Proverbs of King Solomon summary. Interpretation of the Book of Solomon's Proverbs

3) parabolic parables, combining elements of synonymous and antithetical parables: they represent something similar in completely different types of phenomena, especially ethical and physical phenomena, and the first line of the verse represents some stroke from pictures of nature, and the second - some ethical truth , the first hemistich represents, so to speak, an allegorical picture, and the second is an explanatory caption to it (for example).

From such artificial form parable, it naturally follows that they cannot at all be identified or compared with folk proverbs, of which every people has many (among the Greeks: a collection of parables of the seven wise men, poets and Pythagoras; among the Romans - Cato, Yu. Caesar), there were especially many among the peoples of the ancient East, for example. among the Arabs (collections of parables, as works folk wisdom, were known among the Arabs under the name Abu Abayda and Maidani). On the contrary, in the collection of Solomon’s parables, the experiments of one or more wise men are given - to embrace truths or general wisdom as applied to possible diverse particular cases of life and express them in short, witty and easy-to-memorize sayings (cf. Interpretations. Bibl. vol. II, p. 383), which, without having a close logical connection with each other, are located only in external connection with each other.

Although it is indisputable that “proverbs” are, in a sense, a product of the subjective creativity of the sage, a product of the sage’s amateur exercise in the law, the idea of ​​some Western biblical scholars that the wisdom of the book of Proverbs has no connection with the religion of the people of God is completely unacceptable, and even stands in contradiction with her; on the contrary, religion constitutes the basic basis of all the sayings of the book of Proverbs, the law of Moses is the basic assumption of all the moralizing and other ideas of this book: Divine revelation is the unchanging source of all the divinely enlightened wisdom of the sacred source. Hence, Solomon’s parables differ from other eastern parables precisely in their religious direction and the imprinted character of the revelation from which they stem, and as a result of this, in the character of purity, certainty and infallibility with which all relations of life are understood here and raised to the knowledge of man’s purpose determined by God. .

The totality of sayings contained in the book of Proverbs constitutes what is called “wisdom,” Heb. Chokmah. This wisdom, spoken by various sages, is an independent and spontaneous Power, speaking through the sages, giving them and everyone knowledge of revealed truth (: “ without a revelation from above, the people are not curbed, but he who keeps the law is blessed"). The entire teaching of the book of Proverbs is the word of Jehovah or the law of Jehovah: more specifically, it comes from the person of the eternal Wisdom who created the world (sn.), and even before the creation of the world was with God (), always close to the sons of men (), in Israel it is deliberately preaching publicly in all places of public meetings (), listening to the prayers of those asking (), pouring out the spirit of wisdom on those who receive it (), in a word - the personal or hypostatic Wisdom of God.

The essential character of the wisdom that the book of Proverbs teaches, like all the so-called Chokmic sacred biblical writing (some psalms: , , , the book of Job, the book of Ecclesiastes, the book of Jesus, the son of Sirach), is composed of two main features. This wisdom, firstly, is entirely based on religious basis and there is in its essence true knowledge of God and reverence for God: “ the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord» (); « the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (). This wisdom, secondly, is first and foremost of a practical nature: while in the prophetic writings a lot of space is devoted to speeches about the destinies of the people of God, about their beliefs, etc., in the book of Proverbs this entire theoretical element is only a basis, an assumption all judgments of the priest. writer, the main subject of his speech is always the practical life of a theocratic society and its individual member according to the guidance of Jehovah’s law. There is a way of the Lord and this way is a stronghold to the blameless, and a fear to the workers of iniquity(). The source of all true wisdom is in the law of Jehovah: “ Man's steps are directed from the Lord; How can a person know his path?" (). According to whether people follow the path of Jehovah or deviate from it, all humanity is divided into wise and foolish, that is, those disposed to accept the law of God and follow his path - pious people, and trying to replace the will of God common to all with their own partial will and thus those who violate the harmony of the world - wicked and sinful people (see, for example,). Moreover, the inevitable consequence, according to God’s judgment, of virtue is goodness and happiness, and of wickedness and sin - all kinds of disaster (see, for example,). From this basic principle flow all the numerous instructions of the book of Proverbs, which embrace all the diversity of human life and everyday relationships. In general, the totality of the sayings of the book of Proverbs represents, as it were, special moral legislation, parallel to the legislation of Moses. But if the books of Moses, by their very purpose as legal books, pay primary attention to the development of national forms of civil and religious life Jews, as exclusively God's chosen people, then the legislation of the book of Proverbs stands on a universal point of view (in the whole book the name of Israel is never mentioned) and sets the goal, next to the specific features of biblical Jewry, to develop also the universal aspects of spiritual life, the general humanitarian direction towards truth and goodness. The concept of wisdom - in the sense of the book of Proverbs - is not limited to religiosity, piety, piety alone, but embraces the life of a theocratic Jew in all its diversity, in all directions and in all respects, for example, the concept of wisdom necessarily includes: prudence, insight, prudence , artistic talents and many others. etc. Converging in terms of the prevailing legislative content with the books of the Law of Moses and differing in this from the historical and prophetic writings, the book of Proverbs has the similarity with the latter in that the moral element in it, like that of the prophets, decisively prevails over the liturgical, ritual, cultic. But there can be no talk of any allegedly hostile attitude of the philosophy of the book of Proverbs to the Law of Moses (which, for example, I. F. Bruch admitted, Weishertslehre der Hebraer. En Beitrag zur Geschichte der Philos. Strassburg. 1851). On the contrary, the law of Moses in the moral legislation of the book. Proverbs found a new point of support, since the development of universal humane virtues was supposed to soften the stiff-necked spirit of the people and dispose them to fulfill the commandments of the law, moreover, the book of Proverbs provides solutions to moral issues only in the spirit of the law. It is fair, therefore, that the Jewish tradition (Midrash on the book) asserted that Solomon, gradually moving from saying to saying, from comparison to comparison, in this way explored the secrets of the Torah, and even that before Solomon no one properly understood the words of the Torah. If justice and good deeds are placed above sacrifice, then this is by no means a protest against the Mosaic Law (the authority of which, on the contrary, is strongly protected in the book of Proverbs, see: “ Whoever turns away his ear from hearing the law, his prayer is an abomination"), but only the clarification of its meaning is the same as that which we find in full force and repeatedly in the prophets (see ; ; ). Since, according to the view of the book of Proverbs itself, in order to understand its instructions and advice, certain wisdom, developed meaning and a sense of human dignity are required, then the legislation of the book. The parable, like our moral Christian philosophy, was originally intended specifically for the intelligentsia of the people, primarily for the rulers of the people themselves (as can be seen from many places in the book, the heirs of Solomon were edified by its lessons first and foremost).

Judging by the entire content of the book of Proverbs, as a teaching about wisdom, as well as by the very inscription of the book, in which it is called, among other things, wisdom and the words of the wise, it should be considered the ancient name of the book, parallel to the generally accepted “Proverbs”, Heb. Michelet, other: "book of wisdom or wisdom", Heb. Sefer Chokmah. This book was already known with this name in ancient Hebrew tradition (in the Talmud, see tosefta to tr. Baba batra 14b), and from there this name passed into the Christian, ancient church tradition. Although he only uses the name “Proverbs” when he conveys Heb. Michelet Greek transcription Μισλώθ, but the more common title of our book among ancient church teachers was σοφία, πανάρετος σοφία. Yes, St. Clement of Rome (1 Cor. 67:3), citing the passage, expresses: ὄυτως γὰρ λέγει ή πανάρετος σοφία . Melito of Sardis (in Eusebius of Caesarea’s “Ecclesiastical History,” book IV, chapter 26, §13) cites both titles of the book as equally common: Σολομῶνογ παροιμίαι , ἤ καί Σοφία . According to the testimony of the church historian Eusebius (Ts. Ist. Book IV, Chapter 22, §9), not only Meliton of Sardis, Egesippus and St. who he quoted. Irenaeus of Lyons, but all Christian antiquity called the parables of Solomon all-perfect wisdom, πανάρετος σοφία ( ὁ πᾶγ τῶν ἀρχαίων χορός πανάρετος σοφία τὰς Σολομῶνος παροιμὶας ἐκὰλουν ) and, according to Eusebius, this name came “from an unwritten Jewish tradition” ( ἕξ Ιουδαϊκῆς ἀγράφου παραδόσεος ). The name “book of Wisdom” is, without a doubt, more befitting the book of Proverbs of Solomon than the two non-canonical teaching books: “The Book of the Wisdom of Solomon” and “The Book of the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach.” And even in comparison with the two canonical books - the book of Job and the book of Ecclesiastes, usually classified as chochmic biblical writing, i.e. containing the revelation of the doctrine of wisdom - the book of Proverbs has the advantage of completeness, integrity and completeness of the disclosure of the doctrine of wisdom.

In the Greek, Slavic and Russian Bibles, as well as in the Vulgate, the book of Proverbs belongs to the sevenfold clergy. books - book Job, the Psalter, the Proverbs of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, the Wisdom of Solomon and the Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach - which, according to their content, are called teaching books (Orthodox Catechism) or wisdom books, because in them we learn reason and true wisdom (Preface to the first printed Slav. Bible), and in the form of their presentation poetic (St. Gregory the Theologian, Cyril of Jerusalem, John of Damascus, etc.), that is, poetic in a broad sense, more specifically in their presentation everywhere representing the so-called parallelism of members (about the types of this parallelism in the book of Proverbs we said above).

Origin and composition of the book of Proverbs. King Solomon is called the creator of the parable. And Christian antiquity recognized the book of Proverbs a single work one Solomon, as the book of psalms was known with the name of David. The authorship of Solomon in relation to the book of Proverbs is supported by both external biblical evidence and the internal character of the influx of wisdom from the book. Proverbs. According to Solomon, he spoke three thousand proverbs (and his songs were one thousand and five). Jesus, the son of Sirach, glorifying the wisdom of Solomon, among other things, appeals to him “ your soul covered the earth, and you filled it with mysterious parables... countries marveled at you for your songs and sayings, for your parables and explanations" (). The fame of Solomon’s wisdom, and according to the testimony of the 3rd book of Kings (ff.), spread very far, and his wisdom, serving as a subject of surprise to the surrounding peoples, subsequently became a subject for them. various kinds legends and fabulous works of poetry. True, those 3000 parables, which, according to Solomon, cannot be identified with the canonical book of Proverbs, neither in their number, nor in their very nature and content; in the whole book of Proverbs there are no more than 915 verses, and therefore most of the 3000 parables of Solomon could not enter the book of Proverbs: moreover, judging by, the parables and the wisdom of Solomon in general were expressed most of all in the knowledge of nature and its individual phenomena, etc. ; on the contrary, in the book of Proverbs there are no parables of this kind, but life-practical and especially religious-moral motives predominate. It is not without significance, therefore, the assumption that the book of Proverbs included only a certain, selected part of all the parables of Solomon, of a predominantly religious and moral nature. The inscription “Proverbs of Solomon” () repeated three times in the book of Proverbs represents, in any case, important evidence in favor of the origin of at least most of the book of Proverbs from Solomon. Some particular features and indications of the content of the book of Proverbs, by their correspondence with the personality and circumstances of Solomon’s life, testify in favor of the origin of the book from him. Proverbs. Here, for example, the advice is very often repeated to avoid a dissolute woman and debauchery, and in general to beware of being attracted to a woman (). These tips remind the reader of the story of the fall of Solomon through women (sl.): it is natural to see in these tips a warning against the same danger that the wise tributary himself was exposed to. The book of Proverbs, further, says a lot about royal power, about the benefits of the reign of a wise king (), the anointed of God and the herald of God's righteousness (), mercy and truth (), about his anger at the wicked and about good deeds for the righteous (); about wise and foolish rulers, about their advisers and the nature of their rule (). And here you can see the fruit of the state experience of the wise Jewish king - Solomon, who was completely devoted to the rule of the people and who experienced both the light and the dark sides royal service. In the same way, the testimony of Pritochnik about himself, as a beloved son of his father and mother, as a son whom his father carefully taught the law of God (), is exactly applicable to Solomon: he speaks of David’s teaching Solomon to keep the law (see Interpretations. Bibl. vol. II (St. Petersburg, 1905) p. 368).

But along with the indicated external and internal evidence of the origin of the book of Proverbs from Solomon, there is another series of data, also sometimes external, sometimes internal, the presence of which requires limiting Solomon’s writing to only the known, even the most significant, part of the book. Namely, in the book of Proverbs, in addition to the general inscription at the beginning of the book (), there are six other inscriptions by which the book is divided into sections of somewhat unequal volume - sections, and some of these sections, apparently, do not belong to Solomon as a writer, but occurred later than Solomon and from other persons. There is some indication of these other writers already at the beginning of the book, where " words of the wise men and their riddles" (dibre – hakamim vehidotam ) as one of components contents of the book of Proverbs. Then in ch. X, art. 1 () according to the Hebrew Masoretic text, and Latin translation bliss Jerome, as in the Russian synod. and archim. Macarius, there is an inscription “The Proverbs of Solomon”: this inscription apparently marks a new period in the tributary work of Solomon, and the new section is noticeably different from the first section of the book of ch. – if in the first section the doctrine of wisdom and motivations for it is presented in a coherent periodic speech, then in the second section the speech of the influx is constructed in the form of brief, aphoristic judgments on the principle of, for the most part, antithetical parallelism. Many Western biblical commentators (led by the famous Ewald), on the basis of such an aphoristic form of speech in the section, considered this section to be the oldest part of the book of Proverbs, which belonged to the pen of Solomon himself, while the first section, with its unusually systematic development of thoughts, is considered by Western biblical exegesis to be the most the later part of the book, not only in character and content, but also chronologically close to the book of Jesus son of Sirach. But the difference in the form of speech, in itself, does not give reason to consider the first and second sections of the book to be of different times and belonging to to different writers; the genius of Solomon naturally had a variety of forms of expression of thoughts: while remaining on biblical soil, we, in any case, must recognize the entire part of the book of ch. – 22Solomon’s work. The situation is different with subsequent sections of the book. So, the sections: the third (Glory 18) - and the fourth, judging by the inscriptions, belong to some unnamed sages; it is possible that these wise men were contemporaries of Solomon, even belonging to his school, like those mentioned in Ethan, Heman, Chalkol and Darda. The fifth section of the book or its third main part is formed by ch. , "the parables of Solomon, which were collected(Heb.: getik. LXX: ἐξεγράψαντο, Vulg.: transtulerunt) men of Hezekiah king of Judah”, (), in which they usually see the prophet Isaiah, as well as Eliakim, Shebna and Joah (); Thus, in this section there are parables, although originating from Solomon, but real look received only 300 years after Solomon - from the learned college of God-enlightened men of Hezekiah, who collected these parables from archival records (according to the reading of the LXX) or even from oral tradition. In, according to the Hebrew inscription, are the parables of Agyr, the son of Iakeev, to certain Ithiel and Ukal (). In the LXX, these names are rendered as common nouns, which is why the meaning of the inscription is verse 1st chapter. XXX lost. Blazh. Jerome also renders Heb. the inscription is a common noun: Verba congregantis filii vomentis, and the first means Solomon, as the collector of wisdom, and the second means David, who belched the word good (). But the common understanding own name a person, moreover, having a patronymic (“Iakeeva”), is hardly acceptable. Solomon, even in his allegorical name Ecclesiastes, is called the son of David (); It remains to see in Agura an unknown sage. concludes the instructions of a certain king Lemuel, taught to him by his mother. This name is usually seen as a symbolic name of either Solomon (Blessed Jerome) or Hezekiah (Aben - Ezra, Prof. Olesnitsky). conclude an alphabetically composed (acrostic) praise of a virtuous wife. In view of the evidence that Solomon wrote more than 1000 songs, and the obvious similarity of the “songs and” of the virtuous wife with undoubtedly Solomon’s parables (e.g. cf. and ; and ; and ; and ), it is natural to consider this praise to come from Solomon, only its position at the end The book apparently speaks for the later origin of this department.

Thus, from the inscriptions of the book - these self-testimonies of the book about itself - we learn that its writers were Solomon, Agur, Lemuel and some other, not named, sages. If, on the basis of a general inscription, the book of Proverbs is called the name of Solomon, then this inscription and this name are metonymy, since the name of wisdom has always been connected, as it is now with us, the name of Solomon, the wisest of people; the book of Proverbs should or can be called Solomon's in the same sense as the entire Psalter was and is called David's, i.e. in the sense of the primary and most important authorship of Solomon in this area. The entire composition of the current book of Proverbs already existed by the time of King Hezekiah, the society of whose friends, according to testimony, published the entire book of Proverbs - according to the inaccurate expression of the Talmud (Bababatra 15a), wrote the book of Proverbs - more precisely, edited it, gave it its present form , adding to those collected, perhaps, by Solomon himself (the opinion of St. and Blessed Jerome) ch. - 24The last seven chapters of the book, and they included parables that were not included in the collection of Solomon himself. The fathers and teachers of the Church, without attaching importance to the question of the origin of the present edition of the book, saw and glorified in it the wisdom of Solomon. Indeed, the question of participation in its compilation along with Solomon and other writers does not in the least affect the understanding of the book, as long as faith in the inspiration of the book is maintained.

There have been voices against the inspiration and canonical dignity of the book of Proverbs, both among Jews and Christians. The first were confused by the apparent contradiction between the parables and, and the supposedly inappropriate plastic description of the dissolute wife in the holy book. Both of these objections were raised at the Jewish Council of Jamnia (c. 100 A.D.), but there they received a satisfactory resolution, and the book as a whole was recognized as canonical. IN Christian Church lonely voices were heard (in ancient times, for example, Theodore of Mopsuet, in modern times - Cleric, Meyer, etc.), as if the book of Proverbs contained only the earthly, purely human wisdom of Solomon, which had in mind the earthly well-being of man. But although the rules, regulations and instructions of the book of Proverbs about gaining wisdom do not yet reach the perfection and ideal purity of the moral teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles, yet this inspiration and canonical authority is already confirmed by repeated references to the book of Proverbs in the New Testament. Eg.

The second part of the book is formed by “The Proverbs of Solomon” (), with two additions: “words of the wise” -. Here, based on what was stated in the first part of the book general concepts about wisdom and piety, various private rules and instructions are proposed for religious and moral behavior and social relations of people. The third part of the book consists of Solomon's parables, which were collected and written into the book by the friends of Hezekiah, the king of Judah (), political parables predominate here (about the king and his government, etc.) and practical (in relation to civil and public life). The conclusion of the book consists of two additions to the parables of Solomon (: a) the parables of a certain Agur, in a very artificial and intricate form teaching true wisdom and its implementation (), and b) the instructions of the mother of Lemuel the king () and praise of a virtuous wife ().

For general introductory information about the book of Proverbs, see the “Review of the Book of Proverbs of Solomon” synopses of St. Athanasius the Great of Alexandria (Christ. Reading 1841, part 4 p. 355 et seq.) and St. John Chrysostom (Conversations on various places of St. Scriptures, Russian translation, St. Petersburg, 1861, p. 537), an extract of patristic material about the book of Proverbs. prof. A. A. Olesnitsky, Guiding information about the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments from the works of St. oo. and teaches. Churches (St. Petersburg, 1894, p. 67 next). Scientific research on the book of Proverbs - Russian 1) the same prof. A. A. Olesnitsky Book of Proverbs of Solomon and its newest critics(Proceedings of the Kiev Spiritual Academy. 1883, Nos. 11–12), 2) Bishop Michael, Biblical Science. Educational books of the Old Testament (Tula, 1900), p. 86 next, and 3) Prof. P. A. Yungerova The Origin of the Book of Proverbs (Orthodox Sobesedn. 1906, October, p. 161 next), 4) educational manuals by Kh. M. Orda († Bishop Irinea), Kyiv, 1871. D. Afanasyeva, Stavropol, 1838 and others. Russian deserves attention. translation (from Hebrew) of the book. Job, made by Archim. Makariy (Glukharev), M. 1861. Interpretation of most of the book. The parables were presented by the late Rev. Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev) in his “Interpretation on parimia” vol. II, (ed. 2, St. Petersburg, 1894). Among the foreign commentaries on the book of Proverbs, we name F. Mercenus (Genf 1573), F. Umbrett (Heidelberg, 1826), E. Berteau (Leipzig, 1847), F. Hitzig (Zurich, 1858). F. Keil. Delitzsch (1873), N. Ewald (1867), J. Lange – O. Zockler (1867), the latest W. Frankenberg (in Nowack ""s Handkommentar) Gotting, 1898. Views of the Jewish tradition on the contents of the book. Parables were expressed, for example, in the midrash on this book, see Der Midrasch Mischle, ubertr v A. Wunische Leipz., 1885, partly in D. Israelitische Bibel, III (1859) v L. Philippson.

Unfortunately, all data about the sage Solomon was preserved only in biblical sources. Therefore, some believe that this figure did not exist historically. However, it does not matter whether Solomon actually existed or not: the important thing is that the parables attributed to King Solomon are truly wise and useful.

The Proverbs of Solomon are edifying stories that he supposedly left for subsequent generations with advice on how to live correctly. The Book of Solomon's Proverbs teaches you to listen to your inner voice before acting rashly and later regretting what you did.

Parable of Solomon's Ring

The legend tells about a terrible famine in the country ruled by Solomon and how the king, wanting to help his people, sold the royal treasures. But everything was in vain, and then Solomon turned to the priest for advice. The priest handed the king a ring, a symbol of power, and ordered him to simply hold it in his hand in moments of anxiety.

When the ruler came home, and another wave of despair overtook him again, he saw an inscription on the ring that read: “Everything will pass.” And everything passed, wisdom triumphed.

But one day, when King Solomon’s beloved wife died, he again turned to the ring. Seeing the inscription on the ring, the king became angry and wanted to throw the jewelry into the fire, but suddenly he saw another inscription below that: “This too shall pass.”

A few years later, on his deathbed, the king ordered the ring to be brought to him, but the previous inscriptions did not console him, then he looked more carefully and discovered the inscription on the edge: “Nothing passes.”

Parable about a real mother

One day, two women turned to Solomon for advice so that he could judge whose child was left to live. Allegedly, it turned out that one of them accidentally crushed a newborn baby in her sleep, and then, having discovered this, she replaced the dead one with a living one of her neighbor.

Arguments and swearing did not lead to any agreement between the two desperate women. Then the king offered them the only possible way out - to cut the living baby in half and give each half. Real mother the child fell at the feet of the king and asked not to chop the child, but to give it to another woman, so that her child would remain alive. The second contender was only happy with this situation; her baby was dead.

So Solomon revealed the truth and gave the child into the hands of the true mother.

A parable about moral choice

One day a man came to King Solomon for advice, asking what he should do if, before every vital decision, he was overcome by doubts about what would be the right thing to do. He suffered from insomnia and anxiety due to the constant fear of doing wrong.

Then Solomon turned to him with the following question: what would he do if he saw a drowning child? He immediately replied that, without hesitation, he would rush into the river after him. And then Solomon asked whether this man would have acted differently if this event had happened yesterday or tomorrow. And the man answered that no - both in the past and in the future he would have saved a drowning child.

The king explained to him that he must act situationally, the main thing is that his actions do not run counter to a person’s morality and conscience. Thus, our whole life is built not on choice, but on the components of our soul. The internal state also determines a person’s external actions in the world.

Video

In the video below, you can listen to other parables of the wise King Solomon.

The Book of Proverbs of Solomon or simply Proverbs is one of the Old Testament books of the Bible. Included in the cycle of educational books, located after the Psalter. As we know from biblical history, God gave Solomon wisdom. This wisdom is reflected in the book of Proverbs.

Read the parables of Solomon.

The Book of Proverbs of Solomon has 31 chapters.

In the form of presentation, Proverbs are a work of poetry. The book of Proverbs was written by Solomon. And this is the only Old Testament book whose authorship is practically not disputed. Solomon's parables are mainly of a moral and religious nature.

The Book of Proverbs of Solomon represents fragmentary or connected expositions of a philosophical and aphoristic nature. This is a list of speculative truths about God and life, rules of prudence, observations of everyday life.

The Book of Proverbs is usually divided into 3 parts.

Part 1. A collection of Solomon's speeches in which Solomon imparts his wisdom. Wisdom in the book is identified with great good. This is what every mortal should strive for. The first part includes 10 chapters. In these chapters, Solomon discusses the properties of wisdom and how to obtain it. Solomon warns those embarking on the path of seeking wisdom about possible obstacles in the form of excessive curiosity.

Solomon paints portraits of wisdom and folly, bringing these concepts to life. Wisdom is considered by the author to be the only good.

Part 2. Examples of Solomon's wisdom. Solomon gives his instructions on human relationships and moral behavior.

Part 3. The third part of the book consists of Solomon's parables, which were written by Hezekiah's friends. For the most part, these are political and practical parables. At the end of the book are the parables of Agur and the instructions of Lemuel’s mother

Types of Solomon's parables.

Based on the presentation of material, parables are divided into

Synonymous. The second half of the verse repeats the idea of ​​the first in other words.

• He who vouches for a stranger does harm to himself; and whoever hates a guarantee is safe.
• A man's joy is in the answer of his mouth, and how good is the word at the right time!

Antithetic. The second half of the verse provides the opposite of the first.

• A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
• Man's spirit bears his infirmities; and a defeated spirit - who can strengthen it?

Parabolic. Finding similarities in various phenomena.

• What gold ring in the nose of a pig, then the woman is beautiful and reckless.
• Golden apples in silver transparent vessels - a word spoken decently.

Interpretation of the Book of Proverbs of Solomon

The purpose of Solomon's parables was to express wisdom in easy-to-remember and witty sayings. Solomon's wise advice is distinguished by its religious orientation and the nature of divine revelation - the direct source of Solomon's wisdom.

Wisdom appears to be a force that speaks through the sages. The wisdom of man is nothing other than a part of the highest Wisdom.

Solomon's wisdom is based on reverence for God and is practical in nature. The source of all true wisdom for Solomon is in the law of God. The totality of instructions in the book represents moral legislation, ethical standards behavior and are universal in nature - that is, they apply to everyone, regardless of time and nationality.

The law of Moses found a new reflection in the book of Proverbs. Solomon, following Moses, explored the secrets of the Torah.

Christian Orthodox Church demonstrates his respect for the book of Proverbs by its widespread use in church services. Readings from this book are more common than from other Old Testament books.

In the parables of the wise King Solomon, you can find a way out of any situation and an answer to any, even the most difficult question.

The name (Shlomo) is translated from Hebrew as “peacemaker” or “perfect.” The famous King Solomon fully justified the meaning of his name. He forever remained in the tablets of history as the wisest and fairest ruler. And the answer to any question that worries a person can be found in the books written by Solomon.

About true love

About the transience of troubles and joys

About the right choice

About promises

About life

Tell us who we are? - Solomon’s servants asked.

You are the light of the world. You are the stars. The Universe is in each of you,” answered the king. Dive your mind into your hearts and listen. Blessed are those who know the language of God.

What is the meaning of life? – people asked again.

Life is a dance of love. And your purpose is to blossom. To be is a great gift to the world. Treat life as a holiday, because life is valuable in itself. Life is only the present. And the meaning of the present is to be in this present.

Why do misfortunes haunt us?
-What you sow is what you reap. Unhappiness is your choice. Poverty is a human creation. By blaming, you lose power, and by lusting, you dissipate happiness. Wake up, for the beggar is the one who does not know himself. And those who have not found the Kingdom of God within themselves are homeless. The one who wastes time becomes poor. Let wealth not be your curse.

– How to overcome adversity? – people asked again.
- Don't judge yourself. For you are divine,” Solomon answered without hesitation. – Don’t compare and don’t divide. Give thanks for everything. Rejoice, for joy works wonders. Love yourself, for those who love themselves love everyone. Bless dangers, for the brave find bliss. Pray in joy, and misfortune will bypass you.

What is the path to happiness?
– Happy are those who love, happy are those who thank, happy are those who are at peace. Happy are those who find heaven within themselves. Happy are those who give with joy and happy are those who receive gifts with joy. Happy are the seekers. Happy are the awakened ones. Happy are those who listen to the voice of God. Happy are those who fulfill their destiny. Happy are those who are in harmony. Happy are those who have seen the beauty of the world. Happy are those who open themselves to the Sun. Happy flowing like rivers. Happy are those who are ready to accept happiness. Happy are the wise. Happy are those who realize themselves. Happy are those who love themselves. Happy are those who praise life. Happy are the creators. Happy are the free. Happy are those who forgive.

How to live in the light?
- Drink from every moment of life, for unlived life gives rise to sorrow. And know that what is inside is also outside. The darkness of the world comes from darkness in the heart. Man is the seed of the Sun. Happiness is the sunrise. Blessed are those who thirst for light.

How to find harmony?
- Don't harm anyone. Don't be jealous. Dedicate your life to beauty. Create for the sake of creativity, not for recognition. Treat your neighbors as revelations. Transform the past by forgetting it. Bring something new into the world. Become the energy of love, for love spiritualizes everything. Where there is love, there is God.

How to achieve perfection in life?
– A happy person transforms many. The unfortunate remain slaves, for happiness loves freedom. Truly, joy is where Freedom is. Master the art of happiness. Open yourself to the world, and the world will open to you.