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.
GENERAL EDITOR'S PREFACE
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
ABBREVIATIONS
INTRODUCTION
Title
Text and Versions
HEBREW TEXTS
GREEK VERSIONS (LXX)
OTHER ANCIENT VERSIONS
CONCLUSION
Structure
INTRODUCTION
COLLECTION I: TITLE WITH PREAMBLE (1:1-7), PROLOGUE (1:8–8:36), AND EPILOGUE (9:1-18)
Title with Preamble (1:1-7)
Prologue and Epilogue (1:8–9:18)
Prologue (1:8–8:36)
Epilogue (9:1-18)
Organization of 1:8–9:18
COLLECTION II: PROVERBS OF SOLOMON (10:1–22:16)
Introduction
Sections of Collection II
Units of Collection II
COLLECTION III: THE THIRTY SAYINGS OF THE WISE (22:17–24:22)
COLLECTION IV: FURTHER SAYINGS OF THE WISE (24:23-34)
COLLECTION V: SOLOMON II (25:1–29:27)
COLLECTION VI: THE SAYINGS OF AGUR SON OF JAKEH (30:1-33)
COLLECTION VII: THE SAYINGS OF LEMUEL (31:1-31)
Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom Literature
Authorship
SOLOMON
AGUR AND LEMUEL
THE FINAL EDITOR
Forms of Proverbs
POETRY
Terseness and Aphorisms
Imagery or Figures
Parallelism
Sounds and Syllables
Words, Phrases, and Syntax
Meaning of the Verset Halves
POETICS
WISDOM GENRE
GENRES IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS
Definition of "Proverb"
Proverbs and Sayings
Short Sayings and Long Admonitions
E. SETTING
Setting of Composition
Setting of Dissemination
Theology
INTRODUCTION
The Theology of Proverbs and Biblical Theology
Proverbs and Pan-Oriental Wisdom Literature
GOD
Names of God
God as Creator
The LORD's Transcendence and Immanence
a. The LORD's Transcendence
b. The LORD's Immanence
Retribution
REVELATION, INSPIRATION, AND TRADITION
Definitions of "Wisdom" and of "Knowledge"
Revelation
Inspiration
Identification of Woman Wisdom
Her Persona
Her Reality
Tradition
ANTHROPOLOGY
Human Beings in General
Words for Humankind
Nepeš (Traditionally "Soul")
Heart
Spirit
The Wise and Fools
Introduction: Correlative Terms
The Wise and Righteous
The Wise and Righteous and Other Correlative Terms
The Fear of the LORD
The Wise and Words
The Wise and Wealth
The Wise and Their Rewards: Life
Does Proverbs Promise Too Much?
Fools and the Wicked
Fools, the Wicked, and Other Correlative Terms
The Gullible (petî)
Two Words for Fool (’ewîl and kesîl)
The Mocker (lēs)
The Sluggard (‘āsēl)
The Senseless (hasar lēb)
The Grave (Traditionally Sheol)
Male and Female
Man and Woman
Husband and Wife
Father and Mother
The Unchaste ("Strange") Wife
The "Unchaste Woman" (’iššâ zārâ)
The "Outsider" (nokrîyâ)
"An Unfaithful, Apostate Wife"
Conclusion
PEDAGOGY
CHRISTOLOGY
Proverbs' Enduring Relevance
Woman Wisdom as a Type of Jesus Christ
Historical Background
Similarities and Superiority of Jesus Christ to Woman Wisdom
The Superiority of Jesus Christ to Solomon's Wisdom
Conclusion
Bibliography
TEXT AND COMMENTARY
Collection I (1:1–9:18)
TITLE AND PREAMBLE (1:1-7)
Title (1:1)
Preamble (1:2-7)
Purpose and Addressees (1:2-6)
Summary of Purpose: Substance and Expression of Wisdom (1:2)
Substance of Wisdom and Addressees (1:3-5)
Expression of Wisdom (1:6)
The Book's Foundation (1:7)
PROLOGUE AND EPILOGUE (1:8–9:18)
Lecture 1: Exhortation to Listen and to Reject the Gang's Invitation (1:8-19)
A Parent's Exhortation and a Son's Adornments (1:8-9)
Address and Admonition (1:8)
Motivation (1:9)
Lesson: Resist the Gang's Invitation (1:10-19)
Introduction: Summary Statement (1:10)
Body: Sinners' Temptation Unfolded (1:11-14)
Body: The Father's Warning Unfolded (1:15-18)
Conclusion: The Lesson's Moral (1:19)
First Interlude: Wisdom's Rebuke of the Gullible (1:20-33)
The Setting of the Sermon (1:20-21)
Wisdom's Sermon (1:22-27)
Introductory Accusation (1:22-23)
Denunciation (1:24-27)
Wisdom's Reflection on Her Sermon (1:28-33)
Certainty and Finality of the Gullible's Judgment (1:28-31)
Conclusion: Summary of the Destinies of Fools and the Wise (1:32-33)
Lecture 2: Safeguard against the Wicked (2:1-22)
Introduction: Conditions (2:1-4)
Consequence: Protection (2:5-11)
Religious Education Leading to Divine Protection (2:5-8)
Ethical Education Leading to Character Protection (2:9-11)
The Purpose of Protection (2:12-22)
Deliverance from the Wicked Man (2:12-15)
Purpose 2: Deliverance from the Unchaste Wife (2:16-19)
Conclusion: Life on the Earth versus Death (2:20-22)
Lecture 3: The LORD's Promises and the Son's Obligations (3:1-12)
Introduction: Admonitions to Preserve the Father's Teaching (3:1-4)
Body: A Lesson in Piety: Trust, Fear, and Honor the LORD (3:5-10)
Conclusion: Do Not Reject the LORD's Discipline (3:11-12)
Lecture 4: The Value of Wisdom (3:13-35)
Exordium: The Value of Wisdom (3:13-26)
The Value of Wisdom to ’ādām (3:13-18)
The Value of Wisdom to the LORD (3:19-20)
The Value of Wisdom to the Son (3:21-26)
Lesson: Covenant Obligations to Neighbors (3:27-35)
Commands: Obligations to Good Neighbors (3:27-30)
Center Line (Janus): Do Not Envy a Violent Man (3:31)
Argument: The LORD Punishes the Wicked but Rewards the Righteous (3:32-35)
Lecture 5: Get the Family Heritage (4:1-9)
Introduction: Addressees and Admonitions (4:1-2)
The Lesson: The Grandfather's Lecture (4:3-9)
Narrative Introduction to the Grandfather's Lecture (4:3-5)
The Grandfather's Lecture: Get Wisdom (4:5-9)
Lecture 6: Stay Off the Wrong Way (4:10-19)
Introduction and Body (4:10-17)
Admonitions to Walk in the Way of Wisdom (4:10-13)
Admonitions to Avoid the Way of the Wicked (4:14-17)
Conclusion (4:18-19)
Lecture 7: Don't Swerve from the Right Way (4:20-27)
Introduction: Keeping the Interior Anatomy (4:20-22)
Address and Admonitions to Keep the Father's Teaching (vv. 20-21)
Motivating Argument: Teachings Give Life (4:22)
Janus: Guard the Heart, the Source of All Behavior (4:23)
Lesson: Keep the Exterior Anatomy Fixed on What Is Right (4:24-27)
The Mouth and Eyes (4:24-25)
The Foot (4:26-27)
Lecture 8: Folly of Adultery, Wisdom of Marriage (5:1-23)
Introduction (5:1-6)
Address, Admonition, and Aim (5:1-2)
Motivation (5:3-6)
Lesson (5:7-20)
The Folly of Adultery (5:7-14)
The Wisdom of Marriage (5:15-20)
Conclusion (5:21-23)
Appendix: Three Inferior Types of Men (6:1-19)
Warning against Becoming Surety (6:1-5)
Introduction: The Foolish Situation (6:1-2)
Body: Urgent Admonitions to Resolve the Situation (6:3-4)
Conclusion: Summary of the Lecture (6:5)
Warning to the Sluggard (6:6-11)
Admonition to Learn Wisdom from the Ant (6:6-8)
Condemnation of the Sluggard (6:9-11)
Warning against the Insurrectionist (6:12-19)
Seven Marks of an Insurrectionist (6:12-15)
Catalogue of Seven Abominations to the LORD (6:16-19)
Lecture 9: The High Price of an Unchaste Wife (6:20-35)
Introduction (6:20-24)
Address and Admonition to Be Attentive (6:20-21)
Motivation (6:22-24)
Lesson (6:25-35a)
Admonition (6:25)
Argument 1: Adultery's Severe, Inevitable, Unending Penalty (6:26-33)
Argument 2: The Cuckold Cannot Be Compensated (3:34-35)
Lecture 10: The Unchaste Wife's Seductive Tactics (7:1-27)
Introduction: Address and Admonition to Hear the Father's Lecture (7:1-5)
Lesson: The Unchaste Wife's Seductive Tactics (7:6-23)
Encounter: The Father's Observations (7:6-13)
Seduction: The Unchaste Wife's Smooth Speech (7:14-20)
Fall: The Gullible's Submission (7:21-23)
Conclusion (7:24-27)
Admonition: Listen to the Father, Not to the Unchaste Wife (7:24-25)
Motivation: The Unchaste Wife Is Deadly (7:26-27)
Interlude 2: Wisdom's Self-Praise to the Gullible (8:1-36)
Introduction (8:1-11)
The Setting and Addressees of Wisdom's Speech (8:1-5)
Wisdom's Exhortation to Listen with Motivation (8:6-11)
Lesson (8:12-31)
Wisdom's Communicable Attributes in Historical Time (8:12-31)
Wisdom's Role in Civil Order (8:12-16)
Wisdom's Gifts of Material Glory for Her Lovers (8:17-21)
Wisdom's Birth and Celebration in Primordial Time (8:22-31)
Conclusion: Wisdom's Final Invitation and Warning (8:32-36)
Epilogue: Rival Banquets of Wisdom and Folly (9:1-18)
Wisdom's Banquet (9:1-6)
Preparation for the Meal (9:1-3)
Wisdom's Invitation (9:4-6)
The Poet's Supplement to the Invitations (9:7-12)
The Consequences to the Sage for Correcting the Proud versus the Wise (9:7-9)
Janus: The Beginning and Gain of Wisdom (9:10)
The Consequences to Oneself of Being Wise or a Mocker (9:11-12)
Folly's Banquet (9:13-18)
The Pretentious Hostess (9:13-15)
Folly's Invitation (9:16-17)
Conclusion: Death (9:18)
Collection II: Solomon I (10:1–22:16)
COLLECTION IIA: ANTITHETIC PARALLELS OF THE RIGHTEOUS VERSUS THE WICKED (10:1–15:29)
Superscription (10:1a)
The Wise and the Fool Defined by Their Comportment in Wealth and Speech (10:1b-16)
Introductory Educational Proverb (10:1b)
Wisdom and Wealth (10:2-5)
Ethical and Theological Foundations of Wealth (10:2-3)
The Practical Foundation of Wealth (10:4-5)
Effects of Speech on the Self and Others (10:6-14)
On the Self (10:6-9)
Janus (10:10)
On Others (10:11-14)
Wealth and Security (10:15-16)
Deeds and Destinies of the Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted (10:17–11:31)
Introduction: Social Effects of Obedience (10:17)
The Speech and Expectations of the Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted (10:18-32)
Beneficial and Baneful Speech (10:18-21)
The Speech and Expectations of the Righteous and the Wicked (10:22-32)
Pain and Pleasure (10:22-26)
The Security of the Righteous versus the Transience of the Wicked (10:27-30)
The Permanence and Impermanence of Righteous and Wicked Mouths (10:31-32)
Security through Honesty and Righteousness (11:1-8)
Security through Honesty (11:1-2)
Security through Righteousness (11:3-8)
Janus: Security from Destructive Speech through Knowledge (11:9)
Words in Community (11:10-15)
Benevolence and Community (11:16-22)
Desires and Paradoxical Fulfillment (11:23-27)
Certain Gain or Loss (11:28-31)
Two Subunits on Speech and Deeds (12:1-28)
The First Subunit (12:1-14)
Introduction (12:1-3)
Speech and One's Household (12:4-7)
Deeds and Property (12:8-12)
Janus Conclusion: Words and Deeds (12:13-14)
The Second Unit (12:15-28)
An Introductory Rearing Proverb (12:15)
Wise and Foolish Speech (12:16-23)
Diligent Work and Good Speech (12:24-27)
Conclusion (12:28)
Good Teaching, Ethics, and Living (13:1-25)
Introduction (13:1)
Speech and Ethics (13:2-6)
Wealth and Ethics (13:7-11)
Fulfillment through Wisdom versus Frustration through Folly (13:12-19)
The Blessed Future of a Wise Son versus the Baneful End of Fools (13:20-25)
Living in Wisdom (14:1-32)
Walking in Wisdom (14:1-7)
Not Walking by Sight (14:8-15)
Contrasting Social Characterizations and Consequences (14:15-32)
Contrasting Wisdom Characterizations and Their Ethical Comportment (14:15-18)
Contrasting Consequences of Social Comportment Using Mostly Ethical Terms (14:19-24)
Contrasting Characterizations and Consequences of Life or Death (14:25-32)
Upholding Righteousness with a Gentle Tongue (14:33–15:4)
The Importance of Instruction (15:5-19)
The Consequences of Accepting or Rejecting Instruction (15:5-12)
The Overcomer's Superiority to Circumstances (15:13-19)
The Heart's Superiority to Circumstances (15:13-17)
Two Overcomers (15:18-19)
Consequences of Righteousness and Wickedness (15:20-29)
Joy in Education (15:20-23)
Janus (15:24)
The Destinies of the Righteous and the Wicked (15:25-29)
INDEXES
Subjects
Authors
Scripture References
Selected Hebrew Words and Phrases
729 pages; dimensions (in inches): 6.25 x 9.25; 2004
Reviews
Interpretation“The best overall commentary on Proverbs available at this time. Its two volumes greatly enrich our understanding of an important biblical book.”
Alan Millard
Where is wisdom to be found? The book of Proverbs is an obvious answer, yet readers often find it a jumble of disconnected sayings, with little theological value. 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.
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.
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: 9780802825452
Catalogue code: N/A
Publisher: WM B EERDMANS PUB CO - published 15/11/2004
Format: Hardback