The Two Phrase Proverbs
“1) The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother. Proverbs 10:1
Solomon now begins several chapters of contrasts between the righteous and the wicked. Most of these are comprised of two opposite phrases.
These are examples of actual proverbs. They are catchy little nuggets of truth that are easy to remember but packed with insight.
By age twelve, young Jewish boys were expected to have these memorized. As a test, the father would say the first phrase and the son was expected to answer with the second. The test lasted over several days as the son joined the father at work.
Let’s look at the first Proverb in this sequence; “A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.” Let’s consider some background to this proverb.
Because the mother and grandmother were often the primary teachers until age twelve, if the son failed the test, it brought grief to the mother. He was written off as a foolish son. (See 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-15) His life would often betray his lack of wisdom.
If he passed the test, he was considered a wise son and was formally brought into the family buisness. He made his father glad and underwent a ceremony too became a legal heir in the family estate. Graduation was a big occasion.
But there was more to the equation than just knowledge. It was one thing to memorize the Proverbs, it was another thing to live them out in life. This is when knowledge gives birth to wisdom.
The good news is that these Proverbs are timeless nuggets of truth. They are as significant and applicable today as 3,000 years ago when Solomon collected them and assembled them into the book of Proverbs.
They were intended to impart wisdom and guide character development. They were equally mastered by the daughters who became the teachers for the next generation.
The book of Proverbs stands out as the best personal growth and development book ever written. Make it a life habit to read one chapter a day. Over time it will sink in and fine tune your conscience.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
“1) The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother. Proverbs 10:1
Solomon now begins several chapters of contrasts between the righteous and the wicked. Most of these are comprised of two opposite phrases.
These are examples of actual proverbs. They are catchy little nuggets of truth that are easy to remember but packed with insight.
By age twelve, young Jewish boys were expected to have these memorized. As a test, the father would say the first phrase and the son was expected to answer with the second. The test lasted over several days as the son joined the father at work.
Let’s look at the first Proverb in this sequence; “A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.” Let’s consider some background to this proverb.
Because the mother and grandmother were often the primary teachers until age twelve, if the son failed the test, it brought grief to the mother. He was written off as a foolish son. (See 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-15) His life would often betray his lack of wisdom.
If he passed the test, he was considered a wise son and was formally brought into the family buisness. He made his father glad and underwent a ceremony too became a legal heir in the family estate. Graduation was a big occasion.
But there was more to the equation than just knowledge. It was one thing to memorize the Proverbs, it was another thing to live them out in life. This is when knowledge gives birth to wisdom.
The good news is that these Proverbs are timeless nuggets of truth. They are as significant and applicable today as 3,000 years ago when Solomon collected them and assembled them into the book of Proverbs.
They were intended to impart wisdom and guide character development. They were equally mastered by the daughters who became the teachers for the next generation.
The book of Proverbs stands out as the best personal growth and development book ever written. Make it a life habit to read one chapter a day. Over time it will sink in and fine tune your conscience.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
