Proverbs: the amazing power of the words we speak. Proverbs - The Amazing Power of Our Words Proverbs 18 22
18:1 The Hebrew text in this case is difficult to translate. The second part of the verse indicates that an unfriendly person is always greedy.
18:3 Recklessness and unrighteousness entail social contempt and loss of dignity.
18: 4 The words of the mouth of men are deep waters. This phrase can be interpreted in different ways: either - the words of an ordinary person are not completely clear, or - the words of a sage contain deep thoughts. Such a duality of meaning could have been intentionally put into the text by the author in order to make it as capacious as possible.
18: 7 for the soul. Those. for life.
18:9 The sinful nature of man is also revealed in the fact that he sometimes enjoys listening to gossip.
18:10 See 6.9-11.
18:11 Name of the Lord. The name is not a simple designation, but a reflection of all personality traits. The name of God is the Lord, the Savior of His people (see Ex. 3,13-15; 15,1-3).
righteous ... safe. The safety of the righteous rests on his faith in God as Savior.
18:12 This verse is in clear contrast to Art. 10 (see Luke 12: 13-21; cf. 10:15). Here, in a hidden form, is a warning against excessive reliance on the power of wealth.
18:15 A healthy and strong spirit is the guarantee of human health and strength.
18:17 The gift in question is not necessarily a bribe (17.8 & N).
18:18 This verse is practical wisdom given as advice on how to seek truth in a controversial issue.
18:19 Lot. See 16.33 & Nom. In Old Testament times, they sometimes cast lots to make decisions, thereby relying on the will of God.
18:20 Embittered brother. An embittered person closes in on himself and becomes unapproachable, thereby making it difficult to reconcile.
18:21 From the fruit of a man's mouth. See 12.14; 13.2 and com.
his belly is filled. Apparently, this is a metaphor for the creative properties of wise speech, which serves to establish fruitful relationships between people.
18:23 See 12.4; 19.14 and com.
grace from the Lord. See 8.35 for the same words about wisdom.
18:25 Translation of the Hebrew text is difficult. A more probable translation of the first part of the verse (NIV): "The one who loves big companies may suffer a ruin in life." In this case, there is a contrast between two types of friendship: superficial (causing problems) and deep.
Oh, these words that can hurt to the core! And there are words that can soothe our pain.
What happened
Last week I went to the front desk in my doctor's office. "Here's your referral for a blood test," - said the receptionist girl. But these words of hers, though simple and everyday, were spoken in such a pleasant and delightful tone.
I smiled: "Thank!"
Her reaction surprised me.
“Why did you say that? she asked. - This is the nicest thing I've been told lately. "
What? I gave her a simple, casual compliment, and it touched her. Could our words be so powerful?
I think yes. When my husband returned home that evening, I, as usual, hugged him, and after a light kiss, I said: "Do you know how long I waited for you to come home?"
He picked me up and spun me around, saying: "It's so cute."
The theory is proven
So, my theory is proven. The words spoken are like fishing line. Throw it and you will definitely pull something out.
And that something depends on us. Caring words produce pleasant results. Conversely, harsh words hurt the heart.
Here is what L. Tomlin once said: "Man invented language to satisfy his deepest need to complain."
But the opposite is also true: people have a strong need for encouragement. They strive to feel significant, valued, and accepted. Our words can satisfy this need.
And it's easy. Positive and kind words are always available. And even better news is that our words are the beginning of the love that God has commanded us to share with others ... even with strangers.
A real test
I decided to use this approach with telephone salespeople. Whenever they called me, I always chose my words carefully.
I picked up the phone. “Did you say your name is Mary? I asked. - You know, Mary, from your voice it is clear that you - good man... I wish I could buy what you are offering. But I will pray to God that He will bring success into your life. Okay?"
Usually silence in response. But one woman seemed to be touched by these words because her voice trembled and she replied: "Thank. I needed to hear it today. "
We all have this power. These sounds that come from our lips are called words, matter. They can change attitudes. Transform negative into positive. And bring some joy to a dull life.
No wonder God said:
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will partake of its fruits." (Proverbs 18:22)
And when we proclaim life to other people, the beauty is that what we say also comes back to us with positive, pleasant and joyful feelings that make our souls happy.
Enjoy this feeling by thinking that:
- Words are free.
- They require little effort.
- They are always available.
- They can be picked up with love.
- They can turn life around.
- They can calm anger.
Speaking tender and sincere words is like drawing a colorful rainbow on the gray sky of someone's life.
Prov. 18: 1-2... The selfishness inherent in a wayward person encourages him only to fulfill his own whims, sometimes stupid (verse 1); "everything clever" here can be understood in the sense of "sound judgment" "useful advice" those "wayward" are mockingly rejected (Heb. laag, translated in verse 1 as rebellious, in other places it is conveyed in the meaning of "mock", "swear", 1:26; 17: 5; 30:17). Verse 2 continues, as it were, the previous one. A "rebel" against clever advice is stupid, but a stupid person has two troubles: the mind, closed to knowledge, and the mouth, on the contrary, which rarely closes, because the stupid really wants to show his mind.
Prov. 18: 3... Wickedness of all kinds causes contempt among those around, a wicked person cannot avoid dishonor, and with it, reproach.
Prov. 18: 4... The problem of "words that descend from the lips of men" is treated in verses 4,6-8, 20-21. in verse 4 they are compared with "deep waters" - because, probably, they arise in the depths of the human soul, which are not always unambiguous and may carry some secret, deep meaning. The second part of the verse implies that spoken by a wise man, the words themselves become a source of wisdom; Solomon compares them to a life-giving flowing stream.
Prov. 18: 5... On the dangers of perjury at the trial in favor of the wicked. The need to eliminate this evil was highlighted by Moses (Lev. 19:15; compare Prov. 17:15; 23:26; 24:23; 28:21).
Prov. 18: 6-8... Thoughtless words uttered by a foolish person lead to quarrels and can turn into trouble (here "beatings") for himself (verse 6). A variation of the same thought in verse 7. Doom can mean here misfortune misery; the mouth of a fool sets a trap for himself. The words of the gossip-bearer (verse 8) are compared to "delicacy" in the sense that their lovers take pleasure in listening to the gossip, which they remember and relish, like delicious food pleasing to their "belly."
Prov. 18: 9... If the lazy and careless in work achieves little by his labor, then the squander does not enjoy the fruits of his labor for long, for he does not possess them for long.
Prov. 18: 10-11... The theme of these parables is true and imaginary refuge. The righteous man who uses the name of Jehovah, that is, who entrusts himself to the Lord, has the true (verse 10). This refuge is compared to a strong tower: he who has taken refuge in it is safe. Not the rich man who relies on the strong city he owns (compare 10:15).
Although wealth is preferable to poverty, it cannot serve as a sure guarantee of security as the Lord. That is why the high fence around the city is just an imaginary protection in case of accident. Like property (property, money) is by no means the key to solving all the problems that arise in life.
Prov. 18: 12-14... A high opinion of oneself, pride, ultimately leads a person to fall, while humility is often a guarantee of his subsequent exaltation (verse 12). Anyone who has an answer to everything (verse 13), even to a question or opinion of the interlocutor, not fully listened to, is stupid, notes Solomon.
The ancient Hebrew sages, scholars of the Torah, saw in such behavior evidence of a small mind and ignorance. They themselves always listened attentively to the interlocutor and gave an answer after thinking it over carefully. The circumstance mentioned in verse 14 has long been confirmed by doctors: a person with a strong spirit can also overcome physical illness; on the contrary, doctors do not always help those who have fallen in spirit.
Prov. 18:15... The rational at heart strives for the acquisition of knowledge. The second phrase of this verse refers to the oral teaching of wisdom (Torah in the first place) in the Hebrew schools (compare 15:31). The measure of wisdom a student acquired depended on how attentively he listened to the teacher.
Prov. 18:16... What is being said here was a characteristic feature of ancient Eastern life: it was impossible to appear (for one reason or another) before a nobleman without a gift. This gift was akin to a bribe, although, perhaps, it was not so obvious. The offer of a gift, or a bribe, is not approved here, but only stated as what was accepted.
Prov. 18: 17-19... These are parables about disputes and litigation that are decided in court. Verse 17 sounds like an advice to the judge to listen to both conflicting parties before deciding on their dispute. In verse 18 there is a reference to one of the methods of solving litigations known in the Bible: a lot was cast, which ended the disputes (compare 6:33; interpretation of Esther 3: 7; Acts 1:26), in verse 19 the justification of the need for one way or another put an end to the conflict as soon as possible: to restore relations between two brothers (whether blood relatives or tribesmen), one of whom is embittered, considering himself an offended side, is no less difficult than taking possession of an impregnable city.
Prov. 18: 20-21... The fruit of the mouth of a man and the work of them are his words (compare 12:14; 13: 2). Positive and encouraging, they can serve his own good as well. And in their own power (in the power of language) - death and life. For example, a false testimony in court could threaten someone with death. "Those who love the tongue" are called in verse 21 people in the tongue that are incontinent (compare 10:19; 18: 2; 20:19); Solomon warns them that they themselves will suffer from their tongue (eat of its fruits).
Prov. 18:22... Finding a good wife is seen as a grace from the Lord.
Prov. 18:23... The ancient Jews considered mercy to the needy as a duty and a high moral dignity. Here the absence of it is condemned.
Prov. 18:24... This parable is very consonant with the rule, the observance of which seemed very important to the ancient Jews: "Treat others the way you want to be treated." The thought is expressed that there is a friend who closer to manthan his brother by blood.
1-10. Against non-peacefulness, passion for arguments and other manifestations of an inhuman and reckless mood. 11-17. Seven parables that predominantly teach hope in God and humility as the paths leading to true wisdom. 18-22. Against the passion for litigation and abuse of the gift of speech. 23-25. ABOUT different types love.
Proverbs 18: 1. The capricious is looking for whims, rebelling against everything smart .:
Proverbs 18: 2. A fool does not like knowledge, but only to show his mind.
Proverbs 18: 3. With the coming of the wicked comes contempt, and with dishonor, reproach.
Proverbs 18: 4. The words of the mouth of men are deep waters; the source of wisdom is the flowing stream.
Proverbs 18: 5. It is not good to be partial to the wicked in order to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
Proverbs 18: 6. The lips of a fool go into quarrels, and his words cause beatings.
Proverbs 18: 7. The tongue of a fool is ruin for him, and his mouth is a snare for his soul.
Proverbs 18: 8. The lazy one is overthrown by fear, but the effeminate souls will starve.]
Proverbs 18: 9. The words of the earpiece are like delicacies, and they enter the interior of the womb.
Prov. 18:10. He who is negligent in his work is a brother to a squander.
The selfish isolation of a wayward person is condemned, depriving him of the opportunity to hear and implement any helpful advice (vv. 1–2), with a remark about the shame of wickedness in general (v. 3). Then a deep look is established at the inner nature of human speech, mainly of a wise man: his speech, before pronouncing, is composed in the depths of his soul, like water hidden in the depths of the earth: the depth and deliberation of the content, the abundance of valuable thoughts and the life-giving of the speech of the wise - these are the points of comparison her with spring water (v. 4. Proverbs 20.5; Eccl. 7.24). Of the individual maxims here, first of all, any kind of dissent at the trial is condemned (v. 5): to eliminate this evil was set as his goal among Israel biblical even by Moses (Lev. 19:15; Deut. 10:17). Then - against the abuse of the gift of speech, characteristic of the stupid and reckless (vv. 6-7), against slander, laziness, wastefulness (8-10).
Prov. 18:11. The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it - and is safe.
Prov. 18:12. The wealth of the rich is his strong city, and like a high fence in his imagination.
Prov. 18:13. Before the fall, the heart of man is ascended, and humility precedes glory.
Prov. 18:14. He who gives an answer without listening is stupid, and he is ashamed.
Proverbs 18:15. The spirit of a man bears his infirmities; but the afflicted spirit - who can support it?
Prov. 18:16. The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Proverbs 18:17. A gift from a person gives him space and will bring him to the nobles.
It is indicated, on the one hand, at the unshakable stronghold of Jehovah's name, as an undoubted stronghold for those who hope in Him (v. 11), on the other hand, at the deceitfulness, illusion of the hopes of a rich man for the help of riches (v. 12); If Proverbs 10:15 spoke of the proud, elevated conceit that the possession of wealth instills in God, as opposed to the oppressed state of mind of the poor man, then here (v. 12; Heb. 11) it speaks of the insignificance of the hopes of the rich man, as a fact of experience (correctly reproduced in Russian. - Synod and Archimandrite Macarius - Heb. bemasquito - "in his imagination." The adopted text LXX and Vulg. do not withstand this value). Art. 13 n. Proverbs 16:18 and Proverbs 15:33. Indicated in Art. 14 the sign of a fool - the manner of answering without listening to a question - was considered by the ancient Hebrew sages to be very typical for a stupid and uneducated person, while the opposite property was recognized as a sign of a learned and wise (Sir 11.8; Mishnah, Avot, V, 7). According to Art. 15 the spirit of a person can be a source of strength, courage for the entire being of a person, but also - in despondency - a source of weakness (in Heb. V. In the first half of the verse ruach, "Spirit", husband. R., and in the second - female.). In Art. 16 (Heb. 15) is an indication that the teaching of wisdom, above all the Torah itself, was always taught orally, and the degree of the disciple's teaching depended on the degree of his wisdom teaching (cf. Proverbs 15.31; Avot VI, 5). Art. 17 notes typical feature oriental customs, according to which, without a gift, you can neither introduce yourself to a superior person, nor win a case in court (cf. Proverbs 19.8).
Prov. 18:18. The first in the litigation of his rights, but his rival comes and investigates him.
Proverbs 18:19. The draw ends disputes and decides between the strong.
Prov. 18:20. An embittered brother is more inaccessible than a strong city, and quarrels are like the locks of a castle.
Prov. 18:21. From the fruit of a man's mouth, his belly is filled; by the work of his lips he is satisfied.
Prov. 18:22. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will partake of its fruits.
Art. 18 contains, apparently, advice to the judge - not to delude himself with the testimony of one of the litigants (cf. Avot I, 8-9). According to Art. 19 In disputes and litigations, when there was no other way out, the lot was the decisive means (cf. Proverbs 16:33). The meaning of Art. 20 (Heb., LXX., Vulg. - Art. 19) otherwise Hebrew. t. and Russian. (Synod. And Archim. Macarius) - "a brother embittered (" by treason ", according to Archim. Macarius), more impregnable than a strong city" than that of LXX (αδελφός ὺπο αδελφοῦ βοηθούμενος, ὠς πολις οχυὑρὰ κὶαὶ. - (frater; qui adjuvatur a fratre, gnasi civrtas firma), and in glory: "brother from brother we help, as the city is solid and high". Although the image of a fortified city more usually means something of protection, giving a safe refuge to those who seek it, and therefore the meaning given by LXX, Vulg., Gl., Could be accepted, but the context of speech of this place - Art. 18-19, cf. the second half of Art. 20 - speaks in favor of Heb. -Russian. reading. Art. 21 n. Proverbs 12.14: 13.2. Art. 22. The Apostle James (James 3.5-9) speaks in a similar way, but in much more detail, about the importance of language, now beneficial, now destructive (cf. Sire 38.20-22).
Proverbs 18:23. Whoever found a [good] wife, he found good and received grace from the Lord. - [He who casts out a good wife casts out happiness, but one who contains an adulteress is foolish and wicked.]
Prov. 18:24. The beggar speaks pleadingly, and the rich responds rudely.
Proverbs 18:25. He who wants to have friends must be friendly himself; and there is a friend who is more attached than a brother.
The Wise speaks here of different types of love and affection, and, first of all, recognizes the possession of a good wife as a great gift of God and happiness for man (v. 23, cf. Proverbs 31.10 f., Sir 26.1 f.); then, meaning in a negative way to express the duty of love and mercy to the needy, he depicts the humbly pleading figure of a beggar on the one hand, and the rude arrogance and cruelty of the rich man on the other (v. 24, fn. Proverbs 14.21: 17.5); finally, it speaks of ideal friendly love, capable of exceeding the power of brotherly love (v. 25).
The sage asked the disciple:
What is the worst tragedy in human life?
Probably the fact that a person does not find answers to his questions? the student asked.
No, - answered the sage, - in the fact that he does not find questions to which answers should be sought.
What's more important
Three sages argued about what is more important for a person - his past, present or future. One of them said:
My past makes me who I am. I can do what I have learned in the past. I believe in myself, because I was good at the things that I previously took on. I like people with whom I was good before, or similar to them. I am looking at you now, I see your smiles and I am waiting for your objections, because we have argued more than once, and I already know that you are not used to agreeing with anything without objection.
And it’s impossible to agree with this, ”said another,“ if you were right, man would be doomed, like a spider, to sit day after day in the web of his habits. A person is made by his future. It doesn't matter what I know and can do now - I will learn what I need in the future. My idea of \u200b\u200bwhat I want to become in two years is much more real than my memories of how I was two years ago, because my actions now depend not on what I was, but on what I'm going to become. I like people who are different from those I knew before. And the conversation with you is interesting because I look forward to a fascinating struggle and unexpected turns of thought here.
You have completely missed, ”intervened a third,“ that the past and the future exist only in our thoughts. The past is gone. There is no future yet. And regardless of whether you remember the past or dream of the future, you are acting only in the present. Only in the present can you change something in your life - neither the past nor the future is subject to us. Only in the present can one be happy: memories of the past, happiness, are sad, the expectation of future happiness is alarming.
What is the difference?
One wise man, speaking to the audience, told them an anecdote. The entire audience shuddered with laughter.
A few minutes later, he told people the same anecdote again. Only a few people smiled.
The sage told the same joke for the third time, but no one laughed anymore.
The wise old man smiled and said: "You cannot laugh constantly at the same joke ... So why do you allow yourself to cry about the same thing all the time?"
Two angels
There were two angels in paradise. One always rested on a cloud, while the other flew from earth to God.
The resting angel asked another:
Why are you flying back and forth?
I carry messages to God that begin - "Lord help ..."
Why do you always rest?
I have to carry messages to the Lord that begin - "Thank you, Lord ..."
Who are you?
At the American Kennedy Airport, a journalist conducted a survey on the topic:
"What do you think is the most disgusting thing in the world?"
People answered differently: war, poverty, betrayal, disease ..
At that time, the Zen monk Seung San was in the hall. The journalist, seeing the Buddhist dress, asked the monk a question. And the monk asked a counter question:
I am John Smith.
No, that's a name, but who are you?
I'm a TV reporter for such and such a company ..
Not. This is a profession, but who are you?
I am a man, after all! ..
No, this is your species, but who are you? ..
The reporter finally realized what the monk meant and froze with his mouth open as he couldn’t say anything.
The monk remarked:
This is the most disgusting thing in the world - not knowing who you are.
Two families
Two different families live in neighboring houses. Some quarrel all the time, others always have silence and mutual understanding.
Once, having envied the peace in a neighbor's family, the wife says to her husband:
- Go to your neighbors and see what they are doing, that they are always doing well.
I went, hid and watched. Here he sees a woman washes the floors in the house, suddenly something distracted her, and she ran to the kitchen. At this time, her husband urgently needed to go to the house. He did not notice a bucket of water, hooked on it and the water spilled.
Then the wife came, apologizes to her husband, says:
- Sorry, dear, I am to blame.
- No, forgive me, I am guilty.
The man got upset and went home. At home, the wife asks:
- Well, did you look?
- Well?
- Got it! We have ALL RIGHTS, and they have ALL GUILTY.
The price of resentment and anger
Why are you angry and offended? Isn't it better to calm down and forgive? - asked the Teacher.
And why should I do him a favor and forgive him, he ... - the student wanted to justify himself.
I'm sorry to interrupt you, - said the Teacher. “Let me ask you two questions, and then I will answer all your“ how ”and“ why ”.
The apprentice nodded in the affirmative.
Do you feel good when you are angry and offended? - asked the Teacher.
No, of course not, the student replied.
So who are you doing a favor when, thanks to gentleness, calmness and forgiveness, you do yourself well?
But tell me, how can you not be offended? It's so difficult.
The main thing is to understand that every time you want to hit someone with a whip of condemnation or resentment, you will hit yourself first, swinging.
The secret of marriage
One elderly couple who lived together for 60 years was asked:
How did you manage to live together for so long?
You see, we were born and raised in those days when broken things were repaired, not thrown away.
Who is rich in what
Bought a man for himself new house - large and beautiful, with a large fruit-bearing garden. And nearby, in an old house, lived an envious neighbor who constantly tried to ruin his mood: he would throw garbage under the gate, then he would do some other nasty thing.
Once a man woke up in a good mood, went out onto the porch, and there was a bucket of slops. He took a bucket, poured out the slops, cleaned the bucket to a shine, collected the largest, ripe and delicious apples in it and went to a neighbor.
A neighbor, hearing a knock on the door, thought gloatingly: “Finally I got it!”. He opens the door in the hope of a scandal, and the man handed him a bucket of apples and said:
Whoever is rich in what, he shares so!
What kind of life do you choose?
When God created man, he asked him who he wants to be.
The man was still young and inexperienced, and therefore from such a question he was somewhat confused and said: "I do not know."
Then God took the man by the hand and led him to the sea. Bringing him to the shore, God showed him to the shells lying on the bottom of the sea, and said:
If you want, you can choose the life of a shell for yourself - you will be at the very bottom, among millions of people like you, and your food will be only what the current will bring you. Your day today will be similar to yesterday, and your whole life will pass without risk and shock. Neither victory nor defeat will worry you. All the time you will lie at the bottom, only opening and closing the doors. And so from morning to evening: open, close, open, close.
After showing man the life of the shell, God led man into the mountains. And there, high in the mountains, he pointed to the nest of an eagle.
But if you want, you can choose this life for yourself. You can soar as high as you want, you can live the way you want, you can reach the highest peaks, and on the peaks of these you will meet only a few like you. You yourself will determine where and how you fly, and the price of all this will be that nothing will ever get you just like that. Every day you will go in search of food and get it with sweat and blood. You can choose this life too if you want.
And since then there have been people who have chosen the life of a shell for themselves, and only a few who have chosen the life of an eagle.