Bible English Lesson 6: Wisdom of Solomon (1 King Chapter 3)

听力预习

请预听和跟读列王纪上第3章音频，侧重听一下第5-28节：

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dramatized/niv/1Kgs.3

无法打开网页需翻录的音频，请用翻录的音频。听了几遍后，可以查看中英文对照原文：http://www.holybible.or.kr/BIBLE_cgb/cgi/bibleftxt.php?VR=0&VL=11&CN=3&CV=1 

大家听一遍，仔细想想或独自写一下你对下面的预习题的想法：
1) 你知道这章书有关的成语吗？
2）划出自己不懂的单词和不明白的句子
3）故事的5W: who, where, when, what, why

导言/Warm up
What do we call the following sayings?

Honesty is the best policy. 誠實是上策

A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds. 光說空話不做事,猶如花園光長刺。

Pride comes before a fall骄兵必败. 

Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin智慧人积存知识。愚妄人的口速致败坏。（箴言10：14）.

谚语、语录、引言、箴言

Proverbs 箴言
Quotations “ …” (name of author) 引言
Quotable quotes (in Reader’s Digest) 语录
Wise sayings 警句

1 KING CHAPTER 3 学习
背景和简介
本書記載猶大國和以色列國諸王的事蹟，所以命名為‘列王紀。在希伯來文聖經中，列王紀上和列王紀下原為一卷。本書著者不詳。解經家中有的說是文士以斯拉所寫，有的說是先知耶利米所寫。雖然我們不能斷定究竟是誰寫的，可是耶利米是本書的著者的可能性較大，因為：(一)寫本書時第一個聖殿還在，（八8，）(二)書中句法多與耶利米書的句法相同。本書的記載所包括的時間約有一百十八年，自主前1005年起，至主前897年止。

It was about 480 years since the Israelites left Egypt and that was about the time when Solomon became king.
The name Solomon came from the Hebrew name (Shelomoh)  meaning peace (shalom)

Solomon:

King David’s son

Well-known for his wisdom, wealth, power and writings

Examples of his writings: 

the Song of Songs 雅歌,（青年时写的）  Proverbs箴言（中年时写的）,  Ecclesiastes传道书（老年时写的）

However, …

As Solomon grew older, he sinned and did not follow the Lord (1 Kings 11:1-13)

He loved many foreign women as many as 1000! (maybe more or less, i.e. many)

What was worse  he worshipped the idols of his wives instead of following the Lord completely

Result: his kingdom was torn in two in his son’s time

第三章故事纲要

Part One: God and Solomon 上帝和所罗门

vv. 5 to 15 

2. Part Two: A court case 法庭定案

vv. 16 to 28 taking different roles:

King Solomon

Mother 1

Mother 2

读完故事知道上面油画表达的内容了吗？Why was the baby held up by the man? Why did the woman fall to the ground?

Words and phrases 单词和短语学习
Solomon’s wisdom 
Ability to make judgement /judgment (Am.)
Ability to govern the nation well
Ability to write 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs
Ability to describe lots of plant lives, to teach about animals and birds, reptiles and fish

--》He was said to be wiser than many  people in Egypt and in the East

e.g. The leaders in many countries today need Solomon’s wisdom to improve their economic situation.

e.g. Mathematics is my weakest subject. I think I will need Solomon’s wisdom to find out the solution to this problem.

Righteous and upright in heart (v 6) 公义，正直

- in the Hebrew culture, heart refers to the mind, the way of thinking and behaving
Righteous (adj.)
- if someone lives or behaves in a way that is morally good
Upright (adj.)
- describes people who are careful to follow acceptable rules of behaviour and behave in a moral way

Chosen people (v 8)选民
In the Book of Genesis, the Lord chose Abraham, a descendant of Adam and Eve after many generations and promised to make him into a great nation
- all peoples on earth will be blessed through Abraham

Abraham belonged to a Hebrew-speaking tribe [the Tower of Babel]

Abraham->Issac->Jacob (Israel) 

-- they were the forefathers of the Israelites

“chosen people” refer to the Israelites in the O.T.

Use of “chosen people” today：

Noah’s Ark is a letter that God had sent us and till today we haven’t opened the envelope. We should realize this and taken upon ourselves with dignity the task of building an ark as God’s chosen people,” says Ter-Gulanyan.

(From: ArmeniaNow.com Mar. 4, 2012)

- believers of the Christian faith

Too numerous to count (v 8) 多得不可胜数

numerous = when something exists in large numbers 

Too numerous to count = so many in quantity that it seems impossible to know the number

e.g. There are creative ways to advertise a product, ~.

a discerning heart (v 9) 明辨的心

Go back to the verse and guess the meaning of this phrase

- when you describe someone as discerning, you mean they are able to judge which things of a particular kind are good (right) and which are bad (wrong)

- a discerning heart = a discerning mind

To distinguish between right and wrong (v 9) 能辨别是非

= to tell the difference between what is correct and what is not

e.g. When we were small, our parents taught us how to distinguish between right and wrong.

riches and honour (v 13) 富足，尊荣

Riches (n. pl.) = valuable possessions / large amount of money e.g. oil riches

Honour/ honor (Am.) (n.) = a special reward given to someone usually because they have done sth. good or they are greatly respected 

e.g. Olympic games offer athletes opportunities to gain riches and honor.

Has no equal among kings (v 13) 列王中没有一个能比你的

= nothing is the same as or that reaches the same standard

Go back to v 13 and find out what Solomon will have that has no equal among kings

“both riches and honor”

Walk in my（Lord's) ways (v 14) 遵行我的道

Read verse 14 and go to verse 6 to guess the meaning of this phrase 

***********

- to live according to the laws and commands of the Lord遵行我的道，谨守我的律例，诫命

- to be faithful to God (worship only the Lord) 信靠上帝（并只敬拜祂）

- to be righteous and upright in heart 公义，正直

in the middle of the night (v 20) 半夜起来

= at midnight --> twelve o’clock in the middle of the night 

In general, it refers to the time when something happens in the dark, usually when everything is quiet and everyone is asleep.

put him by her breast (v 20) 放在她怀里

Breast (n. count.) = either of the two parts of a woman’s body that produce milk: 

Feeding a baby at the breast = nursing a baby

Put him by her breast = place him next to her breast  

Breast = the upper part of the human body; the chest: hold somebody to one’s breast

- a bird’s breast = front part of its body

- chicken breast, breast of lamb as appeared on a menu

- a breast pocket of a garment衣服的胸前口袋

- breast-fed vs bottle-fed a baby

Beat their breast 竭力争辩

If you say someone beats their breast, you are emphasizing that they are very angry or upset about something or that they are pretending to be very angry or upset about it

Henry Tang beat his breast and called it a mistake, i.e., his negligence in dealing with the issue of re-structuring his flat illegally.

To publicly express emotions or views that one does not actually feel or support. During election season, all the candidates beat their breasts about how much they love our communities—and then they get into office and slash community initiatives.

Idiom: To make a clean breast of something坦白供认, 完全承认.

to tell the truth about something that you have done wrong:

I might as well make a clean breast of it. I have been living under a false identity in this country since 1997.

Can you make a sentence to show understanding of this idiom?

I might as well make a clean breast of it. …

filled with compassion (v 26) 心里急痛/动了怜悯之心

To fill, filled, filled (v.)

Compassion (n. uncountable) 

= a feeling of pity, sympathy, and understanding for someone who is suffering : 

Elderly people need the time and compassion from their physicians.

Compassionate (adj.) 

- compassionate leave = time away from your work that your employer allows you when a member of your family dies or is seriously ill

To be filled with compassion for someone动了怜悯之心

Some people donate money to the poor to get publicity. But Daniel does it because he is filled with compassion for the needy.

To administer justice (v 28) 断案

To administer (verb) = to take responsibility to organize or supervise 

- use with something such as : 

~ the country, ~ the law, ~ a test

Doctors and nurses administer the drugs to patients

Justice = fairness in the way people are treated

A country needs a healthy legal system to help judges to administer justice in society.

In American English, 

A justice is a judge

Thomas is sworn in today as a justice on the Supreme Court. 

Justice is used before the names of judges

i.e. Mr Justice Chan or Madam Justice Wong

Held the king in awe (v 28) 王这样判断，就都敬畏他

= looked up to the king showing a lot of  respect and feeling slightly afraid 

e.g.

Heads, not hearts: Tony Blair is held in awe by his party, but he is not much loved; does this matter? 

4 Oct, 1997 (news headline in “the Economist”)

BRIGHTON

Tony Blair is held in awe by his party, but he is not much loved. Does this matter?

讨论(换位思考）

如果你是作者、所罗门、母亲1、母亲2、老百姓，你会如何评价这个故事？

Have you faced any dilemma or difficult problems which you had a hard time solving?

How did you solve these issues in the end?

Do you think you possess wisdom in solving everything?

Who do you turn to when you face difficult situations?

Take home message结语

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 你要专心仰赖耶和华，不可倚靠自己的聪明。

in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 在你一切所行的事上，都要认定他，他必指引你的路。

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” 不要自以为有智慧。要敬畏耶和华，远离恶事。

(Proverbs 3:5-7)

lean on=depend on

acknowledge him=recognize him (in all areas of your life)

shun=avoid

参考链接：

大卫鲍森-旧约圣经纵览 (列王纪上） https://www.fuyin.tv/html/1018/9673.html
大卫鲍森-旧约圣经纵览 (列王纪下） https://www.fuyin.tv/html/1018/9674.html
The Bible Project Read Scripture: 1-2 Kingshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVFW3wbi9pk&index=15&list=PLH0Szn1yYNeeVFodkI9J_WEATHQCwRZ0u: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVFW3wbi9pk&index=15&list=PLH0Szn1yYNeeVFodkI9J_WEATHQCwRZ0u
Bible query: http://www.biblequery.org/ex.html
课程内容教学计划：http://www.selbl.org/