What Is The Book of Ahikar?
This is an original retelling (paraphrase) of the Wisdom of Ahikar, originally posted on Steemit.com about four years ago. This is updated and reposted content for a new audience and for a new platform (HIVE).
The Wisdom of Ahikar is one of the most ancient sources of human thought and wisdom. There are elements of this story within the scriptures, both the Torah and the Gospels and Epistles.
The date of this story has been a subject of lively discussion. Scholars finally put it down about the First Century when they were proved in error by the original story turning up in an Aramaic papyrus of 500 B. C. among the ruins of Elephantine.
I've decided, for your reading pleasure, to paraphrase the ancient story and wisdom here on the HIVE blockchain. To read the original ancient text, click here
Here are links to the previous parts:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
More Proverbs from Ahikar
With every proverb, we become more like Ahikar. What a privilege it is to hear the teachings from Ahikar to his son. Let's listen in and learn. May we apply this wisdom from above to our lives to gain our own wisdom and understanding.
Here resumes the proverbs of Ahikar.
My son, the ignorant man falls and stumbles. But the wise man does not stumble. Even if he does stumble, he is not shaken. Even if he falls he gets up quickly. If he is sick, he can take care of his life. But for the ignorant and stupid man, there is no drug that can cure him.
Those who love Your Torah have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble. Psalm 119:165
My son, if a man approaches you who is inferior to you, go forward and meet him and remain standing. If he cannot repay you, his master will repay you for him.
Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Romans 13:7
My son, do not spare your son from the rod, for the striking of your son is like manure to the garden. It's like tying the mouth of a purse. It's like the tethering of animals. It's like the bolting of the door.
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. Proverbs 23:13-14
My son, restrain your son from wickedness. Teach him manners before he rebels against you and brings you into contempt among the people. You will hang your head in the streets and in the assemblies and be punished for the evil of his wicked deeds.
“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear. Deuteronomy 21:18-21
My son, get a fat ox able to procreate and a donkey who is great with his hooves, but do not get an ox with large horns, nor make friends with a tricky man, nor acquire a quarrelsome servant, nor a thievish handmaid, for they will ruin everything you commit to them.
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
My son, do not let your parents curse you and the Lord be pleased with them, for it has been said "He who despises his father or his mother let him die the death (meaning the death of sin), and he who honors his parents shall prolong his days and his life and shall see all that is good".
Every one of you shall fear his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am YHVH your God. Leviticus 19:3
My son, do not walk down the road without weapons, for you do not know when your enemy may meet you, so that you may be ready for him.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. Ecclesiastes 9:18
This is good to remember if you are in a dangerous place.
Behold the wisdom of Ahikar, versed in the wisdom from the Heavens. When Ahikar asked the Most High for a son, He also granted wisdom to guide his son in knowledge and in strength.
This concludes this portion of the Proverbs of Ahikar. Much more to come! Let us bless His Holy Name in fear and reverence.
Bless the Most High!
Bless the Most High!