Everyone knows the proverb: what you sow, so shall you reap; sow a habit, reap a character; sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. The meaning of these popular expressions is clear even to elementary school students. It would seem that everything is very simple. What a person sends into the world returns to him in the same form or quality. But where did the expression come from?
Old Testament
Interesting and unusual proverb "what you sow, so you reap". Its meaning must be sought in ancient Christian writings. Here is an expression from the Old Testament: "He who sows the wind will reap the whirlwind." In it, the prophet Hosea denounces the people of Israel in an unrighteous life. In one of the chapters, he informs the unrighteous Israelites about the troubles that will fall on them due to the violation of the laws of God.
The Prophet uttered those words that later turned into phraseological units. He told the Israelites that they were sowing the wind in vain. Whoever does this reaps a storm. And bread atthey won't. After all, the grain of flour will not give. And if you get flour, then enemies will eat bread from it.
Wind is emptiness and storm is destruction. The fact that the Jews would not have a harvest meant that all their undertakings would be to their detriment. And for the benefit of the enemies of the Israeli people. For violation of religious laws, they were to be destroyed. The meaning of "as you sow, so shall you reap" is close to the interpretation of the proverb "sow the wind - reap the whirlwind".
Bible
Proverbs are a small poetic form and are rooted in the time of the birth of folk wisdom and religions. Closer to us the meaning of "as you sow, so shall you reap" was found in the Bible. The saying from the Epistle to the Galatians says: "those who live in the interests of their flesh receive decay, but those who live by spiritual practices - eternal life." And here we cannot do without explanations.
What did the Apostle Paul mean? In addition to the above, there are also such lines in the Bible: "God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap…" It means that God's laws are immutable. No matter how much time has passed, not a single law of God has changed. According to this, there are invariable concepts of a righteous and unrighteous life. It means that for those who indulge in worldly pleasures and do not engage in self-development, corruption is prepared. Those who do not succumb to base needs, but devote time to spiritual development, eternal life awaits.
Love of interpretation
Human nature is such that any wise saying eventuallybegins to acquire more and more new interpretations. In the course of human history, aspects of life arise to which this or that wise thought is applied. By acquiring bizarre forms, the original versions of popular expressions are not recognized.
Thus, the meaning of the saying "as you sow, so shall you reap" these days is interpreted solely in terms of interpersonal relationships. The expression has lost its religious basis, but acquired a magical connotation. According to many, if you constantly do evil deeds, then from higher powers (not necessarily from God) punishment will follow during life. And vice versa - for good deeds you can be rewarded in the form of earthly goods or peace of mind.
Proverbs similar in meaning
The use of archplots in literature generates the greatest response in the hearts of people. This proves the constancy of the laws prescribed in the scriptures. On the basis of biblical stories, many works appeared in various forms and genres. This phenomenon did not bypass the small form of folk art. There are phraseological units in the Russian language, similar to the proverb "what you sow, you will reap." Their meaning has common roots:
- cat will shed mouse tears;
- don't dig a hole for your neighbor, you'll get caught yourself;
- where the needle goes, the thread goes there.
