Famous parables of Solomon. Proverbs of 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.

According to the form of presentation, Proverbs are a poetic work. The book of Proverbs was written by Solomon. And this is the only Old Testament book whose authorship is not practically 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 relations 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 Golden 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 set of instructions in the book represents moral legislation, ethical standards of behavior and are universal in nature - that is, they are applicable 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.

Lessons from King Solomon.

Parable about freedom

One day someone came to Solomon and said to him: “King, help me! Every time I have to make a choice, I cannot sleep peacefully - I rush and suffer, and wonder if I did what I should. What should I do?"
And the wise king answered: “There is no choice.”
And he also asked: “Would you throw yourself into the river if you saw a drowning child?”
The petitioner answered him: “Of course, king!” Then Solomon said: “And yesterday, and today, and tomorrow?”
“Yes,” was his answer.
And Solomon said: “You see, there is no choice. What to choose from if every time you know what you would do, even before the turn of action comes? Having imagined any event in detail, you immediately know what to do. Every time you will choose the best for you, and under the same circumstances you will always act the same way - yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”
And Solomon said: “The only place where we can really make a choice is in our hearts. Change yourself, and what you would have done without thinking yesterday will no longer seem best to you tomorrow. Then, and only then, will you be able to do things differently. So go in peace and know that whatever you did was the best thing you could do.”
The petitioner bowed to the ground and left, and from then on he slept peacefully...

The Mystery of King Solomon's Ring

In ancient times, there lived King Solomon. Although he was unusually wise, his life was very troubled. One day he decided to seek advice from the court sage: “Help me - a lot in this life can make me angry. I am subject to passions, and this makes my life very difficult!” To which the Sage replied: “I know how to help you. Put on this ring - the phrase is carved on it: “THIS WILL PASS!” When strong anger or great joy comes to you, just look at this inscription, and it will sober you up. In this you will find salvation from passions!
Solomon followed the advice of the Sage and was able to find peace. But one day, during one of his fits of anger, he, as usual, looked at the ring, but this did not help - on the contrary, he lost his temper even more. He tore the ring off his finger and wanted to throw it further into the pond, but suddenly saw that there was inside The rings also have some kind of inscription. He took a closer look and read: “THIS ALSO SHALL PASS...”

Solomon is the third Jewish king who ruled the united Jewish state during unknown times. The opinions of historians about the era to which it should be attributed and the nature of the processes occurring in those times differ. Traditionally, he is assigned the role of a herald of wisdom, who did not ask God for anything secular for himself, but desired knowledge and the ability to use it, which he somehow gave to Solomon, the son of David. He is also traditionally considered the author of a number of philosophical and theological works - the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs and the Book of Proverbs.

The personality of the king is overgrown with many legends, each of which represents only an example of folklore of a particular era. For example, “Solomon’s decision” is simply a synonym for a wise decision, and the expression “King Solomon’s mines” is associated with legends and even methods of information influence during the Crusades. The knights were led to believe that King Solomon's treasure was hidden somewhere in Palestine in order to force them to take part in dubious military campaigns.

By the nature of their presentation, parables are divided into synonymous, antithetical and parabolic. And in style they are poetic works of art, which arose in ancient times. The essence of the material presented is a list of completely banal imperatives, which only occasionally remind readers or listeners that spiritual values are still more significant than material well-being.

In some places Agur and King Lemuel are indicated as authors. Agur's sayings are placed in the 30th chapter Parable of King Solomon, and Lemuel - in the 31st. King Lemuel is given instructions by his mother. She warns him against the unrighteous behavior of a member of the elite. In particular, he recommends to beware of debauchery and drunkenness. It is clear from the text that in her instructions, Lemuel’s mother suggests giving alcohol to the poor and suffering people so that they can forget about their sorrows. But she strongly recommends sobriety to the king and princes.

A new problem of authorship arose at the beginning of the 20th century. European Egyptologists have established that some biblical parables included in Solomon's collection repeat almost word for word the teachings of Amenemope, which have come down to us in their entirety. Fragments of Proverbs 22:17 – 24:22 are supposedly completely identical to the Egyptian text. Currently, most historians and Egyptologists agree with this. However, there are also objections. Egyptian pharaoh from the XXI dynasty Amenemope, who allegedly reigned in 993–978 BC. e., could talk about about the same thing as the ancient king of the Jews, but later, seeing the similarity of meaning, the Egyptological translators repeated the text in parables, unwittingly putting it into their mouths Egyptian pharaoh. However, the possibility cannot be ruled out that both texts include fragments of some earlier source, currently unknown.

In any case, it is necessary to understand that this is not separate work, but fragments and a compilation of some other works. Without a doubt, Canaan of Solomon's time was in close contact with Egypt, and one of the wives of the Jewish king was an Egyptian, as indicated in the Bible itself. However, Solomon did not stop there. His wives were representatives of the most different nations and ethnic groups, including those with whom Jews were not supposed to enter into marriage. From a spiritual point of view, the king clearly sought wisdom quite broadly and did not adhere to the views on religion that were traditional for the Jews. For his wives, as well as due to religious tolerance and tolerance, the king built temples for Chemosh and Molech in Jerusalem, and also served the goddess Astarte. This is clearly indicated by the Bible text from Kings 11:1-12. He also explains the reason for the death of the state after the death of Solomon.

In essence, it is not so important which culture was dominant at that moment. In any case, like the teachings of Amenemope, they have first of all social significance. This is advice not to plot evil for someone who lives nearby and is not afraid of anything, not to chat, not to embrace violent people and not to believe every word, but to carefully watch your paths. All this, no doubt, is useful, but people most often act in exactly the opposite way.

In the book following Proverbs, which is also included in the biblical collection of Solomon's books, the author changes dramatically. Now he emanates fatalism and sorrow from the fact that man always rules over man unjustly, giving rise to violence, rejecting kindness and decency. Corrupt courts and scoundrels in power are no longer castigated, but are shown as a given. The righteous are doomed to suffering, and wisdom is only languor of the spirit. Such a truthful and compassionate Solomon, a preacher who pushes the reader to allow the idea of renouncing everything worldly to arise in the mind on its own, is much closer and more useful for the thoughtful modern reader.

It is characteristic that the most recent postscript of this book belongs not to the author, but to the ancient editor. He noted that one must fear God and His commandments. The author-preacher said absolutely nothing of the kind, but only admitted the obvious:

“In much wisdom there is much sorrow;
And whoever increases knowledge increases sorrow.”

Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village

Located in exhibition halls apart-hotel "Himalayan House", as well as on the second floor Cultural Center India. It includes over 100 exhibits, this is the greatest collection of busts of sages of all times and peoples, who left the world the most valuable heritage - knowledge, pointed out by example demonstrated the ways spiritual development. Studying the works, scientific discoveries, philosophical treatises of these teachers, we come to understand that, at the core basic system values lie on a single foundation: the unity of religions, the unity of peoples and the unity of man and nature. Near each bust in the exhibition there is an information plaque with short story about the main merits of the Teacher to humanity, indicating significant dates and a list of his works. The exhibition is always open for independent study.

When King Solomon descended from the mountain, after meeting the sunrise, those gathered at the foot said:

You are an inspiration to us. Your words transform hearts. And your wisdom enlightens the mind. We long to listen to you.

Tell us: who are we?

He smiled and said:

You are the light of the world. You are the stars. You are the temple of truth. The Universe is in each of you. Plunge your mind into your heart, ask your heart, listen through your love. Blessed those who know the language God.

- What is a sense of life?

Life is a journey, a goal and a reward. Life is a dance of Love. Your purpose is to blossom. TO BE is a great gift to the world. Your life is the history of the Universe. And therefore life is more beautiful than all theories. Treat life as a holiday, because life is valuable in itself. Life consists of the present. And the meaning of the present is to be in the present.

- Why do misfortunes haunt us?

What you sow is what you reap. Unhappiness is your choice. Poverty is a human creation. And bitterness is the fruit of ignorance. By blaming, you lose strength, and by lusting, you dissipate happiness. Wake up, for a beggar is one who is not aware of himself. And those who have not found the Kingdom of God within are homeless. The one who wastes time becomes poor. Don't turn life into vegetation. Don't let the crowd destroy your soul. Let wealth not be your curse.

- How to overcome adversity?

Don't judge yourself. For you are divine. Don't compare or separate. 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. Pray, but don't bargain with God. And know, praise - best prayer, and happiness is the best food for the soul.

- What is the path to happiness?

Happy are the LOVERS, happy are the ones who thank. Happy are the peaceful. 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 know Unity. Happy are those who have tasted the taste of God-contemplation. 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.

- What is the secret of abundance?

Your life is the greatest treasure in God's treasury. And God is the treasure of the human heart. The wealth within you is inexhaustible, and the abundance around you is limitless. The world is rich enough for everyone to become rich. Therefore, the more you give, the more you receive. Happiness is at your doorstep. Open yourself to abundance. And turn everything into the gold of life. Blessed are those who find treasures within themselves.

- 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. Happiness is the sunrise. Contemplation of God is dissolution in the light. Enlightenment is the radiance of a thousand suns. Blessed are those who thirst for light.

- How to find harmony?

Live simply. Don't harm anyone. Don't be jealous. Let doubts purify, not bring powerlessness. 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. Fill your body with love. Become the energy of love, for love spiritualizes everything. Where there is love, there is God.

- How to achieve perfection in life?

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When King Solomon descended from the mountain, after meeting the sunrise, those gathered at the foot said: “You are a source of inspiration for us.” Your words transform hearts. And your wisdom enlightens the mind. We long to listen to you. Tell us: who are we? He smiled and said: “You are the light of the world.” You are the stars. You are the temple of truth. The Universe is in each of you. Place your mind in your heart, ask your heart, listen through your love. Blessed are those who know the language of God.