“Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?”
The parallel warning against being too wicked or foolish, so as not to die before one's time, offers a surprising appeal to self-interest: wickedness ultimately harms the perpetrator. Yet this verse does not advocate virtue for its own sake but recommends it as prudentially wise—wickedness tends to shorten life. This verse suggests that wisdom involves recognizing one's own interest, even if transcendent morality cannot be justified.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a note on this verse
0/2000
No notes on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!