NICOT Proverbs, Chapters 15-31
B WALTKE
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.

Contents:
GENERAL EDITOR'S PREFACE
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
ABBREVIATIONS

COMMENTARY
COLLECTION IIB: THE LORD AND HIS KING (15:30–22:22)
Prologue: The Dance between Humanity, the LORD, and His King (15:30–16:15)
Introduction (15:30-33)
The LORD's Rule (16:1-9)
The LORD's Sovereignty and the Human's Responsibility (16:1-4a)
The LORD's Morality and the Human's Accountability (16:4b-7)
Conclusion (16:8-9)
The Mediatorial King (16:10-15)
The King's Authority (16:10-11)
The King's Moral Sensibility (16:12-13)
The King's Power (16:14-15)
Wise and Foolish Speech (16:16-30)
Introduction: Security in Wisdom (16:16-19)
The Wise Speaker (16:20-24)
The Foolish Speakers (16:25-30)
The Splendid Crown of Old Age through Righteousness (16:31–17:6)
A Collection of Proverbs on Fools (17:7-28)
Janus: Catalogue of Fools Expanded (17:7-9)
Fools and Their Punishment (17:10-15)
The Fool versus the Friend (17:16-20)
The Fool, Injustice, and the Reserved Speech of the Wise (17:21-28)
The Speech of Fools versus the Speech of the Wise (18:1-21)
The Fool's Antisocial Speech versus the Defense of the Righteous (18:1-11)
The Fool's Antisocial Nature, Speech, and Destiny (18:1-9)
Introduction: The Fool's Alienation from Society (18:1-3)
Body: The Fool's Perverse Speech (18:4-8)
Conclusion: The Fool Plunders the Community (18:9)
The Defense of the Righteous in the LORD (18:10-11)
Janus (18:12)
The Educated Person's Behavior in Conflict and His Speech (18:13-21)
Introduction: The Incorrigible Fool versus the Teachable Wise (18:13-15)
Teachings about Justice and Conflicts (18:16-19)
Teachings about the Power of Speech (18:20-21)
Wealth and Wisdom in the Court and in the Home (18:22–19:23)
Poverty, Wealth, and Companions (18:22–19:7)
Introduction (18:22)
Wealth and Failed Companions (18:23-24)
Wealth and Ethics (19:1-3)
Wealth and Companions in Court (19:4-7)
Wisdom in the Court and in the Home (19:8-15)
Introduction (19:8)
Wisdom in the Court (19:9-12)
Wisdom in the Home (19:13-15)
Educating the Son to Show Kindness to the Needy (19:16-23)
Introduction: Keep the Father's Commandment to Live (19:16)
The LORD Will Reward Kindness to the Poor (19:17)
Admonitions to the Father to Discipline His Son and the Hothead (19:18-19)
Admonitions to the Son to Accept His Father's Discipline and Counsel (19:20-21)
The Poor Desire Unfailing Kindness, Not Selfishness (19:22)
Conclusion (19:23)
The Pedagogue and Punishment of Fools (19:23–20:11)
Introduction (19:23)
A Catalogue of Fools and Their Punishment (19:24–20:11)
The Righteous King and Fools (20:2-11)
The Righteous King Roots Out All Evil (20:2-8)
Justice Tempered by the Reality of Human Depravity (20:9-11)
Speech and Commerce (20:12-19)
Introduction and Janus (20:12-13)
Body: Imprudent Speech in the Marketplace (20:14-17)
Conclusion: Accepting Wise Counsel (20:18-19)
Trusting the LORD to Avenge Wrongs through His Wise King (20:20-28)
Introduction: Honoring Parents (20:20-21)
Body: Trust God, Not Self, to Avenge Wrong (20:22-25)
Conclusion: The King Judges the Wicked and Protects the Needy (20:26-28)
Doing Righteousness and Justice (20:29–21:31)
Twofold Introduction (20:29–21:2)
Introduction: Education (20:29-30)
The Framing Introduction: The LORD's Sovereignty (21:1-2)
Body: On Doing Righteousness and Justice (21:3-29)
Janus: The LORD's Desire for Righteousness and Justice (21:3)
An Analysis of the Wicked Person's Pursuit of Wealth (21:4-8)
Janus: The Contentious Wife (21:9)
The Righteous Triumph over the Wicked (21:10-18)
The Contentious Wife (21:19)
The Endurance of the Righteous versus the Death of the Wicked (21:20-29)
Conclusion: The LORD's Sovereignty over People and Kingdoms (21:30-31)
Wealth and Moral Instruction (22:1-16)
The LORD's Sovereignty and Wealth (22:1-9)
Introduction: A Good Name Is Better than Wealth (22:1)
The LORD's Sovereignty over Wealth and Human Accountability (22:2-4)
Center: Educating Youth in the Right Way (22:5-6)
The LORD Punishes the Rich and Rewards the Generous (22:7-9)
Wealth and Moral Instruction (22:10-16)
Introduction: The King's Friends (22:10-11)
Body: The LORD Upholds Truth and Subverts Treacherous Words (22:12-14)
Conclusion: Moral Instruction and Wealth (22:15-16)
Collection III:
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise (22:17–24:22)
PROLOGUE: SAYING 1 (22:17-21)
Motivating the Son to Hear (22:17-18)
Center Line: Theological Motivation (22:19)
The Father's Purpose (22:20-21)
SECTION A: A DECALOGUE OF SAYINGS ABOUT WEALTH (22:22–23:11)
Saying 2 (22:22-23)
Saying 3 (22:24-25)
Saying 4 (22:26-27)
Saying 5 (22:28)
Saying 6 (22:29)
Saying 7 (23:1-3)
Saying 8 (23:4-5)
Saying 9 (23:6-8)
Saying 10 (23:9)
Saying 11 (23:10-11)
SECTION B: AN OBEDIENT SON (23:12–24:2)
Saying 12 (23:12)
Saying 13 (23:13-14)
Saying 14 (23:15-16)
Saying 15 (23:17-18)
Saying 16 (23:19-21)
Saying 17 (23:22-25)
Saying 18 (23:26-28)
Appendix (23:29–24:2)
Saying 19 (23:29-35)
Saying 20 (24:1-2)
SECTION C: STRENGTH IN DISTRESS (24:3-12)
Saying 21 (24:3-4)
Saying 22 (24:5-6)
Saying 23 (24:7)
Saying 24 (24:8-9)
Saying 25 (24:10-12)
SECTION D: PROHIBITIONS AGAINST INVOLVEMENT WITH THE WICKED (24:13-22)
Saying 26 (24:13-14)
Saying 27 (24:15-16)
Saying 28 (24:17-18)
Saying 29 (24:19-20)
Saying 30 (24:21-22)
Collection IV:
Further Sayings of the Wise (24:23-34)
SUPERSCRIPTION (24:23A)
JUDGING AT COURT (24:23B-25)
CORRECT SPEAKING (24:26)
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR IN WORK (24:27)
WRONG SPEAKING (24:28-29)
NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR IN WORK (24:30-34)
The Sluggard's Vineyard (24:29-31)
Center Line: Observation and Reflection (24:32)
The Lesson (24:33-34)
Collection V:
Solomon II (25:1–29:27)
SUPERSCRIPTION (25:1)
SECTION C (25:2–27:27)
The Court Hierarchy and the Conflict of the Righteous and the Wicked (25:2-27)
Introduction (25:2-5)
God-King-Subject Hierarchy (25:2-3)
The Conflict of the Righteous and the Wicked in Court (25:4-5)
A Decalogue of Proverbs for Courtiers (25:6-15)
Admonitions for Courtiers (25:6-10)
Sayings for Courtiers (25:11-15)
General Human Conflicts (25:16-26)
Resolving Conflicts (25:16-22)
Unexpected Conflicts (25:23-26)
Conclusion (25:27)
Seven Perverted Types of Humanity (25:28–26:28)
Janus (25:28)
The Fool (26:1-12)
Introduction (26:1-3)
Body (26:4-10)
Conclusion (26:11-12)
The Sluggard (26:13-16)
Four Kinds of Troublemakers (26:17-28)
The Busybody and the Mischief Maker (26:17-19)
The Slanderer (26:20-22)
The Hateful Enemy (26:23-28)
The Enemy's Deception (26:23-25)
The Enemy's Destruction (26:26-28)
About Friends and Friendship (27:1-22)
First Instructions on Friends and Friendships (27:1-10)
Second Instructions on Friends and Friendships (27:11-21)
Janus (27:22)
Caring for "Flocks and Herds" (27:23-27)
The Admonition: "Know Your Flocks" (27:23)
Substantiation (27:24-27)
SECTION D (28:1–29:27)
A Relationship to tôrâ as a Measure for Ruling and Gaining Wealth (28:1-11)
Introductory Framing Proverb (28:1)
First Subunit: tôrâ and Righteous Government (28:2-6)
Second Subunit: tôrâ and Righteous Government (28:7-11)
The Importance of One's Relationship with God for Ruling and Gaining Wealth (28:12-27)
Introductory Framing Proverb (28:12)
The LORD and the Ruler (28:13-18)
Wealth by Hard Work versus Haste (28:19-24)
Wealth by Trust in the LORD and Generosity versus Stinginess (28:25-27)
Concluding Framing Proverb (28:28)
Center Line: Sudden Death for the Hard-hearted (29:1)
Rearing and Ruling Proved Worthwhile in Dealing with the Poor (29:2-15)
Introductory Framing Proverb (29:2)
Joy and Stability through Righteousness (29:3-6)
Janus (29:7)
Peace through Righteousness (29:8-15)
Rearing and One's Relationship with God (29:16-27)
Introductory Framing Proverb (29:16)
Necessity of Discipline (29:17-21)
Spiritually Inferior Types of People versus Those Who Trust in the LORD (29:22-26)
Concluding Framing Proverb (29:27)
Collection VI:
The Sayings of Agur Son of Jakeh (30:1-33)
INTRODUCTION (30:1-9)
Superscription (30:1a)
Agur's Autobiographical Confession (30:1b-9)
His Inability and Ability to Attain Wisdom (30:1b-6)
Agur's Petitions for Truthfulness and Modesty (30:7-9)
MAIN BODY: SEVEN NUMERICAL SAYINGS (30:10-31)
First Unit: Renouncing Greed (30:10-16)
Single-Line Proverb: The Slandered Slave's Curse (30:10)
Three Numerical Sayings without Initial Title Lines (30:11-16)
The Greedy Generation (30:11-14)
The Leech (30:15a)
Four Insatiables (30:15b-16)
Second Unit: The Wisdom of Living within Boundaries (30:17-31)
Single-Line Proverb: The Ignominious End of the Rebellious Child (30:17)
Four Numerical Sayings with Verse-Initial Title Lines (30:18-31)
Four Awesome Ways and the Awful Way of the Adulteress (30:18-20)
Four Upside-down Social Situations (30:21-23)
Four Wee but Wise Beasties (30:24-28)
Four Stately Marchers (30:29-31)
CONCLUSION: A WARNING NOT TO UPSET THE DIVINE ORDER (30:32-33)
Collection VII:
The Sayings of Lemuel (31:1-31)
SUPERSCRIPTION (31:1)
THE NOBLE KING (31:2-9)
THE VALIANT WIFE (31:10-31)
Introduction (31:10-12)
Body (31:13-27)
Her Sources of Revenue (31:13-18)
Janus (31:19)
Her Production (31:20-27)
Conclusion (31:28-31)
INDEXES
Subjects
Authors
Scripture References
Selected Hebrew Words and Phrases

623 pages; dimensions (in inches): 6.25 x 9.25; 2005

Reviews

Interpretation
“The best overall commentary on Proverbs available at this time. Its two volumes greatly enrich our understanding of an important biblical book.”

Richard J. Clifford, S.J.
Here is Bruce Waltke’s long-awaited full-scale commentary on Proverbs, a biblical book that has generated an unusual amount of interest in recent years. . . . Waltke’s learned and wide-ranging commentary reminds us why his judgments are valued and taken seriously by lay readers and scholars alike: his work displays a mastery of Biblical Hebrew, a deep knowledge of ancient Near Eastern literature, a serious interchange with others, and an admirable devotion to Proverbs as the word of God to the church.

Alan Millard
Having thought long and deeply about Proverbs, Bruce Waltke offers a wonderful guide through the book, elucidating many problems and showing how skillfully the work was composed. He explains each verse with care and authority, dealing with details of the Hebrew but giving pride of place to exegesis and exposition. . . . Here is a realistic, wise, and godly commentary, better than Keil and Delitzsch for the twenty-first century.

Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
Bruce Waltke’s Book of Proverbs is destined to become the outstanding commentary on this book of the Bible. . . . For all who are bored with the apparent “stuffiness” of religion and theology, the analysis of life and living as taught here will restore a good dose of realism all over again.

Tremper Longman III
Meticulous, insightful, illuminating, erudite, devotional, rich, thoughtful, and wise. All of these words describe this important commentary. . . . Everyone who seriously studies Proverbs needs to read this work.

Raymond C. Van Leeuwen
Waltke brings to bear a lifetime of learning and expertise as a world authority on Hebrew grammar. His theological approach is conservative evangelical and intended to serve the Christian pulpit and laity.

ISBN: 9780802827760
Catalogue code: N/A
Publisher: WM B EERDMANS PUB CO - published 15/04/2005
Format: Hardback  

£28.99