Studies in Life from Jewish Proverbs

“This author has given several thoughtful volumes, but not one in which the ideal and the practical are so well blended and so skilfully contrasted as in the present.”--_Liverpo...

The Wise were not cynical persons intent on the faults and failings of humanity. The sayings recorded in the preceding chapter give their comments on the abnormal elements of so...

Students of the Old Testament do not require to be told that the universalism of the _Book of Proverbs_ is a remarkable fact. But even those whose knowledge of Jewish history is...

Life is very jealous of its secrets, and it is only by irrepressible questioning that man has read what he has read of the truth. The insurgent “Why?” of our early years is perh...

We have seen the Wise at work, breaking up the hard ground, ploughing the field and scattering the seed. Came ever their toil to harvest? And since the world is the field, to wh...

Genesis =10= 9 (50); =28= 10-19 (49). Exodus =15= 25 (114); =20= 5 (67). Numbers =21= 27 (69). Deuteronomy =27= 17 (59); =80= 11-14 (215). Joshua =7= 24, 25 (66). Ruth =2= 7-14...

The Wise had not found the last secrets of Wisdom. There were ranges of human nature beyond their imagining, there were paths to salvation not visible from the highroad of respe...

The past of human life offers an unimaginably long vista for our contemplation. Vastly many more are the years that have been forgotten than those that are remembered. Mr. Steph...

Our fathers required no volumes on the Humanism of the Bible. They felt themselves close-linked with its heroes; Patriarchs, Judges, Warriors, Kings, and Prophets were their kit...

Popular as the custom of making and of hearing “wise words” may have been in ancient Israel, it is not surprising that only five or six proverbial sayings are recorded in the ea...

Most writers on proverbs have thought it necessary to attempt a definition of their subject, but the task is difficult, and the phrase that will silence criticism has yet to be...

Of the facts we have been considering one is specially relevant to the subject, not only of this volume but of the series in which it forms a part--namely, the intimately human...

The art of hurling texts dies out of fashion, is almost dead, perhaps because it yielded the delight of victory so seldom, but for deeper reasons also. It was ever a game at whi...

Continuing the criticism of the ideal or ideals of the last chapter, it may be said that the morality commended is not unusual nor markedly superior to that of other peoples. Do...

Let us imagine two of the Wise-men meeting in the streets of Jerusalem and conversing. That is easier proposed than effected: bold words, to be followed by small performances. F...

Discretion counsels the suppression of this chapter. Justice insists that it shall be written, for the Hebrews, on the evidence of the Scriptures, have been accused of lacking h...

This chapter will prove less ambitious than its title suggests. As the remarks made a few pages back, on _The Body Politic_ were meant to be taken in conjunction with what was s...

In comparison with the Greeks and those peoples who have inherited something of the Grecian genius for form and colour in the world, it may fairly be said that the Hebrews were...

Ben Sirach has a wise passage in recognition of the transcendent majesty of God. He has been seeking to describe the marvels of the universe, and words have failed him; how much...

The sayings we have been quoting in this volume for the most part belong to the life of ordered and peaceful society. There is no tramp of armies, no sense of imminent death, no...

Suppose A LECTURE (subject, GOOD ADVICE) to be given in THE LARGE LECTURE HALL, to-night, by the Venerable Rabbi Wiseman. We go, but with mixed feelings, assuring ourselves we d...

_WISDOM EXALTETH HER SONS, AND TAKETH HOLD ON THEM THAT LOVE HER: HE THAT LOVETH HER LOVETH LIFE. AND THEY THAT SEEK HER EARLY SHALL BE FILLED WITH GLADNESS: HE THAT HOLDETH HER...

2 51, 236 3 134, 232 4 135, 262 7 134, 242 11 135 12 123, 246 13 242, cp.128 14, 15 128, 242 16 128, 181 17 141, 238 18, 19 124 20 122 21 141 23-26 141 27 154 28 125

3, 4 145, 269 5, 6 158 7 246 11, 12 192, 271 13-15 170 16 272 17, 18 217, 231 19f 172 25f 278 27, 28 155, 211 29 154 31, 32 153 33 275 34 267

1-6 192 4 283 7-9 155 8, 9 121, 211 12, 14 256 15, 16 46, 52 17 150, 232 18, 19 51, 233 21-23 47, 129 24-28 47, 233 26f 232 29-31 47, 232 33 141

1 211 3 264 4 189 6 269 7 276 8 154, 211, 254 9 277 16 171 18 140, 246 19 210 24 51 26 116 27 123, 181 28 122 32 139, 206, 246

1 253 2 143 4 211, 257 5 143 10 259, 280 11 258 12 140 18 188 19 280 22 241 24, 25 122, 253 26 254 28 211 30 143

2, 3 152 6 211 11 231 13 234 14 123, 235 16 17 17 30, 262 19 243 20 125 21 145 24 242 25 236 27 222, 243 28 246

1 246 5 275 6 154, 245, 254 7 138 8 155 12 280 13, 14 268 15 152, 232 17 245 22 122 23 125 24 150 26 134 27 155

1 108 2 151 5 144 7 129 9 253 10 135 12 232, 241, 242 13 140 16 134 17 142 21 130 23 153 24 133, 242 28 140

2 273 3 108, 153, 274 6 253 9 242 13 253 14 152 17 138 20 133 22 233 23 211 24 135 27 108, 274 30, 31 247, 275

1 51, 257 2 252 3 58 4 167 6 150 7 113 8 188 10 180 11 143 13 128; cp. 242 22, 23 153, 181 27 113 28 58

1 145, 246 2 123 4 145, 211 5 134 8 108 16 211 17 120 18 139 20 134 23 140 24 190 25 155 28 143 29 188