A. Yungerova The Origin of the Book of Proverbs (Orthodox Sobesedn. 1906, October, p. 161 next), 4) educational manuals by Kh. M. Orda († Bishop Irinea), Kiev, 1871. D. Afanasyeva, Stavropol, 1838 and others. Russian deserves attention. translation (from Hebrew) of the book. Job, made by Archim. Makariy (Glukharev), M. 1861. Interpretation of most of the book. The parables were presented by the late Rev. Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev) in his “Interpretation on parimia” vol. II, (ed. 2, St. Petersburg, 1894). Among the foreign commentaries on the book of Proverbs, we name F. Mercenus (Genf 1573), F. Umbrett (Heidelberg, 1826), E. Berteau (Leipzig, 1847), F. Hitzig (Zurich, 1858). F. Keil. Delitzsch (1873), N. Ewald (1867), J. Lange – O. Zockler (1867), the latest W. Frankenberg (in Nowack ""s Handkommentar) Gotting, 1898. Views of the Jewish tradition on the contents of the book. Parables were expressed, for example, in the midrash on this book, see Der Midrasch Mischle, ubertr v A. Wunische Leipz., 1885, partly in D. Israelitische Bibel, III (1859) v L. Philippson.
Life is beautiful and, thank God for that)! The sun is shining, the Bible is being read, wisdom is growing. Today we read chapter 12 of the book THE PARABLES OF SOLOMON. And one third of this chapter is devoted to the topic of our language. The other third of this chapter is devoted to the theme of righteousness and wickedness and the rest is devoted to wisdom, folly and industry. There is even one verse about his wife. I would not be surprised if we find that these themes of righteousness, wisdom, industry, deceit, wickedness, and wives will occupy an equally important position throughout the book of proverbs. Because this is what our life consists of.
1 He who loves instruction loves knowledge; but whoever hates reproof is ignorant.
2 He who is good obtains favor from the Lord; but He will condemn the treacherous man.
3 Man shall not establish himself by iniquity; but the root of the righteous is immovable.
Have you tried to give advice to a proud person? Have you seen how he bristles? How, at best, he says something about the fact that he himself knows everything... It is very difficult with such a proud person who does not accept advice and perceives it as a personal insult. Unfortunately, such a person will remain ignorant. Listen to your friends' advice, but make your own decisions. Weigh the pros and cons of this or that decision and the path will be obvious. Here in the second and third verses one idea is visible. A good person receives favor from God, God condemns a treacherous person and as a logical conclusion from this => that a person will not establish himself by lawlessness (because God will not bless), and the root of the righteous is motionless (stands firmly on his feet because he has received favor from God).
4 A virtuous wife is a crown for her husband; and shameful is like rot in his bones.
The theme of the crown is very interesting, the book of parables talks about several crowns that will crown the wisdom of a person who has entered into a love affair with her)). And one of these crowns is a virtuous wife. You need to be very wise man, so as not to make a mistake in choosing, and get that very crown. The crown is given not to everyone, but to those who deserve it. Elsewhere in the book of Proverbs it is said that a good wife is from the Lord. Proverbs 30:19 Man does not understand the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man to a maiden.
It is not clear how the second half comes into our lives. And you need to be wise so that in this world filled with unkind, selfish and insidious people who are well disguised as good people, you can see what is from God. A sad spirit dries the bones, envy rots the bones. And a shameful wife is rotten to the bones. And often precisely because such a wife does not please her husband, he may begin to envy others who have good wives. And envy is rotten to the bones. A shameful wife brings despondency to her husband. And a sad spirit dries out the bones. And a person’s health problems begin. To avoid this, you need to be wise when choosing a wife. And if it has already happened, then be wise to create peace and joy in your family.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are righteousness, but the plans of the wicked are deceit.
6 The speech of the wicked is a trap for shedding blood, but the mouth of the righteous saves them.
7 When disaster touches the wicked, they are no more, but the house of the righteous stands.
8 A man will be praised according to his understanding, but he who is corrupt in heart will be despised.
Solomon talks about thoughts again and again because everything begins with thoughts. Friends, what you fill yourself with is who you are. And watch your thoughts so that they bear good fruit. Good thoughts bring good life. Nothing will remain secret, a corrupted heart will reveal itself, and reason will be used in the right situation. But often people use their minds for other purposes, and instead of working for themselves, they show off, as Solomon writes:
9 Better is a simple man who works for himself than one who pretends to be noble but needs bread.
10 The righteous man also cares for the life of his livestock, but the heart of the wicked is hard.
11 He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread; and whoever follows in the footsteps of idle lovers is foolish.
Often people use their minds to create appearances. The appearance that they are hardworking. The appearance that they have money. They appear to be kind and caring. But... But it’s better to just work for yourself. It's better to paint walls and wash windows, but put all the money you earn in your pocket, than to work for someone so that they can give you a loan for a car or a phone that will impress your friends and relatives. Show-offs ruin people. Keep it simple and work for yourself, so you have a better chance of growing. (we are not talking about doctors, firefighters and police officers if you live righteously) B English translation This text sounds like this: it’s better to be simple but have servants. Those. a simple organizer of your business. Friends, the Bible says that you will be better off if you start your own business, if you work for yourself. When you work for yourself, you will quickly be able to distinguish someone who is showing off from someone who really knows how to earn money. But the book of parables can also help you with this. Verse 10 – The righteous cares for the life of his livestock. Livestock is what brought profit in those distant times. A righteous person treats his work with love and cares about it, even if it is the bulls that plow or the cows that give milk. Or is it a builder who chooses better material or a doctor who is looking for more effective medicine. Righteous - cares about his affairs and even about animals. And a wicked person is cruel. Look at how a person treats his business and animals and this will be one of the signs for you of what kind of person he is.
12 The wicked desires to be caught in the net of evil; but the root of the righteous is sure.
13 The wicked is caught in the sins of his mouth; but the righteous will come out of trouble.
14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good things, and a man’s reward is according to the works of his hands.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he who listens to advice is wise.
16 A fool immediately shows his anger, but a prudent man hides his insult.
17 He who speaks what he knows speaks the truth; but a false witness is a deceiver.
18 Some idle talkers wound as with a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals.
19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only for a moment.
The tongue of the wise heals, the tongue of fools is like a sword. Even if a wise man has to say unpleasant things, he, like a surgeon, will perform the operation and then bandage the wound. A stupid person will simply strike with his dagger weakness, and it’s good if a person recovers from such a blow. We receive the kind attitude of people through our words, and we acquire something material through our deeds.
14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good things, and a man’s reward is according to the works of his hands.
REWARD FOR WORKS OF HANDS.
Unfortunately, some people think that they are under the curse of poverty or poverty and try to break the curse by shouting for hours that they are breaking the curse. But... But the reward is according to the works of the hands, and whoever works the land will be satisfied with bread and not only with bread. What a person does is what he gets. If a little man sits with his hands folded, then he falls into mysticism. And he thinks that some rituals will bring him material benefits. I saw that regardless of religion, people were immersed in rituals. Christians are breaking the curse of poverty, Buddhists are putting up a certain Buddha, the Chinese are hanging some kind of magical hieroglyphs for money, and there is also a film “the secret” for mass stupefying of consciousness so that people do nothing and think that everything is fine. Friends... Christ said, seek and you will find. He didn’t say sit, wait and imagine.. He said look, he called for active action. Ask and it will be given to you, knock and it will be opened to you. Of course, there are exceptions when God is against something that a person does, but the exceptions only confirm the general rule. Do it, do it, do it! A man's reward according to the works of his hands.
20 Deceit is in the heart of evildoers, but joy is in the heart of peacemakers.
21 No evil will befall the righteous, but the wicked will be filled with evil.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who speak the truth are pleasing to Him.
23 A prudent man hides knowledge, but the heart of fools speaks foolishness.
What's in your heart friends? Joy or deceit? Peacemakers have joy in their hearts. When I manage to reconcile people, I rejoice, as if something lost had been found. Do you know Psalm 90? No harm will happen to you. This is true, God gives us his protection and the forces of evil cannot attack us. Neither by curse nor by force. But we can destroy God's protection if we tell lies. And then misfortune may come into our lives. Also, don’t pretend to be very smart. People are afraid of those who are stronger than them; intelligence is strength. One day I was looking for a job and talked about all my achievements and they didn’t hire me. And when I realized that department heads were afraid of competition, I began to pretend to be stupid, and they hired me right away. Fortunately, the book of parables had a great influence on me and I soon decided to work for myself.
24 The hand of the diligent will rule, but the sluggish will be under tribute.
Sin always leads a person into dependence. Truth makes a person free. If there is addiction in your life, it means that you have not yet fully learned the truth. Look how many slaves there are around! People are dependent on their boss. People are dependent on their pride, they take out loans and then owe the bank their whole lives in order to make an impression that lasts 10 seconds. Young people are dependent on the opinions of others and try to quickly enter into unnecessary relationships, the consequences of which they will regret for the rest of their lives. Sin is addictive. Truth makes you free. Both in the spiritual and material sphere. Laziness leads to debt, debt leads to some form of slave labor.
25 Sorrow in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word cheers him up.
26 The righteous shows his neighbor the way, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Friends, kind words matter. Speak kind words, but not out of nowhere; be sure to find in the person something for which you can say a kind word. Otherwise it will be empty and they will not believe you. If a person is despondent, then he is in a hopeless situation, but the righteous sees everything ahead. And he can not only say a kind word, but also help find a way out. But it is difficult to help a lazy person. Because a lazy person, even if he has earned something and hunted, does not finish the job. He caught the game, but didn’t fry it... He’s too lazy. And the diligent, righteous person brings the job to the end. Finish what you start, pay off your debts, be diligent, do your job and you will feel freedom and happiness with God.
27 The lazy man does not roast his game; and the property of a diligent man is of great value.
28 In the path of righteousness there is life, and in its path there is no death.
Choose the path of righteousness))) Have a nice day, friends!!!
Word: "parable"– among external people it is used to mean sayings that are common to the people and pronounced, most often on the roads; because they call the path οιμος, from which the parable (παροιμια) is defined as follows: an adjunct saying, the most common in popular use and from a little conveniently attached to a lot of the same. And we have a parable useful word, expressed with some secrecy, but both at first glance containing a lot of useful things, and in its depths hiding an extensive thought. That is why the Lord says: “These things I spoke to you in parables: but the hour will come when I did not speak to you in parables, but in reality”(John 16:25); because the tributary word does not have an openly and generally intelligibly expressed meaning, but reveals its intention in an indirect way and only to people who are more attentive. That's why "parables of Solomon", that is, sayings that arouse attention and provide benefits along the entire path of life.
And he named the writer in order to attract the listener with the celebrity of his face; because the reliability of the teacher makes the word worthy of credibility and also disposes the students to be more attentive. So, "parables of Solomon", that Solomon to whom the Lord said: “Behold, I gave you a meaningful and wise heart; There was no man like you before you, and no man like you will rise after you.”(1 Kings 3:12). And further: “The Lord gave to Solomon much sense and wisdom, and breadth of heart, like the sand of the sea: and the wisdom of Solomon multiplied... more than... all the ancient people and more than all the wise Egyptians"(1 Kings 4, 29–30). So the addition of the name is necessary!
"The Parables of Solomon, the son of David". The name of the father is also added so that you know that Solomon was wise, descended from a father who was also wise and a prophet, from infancy he was taught sacred writing, but by lot he received power; He did not by force appropriate to himself a kingdom that did not belong to him at all; but he accepted the father’s scepter according to the fair judgment of his father and according to God’s determination.
He was king in Jerusalem. And this was not said in vain, but mainly to distinguish the similar name of kings from others, and beyond this, and so that since he built the notorious temple, then you also knew the builder of this temple and the author of all civil order, statutes and deanery. The fact that the writer of the book is a king also helps a lot in accepting advice. If royal power is a legitimate government, then it is obvious that the rules given by the king, truly worthy of this name, have great legality, being aimed at the common benefit of all, and not drawn up with the intention of achieving the king’s own benefit. This is what distinguishes an evil ruler from a king, that one always has his own benefits in mind, while the other thinks about the benefit of his subjects.
Discourse on the beginning of the Book of Proverbs.
St. John Chrysostom
What is said in the Proverbs by the Holy Spirit in contrasts is well understood by those who have a heart devoted to God, since they understand the true truth proclaimed by Christ.
On the Proverbs of Solomon.
St. Clement of Alexandria
Art. 1-2 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the sayings of the mind
Proverbs, parables and allegories are spoken of in barbarian philosophy as types of prophecies. It is said there about “wisdom”, and, as distinct from it, “education”, and about “words of prudence”, “evasive words” and “true righteousness”, “the science of right judgment and error-free action”, which is the result of this teaching , and about the "perception and thinking" which the convert learns.
Stromata.
Blazh. Augustine
Art. 1-2 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the sayings of the mind
Why the reigning Father entrusted His judgment and justice to the reigning Son is clearly shown when it is said: may He judge Your people righteously(Ps 71:2), that is, for justice against the people of God. Solomon has the same word: Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:1-2).
Interpretation of the Psalms.
Origen
Art. 1-2 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the sayings of the mind
A parable is a mysterious statement with an indirect meaning. Solomon reigned in Israel to know wisdom and learning. Wisdom is spiritual knowledge relating to God, incorporeal things and judgment, and it also includes the doctrine of providence, ethics, physics and theology. Or, wisdom is the knowledge of the corporeal and incorporeal and the judgment and providence related to them. Learning, on the other hand, is the moderation of passions relating to the desirable or unreasonable part of the soul, and he who has reached the level of theology has learned wisdom.
On Proverbs.
[Solomon] called this book “Proverbs.” This word means that something is said publicly, but it points to something deeper. Even the common use of parables teaches this, and John in his Gospel writes that the Savior said: Hitherto I have spoken to you in parables; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in parables, but will tell you directly about the Father(John 16:25) . This is also the title of this book.
…Solomon, who apparently served the will of the Holy Spirit in these three books, is called in Proverbs Solomon the son of David, leading Israel.<…>Therefore, in the first book of Proverbs, when he gives us moral instructions, he is called the king of Israel, but not of Jerusalem, because, although we are called Israel by reason of faith, this does not yet mark us as having reached the heavenly Jerusalem.
To the Song of Songs.
Trouble the Honorable
Art. 1-2 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the sayings of the mind
Proverbs(parabolae) Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. The Greek word "parabola" is called "similitudines" in Latin. Solomon gave this book such a name so that we would understand what was written more deeply and not according to the spoken letter. By this he indicates that just as the Lord spoke to the people in parables, so Solomon own name and the peaceful nature of the government foreshadows Christ and the Church, about which it is said: Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and in his kingdom.(Isaiah 9:7) And by the construction and consecration of the temple, he hints at the creation of the holy Church, which at the time of the resurrection will be consecrated in eternity. But it was also declared about Christ Himself that He was the son of David and the king of spiritual Israel, according to the testimony of the people who met Him with palm branches and exclamations when He entered Jerusalem. However, it should be noted that the generally accepted translation of the [Greek] word " parables"...as "proverbs" [lat. proverbia] does not deviate from the truth. Indeed, the name parabolae is used correctly, because parabolae are mysterious, and the term proverbia may be used inappropriately: after all, this is what deserves to be more often on the lips of speakers and preserved in memory. Moreover, proverbia are for the most part so vague that for this reason they can also be perceived in the meaning of parabolae. The Lord confirms this with the words: Hitherto I have spoken to you in parables; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in parables, but will tell you directly about the Father.(John 16:25) .
On the Proverbs of Solomon.
Evagrius of Pontus
Art. 1-2 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the sayings of the mind
Parable there is speech that, under the appearance of sensual things, denotes intelligent things.
Scholium on Proverbs.
Didim Slepets
Art. 1-2 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the sayings of the mind
A proverb is a saying similar to the following: “war is sweet to those who have not experienced it” or “a drop wears away a stone.”<…>In the old days, roads were not yet marked with signs, which are now called milia by the Romans, but were then simply called “signs.” The ancients placed them in certain places on the road, and [along with marking the path] they wrote some riddles on them. In doing so, they achieved two goals: the traveler found out how far he had walked, and also, having read the inscription and clarified its meaning for himself, he received rest from fatigue. That's why the road is called οἶμος.
On the Book of Proverbs.
Lopukhin A.P.
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel
Verse one and following, according to the 6th art. inclusive, form the inscription of the book of Proverbs. Solomon's name in v. 1, denotes most closely the compiler of the first nine chapters of the book, but, as we have already said, metonymically and the whole book may be called the work of Solomon. Midrash jalkut to Proverbs (§ 929) draws attention to the capitalization of the first letter of the verse ( meme), and, based on the numerical value of this letter - 40, sees here an indication that Solomon, asking God for wisdom (1 Kings III: 9), fasted, like Moses on the mountain of legislation (Exodus XXXIV: 28), for forty days (Midrasch Mischle ubertr v. A. Wunsche. S. 1); This expresses the view of the Jewish tradition on wisdom and, in general, the entire content of the book of Proverbs as an interpretation of the Torah or the Law of Moses. - Regarding word production and the meaning of the Slavic-Russian name “Parable”, it should be noted that it is usually derived from the root flow(go) or poke(to meet) in both cases it, according to the expression of St. Basil the Great, means a passing (correspondingly Greek παροιμὶα = παρά οῖμος) saying, i.e. one that serves as a pointer to the path, guides a person on the paths of life, giving him means for a successful flow along these paths. The meaning of the title “Parable” of St. is explained in a similar way. Athanasius the Great and John: “The name of the Parable” (παρᾶμοι) comes from the fact that similar sayings were written on every path for the admonition and edification of those passing along the way, but they were written along the way so that people who could not engage in the word of truth would at least , in passing, they noticed what was written, delved into it, and received instructions. Therefore, some define them this way: Parables are roadside((παρόδιον) a saying that transfers a thought from one thing to many. The last words indicate one of the main features of the parable: the applicability of the thought expressed in the parable to many (similar) cases, the typicality of this thought. According to another opinion, the Russian-Slavic " parable" comes from the verb "to stick", "to stitch" (for example, when weaving - at the end of a strip with threads of different colors), - in this case, the name will indicate a decorating, figurative external way of expressing thoughts in parables. Internal and The external nature of the parables that make up the content of the book of this name is clarified in the following verses, v. 2-6, which clarify the meaning and meaning of the parables, and together the purpose and purpose of the book itself.
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