Introduction
I begin a study on the book of Proverbs based on the assumption that it is a compilation that has been assembled over an extended period based on a thematic plan. My purpose was to identify that plan and determine what linguistic structures are used to implement it. The top-level structure of the book includes three major divisions:
Ch 1-9 contain extended passages each of which is devoted to a single theme or set of related themes. One or more of these extended passages, or vignettes, in chapter 1 and chapters 8 and 9 take the form of parables. Each parable in chapter 1 examines one aspect of how the practice of wisdom versus that of a fool impacts one’s life. The parable of chapter 8 personifies wisdom as the principal attribute of YHWH, and that of chapter 9 personifies wisdom as she attempts to teach the sons of Adam.
Ch 10 – 24 contain short sayings consisting of no more than one to three verses. Each of these proverbs either emphasizes the way of wisdom in a particular situation or contrasts the conduct of a wise man with that of a fool.
Ch 25 –31 contains another bock of extended passages, or vignettes, that were added after the time of Solomon.
The phrase ‘the proverbs of ….’ or ‘the words of ….’ occurs in ch 1:1, ch 10:1, ch 25:1, ch 30:1, and ch 31:1, indicating that the book is composed of several (at least 5) different compilations. This may be an explanation for the existence of some duplication and for several statements that appear to be in direct contradiction to one another.
Outline for Chapters 1 and 2
1:1-6 Introduction
Proverbs provide tools for wisdom, prudence, and discernment. The wise man will attend and thereby increase the scope of his life skills (wisdom, חכמה).
1:7-9 Semantic Glue
The fear of YHWH is the foundation of knowledge; the discipline of your father and the instruction of your mother are its building blocks.
1:10-19 The effect of bad
influence (the first vignette, a parable)
Allowing yourself to be influenced by wicked people will cause you to share in their destruction, because their own actions will be returned upon them.
1:20-The effect of living apart from wisdom (the second vignette, a parable)
Living without the habitual practice of wisdom will render its benefits inaccessible at the point of greatest need, but those who practice wisdom will dwell in security.
2:1-9 – If you attend to my instruction and earnestly seek understanding, YHWH will build wisdom into your life.
2:10-22 – When wisdom is resident within your heart, it will prevent you from becoming ensnared either by the wayward man or the sexual enticements of the strange woman, both of whom will lead to destruction.
Chapter 2 presents the positive alternative to the enticement of ch 1:10-19. It partially echoes the admonition in ch 1:7-9, but it presents a far greater promise. Not only will the practice of wisdom spare you from certain destruction, but it offers the promise of a long and secure life in the land, the place of YHWH’s blessing.
Detailed Notes on The Introduction and First Vignette
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of
Israel
2 To know wisdom
and discipline, to teach (give understanding about) words of discernment
3 To gain (take
possession of) the discipline of prudence, righteousness, judgement, and equity
4 To give
prudence to the simple ones, knowledge and discretion to the youth.
5 A wise man will
hear and gain learning, and a discerning man acquires counsel
6 To understand a
proverb and a satire, words of the sages and their riddles.
The first verse is either a superscription or the subject of a verbless clause completed by verses 2 through 4. These latter three verses are a string of infinitive construct clauses that define the purpose of the book. (This collection of proverbs is intended to accomplish the following: …) The simple words hmlV ylvm form a construct chain, but the nature of the relationship between Solomon and the proverbs that follow is not specifically defined. This ascription is found here and in verse 10:1a, so the content of the first 24 chapters of this book is presented as the direct work of Solomon. Verse 25:1a attributes the content of the following five chapters to the Solomon but indicates that this material was added during the time of Hezekiah. Then, the content of chapter 30 is attributed to Agur son of Jakeh, and that of chapter 31 to King Lemuel. According to the existing text, the initial corpus of proverbs was assembled by Solomon, and then it was added to at various times by his successors.
Hnyb
yrma ||
rsWmW hmkj ‘wisdom
and discipline … words of discernment…’ The two clauses of verse 2 are formally
parallel to one another, but the point of this parallelism is probably
amplification, not equivalence. The
Hebrew concept of hm;k]j; is basically ‘skill in living;’ the
concept behind rs'Wm is that of discipline produced by
chastisement (the school of hard knocks).
The idea behind ‘words of discernment’ can hardly be considered
to be equivalent to either. However, a
skill in life coupled with discipline can provide the source for words of
discernment.
The structure of verse 3 is considerably different. Instead of strict parallelism, the verse begins with an infinitive construct but it is followed by a string of nouns that constitute different facets of the skill in living: discipline, prudence (or insight), righteousness, justice, and uprightness (or equity).
Verses 2 and 3 describe the prize to be gained through proverbial wisdom; verse 4 describes the ones who stands most to benefit, μyatP. The term μyatP has both positive and negative connotations. On one hand, such a one may just be untaught and inexperienced; on the other, he may be rebellious against God (c.f., 1:22). Here, the term is parallel with r[n, a youth. In biblical usage, this term can refer to a young man between the approximate ages of 15 and 25. Attention to the teachings of the wise can give the inexperienced youth a skill in life that exceed his years.
Verses 5 and 6 describe the person who has successfully incorporated this skill into his life: He hears and gains in his attainment of learning, and by gaining counsel from his experiences, he increases his mastery in the skills of life. These verses reflect the message in Yeshua’s parable of the talents: To him who has more will be given; to him who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.
μtdyjw μymkj yrbD || hxylmW lvm These five nouns describe those areas where the wise person gains through attention to proverbial wisdom. They are presented in parallel structure, and the first element in each pair is obvious: ‘a proverb’ (or similitude) and ‘words of sages.’ The second element of each pair is more difficult. The term hxylm is built from the hiph participle of the root 6yl and has the basic meaning of ‘scorn.’ This form occurs just twice in the Hebrew scriptures, and the translation ‘satire’ or ‘mocking poem’ is merely a guess at its meaning. In Mishnaic Hebrew the term had both positive (defense, argument) and negative (scorn) uses. The term μtdyj is a fs noun with a 3mp pronominal suffix. This term occurs more than 30 times in the Hebrew scriptures and refers to a riddle, perplexing saying, or question. Assuming that parallelism provides the basis for interpretation, μymkj yrbD (words of sages) is equivalent to lvm (proverbs); that is, proverbs or similitudes (parables) constitute the sayings of the wise ones. Similarly, hxylm is explained by the less enigmatic term μtdyj (their riddles).
7 The fear of YHWH is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and discipline
fools despise.
8 Hear, my son,
the discipline of your father, and do not abandon the instruction of your
mother
9 Because they are a wreath of grace for your head and a necklace
for your neck.
hwhy tary Verse 7 presents a contrast between two character traits: the one who fears YHWH and the fool. The phrase hwhy tary describes a fundamental reverential awe for the majesty and infinity of YHWH in comparison with us His creatures, even though we bare His image. This ‘fear of YHWH’ is the first fundamental of knowledge because we must have a realistic understanding of who and what we are relative YHWH, the God who has seen fit to be in covenant relation with his creatures, before we can have an accurate understanding of anything else. The term μylywa presents a stark contrast. Literally, it is a mp adjective form meaning ‘foolish (ones).’ These foolish ones despise (regard with contempt) the fruit produced by the fear of YHWH: wisdom and discipline. When this fruit is missing from a person’s life, so is the fundamental fear of YHWH. This corresponds to the New Testament teaching: ‘By their fruit you shall know them.’
ynIB] [m'v] The verb form is an ms imperative and it
is usually translated “Hear!’. However,
in classical Hebrew this verb carries the implication of “hear and conduct
yourself in accordance with what has been heard.” This is in accordance with the admonition in
the New Covenant Texts “Not hearers of the word but doers of the word will be
justified.”
rsWm This term is a ms noun meaning ‘discipline, chastening, correction.’ Its use suggests punishment for some misdeed, which in this case is administered by ‘your father.’ The parallel clause contains Úma tr/T – ‘the instruction of your mother’ – which seems to be completely positive. The juxtaposition of verses 7 and 8 is not accidental. YHWH is the source of all instruction and correction, but the first representative of YHWH in a child’s life is provided by his two parents. In the beginning God made mankind, both male and female, in His image, but neither male nor female has the complete image. The two must be joined together spiritually to produce a complete (though finite and imperfect) image of God, just as they must be joined together physically to produce a child. One must complement the other first in conception and then in the nurture of a child. This, perhaps, provides some insight into the intended meaning of Ephesians 6:4, “And fathers do not exasperate your children, but raise them up in the instruction and admonition of the Lord (ablative of source: ‘that comes from the Lord’).”
Verse 9 is introduced by yKi indicating that the following clause contains the reason for the prior injunction. The subject of the sentence is a 3mp pronoun whose antecedent can only be ‘the discipline of your father’ and ‘the instruction of your mother.’ Interestingly, this states that the child’s crown of splendor is the instruction and guidance of his parents, not his own wisdom and not the conduct that results from that guidance.
I have tentatively labeled
the above three verses ‘linguistic glue’ because similar types of content appear between the
various connected vignettes that make up this section. Evidently, the author intended these passages
to provide a cohesive element between the blocks of proverbs/parables. The ‘linguistic glue’ probably consists of
proverbs in their own right, but they were assembled into the book as a whole
to link the various segments of the compilation together.
The Proverb/Parable
The following 9 verse constitutes the first parable-like section in the book. It consists of a simple story with an admonition: Do not give in to the temptation to acquire material wealth by means of wicked practices, specifically murder and robbery.
10 My son, if sinners try to entice you, do not consent.
11 If they should say to you, “Come with us. Let us lie in wait for blood. Let us lie in hiding without cause for an
innocent (victim)
12 “Let us swallow them up like the grave (swallows) life, even
healthy (victims) like those who descend to the pit.
13 “We will find all precious wealth; we will fill our houses with
plunder.
14 “Cast your lot with us; we will have one purse for all of us.”
15 My son, do not go along with them; restrain your foot from their
path.
16 For their feet run to evil, and they hasten to spill blood.
17 For the net is spread in vain before the eyes of any bird.
18 But they will lie in wait for blood; they will treasure up
(judgement) for their (own) souls.
19 Thus is the path of all who seek gain by violence, (who) take life from its owner.
ynIB] Formally, the first 9 chapters of this book are addressed to ‘my son’ 11 times (1:10, 2:1, 3:1, 3:21, 4:10, 4:20, 5:1, 6:1, 6:3, 6:20, and 7:1) and to ‘sons’ four times (4:1, 5:7, 7:24, 8:32). This usage occurs just six additional times (23:15, 23:19, 23:26, 24:13, 24:21, and 27:11) in the remainder of the book. This suggests that this material was assembled specifically for Solomon’s eldest son who would replace him as king over Israel. The plural references may be directed to other sons of Solomon, or they may include all the people of Israel as the formal ‘sons’ of the king. As such, the entire book of Proverbs would be an objective example of how the king implemented the command in Deut 6:7-9 to teach his sons the ways of YHWH. Unfortunately, scripture teaches us that Solomon’s eldest son turned out to be a self-pleasing fool (1 K 12), and his arrogance resulted in the division between Israel and Judah.
μyaiF;j' ÚWTp'y“Aμai This vignette opens with a hypothetical situation in which “sinners” attempt to seduce the young man being addressed. Formally, the verb is a 3ms piel from h3t3P with a 2ms pronominal suffix. BDB categorizes the verbal root as a denominative verb having the basic meaning of ‘be simple;’ the piel form is used to express such meanings as “persuade, seduce, deceive.” The idea is that an external agent or agents induce a person to do something contrary to their own inclinations by means of verbal or physical persuasion.
abeToAla' The verb is generally identified as a 2ms qal imperfect from the root h3b3a (consent), but both the spelling and vocalization follow the Aramaic pattern. As a result, the manuscripts have various spellings, and several manuscripts have aboT;. The Aramaic root (y3b3a) has the meaning “embrace, consent.” The other possibility is that the root is a3w3b (come, go), and the vocalization became corrupted over the course of time. Either possibility might fit the context. However, the scenario laid out by the author begins with ‘If sinners attempt to persuade (entice) you…;’ the more natural exhortation would be ‘do not consent.’ The content of the enticement begins with ‘Come with us!’ The most natural exhortation in response to this statement would be ‘Do not go,’ which is found in verse 15a.
The next four verses expand the first half of verse 10 to describe the enticement of the ‘sinners.’ This is presented in the form of six statements sandwiched between two simple imperatives:
Come with us!
·
Let us lie in wait for blood
·
Let us lie in hiding without
cause for an innocent (victim)
·
We will swallow them up like
sheol (swallows) life
·
(We will swallow up) even
healthy ones, like those who descend into the pit
·
We will attain to (find)
every kind of precious (costly) wealth
·
We will fill our houses with
booty
Cast your lot with us: We will have one purse for all of us!
Wrm]ayO μai This clause duplicates the hypothetical condition of verse 10a, indicating that the following verses contain the content of the persuasive enticement to sin.
WnT;ai hk;l]i This statement consists of a simple 2ms cohortative (indicated by the hA; following the normal imperfect inflection): ‘Come with us.’ As such it implies a promise of fellowship with the conspirators as well as an invitation to participate in their activities.
μN:ji yqin:l] hn:P]x]nI || μd:l] hb;r“a,n< The two verb forms are both 1cp qal cohortatives. The cohortative form is used to express a determination of the will or a strong desire. The first clause presents the intended activity: ‘Let’s kill someone for their booty.’ The parallel clause amplifies that proposal: ‘Anyone we can take by surprise will do.’ The term yqin:l] consists of an inseparable preposition followed by an adjective being used with substantival force. This usage exists in English (e.g., ‘the good die young’), but it is not common. The term μN:ji is a substantive being used as an adverb. The root meaning is ‘grace, favor,’ but here it has the force of ‘gratuitously, without cause.’ (This particular usage is also found in Pv 1:17, 3:30, 23:29, and 24:28.)
The peculiar thing about this vignette is that random murder for profit is the only crime considered. In the present day, even hardened career criminals seldom began their activity with random murder of innocent victims. The fact that we are made in the image of God is imprinted on our subconscious in such a way that intentional murder is naturally repugnant to all normal people in every society. Even if such an act is a person’s first actual crime, the deed typically comes after a protracted period during which the person broods with hatred or resentment. Yeshua affirmed in the Sermon on the Mount that hatred for another in the heart is essentially equivalent to the external act of murder. (C.f. also Lev. 19:17 f.) This equivalence arises because the existence of internal hatred deadens the natural repugnance of murder making the overt act a mere extension of what already exists within.
The next four clauses replace the cohortative with a qal imperfect. Since the cohortative expresses a determination of the will, the string of simple imperfect forms expresses the expected result of their intended activity.
r/b ydEr“/yK] μymiymit]W || μyYIj' l/av]Ki μ[el;b]nI The first anticipated result is success in taking life. The two parallel clauses employ separate comparative structures to emphasize their expected success. First, ‘We will be as successful at devouring life as the grave’ – and one-out-of-one persons die, nobody is exempt. The second clause introduces a comparison that emphasizes their expected effectiveness. Apart from wars and natural disasters, the grave only takes those who are old, feeble, or sickly. The term μymiymit] refers to those who are whole, complete, healthy. Thus, the instigators of this plot expect to take healthy individuals (i.e., those most likely to have valuable plunder) and send them to sheol (the grave) before their time.
ll;v; WnyTeb; aLem'n“ || ax;m]nI rq;y: ˆ/hAlK; The second anticipated result is successful acquisition of much valuable booty. The phrase rq;y: ˆ/hAlK; is difficult to render precisely in English. The essential impact is that they expect to find large quantities of valuable and desirable items. The parallel clause amplifies this expectation: there will be enough booty to fill up their houses.
ˆ/hAlK; The term ˆ/h occurs in poetic literature almost exclusively and means ‘wealth, sufficiency.’ The term rq;y: is an adjective meaning ‘precious, costly, glorious, splendid.’ The source of difficulty for translation is that both the noun and the adjective have essentially the same meaning. The phrase amounts to a pleonasm for which there is no direct equivalent in English. Perhaps, the phrase ‘Every kind of glorious wealth’ might give a reasonable approximation to the force of the Hebrew expression.
The final verse expressing the hypothetical scenario ends with an imperative clause and a pledge. The first clause is a direct appeal to the listener: ‘Cast your lot with us!’ The second is a promise: ‘We will have one purse for all of us.’ The casting of lots was fairly significant in ancient Israel. By this practice Achan was identified as the transgressor who took some plunder following the defeat of Jericho, and by this practice the land was divided after the conquest. Underlying this practice was the faith that YHWH controlled how the lots fell. The ultimate force of this appeal amounts to the following: ‘Join your destiny with ours.’ Accepting the appeal demanded two tenets of faith:
1 Those whose practice
consisted of random murder for gain can be trusted;
2 Those who follow this practice can avoid both the avenger of blood and the judgement of God.
The next five verses expand the second half of verse 10 to explain why the proposed activity is a really bad idea. The structure consists of an appeal, ‘Don’t do it!’ followed by an affirmation that ultimate judgement will fall on all those who follow the proposed manner of life.
μt;b;ytiN“mi Úl“g“r" [n"m] || μT;ai ËleTeAla' This parallel couplet presents the same instruction in two different ways: Do not go with them || Restrain your feet from their paths. The next parallel couplet presents the logical basis for this instruction. The first clause in the second couplet states: Their feet run to (toward) the bad (evil). The term [r" is somewhat ambiguous. It is usually translated by the English term ‘evil.’ It always signifies something that is undesirable or unpleasant (i.e., bad), but it frequently does not signify something that is morally or ethically bad. The parallel clause amplifies the thought to underscore the urgency of the admonitions: They rush to shed blood.
The use of verb forms in these two verses is worth a closer examination. ËleTeAla' in the first clause of verse 15 is a 2ms qal imperfect preceded by the negative adverb la'. This construction normally is used for a negative injunction for a single or a specific action. (An absolute prohibition would normally be expressed by ËleTeAalO.) The usage here duplicates the expression at the end of verse 10: ‘Do not go.’ The verb form in the parallel clause is a simple qal singular imperative. Both verbs in verse 16 are 3mp qal imperfect forms, and both have been interpreted as gnomic expressing habitual action. Evidently, this construction was used to convey the following admonition: Do not engage in this type of activity.
5n:K; l['B'Alk; ynEy[eB] tv,r:h; hr:zOm] μN"jiAyKi For the net is spread in vain before the eyes of any bird. This is a single proverb with no parallelism. Since it begins with the same word as the previous verse, the entire proverb apparently is intended to amplify or clarify why joining with wicked people is not wise. The picture behind the proverb is the practice of a fowler, one who hunts birds. In those days, a fowler might use nets or snares to hunt his quarry. In order to avoid scaring the intended quarry away, the hunter would never set his trap while they were present or watching. To interpret the proverb, one must assess what is the snare or trap and what is the intended quarry. In verses 11 through 14, the evil men are the hunters, the weapon to be used is unstated, and the innocent wayfarer is the game to be trapped. This is their intention, but verses 17 and 18 indicate that their intended purpose will be reversed against them. Thus, the hunters will become the hunted, and their own trap will ensnare them.
But they lie in
wait for blood – they are treasuring up (blood) for their (own) souls.
Thus are the ways of any thief: he has been cut off, he takes life from its owner.
μhew“ Verse 18 begins with a vav conjunction and the pronominal subject. The conjunction should be interpreted as an adversative (but), because it introduces a sharp contrast with the highwaymen’s intended outcome. The normal word order in a classical Hebrew sentence is verb-subject-predicate. Positioning both the subject and the predicate before the verb is strongly emphatic. In addition, use of a pronominal subject is unnecessary, because the number and gender are part of the verb form. The contrast is this: They intend to lie in wait for an easy victim, but they are really saving up an account of blood guiltiness against themselves.
t/jr“a; ˆKe Verse 19 contains and two finite verbs ([x'B; and jQ;yI) that are both 3ms perfect forms. The term t/jr“a; is a feminine plural construct form and so must be either the subject of a finite verb or the predicate of a verbless clause. The two renderings are:
Thus are the paths of anyone who seeks gain by violence: he has been cut off.
Thus, the paths of anyone who seeks gain by violence has been cut off.
The major problem with the second possible rendering is that t/jr“a; is feminine plural, not masculine singular like the finite verb [x'B;.
[x'B; ['xeBoAlK; The remainder of this clause and the second half of the verse are difficult to render into English. The term ['xeBo is a qal active participle from [xB meaning ‘cut off, gain by violence.’ The participle may be rendered by ‘thief’ with the understanding that this thief gains his plunder by random murder, i.e., cutting off his victims. The term [x'B; is a 3ms qal perfect from the same root. Since the construct chain cannot grammatically be taken as the subject of [x'B;, it must be the predicate of a verbless clause, and the finite verb must stand on its own as a separate one-word clause. The juxtaposition of the participle and finite verb from the same root constitutes a play on the root meaning of the words: The one who cuts others off (the thief) has himself been cut off.
jQ;yI wyl;[;B] vp,n<Ata, This clause is strictly in parallel with the one word clause formed by the finite verb [x'B;. It provides the explanatory basis for why the thief has been cut off. The only interpretative difficulty is that the verb form is a 3ms imperfect in parallel with a 3mp perfect. This difficulty may be resolved by taking the imperfect as expressing gnomic, or habitual, action: ‘he takes the life from its owner.’
Summary
The first 9 chapters of the book of Proverbs contains a sequence of vignettes in the form of parables. Each parable examines the characteristics of a life governed by wisdom in contrast to that of a fool's life. This first parable is a admonition not to be tempted by get-rich-quick schemes, particularly those based on violence against the weak and unsuspecting.
