About stupidity. In contrast to the wise, a stupid person is not just a person who is not very smart. Madness is a concept associated with wickedness: "He is a fool in his heart, saying, There is no God" (Psalm 52:2). That is why Christ says in the Sermon on the Mount: "... whosoever shall say (to his brother), 'Thou fool,' shall be liable to hell fire" (Matt. 5:22). Therefore, when the Holy Scriptures speak of stupidity, it must be understood that foolishness, like wisdom, goes back to the very core of human life, namely, to his self-determination in relation to God. And therefore the wisdom of God is completely incomprehensible to a fool. It would seem that this is a gift from God and it could be given to a fool as well, but since a fool is one who turns away from God, then accordingly such a person cannot receive this gift. "For the ignorant speaketh foolishness, and his heart thinketh the wicked, to act hypocritically, and to speak blasphemy against the Lord, to deprive the soul of the hungry of bread, and to take away the drink of him that thirsts" (Isaiah 32:6).

The Gospel parable calls the rich man who "wisely" decided to expand the granaries a madman. He thinks only about himself and about the satiety of the body. Therefore, being smart and enterprising on the earthly plane, he turns out to be insane in the face of eternity.

But in revealing the concept of stupidity, we should go further. If the personification of Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs is a kind and prudent wife [see 15, p. 23], then foolishness is a profligate woman.

"When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasing to your soul, then prudence will protect you, understanding will guard you<... >That thou mayest save thee from another's wife, from a stranger who softeneth her speech, who hath forsaken the leader of her youth, and hast forgotten the covenant of her God. Her house leads to death, and her paths to the dead; no one who enters into it returns, nor enters the way of life" (Proverbs 2:10-11, 16-19).

"For the mouth of a strange woman pours out honey, and her speech is softer than oil; but the consequences of it are bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword; her feet descend to death, her feet reach hell. If thou wouldst comprehend the path of her life, her ways are not constant, and thou shalt not know them" (Proverbs 5:3-6).

A strange wife lures into her net with sweet words (Proverbs 2:16; 5:3; 6:24; 7:21), although prostitutes usually use other methods [see 1, p. 34]. From the above quotations it is clear that the folly that the profligate wife represents is impiety and its source, the devil. This is especially evident from the fact that immediately after the third proclamation of Wisdom follows a description of the manner in which folly operates:

"A reckless, noisy, foolish, and ignorant woman sits down at the door of her house on a chair, in the high places of the city, to call to those who pass by the road, who go straight on their own paths: 'Whosoever is a fool, turn hither!' And he does not know that the dead are there, and that in the depths of hell they are called by her. [But jump away, do not linger in the spot, do not fix your gaze on it; for in this way you will pass through foreign waters. Turn away from foreign waters, and do not drink from a strange spring, so that you may live a long time, and that the years of life may be added to you.]" (Proverbs 9:13-18). The devil tries to imitate God in everything, but, having nothing of his own, he is forced to be content with what is stolen and hidden. Let us note that stupidity tries to lure not the dull-witted, but those who go their own way.

Teachings of the book. All the other instructions of the book are based on what has been said about the acquisition of Wisdom. Relations between men and women are considered and how to judge in court, how someone should vouch for someone, lend and so on. The most important thing is seen – that which leads a person to God, helps a person to fulfill God's decree or, on the contrary, turns him away. A righteous life in moderation, in abstinence, with prayer leads to this; all debauchery, theft, lies, and so on turn away from this life. And it is in this vein that certain paths of human life are evaluated.

At first glance, it may seem that from chapter 10 onwards, the Book of Proverbs breaks down into unrelated teachings. The reader who begins it for the first time is perplexed – why did the wise Solomon and the collectors of his parables not be able to bring them into at least some kind of system? Parables about wealth, anger, patience, and so on. It would be easier and more convenient to read. Why was this not done? Did you not have enough strength, or is there some secret?

On the second and subsequent readings, you begin to notice that some phrases are repeated, while changing in one of their parts. And if you choose similar expressions, you can get an interesting "three-dimensional" picture and make sure that the book has an ingenious internal structure.

For example, I will give two small selections.

The first is devoted to strife, which many consider an inevitable attribute of human coexistence.

He who covers up a transgression seeks love; and whoever reminds him of him again removes his friend (17:9).

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins (10:12).