- When:
- That there were among the Jews of these times many disputes about seats at banquets, we learn both from Josephus and the Rabbis; nor were these matters unattended to by the Greeks and Romans. Similar admonitions to this of our Lord, also occur in the Rabbinical writers. Rabbi Akiba said, Go two or three seats lower than the place that belongs to thee, and sit there till they say unto to thee, Go up higher; but do not take the uppermost seat, lest they say unto thee, Come down: for it is better they should say unto thee, Go up, go up than they should say, Go down, go down. "Put not forth²° thyself¹¹ in the presenceª of the king,ª and standª° not¹ in the placeª of greatª [men]: ... For¹ betterª [it is] that it be saidª° unto thee, Come upª° hither;¹ than that thou shouldest be put lowerª°¹ in the presenceª of the princeª whom¹ thine eyesª have seen.ª°" {Prv 25:6-7}
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