Глава 13

1–3. Introductory Remarks on the Benefits to a Young Man of Hearing the Lessons of Wisdom. 4–12. A correct view of the meaning and use of wealth. 13–17. About the goodness of the word of God. 18–25. An exhortation to obedience to the word of God. Proverbs 13:1. A wise son listens to his father's instruction, but a violent son does not listen to reproof. Proverbs 13:2. From the fruit of his mouth a person will taste good, but the soul of transgressors will taste evil. Proverbs 13:3. He who guards his mouth guards his soul; but whoever opens his mouth wide will be in trouble. The thought of a young man’s duty of attention to the lessons of wisdom is the favorite thought of the Wise One (cf. Proverbs 15.12). Equally common in the book of Proverbs are thoughts about the value of the gift of speech and the responsibility for the abuse of this gift (vv. 2–3, cf. Proverbs 12.14, 18.21). Proverbs 13:4. The soul of the lazy desires, but in vain; and the soul of the diligent will be satisfied. Proverbs 13:5. The righteous hates a false word, but the wicked shames and dishonors himself. Proverbs 13:6. Truth keeps the blameless along the way, but wickedness destroys the sinner. Proverbs 13:7. Someone pretends to be rich, but he has nothing; another pretends to be poor, but he has a lot of wealth. Proverbs 13:8. A man redeems his life with his wealth, but the poor do not even hear the threat. Proverbs 13:9. The light of the righteous burns cheerfully, but the lamp of the wicked goes out. Proverbs 13:9a. – [Cunning souls wander in sins, but the righteous are compassionate and have mercy.] Proverbs 13:10. From arrogance comes discord, but from those who consult, wisdom comes. Proverbs 13:11. Wealth is exhausted by vanity, but he who gathers with labor multiplies it. Proverbs 13:12. A hope that does not come true for a long time torments the heart, but a fulfilled desire is like a tree of life. The benefits of life are twofold: spiritual, religious-moral and material, often connected with one another; Accordingly, in this section, together and alternately, it is said about observations of the external life of people (v. 7-8) and about the everyday requirements of material well-being, such as: aversion from laziness and diligence (v. 4), about frugality (v. 11) about the power and dangers of wealth (v. 8), - then the actual truths of moral teaching are set forth, such as: about the goodness and glory of righteousness (5–6, 9, 12). In Art. 9 in the LXX text there is (not in all codes) the addition: ψυχαὶ δόλιαι πλανῶνται ἐν ἁμαρτιάις, δίκαιοι δἐ οικτίρούσι καὶ ἐλεοῦσι, glory: “flattering souls go astray in sins, but the righteous are generous and show mercy” (in the Russian Synod. Translation, these words are enclosed in brackets). These words, having no direct connection with the previous words of Art. 9, but are consistent with the general moral tone of this section. Proverbs 13:13. He who neglects the word harms himself; and whoever fears the commandment will be rewarded. Proverbs 13:14. [The son of the evil one has nothing good, but the wise servant does well and his path is straight.] Proverbs 13:15. The teaching of the wise is a source of life, removing one from the snares of death. Proverbs 13:16. A good mind is pleasant, but the path of the wicked is cruel. Proverbs 13:17. Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his stupidity. Here, thoughts about the benefits or salvation of true wisdom, listening to the lessons of the word of God, and the harm of neglecting it are revealed in some more detail (cf. Proverbs 1.24, 10.11, etc.). Proverbs 13:18. A bad ambassador gets into trouble, but a faithful messenger brings salvation. Proverbs 13:19. Poverty and shame to him who rejects the teaching; and whoever keeps the instruction will be honored. Proverbs 13:20. A wish fulfilled is pleasant for the soul; but it is intolerable for fools to shy away from evil. Proverbs 13:21. He who associates with the wise will be wise, but he who associates with fools will become corrupt. Proverbs 13:22. Sinners are persecuted by evil, but the righteous are rewarded with good. Proverbs 13:23. The good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, but the wealth of the sinner is reserved for the righteous. Proverbs 13:24. There is also a lot of grain in the fields of the poor; but some die from the disorder. Proverbs 13:25. He who spares his rod hates his son; and whoever loves punishes him from childhood. Proverbs 13:26. The righteous eats until he is full, but the belly of the wicked suffers deprivation. A number of judgments varied in content are proposed, united only by a common attitude towards wisdom and its meaning in everyday life. This is what is said about the opposite consequences - attention and inattention to the teachings of wisdom (vv. 19-20, Heb. 18-19), about the influence on a person from the side of the society in which he turns (v. 21, Heb. 20), about personal and offspring happiness - the righteous and misfortune - the sinner (vv. 22-23, Heb. 21-22), about the life contentment of the former and the shortcomings of the second (vv. 24-26, Heb. 23-25); here (v. 25, Heb. 24), as well as below (Proverbs 23.13), a remark is made about the need to use physical coercion measures in education. You might be interested in: