The Third Paremia of the Mother of God Feasts with an Interpretation of the Holy Fathers. Paroemias of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

This proverb tells of Jacob's vision of the Ladder.

. Jacob departed from the treasury of the oath and went to Haran.

"Oath Treasure"[Bathsheba], from where Jacob's journey here described began, was in the south of the Philistine land. Abraham settled here after the Sodom pogrom, and Isaac lived here. Name "swear treasury" came from the fact that under him Abraham entered into an alliance with the Philistine king Abimelech to protect his safety from his subjects, and this alliance was confirmed by the oath of the allies (). Haran, where Jacob was going, was a Mesopotamian city, from where Abraham, after the death of his father Terah, went out at the command of God to the Canaanite country. In this city after him lived his brother Nahor, and there a bride was found for Isaac, Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor. Jacob's journey from Beer-sheba to Haran, to visit his relatives, soon followed the blessing he received from his father. This journey was undertaken by Jacob on the advice of his mother because of the malice of his brother Esau, who threatened to kill him for the blessing he anticipated. Another purpose of Jacob's journey was to enter into marriage in the tribe from which his mother Rebekah was taken. Rebekah, who suffered great grief from the wives of Esau, taken from the Canaanite tribe, revealed to Isaac that it would be extremely regrettable for her if her other son, Jacob, also married a Canaanite woman. Isaac himself was dissatisfied with Esau's wives and therefore let Jacob go to Haran with an order to take a wife here from the daughters of Laban, Rebekah's brother, and with a blessing that he confirmed given to him before (). Jacob's parents, as wealthy people, could, letting him go to a distant country, equip a caravan for him, as Abraham did when he sent his servant Eliezer to Haran for a bride for Isaac (). But partly in the hope that God, who had chosen Jacob as the heir of his promises, would not leave him with his help on a long journey, partly out of desire to hide Jacob’s journey from Esau, they let him go - alone, without servants, on foot, with a rod in his hand () and with a travel bag (in which, by the way, oil was kept. ()) on his shoulders.

. And you will find a place, and succeed there, the sun will set, and take from the stone of the place [that], and put it at your head, and there will be a spa in the place.

The place where Jacob spent the night was near the Canaanite city of Luz () and he called it Bethel, i.e. the house of God, in memory of the Epiphany, which, as we will see now, he was honored in this place. Subsequently, when Luza was conquered by the Jews, she, in the neighborhood of the place of this Epiphany, was renamed by them into Bethel (). Bethel lies north of Jerusalem, 15 versts from it, and 60 versts from Beersheba. Jacob could not have made such a significant day's march except by getting up early in the morning, which was probably done in order not to be noticed by Esau. Jacob, caught in a field at night, did not go to seek lodging for the night in a neighboring city, either because, out of distrust of the Canaanites, he did not deign to entrust himself to their hospitality, or, rather, because he wanted to remain under the protection of God alone, his Defender and Patron. Sleeping in the middle of the field, he could be afraid of the attack of robbers and predatory animals; but he did not leave hope in this Almighty Protector. Tired of the long journey and the heat of the day, he calmly fell asleep on a stone, which he placed at his head. The night dew, plentiful in a hot country, moistened outerwear and his members, but did not disturb, but only refreshed him.

. And I saw a dream: and behold, the Ladder is established on the earth, even if its head reaches heaven, and the angels of God ascend and descend on it. The Lord affirmed on it and said: I am your father Abraham and the God of Isaac, do not be afraid: the earth, where you sleep on it, I will give you and your seed.

Jacob himself, upon awakening from sleep, recognized the vision he had in a dream as a Divine revelation (). The revelation in the dream strengthened him in the hope in God that he had in his waking state. The ladder that connected heaven with earth, reaching the vault of heaven with its upper end, resting on the ground near the place of Jacob’s lodging for the night, signified the uninterrupted communion of the spiritual world with God’s chosen ones on earth. The appearance of God, the Lord of heaven and earth, angels and men, at the top of the Ladder, showed that God Himself from the height of His saint looks down on the earth and with His omnipotent cover overshadows people who, like Jacob, trust in Him and are devoted to Him. The ascent and descent of the angels along the Ladder showed in them the servants of God, sent to earth to serve those who inherit salvation (): some of the angels descend to people to fulfill the commands of God regarding them, others ascend from the earth to God with a report on the fulfillment of these commands and for acceptance of new ones. Thus, the vision of the Ladder, on the top of which God stood and along which the angels ascended and descended, should have strengthened in Jacob the conviction that he was under the special protection of God and under the protection of the Powers of heaven. In addition, in the Ladder seen by Jacob, the mystery of redemption is foreshadowed. Sin terminated the close union of man with God and with His faithful servants - angels. Through the incarnation of the Son of God and all His redemptive actions, as if through the Ladder, the sky was again united with the earth, God with people, peace with God was again established on earth and the way to heaven was opened to the wanderers of the earth. It is in this sense that the Lord taught us to understand Jacob's vision when, in a conversation with Nathanael, he promised him that with the eyes of faith “he will see the heavens open and the angels of God ascending[On sky] and descending to the Son of Man" and in His face to all redeemed people (). - “I am your father Abraham and the God of Isaac, do not be afraid”. With these words explaining the vision of the Ladder, the Lord strengthens Jacob to courageously endure the further difficulties of his journey and long-term stay away from his homeland, suggesting to him that he will be as close and merciful to him as he was close and merciful to his grandfather Abraham, and how hitherto close and merciful to his father Isaac. - "Earth, where you sleep on it, I will give it to you and your seed". This promise, made to Abraham and Isaac, and now repeated to Jacob, was very pleasing to him in his position. He was now only a wanderer in the land of Canaan, had no property in it, and even when he returns to it after 20 years, he will live in it as a stranger; but now the Lord promises him that all this land will be in the possession of his descendants, that his descendants will be sovereign masters of that country in which there is now no safe haven for him. The hope for the fulfillment of this promise in posterity is no less pleasant for the ancestor, as if he himself lived to the time of this fulfillment.

. And your seed will be like the sand of the earth, and it will spread over the sea.[n][to the west], and [n][to the south], and the north and the east, and all the tribes of the earth will be blessed in you and in your seed.

The words of this promise, as well as the promise in the preceding verse, of the inheritance of the land of Canaan, constitute a repetition of the same promises to Abraham (). The carnal offspring of Jacob will be numerous, but even more numerous will be his spiritual descendants, that is, those who believe in Christ, one of his descendants according to the flesh. The Israelites will occupy a considerable space in the flowering time of their civil life - under David and Solomon; but incomparably wider will be the boundaries of the Church of Christ, which has to spread to all ends of the universe, to the extreme points of north and south, east and west. For, says the Lord to Jacob, about you and your seed, that is, through you, and through your great descendant, Christ himself, the Son of God, "Blessed be all the tribes of the earth", - an abundance of spiritual blessings will be sent down to all nations.

. And behold, I am with you, they kept you on every path, even if you go, and I will return you to this land: as if I don’t leave you, until I create all of Me, the spruce of the verbs to you.

The Lord promises Jacob to stay with him and protect him not only throughout his journey to Haran and back, but until other promises are fulfilled that do not apply to him personally, but to his offspring and the Church. This means that the Lord will abide with Jacob forever in the person of his descendants, both fleshly and spiritual. Christ made a similar promise to the apostles: “Behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age”(). The apostles lived and died, but the apostolic one will exist forever and the grace of Christ will never depart from it.

. And Jacob got up from his sleep and said, “For the Lord is in this place, but I do not know.”

"I don't know" . Jacob, no doubt, believed in the omnipresence of God, he also believed that the Lord in every place can in a special way reveal his presence; but in a sleepy state, it did not occur to Jacob that the vision that was to him in a dream was given to him in an open field, during the journey, far from his native shelter: he was then convinced that he continued to live at home. Only upon awakening did he become convinced that he was not at home, that the Lord had appeared to him on the way to a strange side, at the very place where he spent the night.

. And he was afraid and said: How terrible is this place: to bear this, but the house of God, and this gate of heaven.

"And afraid." He felt fear due to the conviction that the vision in the dream was not dreamy, but sent from God. "And the word: this place is terrible", - that is, here is another place that the Lord sanctified by His appearance, on which He showed special closeness to me, and which, therefore, like all other places marked by the appearances of the Lord to Abraham and Isaac, is worthy of special reverence. “There is this [this is nothing else], but the house of God”: since now it has not been a simple place, but the house of God, like a palace, where the Lord, the King of heaven and earth, deigned to temporarily establish His throne. "This is the gate of heaven": here the Lord Himself appeared among the host of His servants, the heavenly Powers, and spoke His merciful word to me, as earthly rulers appear among the people's assembly, which usually happens at the city gates, and announce their commands and sentences here. Why is the proverb about Jacob's vision of the Ladder supposed to be read on the Feasts of the Theotokos? Because the content of paroemia has some relation to the Theotokos. Thus, the Ladder, seen by Jacob, formed, as we noted, the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, through which heaven, the entrance to which was closed by the sin of man, was united with the earth. But the Most Holy Virgin served this incomprehensible mystery by the fact that the Son of God was incarnated from Her most pure blood, and therefore the Ladder prefigured not only the incarnate Son of God, through whom we have access to the Father (), but also His earthly Mother, who has motherly boldness towards Him and By her intercession before Him, facilitating this access for us. That is why in church hymns the Mother of God is called “the ladder of grace that lifted everyone up from the earth, the bridge that leads from death to life, from earth to heaven” (akath. can. p. 4. ikos 2), or is directly called the ladder of Jacob: “Rejoice The ladder is high, south of Jacob's view. - “The ladder of ancient Jacob forming the form and speech: this is the degree of God” (akath. Bogor. stichera 1 and March 25 can. Bogorod., p. 9).

Paroemias, which are read during the all-night vigil, are most often understood with some difficulty by the majority of those present. Unfortunately, in the temple you almost never hear their explanations or sermons, where the connection between what was a type in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New would be clarified. Here, attention to what is read is not enough, and one must know not only why this or that passage from the books was read. Old Testament, but also what preceded it, in order to understand the logical connection of what was read in paroemias and worship in general. Without understanding what and why they read in proverbs, it is difficult to understand the inspiration with which the troparia, stichera, and canons are written.

Let's try to make out paroemias that are read at all-night vigils on the eve of the Mother of God holidays. The next passage is read first.

Genesis (XXVIII, 1-17)

And Jacob left Beer-sheba and went to Haran, and came to a certain place, and stayed there overnight, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place, and put it under his head, and lay down on that place. And I saw in a dream: behold, a ladder stands on the ground, and its top touches the sky; and behold, the angels of God ascend and descend upon it. And behold, the Lord stands on it and says: I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; (don't be afraid). The land on which you lie I will give you and your offspring; and your offspring will be like the sand of the earth; and spread to the sea, and to the east, and to the north, and towards noon; and all the families of the earth will be blessed in you and in your seed; and behold, I am with you, and I will keep you wherever you go; and I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have told you. Jacob awoke from his sleep and said: Verily the Lord is present in this place; but I didn't know! And he was afraid and said: How terrible is this place! this is nothing but the house of God, this is the gate of heaven.

From the book of Genesis in the first proverb we hear familiar words about Jacob's dream in which he saw a ladder. What do you need to know in order to imagine the setting of this vision and to delve deeply into the meaning of this prototype of the Mother of God?

Jacob, fearing his brother's revenge, got up very early, almost at night. Quietly he left the house so that no one would notice him. The place where he spent the night was 15 versts north of Jerusalem. Staying at night in an open field was, of course, dangerous - robbers could attack, but Jacob preferred danger, not trusting the Canaanites who inhabit these places. The mentioned "student (well) oath" was in the south of the Philistine land. There, even under Abraham, an alliance was concluded (that is, they swore allegiance to the agreement) with the Philistine king Abimelech about the non-aggression of the subjects of Abimelech against Abraham and all his relatives.

Harran is a Mesopotamian city where Jacob's parents advised him to go to choose a wife from a kindred tribe.

Why did Jacob's dream, which he took for Divine revelation, become a symbol or prototype of the Mother of God?

1. "Jacob's Ladder" as an image of ascent reminds us of the spiritual law of life, which is already contained in the very possibilities communion with God, in the ability of a person to “rise” to God. The example of the Mother of God tells us that She fulfilled this law more than others.

2. "Jacob's Ladder" as the path to God indicates that this path is already specified(through the fulfillment of the commandments of God), already determined, already Dan, and there is no need to search for each one by one. Moreover, there is no need to build the Tower of Babel in order to rise “higher than the stars of heaven” without God. This is the path of humility, and as an example of the highest humility, we have the Most Blessed Lady. Reading and listening to the words spoken by the Mother of God many times after the annunciation of the future birth of her Savior, do we understand the degree of Her humility? Can we imagine what it meant at that time for a young woman to be in Her position? She did not know how Joseph would behave. He could have brought Her to the judgment of the people, and according to the law, She would have been stoned to death as an adulteress. And even if, being righteous, he would just let her go, where would she go and how would she live on? The Mother of God knew all this, and yet she said: “Behold Thy servant, let it be for me according to Thy word.”

3. "Jacob's ladder" is shown to teach the law p degrees. Any staircase consists of steps designed for gradual ascent. And on the spiritual path, ups are unreliable. On the example of the Mother of God, we see the following of the same law. Her ascent began from the foundation - from prayer in the temple, from constant attention and hard work.

4. Jacob's Ladder is grounded. This is both the law and the joy of the whole earth. If we turn to the image of the Mother of God, then She is from the earth, from the human race. She did not neglect anything earthly: she did not shun labor, she did not consider grief unnecessary for herself, she did not avoid communication, she was not burdened by solitude.

5. "Jacob's Ladder" is full of Angels rising from the earth and descending to the earth. They bring to God the prayers of all, and to people from God - the gifts of His love. The memory of this can encourage everyone, especially when it seems lonely and sad in a world that has long suffered from "the impoverishment of the saints." For believers, the Angels make up for this impoverishment, and the mercy of the Queen of Angels - the Most Holy Theotokos.

6. "Jacob's Ladder" is not only established on earth, but also reaches heaven. By this example, the Lord calls everyone to rise and strive upward, towards God. A bright and inspiring living example, and not just an image, can be for everyone the Most Holy Theotokos, Who has reached the highest of gifts - communion with God in the most perfect way. To all the faithful, She will be a Helper and Intercessor, if the desire for God becomes the meaning of all searches in life.

7. Finally, "Jacob's ladder" is the connection of heaven with earth, man with God. Her unique and perfect example is the Blessed Virgin. She herself became the ladder that leads to God.

When you take into account all these explanations, it becomes clear why this passage from the Book of Genesis is read at the all-night vigil on the feasts of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The Book of the Prophet EzekielXLIII, 27;XLIV, 1-4).

At the end of these days, on the eighth day and beyond, the priests will offer your burnt offerings and thanksgiving offerings on the altar; and I will be merciful to you, says the Lord God. And he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, facing the east, and it was closed. And the Lord said to me, This gate will be shut, it will not be opened, and no man will enter through it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered through it, and they will be shut. As for the prince, he, like a prince, will sit in them to eat bread before the Lord; enter by the porch of this gate, and go out by the same way. Then he brought me by the way of the north gate in front of the temple, and I saw, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

The Second Paremia promises, through the prophet Ezekiel, the liberation of the captives and even the restoration of the temple. He, the prophet, speaks about the structure of the future temple and its consecration. The future temple will be consecrated for seven days, and on the eighth day the priests must make a sacrifice, but not to consecrate the temple, but to propitiate the Lord and as a sign of gratitude to Him and an expression of devotion. The prophet in a vision saw the whole temple, then he was again shown the eastern gate of the sanctuary. They were closed. It was said about them that the Lord passed through them, and no one should not only pass through them, but even see them open. There is no exception in this case, neither the king nor the high priest. Even in order to partake of the sacrifice, the high priest will be allowed to go through the porch to the gates in order to feel himself as if in the face of God.

From the eastern gates the prophet was led to the northern ones, from where a majestic spectacle of the glory of God was revealed to him.

Blessed Theodoret, whose opinion was accepted by the Fathers of the Church, considers the eastern gate, through which the Lord once entered, a symbol of the Mother of God. It seemed to open the door to the Lord in the human world. The Lord became a Man, like all of us. The Mother of God served the one and only sacrament of the incarnation of the Lord. Therefore, on the feasts of the Theotokos, this proverb is read.

Book of Proverbs (IX, 1-11)

Wisdom built a house for herself, hewed out seven pillars of it, slaughtered the victim, dissolved her wine and prepared a table for herself; sent her servants to proclaim from the heights of the city: “Who is foolish, turn here!” And to the foolish one she said: “Go, eat my bread and drink the wine that I have dissolved; leave foolishness, and wait, and walk in the way of reason." The one who teaches the blasphemer will acquire dishonor for himself, and the one who reproves the wicked will be a stain on himself. Do not rebuke the scorner, lest he hate you; rebuke the wise and he will love you; give instruction to the wise, and he will be even wiser; teach the truthful, and he will increase knowledge. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding; for through me thy days shall be multiplied, and years of life shall be added to thee.

The third proverb is dedicated to Wisdom. Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer, Saint Ambrose of Milan, Blessed Augustine and other fathers see the Lord Jesus Christ under Wisdom. According to the Gospel (Matt. XXVIII, 20), the Church is considered to be the House of Wisdom. The opinions of the fathers differ on what to consider the seven pillars. Some believe that this is an indication of the seven Ecumenical Councils, others that of the seven sacraments, others - of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Is. IXI, 12). The meal, especially with the mention of bread and wine dissolved in the cup, of course, symbolizes the Eucharist, but you can include here all the blessings of the Church, among which is the word of God (Matt. IV, 4 and 1 Cor. I, 4-5) .

Whom did Wisdom send to invite to her meal? This is about preachers of the gospel who are commanded announce the whole world (“who went, teach all languages”; Mt. XXVIII, 19). Who is called? The foolish, that is, those who are not satisfied with the wisdom of this age, who seek justification by the blood of the Lamb, which is possible in the Church in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Those invited are invited to part with madness, that is, with doubt, unbelief, delusions, and to subdue the mind to faith. Not everyone will go to the call of God, and therefore the Lord with the words “Punish (i.e., calling, setting an example, persuading) the evil ones, accept dishonor for himself” and further warns against close communion with the evil ones. You can’t fix them if they don’t want it themselves, but you will only irritate and hurt yourself. Besides, by bringing danger upon yourself, you hinder the cause of God. This should be a warning to those who are called to be God's messenger for the salvation of the wise, that is, those who are able to heed the instructions. Thus, the word of the Gospel will be fulfilled: “Whoever has it, it will be given to him and will be over” (Matt. XIII, 12). Turning to the fear of God (to the fear of violating the will of God in some way, and not to the fear of punishment) as the beginning of wisdom will make everyone who loves wisdom and truth equal, humble and experienced. From the council of the saints, such a person will only grow rich in mind. If you take care of this, then the temporary life will be calmer (and therefore long-term), and the eternal life will be more reliable.

What does this have to do with the Mother of God?

Her Church calls the “Most Pure Temple of the Saviors”, “The Chamber of All the Tsar” and other comparisons that indicate that She is the living temple of God and the words about the house of Wisdom can be attributed to Her. If every soul can become a temple to God, then even more so is His Most Pure Mother, who simply physically was the receptacle of God incarnate.

Icon - Sophia the Wisdom of God (Kiev rite)

On the eve of the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, we are completing our acquaintance with the interpretation of paroemia readings of the feasts of the Mother of God. Today we are reading with Orthodox exegetes and holy fathers an explanation for the third paroemia of the feasts in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos - parables reading.

Book of Proverbs of King Solomon. Chapter 9: 1-11

"Wisdom built herself a house, hewed out seven pillars of it,"
Synodal translation:
Wisdom built herself a house, hewed out seven pillars of it,

St. John Chrysostom:
“The Son of God, who became a Man, prepared for Himself a House from the flesh of the Virgin, a House - the Virgin, the Church, the soul of the faithful, the Kingdom of Christ; seven pillars - gifts of the Holy Spirit, seven sacraments, seven councils "

St. John of Shanghai:
“Forefather Jacob in ancient times saw in a dream a ladder, established on earth, the top of which reached to heaven, representing the One through which the Son of God descended to earth. The psalmist King David sings of Her as the Queen who appeared at the right hand of the King in a golden robe and adorned, all the glory of which is inside Her. And the wise Solomon speaks of Her in the book of Proverbs as the House of Wisdom: “Wisdom has built Her own house, and established seven pillars” (Proverbs 9:1). The house in which the Eternal Wisdom dwelt during the incarnation was the Most Pure Virgin Mary. The pillars of this House are Her virtues. The number seven among the ancient Eastern peoples denoted perfection, and the seven pillars at the House denote perfection in the goodness of the Mother of God. Therefore, the icons depict the Wisdom of God, the Son of God, on the throne, as if in a building on seven pillars, denoting His Most Pure Mother. Above are seven archangels, on both sides are seven prophets with scrolls inscribed with predictions about the Mother of God, and below are the names of the seven virtues. The sevenfold number, repeated many times, means the spiritual perfection of the Blessed Virgin.

“she killed the sacrifice, mixed her wine and prepared a meal at her place;”
Synodal translation:
she slaughtered the victim, dissolved her wine and prepared a meal at her place;

St. Theophan the Recluse:
“[In the house-Church]“ prepared ... a meal, ”the word of God and St. sacraments, especially the sacrament of Body and Blood.

“Sent their servants, calling with a high sermon to the cup, saying:”
Synodal translation:
sent her servants to proclaim from the heights of the city:

St. Theophan the Recluse:
“And she sent her servants,” St. apostles and their successors, invite everyone to your supper.
Many have already been convened, but the calling is still going on, so that the whole house will be filled. And the party goes on non-stop. Praise the Lord, so merciful to us! Let's all go! Let's go inside, no one stay at the door. On these days of fasting, the title is especially strengthened and the supper is plentiful. But it is all the more unforgivable to lose the supper. Mark every one in your memory with the following words of Wisdom: “He who sins against Me harms his soul” (Prov. 8:36), and have pity on yourself.”

Sophia, the Wisdom of God (Novgorod rank)

“whoever is insane, let him evade me”
Synodal translation:
whoever is foolish, turn here!" And to the foolish one she said:

St. Theophan the Recluse:
“It is wonderful that Wisdom calls foolish people to her: “He who is foolish, turn here” (Prov. 9:4).
Therefore, clever people have no entrance to the House of Wisdom or St. Church. All cleverness must be put aside at the very entrance to this house. On the other hand, if all wisdom and knowledge is only in the house of Wisdom, then outside this house, outside St. Churches, only madness, ignorance and blindness. Amazing institution of God! Entering the Church, leave your mind and become truly intelligent; leave your amateur activity, and you will become a true doer; reject all of yourself, and you will become a real master over yourself. Ah, if only the world would understand this wisdom! But it is hidden from him. Not understanding the wisdom of God, he cries out at her, and continues to keep foolish wise men in his blindness.

“And to those who require wisdom, I say: Come, eat my bread and drink the wine, which I have dissolved for you:”
Synodal translation:
come, eat my bread and drink the wine I have mixed;

St. John Chrysostom:
« demanding- those who have not yet received the power of the Holy Spirit, who have just begun, and not perfect. Come- learn the true and direct path, and drink wine - and receive the Holy Spirit as wine. Eat- be strengthened by My words and Sacraments » .

“leave foolishness and live, that you may reign forever: and seek understanding, that you may live and correct the mind in knowledge”
Synodal translation:
leave foolishness and live and walk in the way of reason

Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev):
« Wisdom, inviting the ignorant to His meal, commands them to leave their folly, i.e. unbelief, doubts and delusions about what she inspires them, and to enter the path of understanding, i.e. to subdue the mind in obedience to faith, in it to seek enlightenment and guidance to salvation. It is difficult for a natural person who is inclined to judge ignorantly. He will start talking about being born again, like necessary condition for entry into the Kingdom of God; and he will hasten to make an inappropriate objection: how can a man be born, old man? Can food enter its mother's womb a second time and be born (John 3:4)? Before him they will depict the bliss of communion with Christ through the partaking of His Body and Blood; but he will understand this in a crude sense and will say the same thing that those who listened to His discourse on this subject once said to Jesus Christ Himself: “What strange words! Who can listen to this” (John 6:60)? Before him, they will speak about the redemption of a sinful person by suffering on the Cross and the death of the God-man; but the word of the cross cannot fit in the carnal mind: for the Jews it is a stumbling block, for the Greeks foolishness (1 Cor. 1:23). The Apostles themselves, until they were enlightened by the Holy Spirit, did not contain this word, which destroyed their carnal dreams about the Kingdom of the Messiah (Matt. 17:23). But no matter how difficult, but it is necessary to abandon the carnal way of thinking about the objects of faith, so that it does not prevent us from embarking on the path of faith. What is needed to remove this obstacle? It is necessary to feel the spiritual needs as strongly and deeply as possible in oneself, the need for rebirth, renewal and sanctification of the spiritual nature. As these needs intensify in us, as the feeling of our spiritual weakness in the fight against sin takes root and grows in us, the paucity of our natural forces for true enlightenment and sanctification, the feeling of need for the grace of God, As all this progresses, the carnal mindset will naturally fall within us regarding what faith has to offer us for salvation. Thus, for example, preaching about the cross of Christ will no longer seem like madness to those who decide to impartially assess their moral state before the court of conscience and the law of God, and then weigh the entire burden of the sinner’s guilt before God, the entire greatness of his responsibility before the infinite justice of God; he will then understand that in order to reconcile with God a sinner who has offended Him infinitely, infinitely great satisfaction, an infinitely great sacrifice is needed, and that, consequently, there is nothing to be surprised if, in order to offer such a sacrifice, it was necessary for the Son of God Himself to humble Himself to death on the cross. And having understood all this, a person will joyfully embark on the path of faith in the Son of God, crucified for us, for only in it alone will he find peace for his conscience embarrassed by sins and enlightenment for his mind, wandering in the darkness of ignorance and doubt.
To those who enter the path of true understanding, that is, the path of faith and enlighten their minds with the knowledge of the truth, Wisdom promises to grant life and reign forever. And you will live: of course, a prosperous life here on earth and blessed in eternity. - May you reign forever: reigning forever means participation in the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven » .

"Punishing the wicked will take dishonor to himself, but reproaching the wicked vicious he will create for himself (reproaches for the wicked wound him)"
Synodal translation:
The one who teaches the blasphemer will gain dishonor for himself, and the one who reproaches the wicked will be a stain on himself.

Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev):
« In the next four verses, Wisdom, interrupting her speech to the ignorant, addresses her servants or heralds of her will with instructions on how they should use the authority given to them to reprove and admonish. Punishing (teaching) the evil ones will receive dishonor for himself; rebuking the wicked, he will create evil for himself (stain himself). Reproaches for the wicked are wounds to him.
With these words, Wisdom warns her servants against close communion with people who are clearly stubborn against the truth, mocking it. The effort to enlighten such people, to set them on the path of truth, will not only be unsuccessful, but will also expose the admonisher to dishonor or reproach on their part; they cannot forgive accusers, for reproofs are wounds for the wicked, i.e. irritate him, as if he had been seriously wounded by the bitter truth from the accusers. And if jealousy captivates the teacher of wisdom to the point of quarreling with the wicked, to the sharp exposure of their errors, then by this passion he himself will impose on himself a stain or imprint of falsely named wisdom, which loves strife. » .

"Do not rebuke the wicked, lest they hate you; rebuke the wise, and he will love you"
Synodal translation:
Do not rebuke the scorner, lest he hate you; rebuke the wise and he will love you

Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev):
« The servants of Wisdom should not openly and sharply denounce people who are clearly stubborn against the truth, also because by this denunciation they may incur not only the contempt and ridicule of these people, but also their hatred and malice, and through this they may endanger their freedom and life. Without giving freedom to their zeal in dealing with the enemies of the truth, heralds of it through this very thing will save them from the sin of violence and will keep themselves for further exploits of preaching the truth. The admonition not to enter into close relations with obvious enemies of the truth was repeated by Jesus Christ: do not give the saint a dog, nor sing your pearls before swine, so that they will not be trampled under their feet and torn apart by you (Matt. 7:6). However, it should be noted that in both instructions it is not an unconditional prohibition that is suggested, but only prudence in dealing with blasphemers of the truth. Love obliges us to spread good everywhere and take care of the salvation of all, following the example of God Himself. Who wants everyone to be saved and receive the truth in the knowledge. Meanwhile, prudence requires famous people in some cases it is better to be silent than to speak the truth, when, that is, it is clearly seen in advance that well-intentioned suggestions will be rejected with contempt. This rule was guided by the Savior Himself. Before the court of Anna (John 18:20-21), Caiaphas (Matt. 26:63) and the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:67), He said almost nothing in rebuking His enemies. Zeal for the salvation of the erring and the desire to warn others from their errors prompted the Savior to utter strong rebukes in general against the Pharisees; but on rare occasions He directed these reproofs against someone personally. He spared even Judas the traitor. Often He covered His reproofs with parables.
Rebuke the wise one, and he will love you. Instead of wasting time and labor uselessly on admonishing the enemies of truth, the servant of Wisdom will act much more prudently if he deals only with people who are wise, that is, capable of receiving instructions. Only they can appreciate these instructions and listen with love even to reproofs. » .

"Give wine to the wise, and the wisest will be; speak to the righteous, and he will add to receive"
Synodal translation:
give [admonition] to the wise, and he will be even wiser; teach the truthful and he will increase knowledge

St. John Chrysostom:
« Give wise wine. Guilt (ἀφορμή) is a denunciation, a salutary and beneficial deed, or speaks (about guilt) through words, because in this way it rises to the height of teaching (ἀναγωγῆς). Say to the righteous, that is, to the one who thinks well, show the ways of righteousness, and instead add: He will love you, correcting sins from neglect due to reproof. » .

“The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the counsel of the saints is understanding: for understand the law, there is good thought”
Synodal translation:
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding;

Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev):
“So this is why those who sincerely love wisdom and truth are not offended by reproofs and willingly accept the lessons of truth and truth: this is why the foundation of their striving for wisdom, the main subject of their study is the fear of God, or training themselves in piety, and which is dearer to them than all knowledge in the world, progress in faith and piety. And whoever is guided by the fear of God and constantly has the Lord in his thoughts, he will not be proud of his virtues, so as not to offend Him with such pride, before Whom he feels like dust and ashes, he is always impartial and strict with himself and therefore does not consider it humiliating for listen to yourself and from others indications of your shortcomings and advice. It is not hard for him to hear the advice of the saints. In these councils he finds the source of reason, the right understanding of the law of the Lord. For understand the law of thought to be good. Who, if not the saints, who have succeeded in pleasing God, is good-minded? And consequently, from whom is it better, if not from them, to learn the knowledge of the law of God? Knowing him, they are ready to share their knowledge with others.”

“In this way you will live a lot of time, and the years of your belly will be added to you”
Synodal translation:
for through me thy days shall be multiplied, and years of life shall be added to thee.

Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev):
“In the rest of the parimia verse, Wisdom resumes His speech to the ignorant, interrupted by remarks about the rules of prudence in denunciations and admonitions. Wisdom continues to reveal what was said at the end of her previous speech to the ignorant. There she promised them life for obedience to her lessons: “and you will live,” and here she confirms this promise. She says:
In this way you will live much time, and the years of your belly will be added to you.
The promise of longevity for the fulfillment of the lessons of wisdom is found more than once in the book of Proverbs (cf. Proverbs 3:2, 16, 21; Proverbs 4:10, 15). There is no doubt that such a promise applies mainly to real life, like many other promises of the same kind as a reward for the fulfillment of the law of God, the table is common in the books of the Old Testament (Deut. 8:1; Deut. 30:20). Longevity is, one might say, the natural consequence of living in harmony with the rules of wisdom and piety. Those who lead such a life usually avoid excesses that are detrimental to health and prematurely shorten life, and therefore live safely to old age. The promise of God further advances what should be in the natural order of things. But does Wisdom mean only temporal life when she promises longevity to her obedient disciples? No, this one award would not be enough for them. The righteous women live forever (Wisdom 5:15), according to the word of another wise man. Piety, says the holy Apostle, is useful for everything; for to him belongs the promise of the present and future life” (1 Tim. 4:8). It must be thought that the longevity promised by Wisdom to her disciples is not limited to the present life and serves only as a prelude to a blessed life in eternity.

Part of the parimia examined (Ch. 9, 1-11) is read on the Feasts of the Theotokos. This is because by the Wisdom referred to here we must understand the Son of God-Hypostatic Wisdom. But Hypostatic Wisdom is depicted here not in Her pre-eternal existence, but in the state of incarnation: she builds the Church on earth and at Her meal offers people Her most pure Body for food, the same body that was formed in the womb of the Ever-Virgin Mary by the influx of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, although the parimia does not directly speak of the Mother of God, but since She served as the instrument of the incarnation of the Son of God, it is quite natural to mean Her where it is said about the incarnation of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. If so, then it is understandable why on the feasts of the Theotokos it is necessary to read parimia, which, if it does not name the Mother of God, then at least clearly reminds the believer of Her. Let us add: under the house of Wisdom, as we have explained, is, of course, the Church proper, built by Christ and inhabited by Him. But just as in ordinary houses there are several chambers and rooms, so the vast house of Wisdom contains many abodes, that is, those who believe in Jesus Christ, for He dwells in each of them, as in His dwelling, inhabiting it with His most pure Body and Blood. . But between these abodes of Christ in His vast house, in the Church, the first place is occupied by His Most Pure Mother, Who, therefore, is called in church songs the chamber and throne of the Tsar, the most pure temple of the Savior, as having contained the God-man in her womb. Thus, one can think that the concept of the Mother of God, as the chamber of the King-Christ, the house of Hypostatic Wisdom, could serve as a new basis for the church custom on the feasts of the Theotokos to read parimia containing the image of the house of Wisdom, in which the first place belongs to the Mother of God - the chamber of Christ the King .- The same part of parimia is read on the feast of the Renewal of the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection of Christ on September 13, also at the consecration of each Orthodox church. This is because every Orthodox Christian church is a place in which the gifts of Hypostatic Wisdom, prepared by Her for the members of the Kingdom of God on earth or the Church arranged by Her, are predominantly distributed to believers: in the church of God, abundant nourishment is offered by the word of God and the grace of the sacraments, especially the sacrament of the Eucharist, in which, under the guise of bread and wine, believers partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. - The same part of the parimia is read on the feast of Mid-Midday. On this holiday, Jesus Christ invited the Jews: let him who is thirsty come to me and drink (Jn. 7:37). This invitation is similar to the invitation of Wisdom to his meal.

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Holidays are not only church-wide celebrations on the occasion of this or that event connected with our salvation, but also an occasion to renew the Old Testament events in our memory.

For what? Yes, it's very simple - the Old Testament, in fact, is just the history of the Jewish people and, apart from the events of the New Testament, it remains so. Why do we need to know how many years the Jews wandered in the desert and why they were scolded by the prophets in their time, if this is absolutely not connected with our own history, and even more so with our life today.

But the Old Testament is not just the history of the Jews, it is the greatest prophecy and a prototype of our salvation, which would have been impossible without Christ and, of course, His Most Pure Mother. That is why paroemias are read at the festive evening services - special passages from the Old Testament (in the vast majority), which in one way or another correlate with the immediate festive events. Often they may not be entirely clear - not only because few people are familiar with the Holy Scriptures in the Church Slavonic language and few people know the events of the Old Testament as well as the events of the Gospels, but also due to the fact that through the dim, “guessing” glass of prototypes and prophecies is not always possible to understand what or who is being discussed. Take, for example, paroemias that are read on the Protection of the Virgin…

And Jacob left Beer-sheba and went to Haran, and came to a certain place, and stayed there overnight, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place, and put it under his head, and lay down on that place. And I saw in a dream: behold, a ladder stands on the ground, and its top touches the sky; and behold, the angels of God ascend and descend upon it. And behold, the Lord stands on it and says: I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; don't be afraid. The land on which you lie I will give you and your offspring; and your offspring will be like the sand of the earth; and spread to the sea, and to the east, and to the north, and towards noon; and all the families of the earth will be blessed in you and in your seed; and behold, I am with you, and I will keep you wherever you go; and I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have told you. Jacob awoke from his sleep and said: Verily the Lord is present in this place; but I didn't know! And he was afraid and said: How terrible is this place! it is none other than the house of God, it is the gate of heaven. (Gen. 28:10-17).

Holy Scripture is revealed to everyone gradually, as everyone develops spiritually. Someone can only see the description here disturbing sleep Jacob, fleeing the revenge of his brother in the vicinity of the “well of the oath”, where, even under Patriarch Abraham, an alliance was concluded on the non-aggression of the Jews and the Philistines against each other. And someone, following the holy fathers, who distinguish the fullness of the semantic nuances of Scripture, can also see the prototype of the Mother of God herself, concluded in the patristic understanding of the “Ladder of Jacob”.

Firstly, by itself, the staircase, as an image of ascension from earth to heaven, cannot but remind of the main principle of spiritual life - communion with God. Of those who lived on earth, even the forefather Adam hardly had such a full communion with God as the Mother of God. Secondly, none of the stairs can be climbed right away - gradualness, “graduation” is its inherent property, just like the Holy Virgin Mary did not immediately become the Mother of God, but first she was born, brought up, brought to the temple, taught the Scriptures, betrothed to Joseph ... Here, too, is a prototype and a great mystery of how low a person who has fallen as a result of the fall can rise thanks to humility, which the Blessed Virgin showed in her fullness.

Finally, the stairs are based on the ground. If we turn to the image of the Mother of God, then She is from the earth, from the human race. She did not neglect anything earthly: she did not shun labor, she did not consider grief unnecessary for herself, she did not avoid communication, she was not burdened by solitude. Only sin on earth harms everything, and so, without sin, the whole earth is blessed by God and best flower earth - Mother of God - Our Hope and Affirmation. But "Jacob's Ladder" is not only established on earth, but also reaches heaven. Who else has reached the highest of the gifts of communion with God in the most perfect way? And if the desire for God becomes the meaning of all searches in life, then who else, if not the Mother of God, will become the Helper and Intercessor in this field.

The "Ladder of Jacob" is also full of Angels rising from the earth and descending to the earth. From the earth, from us, they bring to God the prayers of all faithful people, and to people (and not only the faithful) from God - the gifts of His love. The memory of this can encourage everyone, especially when it seems lonely and sad in a world that has long suffered from despondency caused by the general impoverishment of holiness. For believers, this impoverishment is filled by the Angels and the mercy of their Queen - the Most Holy Theotokos.

Finally, "Jacob's Ladder" is the connection of heaven with earth, man with God. Her unique and perfect example is the Blessed Virgin. She herself became the ladder that leads to God. That is why this passage from the book of Genesis is read at the all-night vigil on the day of the Intercession of the Mother of God, and indeed on all the Mother of God holidays.

Now a few words about the second proverb, which is an excerpt from the prophetic words of St. Ezekiel.

At the end of these days, on the eighth day and beyond, the priests will offer your burnt offerings and thanksgiving offerings on the altar; and I will be merciful to you, says the Lord God. And he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, facing the east, and it was closed. And the Lord said to me, This gate will be shut, it will not be opened, and no man will enter through it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered through it, and they will be shut. As for the prince, he, like a prince, will sit in them to eat bread before the Lord; enter by the porch of this gate, and go out by the same way. Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the face of the temple, and I saw, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord (Ezek. 43, 27, 44, 1-4)

This proverb, in a historical context, already through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel, promises to the captive Jews the liberation and even the restoration of their devastated temple. The prophet speaks about the structure of the future temple and about its consecration. The future temple will be consecrated for seven days, and on the eighth day the priests must make a sacrifice, but not to consecrate the temple, but to propitiate the Lord and as a sign of gratitude to Him and an expression of devotion. The prophet in a vision saw the whole temple, and then he was again shown the eastern gate of the sanctuary. They were closed, and about them he was told that the Lord passed through them, and no one should not only pass through them, but even see them open. From the eastern gate the prophet was led to the northern, from where he saw the majestic spectacle of all the glory of God.

Blessed Theodoret, whose opinion was accepted by the Fathers of the Church, considers the eastern gate, through which the Lord once entered, a symbol of the Mother of God. She, as it were, opened the door to the Lord in the human world, without losing, however, her virginal purity either before or after the birth of Christ. The Mother of God served the one and only sacrament of the incarnation of the Lord. This proverb is a prophecy about the ever-virginity of the Mother of God, but for its complete understanding, as well as for understanding the very mystery of ever-virginity, the strength of one human mind will be clearly not enough. However, how insufficient they will be for understanding the Divine mysteries in general.

And, finally, the third passage from the Book of Proverbs, read at this all-night vigil.

Wisdom built a house for herself, hewed out seven pillars of it, slaughtered the victim, dissolved her wine and prepared a table for herself; sent her servants to proclaim from the heights of the city: "He who is foolish, turn here!" And to the foolish one she said: “Go, eat my bread and drink the wine that I have dissolved; leave foolishness, and live, and walk in the way of reason.” The one who teaches the blasphemer will gain dishonor for himself, and the one who rebukes the wicked will be a stain on himself. Do not rebuke the scorner, lest he hate you; rebuke the wise and he will love you; give instruction to the wise, and he will be even wiser; teach the truthful, and he will increase knowledge. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding; for through me thy days shall be multiplied, and years of life shall be added to thee. (Prov. 9, 1-11).

The third proverb is dedicated to Wisdom. Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer, Saint Ambrose of Milan, Blessed Augustine and other fathers see the Lord Jesus Christ under Wisdom. According to the Gospel (Matt. 28:20), the Church is considered to be the House of Wisdom. The opinions of the fathers differ on what to consider the seven pillars. Some believe that this is an indication of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, others that of the seven Sacraments, others - of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Is.11, 12). The meal, especially with the mention of bread and wine dissolved in the cup, of course, symbolizes the Eucharist, but you can include here all the blessings of the Church, among which is the word of God (Matt. 4, 4 and 1 Cor. 1, 4 - 5) .

Whom did Wisdom send to invite to her meal? This is a speech about the preachers of the Gospel, who are commanded to proclaim to the whole world: Go, teach all languages ​​(Matt. 28, 19). Who is called? The foolish, that is, those who are not satisfied with the wisdom of this age, who seek justification by the blood of the Lamb, which is possible in the Church in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Those invited are invited to part with madness, that is, with doubt, disbelief, delusions, and subdue the mind to faith. Not everyone will go to the call of God, and therefore the Lord with the words Punish (not in the sense of “punishing”, but calling, setting an example, persuading) the evil ones, will accept dishonor for himself and further warns against close communion with the evil ones. You can’t fix them if they don’t want it themselves, but you will only annoy, and even hurt yourself. Besides, by bringing danger upon yourself, you hinder the cause of God. This should be a warning to those who are called to be God's messenger for the salvation of the wise, that is, those who are able to heed the instructions. Turning to the fear of God (to the fear of violating the will of God in some way, and not to the fear of punishment) as the beginning of wisdom will make everyone who loves wisdom and truth equal, humble and experienced. From the council of the saints, such a person will only grow rich in mind. If you take care of this, then the temporary life will be calmer (and therefore long-term), and the eternal life will be more reliable.

But what does all this have to do with the Mother of God? The most direct thing is that Her Church calls both the “Most Pure Temple of the Savior”, and the “Chamber of the King of All”, and other comparisons that indicate that She is the living temple of God and the words about the house of Wisdom can be attributed to Her. If every soul can become a temple to God, according to the apostle, then even more so is His Most Pure Mother. And the stronger should be our own desire on this Feast to partake of that Shrine that She carried in Her most pure womb - the Lord and our God Jesus Christ.

Paroemias are fragments from the Holy Scriptures, mainly from the Old Testament, which are read at the evening Divine service on the eve of major holidays. Paroemias set forth prophecies, types, or promises that were fulfilled in the event being celebrated.

On all the feasts of the Theotokos, including the Dormition, the following three fragments from the Old Testament are read:

1. From the Book of Genesis (28:10-17):

In Church Slavonic:

Jacob departed from the sworn student and went to Harran. And you will find a place, and a spa tamo: the sun will set, and you will be taken from the stone of that place, and lay your head, and the spa will be in that place. And a dream. And the ladder is established on the earth, even the head reaches to heaven, and the angels of God ascend and descend on it. The Lord was established on it, and said: I am the God of Abraham, your father, and the God of Isaac, do not be afraid: the earth, where you sleep on it, I will give you and your seed. And your seed will be like the sand of the earth, and it will spread over the sea, and the rain, and the north, and the east; and all the tribes of the earth will be blessed for you and for your seed. And behold, Az is with you, keep you on every path, even if you go. And I will return you to this land, as if I cannot leave you, until I create all of Me, the spruce tree to you. And Jacob arose from his sleep, and said, As if the Lord is in this place, but I do not know. And he was afraid, and said: How terrible is this place; bear this, but the house of God and this gate of heaven.

In Russian:

Jacob departed from the Well of the Oath and went to Haran, and came to a certain place, and lay down to sleep there, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place, and put it under his head, and fell asleep in that place. And he saw in a dream: and behold, the ladder is established on earth, and its top reaches to heaven; and the angels of God ascended and descended upon it. The Lord stood on it, and He said: “I am the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; don't be afraid. The land on which you sleep, I will give it to you and to your seed; and your seed will be like the sand of the earth; and spread to the sea, and to the south, and to the north, and to the east; and all the families of the earth will be blessed in you and in your seed; and behold, I am with you, keeping you on every path, wherever you go; And I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have told you.” And Jacob awoke from his sleep and said: “The Lord is present in this place; but I didn't know!" And he was afraid and said: “How terrible is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

"Jacob's Ladder" - the steps of ascent to God seen by the Old Testament patriarch in a dream - is used in church hymnography as a poetic image of the Mother of God. Truly, Mary has become a "ladder" leading us from earth to Heaven, for She gave birth to the Savior of the world, who destroyed hell and destroyed the power of the devil over man.

2. From the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (43:27; 44:1-4):

In Church Slavonic:

Thus says the Lord: from the day of the osmago and so forth, the priests will make on the altars of your burnt offering and even your salvation, and I will receive you, says the Lord Adonai. And turn me to the path of the gates of the outer holy ones, looking to the east, and this byahu is closed. And the Lord said to me: This gate shall be shut, and shall not be opened, and no one shall pass through it; for the Lord God of Israel will pass by them, and they will be shut up. Like the Abbot will sit down in them to carry bread, he will enter along the path of the Elam gates and leave along his path. And lead me along the path of the gates of the saints that are to the north, straight to the temple, and I saw, and behold, the temple of the Lord is full of glory.

In Russian:

[Thus says the Lord:] From the eighth day onwards, the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and sacrifices for your salvation on the altar; and I will receive you favorably, says the Lord. And he returned me to the way to the outer gates of the sanctuary, facing the east, and they were closed. And the Lord said to me: “These gates will be shut, and they will not be opened, and no one will pass through them, for the Lord, the God of Israel, will pass through them, and they will be closed. Therefore, the ruler - he will sit in them to eat bread before the Lord; enter by the porch of this gate, and go out by the same way.” And he led me in on the way to the gate of the sanctuary, the one to the north opposite the temple, and I saw: and, behold, the house of the Lord is full of glory.

The prophecy of Ezekiel mysteriously foretells the salvation of the human race from slavery to Satan and from death through the coming into the world of the Son of God, Who is to be incarnated from the Virgin Mary. The Ever-Virgin is referred to here as “the closed gates”, through which only one Lord God, Jesus Christ, passed.

3. From the Book of Proverbs of Solomon (9:1-11):

In Church Slavonic:

Wisdom has made a house for herself and establish seven pillars. She has slain Your sacrificial offering, and dissolve the wine in Your cups, and prepare Your table. His servants sent, calling with a lofty sermon on the cup, saying: Whoever is mad, let him deviate to Me. And to those who require wisdom, I say: Come, eat My bread, and drink the wine, which I have dissolved for you. Leave madness and you will live, and look for reason, that you may live, and correct reason in knowledge. He who punishes the wicked will receive dishonor for himself, but he who reproaches the wicked will dishonor himself: rebuking the wicked will wound him. Do not rebuke the wicked, lest they hate you. Rebuke the wise one, and he will love you. Give wine to the wise, and the wise will be. Tell the righteous, and he will add to accept. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord and the advice of the saints is the mind: understand for the law of thought is good. In this way you will live a lot of time, and the years of your belly will be added to you.

In Russian:

Wisdom built a house for herself, established seven pillars, slaughtered her victims and dissolved wine in her cup and prepared her meal; she sent her servants, calling them to the cup with an exalted sermon: “Whoever is foolish, let him turn to me!” And to the foolish she said: “Come, eat my bread and drink the wine that I have mixed for you; leave foolishness, and you will live, and seek understanding, that you may live and attain discernment in knowledge.” He who teaches the wicked will gain dishonor for himself, and he who reproaches the wicked will dishonor himself. Do not rebuke the wicked, lest they hate you; rebuke the wise and he will love you; give occasion to the wise, and he will be even wiser; inform the righteous, and he will pay attention. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the counsel of the saints is understanding; to know the Law is the property of a good mind: after all, in this way you will live a long time and years of life will be added to you.

This proverb reveals the theme of Wisdom. By Wisdom, many Fathers of the Church understand the Lord Jesus Christ. The meal, especially with the mention of bread and wine dissolved in the cup, of course, foreshadows the Eucharist - communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. The house of Wisdom is here understood to mean the Mother of God, who contained the incarnate Word-Savior in her womb.

Thus, the reading of proverbs on the feasts of the Theotokos sets out three most important prophecies about the incarnation of Christ and about His earthly Mother-Virgo.