The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 15-31

Bruce K. Waltke

• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Year: 2005
• ISBN:
  9781467424554
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

Over twenty-five years in the making, this much-anticipated commentary promises to be the standard study of Proverbs for years to come. Written by eminent Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke, this two-volume commentary is unquestionably the most comprehensive work on Proverbs available.Grounded in the new literary criticism that has so strengthened biblical interpretation of late, Waltke's commentary on Proverbs demonstrates the profound, ongoing relevance of this Old Testament book for Christian faith and life. A thorough introduction addresses such issues as text and versions, structure, authorship, and theology. The detailed commentary itself explains and elucidates Proverbs as "theological literature." Waltke's highly readable style -- evident even in his original translation of the Hebrew text -- makes his scholarly work accessible to teachers, pastors, Bible students, and general readers alike.

V. COLLECTION V: SOLOMON II (25:1–29:27)

For the unity, integrity and structure of Collection V see p. I:25.

A. SUPERSCRIPTION (25:1)

1These also are proverbs1 of Solomon,2

which the men3 of Hezekiah copied and

collected.

The editorial prose superscription of 25:1 marks off Collection V. This second collection of Solomon’s proverbs, like “Further Sayings of the Wise” (see 24:23), also conforms to Kitchen’s label, Type A (see I: 32).

The Masoretic accents divide the verse into its two semantic components: its author, Solomon (25:1a), and its compilers, the men in close association with Hezekiah (25:1b). These also are (see 24:23) proverbs of Solomon (see 1:1; 10:1) suggests the final editor reckoned this collection an appendix to Solomon’ first collection, which Solomon himself authored and presumably compiled (10:1–22:16). Which the men of (ʾanse) refers Solomon’s proverbs to men in close association with4 Hezekiah (ḥizqîyā) the king of Judah (melek y^ehûdâ, cf. 1:1) from 715–686 B.C.5 Ḥizqîyâ is a short verbal sentence, meaning “the LORD has become my strength or the LORD has strengthened me”).6 Copied and collected or complied basically means “to cause to advance or move.”7 “Moving” these proverbs entails transmitting and arranging a select number of Solomon’s 3,000 proverbs, which were in written and/or oral form, as a part of a unified appendix to his original collection (1 Kgs. 4:32 [5:12].8 We can infer that these editors were godly, wise and literate (see I: 37). At the least, the proverbs in 25:2–15 were originally addressed to budding court officials, a setting matching this superscription. As God’s earthly representative (cf. 8:15–16; 16:10–15; 21:10), the king had the task to maintain order and justice in all areas of his kingdom.9 But as proverbs, these pedagogic universals now serve as paradigms of many other situations and address all Israel. Jesus may have instantiated vv. 6–7 to guests at a wedding feast (Luke 14:7–11) and Jude applied kthe image in 25:14 to unproductive people (Jude 12).

B. SECTION C (25:2–27:27)

For an analysis of Solomon II into Solomon IIC and Solomon IID see p. I:15–16.

1. Court Hierarchy and Conflict of Righteous and Wicked (25:2–27)

2The glory of God is to hide10 a matter;

but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

3As for the heavens with reference to11 height,

and the earth with reference to the depth,

and the heart of kings, there is no searching out [of them].

4Remove dross from silver,

and a vessel comes forth for the silversmith.12

5Remove a wicked official before a king,

that13 his throne may be established by righteousness.

6Do not honor yourself before a king,

and in the place of great people do not stand.

7Better one says14 to you, “Come up here,”

than one humiliate you before a noble.

What your eyes have seen,15

8do not bring16 hastily17 to trial.18

Lest,19—what20 will you do in the end,

when your peer puts you to shame.21

9Plead your case with your peer,

but do not divulge a confidence;

10lest a judge will pronounce you guilty,

and the accusation against you will never depart.22

11Apples23 of gold in a silver sculpture,

is a decision made appropriate its to its circumstance.24

12A gold earring, even an ornament of fine gold,

is a wise25 arbitrator’s rebuke26 “upon” a listening ear.

13Like the coolness27 of snow at the time28 of harvest

is a trustworthy messenger to him who sends him;

he refreshes his master.29

14Clouds and wind and30 and no rain31

is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

15Through patience a ruler is persuaded,32

and a soft tongue shatters33 a bone.

16[If] you have found honey, eat what you require,

lest you have more than enough of it and vomit it.

17Make your foot scarce [and turn away] from your neighbor’s

house,

lest he have more than enough of you and hate you.

18A war-club,34 and a sword, and a sharpened arrow

is a man who testifies against his neighbor as a false witness.

19A decaying35 tooth and a turned36 foot,

is reliance37 on38 a treacherous person in the time of adversity.

20One who puts off39 a garment on a cold day,

[one who pours]40 vinegar on a wound,41

and one who sings songs42 to a heavy heart.43

21If the one who hates you is hungry, give him food to eat,

and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

22for burning coals you are taking [and heaping] upon his head,

and the LORD will repay you.

23Like a north44 wind that brings forth rain,

a sly45 tongue, a face46 struck by a curse.47

24Better is dwelling on a corner of a roof,

than ‘in’ a house shared with a contentious48 wife.49

25Cold water to a weary person,50

and a good report from a distant land.

26A muddied spring, a ruined fountain,

a righteous person who sways before the wicked.

27To eat honey excessively51 is not good;

nor is it honorable to search out a weighty matter.52

28A breached city, which has no wall,

a person whose spirit has no restraint.53

Bryce noted the composition of 25:2–27 has its own special structure and its own particular content.54 The chiastic inclusio kbd … ḥqr dbr (“glory … to search out a matter,” 2b) and ḥqr … kbd mikkābēd (“to search out a weighty matter is without glory,” 27b) frames the collection. He also noted the chiastic inclusio dbš … ʾkl (“honey … eat,” 16a) and ʾkl dbš (“eat honey,” v. 27a), creating the second half of the composition (vv. 16–27). Van Leeuwen further noted the pattern ršʿ … sdq (v. 5) in the second after the first proverb pair (vv. 2–3) proverb pair (vv. 4–5) chiastically matches ṣdq … ršʿ in the penultimate verse (v. 26). The contrast between “righteous” and “wicked” occurs in Collection C in only these two verses. Whereas the external inclusio pertains to inquiry and glory (vv. 2–3, 27), the second pertains to righteous versus wicked (vv. 4–5, 26). Conceptually the two proverbs that occur in the third from the end position liken a refreshing messenger/message with cold snow/water (25:13, 26). The partition of the unit into two halves is strengthened by ending each with a single proverb, each of which stands quite apart in syntax and thought from the preceding proverbs that mostly occur in pairs. Van Leeuwen also noted the second partial unit consists of two parts, marked off by the chiastic inclusio ʾkl śnʾk (v. 16) and śnʾk [h]ʾkl[hû] (v. 21), dividing this half into verses 16–22 and 23–27.

The introduction to the composition, which consists of the two proverb pairs (vv. 2–3, 4–5), presents the composition’s two themes that set the parameters of meaning within which all its saying are to be interpreted. Verses 2–3 establish the God-king-subject hierarchy, and verses 4–5 posit the fundamental conflict between the righteous and wicked that permeates every area of human life. The first half of the body (vv. 6–15) pertains to the first theme, and second half (vv. 16–27) to the second theme. Each half ends with a unique single line proverb (vv. 15 and 27). Moreover, the third verse from the end of each section (vv. 13 and 25) uses the imagery of refreshing coolness for the positive effect a message has upon a person Heb. npš). Van Leeuwen also observed the matching of positive (+) and negative (-) Sayings (S) and admonitions (A). in the body of the two halves. In sum, he analyzes the composition as follows:

Introduction		S: + (vv. 2–5)
Body	I	A: - (vv. 6–10)
		S: + (vv. 11–15; except for v. 14)
	IIA	A: - (vv. 16–17)
		S: - (vv. 18–20)
	IIB	A: + (vv. 21–22)
		S: - (vv. 23–27; except for v. 25)55

a. Introduction (25:2–5)

(1) God-King-Subject Hierarchy (25:2–3)

The double lexical links in versets B, “kings” (m^elakim) plus the verbal root “search” (hqr), show that verses 2–3 is a proverb pair. Its theme pertains to the glory of God and kings, who are brought into close proximity to God but clearly subordinate to him (cf. 14:35; 16:1–9, 10–15; 24:22). Both obtain glory by their inscrutability. Their parallel A versets pertain to God, and their B versets pertain to the king. Although 3a does not mention God, “heavens and earth” refers only to God’s activity. The parallelism between their A and B versets shows that the ambiguous “matter” (dābār) in 2a refers at least to God’s acts in creation and in 2b to the king’s activity in statecraft. The noun, though repeated, does not cover the same semantic range. The king cannot transgress the boundaries to the hidden things of God. According to their versets B, kings obtain glory by their thorough investigation of a matter (1b), yet their knowledge, motives, and plans remain inscrutable to their subjects (2b). Since their inscrutability refers to matters of statecraft in 2b, we may assume that the matter God searches out (1b) also refers to the sphere of his rule. Likewise, since God’s acts in creation remain obscure (3a), he obtains glory by concealing this vast and complex activi...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• General Editor’s Preface
• Author’s Preface
• Abbreviations
• B. COLLECTION IIB: THE LORD AND HIS KING (15:30–16:22)
• III. Collection III: Thirty Sayings of the Wise (22:17–24:22)
• IV. Collection IV: Further Sayings of the Wise (24:23–35)
• V. Collection V: Solomon II (25:1–29:27)
• VI. Collection VI: The Sayings of Agur Son of Jakeh (30:1–33)
• VII. The Sayings of Lemuel (31:1–31)
• Notes
• I. Subjects
• II. Authors
• III. Scripture References
• IV. Selected Hebrew Words and Phrases