Another interpretation [(of Numb. 10:2): MAKE TWO SILVER TRUMPETS]. This text is related (to Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD, AND THE KING. R. Isaac bar Eleazar of Caesarea said: What wisdom made was a crown for her head.⁴⁴. 1:3 (or 5) (3c). Her humility made {slippers} a slipper]⁴⁵ for her foot.⁴⁶ It is written elsewhere (in Ps. 111:10): THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM IS THE FEAR OF THE LORD and it is written (in Prov. 22:4): THE HEEL⁴⁷. The Masoretic text vocalizes the word as ‘eqev which means “effect” but the word may also be vocalized as ‘aqev to mean “heel.” See Tanh. Gen. 1:1. OF HUMILITY IS THE FEAR OF THE LORD. Solomon therefore said (in Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD, AND THE KING. But what is the meaning of AND THE KING? Simply this: Make him (i.e., the Holy One) king over you.⁴⁸ Numb. 3:9 cont.; Numb. R. 15:14 cont. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21): AND THE KING. Be king over the evil drive, which is called a king where it is stated (in Eccl. 9:14): THERE WAS A LITTLE CITY WITH FEW PEOPLE IN IT, AND A GREAT KING CAME AGAINST IT….⁴⁹ Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21): AND THE KING. "More than the king," lest it be supposed that, if the king says to you: Worship an idol you should heed him.⁵⁰ The text reads (in Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD. Thus when Nebuchadnezzar told Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to worship an idol, they did not heed him. Instead they said to him (in Dan. 3:18): WE WILL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS, NOR WILL WE PAY HOMAGE TO THE IMAGE OF GOLD WHICH YOU HAVE SET UP. (Dan. 3:14:) IS IT TRUE, SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO? [Yesterday you were actually⁵¹ saying: Whoever wanted to take an idol for himself came to Jerusalem, as stated (in Is. 10:10): AND THEIR GRAVEN IMAGES WERE FROM JERUSALEM AND FROM SAMARIA.⁵² But now you have come to destroy my idol worship. (Dan. 3:14:) IS IT TRUE, SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO? Did not the Holy One say this to you that you should obey royalty in whatever it tells you, where it is stated (in Eccl. 8:2): I SAY: KEEP THE KING'S COMMAND? They said to him: You are king over us for taxes and crop levies;⁵³ but in regard to the service of idols, Nebuchadnezzar and a dog have equal authority. (Dan. 3:16–17:) SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO ANSWERED [AND SAID TO THE KING: O NEBUCHADNEZZAR], WE DO NOT {CARE} [NEED] TO ANSWER YOU IN THIS MATTER. IF OUR GOD WHOM WE SERVE IS ABLE TO SAVE US, HE SHALL SAVE US FROM THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE AND FROM YOUR HAND O KING. They said: Whether he delivers us or whether he does not deliver us (in vs. 18): BE IT KNOWN TO YOU, O KING, THAT WE WILL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS NOR PAY HOMAGE TO THE IMAGE OF GOLD WHICH YOU HAVE SET UP. Ergo (in Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD, AND THE KING; AND DO NOT ASSOCIATE WITH THOSE WHO WOULD DIFFER, i.e., DO NOT ASSOCIATE WITH those who say that there are two gods in the world, for the end of such people is to perish from the world. It is so stated (in Zech. 13:8): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND, SAYS THE LORD, THAT TWO-THIRDS [IN IT] SHALL BE CUT OFF [AND DIE], BUT ONE-THIRD SHALL REMAIN IN IT. And who is the one-third? This is Israel as stated (in Is. 19:24): AND ISRAEL SHALL BE A THIRD PARTNER WITH EGYPT AND ASSYRIA, A BLESSING IN THE MIDST OF THE EARTH. Ergo (in Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD MY CHILD AND THE KING.

footnotes: ⁴⁴ yShab ⁴⁵ Lat.: solea. ⁴⁶ The foot with such a covering need fear no thorns. See Gen. R. 44:12. ⁴⁷ ‘QB ⁴⁸ Tanh. ⁴⁹ Cf. see above Gen. R. 11:1; 23:2; also Eccl. R. 4:13:1; 9:14:6, 9. ⁵⁰ See above Gen. 2:15. ⁵¹ Gk.: ontos. ⁵² It is in this literal sense that the midrash understands the passage. English renderings usually translate in the following sense: AND THEIR GRAVEN IMAGES EXCEEDED THOSE OF JERUSALEM AND SAMARIA. ⁵³ Lat.: annona.