Глава 25

1. Inscription of a new group of parables. 2–5. About kings, their necessary qualities and responsibilities. 6–7. A warning against arrogance in dealing with kings and nobles. 8–10. Against grumpiness and talkativeness. 11–15. About wisdom in the word, faithfulness and long-suffering. 16–20. Against immoderation, obsession, perjury, gullibility and frivolity. 21–22. About charity to enemies. 23–28. Against passion for strife, lack of self-control, etc. Proverbs 25:1. And these are the parables of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah collected. The group of parables embraced by chapters XXV-XXIX is designated (v. 1) as a collection produced by the labors of some “husbands of King Hezekiah” (v. 1); the latter, obviously, refers to the sages - lawyers of the times of this king of Judah: in these men of Hezekiah the rabbis saw members of the so-called. "Great Synagogue" Proverbs 25:2. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to investigate a matter. Proverbs 25:3. As the sky is high and the earth is deep, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. Proverbs 25:4. Separate the impurity from the silver, and the silversmith will come out with a vessel: Proverbs 25:5. remove the unrighteous from the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. The Wise One spoke about royal power here, as in many other places, from an ideal point of view and at the same time gives practical advice for strengthening the power of the king. Proverbs 25:6. Do not magnify yourself before the king, and do not stand in the place of the great; Proverbs 25:7. because it is better when they say to you: “Come here higher,” than when they lower you before the noble whom your eyes have seen. In this regard, decorum before kings and nobles is spoken of here, and the required modesty at invited feasts here (v. 17) is motivated by the same consideration as is given in the Gospel (Luke 14.8–10) for a similar reason. Proverbs 25:8. Do not hastily enter into litigation: otherwise, what will you do at the end, when your opponent disgraces you? Proverbs 25:9. Conduct litigation with your opponent, but do not reveal the secrets of another, Proverbs 25:10. so that he who hears this does not reproach you, and then your dishonor does not leave you. Proverbs 25:10a. [Love and friendship liberate: save them for yourself, so as not to become worthy of reproach; keep your ways well ordered.] In view of the harmful consequences of quarrelsomeness and talkativeness, a warning is given against both. Proverbs 25:11. Golden apples in silver transparent vessels - a word spoken decently. Proverbs 25:12. A gold earring and jewelry made of pure gold are a wise accuser for an attentive ear. Proverbs 25:13. Like the coolness of snow during the harvest, it is a faithful ambassador for the one who sends it: it brings joy to the soul of his master. Proverbs 25:14. Like clouds and winds without rain, so is a man who boasts of false gifts. Proverbs 25:15. With meekness the nobleman bows to mercy, and a soft tongue breaks the bone. In Art. 11–12 the same thought is revealed in a figurative and, moreover, positive form. Then, in the images of Palestinian nature - the custom of preparing a cooling drink with snow or ice in the summer and the usual waterless clouds in Palestine in the summer (vv. 13-14) - a faithful ambassador and a deceitful man are depicted. In Art. The 15 remark about the power of meekness is reminiscent of Proverbs 15.1. Proverbs 25:18. Like a hammer and a sword and a sharp arrow, so is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor. Proverbs 25:19. Like a broken tooth and a weakened leg, so is the hope of an unreliable [person] in the day of disaster. Proverbs 25:20. Like one who takes off his clothes on a cold day, like vinegar on a wound, he sings songs to a sad heart.– Proverbs 25:20a. –[Like a moth to clothing and a worm to a tree, so sadness harms a person’s heart.] Three kinds of people are figuratively characterized: false witnesses, false friends who leave friends in misfortune, and people who are indifferent to the misfortune of their neighbors. Proverbs 25:21. If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink: Proverbs 25:22. for [by doing this] you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. The exhortation to do good to a needy enemy is a development of the thought of the legislator Exodus 23.4–5; in a somewhat abbreviated form it is also given by the Apostle (Rom. 12.20; cn. Mt. 25.35). Proverbs 25:23. The north wind produces rain, and the secret tongue produces dissatisfied faces. Proverbs 25:24. It is better to live in a corner on the roof than with a grumpy wife in a spacious house. Proverbs 25:25. What cold water is to a thirsty soul is good news from a distant land. Proverbs 25:26. Like a troubled fountain and a damaged spring, so is the righteous who falls before the wicked. Proverbs 25:27. Just as it is not good to eat a lot of honey, so seeking glory is not glory. Proverbs 25:28. Like a destroyed city without walls, so is a man who does not control his spirit. In Art. 23 unpleasant consequences of secret conversations and gossip - suspicions and so on. - are compared with the action of the north, or more precisely northwest (in Palestine) wind, bringing clouds. Art. 24, n. Proverbs 21.9; Art. 25, n. Proverbs 15.30. 26 Art. speaks of the moral weakness of the righteous before the wicked, for example, in the form of the former’s compliance with the judgments of the latter, or of the physical suffering of the righteous on the part of the sinner: the Wise One compares both of these, as a sad phenomenon, with a muddy source that only deceives the traveler. Art. 27 is difficult to understand and has given rise to many interpretations. Apparently, here we should see an indication that even in such a respectable matter as the search for truth, the study of lofty objects, moderation must be observed. A similar meaning is given by the Vulgate translation: qui scrutator est majestatis, opprimetur a gloria. Art. 28, summarizing what was said in the previous verses, in a negative form expresses the idea of ​​​​the necessity and benefit of self-control for a person: a person who does not control himself, who cannot put a rein on his passions, is open to all external influences and temptations for his freedom and morality, and in this respect is like a city with ruined walls (cf. 2 Chr. 32.5; Neh. 2.13). You might be interested in: