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Writer of Fancy: The Playful Piety of Jane Austen
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
PROVERBS
The verse could be translated, more woodenly, as “Stores desired and oil in the habitation of the wise; but the foolish Adam swallows it.” The verse contrasts the conduct of the wise and of the foolish, and the basic contrast is between the wise man who has things stored in his house and the fool who does not.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, May 2, 2008 at 6:26 am
Proverbs 21:9 and 19 both speak of the difficulties of living with a contentious woman. Both put me in mind of the post-exodus conduct of Israel, when Yahweh’s bride acted like a contentious woman, grumbling about her good Husband’s provision and care. In response, Yahweh threatened to do what the man in Proverbs 21 does - leave the house. Typologically interpreted, these Proverbs are not only warnings to women about being vexing and contentious, but warnings to every member of the Lord’s bride, warnings not to complain lest our Husband leave us to live on the corner of the roof.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 9:06 am
A class discussion of Proverbs brought out some interesting points. Proverbs 11:18 says that whoever sows righteousness will receive a sure reward. The verb “sow” is zr’, the verbal form of “seed.” Righteousness is a seed sown, and the metaphor implies that righteousness is potent. What a seed produces is far greater than itself, and so with righteousness. Righteousness is to its results as the acorn is to the oak. This is the righteousness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees. It’s possible to have a sterile righteousness, but true righteousness yields a harvest, 30-, 60-, 100-fold.
A few verses later, in 11:21, Solomon says that the “seed of the righteous will be delivered.” The same two Hebrew roots are used, and the proximity of the two verses is tantalizing. Raising righteous seed is part of the sowing of righteousness, the sowing that produces far more than what is sown.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 1:23 pm
In his introduction to the wisdom literature, Roland Murphy notes some of the numerological structures of Proverbs:
“First, 1:1 has three names [Solomon, David, Israel], which have the numerological value of 375, 14, and 541, for a total of 930. . . . this hint in the title of the book is verified by the total number of lines in the book, 930.”
Then, “the title of 10:1 has [Solomon], equivalent to 375, and this is the number of single-line proverbs in this Solomonic collection (10:1-22:16). Third, the ‘Hezekian’ collection (chaps. 25-29) has 140 lines or sayings. In the title at 25:1, Hezekiah is the operative word. Depending on the spelling, it could yield the numerical equivalent of 130 (so MT spelling), 136, 140, or 146. The correction choice, in view of the entire book, is 140. . . . Fourth, the term hkmym (title in 22:17, 24:23) or ‘wise’ has a numerical value of 118, and this is the number of lines in 22:17-24:32 and 30:7-33.”
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 9:08 am
INTRODUCTION
Waltke points out that alternating verses of this section describe undisciplined and wayward sons and who bring evil to themselves and all those who surround them. The passages progress from the sluggard (v. 24) to the shameful son (v. 26) to the false witness (v. 28) to the brawler (20:1). The scope of damage also widens as well: The sluggard harms himself, the shameful son hurts his parents, a false witness undermines justice and damages the society, and a brawler threatens everyone in his vicinity.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, November 2, 2007 at 6:48 pm
INTRODUCTION
These verses are framed by corresponding general exhortations, verses 16 and 23. Both proverbs describe the way to life: Whoever keeps commandments keeps his soul or life (v. 16), and the fear of Yahweh leads to life (v. 23). There is a “what’s more” progression between the two framing verses, as Solomon moves from an exhortation to keep the commandment to a personalized exhortation to fear Yahweh, the God of Israel.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, October 19, 2007 at 6:21 pm
PROVERBS 19:5, 9
In this, the Proverb reiterates the threats of the Torah, which warns against false witness and false oaths (Leviticus 19:12; Deuteronomy 17:6-7). These two verses are almost identical. Both begin with “A false witness will not go unpunished,” and in the second line both use the phrase “breathe lies.” The end of verse 9 is stronger. Verse 5 warns that the false witness will “not escape,” but verse 9 says that he “will perish.” There is an eye-for-eye justice here: False witness is a deadly assault on a person (Proverbs 25:18); killing a man’s character, reputation, good name through false witness is like killing him. It’s appropriate that the perjurer is treated like a kind of murderer.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, August 17, 2007 at 10:42 am
INTRODUCTION
This section divides into two subsections, verses 16-20 and 21-28. The first section, Waltke points out, hangs together with several repeated words or phrases. The use of the word “fool” introduces the section (as at vv. 10, 21), and the phrase “one who loves” appears in verses 17 and 19. This phrase marks out verses 17-8 and 19-20 as two proverbial pairs in which the second qualifies the first. Waltke also sees a repeated emphasis on the “neighbor” or “friend” (v. 17), and he notes the repetition of the word “heart” in verses 16, 18, 20 (the translation of the NASB suppresses this connection, translating the word twice as “sense” and once as “mind”).
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, April 20, 2007 at 4:43 pm
INTRODUCTION
The opening verses of Proverbs 17 continue a section begun in 16:31. 16:31 refers to the “crown of glory” of gray hair, and that matches the “crown of old men” and “glory” referred to in 17:6. These verses form a frame around the section and set up the themes of the section, which, like the Proverbs in general, are concerned with the wisdom and authority of those who have gained wisdom through experience, by walking in the way of righteousness. In an age when youth is celebrated and age often mocked, Solomon reminds us of the particular strength and power of the aged wise.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, February 16, 2007 at 11:36 pm
INTRODUCTION
16:20 starts a new section of the chapter, as Solomon returns again to the issue of speech. Waltke sees two sections here, verses 20-24 and 25-30. The first section focuses on the benefits of wise and winning speech, while the second section focuses negatively on destructive speech. Verse 20 introduces the theme of the section by tying speech to the “good,” and the following verses spell out the good things that the right kind of speech brings. Verses 20-24 are bound together by various word repetitions: “lips” (vv. 21, 23); “sweet” (vv. 21, 24); the combination of “wise” and “heart” (vv. 21, 23). The second section is bound together more thematically by references to evil words, slander, strife, perverse communications and planning.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Thursday, January 4, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Proverbs 15:26 contrasts plans that are “abominable” to Yahweh with words that are “pure.” Both terms are borrowed from the Levitical system, and suggest that speech and plans are always a form of sacrifice. There is a vertical dimension to all our talk, and God either spits our words from His mouth or receives them as a sweet-smelling savor. All speech is sacrifice, acceptable or not; all speech is praise.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 6:09 pm
Proverbs 15:25 warns that “Yahweh will tear down the house of the proud” and promises “He will establish the boundary of the widow.” Though this proverb does apply to any proud man’s house and posterity, it has, coming from the pen of Solomon the temple-builder, specific reference to the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. When Israel turns the house into a den of brigands and it becomes a house of the arrogant, the Lord tears it down and sends the pieces into exile.
In Luke 21, Jesus’ condemnation of the temple immediately follows the story of the widow’s mite - Yahweh is tearing down the house of the proud, those who oppress widows and orphans, and establishing the widow’s house.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 10:19 am
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:
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 2:03 pm
INTRODUCTION
Waltke points to links between verses 8-9 and verses 1-2 of the same chapter: Wisdom and folly are contrasted in verses 1 and 8; the image of the “way” is used in both verses; and the term “upright” appears in verse 2 and 9. These links suggests that verses 8-9 begin a new section, but a section that is building on themes already dealt with in the opening seven verses of the chapter. Waltke suggests that the second section highlights the contrast between appearances and reality, emphasizing that part of wisdom is discerning what is really going on in a situation when the reality contradicts the appearance. Another way to make this point is to see the importance of deception in the passage: appearances can be deceiving and one who lives by appearances is living according to falsehoods.
Waltke also cites another commentator who offers a chiastic outline for these verses:
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Thursday, May 4, 2006 at 1:42 pm
INTRODUCTION
As Waltke points out, the opening verses of chapter 14 are chiastically arranged:
A. Wise, Fool, walk, vv. 1-2
B. Speech, v. 3
C. Industry, v. 4
B’. Speech, v. 5
A’. Wise, fool, go/walk, vv. 6-7.
Waltke notes that the first part of the arrangement highlights connections between wise speech and productivity, two of the key elements of wisdom throughout the Proverbs.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, April 14, 2006 at 9:14 am
INTRODUCTION
Waltke proposes the following structure for chapter 13. 13:1 is an introductory verse that picks up on the exhortations of the prologue to listen to the father’s instruction. There is a multiple inclusion around the chapter. The “discipline” of v. 1 is taken up in v. 24, and the terms “eat” and “soul” (nephesh, translated as “desire” or “appetite”) are found in both verses 2 and 25. (13:25a reads, more literally than the NASB, “the righteous eats to the satisfaction of his soul.”) The theme of the chapter is evident in v 2, which promises “good” to the one who is wise, and particularly to the one who speaks wisely. The chapter also moves from an exhortation to sons to accept the discipline and instruction of fathers, to an exhortation to fathers to make sure that they discipline their sons.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Thursday, February 16, 2006 at 12:34 pm
INTRODUCTION
This section of Proverbs focuses on issues of image, wealth, work, and treatment of employees (vv. 8-12), and ends with two verses that deal again with the use of the tongue (vv. 13-14). The final verses connect this section to the preceding section of this chapter (12:1-7). Thus, the section on wealth and labor is surrounded by instruction concerning speech. Speech is interwoven with all areas of human life, and the Proverbs manifest this by returning to this theme in a variety of different contexts.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, January 6, 2006 at 12:13 pm
The NASB translation of Proverbs 11:5 says that the righteous and blameless will walk on a “smooth” way, while the wicked will fall into the potholes that dot his path. The way of righteousness looks easy; the way of wickedness is the difficult way. Yet, Jesus says that the wide and easy way is the way that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-15). These are not contradictory. Solomon is talking about the kinds of obstacles and pitfalls that necessarily face wicked people - as they are forced to expend energy and time dealing with the social, economic, and personal damage they cause. Jesus is talking specifically about the first-century context, when choosing to follow Him as The Way was a dangerous and radical choice. Yet, the contrast is important, and does show a shift in the NT, toward a more cruciform understanding of wisdom and of righteousness. The gospel reveals more clearly than in the OT that wisdom and righteousness take the form of self-giving for others.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Saturday, November 5, 2005 at 10:09 am
INTRODUCTION
This section of Proverbs 11 highlights several issues. The first two verses treat issues of honesty and dishonesty; verses 3-8 describe the security of the righteous. Verses 9-14 return to various concerns regarding the use of the tongue, which was a theme of the previous chapter.
HONESTY AND HUMILITY
Proverbs 11:1 urges honesty in economic transactions. The balance and the weight refer to the disks that a merchant would use to weigh out goods to determine price. Weights would be marked with a certain value, but dishonest merchants would carry a light and a heavy weight marked with the same value: A 1-pound weight that was more than one point for selling; a 1-pound weight that was less than one pound for buying. If he was buying and selling grain for 2 shekels a pound, he could sell less than one pound of grain for 2 shekels, but buy more than one pound with 2 shekels.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, November 4, 2005 at 9:41 am
INTRODUCTION
Proverbs 10 begins a long central section of Proverbs. This is largely a collection of sayings, labeled “The Proverbs of Solomon” in 10:1. The organization is not random, but it is not obvious. At least one can discern topical categories in this section: speech, wealth, expectations for the future.
Verses 17-32 are divided into several sections (following Waltke). Verse 17 is self-standing. Verses 18-21 concentrate on speech (”lips” appears in vv. 18, 19, 21, and “tongue” in v. 20), and Solomon returns to this theme at the end of the chapter (vv. 31-32: mouth, tongue, lips). Between these sections, verses 22-30 are organized in a parallel pattern:
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Saturday, October 1, 2005 at 7:24 am
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