Глава 15

1–7. Against the sins of the word. 8–15. God abhors and hates every evil heart. 16–33. From the point of view of true wisdom, various virtues and vices are spoken of, mainly in religious life. Proverbs 15:1. [Anger destroys even the wise.] A gentle answer turns away anger, but an insulting word stirs up rage. Proverbs 15:2. The tongue of the wise imparts good knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish spews out foolishness. Proverbs 15:3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place: they see the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:4. A meek tongue is a tree of life, but an unbridled tongue is a brokenness of spirit. Proverbs 15:5. A fool neglects his father's instruction; and whoever listens to reproof is prudent. [In the abundance of righteousness there is great power, and the wicked will be uprooted from the earth.] Proverbs 15:6. In the house of the righteous there is an abundance of treasures, but in the income of the wicked there is disorder. Proverbs 15:7. The mouth of the wise spreads knowledge, but the heart of fools does not do so. Instructions are offered on meekness and caution in speech (vv. 1, 4), and at the same time a warning is given against anger and insane malice (vv. 1-2), both of which are justified by an indication of the omniscience of God, from which neither good nor evil can hide (vv. 3), and then a general thought is developed about the beneficialness of wisdom and the harm of madness (vv. 5-7). Proverbs 15:8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the righteous is pleasing to Him. Proverbs 15:9. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves the one who walks in the path of righteousness. Proverbs 15:10. Evil punishment is for him who strays from the path, and he who hates reproof will perish. Proverbs 15:11. Sheol and Abaddon are open before the Lord, much more the hearts of the sons of men. Proverbs 15:12. The dissolute does not like those who reprove him, and will not go to the wise. Proverbs 15:13. A cheerful heart makes the face cheerful, but with heartbreak the spirit becomes depressed. Proverbs 15:14. The heart of a wise man seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on foolishness. Proverbs 15:15. All the days of the unfortunate man are sad; and he who has a cheerful heart always has a feast. In Art. 8–9, the idea very often repeated by sacred writers is expressed that a necessary condition for the godliness of sacrifice, prayer and all external reverence for God is a pure moral mood and sincere disposition of a person, that, on the contrary, in the absence of these conditions, sacrifices and prayers are disgusting before God (Proverbs 21.27; Isa 1.11, 66.3; Jer 6.20; Hos 5.6, 8.13; Am 5.21–22, etc.). God loves only those who seek righteousness, but He turns away the wicked and despisers of wisdom, and destruction befalls them (vv. 9-10). To prevent evil deeds and even unclean thoughts, a person must always remember the omniscience of God, before which areas inaccessible to the human eye are open: the underworld, hell, Heb. Sheol and destruction, Heb. Abaddon (v. 11), that is, the area of ​​destruction and death (fn. Proverbs 27.20; Job 26.6, 28.22); in the Apocalypse, the name of Abaddon, in Greek Apollyon (i.e., the destroyer), is named after the Angel - the king of the abyss (Rev 11.9). Moreover, all the secrets of the human heart are revealed to the omniscience of God (cf. Ps 11.1). Next, several moral and psychological characteristics of the wise and the wicked are indicated (vv. 13–15). Proverbs 15:16. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and with it anxiety. Proverbs 15:17. Better is a dish of greens, and with it love, than a fattened bull, and with it, hatred. Proverbs 15:18. A hot-tempered person stirs up strife, but a patient person calms strife. Proverbs 15:19. The path of the lazy is like a wattle fence, but the path of the righteous is smooth. Proverbs 15:20. A wise son makes his father happy, but a foolish man despises his mother. Proverbs 15:21. Stupidity is a joy for the weak-witted, but a wise man walks on the straight path. Proverbs 15:22. Without advice, businesses will fail, but with many advisors they will succeed. Proverbs 15:23. A man's joy is in the answer of his mouth, and how good is the word at the right time! Proverbs 15:24. The path of life of the wise is upward to avoid the underworld below. Proverbs 15:25. The Lord will destroy the house of the arrogant, but He will strengthen the border of the widow. Proverbs 15:26. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the blameless are acceptable to Him. Proverbs 15:27. The selfish man will destroy his house, but the one who hates gifts will live. Proverbs 15:28. The heart of the righteous ponders an answer, but the mouth of the wicked spews out evil.– Proverbs 15:28a. – [Pleasant in the sight of the Lord are the ways of the righteous; through them even enemies become friends.] Proverbs 15:29. The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:30. A bright look gladdens the heart, good news fattens the bones. Proverbs 15:31. An ear attentive to the teachings of life dwells among the wise. Proverbs 15:32. He who rejects instruction does not care about his soul; and whoever listens to reproof gains understanding. Proverbs 15:33. The fear of the Lord teaches wisdom, and humility precedes glory. The superiority of moral goods, peace and love over material contentment, combined with the absence of fear of God and hatred of neighbors is pointed out (vv. 16–17, fn. Ps 36.16); in connection with the latter, quarrelsomeness is condemned and peacefulness is praised (v. 18, fn. Proverbs 26.21), and the harm of idleness and the benefits of hard work and courage are shown (v. 19). Next, the more than once repeated idea is given that children, wise or foolish, are a source of pride or grief for their parents (v. 20, fn. Proverbs 10.1, 17.25), the difference, from the point of view of expediency, between the ways of the wise and the wicked is indicated (v. 21), and the beneficialness of the advice of many wise people is highlighted (v. 22, n. Proverbs 11.14) and the power of thoughtful words (v. 23). Then the behavior of a true sage is illuminated by the highest light of faith in the afterlife (v. 24, cf. Proverbs 11.7, 14.32), and in his life itself there are differences: the traits of his inner disposition (thoughts and words, v. 26, incorruptibility, v. 27, prayer, v. 29, attentiveness to the lessons of wisdom, v. 32-32, especially the fear of God, v. 33) and an external lot in life, contrary to the fate of the wicked (vv. 25, 27, 30). 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