The following is my own breakdown of the
divisions between the Thirty Sayings found in Proverbs 22:17-24:22. It differs
from some others in that it seems to me Solomon occasionally adds
editorial comments to his sons that are unrelated to any specific “saying”.
I believe these to be more general in nature and simply reiterate the
desire he expresses in his introduction that they take seriously what he has written to them.
Alternatively, they may introduce specific sayings and add force to them.
I have noted these asides in brown.
Thirty Sayings of Counsel and Knowledge
First Saying
22:22 Do not rob the poor, because he is
poor,
or crush the afflicted at the gate,
23 for the Lord will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.
or crush the afflicted at the gate,
23 for the Lord will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.
Second
Saying
24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
nor go with a wrathful man,
25 lest you learn his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.
Third
Saying
26 Be not one of those who give pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should your bed be taken from under you?
Fourth Saying
28 Do not move the
ancient landmark
that your fathers have set.
that your fathers have set.
Fifth
Saying
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?
He will stand before kings;
he will not stand before obscure men.
Sixth
Saying
23:1 When you sit down to eat with a
ruler,
observe carefully what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3 Do not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.
observe carefully what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3 Do not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.
Seventh
Saying
4 Do not toil to acquire wealth;
be discerning enough to desist.
5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
for suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.
Eighth
Saying
6 Do not eat the bread of a man who
is stingy;
do not desire his delicacies,
7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
and waste your pleasant words.
do not desire his delicacies,
7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
and waste your pleasant words.
Ninth
Saying
9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
for he will despise the good sense of your words.
Tenth Saying
10 Do not move an ancient landmark
or enter the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Redeemer is strong;
he will plead their cause against you.
or enter the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Redeemer is strong;
he will plead their cause against you.
Eleventh
Saying
12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ear to words of knowledge.
and your ear to words of knowledge.
Twelfth
Saying
13 Do not withhold discipline
from a child;
if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike him with the rod,
you will save his soul from Sheol.
if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike him with the rod,
you will save his soul from Sheol.
[15 My son, if your heart is wise,
my heart too will be glad.
16 My inmost being will exult
when your lips speak what is right.]
Thirteenth Saying
17 Let not your heart envy
sinners,
but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.
18 Surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.
18 Surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
[19 Hear, my son,
and be wise,
and direct your heart in the way.]
and direct your heart in the way.]
Fourteenth
Saying
20 Be not among drunkards
or among gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and slumber will clothe them with rags.
or among gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and slumber will clothe them with rags.
Fifteenth
Saying
22 Listen to your father who gave you
life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Sixteenth
Saying
23 Buy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
Seventeenth
Saying
24 The father of the righteous will
greatly rejoice;
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your father and mother be glad;
let her who bore you rejoice.
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your father and mother be glad;
let her who bore you rejoice.
[26 My son, give me
your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways.]
and let your eyes observe my ways.]
Eighteenth
Saying
27 A prostitute is a deep pit;
an adulteress is a narrow well.
28 She lies in wait like a robber
and increases the traitors among mankind.
Nineteenth
Saying
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who tarry long over wine;
those who go to try mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup
and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter perverse things.
34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.
35 “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I must have another drink.”
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who tarry long over wine;
those who go to try mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup
and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter perverse things.
34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.
35 “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I must have another drink.”
Twentieth Saying
24:1 Be not envious of evil men,
nor desire to be with them,
2 for their hearts devise violence,
and their lips talk of trouble.
nor desire to be with them,
2 for their hearts devise violence,
and their lips talk of trouble.
Twenty-First
Saying
3 By wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.
and by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.
Twenty-Second
Saying
5 A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
6 for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool;
in the gate he does not open his mouth.
Twenty-Third
Saying
8 Whoever plans to do evil
will be called a schemer.
9 The devising of folly is sin,
and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
will be called a schemer.
9 The devising of folly is sin,
and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
Twenty-Fourth
Saying
10 If you faint in the day of
adversity,
your strength is small.
your strength is small.
Twenty-Fifth
Saying
11 Rescue those who are being taken
away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man according to his work?
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man according to his work?
Twenty-Sixth
Saying
13 My son, eat honey, for it is
good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, there will be a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, there will be a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
Twenty-Seventh
Saying
15 Lie not in wait as a wicked man
against the dwelling of the righteous;
do no violence to his home;
16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
do no violence to his home;
16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
Twenty-Eighth
Saying
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy
falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest the Lord see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest the Lord see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.
Twenty-Ninth
Saying
19 Fret not yourself because of
evildoers,
and be not envious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no future;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
and be not envious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no future;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Thirtieth
Saying
21 My son, fear
the Lord and the king,
and do not join with those who do otherwise,
22 for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?
and do not join with those who do otherwise,
22 for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?
No comments :
Post a Comment