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Proverbs

 
Encyclopedia of Judaism: Book of Proverbs
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Second book in the Hagiographa section of the Bible. Together with Ecclesiastes and Job, it belongs to the genre of Wisdom Literature, prevalent throughout the Amcient Near East, which consisted of advice and wise sayings for the moral conduct of everyday life. The book's 31 chapters and 915 verses comprise various collections of maxims, two of which are ascribed to the author Agur (30:1-33) and the mother of King Lemuel (31:1-9). The section 22:17-24:22 has been identified as comprising 11 sayings from the Egyptian Instruction of Amenemopet and one aphorism possibly from the Aramaic text, Aḥikar. According to rabbinic tradition, Agur was either King Saul or King Solomon, while Lemuel was another name for Solomon.

The biblical claim that Solomon wrote most of the material in Proverbs rests on his reputation for extraordinary wisdom. In addition, he is said to have composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs (I Kings 5:9-14). According to the Talmud, Solomon wrote the Song of Songs in his youth, Proverbs in his middle age, and Ecclesiastes in his old age (BB 15a). It is possible that Solomon may have sponsored the teaching in his court, whereupon his courtiers honored their king by attaching his name to their collected material, just as psalmists associated David's name with numerous psalms.

Although it is difficult to date the various collections that comprise the Book of Proverbs, scholars maintain that it should be viewed as an anthology spanning several hundred years. There is, however, no reason to doubt the antiquity of many of the ancient proverbs, which could well have originated from the Solomonic period. The Talmud dates its editing to the time of King Hezekiah (8th cent. BCE; see BB 15a).

Many literary forms appear in the Book of Proverbs, but the two major ones are instructions and sayings. Whereas in the individual sayings the technique of parallelism is used, a half-verse either opposing or repeating in different words the idea in the other half, the instructions in chapters 1-9 comprise extended paragraphs devoted to a particular topic.

The tone is optimistic and universal. Some favorite subjects are the contrast between wise persons and fools; the importance of discipline, whether coming from parents or teachers, or self-imposed; the value of eloquence; the dangers of drunkenness, laziness, and gossip; and the threat posed by the "foreign woman." The aim of learning was to know the right word and act for every occasion, hence to master one's life. That goal could not be attained without controlling the passions, especially anger and lust.

The last section of the book, "A woman of valor" (31:10-31), has been incorporated into the Friday night home ritual and is recited before the Kiddush prayer (see Eshet ḥayil).

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Bible Guide: Book of Proverbs
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Book in Hagiographa consisting of nine collections, comprising 31 chapters of individual sayings and instructions from various historical periods. The individual collections consist of chapters 1-9; 10:1-22:16; 22:17-24:22; 24:23-34; 25-29; 30:1-14; 30:15-33; 31:1-9; 31:10-31). Two minor collections acknowledge their foreign origin (the sayings of Agur, 30:1-9; the teachings of King Lemuel's mother, 31:1-9), while yet another has recently been identified in 22:17-24:22 (eleven sayings from the Egyptian Instruction of Amenemopet, and perhaps also one aphorism from the Aramaic text, Ahikar). In addition, many individual sayings within chapters 1-9 betray Egyptian influence: the description of wisdom as an agent of creation (Prov chap. 8) and the notion of wisdom holding life in one hand, righteousness in the other, both of which depend on ideas associated with the goddess Ma'at; the concept of righteousness as the foundation of the royal throne; and the image of God weighing the heart in judgment. Close parallels in form and content to the entire Book of Proverbs are readily available in Babylonian proverb collections and their Sumerian predecessors, as well as in Egyptian Instruction literature and aphorisms.

The biblical claim that Solomon wrote most of the material in Proverbs rests on the account of his extraordinary wisdom, which is illustrated by three episodes: the dream at Gibeon (I Kgs 3:4-15); the king's resolution of a dispute between two harlots (I Kgs 3:16-28); and the visit by the Queen of Sheba (I Kgs 10:1-13). In addition, I Kings 4:29-34 reports that Solomon composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. Actually, very few proverbs in the Bible treat the subjects mentioned here (trees, beasts, birds, reptiles and fish). Solomon may have sponsored learning in his court, whereupon his courtiers honored their king by attaching his name to their collected material, just as psalmists associated David's name with numerous psalms. Perhaps the mention of King Hezekiah's men as transcribers of chapters 25-29 is similar in function.

Though it is very difficult to date the different collections that comprise the Book of Proverbs, the book as a whole should be viewed as an anthology spanning several hundreds of years. There is, however, no reason to deny the antiquity of many of the individual proverbs which could well have originated during the Solomonic period.

Many literary forms occur throughout the Book of Proverbs, but the two major ones are those of instruction and saying (often called a "sentence"). The simple saying achieved considerable variety, for example numerical proverbs (30:15-16, 18-19), "better" sayings (15:16-17), allegory (5:15-19), anecdote (7:6-23) and alphabetic poem (31:10-31). Whereas individual sayings used parallelism, mostly antithetic or synonymous, one half verse either opposing or repeating in different words the idea in the other half verse, the instructions in chapters 1-9 comprise extended paragraphs devoted to a particular topic. Some favorite subjects are the contrasts between wise persons and fools; the importance of discipline, whether from parents or teachers or self-imposed; the value of eloquence; the dangers of drunkenness, laziness, and gossip; and the threat presented by the "foreign woman", sometimes personified as Madam Folly. The aim of instruction was to know the right word and act for the occasion, hence to master life. That goal could not be attained without controlling the passions, especially anger and lust.

Instructional texts such as these seem to have evolved within three distinct contexts, each in its own time. The family setting appears to lie behind most of the sayings in the book, and parents instructed their children in the inherited traditions that would secure their existence (cf 6:20-35). The royal court may also have served as a place for useful advice about how to cope with every eventuality, particularly alluring seductresses and angry rulers. Scribal schools offered a third context for instruction: it was probably here that a conscious efforts to make these sayings even more religious took place.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Proverbs
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Proverbs, book of the Bible. It is a collection of sayings, many of them moral maxims, in no special order. The teaching is of a practical nature; it does not dwell on the salvation-historical traditions of Israel, but is individual and universal based on the observation of nature. There are eight divisions, some having traditional ascriptions, including three to Solomon, one to Agur (unknown), and one to King Lemuel. The book is an early example of wisdom literature (see Wisdom of Solomon), where wisdom is often personified. The dating of the final shape of Proverbs is post-exilic. Although tradition attributes Proverbs to Solomon, the book is probably a collection of various origins dating from the 9th to the 2d cent. B.C. Proverbs does insist that the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge, thus placing the instruction within the framework of faith.

Bibliography

See B. Lang, Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs (1986).

Wikipedia: Book of Proverbs
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The Book of Proverbs (in Hebrew: מִשְלֵי Mishley) is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament), included in the collected works known as the "Writings" or Ketuvim.

Contents

Title

The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" ("Proverbs of Solomon"). When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint (LXX) the title became "paroimai paroimiae" ("Proverbs"). In the Latin vulgate the title was "proverbial", from which the English title of Proverbs is derived.

Authorship

The authorship of Proverbs has long been a matter of dispute. Solomon’s name appears in Proverbs 1:1, "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, King of Israel." There are also references within Proverbs to Agur (30:1) and Lemuel (31:1) as authors distinct from Solomon. These names are missing in the Greek translation of the Septuagint. Medieval scholars used in the Vulgate the Hebrew rendering of these two verses, and in their eyes the words "Agur" and "Lemuel" were but symbolical names of Solomon.[1] Solomon is often mentioned as someone who has extensive wisdom in the Bible as well as in extra-biblical literature. However at the time of composition it was often the custom to place the name of the King or someone of prominence in writings in order to honor them, or to give those writings more prestige[citation needed]. In 1 Kings 4:29-34, 3000 proverbs and over 1000 songs are said to have come from Solomon and it is also said that people came from all over to hear the wisdom of Solomon. The general assumption is that Solomon was a part of the authorship to some extent, but that the book was not solely his work.[citation needed] Not only are the names "Agur" and "Lemuel" linked to other sections of the book, there are elements of disunity within the book that suggest more than one author. Some of the authorship is attributed to "Men of Hezekiah" (25:1), though it is stated that they simply transcribed the proverbs rather than writing them of their own accord.

In terms of the text itself there are at least eight specific instances where authorship is mentioned:

Proverbs Authors/Collectors
1:1 Solomon
10:1 Solomon
25:1 Solomon (as copied by Hezekiah’s men)
30:1 Agur son of Jakeh
31:1 Lemuel (or his mother)

As for the eighth section there are scholars[who?] who consider the poem at the end of the book vs. 10-31 as written by an unknown author.[citation needed] The attributions of authorship are as follows in accordance with the scriptures above; Solomon, Solomon, Wise Men, Wise Men, Solomon (as copied by Hezekiah’s men), Agur son of Jakeh, Lemuel (or his mother), and the unknown author. With this possibility it is speculated that the sections written by the Wise Men were studied by Solomon and added in and that they influenced his writing. With this possibility it is likely that there would be similarities in the section written by Solomon as well as the sections by the Wise Men. Studies of word usage have indicated that the highest percentage of commonalities are between the three Solomon sections. The next most common are the Wise Men sections, showing that they could have influenced Solomon’s writing, and the least commonalities were with the Agur, Lemuel, and the unknown author. A majority of critical scholars, including James L. Crenshaw, Roland E. Murphy and L.G. Perdue, hold to the belief that much of Proverbs was brought together from a time well after Solomon. However, many well respected theologians continue to attribute most of the book to Solomon, including J. I. Packer, John Piper, John F. MacArthur, and Albert Mohler.

Structure

  • The Proverbs of Solomon (Proverbs 1-24)
    • Title and Prologue (Proverbs 1:1-7)
    • Main Text Divided Into Discourses (Proverbs 1:7-9:18)
    • Proverbial Sayings (Proverbs 10:1-22:16)
    • Thirty "Sayings of the Wise" (Proverbs 22:27-24:22)
    • Additional "Sayings of the Wise" (Proverbs 24:23-34)
  • Proverbs of Solomon copied by the men of Hezekiah (Proverbs 24-29)
  • Sayings of Agur (Proverbs 30)
  • Sayings of King Lemuel (Proverbs 31)
    • Duties of a King (Proverbs 31:1-9)
    • Praise of the Virtuous Woman (Proverbs 31:10-31)[2]

Influences

There has been a consensus among scholars that there is a crossover of some Egyptian and Assyrian nature in the proverbs from The Instructions of Amenemopet [3] and Ahiqar.[4]

Proverbs as wisdom literature

The book of Proverbs is referred to as wisdom literature along with several others: the book of Job, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, and certain Psalms, known as wisdom psalms. Among the deuterocanonical books, Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon are wisdom literature.

Throughout Proverbs, wisdom (or the wise person) is compared and contrasted with foolishness (or the fool). 'Fool' in Proverbs indicates one who is lacking in morality and uninterested in correction, not one who is merely silly or playful. Wisdom is held up as something worth effort to attain and the reader is told that it starts with the person of Yahweh: "The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom." [5]

Setting

It is difficult to pin the provenance of Proverbs down. Several suggestions have been made.

  • Family

In the society of ancient Israel, the family played an important role in the upbringing and education of children. Some internal evidence hints to the use of Proverbs in a family setting; the phrase "my son" appears some 20 times throughout the book. The role of the mother is also listed some 10 times.

  • Court

The name of Solomon stands in the title of the book, thus suggesting a royal setting. Throughout the Old Testament, wisdom is connected with the court.

  • School

It is possible practical and reflective wisdom was transmitted in a house of learning or instruction.[6]

Messianic interpretations in Christianity

There are found in Proverbs, and other wisdom literature, references to Wisdom as a personification. These have long been taken by Christian exegetes as references to Christ, who is called the wisdom of God by Paul the Apostle(1 Cor 1:24). The first time Wisdom is personified is at Prov 1.20. In all these passages Wisdom is spoken of as a woman because the Hebrew(chokhmah) and Greek word(sophia) for “wisdom” is itself feminine.[7]

The King James Bible reads, in reference to wisdom in Prov. 8:22, that "The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old." The Revised Standard Version reads “The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.”[8] Proverbs 8 has long been taken to refer to Christ, so whether or not the Hebrew קנה(qanah) should be taken as "created" or as "possessed" was used in the debate over the eternity of Christ. Both these meanings are used in the Old Testament but many contemporary scholars render it as "created".[9] Proponents of "possessed" such as Kidner argue that it is absurd to think that God would need to create Wisdom, implying there was a time when he lacked Wisdom. Also, “Prov 8 starts from the indisputable commonplace that God existed before the start of time and ascribes the same precedence to wisdom.”[10] The remainder of Prov 8 they argue, shows Wisdom taking a role in creation, and contrasts Wisdom with created things. However, understanding קנה as possessed leaves open the possibility that Wisdom should be understood here as a personification of an attribute of God rather an entity in its own right.[11] The Hebrew אמון('amown) in Prov. 8:30 is still a subject of debate among Bible scholars. 'Amown has been undestood as either: "artisan or master craftsman" which suggests that Wisdom is an active participant in creation, or as "nursling" which excludes any notion of Wisdom's active participation in creation.[12][13][14]

It has been noted by some Christian exegetes that Col 1:15-16 is dependent on this chapter of Proverbs.[15] The parallels in the roles of Christ and Wisdom, they argue lend credence to understanding qanah as possessed rather than created. They argue that "Wisdom was, before the Lord made even a particle of matter (verse 26) or gave order to creation (verse 29); Wisdom participated in the creation story. This strongly parallels the role of Christ in Colossians, where he is the “first-born of all creation” and in him were all things created. To add to the identification of Wisdom with Christ, we find that Wisdom was identified with the Greek concept of logos, which was in turn identified with Christ."[16]

Prov 8:22 was a crucial verse in the Arian controversies of the fourth century CE. This verse was used both to support and refute the Arians' claims. Assuming first that Christ could be equated with the "Wisdom of God"(1 Cor. 1:24), the Arians argued that the son, like Wisdom was created, and to be a creature, whether the first or the most prominent of creatures, is to be subordinate to the creator. Those who formulated the Nicean declaration that the Son was "begotten, not made" were inclined to translate קנה in Prov. 8:22 as "begot me" in order to argue that God and Christ were cosubstantial.[11]

Daily Bible Study

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Many people use The Book of Proverbs daily to increase their wisdom and understanding. Proverbs verse 1:3(MSG) calls The Book of Proverbs, A manual for living. There are 31 Proverbs chapters, so reading one chapter a day, allows readers to complete the book of Proverbs in one month. It is common for people to continue to read one chapter a day as part of their daily routine. There are many resources dedicated to the Proverbs chapter a day Bible study.

See also

References

  1. ^ Dean, Matt (1913). "Book of Proverbs". Catholic Encyclopedia. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12505b.htm
  2. ^ adapted from Holman Bible Handbook on Proverbs
  3. ^ ”Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume II: The New Kingdom”, p146-163, Miriam Lichtheim, University of California Press, 1976, ISBN 0-520-03615-8
  4. ^ The personification of Wisdom, Alice M. Sinnott, Society for Old Testament Study
  5. ^ Proverbs 1:7, 9:10
  6. ^ W. Dennis Tucker, "Literary Forms in the Wisdom Literature" In: An introduction to Wisdom Literature and the Psalms, FS Marvin E. Tate, ed. H. Wayne Ballard, 163-166
  7. ^ Wade Johnston, Proverbs 8, 2004, 4.
  8. ^ Revised Standard Version, Proverbs
  9. ^ The personification of Wisdom, Alice M. Sinnott, Society for Old Testament Study, p 25
  10. ^ Michael Fox, Proverbs 1-9: The Anchor Bible, (New York: Doubleday, 2000), 284.
  11. ^ a b Who knows what is good? : a commentary on the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Kathleen Anne Farmer, pp.53-54
  12. ^ Parallel translation of Proverbs 8:30
  13. ^ The personification of Wisdom, Alice M. Sinnott, Society for Old Testament Study, p. 29
  14. ^ Who knows what is good? : a commentary on the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Kathleen Anne Farmer, 55
  15. ^ Ibid., 279.
  16. ^ Ibid., 293.

Works cited

  • Benson, Clarence H., Old Testament Survey: Poetry and Prophecy, 1972
  • Blank, S. H. "Book of Proverbs," in The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible [1962]
  • Chapman, Milo L., Purkiser, W.T., Wolf, Earl C. & Harper, A. F. Beacon Bible Commentary: Job through Song of Solomon, 1967
  • Crenshaw, James L. "Book of Proverbs," The Anchor Bible Dictionary, 1992
  • Dean, Matt (1913). "Book of Proverbs". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12505b.htm. 
  • Holman Bible Handbook, David S. Dockery (General Editor), Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, 1992
  • Jewish Encyclopedia, with dates of compilation and manuscript traditions
  • Lasor, William Sanford, Hubbard, David Allan, & Bush, Frederic Wm., Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament, 1996
  • Murphy, Roland E., Wisdom Literature: Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Canticles, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. Grand Rapids, 1981
  • Perdue, Leo G. Proverbs: interpretation A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, 2000
  • Steinmann, Andrew E. "Proverbs 1-9 as a Solomonic Composition," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 43, no. 4
  • Waltke, Bruce (2004). Book Of Proverbs: Chapters 1-15. Wm. B. Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0802825452. 
  • Waltke, Bruce (2005). The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15-31. Wm. B. Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0802827760. 

Further reading

  • Bridges, Charles, A Commentary On Proverbs, Banner of Truth, Edinburgh (UK), 1968 (First Published 1846), ISBN 0851510884
  • The MacArthur Bible Commentary:Unleashing God's Truth, One Verse At A Time, by John MacArthur, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville TN USA, 2005, ISBN 0-7852-5066-2
  • Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible, by Matthew Poole, The Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh UK, First Edition Published in 1685, this edition published in 1963, ISBN 0 85151 211 9

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Encyclopedia of Judaism. The New Encyclopedia of Judaism. Copyright © 1989, 2002 by G.G. The Jerusalem Publishing House, Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more
Bible Guide. Illustrated Dictionary & Concordance of the Bible. Copyright © 1986 by G.G. The Jerusalem Publishing House, Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more
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