Chapter One

1–6. Introduction to the book: its writer; the purpose, general content, and fundamental character of the book. 7. The fundamental principle of wisdom of godliness. 8–9. Concerning the authority of parents in teaching godliness — wisdom. 10–19. Warning against the temptations from the wicked. 20–33. An exhortatory and rebuking sermon of Wisdom

Proverbs 1:1. The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, The first verse and those following, up to and including verse 6, form the inscription of the Book of Proverbs. The name Solomon, standing in verse 1, designates most closely the composer of the first nine chapters of the book, but, as we have already mentioned, metonymically the entire book can also be called the work of Solomon. The Midrash Jalkut on Proverbs (§929) draws attention to the capital initial 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 Sam 3:9), fasted, like Moses on the mount of legislation (Exod 34:28), for forty days (Midrash Mischle, translated by A. Wünsche, p. 1); here is expressed the view of Jewish tradition on wisdom and in general all the content of the Book of Proverbs as an interpretation of the Torah or the Law of Moses. — Concerning the etymology and meaning of the Slavic-Russian designation “Proverb” it must be noted that it is ordinarily derived from the root “flow” (go) or “knock” (meet) in both cases, according to the expression of Saint Basil the Great, it means “by-the-way” (corresponding to Greek “paroike,” “para hodos”) utterance, that is, such as serves as a guide on the path, guiding a person on the paths of life, giving him the means for favorable progress on these paths. In a similar manner the meaning of the designation “Proverb” is explained by Saints Athanasius the Great and John: the designation “Proverbs” (paroimoi) arose from the fact that such utterances were written on every path for the edification and instruction of those passing by the path, and they were written by the path so that people, unable to occupy themselves with the word of truth, at least in passing would notice what was written, would think about it, would receive instruction. Therefore some even define them thus: Proverbs is a by-the-way (paridon) utterance, transferring thought from one thing to many. In these last words is indicated one of the fundamental characteristics of a proverb: the applicability of the thought expressed in the proverb to many (similar) cases, the typicality of this thought. According to another opinion, the Russian-Slavic “proverb” is derived from the verb “pritykat’,” “pritachivat’” (for example, in weaving — at the end of a strip with threads different in color), — in such a case this designation will point to the ornamental, figurative external manner of expressing thought in proverbs. The internal and external character of the proverbs making up the content of the book of this name is clarified in the following verses, verses 2–6, which clarify the meaning and significance of the proverbs, and at the same time the purpose and designation of the book itself.

Proverbs 1:2. to know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight; Proverbs 1:3. to receive instruction in wise behavior, justice, judgment, and equity; Proverbs 1:4. to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth; Proverbs 1:5. the wise will hear and increase in learning, and the discerning will obtain guidance; Proverbs 1:6. to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. It is indicated both as the purpose of the present collection of proverbs — the Book of Proverbs — and the character of the different types of proverbs, by which is concisely defined the entire content of the whole book. And first of all proverbs give knowledge of wisdom and teaching (verse 2a). “Since the heathen (Greeks) assert that they have wisdom, and heretics suppose that they have knowledge, Solomon shows in what true wisdom and true knowledge consist, so that someone, carried away by a similar designation of wisdom, might not fall into the speculations of heathens and heretics.” Having heard his divine utterances, every wise person will become still wiser (Saints Athanasius the Great and John Chrysostom). Wisdom, Hebrew hokhmah (LXX: sophia, Vulgate: sapientia), by the philological structure of the Hebrew word, means (according to Schultens): soliditas, firmness, fundamentality (properly density, pychnotes), then the highest understanding of life and things in their essence, finally, the ability to arrange one’s life in accordance with this knowledge, to properly determine relationships with God and neighbor and through this to attain happiness in life. Evidently, “wisdom” is broader than all the following concepts and includes them within its scope. The practical side of “wisdom” is represented by “teaching” or “instruction,” Slavic — instruction, Hebrew — musar, LXX: paideia, Vulgate: disciplina — the entire system of educational measures, not excluding punitive ones. According to the midrash, “wisdom” (hokhmah) and “teaching” (musar) are inseparably bound to one another, the latter being a consequence of the former. In the Book of Proverbs, furthermore, is contained understanding of words or utterances of wisdom, Hebrew binah, LXX: phronesis, Vulgate: prudentia (Hebrew binah by its root meaning includes the moment of discernment — for example, between good and evil (1 Sam 3:9), wisdom and foolishness, the higher and the lower, the useful and the harmful), that is (according to Saints Athanasius the Great and John Chrysostom) “the acquisition of knowledge of the one true God.” As for the heathen, some of them called matter god, while others likened it to idols; heretics also are in error concerning the true God. Against them Solomon sets forth the true concept of God, speaks of His ineffability (Prov 25:2); of His providence (Prov 15:3-21); of His justice (Prov 15:8-25), about creation speaking not simply, but affirming that the Lord created all by His Word and wisdom (Prov 3:19), since the characteristic of the true God is precisely that He is the Father of the Son. In verse 3 are indicated the first fruits of “wisdom” and “teaching”: both contribute to the assimilation of “rules of prudence” (Hebrew musar haskel), of justice (more precisely — righteousness, tsedeq), of judgment (mishpat), and of equity (honesty, mesharim), Vulgate: “to receive instruction in wise behavior, justice, judgment, and equity.” LXX otherwise transmit the first half of verse 3: “to receive turns of words,” and according to other manuscripts (codices 68, 109, 147, 157, 161, 248) by Holmes, Complutensian, Aldine, further: “and resolutions of riddles.” In the Slavic Ostrog and Elizabethan Bibles, corresponding to the last addition, the entire first half of verse 3 reads: “to receive the turning of words and the solution of riddles.” The turning of words, as the Saints Athanasius the Great and John Chrysostom explain, are “such utterances in which we discover the hidden meaning in them, turning our minds about, or investigating them through reflection (for example, Prov 10:5; Prov 27:25).” Thus, proverbs sharpen the mind of a person, make him resourceful, capable of guessing the meaning of enigmatic utterances.

Proverbs 1:4. to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth; Proverbs 1:5. the wise will hear and increase in learning, and the discerning will obtain guidance; The significance of proverbs indicated in verse 3 is above all for youth, but then also for adults, experienced and wise people. To the former proverbs give “prudence,” Hebrew orma, properly craft (Gen 3:1), as also the Greek panourgia, Latin astutia; here in a good sense (see Prov 8:5) — prudence or foresight, for the avoidance of the snares of cunning and ill-intentioned people (see Matt 10:16), — and also in general knowledge and prudence (Hebrew daath ve-zimma, LXX: aistheseos and ennoian, Vulgate: scientiam and intellectum). But proverbs, as ready-made rules of vital and spiritual wisdom, are also useful for mature and wise people: the wise man hearing these proverbs becomes even wiser, and the discerning will acquire “the art of governance” (especially of a state, see Prov 11:14), Hebrew takhbulot, LXX: kyberneseos (the governing of a ship), Vulgate: gubernacula, Slavic: governance, that is in general the art or skill of good ordering of life (see Prov 20:18). In verse 6 it is said that the discerning, with the aid of proverbs, not only will be able to order his life properly (religious, moral, family, and social), but will also acquire facility in understanding obscure and mysterious utterances, Hebrew melitza ve-khidot, LXX: skotenon logon and ainigmata. It appears that here are meant such special proverbs of a mysterious character, such as especially have place in Prov 30. The ancients, especially the inhabitants of the East, highly valued the art of proposing and solving riddles (see Judg 14:12-19). The queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem from a distant land to test Solomon with riddles and to learn the wisdom of Solomon contained in them (1 Sam 10:1). Nevertheless, in view of the fact that in the expression examined in verse 6, “intricate utterance” (melitza) and “riddle” (khida) are juxtaposed with more general expressions “proverb” (mashal) and “words of the wise” (divre khakhamim), one can suppose (Saints Athanasius the Great and John Chrysostom) that in verse 6 there are meant “not intricately-woven words, beguiling in appearance of plausibility, but accurate, as it were known by the speakers themselves and expressing as it were judgments pronounced by them” (for example, Prov 15:13-14). Ordinarily people determine deeds by their consequences, while the wise reveals the causes of actions, so that a person, knowing the causes of evils, would beware of them, and presents as it were a brief sketch of the movement of the soul (for example, Prov 10:12) “...If you investigate each utterance of the book, you will find that it is spoken and written so that those hearing, knowing the causes of evils and goods, would avoid the bad and do the good.” The Midrash sees in the whole verse an indication of the Torah.

Proverbs 1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; [but fools despise wisdom and instruction.] fools despise wisdom and instruction. It does not belong to the inscription (as Ewald, Philippson, Bertheau, Keil and others thought), but rather begins the first part of the book through the ninth chapter inclusive. In the Slavic and Russian Bible, the middle of the verse (in the Russian Synodal translation enclosed in brackets) is found only in the 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 Hebrew and Vulgate, serving as a clarification of its meaning. The first words of verse 7 have the significance of an epigraph or theme of the entire book, especially of its first part (Prov 1-9). Fear of God, reverent awe before God is inseparable from the very concept of worship of God and piety; indeed, fear of God was the foundation of the Covenant of Jehovah with Israel (Deut 4:10). 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 needed for the acquisition of wisdom, reverence toward God should occupy the first, initial place, that it should be the principal and preeminent object of knowledge, as well as in that respect that piety — a constant reverent disposition toward God — should be the dominant spiritual state in the seeker of wisdom. In his striving to acquire wisdom he should be permeated with the conviction that wisdom in the strict sense belongs to God alone, that He is the source of wisdom (Prov 2:6; see Jas 1:5 following), that without the light of His revelation the human mind would eternally wander in the darkness of ignorance and delusion concerning the most important truths (see 1 Cor 1:20). From this conviction there proceeds for the seeker of wisdom the obligation to seek the blessing of God upon his labors for the acquisition of knowledge, to serve these labors to the glory of God and the good of neighbors, to accomplish this service with reverent fear of offending the Lord through false wisdom, and to be grateful for success in wisdom (Bishop Vissarion, Commentary on Pericopes, vol. II, p. 9–10). Both wisdom and piety are rejected, to their perdition, by wicked people whose wickedness darkens their sound mind (see Jer 4:22). The Book of Proverbs is not intended for them at all, and if about the wickedness — foolishness of such people much is said in it, then this is done with the purpose of instructing the wise and godly, since fear of God (and wisdom) with its reverse side is hatred of wrong and sin (see Prov 8:13).

Proverbs 1:8. Listen, my son, to the instruction of your father and do not reject the teaching of your mother, Proverbs 1:9. for they will be a graceful garland for your head and chains about your neck. Already in this section both positive and negative incentives to wisdom — piety are presented. Having spoken of fear of God (Prov 1:7) as the beginning or foundation of true Wisdom, the Wise Man in second place, according to the sequence of the commandments in the Mosaic Ten Commandments (Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16; see 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, understanding by “father” God, and by “mother” the community of Israel, or, according to another opinion, wisdom, but this is already a reinterpretation of the grammatico-historical sense of both concepts in this text), and to the father is ascribed instruction (Slavic: instruction, Greek: paideia, Latin: discipline, Hebrew: musar), — sometimes accompanied by measures of physical punishment from the father to the son (Prov 23:13-14; see Prov 22:15), — to the mother, however, only teaching (Russian) or teaching (Greek: thesmoi, Latin: lex, Hebrew: torah). The one to whom Solomon addresses himself (here as also in Prov 1:10) with instructions he calls a son — partly in the physical sense (he may have had in mind Rehoboam), and then in general youth, by the right of teaching, as a sign of fatherly participation and good will; nothing can be concluded from here regarding age, in any case, the intimate form of address indicated is not merely a literary device, although it does not yet contain the New Testament understanding of being born into spiritual life, as in the Apostle (1 Cor 4:15; Phlm 1:10; Gal 4:19). The Midrash understands verse 8 in the sense of exhortation to observe all that was commanded on Mount Sinai regarding honor to parents. — Obedience to parents, to their counsel and teachings, serves as the finest adornment of youth — in the form of a fine garland on the head (see Prov 4:9) and a necklace on the neck (Prov 3:3).

Proverbs 1:10. My son! if sinners entice you, do not give in to them; Proverbs 1:11. if they say: “Come with us, let us set an ambush to shed blood, let us lie in wait for the innocent without cause, Proverbs 1:12. let us swallow them alive, like Sheol, and whole, like those going down into the pit; Proverbs 1:13. we will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with plunder; Proverbs 1:14. cast in your lot with us; we all will have one purse” — Proverbs 1:15. My son! do not walk in the way with them; keep your foot from their paths, Proverbs 1:16. for their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood. Proverbs 1:17. Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird, Proverbs 1:18. but they set an ambush for their own blood; they lurk for their own lives. Proverbs 1:19. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its possessor. After the general address and exhortation to the disciple (verses 8–9), Solomon offers him a particular exhortation, a concrete warning against being led into evil by “sinners” (verse 10), Hebrew chattaim, Vulgate: peccatores, LXX: andres asebeis, Slavic — men of wickedness — evildoers, for whom transgression has become a custom (see Ps 1:1; Prov 16:29). Warning his disciple against the destructive influence of such evildoers, Solomon reveals the true nature and real motives of their criminal schemes (11–14): in attempting on the property and life of a neighbor, without any fault on his part, with the greatest audacity and cruelty, evildoers tried to entice the invited young man into complicity by the thought of impunity for the transgression (verse 12) and a large share in the anticipated plunder (13–14). Having depicted the seductive and criminal intentions of evildoers, the Wise Man from verse 15 (lowering of the period) in positive categorical form warns his listener against following in their “way”; this warning both in content and in form of speech reminds of the opening words of the Psalter: “Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, and has not stood in the way of sinners” (Ps 1:1). Verse 16, repeated by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 59:7) and the Apostle Paul (Rom 3:15), is not found in the LXX: nevertheless, there is no grounds for considering this verse in the Hebrew, Vulgate, Slavic, and Russian texts borrowed from the prophet Isaiah; rather, in the prophet Isaiah the citation of older biblical books is not unusual; besides, in many codices of the LXX (23, 68, 157, 252, 254, 295, 296, 161, 248, etc., according to Holmes, Complutensian, Aldine) verse 16 is present. In verses 17–19 the listener is shielded from the influence of the seductive speeches of evildoers — by indication of the punishment awaiting them — final destruction, contrary to the impunity which they were counting on.

Proverbs 1:20. Wisdom cries out in the streets, in the plazas she raises her voice; Proverbs 1:21. at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words: Proverbs 1:22. “How long, you naive ones, will you love naiveté? How long will the scoffers delight in their scoffing? How long will fools hate knowledge? Proverbs 1:23. Turn to my rebuke: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known to you my words. In contrast to the seductive words of wicked men (Prov 1 11–19), seeking like-minded companions, here Wisdom is brought forward also calling disciples to herself and urging them to repentance; but whereas the criminal words of evildoers are conducted under cover of deep secrecy, the proclamations and exhortations of Wisdom are heard publicly — “in the streets, in the plazas, ... at the head of noisy streets” (20–21). This Wisdom, judging by the character of Her teachings and admonitions, as well as by the entire manner of Her coming forth, is not a limited human power, but the omnipotent power of God, which alone can speak with such authority, a power in obedience to which for humanity lies all good and happiness, and in resistance — ruin. It is completely arbitrary and erroneous the opinion of some Westerners, seeing in the depiction of Wisdom in Prov 1:20 following, Prov 8:22 following the influence of Zoroastrianism on biblical literature. In reality the concept of “Wisdom” arose on purely biblical, distinctive ground. In the Book of Job (Job 15:7-8 following) Wisdom is depicted very similarly to the Book of Proverbs. The very manner of Wisdom’s coming forth (20–21 following) fully reminds one of the preaching or teaching activity of folk teachers of the law (see 2 Chr 17:7-9), as well as of prophets and — later — apostles (Matt 10:27; Luke 14:21), all messengers of the same Wisdom (Luke 11:49). Further, from verse 22, the very content of Wisdom’s sermon is set forth. The first half of verse 22, the LXX and Slavic (“how long the gentle will hold to righteousness, will not be ashamed”) transmit not in a rebuking sense, as in the Hebrew, Vulgate, Russian, but in a positive — in the sense of praise of the “gentle.” But with the context of verse 22 the rebuking sense accords better (similarly as in Ps 4:3): three categories of people are rebuked: 1) the naive (simpletons, Hebrew petaim), 2) the scoffers — mockers, despisers of all holy things (Hebrew letzim) and 3) fools — people alien to knowledge, dull, and always ready to fall spiritually (Hebrew kessilim), in a word, all, whether intentionally or through ignorance, opposing the truth. And in verse 23 Wisdom, from the fullness of her spiritual riches, desires to pour out the spirit of wisdom (see Prov 18:4) to all without distinction, those in need of her; wisdom and piety, according to the view of the Wise Man, as also according to the teaching of the entire Bible, is not the possession of only selected natures, but is abundantly poured out into any mind, soul, and heart, once they are open to the influence from above (see John 7:37-39).

Proverbs 1:24. Because I called and you refused to listen; I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; Proverbs 1:25. you ignored all my counsel and would not accept my rebuke. But since such impressive, moving, and repeated proclamations of Wisdom had no success, her speech changes in tone and character: after prolonged, but fruitless, calls to repentance, Divine Wisdom threatens with destruction all who persist stubbornly in evil.

Proverbs 1:26. I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock you when panic comes to you; Proverbs 1:27. when panic comes to you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Proverbs 1:28. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me eagerly, but will not find me. Proverbs 1:29. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, Proverbs 1:30. they would have none of my counsel and despised all my rebuke. Proverbs 1:31. Therefore they will eat the fruit of their own way and have their fill of their own schemes. With all vividness and fullness is depicted the wretched, desperate condition of people who obstinately despised the command of Wisdom: the suddenness of destruction (verse 27, see 1 Thess 5:7), the absence of sympathy from others (verse 26), the fruitlessness of repentance (verse 28) — in all this the wicked will only reap the natural and inevitable fruits of their wickedness (verse 31, see Gal 6:7).

Proverbs 1:32. For the stubbornness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them, Proverbs 1:33. but those who listen to me will dwell securely and will be at ease, without fear of harm”. In verses 32–33 is contained an eloquent contrast between the destructiveness of the condition of despisers of Wisdom and the stability of the happiness of those obedient to Her voice. The latter always remain calm because they do not attribute to external successes and deprivations, as well as to all earthly, temporal life, the exclusive importance which it has in the eyes of the wicked. The view of the pious toward life and its goods, in the Wise Man, as also in the Apostle, is defined by the rule: “piety is of value in all things, having the promise of the present life and of the life to come” (1 Tim 4:8). In the first half of verse 32 the reading of the Russian translation “stubbornness... (in archimandrite Macarius — disobedience) will kill them,” accurately conveying the Hebrew reading and corresponding to the Vulgate, should be preferred to the Greek and Slavic reading “because they abused the young, they will be destroyed.”