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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. 20–33. Exhorting and Convicting Wisdom Sermon Proverbs 1:1. 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, most closely designates the compiler of the first nine chapters of the book, but, as we have already said, metonymically the entire book can be called the work of Solomon. Midrash jalkut to Proverbs. (§929) draws attention to the capitalization of the first letter of the verse (mem), and, based on the numerical value of this letter - 40, sees here an indication that Solomon, asking God for wisdom (1 Kings 3.9), fasted, like Moses on the mountain of legislation (Exodus 34.28), 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 (meet) in both cases, according to the expression of St. Basil the Great, it means adjunct (corresponding to the Greek παροιμὶα παρά οῖμος) saying, i.e. one that serves as a path indicator, guides a person along the paths of life, giving him the means to successfully 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 “Proverbs” (παρᾶμοι) comes from the fact that such 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, at least in passing, would notice what was written, delve into it, and receive instructions. Therefore, some define them as follows: Parables are a wayside (παρόδιον) saying that transfers 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 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. Proverbs 1:2. to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the sayings of reason; Proverbs 1:3. learn the rules of prudence, justice, justice and righteousness; Proverbs 1:4. give intelligence to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the youth; Proverbs 1:5. the wise man will listen and increase his knowledge, and the wise man will find wise advice; Proverbs 1:6. to understand the parable and the intricate speech, the words of the wise and their riddles. It indicates both the purpose of this collection of parables, the book of Proverbs, and the properties of different types of parables, which together concisely defines the whole content of the entire book. And above all, parables give knowledge of wisdom and doctrine (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 Chrysostom). Wisdom, Hebrew Chokmah (LXX: σοφία, Vulg.: sapientia), according to the philological composition of the Hebrew word, means (according to Schultens): soliditas, hardness, thoroughness (own condensation, πυκνοτης), then the highest understanding of life and things in their essence, finally, the ability to arrange one’s life in accordance with With this knowledge, it is normal to determine the relationship to God and 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, heb. – musar, LXX: παιδεία, Vulg.: disciplina – the entire system of educational measures, not excluding punitive ones. According to the midrash, "wisdom" (chokmah) and "learning" (musar) are inextricably linked to each other, the latter being a consequence of the former. In the book of Proverbs, further, is the understanding of the words or sayings of wisdom in Heb. bina, LXX: δρόνησις, Vulg.: prudentia (Hebrew bina, by its root meaning, includes the moment of distinction - for example, between good and evil (1 Kings 3.9), wisdom and foolishness, higher and lower, useful and harmful), i.e. (according to St. Athan. Vel. and Ing.) “acquiring knowledge of 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 (Proverbs 25.2); about fishery (Proverbs 15.3–21, 22.2, 23.13); He does not speak simply about justice (Proverbs 15.8–25), about peacemaking, but asserts that the Lord created everything with His Word and wisdom (Proverbs 3.19, 8.26–27, 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 “teaching”: both contribute to the assimilation of the “rules of prudence” (Hebrew musar haskel), justice (more precisely, truth, tzedek), judgment (mishpat) and rightness (honesty, mesharim), Vulg.: ad suscipiendam eruditionem doctrinae, justitiam et judicium et aequitatem. LXX otherwise conveys the first half of Art. 3rd: δἐξαθσαι στροφάς λόγων, and according to other lists (codd. 68, 109, 147, 157, 161, 248) in Golmes, Compl. Ald, also: καί λὐσεις αίνιγμάτων. In glory Ostrog and Elisabeth Bibles, according to the last addition, the entire first half of 3rd century. it reads: accept the convolution of words and the resolution of fortune-telling. The development of words, explain the saints. Afan. Vel. and I. Zlat., are “those sayings in which we discover the hidden meaning in them, turning them with the mind, or exploring them by reflection (for example, Proverbs 10.5; Proverbs 27.25).” Thus, parables refine a person’s mind, make him resourceful, capable of guessing the meaning of mysterious speeches. 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. form, proper wickedness (Gen. 3.1), as in Greek. πανουργὶα, lat. astutia; here in the good sense (cf. Proverbs 8.5, 12, 13.16, 14.15, 22.3) - prudence or forethought, to avoid the snares of the cunning and malicious (cf. Mt 10.16), - as well as knowledge and prudence in general (Heb. daat uzimma, LXX: αιόθησιν κ. ἔνγοιαν, Vulg.: scientiam el intellectum). But parables, as ready-made rules of worldly 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, sn. Proverbs 11.14), Heb. tahbulot. LXX: κυβέυγησις (control of the ship). Vulg.: gubernacula, slav.: construction, i.e. in general the art or skill for improving life (fn. Proverbs 20:18, 24:6). 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: σκοτεινόν λογον κ. αἱνίγματα. Apparently, this refers to special parables of a mysterious nature, which especially occur in Proverbs 30. The ancients, especially the Easterners, highly valued the art of proposing and solving riddles (cf. Judges 14:12–19). 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 10.1). However, due to the fact that in the article in question. 6, the expression “intricate speech” (melitsa) and “riddle” (khida) are compared with the more general expressions “parable” (mashal) and “words of the wise” (dibre hakamim), one might think (St. Athan. Vel. and I. Zlat.) that in Art. 6 we mean “not cunning words that deceive with the appearance of credibility, but precise ones, as if known by the speakers themselves and expressing, as it were, the sentences they pronounce” (for example, Proverbs 15.13–14). 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, will beware of them, and presents, as it were, a brief outline of the movement of the soul (for example, Proverbs 10.12, 13.4, 14.11) “...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 evils and good, will avoid evil, and did good.” The midrash sees the entire verse as a reference to the Torah. Proverbs 1:7. 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. It 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 110.10, 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, especially its first part (Proverbs 1–9). 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. 4.10). 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 the sense that piety - a constant reverent mood in relation to God - should be the dominant spiritual mood in the seeker of wisdom. In his quest 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 (Proverbs 2.6f. James 1.5ff.), that without the light of His revelation the human mind would forever wander in the darkness of ignorance and misconceptions regarding the most important truths (cf. 1 Cor 1.20). 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 (Bishop Vissarion. Interpretation on Parimia II, pp. 9–10). Both wisdom and piety are rejected, to their destruction, by wicked people whose wickedness darkens their common sense (cf. Jer 4:22). 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 unrighteousness and sin (cf. Proverbs 8.13). Proverbs 1:8. Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not reject your mother’s covenant, Proverbs 1:9. for this is a beautiful wreath for your head and an ornament for your neck. Already in this section, both positive and negative incentives for wisdom - piety - are proposed. Having spoken about the fear of God (Prov. 1:7), 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 (Exodus 20.12; Deut. 5.16, cf. Eph 6.1–3), places the teaching authority of parents - father and mother (the Talmud understands ab “father”, and em “mother” in a figurative sense, meaning by the father is God, and under the mother is 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 learns instruction (glorified: punishment, Greek - παιδεία, Lat. - discipline, Heb. - musar), - sometimes combined with measures of physical influence of the father on the son (Proverbs 23.13-14 , sn. Proverbs 22.15), - to the mother - only a covenant (Russian) or covenants (Greek - θεσμοί, Lat. - Иex, Heb. - torah). The one to whom Solomon addresses (here as in Proverbs 1.10, 2.1, 3.1) with instructions, he calls a son, partly first of all in the physical sense (he could mean Rehoboam), and then in general youth, by right of teaching, as a sign of fatherly 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 4.15; Phil 1.10; Gal 4.19). 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. Proverbs 4.9) and a necklace on his neck (Proverbs 3.3, 6.21). Proverbs 1:10. My son! if sinners persuade you, do not agree; Proverbs 1:11. if they say: “Come with us, we will set up an ambush for murder, we will lie in wait for the blameless without guilt, Proverbs 1:12. We will swallow them up alive, like hell, and whole, like those descending into the grave; Proverbs 1:13. Let us gather all kinds of precious possessions, let us fill our houses with spoils; Proverbs 1:14. you will cast your lots with us, we will all have the same warehouse,” -: Proverbs 1:15. my son! do not go on a journey with them; keep your foot from their path, Proverbs 1:16. because their feet run to evil and hasten to shed blood. Proverbs 1:17. In the eyes of all the birds the net is laid in vain, Proverbs 1:18. but they lay an ambush for their blood and lie in wait for their souls. Proverbs 1:19. These are the ways of anyone who covets someone else's goods: it takes the life of the one who takes possession of it. 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 into evil by the “sinner” (v. 10), Heb. hattaim, Vulg.: peccatores, LXX: ἄνδρες ἀσεβεὶς, slav. - men of wickedness - evildoers for whom crime has become a custom (cf. Ps 1.1; Proverbs 16.29). 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 young man invited to be an accomplice with the thought of impunity for the crime (v. 12) and the great share in expected production (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 “paths”; This warning, both in content and in the form of speech, resembles the initial words of the Psalter: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners” (Ps 1.1). Art. 16, repeated by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 59.7) and Ap. Paul (Rom. 3.15), 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 - by an indication of the punishment awaiting them - final death, contrary to the impunity for which they were counting. Proverbs 1:20. Wisdom proclaims in the streets, in the squares she raises her voice, Proverbs 1:21. in the main meeting places he preaches, at the entrances to the city gates he speaks: Proverbs 1:22. “How long, O ignoramuses, will you love ignorance? How long will the violent enjoy rioting? How long will fools hate knowledge? Proverbs 1:23. Turn to my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit on you, I will proclaim my words to you. In contrast to the seductive speeches of criminal people (Prov. 1 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 cover of deep secrecy, the broadcasts and vestments of Wisdom are heard publicly - “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, power, in obedience to which lies all good and happiness for people, and in resistance - destruction. The opinion of some Westerners who see in the depiction of Wisdom in Proverbs 1.20 ff., Proverbs 8.22 ff., 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 (Job 15.7–8, 28.12 ff.) Wisdom is depicted very similar to the book of Proverbs. The very image of the appearance 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 17.7-9), as well as the prophets and - later - the apostles (Matt 10.27; Lk 14.21), all the messengers of the same Wisdom (Lk 11.49). Further, from Art. 22, sets out the very content of the sermon of Wisdom. The first half of Art. 22 LXX and glory. (“As long as the time of innocence adheres to the truth, they will not be ashamed”) is not conveyed in an accusatory sense, as in Hebrew. Vulg. Russian, and in the positive – in the sense of praise “kindly”. But with the context of the speech of Art. 22 the accusatory meaning is more consistent (similar to Ps 4.3): people of three categories are exposed: 1) ignoramuses (simpletons, Heb. petaim), 2) violent mockers, blasphemers, despisers of all that is holy (Hebrew letzim) and 3) fools - people who are alien to knowledge, stupid and always ready to fall spiritually (Hebrew kesilim), in a word, everything, with those who, by intention or ignorance, oppose the truth. And in Art. 23 Wisdom, out of the fullness of her spiritual wealth, desires to shed the spirit of wisdom (cf. Proverbs 18.4) to all without distinction who need 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 7.37-39). Proverbs 1:24. I called, and you did not listen; I stretched out my hand, and there was no one to hear; Proverbs 1:25. and you rejected all my advice, and did not accept my reproofs. 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 threateningly announces the death of all those who stubbornly remain stuck in evil. Proverbs 1:26. For this reason I will laugh at your destruction; I will rejoice when horror comes upon you; Proverbs 1:27. when terror comes upon you like a storm, and trouble comes upon you like a whirlwind; when sorrow and distress befall you. Proverbs 1:28. Then they will call me, and I will not hear; They will look for me in the morning and will not find me. Proverbs 1:29. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, Proverbs 1:30. they did not accept my advice, they despised all my reproofs; Proverbs 1:31. therefore they will eat the fruit of their ways and be satisfied with their thoughts. 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 Thessalonians 5.3), 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. 6.7). Proverbs 1:32. Because the stubbornness of the ignorant will kill them, and the carelessness of fools will destroy them, Proverbs 1:33. 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 the despisers of Wisdom and the strength of happiness of those obedient to 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 benefits, in the Wise One, as well as in the Apostle, is determined by the rule: “piety is profitable for everything, having the promise of the present and future life” (1 Tim. 4.8). In the first half of Art. 32 reading Russian. translation “perseverance ... (in Archim. Macarius - disobedience) will kill them,” which accurately conveys Heb. reading and resp. – Vulgates, Greek should be preferred. and glory “If you offend babies, there will be killings.” You might be interested in: