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Fifteenth Study.—Proverbs
I. - XXIV.
[The material of this "study"
is furnished by Professors
Harper.]
I.
INTRODUCTORY
REMARKS.
1.
While not all of the Book of
Proverbs can be attributed to
Solomon, it is deemed best to
take
up the entire book at this
point, in order, thereby, to
gain a more comprehensive and
more exact idea of the book as a
whole.
2. Too
little attention has hitherto
been given to that department of
Hebrew literature known
as Wisdom., The law and the
prophets have engrossed our
attention. This is not as it
should be. The practical value
of the Book of Proverbs can
hardly be estimated. The
religious life and experience of
ancient Israel cannot be
appreciated without a knowledge of that third great
department of literature.
3. The whole Book of Proverbs
can be read at one sitting of
forty-five minutes. If you would
prepare yourself in the best
manner for a study of the
details of the book, its
authorship,
origin, etc., read the book thus
several times.
II.
THE BIBLICAL
LESSON.1
1.
The Book, its Introduction and
its Title. Read through the
entire Book of
Proverbs at one sitting, noting
(a)
The Introduction, 1:1-7
(indicated in this " study" as
A), of which v. 1 furnishes the title; v. 2, the
general purpose of the book; vs.
3-5, an expansion of v. 2a; v. 6, an
expansion of 2b; v. 7, the
motto.
(b)
The
New Titles found in 10:1; 22:17;
25:1; 30:1; 31:1; what is the
interpretation of each? What inferences
may be drawn from them as a
whole?
2.
Contents of 1:8-9:18. Read one
by one the fifteen discourses in
1:8-9:18;2
(indicated in this study as B),
and study them as minutely as
possible;
that is,
(1) read repeatedly;
(2) compare the old and revised
versions;
(3)
examine the marginal readings of
the revised version;
(4)
ascertain the
meaning of doubtful expressions;
(5) study the parallelism of
each verse;
(6) group together the verses
needed to complete a single
thought;
(7) classify these groups, and decide
whether the theme given covers
the contents
of the passage;
(8) select the
more important teachings of the
passage:
(a)
1: 8-19, Admonition against
associating with murderers and
thieves.
(b)
1:20-33, Wisdom (personified)
points out the wicked and
destructive policy of the fool.
(c)
2:1-22, Seek wisdom; its
attainment will be attended
with important results.
(d)
3:1-18, Continuation of the same
thought.
(e)
3:19-26, Jehovah, the Creator,
will protect those who fear him.
(f) 3:27-35, Be charitable and be
upright.
(g)
4:1-27, Advice received by the
writer from his father.
(h)
5:1-23, Admonition against the
consequences of licentiousness.
(i)
6:1-5, Admonition against
inconsiderate suretyship.
(j)
6:6-11, A rebuke of the
sluggard.
(k)
6:12-19, Admonition against
deceit and malice.
(l)
6:20-35, Admonition to chastity,
the consequences of adultery.
(m)
7:1-27, An example of a young
man led astray.
(n) 8: 1-36,Wisdom discourses
upon the richness of her gifts;
her divine origin; the benefits
derived from having gained
possession of her.
(o) 9:1-18,Wisdom'sbanquet; contrasted with that of
folly.
3.
Characteristic Features of B.
Note and verify the following
characteristic
features of B:
(a) For each case of antithetic
parallelism there are nine cases
of synthetic,
and fifty-two cases of
synonymous parallelism.
(b) Several groups of
ten verses
are found, e. g., 1:10-19;
3:1-10,11-20; 4:10-19;
8:12-21,22-31.
(c) The heading "my son, " is of
frequent occurrence, e. g.,
1:8,10; 2:1; 3:1,11,
4:10.
(d) The
style is often very complex, a
single sentence extending
through three,
five, or even more verses, e.
g., 1:29-33; 6:20-26; 7:6-20;
8:22-31; 9:13-18;
cf. also 2:1-22.
(e) The same subject comes up
for treatment in different
places, seemingly
without plan or systematic
arrangement, e. g., the strange
woman, 2:16-19;
5; 6:20-35; 7:1-27; 9:13,18; wisdom, 1:20-33; 2;3:13-20; 4;
5; 6; 7; 8; 9.
4. Contents of 10:1-22:16.
(a) Read chapter by chapter
10:1-22:16 (indicated in this
"study" by C) as
critically as time will permit,
in accordance with the plan
suggested above,
endeavoring, if possible, to
find some connection of thought
(1) between the
several verses in a chapter and
(2) between the several chapters
of the section.
(b)
Select the fifty proverbs in
this section which seem to you
to be the most
interesting and profitable.
(c) Make a selection of those
which seem to you to be the most
obscure and
unintelligible.
(d) Classify the proverbs of a
few chapters according as they
relate
(1) to the
attributes of God;
(2) to his
attitude toward the righteous;
(3) to his attitude toward the wicked;
(4) to
the family;
(5) to the state;
(6) to ordinary
acts of life;
(7) to wisdom;
(8)
to vice.
(e)
Read
a few chapters, and note down
any other topics than those just
given,
concerning which statements are
made.
5.
Characteristic Features of C.
Note and verify the following
points:
(a)
The fact of a special
introduction, 10:1; cf. 1:1.
(b) Each individual verse in C
contains a complete idea; but
cf. the complexity
of style of B (see above).
(c) There are many cases of
repetition: 10:1 = 15:20; 10:2 =
11:4; 13:4 = 14:27;
14:20 = 19:4; 16:2 = 21:2; 19:5
= 19:9; 20:10 = 20:23; 21:9 =
21:19; further,
in case of parts of a verse,
10:15 = 18:11; 15:33 = 18:12;
11:13 = 20:19; 11:
21 = 16:5; 12:14 = 13:2, etc.
(d) While in chs. 10-15,
antithetic parallelisms
outnumber synthetic, eight
to one; in chs. 16-22:16,
synthetic outnumber antithetic,
seven to one. Is
this accidental or designed?
(e) There is great technical
precision in adhering to the
regular measurement
of lines.
(f)
The lack of connection between
verses is so marked, that the
order might
be changed without doing
violence to the thought.
(g) There are still other
evidences of artistic
arrangement:
(1) the use of the
same (important or leading) word
in two successive verses, e. g.,
"righteous"
(" just"), "wicked,"
10:6,7; "life,"
10:16,17; "lips," 10:18,19;
"righteous,"
heart," 10:20,21; "wicked,"
10:28,29; "froward," 10:31,32.
(2) the recurrence of "Jehovah,"
15:33; 16:1-9,11; "king,'"
16:10,12-15.
6. Differences between B and C.
From a study of the contents of
B and C, and from a comparison
of the facts noted as
characteristic of each,
(a) formulate
a statement showing the differences;
(b) determine whether
these differences prove
different authorship, or
different
purpose on the part of the same
author, and
(c) form an opinion
as to the relative age of
the two styles of writing
exhibited in these two sections.
7.
Contents of 22:17-24:34.
(a) Study closely chapters
22:17-24:34 (indicated in this
"study"
as D), and
prepare an exhaustive list of
the subjects treated.
(b) Classify the material thus
obtained under comprehensive
heads.
(c)
Make a concise statement of what
is said in these chapters
concerning
(1)
justice to the poor;
(2)
intemperance;
(3) indolence;
(4) avarice;
(5) right
treatment of one's neighbor.
8. Characteristic Features of D.
Note and verify the following
points:
(a)
Chapter 22:17 furnishes a new
and significant introduction;
(1) compare 1:
"7; 10:1; and 24:23;
(2) what is
meant by the expression
hear the words
of the wise"?
(b) The parallelism is
everywhere (except 24:16),
synthetic; the measure of
the lines is irregular (cf.
22:29; 23:29; 24:12), and there
is often entire
lack of any parallelism.
(c) A thought is seldom
completed in one verse (cf.
23:1-6; 24:30-34; 23:29-35).
(d) The use of the address "my
son," is frequent; likewise the
use of the
second person of the pronoun.
(e) There is no systematic
arrangement of the material, the
same subject being
treated partly in one place, and
partly in another.
Remark. The relation of B, C and
D to each other, their relative
age, and other
general topics connected with
this part of the Book of
Proverbs, will be
taken up in the next " study." |
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