§ 2. Wisdom and folly in speech and silence.-First let us collect together a number of detached proverbs about wisdom and folly as shown in silence and speech. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: But he that refraineth his lips is wise. The tongue of the just is as choice silver: The understanding of the wicked is little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many : But fools die for want of understanding. There is that chattereth like the piercings of a sword: But the heart of fools proclaimeth its own folly. A gentle tongue is a tree of life : But perverseness therein is a wound in spirit. A man hath joy by the answer of the mouth: And a word in its season, how good it is! The heart of the righteous studieth to answer : But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: He that hath a perverse tongue falleth into calamity. And the cool of spirit is a man of understanding. A fool's lips bring contention; And his mouth calleth for strokes! A fool's mouth is his own destruction: SPEECH AND SILENCE He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: But understanding lips are a (more) precious jewel. The wise in heart receiveth the commandments: The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life: A right word fitly spoken! A man eateth good by the fruit of his mouth: He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: But he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. In all labour there is profit: But idle talk leadeth only to want. The wise in heart is called intelligent; And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. 25 'Concealeth knowledge': a wise man is reserved; he imparts his knowledge at fit places and times; the fool by his constant talk proclaims his folly. 'Cool of spirit': i. e. self-controlled; the German, kaltblütig. They who rule it.' Good profit comes to those who can rule their tongues. 'Concealeth violence.' The friendly talk of the wicked is hypocritical and masks the evil he intends to do. Parallels to these simple and yet often pregnant sayings can be found in the immense proverbial literature both of the East and of the West. A patient English clergyman, who was both a great linguist and a great lover of the Bible, set himself from his undergraduate days at Oxford to make a collection of these parallels. He confined himself mainly to the literature of the East. His book fills three thick volumes, and in the preface to it he tells his readers that he has collected and printed about 16,000 maxims and sayings, every one of which he himself copied and translated from the originals. To what long and laborious work of different kinds the love and study of the Bible have prompted men and encouraged them! §3. Against slander.-Now let us hear some proverbs against talebearing and slander. He that hideth hatred is of lying lips, And he that uttereth slander is a fool. A talebearer revealeth secrets: But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter. A guileful man soweth strife: And a whisperer separateth bosom friends. The scoundrel giveth heed to false lips: A liar giveth ear to a destructive tongue. But he that returneth to a matter separateth very friends. Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: So where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. The words of a talebearer are like dainties, And they penetrate into the chambers of the belly. He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: Therefore meddle not with him that blabbeth with his lips. 'Returneth to a matter.' If A, the friend of B, has committed a fault, B should not allude to it: passing over his friend's error, he will preserve his affection. If he returns to it' and dwells upon it, the friendship may be strained and broken. § 4. Anger and self-control.-Strife and anger are vices which the sages held in special abhorrence, just as peace and gentleness are their special delight. A fool's anger is shewn at once; But the prudent man covereth an insult. But sharp words stir up anger. Better a dinner of herbs and love thereby, Than a stalled ox and hatred with it. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith, Than a house full of banquets of contention. SELF-CONTROL AND HUMILITY The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: Therefore leave off contention before the teeth be shewn. As the bellows are to coals and wood to fire, So is a quarrelsome man to kindle strife. He loveth transgression that loveth strife: And he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction. By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, He that hath no rule over his own spirit Is like a city that is broken down or without walls. 27 'Letteth out water.' It is easy to let the water out; it is very hard to dam it up again. 'Exalteth his gate': i.e. builds a grand house and lives in pomp and pride. Breaketh a bone': i.e. overcomes the hardest opposition. § 5. Pride and humility.-Like all proverbial philosophy, the Hebrew sages have many aphorisms on pride and humility. When pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the lowly is wisdom. Pride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of a lowly spirit with the humble, A haughty heart precedeth destruction, But humility leadeth to honour. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, A proud man who is puffed up is called a scoffer, Even one that dealeth in the presumptuousness of pride. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips. § 6. Industry and laziness.-The wisdom of the Proverbs is often primitive, but there is much ingenuity in the way in which the simplest maxims of everyday counsel are worded and expressed. Let us, e.g., hear our sages on industry and sloth. He that worketh with a slack hand becometh poor: He that gathereth in summer is wise: But he that sleepeth at harvest winneth disgrace. But he that gathereth gradually shall increase. And an idle soul shall suffer hunger. But the righteous giveth and spareth not. A slothful man putteth his hand in the dish, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again! At winter time the sluggard will not plough: When he looks for prudence at the harvest, nothing is there. Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty; Keep thine eyes open, and thou shalt be filled with bread. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. The desire of the slothful killeth him; For his hands refuse to labour. 'The desire of the slothful': i.e. his desire for ease and repose. The short fourth section, which, like the third, may be better regarded as an appendix to the long second section, contains a short poem, or sonnet, as Mr. Moulton terms it, on the sluggard. It runs thus: I went by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, And nettles had covered the face thereof, And the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and laid it to heart; I looked upon it, and received instruction : 'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep' |