The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 26th on Proverbs 26:9-12

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 9-12.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 26

1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool.

9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 

9) Isn't good imagery a fantastic thing?  This word picture, of a  "thornbush in a drunkard’s hand", is very scary.  And then to compare THAT to what seems so simple, "a proverb in the mouth of a fool" is very telling.  We begin to imagine how hurtful it is to use a proverb carelessly.

10 Like an archer who wounds at random
is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.

10) Some kids in Wisconsin did this recently.  One shot an arrow and hit a 10 year old girl in the back, and then they ran away pretending nothing happened.  Fortunately, their sin did find them out.  But the point of the proverb is that people are not all the same.  All are equally made, and have the same rights, but not all are equally qualified to perform a specific task.  Discernment (egad, even JUDGEMENT) is necessary before hiring, before honoring, before celebrating, before marrying; indeed before making any personal commitments.

11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
so fools repeat their folly. 

11) I object strongly (read: scream) when I see my dog do this gross thing!  But to her it's some kind of natural instinct (I guess).  Would that she would interfere (read: bark savagely) when I am about to repeat one of my natural follies!

12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.

12) I just heard a message this week about self-confidence.  It is oft promoted, but Mary Whelchel suggests that it is greatly overrated.  We are better off living our lives with "God-confidence" because the self will certainly fail us.

13 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.


17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.


18 Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”


20 Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.


23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,
but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
25 Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,
for seven abominations fill their hearts.
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.




By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 22nd on Proverbs 22:11-16

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 11-16.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 22

1 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.


2 Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.


3 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.


4 Humility is the fear of the Lord;
its wages are riches and honor and life.


5 In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,
but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.


6 Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.


7 The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.


8 Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,
and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.


9 The generous will themselves be blessed,
for they share their food with the poor.


10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
quarrels and insults are ended.


11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend.

11)  I worked with a guy years ago who could talk a Packer fan into rooting for the Bears!  We used to call such a guy a "schmoozer."  But I think the person described here is much more than that.  He is genuine.  He actually does "love a pure heart" and his speaking "with grace" is not calculated to charm.  The trick is for the King to discern the authentic loyal friend, from the schmoozer.

12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

12) In this campaign season I hear so many "words of the unfaithful" thrown out there.  This is how I see so many ads and talking points that deliberately veer away from taking a real stand on a real issue.  When a candidate is afraid that his worldview position is untenable or unpopular, he avoids "knowledge" and ends up only frustrating himself with "unfaithful (to the truth) words."


13 The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”

13) Solomon leaves us on our own here, to finish the typical second half of the proverb.  It is usually either an emphasis of the preliminary statement, or a contrasting revelation.  This one seems to call for a contrast.  Something like... 

The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! 
I’ll be killed in the public square!”

"But the courageous runs out to protect his friends!"


14 The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;
a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.

14) Does the Lord actually SEND the adulterous woman to punish someone?  I don't think so.  But "a man who is under the Lord's wrath" is there for a reason.  He has previously demonstrated his rebellion against God and because he is in such a state, God predicts that adultery is just one more of the bad choices he is likely to succumb to.  Since the man avoids God's truth, he will probably fall for the lie of the seductress.

15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

15) What a shame that so many generations (perhaps every third or fourth?) are "protected" from the rod of discipline by societies ever oscillating moral outrages.  Right now, America is in the mood for choosing "hearts full of folly" in lieu of the "rod of discipline".  When the deeds of such folly again overwhelm us all, the pendulum (hopefully) will swing back, and a new generation will grow up delivered from such ruin.

16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

16) The first "one" is represented well in so many books and movies.  The factory owner who doesn't care, or the corrupt politician driving through the big deal to "make a killing" make us all sick.  And then there is the other "one" with the brown nose and the "schmoozing" compliments that weedle into good graces:  More sick.

Thirty Sayings of the Wise
Saying 1

17 Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,
18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I teach you today, even you.
20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
sayings of counsel and knowledge,
21 teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,
so that you bring back truthful reports
to those you serve?
Saying 2


22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,
23 for the Lord will take up their case
and will exact life for life.
Saying 3


24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
do not associate with one easily angered,
25 or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared.
Saying 4


26 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge
or puts up security for debts;
27 if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be snatched from under you.
Saying 5


28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
set up by your ancestors.
Saying 6


29 Do you see someone skilled in their work?
They will serve before kings;
they will not serve before officials of low rank.










By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting May 17th on Proverbs 17:9-12

Woe is me!  This is the first P31P post this year, that was not posted on or before its stated date!  So sorry.

[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]

"Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November

All the rest have 31

Except February which has 28

Except during leap year when it has 29"

NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"!  (Talk about free verse!)

Why didn't somebody just point out that the four months that do NOT have 31 days (except February, and everyone knows all about February The Exceptional) come every other month except that there is no 30 day month between July and August?  The silly poem above mixes up the order just to hide the fact that the real 30 day months come in two orderly pairs: April/June and September/November.  Can somebody please write a non-silly poem for us that will make this clear, and stick in our minds, but without gooping them up with exceptions (and please just leave February out of it!)?

And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)!  Oh don't ask me to explain his system.  You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.

All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com

REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!

So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 9-12.  Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither       (neither inspired, nor red).

PROVERBS 17



1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
than a house full of feasting, with strife.


2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.


3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but the Lord tests the heart.


4 A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.


5 Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;
whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.


6 Children’s children are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.


7 Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
how much worse lying lips to a ruler!


8 A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
they think success will come at every turn.


9 Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

9) One of my favorite things to do is to "cover over an offense."  It's not really a wonderful pastime, per se, but when I get the chance to forgive and forget, or ignore and move one, or to acknowledge in the real world that "there, but for the grace of God, go I", I dive right in.

Furthermore; I hate gossip!  Too many of my friends seem eager, or at least willing and unrestrained, to partake.  And then I hate that almost as often, I listen.  What is it about gossip that draws us (me) in?  Pride, I think; because we want to find ourselves above the crowd, and the chance to actively compare our select triumphs with the highlighted failures of others, is too great of an opportunity to bypass. 

10 A rebuke impresses a discerning person
more than a hundred lashes a fool.

10) If you have children, you recognize this truth.  One can be guided by a soft "ahem" from across the room, and another scoffs when the police are at the door.  The discerning will learn from the mistakes of a 2nd cousin once removed, while the fool wastes his life away before he gets the basics down.


11 Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
the messenger of death will be sent against them.

11) Overly dramatic hyperbole?  I don't think so.  This seems more like a simplification of a real life, God driven, principle.  Whether there is an actual "messenger of death" is immaterial.  The point is, for all those who rebel against God (Lucifer included), death will be theirs in the end.  They will get their wish, and be eternally separated from the God they so despise.

12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool bent on folly.

12) Ain't that the trute!  I met a "fool bent on folly" once when I was in 8th grade.  Walking to school tardily, I was alone on the Chicago sidewalk.  A strange kid came striding across the street to intercept my path and proclaiming "we got another one, we got another one".  In my naivete, I queried "another what?" and he answered by punching me and running away.  Maybe he wasn't in the same league as an angry mother bear, but the worse are certainly out there.  The news is full of "fools, bent on folly."  And the only real way to stop this menace from stealing all of our peace is to reach the heart of the fool, and straighten it out with the wisdom of God.


13 Evil will never leave the house
of one who pays back evil for good.


14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.


15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent —
the Lord detests them both.


16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
when they are not able to understand it?


17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.


18 One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
and puts up security for a neighbor.


19 Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.


20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.


21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;
there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.


22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.


23 The wicked accept bribes in secret
to pervert the course of justice.


24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.


25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.


26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,
surely to flog honest officials is not right.


27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.


28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.

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By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting March 26th on Proverbs 26:5-8

                    March 26th?     Read Proverbs 26!

[Please note: The first two paragraphs below are repeated each day for new readers. My amateur comments are offered below each of today's verses from Proverbs.]

Have you ever noticed that, as most months have 31 days, so the Book of Proverbs has 31 chapters? Fascinating right? Well, it is at least interesting, and coincidentally beneficial to those who would like to read a portion of thought provoking scripture every day of the month. You might like to read the calendar coordinated chapter from Proverbs every day this month (I've included the whole chapter below!) and then see if my comments on a few of those verses line up with your own observations. My plan is to go through the year, writing my response to about one seventh of each chapter's verses every day, during each of the 7 months that have 31 days.  Clear as mud? That's what I thought.

I hope you check in, and leave a comment. Especially if I say something really off base and need to be corrected, because, as we will learn this month on the 27th, Proverbs 27:5 says

                                "Better is open rebuke than hidden love." 

                                          Today's inspired verses, 5-8, are highlighted in red

                                                (and my questionable comments are in blue).

Proverbs 26

1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.


5) Did you remember reading verse 4 in January (or did you read it just now?)?  Compare it to verse 5 and then scratch your head, for there seems to be a contradiction here.  Verse 4 says "don't engage the fool" and verse 5 says "make sure you shut the fool up".  Well I think Solomon knows his stuff.  The point is that you have to play it by ear, sadly realizing that, no matter what, the fools control the game.  Simply being fools, they require the wise to invest all kinds of time and energy just to deal with them, one way or the other.  

6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison. 


6) How many episodes did The Three Stooges get out of this theme?  Some poor sap or other, who had never heard of the stooges, failed to recognize them as such (fools) and sent them on an important mission.  Of course they made a big mess of it and the only good news is that somebody happened to catch it all on film for our entertainment!  I don't know if anyone had their feet cut off or drank poison, but a lot of guts were split and there was a bunch of ROFL.

7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 


7) As long as we're talking about the Stooges, Moe, Larry and Curly (and Shemp) were the all time experts at trying to say something smart and having it come out lame.  It's interesting that we now call somebody's failed verbal expression, "lame".  I hope that violation of the separation of church and state is prohibited in public schools; after all, that insult has Biblical roots!

8 Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool.

8) A wise person will receive a compliment with grace, and then with humility, forward the honor back to his predecessors.  The stone will not STAY in the sling, but will go out to do its work.  The fool will cling to whatever compliment comes his way and call for the world to stand still while he elaborates on his great worth!  Nothing but a big head will come from the stone being tied up to that useless sling.

9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
so fools repeat their folly.
12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.

13 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.

17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

18 Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”

20 Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.

23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,
but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
25 Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,
for seven abominations fill their hearts.
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Footnotes:
Proverbs 26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth

The Proverbs 31 Project: Commenting January 15th on Proverbs 15:1-5

January 15;  Proverbs 15, Verses 1-5

[Please note: The first two paragraphs below are repeated each day for new readers.  My amateur comments start below the verses from Proverbs.]

Christians looking for a simple way to review the Bible regularly, have long been convenienced by the fact that the book of Proverbs has 31 chapters, the same number as most of our months.  Each chapter includes multiple bite-sized verses (uhm, proverbs) and can be read through simply in one sitting, one appropriately numbered chapter per day through the month.  A person might read through the Proverbs a chapter a day during any month, but why mess with your head (reading an extra chapter on one, two, or three days!) like that when there are 7 months every year perfectly suited for the endeavor?

My idea here is to reprint about 1/7 of the verses from each day's chapter throughout this year, every time a 31 day month pops up, and then offer a few comments from The Barking Owl.  So in January, we will get through the first few verses of every chapter and then in March, the next group, and so on, until December comes around and we can finally get to the last set of verses in each chapter and complete the book's reading.  If you are smarter than I am (is there any doubt?), you will read the whole chapter every day, every 31 day month, and then you will have read the whole book 7 times this year!  By then you are guaranteed to at least be wiser than The Barking Owl , though no one will ever match the wisdom of Solomon!

[All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied from www.Biblegateway.com]

Proverbs 15

¹ A gentle answer turns away wrath,
   but a harsh word stirs up anger.

 ² The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
   but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

 ³ The eyes of the LORD are everywhere,
   keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

 ⁴ The soothing tongue is a tree of life,
   but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

 ⁵ A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
   but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

1) Somewhere in my writings I referred to this verse as one of the most applicable verses around.  So often we find ourselves the object of SOMEBODY'S ire.  Perhaps the clerk you bugged, or the guy you bumped, or another driver you bothered was having a horrible day and decided to let loose on you!  But if you manage to give him Solomon's old "gentle answer" routine instead of firing both barrels right back at him, you get to watch the anger just melt away!  It's like a little miracle, but you will see that Solomon knows what he's talking about.

2) The second half of this verse makes obvious sense.  We have all known people, fools, whose mouths "gush folly".  They say one stupid thing after another; or a series of profane laced sentences fills every paragraph and we get so exhausted from searching through all the ore of useless words that we can never find the nugget of truth that may have been buried within.  

But the first half of verse 2 is more interesting.  The wise tongue adorns knowledge.  Sounds like that means a person may have some knowledge to share, but it can waste away if he does not also have a "wise tongue" to bring it out in an attractive manner.  The word elucidate comes to mind.  Here are its synonyms:  explain, clarify, explicate, expound, illuminate, spell out, interpret  I have often been frustrated in an attempt to clearly 'illuminate' an idea, or an understanding I have on some subject or another verbally.  Personally, I do much better in writing my thoughts (I hope).  Too bad for me Solomon didn't say anything about 'keyboards adorning knowledge'. 

3) I am so glad that "The eyes of the LORD are everywhere".  It makes me feel good to think that nothing gets past Him because when I do what is right, and nobody notices, I know that He might be pleased with me and it pleases me to please Him.  It makes me feel good to think that nothing gets past Him because when I do something wrong, and I know it, and even if nobody else knows about it, I can share the truth of my sin with God.  And He shares the truth of His forgiveness with me. 

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

This gladness about His eyes being everywhere was only true for me AFTER I became a Christian.  Before, I preferred to hide with my sin.  Now I have found that being "in Christ" is better than being "in sin".

4) The contrast here is between a soothing tongue and a perverse tongue.  Do these seem like the opposites of each other to you?  I would think soothing/severe, or soothing/inciteful; and maybe correct/perverse, or rational/perverse.  But we should go with the wisest man in the world and try to see what he is getting at.  

I think he started with the two modes of living and worked backwards to the source of those life conditions.  In what kind of soil does the 'tree of life' prosper?  A soil rich with soothing words.  From parents who speak with love, and in peace.  Where strains of joy and a fruitful vocabulary abound.  And what is it that 'crushes a spirit'?   A perverse tongue.  Parents who are insulting and degrading.  Being surrounded by the words of abuse, hateful tones, angry blasts and unfair rants.  Profane and graphic imagery is only crushing for a child or a teen, and does, in fact, no good for anyone of any age.

5) Once again Sol hits on this theme of obedience.  He is not babbling from senility, but emphasizing the main points of his life understanding. His repetition should not bore us, but sober us.  It is vital that a youngster finds the will to submit to his parents' good discipline.