Chapter 1
Verses 1:1-7
- We are introduced to the what the book of proverbs is about: a collection of teachings of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.
- Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
To grow in wisdom is a spritual quest, and the bedrock of the spiritual life is faith, a theological virtue. Faith allows us to recognize what is virtuous and vicious, and move away from sin and towards a communion with God.
St. Bede, in his Commentary on Proverbs differentiate between two types of “fear” of the Lord:
- Servile fear: corrects the error of sins. It is a fear because you fear the punishment for your wrongdoings. It is related to “imperfect contrition” when we sin and repent. Replaced by perfect love of God.
- Holy fear: the fear of a good son who is afraid to offend his loving father. Perfect love supplements this fear. It is related to “perfect contrition” when we sin and repent.
Verses 1:8-19
- Always listen to the teaching of your father and mother.
- Be careful hanging around people that do habitual wrongdoings.
- Be careful with temptations by peer pressure.
- Do not do violence, especially violence motivated by greed.
- Rewards acquired by evil means corrupt the life and soul of the evildoer.
- There is the way of wisdom and the way of foolishness.
Proverbs 1:8-19 is a warning against peer pressure and the dangers of violence, and especially violence motivated by greed. The cure for this is to walk in the way of wisdom, by listening to the teachings of your father and mother, and avoiding the company of those who do evil.
Verses 1:20-33
“Woman Wisdom” makes a speech. She announces that not taking heed of her suggestions will lead to a path of disaster. And that the those who don’t listen to her will only search for her when it is too late. Not caring about, not making an effort to improve, and continuing in rebellion are what kills the immature and the fools.
Wisdom’s correction intends to show how the glamour of sin is deceptive, and that leads to bad consequences. God’s reproof (something also seen in Job’s passage) aim is our repentance.
Proverbs 1:29-32 How deadly are the consequences of a serious sin, such as a sin against the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth commandment? How is the sinner killed by his sin, even if he remains physically alive?
When someone commits a mortal sin, he loses all the sanctifying grace in his soul, thus placing him in a state of self-exclusion from God. Dying in a state of mortal sin leads to hell, which is the place of the souls that placed themselves in a state of self-exclusion from God by their free choices.
Chapter 2
Verses 2:1-5
Not that much to say, really. Wisdom is the antidote of the way of evil, of men with “perverted speech” (lying, giving false witness, incentivizing others to commit sin), of men that walk in the path of darkness
Verses 2:6-8
- God protects the faithful, and gives them salvation.
Verses 2:9-15
Seeking knowledge is good, as the wisdom acquired gives you discretion and understanding to walk in the right path.
Verses 2:16-19
Wisdom saves you from the “loose woman” (v. 16), an adulteress that engages in sexual sin with young men. Adultery is seen as forgetting God (v. 17) as marriage is a covenant made before God (marriage). A commitment to chastity and not engaging in lustful passions is important to not lead astray from the paths of life.
Oh Lord, how many have lost the path of life and denied you because of their lust?
Verses 2:20-22
Wise men stay in the path of the righteous and the ways of good men. Proverbs 2:21-22:
21 For the upright will inhabit the land, and men of integrity will remain in it; 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
The land is a reference to the promised land by God. The upright that will inhabit the land is Israel, and the wicked is a reference to the people that inhabited those lands (the Canaanites).
Anagogically, it can be read as the celestial Israel, and that the upright will inhabit heaven, and the wicked will inhabit hell.
Chapter 3
Verses 3:1-4
Abundant peace is one of the merits of being a wise and faithful person. Don’t forget the teachings and the commandments, have them on your neck (your actions) and on your heart (your inward intentions).
Verses 3:5-8
Trust in the Lord above your own insight. Personally, this is a true showing of faith, you not only know intellectually the truths about God, but trust and follow his commandments. People today choose religions and denominations based on what set of propositions of behavior they agree, and this is terrible. If you believe in and trust in God, you should put his word above your own understanding.
Trust in God and doing His will heals us.
Verses 3:9-12
Verses 9-10 is a call to contribute to the Church, through tithes. That is honoring the Lord, and brings temporal blessings.
Verses 11-12 is a call to not fear Divine discipline, which usually come in the form of disappoints and suffering, as God reproves whom he loves.
Verses 3:13-18
Wisdom is more valuable than temporal goods and brings happiness and peace.
Verses 3:19-24
The Lord used Wisdom to create the universe. It is because he created a ordered and intelligible universe with predictable laws that we can do natural sciences and understand the universe ourselves.
Verses 3:25-27
Do not be afraid when the wicked sow the results of their wickedness; Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to do it.
Verses 3:28-32
Treat well your neighbors, don’t cause trouble for no reason. Don’t envy perverse men.
Verses 3:33-35
God shows favor to the humble, and scorns the prideful. According to St Jerome, “Pride is evil because no excuse can be given for it.”.
Chapter 4
Verses 4:1-9
It is a poem of a father speaking to his son, teaching what he learned from his father as well. In it, it says to get and value wisdom. It personifies wisdom as a lady, that will be devoted to you if you value her.
Verses 4:10-19
The wicked carry the burden of their misdeeds and are restless, without peace, because of it. The righteous have peace of mind and that peace increases over time, like the light of the sun in dawn.
Verses 4:20-27
To keep being in the path of righteousness, you have to keep all your senses away from wickedness: your heart (what you value most), your mouth and ears (what you hear and talk), eyes (your gaze), your feet (where you heading to).