Book of Proverbs & Rule of St. Benedict

"Cross in wall at Gondar," by ctsnow from a trip to
Gondar in northern Ethiopia

Here are resources for the Book of Proverbs.  

Saint Benedict quoted or alluded to the Book of Proverbs 16 times in his Rule.  The Book of Proverbs is St. Benedict's second favorite Old Testament book and the fifth overall most cited book in the entire Bible.  He quoted or alluded to Psalms 71 times, Matthew 49 times, Luke 23 times, 1 Cor. 22 times, and Proverbs 16 times.

Saint Benedict began his Rule's famous Prologue with a near quote from Proverbs 1:8; 4:20 and 6:20 -- "Listen to the master's instruction." 

After leading off with perhaps the most universal wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs (listen), St. Benedict frequently returns to Proverbs for quotes and allusions as he crafts his Rule for monks on the journey to dwell with God.

Here are the other uses of Proverbs in the Rule.

Prov. 10:19 and 18:21 on being silent and prudent in speech is mentioned in Rule Chapters 6 and 7 on the requirement for monks to listen much and talk little.  This is a further enforcement of the Prologue’s admonition to listen.  

Prov. 12:20 on not allowing deceit into your heart is mentioned in Rule Chapter 4 on the long list of instruments of good works. 

Prov. 14:12 and 16:25 on not following our own wills which leads to death is mentioned in Rule Chapter 7 on humility.  

Prov. 15:3 on God seeing everything is mentioned in Rule Chapters 4 on the instruments of good works, and in Chapter 7 on humility, and in Chapter 19 on the presence of God in the Work of God, (the divine office or liturgy of the hours). This theme of God seeing everything and being everywhere is the most widely used reference from Proverbs in the Rule --- being cited in three of the most significant Chapters of the Rule — more than any other Proverb verse.  

In a Rule about how to seek God in our daily lives, it may not be surprising that Saint Benedict warns us that God does see everything.  Therefore we should live every part of our lives in seeking God, aware of his presence.   It is the monastic way.
  
Prov. 20:3 on not loving sleep is mentioned in Rule Chapter 4 on the long list of instruments of good works. The benefit of work was brought to the rebirth of western civilization by the Benedictines.  

Prov. 23:14 and 29:19 on giving the appropriate verbal or physical discipline is mentioned in Rule Chapters 2 and 30 on discipline of monks and boys.

Prov. 27:21 on testing as gold in a furnace is mentioned in Rule Chapter 1 on Sarabaites, an inferior kind of monks.

FULL REFERENCES OF PROVERBS IN THE RULE OF SAINT BENEDICT.

All the summaries of the Proverbs and their uses in the Rule are expanded in the following list.

Prov. 1:8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching.

Prov. 4:20 My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

Prov. 6:20 My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.

Above three Proverbs are mentioned in Rule Prologue verse 1:

"LISTEN carefully, my son, to your master's precepts, and incline the ear of your heart. Receive willingly and carry out effectively your loving father's advice, that by the labor of obedience you may return to Him from whom you had departed by the sloth of disobedience."

Prov. 10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent. 

Prov. 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Rule Chapter 6 "On the Spirit of Silence" verse 4: "Therefore, since the spirit of silence is so important, permission to speak should rarely be granted even to perfect disciples, even though it be for good, holy edifying conversation; for it is written, "In much speaking you will not escape sin" (Prov. 10:19), and in another place, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21). For speaking and teaching belong to the master; the disciple's part is to be silent and to listen."

Rule Chapter 7 "On Humility" verse 57:

"The ninth degree of humility is that a monk restrain his tongue and keep silence, not speaking until he is questioned. For the Scripture shows that "in much speaking there is no escape from sin" (Prov. 10:19) and that "the talkative man is not stable on the earth" (Ps. 13[14]9:12)."

Prov. 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan good have joy.

Rule Chapter 4 "What Are the Instruments of Good Works" verse 24: "Not to entertain deceit in one's heart.

Prov. 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Rule Chapter 7 "On Humility" verse 21: "And rightly are we taught not to do our own will when we take heed to the warning of Scripture: "There are ways which seem right, but the ends of them plunge into the depths of hell" (Prov. 14:12; 16:25); and also when we tremble at what is said of the careless: "They are corrupt and have become abominable in their will.""

Prov. 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Rule Chapter 4 "What Are the Instruments of Good Works" verse 49: "To know for certain that God sees one everywhere."

Rule Chapter 7 "On Humility" verse 26: "So therefore, since the eyes of the Lord observe the good and the evil (Prov. 15:3) and the Lord is always looking down from heaven on the children of earth "to see if there be anyone who understands and seeks God" (Ps. 13[14]:2), and since our deeds are daily, day and night, reported to the Lord by the Angels assigned to us, we must constantly beware, brethren, as the Prophet says in the Psalm, lest at any time God see us falling into evil ways and becoming unprofitable (Ps. 13[14]:3); and lest, having spared us for the present because in His kindness He awaits our reformation, He say to us in the future, "These things you did, and I held My peace" (Ps. 49[50]:21)."

Rule Chapter 19 "On the Manner of Saying the Divine Office" verse 1: "We believe that the divine presence is everywhere and that "the eyes of the Lord are looking on the good and the evil in every place" (Prov. 15:3). But we should believe this especially without any doubt when we are assisting at the Work of God. To that end let us be mindful always of the Prophet's words, "Serve the Lord in fear" (Ps. 2:11) and again "Sing praises wisely" (Ps. 46:8) and "In the sight of the Angels I will sing praise to You" (Ps. 13[14]7:1). Let us therefore consider how we ought to conduct ourselves in sight of the Godhead and of His Angels, and let us take part in the psalmody in such a way that our mind may be in harmony with our voice."

Prov. 16:25 There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Rule Chapter 7 "On Humility" verse 21: "And rightly are we taught not to do our own will when we take heed to the warning of Scripture: "There are ways which seem right, but the ends of them plunge into the depths of hell" (Prov. 16:25); and also when we tremble at what is said of the careless: "They are corrupt and have become abominable in their will.""

Prov. 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Rule Chapter 6 "On the Spirit of Silence" verse 5: "Therefore, since the spirit of silence is so important, permission to speak should rarely be granted even to perfect disciples, even though it be for good, holy edifying conversation; for it is written, "In much speaking you will not escape sin" (Prov. 10:19), and in another place, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21). For speaking and teaching belong to the master; the disciple's part is to be silent and to listen."

Prov. 20:13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.

Rule Chapter 6 "On the Spirit of Silence" verse 5: "Therefore, since the spirit of silence is so important, permission to speak should rarely be granted even to perfect disciples, even though it be for good, holy edifying conversation; for it is written, "In much speaking you will not escape sin" (Prov. 10:19), and in another place, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21). For speaking and teaching belong to the master; the disciple's part is to be silent and to listen."

Prov. 23:14 [13] Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. [14] If you beat him with the rod you will save his life from Sheol.

Rule Chapter 2 "What Kind of Person the Abbot Ought to Be" verse 29: "The well-disposed and those of good understanding let his correct with verbal admonition the first and second time. But bold, hard, proud and disobedient characters he should curb at the very beginning of their ill-doing by stripes and other bodily punishments, knowing that it is written, "the fool is not corrected with words" (Prov. 18:2; 29:19), and again, "Beat your son with the rod, and you will deliver his soul from death" (Prov. 23:13-14)."


Rule Chapter 30 "How Boys are to be Corrected" verse 3: "Every age and degree of understanding should have its proper measure of discipline. With regard to boys and adolescents, therefore, or those who cannot understand the seriousness of the penalty of excommunication, whenever such as these are delinquent let them be subjected to severe fasts or brought to terms by harsh beatings, that they may be cured."

Prov. 27:21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is judged by his praise.

Rule Chapter 1 "On the Kinds of Monks" verse 6: "The third kind of monks, a detestable kind, are the Sarabaites. These, not having been tested, as gold in the furnace (Prov 27:21; Wis. 3:6), by any rule or by the lessons of experience, are as soft as lead."

Prov. 29:19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not give heed.

Rule Chapter 2 "What Kind of Person the Abbot Ought to Be" verse 28: "The well-disposed and those of good understanding let his correct with verbal admonition the first and second time. But bold, hard, proud and disobedient characters he should curb at the very beginning of their ill-doing by stripes and other bodily punishments, knowing that it is written, "the fool is not corrected with words" (Prov. 18:2; 29:19), and again, "Beat your son with the rod, and you will deliver his soul from death" (Prov. 23:13-14)."

Bonus Proverbs Resource

Many people who study the Bible for sessions like the ones the Benedictine Oblates enjoy during the monthly Oblate classes, also study the Catholic Catechism.  Here is a list of the references to the Book of Proverbs in the Catechism, a bonus for all readers of the St. Leo Abbey Oblate Chapter blog.  


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Footnotes:

The picture is "Cross in wall at Gondar," by ctsnow from a trip to Gondar in northern Ethiopia and is used subject to license. When I saw the picture I thought it could serve as a good image of for Wisdom. 

Abbot Isaac has been assigning books for the past several class sessions and we have had excellent class discussions and questions. In this blog post the Revised Standard Version of Proverbs is used because the online version was especially easy to use in writing this blog.  For the Rule of St. Benedict, Doyle's 1948 version is used because it is an accessible electronic version of the Rule.  Another fine translation of the Rule that is very easy to read online is provided by Melk Abbey in Austria. 


These blogs are written by John Bakas who is solely responsible for their content and any errors.