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Proverbs 15:6, translated according to the original Hebrew order, reads: "In the house of the righteous treasure aplenty; but in the revenue of the wicked disturbance."
Two structures overlap and interact here. There is the chiastic order:
A. house
B. righteous
C. treasure
C'. revenue
B'. wicked
A'. disturbance
According to this arrangement, the "house" of the righteous is contrast with the "disturbance" of the wicked. Disturbance forms the physical environment, the dwelling, for the wicked, in which he lives and moves and has his being. At the center of the chiasm is a contrast of the righteous treasure and the wicked revenue.
But the "in" phrases also set up a parallel structure:
A. In the house
B. Of the righteous
C. Treasure
A'. In the revenue
B'. Of the wicked
C'. Disturbance
On this arrangement, "house" and "revenue" are put together, suggesting that the "house" is more than a fixed property but a base for production. Further, "treasure" and "disturbance" are put together in the C sections, suggesting that the "wealth" of the wicked not only leads to but is disturbance. The wicked man's property and production is rich in strife, a treasure-trove of conflict and disturbance.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 02:03 PM
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