Глава 26

1–12. Against madness, its manifestations and consequences. 13–16. Against laziness. 17–19. Against immoderate playfulness 20–28. Against cunning, lies and deceit. Proverbs 26:1. Like snow in summer and rain during harvest, so honor is unbecoming to a fool. Proverbs 26:2. Just as a sparrow flutters, just as a swallow flies away, so an undeserved curse will not come true. Proverbs 26:3. The whip is for the horse, the bridle is for the donkey, and the stick is for fools. Proverbs 26:4. Do not answer a fool according to his stupidity, lest you become like him; Proverbs 26:5. Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become a wise man in his own eyes. Proverbs 26:6. The one who cuts his legs and suffers trouble is the one who gives a verbal instruction to a fool. Proverbs 26:7. The legs of a lame man rise unevenly, and a parable is in the mouth of fools. Proverbs 26:8. Like someone who puts a precious stone into a sling, he gives honor to a fool. Proverbs 26:9. Like a thorn in the hand of a drunken man, so is a parable in the mouth of fools. Proverbs 26:10. The strong do everything arbitrarily: he rewards the stupid, and he rewards every passerby. Proverbs 26:11. Just as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his stupidity. Proverbs 26:12. Have you seen a man who is wise in his eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. The unnaturalness of snow in summer and rain during harvest (in Palestine) is taken (v. 1) as an image of obscenity and, as it were, unnaturalness of honor and glory for a fool. Then the powerlessness of an oath or curse uttered by a fool is figuratively presented (v. 2), as well as the need for physical influence to bring him to his senses (v. 3). In Art. 4–5 the rabbis saw a direct contradiction, but this contradiction is imaginary: in Art. 4 refers to one moment of manifestation of stupidity, when all admonitions and reproofs of a fool are useless (v. 4b), - in Art. 5 – it is prescribed to expose stupidity in order to prevent the fool from exalting himself with imaginary wisdom; in one case the insignificance of a fool is self-evident; in another it requires deliberate exposure. Further, stupidity is illuminated from the outside - the complete lack of skill and inability of a fool to do any useful work (vv. 6-9), - undeserved happiness (vv. 10), sluggishness in one's foolishness (v. 11), and again - self-exaltation and arrogance (v. 12). Expression Art. 11 is given in 2 Pet 2.22. Proverbs 26:13. The sloth says: “There is a lion on the road! lion in the squares! Proverbs 26:14. The door tosses and turns on its hooks, and the sloth on its bed. Proverbs 26:15. The slothful man puts his hand into the cup, and it is difficult for him to bring it to his mouth. Proverbs 26:16. The sloth in his eyes is wiser than the seven who answer thoughtfully. In the depiction of laziness here, the features previously expressed by the Wise are repeated verbatim, see Art. 13 and Proverbs 22.13; Art. 15 and Proverbs 19.24. Proverbs 26:17. He grabs a dog by the ears who, passing by, interferes in someone else's quarrel. Proverbs 26:18. Like someone pretending to be mad throws fire, arrows and death, Proverbs 26:19. like a man who insidiously harms his friend and then says: “I was only joking.” In Art. 18 figuratively - through comparison - the idea is expressed about the extreme harm of inappropriate jokes and fun. Proverbs 26:20. Where there is no more wood, the fire goes out, and where there is no earpiece, discord subsides. Proverbs 26:21. Coal is for heat and wood is for fire, and a grumpy person is for inciting a quarrel. Proverbs 26:22. The words of the earphone are like delicacies, and they enter the inside of the womb. Proverbs 26:23. Like an earthen vessel lined with unclean silver, so are fiery lips and an evil heart. Proverbs 26:24. The enemy pretends with his lips, but in his heart he plots deceit. Proverbs 26:25. Even if he speaks in a gentle voice, do not believe him, because there are seven abominations in his heart. Proverbs 26:26. If hatred is hidden in private, then its malice will be revealed in the people's assembly. Proverbs 26:27. Whoever digs a hole will fall into it, and whoever rolls up a stone will return to him. Proverbs 26:28. A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and flattering lips prepare for destruction. In figurative and direct speech (vv. 20–21) the harm of discord and quarrels is expressed. Art. 24–25 – a warning against the danger of hypocrisy; in Art. 26 – motive to abstain from anger and hatred: the inevitability of the discovery of secret hatred. Art. 26 summarizes the previous instructions. You might be interested in: