Bosnia and Bosnians

Bosnia and Bosnians

Bosnia (region)

Bosnia (Bosnian: Bosna; Serbian: Босна, pronounced [bɔ̂sna]) is an eponymous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It encompasses roughly 80% of the country in the north, while the other eponymous region, the southern part, is Herzegovina. Bosnia is an informal use for the whole country.

The two regions have formed a geopolitical entity since medieval times, and the name "Bosnia" commonly occurs in historical and geopolitical senses as generally referring to both regions (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The official use of the name including both regions started only in the late period of Ottoman-rule.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnia_(region)

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Bosnians

Bosnians (Bosnian: Bosanci, Croatian: Bosanci, Serbian: Босанци) are people who reside in, or descend from, Bosnia.

By the modern state definition, a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina as largely synonymous with the all-encompassing national demonym Bosnians and Herzegovinians. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats. Those who reside in the smaller geographical region of Herzegovina may thus prefer to stress themselves as Herzegovinians in a localized, regional sense.
Ethnic minorities such as Jews, Roma, Albanians, Montenegrins and others may consider Bosnian to be attached to their ethnicity (e.g. Bosnian Jews).

In addition, there is a sizable population in Bosnia and Herzegovina who believe that Bosnians are a people that constitute a distinct collective cultural identity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnians

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Bosnian language

Bosnian (bosanski / босански [bɔ̌sanskiː]) is a standardized register of the Serbo-Croatian language, a South Slavic language,[3][4][5] used by Bosniaks. Bosnian is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina,[6] along with Croatian and Serbian.

Standard Bosnian is based on the most widespread dialect of Serbo-Croatian, Shtokavian, more specifically on Eastern Herzegovinian, which is also the basis of Standard Croatian, Serbian, and Montenegrin. Until the dissolution of SFR Yugoslavia, they were treated as a unitary Serbo-Croatian language, and that term is still used in English to subsume the common base (vocabulary, grammar and syntax) of what are today officially four national standards, although the term is no longer used by native speakers.

The Bosnian standard uses both Latin and Cyrillic alphabets.[Note 1] Bosnian is notable amongst the varieties of Serbo-Croatian for having an eclectic assortment of Arabic, Turkish and Persian loanwords, largely due to the language's interaction with those cultures through Islamic ties.[7][8][9] This is historically corroborated by the introduction and use of Arebica (Matufovica) as a successor script for the Bosnian language, replacing Bosnian Cyrillic (Bosančica) upon the introduction of Islam; first amongst the elite, then amongst the public.[10] The Bosnian language also contains a number of Germanisms not often heard in Croatian or Serbian that have been in use since the Austro-Hungarian Empire.[11]

The first official dictionary in the Bosnian language, authored by Muhamed Hevaji Uskufi, was printed in the early 1630s,[12] while the first dictionary in Serbian was printed only in the mid-19th century.[13] Written evidence and records point to the Bosnian language being the official language of the country since at least the Kingdom of Bosnia, as further corroborated by the declaration of the Charter of Ban Kulin, one of the oldest written state documents in the Balkans and one of the oldest to be written in Bosančica.[14][15]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnian_language

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina (i/ˈbɒzniə ənd hɛərtsəɡɵˈviːnə/; Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian Bosna i Hercegovina, pronounced [bôsna i xěrt͡seɡoʋina]; Cyrillic script: Боснa и Херцеговина), sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina, abbreviated BiH, and in short often known informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeastern Europe located on the Balkan Peninsula. Sarajevo is the capital and largest city. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for 20 kilometres (12 miles) of coastline on the Adriatic Sea surrounding the city of Neum. In the central and eastern interior of the country the geography is mountainous, in the northwest it is moderately hilly, and the northeast is predominantly flatland. The inland is a geographically larger region and has a moderate continental climate, bookended by hot summers and cold and snowy winters. The southern tip of the country has a Mediterranean climate and plain topography.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina

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Bosnian Proverbs

Bird

¶ Latin: Bolje vrabac u ruci, nego golub na grani.
Cyrillic: Боље врабац у руци, него голуб на грани.
Translation: A sparrow in the hand is better than a pigeon on the branch.

Time

¶ Latin: Gvožđe se kuje dok je vruće. - Cyrillic: Гвожђе се кује док је вруће.
Translation: Iron is worked when it's still hot.
English equivalent: Strike the iron while its hot.
[Matković, umjetnosti, knijiževnost (1980). Forum. p. 391.]

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References

Bosnian language

[1]^ "Accredited Language Services: An Outline of Bosnian Language History". Accredited Language Services. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
[2]^ Alexander 2006, pp. 1-2.
[3]^ David Dalby, Linguasphere (1999/2000, Linguasphere Observatory), pg. 445, 53-AAA-g, "Srpski+Hrvatski, Serbo-Croatian".
[4]^ Benjamin V. Fortson, IV, Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction, 2nd ed. (2010, Blackwell), pg. 431, "Because of their mutual intelligibility, Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian are usually thought of as constituting one language called Serbo-Croatian."
[5]^ Václav Blažek, "On the Internal Classification of Indo-European Languages: Survey" retrieved 20 Oct 2010, pp. 15-16.
[6]^ See Art. 6 of the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, available at the official website of Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina
[7]^ Algar, Hamid (2 July 1994). Persian Literature in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Oxford: Journal of Islamic Studies (Oxford). pp. 254–68.
[8]^ Balić, Smail (1978). Die Kultur der Bosniaken, Supplement I: Inventar des bosnischen literarischen Erbes in orientalischen Sprachen. Vienna: Adolf Holzhausens, Vienna. p. 111.
[9]^ Balić, Smail (1992). Das unbekannte Bosnien: Europas Brücke zur islamischen Welt. Cologne, Weimar and Vienna: Bohlau. p. 526.
[10]^ Dobraća, Kasim (1963). Katalog Arapskih, Turskih i Perzijskih Rukopisa (Catalogue of the Arabic, Turkish and Persian Manuscripts in the Gazihusrevbegova Library, Sarajevo). Sarajevo.
[11]^ ANDLER, CH (1915). Pan-Germanism: Its plans for German expansion in the World. Paris: Librairie Armande Colin. p. App. I, II - pp. 69–71.
[12]^ Sarajevo archiv
[13]^ "Gammel ordbok i ny drakt" (in Norwegian). University of Oslo. 2012-04-10.
[14]^ Čišić, Husein. Razvitak i postanak grada Mostara. Štamparija Mostar.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnia_(region)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnians
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnian_language

Hal Borland

Hal Borland

Hal Borland (May 14, 1900 – February 22, 1978) was an American author.

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Quotes·Quotations by ***

***

¶

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http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hal_Borland

Boris Pasternak (1890-1960)

Boris Pasternak (1890-1960)

Boris Leonidovich Pasternak (Russian: Бори́с Леони́дович Пастерна́к; 10 February [O.S. 29 January] 1890 – 30 May 1960) was a Russian language poet, novelist, and literary translator. In his native Russia, Pasternak's anthology My Sister Life, is one of the most influential collections ever published in the Russian language. Furthermore, Pasternak's theatrical translations of Goethe, Schiller, Pedro Calderón de la Barca, and William Shakespeare remain deeply popular with Russian audiences.

Outside Russia, Pasternak is best known for authoring Doctor Zhivago, a novel which spans the last years of Czarist Russia and the earliest days of the Soviet Union. Banned in the USSR, Doctor Zhivago was smuggled to Milan and published in 1957. Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature the following year, an event which both humiliated and enraged the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In the midst of massive campaign against him by both the KGB[citation needed] and the Union of Soviet Writers, Pasternak reluctantly agreed to decline the Prize. In his resignation letter to the Nobel Committee, Pasternak stated the reaction of the Soviet State was the only reason for his decision.

By the time of his death from lung cancer in 1960, the campaign against Pasternak had severely damaged the international credibility of the U.S.S.R. He remains a major figure in Russian literature to this day. Furthermore, tactics pioneered by Pasternak were later continued, expanded, and refined by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and other Soviet dissidents.

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Quotes·Quotation

Life

Man is born to live, not to prepare for life. Life itself, the phenomenon of life, the gift of life,is so breathtakingly serious!

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Pasternak

Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

Jorge Luis Borges (24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine writer who is considered one of the foremost literary figures of the 20th century. Most famous in the English speaking world for his short stories and fictive essays, Borges was also a poet, critic, translator and man of letters.

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Quotes·Quotations by Jorge Luis Borges

Animal

¶ The minotaur more than justifies the existence of the labyrinth.
"Ibn-Hakim Al-Bokhari, Murdered in His Labyrinth", in The Aleph (1949); tr. Andrew Hurley, Collected Fictions (1998)

Quotations

¶ Life itself is a quotation.
[Quoted in Cool Memories (1987) by Jean Baudrillard, (trans. 1990) Ch. 5; heard by Baudrillard at a lecture given in Paris.]

Universe

¶ It is clear that there is no classification of the Universe that is not arbitrary and full of conjectures. The reason for this is very simple: we do not know what kind of thing the universe is.
[in "The Analytical Language of John Wilkins" in Other Inquisitions (1952), as translated by Will Fitzgerald]

¶ Universal history is the history of a few metaphors.
"Pascal’s Sphere" ["La esfera de Pascal"] (1951)

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http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges

Booth Tarkington (1869-1946)

Booth Tarkington (1869-1946)

Booth Tarkington (July 29, 1869 – May 19, 1946) was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams. He is one of only three novelists (the others being William Faulkner and John Updike) to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once.

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Quotes·Quotations by Booth Tarkington

Automobile

¶ I'm not sure about automobiles. With all their speed forward, they may be a step backward in civilization.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booth_Tarkington

Booker T. Washington (1858-1915)

Booker T. Washington (1858-1915)

Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1858 or 59 – November 14, 1915) was an African-American educator, author, orator, advisor to Republican presidents, and black political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915. Representative of the last generation of black American leaders born in slavery, he spoke on behalf of the large majority of blacks who lived in the South but had lost their ability to vote through disfranchisement by southern legislatures. While his opponents called his powerful network of supporters the "Tuskegee Machine," Washington maintained power because of his ability to gain support of numerous groups: influential whites; the black business, educational and religious communities nationwide; financial donations from philanthropists, and his accommodation to the political realities of the age of Jim Crow segregation.

Washington was born into slavery to Jane, an enslaved woman, and a white father. His father was a nearby planter, in a rural area of the southwestern Virginia Piedmont. After emancipation, his mother moved the family to rejoin her husband in West Virginia; there Washington worked in a variety of manual labor jobs before making his way to Hampton Roads seeking an education. He worked his way through Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (now Hampton University) and attended college at Wayland Seminary (now Virginia Union University). In 1876, Washington returned to live in Malden, West Virginia, teaching Sunday School at African Zion Baptist Church; he married his first wife, Fannie Smith, at the church in 1881. After returning to Hampton as a teacher, in 1881 he was named as the first leader of the new Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

Washington attained national prominence for his Atlanta Address of 1895, which attracted the attention of politicians and the public, making him a popular spokesperson for African-American citizens. He built a nationwide network of supporters in many black communities, with black ministers, educators and businessmen composing his core supporters. Washington played a dominant role in black politics, winning wide support in the black community and among more liberal whites (especially rich Northern whites). He gained access to top national leaders in politics, philanthropy and education. Washington's efforts included cooperating with white people and enlisting the support of wealthy philanthropists, helping to raise funds to establish and operate thousands of small community schools and institutions of higher education for the betterment of blacks throughout the South. This work continued for many years after his death. Washington argued that the surest way for blacks to gain equal social rights was to demonstrate "industry, thrift, intelligence and property."

Northern critics called Washington's followers the "Tuskegee Machine". After 1909, Washington was criticized by the leaders of the new NAACP, especially W. E. B. Du Bois, who demanded a stronger tone of protest for advancement of civil rights needs. Washington replied that confrontation would lead to disaster for the outnumbered blacks, and that cooperation with supportive whites was the only way to overcome pervasive racism in the long run. At the same time, he secretly funded litigation for civil rights cases, such as challenges to southern constitutions and laws that disfranchised blacks. Washington was on close terms with national republican leaders, and often was asked for political advice by presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.

In addition to his contributions in education, Washington wrote 14 books; his autobiography, Up From Slavery, first published in 1901, is still widely read today. During a difficult period of transition, he did much to improve the working relationship between the races. His work greatly helped blacks to achieve higher education, financial power and understanding of the U.S. legal system. This contributed to blacks' attaining the skills to create and support the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, leading to the passage of important federal civil rights laws.

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Quotes·Quotations by Booker T. Washington

Happiness

¶ I began learning long ago that those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.

Responsibility

¶ Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._Washington

Book of Isaiah

Book of Isaiah

The Book of Isaiah (Hebrew: ספר ישעיה‎) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve. (The order of the subsequent books differs somewhat in the Christian Old Testament).

The first 39 chapters prophesy doom for a sinful Judah and for all the nations of the world that oppose God, while the last 27 prophesy the restoration of the nation of Israel and a new creation in God's glorious future kingdom;[1] this section includes the Songs of the Suffering Servant, four separate passages referring to the nation of Israel, interpreted by Christians as prefiguring the coming of Jesus Christ.

Tradition ascribes authorship of the book to Isaiah son of Amoz, but for over a hundred years scholars have seen it as a compilation of writings from three different periods. The first, termed Proto-Isaiah (chapters 1–39), contains the words of the 8th-century BCE prophet with 7th-century BCE expansions; the second, Deutero-Isaiah (chapters 40–55), is the work of a 6th-century BCE author writing near the end of the Babylonian captivity; and the third, the poetic Trito-Isaiah (chapters 56–66), was composed in Jerusalem shortly after the return from exile, probably by multiple authors.[1][2][3][4]:pp. 558–562

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Isaiah

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Introduction

Isaiah, one of the greatest of the prophets, appeared at a critical moment in Israel’s history. The Northern Kingdom collapsed, under the hammerlike blows of Assyria, in 722/721 B.C., and in 701 Jerusalem itself saw the army of Sennacherib drawn up before its walls. In the year that Uzziah, king of Judah, died (742), Isaiah received his call to the prophetic office in the Temple of Jerusalem. Close attention should be given to chap. 6, where this divine summons to be the ambassador of the Most High is circumstantially described.

The vision of the Lord enthroned in glory stamps an indelible character on Isaiah’s ministry and provides a key to the understanding of his message. The majesty, holiness and glory of the Lord took possession of his spirit and, at the same time, he gained a new awareness of human pettiness and sinfulness. The enormous abyss between God’s sovereign holiness and human sinfulness overwhelmed the prophet. Only the purifying coal of the seraphim could cleanse his lips and prepare him for acceptance of the call: “Here I am, send me!”

The ministry of Isaiah extended from the death of Uzziah in 742 B.C. to Sennacherib’s siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C., and it may have continued even longer, until after the death of Hezekiah in 687 B.C. Later legend (the Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah) claims that Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, executed Isaiah by having him sawed in two; cf. Heb 11:37. During this long ministry, the prophet returned again and again to the same themes, and there are indications that he may have sometimes re-edited his older prophecies to fit new occasions. There is no evidence that the present arrangement of the oracles in the book reflects a chronological order. Indeed, it appears that there were originally separate smaller collections of oracles (note especially chaps. 6–12), each with its own logic for ordering, that were preserved fairly intact as blocks when the material was finally put together as a single literary work.

Isaiah’s oracles cluster around several key historical events of the late eighth century: the Syro-Ephraimite War (735–732 B.C.), the accession of Hezekiah (715 B.C.), the revolt of Ashdod (714–711 B.C.), the death of Sargon (705 B.C.), and the revolt against Sennacherib (705–701 B.C.). In 738 B.C., with the Assyrian defeat of Calno/Calneh (Is 10:9; Am 6:2), the anti-Assyrian league, of which Judah may have been the ringleader, collapsed, and both Israel and the Arameans of Damascus paid tribute to Assyria. By 735 B.C., however, Rezin of Damascus had created a new anti-Assyrian league, and when Ahaz refused to join, the league attempted to remove Ahaz from the throne of Judah. The resulting Syro-Ephraimite War was the original occasion for many of Isaiah’s oracles (cf. chaps. 7–8), in which he tried to reassure Ahaz of God’s protection and dissuade him from seeking protection by an alliance with Assyria. Ahaz refused Isaiah’s message, however.

When Hezekiah came to the throne in 715 B.C., Isaiah appears to have put great hopes in this new scion of David, and he undoubtedly supported the religious reform that Hezekiah undertook. But the old intrigues began again, and the king was sorely tempted to join with neighboring states in an alliance sponsored by Egypt against Assyria. Isaiah succeeded in keeping Hezekiah out of Ashdod’s abortive revolt against Assyria, but when Sargon died in 705 B.C., with both Egypt and Babylon encouraging revolt, Hezekiah was won over to the pro-Egyptian party. Isaiah denounced this “covenant with death” (28:15, 18), and again summoned Judah to faith in the Lord as the only hope. But it was too late; the revolt had already begun. Assyria acted quickly and its army, after ravaging Judah, laid siege to Jerusalem (701). “I shut up Hezekiah like a bird in his cage,” boasts the famous inscription of Sennacherib. The city was spared but at the cost of paying a huge indemnity to Assyria. Isaiah may have lived and prophesied for another dozen years after 701. There is material in the book that may plausibly be associated with Sennacherib’s campaign against Babylon and its Arabian allies in 694–689 B.C.

For Isaiah, the vision of God’s majesty was so overwhelming that military and political power faded into insignificance. He constantly called his people back to a reliance on God’s promises and away from vain attempts to find security in human plans and intrigues. This vision also led him to insist on the ethical behavior that was required of human beings who wished to live in the presence of such a holy God. Isaiah couched this message in oracles of singular poetic beauty and power, oracles in which surprising shifts in syntax, audacious puns, and double- or triple-entendre are a constant feature.

The complete Book of Isaiah is an anthology of poems composed chiefly by the great prophet, but also by disciples, some of whom came many years after Isaiah. In 1–39 most of the oracles come from Isaiah and reflect the situation in eighth-century Judah. Sections such as the Apocalypse of Isaiah (24–27), the oracles against Babylon (13–14), and probably the poems of 34–35 were written by followers deeply influenced by the prophet, in some cases reusing earlier Isaianic material; cf., e.g., 27:2–8 with 5:1–7.

Chapters 40–55 (Second Isaiah, or Deutero-Isaiah) are generally attributed to an anonymous poet who prophesied toward the end of the Babylonian exile. From this section come the great oracles known as the Servant Songs, which are reflected in the New Testament understanding of the passion and glorification of Christ. Chapters 56–66 (Third Isaiah, or Trito-Isaiah) contain oracles from the postexilic period and were composed by writers imbued with the spirit of Isaiah who continued his work.

The principal divisions of the Book of Isaiah are the following:

Isaiah 1–39

Indictment of Israel and Judah (1:1–5:30)
The Book of Emmanuel (6:1–12:6)
Oracles against the Foreign Nations (13:1–23:18)
Apocalypse of Isaiah (24:1–27:13)
The Lord Alone, Israel’s and Judah’s Salvation (28:1–33:24)
The Lord, Zion’s Avenger (34:1–35:10)
Historical Appendix (36:1–39:8)

Isaiah 40–55

The Lord’s Glory in Israel’s Liberation (40:1–48:22)
Expiation of Sin, Spiritual Liberation of Israel (49:1–55:13)

Isaiah 56–66

http://www.usccb.org/bible/

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Quotes·Quotations by Isaiah, Old Testament, Bible

¶ Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. [Isaiah 1,16-17]

¶ Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, you shall be eaten by the sword: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken! [Isaiah 1,18-20]

¶ Yet just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,

So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me empty,
but shall do what pleases me,
achieving the end for which I sent it. [Isaiah 55,10-11]

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References

[1]^ a b May, Herbert G. and Bruce M. Metzger. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. 1977.
[2]^ Williamson (1994), pp. 1–3]
[3]^ Lemche (2008), p.96
[4]^ a b Kugel, James L. (2008). "chapter 30: The Book of Isaiah(s)". How To Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now. New York, NY: Free Press. pp. 538–568. ISBN 978-0-7432-3587-7.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Isaiah
http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/1

Book of the Wisdom of Joshua ben Sira

Sirach

The Book of the All-Virtuous Wisdom of Joshua ben Sira[1] (pron.: /ˈsaɪræk/), commonly called the Wisdom of Sirach or simply Sirach, and also known as The Book Ecclesiasticus (/ɨˌkliːziˈæstɪkəs/) or Siracides (/saɪˈræsɨdiːz/) (abbreviated Ecclus.[2]) or Ben Sira,[3] is a work from the early 2nd century B.C. (approximately 200-175 B.C.) written by the Jewish scribe Joshua ben Sirach of Jerusalem. The book was not accepted into the Hebrew Bible and as a result the original Hebrew text was not preserved in the Jewish canon. However, various original Hebrew versions have since been recovered.[a]

There are numerous citations of Sirach in the Talmud and works of rabbinic literature (as "ספר בן סירא", e.g., Hagigah 13a). Despite not finding ultimate acceptance into the scriptural canon of Judaism, it was read as scripture by some Jews. For instance, it was included in the canon of the Jewish Septuagint, the 2nd century BC Greek version of the Jewish scriptures used by Diaspora Jews. Sirach is accepted as part of the Christian biblical canon by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican,[4] and most Oriental Orthodox but not by most Protestants. The Greek Church Fathers also called it the "All-Virtuous Wisdom", while the Latin Church Fathers, beginning with Cyprian,[5] termed it Ecclesiasticus because it was frequently read in churches, leading to the title liber ecclesiasticus (Latin and Latinised Greek for "church book").

In Egypt, it was translated into Greek by the author's grandson, who added a prologue. The Prologue to the Book of the All-Virtuous Wisdom of Joshua ben Sirach is generally considered the earliest witness to a canon of the books of the prophets, and thus the date of the text as we have it is the subject of intense scrutiny.

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Quotes·Quotations by Sirach

Responsibility to Parents

¶ Whoever respects a father will in turn be happy with children, the day he prays for help, he will be heard. [Ecclesiasticus 3,5]

¶ Those who respect their father will live a long life; those who obey the Lord honor their mother. [Sirach 3,6]

¶ Kindness to a father will not be forgotten; it will serve as a sin offering—it will take lasting root. [Sirach 3,14]

The Rewards of Wisdom

¶ Wisdom teaches her children and admonishes all who can understand her. [Sirach 4,11]

¶ Those who love her love life; those who seek her out win the LORD’s favor. [Sirach 4,12]

¶ Those who hold her fast will attain glory, and they shall abide in the blessing of the LORD. [Sirach 4,13]

¶ Those who serve her serve the Holy One; those who love her the Lord loves. [Sirach 4,14]

¶ Whoever obeys me will judge nations; whoever listens to me will dwell in my inmost chambers. [Sirach 4,15]

¶ If they remain faithful, they will possess me; their descendants too will inherit me. [Sirach 4,16]

¶ I will walk with them in disguise, and at first I will test them with trials. Fear and dread I will bring upon them and I will discipline them with my constraints. When their hearts are fully with me, then I will set them again on the straight path and reveal my secrets to them. [Sirach 4,17-18]

¶ But if they turn away from me, I will abandon them and deliver them over to robbers. [Sirach 4,19]

True Friendship

¶ Pleasant speech multiplies friends, and gracious lips, friendly greetings. [Sirach 6,5]

¶ For there are friends when it suits them, but they will not be around in time of trouble. [Sirach 6,8]

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Notes

[1]^ Or "…of Joshua son of Sirach", the literal translation of ben.
[2]^ [1]
[3]^ http://www.biblestudytools.com/nrsa/ben-sira/
[4]^ http://prayerbook.ca/the-prayer-book-online/129-tables-of-lessons-page-xvi
[5]^ Testimonia, ii. 1; iii. 1, 35, 51, 95, et passim

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[a] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirach

Book of Ecclesiastes

The Book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes (pron.: /ɨˌkliːziˈæstiːz/; Greek: Ἐκκλησιαστής, Ekklesiastes, Hebrew: קֹהֶלֶת, Qoheleth, Koheleth), is a book of the Jewish Ketuvim (meaning Writings, one of the three sections making up the Hebrew bible) and of the Old Testament. The title is a Latin transliteration of the Greek translation of the Hebrew Koheleth, meaning "Gatherer", but traditionally translated as "Teacher" or "Preacher".[1]

Koheleth introduces himself as "son of David, king in Jerusalem," perhaps implying that he is Solomon, but the work is in fact anonymous and was most probably composed in the last part of the 3rd century BCE.[2] The book is in the form of an autobiography telling of his investigation of the meaning of life and the best way of life. He proclaims all the actions of man to be inherently hevel, a word meaning "vain", "futile", "empty", "meaningless", "temporary", "transitory", "fleeting," or "mere breath," as the lives of both wise and foolish men end in death. While Qoheleth clearly endorses wisdom as a means for a well-lived earthly life, he is unable to ascribe eternal meaning to it. In light of this perceived senselessness, he suggests that one should enjoy the simple pleasures of daily life, such as eating, drinking, and taking enjoyment in one's work, which are gifts from the hand of God. The book concludes with words that may have been added by a later editor disturbed by Koheleth's failure to mention God's laws: "Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone" (12:13).[3]

Ecclesiastes has had a deep influence on Western literature: American novelist Thomas Wolfe wrote: "[O]f all I have ever seen or learned, that book seems to me the noblest, the wisest, and the most powerful expression of man’s life upon this earth — and also the highest flower of poetry, eloquence, and truth. I am not given to dogmatic judgments in the matter of literary creation, but if I had to make one I could say that Ecclesiastes is the greatest single piece of writing I have ever known, and the wisdom expressed in it the most lasting and profound."[4]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastes

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Introduction

The Hebrew name of this book and of its author, Qoheleth, is actually a title, and it perhaps means “assembler” (of students, listeners) or “collector” (of wisdom sayings). The book’s more common name, Ecclesiastes, is an approximate translation into Greek of this Hebrew word. The book comprises an extended reflective essay employing autobiographical narrative, proverbs, parables, and allegories. An almost unrelenting skepticism characterizes the tone or outlook. The issues with which the author deals and the questions he raises are aimed at those who would claim any absolute values in this life, including possessions, fame, success, or pleasure. Wisdom itself is challenged, but folly is condemned.

The refrain which begins and ends the book, “Vanity of vanities” (1:1; 12:8), recurs at key points throughout. The Hebrew word, hebel (“vanity”), has the sense of “emptiness, futility, absurdity”: “I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after wind” (1:14; 2:11, 17, 26; etc.). Everything in human life is subject to change, to qualification, to loss: “What profit have we from all the toil which we toil at under the sun?” (1:3). The answer is in the negative: No absolute profit or gain is possible. Even if some temporary profit or gain is achieved, it will ultimately be cancelled out by death, the great leveller (2:14–15; 3:19–20). Wisdom has some advantage over foolishness, but even wisdom’s advantage is only a temporary and qualified one.

Many would locate Ecclesiastes in the third century B.C., when Judea was under the oppressive domination of Hellenistic kings from Egypt. These kings were highly efficient in their ruthless exploitation of the land and people (4:1; 5:7). The average Jew would have felt a sense of powerlessness and inability to change things for the better. For Qoheleth, God seems remote and uncommunicative, and we cannot hope to understand, much less influence, God’s activity in the world (3:11; 8:16–17).

The book’s honest and blunt appraisal of the human condition provides a healthy corrective to the occasionally excessive self-assurance of other wisdom writers. Its radical skepticism is somewhat tempered by the resigned conclusions to rejoice in whatever gifts God may give (2:24; 3:12–13, 22; 5:17–18; 8:15; 9:7–9; 11:9).

The Book of Ecclesiastes is divided as follows:

I.Qoheleth’s Investigation of Life (1:12–6:9)
II.Qoheleth’s Conclusions (6:10–12:14)
A.No One Can Find Out the Best Way of Acting (7:1–8:17)
B.No One Knows the Future (9:1–12:14)

http://www.usccb.org/bible/ecclesiastes/1

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Quotes·Quotations by Ecclesiastes, Old Testament, Bible

¶ Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a lofty one. [Accomplishment | Ecclesiastes 7:8]

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Citations

[1.]^ a b c Seow 2007, p. 944.
[2.]^ Rudman 2001, p. 13.
[3.]^ Seow 2007, p. 946-958.
[4.]^ Christianson 2007, p. 70.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastes
http://www.usccb.org/bible/ecclesiastes/1

Book of Proverbs

Book of Proverbs

The Book of Proverbs (in Hebrew: מִשְלֵי Mish'ley), commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible. The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" ("Proverbs of Solomon"). When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint (LXX) the title became "paroimai paroimiae" ("Proverbs"). In the Latin Vulgate the title was "proverbia", from which the English title of Proverbs is derived.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Proverbs

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Proverbs is an anthology of collections of sayings and instructions. Many of the sayings and perhaps some instructions were composed in the monarchic period (late eleventh to the early sixth centuries). Editing of the whole book was done in the early postexilic period, in the view of most scholars; at that time chaps. 1–9 would have been added as the introduction. Whether the material originated among royal scribes (as 25:1 seems to suggest) imitating common literary genres, or whether it arose among tribal elders inculcating traditional ways, is disputed. The origin of the material, however, need not be imagined in an either/or scenario. Folk wisdom and observations could surely have been elaborated and re-expressed by learned scribes: “What oft was thought but ne’er so well expressed” (Alexander Pope). There can be no doubt, however, that Proverbs is sophisticated literature by talented writers, winning readers with its compelling portrait of wisdom and inviting them to see life afresh, “wisely,” through its wit, originality, and shrewd observation.

The primary purpose of the book is to teach wisdom, not only to the young and inexperienced (1:2–4) but also to the advanced (1:5–6). Wisdom in the ancient Near East was not theoretical knowledge but practical expertise. Jewelers who cut precious stones were wise; kings who made their dominion peaceful and prosperous were wise. One could be wise in daily life, too, in knowing how to live successfully (having a prosperous household and living a long and healthy life) and without trouble in God’s universe. Ultimately wisdom, or “sound guidance” (1:5), aims at the formation of character.

In the ancient Near East, people assumed that wisdom belonged to the gods, who were wise by reason of their divinity; human beings needed to have wisdom granted them by the gods. Creation accounts of neighboring cultures depict creation in two stages. In the first stage, human beings lived an animal-like existence, without clothes, writing, or kingship (proper governance). Over time, the gods came to realize that such a low grade of existence made the human race inadequate as their servants, so they endowed the race with “wisdom,” which consisted of culture (e.g., kingship) and crafts (e.g., knowledge of farming, ability to weave). Such wisdom elevated the race to a “human” level and made them effective servants of the gods. Furthermore, divine wisdom was mediated to human beings through earthly institutions—the king, scribes (who produced wise writings), and heads of families (fathers, sometimes mothers). These traditional mediators appear in Proverbs: the book is credited to King Solomon, and kings are respectfully mentioned as pillars of society (e.g., 16:12–15); writings are a source of wisdom (1:1–7); the father instructing his son is the major paradigm of teaching. Proverbs differs, however, from other wisdom books in concentrating on wisdom itself, treating it as a virtually independent entity and personifying it as an attractive woman. Other books urge readers to perform wise acts, but Proverbs urges them to seek wisdom itself and portrays wisdom as a woman seeking human beings as disciples and companions.

Chapters 1–9 introduce the book, drawing attention to wisdom itself and its inherent value rather than exhorting to particular wise actions. The chapters personify wisdom as a woman and draw an extended analogy between finding a wife, or founding and maintaining a house(hold), and finding wisdom. The collections following chap. 9 consist largely of independent, two-line sayings, yielding their often indirect or paradoxical meaning only to readers willing to ponder them. To reflect on the sayings is perhaps what chaps. 1–9 mean by living with Wisdom and dwelling in her house.

The Book of Proverbs can make an important contribution to Christians and Jews today. First, it places the pursuit of wisdom over the performance of individual wise acts. To seek wisdom above all things is a fundamental option and a way of life. Second, it portrays the quest as filled with obstacles. There are men and women who offer a substitute for the real thing; discernment is required. Third, the book teaches that acquiring wisdom is both a human task and a divine gift. One can make oneself ready to receive by discipline, but one cannot take so divine a gift. Fourth, wisdom is in the world but it is not obvious to people entirely caught up with daily activities. The instructions and the aphorisms of the book can free the mind to see new things. Christians will see in personified Wisdom aspects of Jesus Christ, who they believe is divine wisdom sent to give human beings true and full life. Yet there is a universal dimension to Proverbs, for in its attention to human experience it creates a link to all people of good will.

The genres and themes of Proverbs continued on in Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon, and the later Pirqe Abot (The Sayings of the Fathers), a treatise in the Mishnah, which became the object of commentary in Abot de Rabbi Nathan. The New Testament saw Jesus as a wisdom teacher and employed the tradition of personified wisdom of chaps. 2 and 8 to express his incarnation. The Letter of James is an instruction resembling those in Proverbs. Wisdom traditions influenced the Gospels of Matthew and Luke through a common source (see, e.g., Mt 11:25–27 and Lk 10:21–22, which seem to derive their father-son language, at least in part, from the parental language of Proverbs). The Gospel of John regards Jesus as incarnate wisdom descended from on high to offer human beings life and truth and make disciples of them, a view largely reflected in Proverbs 1–9. In later Judaism, Hebrew ethical wills, in which parents hand on to their children their wisdom, borrowed from the genre of instruction.

The original audience of the instructions and sayings seems to have been male. The father addresses his son, marriage is finding a wife, success often is serving the king or farming effectively. The book itself, however, expands the traditional audience of youths (1:4) to include older, more experienced, people (1:5). It broadens the father-son language by mentioning the mother, and incorporates sayings on human experience generally. The father teaching his son becomes a model for anyone teaching a way of life to another person. The canonical process furthered such inclusiveness, for Proverbs was made part of the Bible that addresses all Israel.

The Book of Proverbs has nine sections:

Title and Introduction (1:1–7)
Instructions of Parents and of Woman Wisdom (1:8–9:18)
First Solomonic Collection of Sayings (10:1–22:16)
Sayings of the Wise (22:17–24:22)
Further Sayings of the Wise (24:23–34)
Second Solomonic Collection, Collected under King Hezekiah (25:1–29:27)
Sayings of Agur and Others (30:1–33)
Sayings of King Lemuel (31:1–9)
Poem on the Woman of Worth (31:10–31)

Part II is judged by many scholars to contain ten instructions (1:8–19; chap. 2; 3:1–12, 21–35; 4:1–9, 10–19, 20–27; chap. 5; 6:20–35; chap. 7), three wisdom poems (1:20–33; chap. 8; 9:1–6 + 11, 13–18), and two interludes (3:13–20; 6:1–19).

http://www.usccb.org/

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Quotes·Quotations by Book of Proverbs

First Solomonic Collection of Sayings

¶ Better a dry crust with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. [Proverbs 17, 1]

¶ The evildoer gives heed to wicked lips, the liar, to a mischievous tongue. [Proverbs 17, 4]

¶ Whoever mocks the poor reviles their Maker; whoever rejoices in their misfortune will not go unpunished. [Proverbs 17, 5]

¶ Children’s children are the crown of the elderly, and the glory of children is their parentage. [Proverbs 17, 6]

¶ Fine words ill fit a fool; how much more lying lips, a noble! [Proverbs 17, 7]

¶ A bribe seems a charm to its user; at every turn it brings success. [Proverbs 17, 8]

¶ Whoever overlooks an offense fosters friendship, but whoever gossips about it separates friends. [Proverbs 17, 9]

¶ A single reprimand does more for a discerning person than a hundred lashes for a fool. [Proverbs 17, 10]

¶ The wicked pursue only rebellion, and a merciless messenger is sent against them. [Proverbs 17, 11]

¶ Face a bear robbed of her cubs, but never fools in their folly! [Proverbs 17, 12]

¶ If you return evil for good, evil will not depart from your house. [Proverbs 17, 13]

¶ The start of strife is like the opening of a dam; check a quarrel before it bursts forth! [Proverbs 17, 14]

¶ Whoever acquits the wicked, whoever condemns the just—both are an abomination to the LORD. [Proverbs 17, 15]

¶ Of what use is money in the hands of fools when they have no heart to acquire wisdom? [Proverbs 17, 16]

¶ A friend is a friend at all times, and a brother is born for the time of adversity. [Proverbs 17, 17]

¶ Those without sense give their hands in pledge, becoming surety for their neighbors. [Proverbs 17, 18]

¶ Those who love an offense love a fight; those who build their gate high* court disaster. [Proverbs 17, 19]

¶ The perverse in heart come to no good, and the double-tongued fall into trouble. [Proverbs 17, 20]

¶ Whoever conceives a fool has grief; the father of a numskull has no joy. [Proverbs 17, 21]

¶ A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones. [Proverbs 17, 22]

¶ A guilty person takes out a bribe from the pocket, thus perverting the course of justice. [Proverbs 17, 23]

¶ On the countenance of a discerning person is wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. [Proverbs 17, 24]

¶ A foolish son is vexation to his father, and bitter sorrow to her who bore him. [Proverbs 17, 25]

¶ It is wrong to fine an innocent person, but beyond reason to scourge nobles. [Proverbs 17, 26]

¶ Those who spare their words are truly knowledgeable, and those who are discreet are intelligent. [Proverbs 17, 27]

¶ Even fools, keeping silent, are considered wise; if they keep their lips closed, intelligent. [Proverbs 17, 28]

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Proverbs
http://www.usccb.org/
http://www.usccb.org/bible/books-of-the-bible/
http://www.usccb.org/bible/proverbs/1