Tag: Wisdom

July 8: Job 13:12-13

Job 13:12-13

The third and final section of Part 2 of Job’s speech (chaps. 12-14) is 13:12-19. As previously mentioned, the first and third sections (vv. 1-5, 12-19) follow a similar rhetorical-poetic pattern:

    • Rebuke of his companions (vv. 1-2 / 12-13)
      • Job’s intention to address God (vv. 3 / 14-16)
    • Rebuke of his companions (vv. 4-5 / 17-19)

The first of these rebuke-units (vv. 12-13) will be discussed here.

Verse 12

“Your words brought to mind (are) sayings of ash—
indeed, (like) rounds of red dirt (are) your replies!”

Job has been repeatedly critical of the words of wisdom put forth by the companions (cf. 12:2-3ff); indeed, this is the very thrust of the rebuke-lines in the first section (vv. 1-2, 4-5). However, here Job becomes even more derogatory regarding the substance of the arguments and observations offered by the companions. He describes them as “sayings of ash(es)” and compares them to “rounds of red dirt”. Both expressions are vivid, but peculiar, and require more detailed comment.

The first expression (in line 1) is rp#a@ yl@v=m!. The noun lv*m* (I) is best understood in the general sense of a traditional “proverbial saying”; for more on the noun and its range of meaning, see my earlier note on Proverbs 1:1. The noun rp#a@ means “dust, dirt”, with particular reference to the dirt- and ash-heaps covering the ground outside of the city. Given the narrative setting for the Dialogue—viz., Job sitting amid the dust and ashes outside the city (cf. the use of rp#a@ in 2:8)—the expression becomes particularly evocative. The noun /ork=z] (from the verbal root rk^z` I) denotes something that comes (or is brought) to mind, viz., something that is worth remembering. Here it functions as a catch-all for the various words of wisdom, religious precepts, and theological observations, etc., offered by the companions. Job denigrates these as common/conventional sayings (cf. verse 1; 12:3, 9), of the sort that everyone would and should know, and thus as containing no great insight.

The second line appears to utilize some wordplay between two different bG~ nouns. The first (I) generally indicates a curved shape, e.g., a round-shaped mound, such as a mound or heap of dirt (fitting for the narrative setting of 2:8, as noted above). The second (II) denotes something returned, especially in a speech-context—i.e., a “response, reply, answer” (cf. Arabic jawāb, Syriac gūyābā; HALOT, p. 170; Guillaume, pp. 92-3). As in line 1, Job refers to the responses of the companions as “responses [i.e., sayings] of [mere] dirt”, but also as “mounds/heaps of dirt”. In order to capture at least something of this wordplay, I have translated with a bit of alliteration, “rounds…replies”. The noun rm#j) (II) denotes a particular color of the dirt/clay, namely “red” (cf. the verbal root rmj III)—i.e., “red dirt”, which supports the intended alliteration, “rounds of red dirt…replies”.
For more on the possible meanings of bG~ and the wordplay that is (or may be) involved, cf. the discussions by Seow (pp. 657-8), Clines (p. 282), Michel (p. 301f), Blommerde (p. 66), and others.

Along with Seow, Michel, Blommerde (and others, e.g., Gordis, Hartley), I regard the initial –l of the second line as emphatic (and asseverative), i.e., “indeed…!”
Clines argues that the preposition indicates result, which applies also to the first line—i.e., “your words (will come) to (be) sayings of ashes…of dirt”. I do not find this line of interpretation to be very plausible; moreover, it assumes a logical relationship between vv. 11 and 12 which I do not believe reflects the structure of Job’s speech here. Rather, vv. 9-11 represent a distinct rhetorical-poetic unit, with v. 12 marking the start of a new section. 

Verse 13

“Keep silent from me, (so) that I (now) might speak—
and let come over upon me what (may)!”

As in v. 5, Job’s harsh and derogatory rebuke of his companions includes the wish—and request—that they keep silent (vb vr^j* Hiphil). This request has a two-fold meaning and purpose: on the one hand, Job wishes that the companions would simply cease from their unhelpful words of wisdom and exhortation; and, on the other, he wants them to become a quiet and attentive audience for the complaint (and appeal) that he intends to bring before God (v. 3, and vv. 14-15ff). In a sense, the companions will serve as a rehearsal audience for Job.
For the use of the preposition /m! (“from”) with the verb vr^j*, “be/keep silent from (me)”, i.e., “stop talking to me” or “…in front of me”, cf. 1 Sam 7:8; Psalm 28:1; Jer 28:17.

The first line has a somewhat lengthened structure that could be divided into two shorter lines (so Michel, p. 302). In any case, the irregularity and tension that the line creates should probably be seen as a poetic expression of Job’s frustration and impatience, etc. The final pronoun in the line (yn]a*, “I”) is emphatic—i.e., “that I now might speak”, “that I myself might speak”, “that I should speak, yes I!” The yiqtol/imperfect form of the verb rb^D* (“speak”, Piel) is jussive-cohortative and can be translated “let me speak!” or “I must speak!”.

Job realizes that his desire to address God—to make his complaint and to put his appeal before God—could be perilous, as the ambiguous (and rather ominous) wording in the second line indicates: “and let come upon me what (may)!” For the use of the verb rb^u* (“come over, pass by”) in the context of God’s manifest presence (and acts of judgment), cf. earlier in 9:11. In his prior speech (see throughout chapters 9-10), Job has expressed doubt that he will receive a fair hearing from God, and, indeed, he realizes that his complaint/appeal could well make things worse for him. Even so, he is determined to present his case, whatever the result might be (this point will be discussed further in connection with the interpretation of verse 15).

The expression hm* lu^ at the beginning of v. 14 is problematic; it disrupts the meter of the couplet, and its close resemblance to the final words of v. 13 (hm* yl^u*) is suspicious and may represent a scribal error (dittography). The question will be discussed further in the next note, but it should be mentioned here that a few commentators (e.g., Seow, p. 658; Guillaume, p. 93) would transfer hm* lu^ from the beginning of v. 14 to the end of v. 13, so that the line reads “and let come by upon me hm* lu^ hm*,” with the expression hm* lu^ hm* (lit. “what upon what”) meaning “whatever at all (may come)”. Cited in support is the idiom ho`h lu^ ho`h (“downfall upon downfall”) in Ezek 17:26, and, indeed, Job’s wording carries the same implicit expectation of disaster and misfortune.

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).
    • Those marked “Clines” are to David J. A. Clines, Job 1–20, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 17 (1989).
    • Those marked “Michel” are to Walter L. Michel, Job in the Light of Northwest Semitic, Biblica et Orientalia 42 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1987).
    • Those marked “Blommerde” are to Anton C. M. Blommerde, Northwest Semitic Grammar and Job, Biblica et Orientalia 22 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1969).
    • Those marked “Gordis” are to Robert Gordis, The Book of Job: Commentary, New Translation, and Special Studies, Moreshet Series, Studies in Jewish History, Literature and Thought, vol. II (The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: 1978).
    • Those marked “Guillaume” are to A. Guillaume, Studies in the Book of Job, with a New Translation, ed. John MacDonald, Supplement II to the Annual of the Leeds University Oriental Society (Brill: 1968).

July 2: Job 13:1-5

Job’s Fourth Speech, Part 2: 13:1-19

This second division of Job’s fourth speech spans the first nineteen verses of chapter 13, and is comprised of three sections—vv. 1-5, 6-11, 12-19. Job’s words are in preparation of his complaint (addressed to God) in Part 3 (13:20-14:22), interlaced with a continuation of a rebuke toward his companions (begun in the first half of chapter 12). We can see how this rhetorical-poetic structure is established in the first and third sections, which follow the pattern:

    • Rebuke of his companions (vv. 1-2 / 12-13)
      • Job’s intention to address God (vv. 3 / 14-16)
    • Rebuke of his companions (vv. 4-5 / 17-19)
Job 13:1-5
Verse 1

“Behold—all (this) my eye has seen,
my ear has heard, and itself discerns!”

Job begins this second part of his speech much as he did the first part (12:2-3ff), with a rebuke of his companions, emphasizing (in rather sarcastic terms) that they do not possess any more wisdom and understanding than he does. He is quite aware of everything that they have declared, and also the (theological) points that he himself affirms (cf. the hymn in the second half of chapter 12, vv. 14-25). He has already seen and heard (of) it himself! The preposition l with the feminine singular suffix is best understood reflexively, in reference to Job’s “ear” (fem. noun), but also, by extension, to his “eye” —viz., to what he has both seen and heard. That is, his ear (and eye) has discerned the various points of wisdom “for itself” (Hl*); cf. Seow, p. 653. Since “all (this)” (lK)) is masculine, if the preposition l were meant to mark the accusative (viz., “my eye/ear has discerned it”), we would expect the form ol with the masculine singular suffix (as Seow notes).

Verse 2

“According to your knowledge, (so) I know—even I!
I am not (in any way) falling (short) of you (in this)!”

Job restates the point from v. 1 even more bluntly here in verse 2, with the second line repeating the statement from 12:3b (see the earlier note). He is quite confident that he possesses at least as much knowledge as his companions. This is an indirect way of denigrating the wisdom expressed by his companions (in their prior speeches), along with the arguments that they have presented. In particular, Job seems very much to resent their suggestion that he ought to be quiet and to refrain from making any more laments and complaints against God. This point of emphasis will be developed throughout the remainder of chapter 13.

On the companions’ exhortation that Job learn (i.e., come to know) wisdom from their arguments and observations, see especially 5:24f, 27; 11:6. Job may be responding specifically to such statements (cf. Seow, p. 653).

Verse 3

“But I myself—(it is) to Šadday (that) I would speak;
and to prove (my case) to (the) Mighty (One) do I desire!”

Job has no intention to remain quiet (as his companions advise), waiting with patience and devotion, while he unjustly suffers punishment (so it seems) from God. Instead, he expresses boldly his intention to make his complaint (and appeal) to God, and to prove his case—viz., that he is innocent of any crime or sin that would warrant the punishment he has received. The verb jk^y`, primarily as a legal-judicial term, denotes proving someone (or something) to be right/wrong; it also entails the arguments and legal proceedings involved in proving a particular case. It occurs rather often (15 times) in the book of Job, including earlier in 6:25-26 and 9:33 (cf. also, in a somewhat different sense, in 5:17).

The conjunction <l*Wa has a strong adversative sense and force (i.e., “but instead…”, “but rather…”). Cf. the important earlier occurrences in 5:8 and 1:11; 2:5; 11:5; it is a distinctly Joban term, as 10 of the 19 Scriptural occurrences (more than half) are found in the book of Job.

The Divine title yD^v^ (Šadday), which I transliterate here (rather than translate), occurs frequently the book of Job; in this couplet it is paired with the Divine name/term la@ (“Mighty [One]”), rather than H^ola$ (“Mightiest”) [both = ‘God’]. See the earlier note on 5:17. If it were translated conventionally, as “Almighty”, it would make for an apt pairing with la@ (“Mighty [One]”).

Verse 4

“And yet, (as for) you—spreaders of deceit,
healers (beset) by weakness, you all (are)!”

Job’s rebuke of his companions (which he picks up again from vv. 1-2) takes on an especially harsh tone here, as he calls them “spreaders of deceit” and “healers of weakness”. Both construct expressions are easily misunderstood in English. In the first instance, the verb lp^f* means “spread/cover over”, as when a person spreads mud or clay over a surface. The rare Scriptural occurrences are all in Wisdom-texts (e.g., 14:17), most notably Psalm 119:69 (cf. also Sirach 51:5) which shares the same harshly negative polemical context. As Seow (p. 654) notes, in Aramaic and later Hebrew, lpf can be used in a medicinal context (such as the applying of a salve or healing plaster, etc.), and thus, more generally, with the meaning “tend, care for”. Such a secondary meaning certainly fits the context of the second line here. Instead of applying a helpful/healing salve (to Job’s wounds), the companions merely pretend to do so, smearing over mere clay/mud (i.e., dirt) instead! For more on this application of the terminology, cf. Guillaume, p. 92; Gordis, p. 141; Pope, p. 97f.

The second expression, “healers of weakness” (ll!a$ ya@p=r)), can be even more misleading, since it suggests the effective healing of someone in a weakened condition (like Job). However, by the expression Job is characterizing his companions instead as “weak/useless healers” (cf. the parallels in Jer 14:14; Zech 11:17), in keeping with the strikingly negative/polemic use of the term lyl!a$ (here, spelled without the vowel letter, ll!a$), “weakness, uselessness, insignificance,” also “worthlessness, corruption”. There is thus a strong paradoxical character to the expression “healers of weakness”; the companions may think (or pretend) to offer help/healing to someone (like Job) who is weak/sick, but they are weak themselves, and the remedies they offer (viz., their advice and words of conventional wisdom and piety) are empty and worthless. Pope (p. 97) translates idiomatically in English as “quack healers” (cf. also Michel, p. 298f). In order not to lose sight of the actual expression (“healers of weakness”), I have translated comparatively as “healers (beset) by weakness”).

The adversative conjunction <l*Wa (v. 3) is used again here, along with the prefixed w-conjunction; I have translated simply as “And yet…”, with the emphatic addition “…(as for) you”. Note the contrastive use of the emphatic pronouns yn]a& (“I”, Job) and <T#a^ (“you”, the companions) in vv. 3-4.

The Hebrew word order of verse 4 is symmetric-chiastic:

    • “And yet, (as for) you
      • spreaders of deceit
      • and healers of weakness [i.e., weak healers]
    • you all (are)”
Verse 5

“Who would give (that), being silent, you should keep silent!
Then (that) might be for you as (true) wisdom.”

Instead of Job keeping silent (from his lamenting, etc.) as his companions have advised, he expresses the wish that they would keep quiet from giving him any more of their admonishments, advice, and words of wisdom. The doubling of the verb (in this case, vr^j* Hiphil, “keep silent”), with an infinitive absolute coupled with a yiqtol/imperfect form, is regularly used for emphasis. Literally, it reads “keeping silent, you would keep silent”; the emphatic aspect here can be rendered with several different nuances: “you would now remain silent”, “you would keep totally silent”, “you would finally keep silent”, etc.

The idiomatic interrogative phrasing, “Who would give/grant (that)…?” (/T@y! ym!), is regularly used in Hebrew (esp. in poetry) as a rhetorical device for expressing an urgent/fervent wish (often voiced with a sense of frustration or impatience). It is typically translated into idiomatic English wording, e.g., “Oh, that…!”, “Would that…!” “If only…!”

Job is particularly caustic in the climactic line, declaring that, by keeping silent, the companions would be demonstrating greater wisdom than by all the words that they utter. Cf. Proverbs 17:28, to the effect that a foolish person may be considered wise when he remains silent—viz., so that he no longer says foolish things, which makes clear to everyone that he is, in fact, a fool.

Note the modest alliteration in the final line, with the words hm*k=j*l= <k#l* (lākem leḥokmâ), “…for you as wisdom”.

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).
    • Those marked “Pope” are to Marvin H. Pope, Job, Anchor Bible [AB], vol. 15 (1965, 1973).
    • Those marked “Michel” are to Walter L. Michel, Job in the Light of Northwest Semitic, Biblica et Orientalia 42 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1987).
    • Those marked “Gordis” are to Robert Gordis, The Book of Job: Commentary, New Translation, and Special Studies, Moreshet Series, Studies in Jewish History, Literature and Thought, vol. II (The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: 1978).
    • Those marked “Guillaume” are to A. Guillaume, Studies in the Book of Job with a New Translation, ed. John MacDonald, Supplement II to the Annual of Leeds University Oriental Society (Brill: 1968).

June 15: Job 12:12-13

Job 12:12-13
Verse 12

“(If) with (the) aged (there is) wisdom,
and (with) length of days understanding,”

As mentioned in the previous note, verses 12-13 are transitional, between the first half of the chapter (vv. 2-11) and the second (vv. 14-25). Recognizing this aspect of the verses (as a unit) helps us to understand the point that is being made. On the surface, it may seem to present a contrast—viz., between wisdom received by human beings (through tradition, etc.) and the wisdom which God Himself possesses. Indeed, the Joban Dialogue seems to evince such a contrast within its literary-dramatic structure. The speeches by Job’s companions (and by Job himself) are juxtaposed with the Divine speeches of YHWH (chaps. 38-42). We have already discussed the likelihood that the reference to the Divine name in v. 9 anticipates the YHWH speeches, since it is the only such occurrence in the Dialogue prior to chap. 38.

Blommerde (p. 62) and Michel (pp. 283-5; cf. also Hartley, p. 213), building upon earlier observations by Dahood, W. A. van der Weiden, and an unpublished study by W. Quintens, argue strongly that the adjective vyv!y` (“aged”, plur.) and the expression <ym!y` Er#a) (“length of days”) here are Divine titles, akin to “the Ancient of Days” (Aramaic aY`m^oy qyT!u^) in Daniel 7:13. While such usage is not implausible (in and of itself), it is unlikely here given the other Scriptural occurrences of these terms. The rather rare adjective vyv!y` occurs only in the book of Job (cf. also the related vv@y` in 2 Chron 36:17), and in these other instances (15:10; 29:8; 32:6) it refers to aged humans. The same is true for the expression “length of days” —Deut 30:20; Psalm 21:5[4]; Prov 3:2. Cf. Seow, p. 633; Pope, p. 92.

Since older/aged adults have lived longer and experienced more, it is natural that they would tend to have acquired more knowledge and wisdom than the young. The reference is to wisdom (hm*k=j*) and understanding (hn`WbT=) in a general sense, and, in particular, to the sort of conventual/traditional wisdom mentioned in vv. 2-3 (and associated by Job with the words of his companions).

Verse 13

“with Him (also there is) wisdom and strength,
(and) to Him (belong) counsel and understanding.”

Along with most commentators, I view the 3rd person singular suffix (on the prepositions B= and l=) as a reference to YHWH, pointing back to vv. 9-10. In this regard vv. 12 and 13 do not properly represent a contrast, though they are juxtaposed. The juxtaposition, as I see it, is a qal wahomer comparison: viz., “if such is true, then how much more so…” If aged humans possess wisdom and understanding, then surely God does as well (and even more so)! The attributes of “strength” (hr*WbG+) and “counsel” (hx*u@) are included as additional characteristic attributes.
To allow for a more consistent parallelism, Budde would emend hx*u@ (“counsel”) to <x#u) (“strength, might”), though without any textual or versional support. Driver proposed the existence of a separate noun hx*u@ (II) with a comparable meaning (“strength, firmness, endurance”); cf. Clines, p. 280. 

Gordis (p. 138; cf. earlier Hitzig, Budde) suggests that vv. 12 and 13 represent contrasting quotations; in verse 12, Job summarizes what the companions say, while in v. 13 he offers what he himself declares. I find this line of interpretation to be unlikely. Nor do I think it is correct to treat v. 12 as a question (cf. Pope, p. 92).

As in his prior speech (chaps. 9-10), Job recognizes and admits the power/strength of God, and also His supreme knowledge/understanding. It is not these Divine attributes that Job disputes; rather, the basis for his complaint is the apparent injustice that attends some of God’s actions and decisions—especially in relation to his own particular situation. Indeed, God’s irresistible power means that, whatever judgment He issues or punishment that He brings, no human being can oppose it. And, if such judgments are made unjustly or unfairly, then human beings (like Job) end up suffering punishment that they do not deserve.

One can see, then, how verses 12-13 function as a transition, between vv. 9-10 (at the close of the first half of the chapter) and the theological hymn that follows in the second half (vv. 14-25). Moreover, as noted above, verse 12 refers back to the traditional/conventional wisdom transmitted by other human beings (vv. 2-3) or observable from the natural world (vv. 7-8); verse 13, in turn, looks ahead to the hymn, which expounds the basic theological statement in v. 13 (regarding YHWH’s strength and wisdom) over four vigorous strophes.

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).
    • Those marked “Clines” are to David J. A. Clines, Job 1–20, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 17 (1989).
    • Those marked “Pope” are to Marvin H. Pope, Job, Anchor Bible [AB], vol. 15 (1965, 1973).
    • Those marked “Michel” are to Walter L. Michel, Job in the Light of Northwest Semitic, Biblica et Orientalia 42 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1987).
    • Those marked “Blommerde” are to Anton C. M. Blommerde, Northwest Semitic Grammar and Job, Biblica et Orientalia 22 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1969).
    • Those marked “Gordis” are to Robert Gordis, The Book of Job: Commentary, New Translation, and Special Studies, Moreshet Series, Studies in Jewish History, Literature and Thought, vol. II (The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: 1978).

June 12: Job 12:7-8

Job 12:7-8

“But, then—ask (the) Beast, and it shall instruct you,
and (the) bird of the heavens, and he shall set (it) in front of you;
or, speak to the Earth, and it shall instruct you,
and shall recount (it) to you (the) fish of the sea!”

The second section of the first half of chapter 12 has, like the first section, a rhetorical introduction (vv. 7-8 // 2-3) followed by a main stanza (vv. 9-11 // 4-6). In this introduction, Job again (cf. the note on vv. 2-3) rebukes and challenges his companions, utilizing a particular rhetorical device. Here, the device is a call to learn wisdom from the natural world—to be instructed by the different kinds of animals in heaven and earth (cf. Prov 6:6, etc.). In verse 3, Job insinuated that the wisdom expressed by the companions is the sort of conventional wisdom that everyone knows; now, he goes a step further and indicates that even the animals know such wisdom! Indeed, they may possess a kind of knowledge which surpasses that of the companions, such that the companions should perhaps go to them for instruction.

Clines (p. 292), following a suggestion by Gordis (p. 137f; cf. “Quotations as a Literary Usage in Biblical, Oriental and Rabbinic Literature,” Hebrew Union College Annual [HUCA] 22 [1949] pp. 157–219), proposes that “these verses are not Job’s address to the friends but an ironic statement by him of what he imagines they have been saying to him, or might well say to him”. This is correct insofar as it captures the satirical tone of Job’s address, but it distorts the rhetorical and poetical structure of vv. 2-11 (according to how I have outlined it above). Job is, in fact, addressing the companions here, but in a caustic and satirical way, drawing upon the call to tradition (e.g., to the wisdom of the ancient/prior generations, see Bildad’s use of the device in 8:8-10 [note]). Cf. the article by N. C. Habel, “Appeal to Ancient Tradition as a Literary Form,” Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [ZAW] 88 (1976), pp. 253–72.

When vv. 7-8 are understood as building, rhetorically, upon vv. 2-3, the use of conjunctive particle <l*Wa (prefixed with a w+ conjunction) is clarified— “But, then (also)…”, viz., you can also find the same kind of wisdom among the animals of the natural world. The particle (of entreaty) an` also has a rhetorical purpose (which I have left untranslated for poetic concision): “please ask…”, “I would ask that you inquire…”. The superficial politeness of Job’s form of address only underlines his bitter sarcasm.

The poetic structure of vv. 7-8 is deceptively complex, and its apparent irregularities have caused difficulties for commentators. On the surface, the first couplet seems to present a straightforward parallelism between the “beasts (of the earth)” and the “flying (one)s [i.e., birds] of the heavens”. However, the true parallelism is between the couplets of vv. 7 and 8, rather than the lines of each couplet. This is clear from the doubling of the feminine singular form of the verb hr*y` (“direct, guide, instruct”), E*r#t)w+ (“and she shall instruct you”), in vv. 7a and 8a, respectively. This also implies that the feminine plural noun tomh@B= (“beasts”) should be regarded as singular (i.e., “beast”), parallel with the feminine singular noun Jr#a# (“earth”) in v. 8a. One might simply treat the plural tomh@B= in a collective sense (as in Joel 1:20; Jer 12:4, which thus could take a singular verb (cf. Seow, p. 632); however, the distinctive use of tomh@B= in Job 40:15 suggests otherwise.

Indeed, Michel (p. 279f) would seem to be on the right track in recognizing in tomh@B= here a foreshadowing of the later usage in 40:15ff—viz., as a cosmic-mythic reference to the great Beast (‘Behemoth’) who symbolizes the Earth/Land (and the nether realms), even as the ‘Leviathan’ (chap. 41) represents the Sea (and the primeval waters). Treating tomh@B= as a singular figure, with mythic-cosmic aspects that are symbolic of the earth, establishes the proper parallelism for the couplets (and makes all of the various proposed emendations of the text unnecessary):

    • “Ask the Beast, and it shall instruct you,
      • and the birds of the heavens shall put (it) in front of you;
    • ask the Earth, and it shall instruct you,
      • and the fish of the sea shall recount (it) to you.”

Michel (citing discussion with L. Viganò) also appears to be correct in recognizing in the parallelism of vv. 7a and 8a a stereotypical expression (“beast[s] of the earth”), that is broken up and distributed across both couplets. In each couplet, “beast/earth” forms a secondary parallel with “the heavens” (v. 7b) and “the sea” (v. 8b), respectively. Indeed, the noun Jr#a# (“earth/land”) forms a natural and traditional pairing with both <y]m^v* (“heavens”, i.e., “the heavens and the earth”) and <y` (“sea”, i.e., “earth/land and sea”).

The word j^yc! in v. 8a is, quite apparently, an imperative of the verb jyc (II), “utter, speak”; however, there is also a noun j^yc! (I) that means “shrub(bery), bush”, and a few commentators (e.g., Weiser, J. Gray) have proposed that j^yc! here is the noun, forming the expression “bush(es) belonging to the earth” (i.e., “bush[es] of the earth”), with the ESV and RSV translations following suit. However, not only is the resultant line in v. 8 banal and awkward, it totally destroys the parallelism of the couplet: i.e., “ask the beast // speak to the earth”. 

Job’s rhetorical introduction prepares the way for the main stanza (vv. 9-11), which also has a cosmological focus—on God (YHWH) as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. These verses will be examined in the next note.

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).
    • Those marked “Clines” are to David J. A. Clines, Job 1–20, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 17 (1989).
    • Those marked “Michel” are to Walter L. Michel, Job in the Light of Northwest Semitic, Biblica et Orientalia 42 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1987).
    • Those marked “Gordis” are to Robert Gordis, The Book of Job: Commentary, New Translation, and Special Studies, Moreshet Series, Studies in Jewish History, Literature and Thought, vol. II (The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: 1978).

June 5: Job 12:1-3

Job’s Fourth Speech, Part 1: Chapter 12

Job 12:1

“Then Ayyab answered and said:”

Job’s next speech is introduced (cf. 3:1-2; 4:1; 6:1; 8:1; 9:1; 11:1) with the same simple and generic formula.

Structurally, the first half of chapter 12 (the first Division of Job’s speech) is divided into two sections: vv. 2-6 and 7-11. Each of these sections is comprised of a rhetorical introduction followed by a primary stanza. Verses 2-3 represent the rhetorical introduction to the first section, with vv. 4-6 as the primary stanza.

Job 12:2-3
Verse 2

“Surely (it is) that you (are the) people,
and with you (all) wisdom shall die!”

Job begins his speech (in response to Zophar [chap. 11]) as he did the one prior (9:2), with the adverbial particle <n`m=a* (“with firmness”, i.e., “certainly, surely”). That is, he makes a statement regarding something that is to be considered certain or sure. Only here, the declaration is far more caustic, as he responds with a mocking sarcasm.

Problematic is the identification of <u in the first line with the noun <u^ (“people”), since it would seem rather strange for Job to identify Zophar and the other companions as “(the) people” (i.e., “you [are the] people”), particularly if <u^ was meant in the customary ethnic-national sense. It is more likely that the reference is to “people” in a generalized or generic sense; in English idiom, we might say “you (are the) ones (who)”. If so, then the meaning of the phrase in line 1 might be “you (are the) ones (who know)”, “you (are the) people (that have knowledge)”. Still, the peculiarity of usage has prompted commentators and translators to search for other explanations; cf. the summary by Seow, pp. 629-30. Of the more plausible conjectures, one may note:

    • A connection with Arabic ʿamīm, “complete, without deficiency,” i.e., “perfect” (Reider, Brockington)
    • A separate <mu root meaning “be strong” (Dahood, Blommerde [p. 61])
    • A root <mu meaning “be wise” (Dahood, Michel [pp. 271-2])
    • Wordplay with Egyptian ʿm, “to know” (Geller, Greenstein)

Given the Job-poet’s penchant for double-meaning wordplay, as well as the occurrence of a number of Egyptian loanwords in the book (see, e.g., 8:11 [note]), the last of these proposals (mentioned above) should at least be considered (so also Seow, p. 629f).

Some of the difficulty of the syntax in v. 2 might be alleviated by following the suggestion by J. A. Davies (“A Note on Job XII 2”, Vetus Testamentum [VT] 25 [1975], pp. 670-1; cf. Clines, p. 278f) that the initial w-conjunction in the second line is used to introduce a relative clause, so that the couplet reads: “Surely (it is) that you (are the) people with whom (all) wisdom shall die!” While admittedly yielding a smoother-reading couplet, this approach also blunts the force and vigor of the poetry.

In any case, there is unquestionably some alliterative wordplay between <u^ and the first word of line 2—a suffixed form of the preposition <u! (“with”), i.e., <k#M*u! (“with you”). This suggests a loose chiastic structure for the couplet, which is more alliterative than syntactical:

    • “Surely (it is) that [yK! <n`m=a*]
      • you (are) [<T#a^]
        • (the) people [<u^]
        • and with you [<k#M*u!w+]
      • shall die [tWmT*]
    • wisdom [hm*k=j*]”

There may also be some double-meaning wordplay involving the verb form tWmT* (“it shall die”), particularly if the Hebrew text was originally without internal vowel letters (Seow, p. 630)—viz., tmt, which could be vocalized as tm%T* (“shall die”), but also tM)T% (“[full] completion”, cf. Aquila) or  tM^T% (“completeness, fullness”, cf. Symmachus) from the verbal root <mt (“be complete, full”). Thus, Job could be saying both “wisdom shall die with you” and “wisdom (finds its) completion with you”. That, indeed, is what is meant by the sarcastic statement: because wisdom is fully manifest in the person of the companions, it will die out when they die. This, of course, is Job’s way of criticizing the presumptuousness in the tone and manner of the companions’ speeches, which suggest (to him) that they consider themselves to have more wisdom and understanding than other people.

Verse 3

“(But) also to me (belongs) a heart just as you (have)!
I am not (in any way) falling (short) of you (in this)—
indeed, with whom is there not (such thing)s as these?”

Job follows up his caustic declaration in v. 2 with a more straightforward answer to the effect that he has just as much wisdom and understanding as they. He claims to have a “heart” (i.e., mind, sense) that is just as sound and capable as theirs; note the suggestive comment by Zophar in 11:12 that Job needs to “be given a heart” (i.e., receive/gain good sense). Nor does his understanding “fall (short)” (vb lp^n`) of theirs; he is not any less in stature as a man of wisdom (cf. Nehemiah 6:16). In fact, Job goes so far as to add (in the third line) that there is nothing special about the wisdom expressed in their speeches—it represents the kind of (conventional) wisdom that virtually all people possess!

The LXX lacks the second line, and a number of commentators (e.g., Merx, Bickell, Dillmann, Duhm, Driver-Gray, Dhorme, Hölscher, Fohrer) would delete as a gloss (borrowed from 13:2b); cf. Seow, p. 630; Althann, p. 69*.

Following this rhetorical introduction, the main stanza (vv. 4-6) of the first section follows; it will be examined in the next note.

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).
    • Those marked “Clines” are to David J. A. Clines, Job 1–20, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 17 (1989).
    • Those marked “Althann” are to Robert Althann, bwya Job, Biblia Hebraica Quinta, vol. 16 (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: 2024).
    • Those marked “Michel” are to Walter L. Michel, Job in the Light of Northwest Semitic, Biblica et Orientalia 42 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1987).
    • Those marked “Blommerde” are to Anton C. M. Blommerde, Northwest Semitic Grammar and Job, Biblica et Orientalia 22 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1969).

Wednesday Wisdom: Proverbs 9 (Part 2)

Fourth Wisdom Poem: Proverbs 9:1-18, continued

Intermediary Sayings (vv. 7-12)

As discussed in Part 1, many commentators feel that verses 7-12 represent a secondary addition to the Wisdom poem of chapter 9 (vv. 1-6, 13-18). The sayings in these verses do seem to interrupt the fine pairing of the addresses by Wisdom (vv. 1-6) and Folly (vv. 13-18), respectively, and it is difficult to see just how they are meant to relate to that primary material. A few commentators (e.g., Fox, Clifford, and cf. J. E. Goldingay, “Proverbs V and IX”, Revue Biblique 84 [1977], pp. 80-93) consider verse 11 to be part of Wisdom’s address (and thus part of the ‘original’ poem), as a proper continuation of verse 6. However, treating verse 11 as part of the original poem, only makes the inclusion of the material in vv. 7-10 + 12 in its current place that much more difficult to explain. On issues related vv. 7-12 in terms of the composition of chapter 9 as a whole, see the discussion by Whybray, Composition, pp. 43-8.

Even if verses 7-12 are secondary, it apparently made sense to at least one author/redactor to include the sayings here between vv. 1-6 and 13-18. Yet scholars have struggled to find a suitable explanation as to the reasoning. In my view, it appears that the purpose is by way of an application of Wisdom’s address (vv. 1-6) for local Wisdom-teachers (i.e., parents and other instructors). The parallelism between Wisdom (personified) and these local Wisdom-teachers was discussed in Part 1. This can be seen, first, by the wording of Wisdom’s address at the close of the previous poem (chapter 8 [vv. 32ff]) which follows the pattern in the Lectures of chapters 1-9—viz., of the parent (father) addressing his child (young man). Second, there is the reference here to Wisdom sending out her servants (v. 3), which, as discussed, could symbolize the instruction by local Wisdom-teachers (embodying the voice and teaching of Wisdom herself). If so, then there is an oblique orientation in vv. 1-6 to the local Wisdom-teacher, to whom the advice in vv. 7-9ff seems to be addressed.

The entire sense and tone of the exhortation in both the Lectures and Poems of chapters 1-9 makes clear that a young person must make a choice—deciding whether or not to heed the instruction offered and follow the path and teachings of Wisdom. Some will choose to receive this instruction, while others will not. The young and inexperienced person (yt!P#) addressed here by Wisdom (v. 4), as well as the one otherwise lacking sense (“lacking in heart”), may be prone to foolishness, but he/she is capable of being instructed. If that person chooses to receive the teaching of Wisdom, then he/she is actually one of the wise, while the person who rejects it proves to be truly a fool. Throughout chapters 1-9, there has been a stark contrast between the path of wisdom/righteousness and the path(s) of folly/wickedness. The one who rejects the path and teaching of Wisdom is no longer simply a naive youth, etc.; rather, he/she has begun down the paths of wickedness and folly.

This same contrast is presented here in verses 7-12, between the wise/righteous person (v. 9) and the foolish/wicked one. The latter is referred to by the verbal adjective (participle) Jl@ (vb Jyl!), denoting a person who regularly/characteristically scoffs and boasts (derisively). Such “scoffers” (plur. <yxl@) were mentioned earlier in 1:22 and 3:34; in particular, in the first Wisdom poem (1:20-33), in which Wisdom similarly is portrayed as calling out an invitation to humankind, the <yx!l@ are specifically identified with the naive/foolish youths, etc., who reject the voice of Wisdom. This is also the situation here in chapter 9. Verses 7-9ff involve the naive/foolish ones (whom Wisdom addresses, vv. 4ff) and who reject Wisdom’s call (i.e., reject sound/wise teaching and the voice of parents and instructors, etc.). Indeed, they go so far as to mock and ridicule such teaching.

Verse 7

“(The one) instructing a scoffer [Jl@] is receiving contempt for himself,
and (the one) giving rebuke to a wicked (man), his (own) harm.”

The saying here in verse 7 deals with the situation of the naive/foolish person who rejects the voice of Wisdom and thus proceeds headlong down the paths of folly and wickedness. Parents are to teach their children, even as other teachers must instruct those who are young and lacking sense—as vv. 1-6 makes quite clear. However, if the young person rejects Wisdom and refuses to heed sound/wise teaching—going so far as to become one of the wicked “scoffers” —then there is no longer any point in trying to instruct such a person. Attempting to do so will only bring harsher forms of rejection— “contempt” (/olq*) and “injury/harm” (<Wm = <Wam=)—and this rejection will be directed at the person of the teacher. This point is expressed by the phrase “(he is) receiving contempt for him(self)”; the suffixed noun omWm (“his harm”) in the second line is a poetic shorthand for a parallel phrase, i.e., “(receives) harm for himself”, i.e., “…his (own) harm” (Waltke [p. 427] explains the pronominal suffix as a “genitive of a mediated object”). The noun <Wm can refer specifically to physical harm/injury (Lev 21:17ff; 24:19f, etc.), and that may be implied here as well. In other Wisdom texts (e.g., Job 11:15; 31:7; Sir 11:33; 30:31; 47:20) the noun tends to be used in a more figurative sense.

The verb rs^y` means “instruct”, but often (as here) with the specific aspect of “correction, discipline”, parallel to jk^y` (“prove [wrong], reprove, rebuke”) in the second line. Both of these verbal roots are part of the regular Wisdom terminology and occur repeatedly in chapters 1-9. The noun rs*Wm (“instruction, correction, discipline”) occurs much more frequently than the verb rs^y`; the verb jk^y` was used earlier in 3:12.

Verse 8

“You should not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you;
(but) give a rebuke to a wise (man), and he will love you.”

In the context of vv. 1-6, the wise person refers to the young/foolish one who chooses to accept/receive the teaching of Wisdom, in direct contrast to the one who rejects the voice of Wisdom (the latter being referenced again here by the verbal adjective Jl@, “scoffer”). Line 1 repeats the advice given to the Wisdom-teacher in v. 7: there is no point trying to instruct (and especially to correct/rebuke) such a person. The “scoffer” will hate the one who tries to teach him; by contrast, the wise person (i.e., the one who heeds and accepts the voice of Wisdom) will love the teacher.

Schipper (p. 331) cites a similar saying from the Egyptian Demotic Instruction of Khasheshonqi:

“Do not instruct a fool, lest he hate you.
Do not instruct him who will not listen to you.”
(cf. Lichtheim III, p. 165)

Verse 9

“Give (instruction) to a wise (man) and he will be wis(er) still;
give knowledge to a right(eous one) and he will continue receipt (of it).”

Verse 7 deals with the foolish/wicked person, while verse 9 here has the wise/righteous person in view (with v. 8 treating both). Again, in context, the wise/righteous person refers specifically to the young person (vv. 4ff), etc., who accepts the wise/sound instruction of his teacher and thus heeds the voice of Wisdom calling to him. Such a person proves himself to be genuinely wise, and instruction given to him will make him wiser still, and he will be willing (and able) to continue receiving Wisdom (“receipt [of knowledge]”).

Waltke (p. 428) states that the w-conjunction on the jussive verbs in vv. 8b-9ab, following an earlier imperative, specifically indicates purpose; in which case, it could be translated “so (that)…”.

Verse 10

“(The) beginning of wisdom (is the) fear of YHWH,
and knowledge of (the) Holiest (is) understanding.”

This verse is an expansion of the motto given at the beginning of the work (1:7a). There is a clear chiastic parallelism in the couplet:

    • “(The) beginning of wisdom
      • fear of YHWH
      • knowledge of (the) Holiest
    • (the beginning of) understanding”

As throughout chapters 1-9, the noun hn`yB! (“understanding, discernment”) is virtually synonymous with hm*k=j* (“wisdom”), being used interchangeably. In 8:1, 14, hn`yB!/hn*WbT= functions as a second name (i.e., Understanding) for Wisdom personified. The parallelism outlined above indicates that the second line contains the phrase “(is the beginning of) understanding”; for poetic concision, this is rendered as “(is) understanding”. The same parallelism also makes clear that the plural of the adjective vodq* (“holy”) is an intensive (elative) or comprehensive plural used as a Divine title (“[the] Holiest [One]”).

The declarative motto (cf. the earlier note on 1:7), in the context here of vv. 1-6ff, enables the Wisdom-teacher to discern the identity of the young (and otherwise foolish) person who is truly wise—that is, the one who will respond positively to instruction and will heed the voice/call of Wisdom. A naive and inexperienced young person can still possess a basic “fear” (i.e., reverence) of YHWH, and an awareness (“knowledge”) of His true nature (and of humankind’s relationship to Him). This intrinsic sense of religious devotion actually precedes the acquisition of wisdom (at the practical level), as the motto makes clear; even a naive child may revere God.

Instructive in this regard are the words of Agur in 30:3:

“Indeed, I have not (yet) learned wisdom,
but knowledge of (the) Holiest I know.”
(or, “…I would know”)

Cf. Fox, p. 309, and also his useful survey (pp. 309-17) on ideas in the wider ancient Near Eastern Wisdom Tradition regarding who is (and who is not) capable of being taught and learning Wisdom.
See also the same author’s article “Who Can Learn? A Dispute in Ancient Pedagogy”, in Wisdom, You Are My Sister: Studies in Honor of Roland E. Murphy, ed. Michael L. Barré, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series 29 (Catholic Biblical Association of America: 1997), pp. 62-77.

Verse 11

“Indeed, by me your days are made many,
and made to continue for you (the) years of life.”

As noted above, Fox (pp. 299-300) and other commentators (e.g., Clifford, pp. 101ff), regard verse 11 as part of Wisdom’s address, being the continuation of verse 6:

“Leave behind (your) youthful folly, and live—
and go straight on the path of understanding!
For by me your days are made many,
and made to continue for you (the) years of life.”

However, if v. 11 was originally part of the collection of sayings in vv. 7-12, then it has a more generalized significance—paired with v. 10, it summarizes (as a reminder for the Wisdom-teacher) both the beginning and end purpose/result of following the path of Wisdom. Indeed, a long and fruitful life is one of the (Divine) blessings that will come as a result of faithfully following the path of Wisdom; the wording here especially echoes that of 3:2 and 4:10.

It is not necessary to emend the MT yB! (“by me”) to hB* (“by it [fem.]”, i.e., by Wisdom), though it would not be particularly objectionable to do so (cf. Waltke, p. 428), as it makes vv. 7-12 read more smoothly as a unit and has (limited) support from the Versions (LXX, Syriac, Targum).

Verse 12

“If you are wise, you will have wisdom for yourself;
but if you are a scoffer, you will bear (it) by yourself.”

Fox (p. 317f) argues that verse 12 was added sometime after vv. 7-10 had been inserted in the text (between vv. 6 and 11). Thematically, it continues the wise/righteous vs. foolish/wicked (“scoffer” [Jl@]) contrast from vv. 7-9 (see above), but otherwise fits uneasily with those prior verses. While vv. 7-9 seem to have the Wisdom-teacher in view, verse 12 (like, to some extent, vv. 10-12) apparently has the pupil (young person) in view. This may allow for a tentative outline of vv. 7-12 as a whole (cf. also the outline by Meinhold, p. 156):

    • Vv. 7-9: How the Wisdom-teacher applies vv. 1-6: two kinds of young people, etc., who respond to the voice of Wisdom—the foolish/wicked (“scoffers”) [v. 7] and the wise/righteous [v. 9], with the two contrasted [v. 8].
    • Vv. 10-12: Application of vv. 1-6 to the young person (pupil) who responds to the call of Wisdom:
      • The beginning of following the path/teaching of Wisdom (v. 10, cf. 1:7)
      • The end result of following the path—long life (v. 11)
      • The choice whether or not to follow the path, and what this means for the fate of the individual—reprise of the contrast between the wise/righteous and the foolish/wicked (“scoffers”) (v. 12)

On the surface, the two lines of verse 12 seem to be making similar (parallel) points—viz., whether or not one accepts or rejects Wisdom, the individual (alone) receives the consequent reward or punishment. However, the two lines are probably meant as a subtly ironic contrast. In line 1, the point is actually akin to that in verse 9 (cf. above)—if a person is wise, he/she will continue to receive more wisdom (“you will have wisdom for you[rself]”). But in line 2, both the wording and the sense (nuance of emphasis) is different—the wicked “scoffer” will bear the burden/guilt of his wicked folly by himself (i.e., alone, in separation). In the first case, the wise/righteous person receives abundant blessing (the principal of which is Wisdom herself), while, in the second instance, the foolish/wicked person suffers punishing loss.

In the LXX (also in the Syriac Peshitta), there are included three additional Wisdom-sayings which seem to develop the contrast in v. 12:

“He who supports himself upon (thing)s false,
this (one also) will herd (the) winds,
and the same (one) will pursue (the) flying birds.
For he has left behind (the) paths of his own vineyard,
causing the axles of his own worked land to go astray.
Indeed, he travels through a desolate (land) without water,
and a land thoroughly ordained to be in thirst—
he even gathers together (the) lack of fruit in (his) hands!”

Cf. Fox, Textual Commentary, pp. 167-8; Schipper, p. 335.

    • References above marked “Fox” are to Michael V. Fox, Proverbs 1-9, Anchor Bible [AB], vol. 18A (Yale University Press: 2000). Those marked “Fox, Textual Commentary” are to idem, Proverbs: An Eclectic Edition with Introduction and Textual Commentary, The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition 1 (Society of Biblical Literature [SBL] Press: 2015). 
    • References marked “Waltke” are to Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1–15, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Eerdmans: 2004).
    • Those marked “Clifford” are to Richard J. Clifford, Proverbs: A Commentary, First edition, The Old Testament Library (Westminster John Knox Press: 1999).
    • References marked “Schipper” are to Bernd U. Schipper, Proverbs 1-15, Hermeneia Commentary Series (Fortress Press: 2010). See also his monograph on Proverbs 2: Hermeneutik der Tora: Studien zur Traditionsgeschichte von Prov 2 und zur Komposition von Prov 1-9, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 432 (Walter de Gruyter: 2012).
    • Those marked “Meinhold” are to Arndt Meinhold, Die Sprüche, Teil 1: Sprüche Kapitel 1-15, Zürcher Bibelkommentare, AT 16.1 (Theologische Verlag Zürich: 1991).
    • Those marked “Whybray, Composition” are to R. N. Whybray, The Composition of the Book of Proverbs, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament [JSOT] Supplement Series 168 (JSOT Press: 1994).

Sunday Psalm Studies: Sirach 51:13-30

Poem in Praise of Wisdom (Sirach 51:13-30)

Of all the Deutero-canonical Scriptures, the book of Sirach (Ben Sira) was the most widely accepted (and used) among Jews and Christians. For centuries, this book was known from the Greek translation and other ancient versions (Syriac, Latin), until a number of Hebrew manuscripts were discovered in the 20th century. These include six manuscripts from the genizah (store-room) of the Ben Ezra synagogue in Cairo, dated to the 11th-12th centuries A.D., and three Dead Sea manuscripts from the first century B.C./A.D.; in addition, various fragments of the so-called “Rhyming Paraphrase” of Ben Sira are utilized by scholars in establishing and comparing the Hebrew text of the book.

Though the Dead Sea manuscripts preserve only a small portion of the Hebrew text, they are of supreme value for determining the original Hebrew. They also attest to the fact that, in the first century B.C./A.D., the Community of the Qumran texts, as well as those who produced (and used) the Masada scroll, regarded the book of Ben Sira as authoritative Scripture within a century or so (c. 100-50 B.C.) of the time that the book was originally composed (first quarter of the 2nd century B.C.).

There are a number of Psalm/hymnic portions of Ben Sira—most notably, the encomia in praise of the heroes and ancestors of Israel (44:1-50:24), and the three pieces of chapter 51: (i) the Thanksgiving hymn (for answered prayer), vv. 1-12; (ii) the Hymn of praise to YHWH (patterned after Psalm 136), included between vv. 12 and 13 (but preserved only in the Genizah manuscript B); and (iii) the Poem in praise of Wisdom, vv. 13-30. As it happens, the latter poem was included in the great Cave 11 Psalms Scroll of Qumran (11QPsa), and thus can be regarded as one of the extra-canonical Psalms preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Sirach Wisdom-Poem (51:13-30) from 11QPsa

Sirach 51:13-30 is extensively preserved in column XXII of 11QPsa (beginning with line 11) and into the beginning (line 1) of column XXIII. Unfortunately, the bottom portion of column XXII is lost, and, along with it, most of vv. 20-30. The poem is preserved in Genizah manuscript B, but it is generally recognized that these Hebrew manuscripts of Ben Sira represent at least partial retroversions (from Syriac) into Hebrew.
Probably this is the result of copyists working from fragmentary or otherwise incomplete Hebrew manuscripts, requiring restorations based on the Syriac version(s). See the discussion by Alexander A. Di Lella, O.F.M., The Hebrew Text of Sirach: A Text-Critical and Historical Study, Studies in Classical Literature, 1 (Mouton & Co.: 1966), pp. 106-51.
Genizah MS B is thus of limited value in recovering the original Hebrew of vv. 20-30, and one must rely on the LXX and Syriac for a complete evaluation and reconstruction.

The Hebrew text of Sirach 51:13-30 in 11QPsa makes clear that the poem is an acrostic, utilizing the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet (each couplet beginning with a different letter). A number of canonical Psalms (and other poems) employ comparable acrostic formats, with both partial and complete patterns utilized—cf. Pss 9-10; 25; 34; 111; 112; 119; 145; Prov 31:10-31; Lamentations 1-4. The extra-canonical Psalm “Apostrophe to Zion” in 11QPsa is also an acrostic.
Interestingly, G. Bickell in 1882 (“Ein alphabetisches Lied Jesus Sirach’s”, Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie 6, pp. 319-33), before the discovery of any of the Hebrew manuscripts, had theorized that the Syriac version was based on a Hebrew acrostic, and he went so far as to retranslate the poem back into the Hebrew (based mainly on the LXX). Cf. Skehan / Di Lella, p. 576.

This particular poem contains 23 couplets, covering each of the 22 letters, along with a final couplet that repeats the use of the letter p. Psalms 25 and 34 utilize the same device. This apparently is meant to give the poem a framework involving the letters a (beginning), l (middle) and p (end)—forming the word [la (i.e., ‘Aleph, the name of the first Hebrew letter), but also the verb [la I (“learn”, Piel “teach”); cf. Skehan / Di Lella, p. 576.

The psalm in Sirach 51:13-30 is not a hymn of praise to YHWH, but an encomium (hymn) praising Wisdom. In this regard, it has certain similarities to the Wisdom-poems in Proverbs 1-9 (1:20-33; 3:13-20; chapters 8; 9), cf. the recent study on the chapter 8 poem. Proverbs 1-9 utilizes the rhetorical-dramatic device of a father addressing (i.e., exhorting and instructing) his son. By contrast, Sir 51:13-30 is autobiographic, in which the author-protagonist (Ben Sira) presents himself as one who has faithfully sought out (and followed) the teachings of Wisdom. This he claims to have done ever since he was a young man, thus making of himself an example for others to follow.

The poem may be divided into four parts:

    • The author’s familiarity with Wisdom, ever since he was a young man (vv. 13-17)
      • The author’s relationship to Wisdom, and the blessings that have resulted (vv. 18-22)
    • The author exhorts his readers to follow Wisdom, even as he has done (vv. 23-26)
      • The author presents himself as an example to follow, with the promised blessing that will come as a result (vv. 27-30)

More narrowly, the sections are built up of poetic units consisting of pairs of couplets (i.e., quatrains) or triads (i.e., six lines). Metrically, a 3-beat (3+3) couplet format is generally followed.

Section 1: Verses 13-17
Verses 13-14

“[a] (When) I [yna] (was) a youth, in (the time) before
I began to wander, then I sought her (out);
[b] (and) she came [hab] to me in her (lovely) form,
and until (the) end I will search for her!”

The first two couplets describe the protagonist’s first encounter with Wisdom, back when he was a mere youth (run). As noted above, the Lectures and Wisdom-poems of Proverbs 1-9 use the rhetorical-dramatic device of a father addressing his son (i.e., young man), with the goal of encouraging the boy to ‘seek out’ Wisdom (personified as a woman), following her path and taking heed of her teachings. The author-protagonist of our poem (i.e., Ben Sira) utilizes an autobiographical orientation, but the focus is essentially the same—emphasizing the value and importance of a young man paying close attention to Wisdom from early on (cf. Wis 8:12, and the tradition in 1 Kings 3:7-9). Indeed, this is part of his own manner of instructing other young men (cf. 6:18), much like the father of Prov 1-9 who also can employ autobiographical means (4:3-9) to persuade his son(s).

The author describes his boyhood as “in (the) time before [<rfb] I began to wander [ytyut]”. The verb hu*T* means “wander” (i.e., travel, roam), but sometimes in the ethical-religious sense of “go astray”, in keeping with the path/walking idiom that is so familiar to the Wisdom Tradition (see esp. Psalm 119) and which features so prominently throughout Proverbs 1-9. Thus, the verb here is a two-fold meaning: on the one hand, the lack of wandering/traveling simply refers to the boy’s youth and lack of experience; and the same time, it implicitly contains the vital exhortation to choose the right/straight path of Wisdom early in life before one begins to ‘go astray’.

Indeed, even as a boy, the author claims that he “searched” (vb vq^B*) for Wisdom, and, in response, she came to him. In the Wisdom Tradition (and especially in Proverbs 1-9) Wisdom is personified as woman—due largely to the fact that the noun hm*k=j* (“wisdom”, along with similar wisdom-terms) is grammatically feminine. In Proverbs 1-9, Wisdom tends to be viewed and portrayed as a lover (figuratively speaking) for the young man, with the poems occasionally drawing upon the language and imagery of love poetry. To some extent, this can be seen in the poem here as well. For example, in this second couplet, it is said that Wisdom came to the young man in her lovely/beautiful shape/form (ra^T). This noun occurs a number of times in the Scriptures in regard to a person’s physical beauty and attractiveness (e.g., Gen 39:6), and specifically of a woman in Gen 29:17; Deut 21:11; 1 Sam 25:3; Esther 2:7; cf. also the other occurrences in Sirach, esp. 11:2; 42:12.

Having encountered Wisdom in all her beauty, the young man determines to continue “searching” for her (vb vr^D*) throughout his life, with the implication that he has faithfully done so.

Verse 15

“[g] Even [<g] (as) a blossom drops in (the) ripening,
(the) grapes make glad (one’s) heart;
[d] (so) have tread [hkrd] my feet on a straight (path),
since from my youth I have known her!”

The maturing of the young man (and surely there is at least a faint allusion here to sexual maturity) is compared to the ripening (vb lv^B*) of grapes. Throughout his life, Wisdom has made his heart glad, even as the grapes (and their wine) do for a person (cf. Psalm 104:15). On the blossom preceding the grapes, as a seasonal indicator of growth and development, cf. Gen 40:10. It is unlikely that the verb in v. 15a is ur^G` I (“reduce, take/cut down”) in the sense of the blossom withering; rather, the root ur^G` II (“drip/drop [moisture]”, cf. Job 36:27) is surely meant here, with its allusion to the ‘juice’ of the fruit, particularly since it can specifically be used in the context of ripening grapes (cf. Jastrow, p. 271).

The locative noun rv*ym@ means “straight place”, used here in the Wisdom context of the path/walking idiom (see above), cf. Isa 26:7; the path of Wisdom is straight, but also level (i.e., providing firm/secure footing). The young man has known Wisdom (vb ud^y`) since childhood, indicating that she has been a close/intimate companion (with possible erotic allusions).

Verses 16-17

“[h] I stretched forth [ytyfh] accordingly my ear a little,
and a great receipt (of learning) I found;
[w] and (so one) to suckle [hluw] she has been for me—
to (the One) teaching me I give His honor!”

The blessing provided by Wisdom is such that even just a little bit of faithful listening brings great reward. The Divine nature of Wisdom—that is, she is the Wisdom of God—is indicated here in v. 17, with the implicit reference to God as the young man’s true Teacher. Wisdom is simply the means by which God gives Instruction to people, shaping their development on the path of righteousness.

The noun hlu in v. 17a is somewhat debated. Sanders (p. 114f) and Rey/Reymond (p. 265) understand the form as a verbal noun (participle) of lwu II (“suck[le]”), viz., a nursemaid, the one that a child suckles. The image of sucking at the woman’s breast can have both mothering and erotic implications (see the context of Song 8:1; cf. also 4:5; 7:3, 7-8); as Sanders (p. 114) notes, Wisdom is described as both a mother and a young bride in 15:2. The LXX translates with the noun prokoph/, lit., “cutting forward”, i.e., advancement, progress, with connotation of profit/benefit. Skehan / Di Lella (p. 574f) understands the word here as deriving from the root lu^y` (“profit, benefit”), presumably as an Aramaic form (luw, cp. the noun du^w~). The Cairo Genizah manuscript B reads hL*u% (“her yoke”) on the basis of the Syriac version (Skehan / Di Lella).

The final word is apparently wdwh, the noun doh (“weight, honor, splendor”) with the third person singular suffix (i.e., “his honor”), presumably in the sense of the honor (i.e., full weight) that is due the person. However, others (e.g., Sanders, p. 114, DJD, p. 81f) would read the consonants as ydwh—that is, with a first person suffix, meaning “my weight”, in the sense of “my full being”.

Section 2: Verses 18-22
Verses 18-19b

“[z] I purposed [ytwmz] (indeed) that I <would love> her,
I was red-faced for (the) good and did not turn back;
[j] I burned [ytyrj] (in) my soul for her,
and my face I would not turn away;
[f] I am restless [ytrf] (in) my soul for her,
and (even) on her heights I do not rest!”

The overall meaning of this triad of couplets depends on the second verb in line 1 (v. 18a), which 11QPsa apparently reads as a form of qj^v* (“grind [down], crush”). Sanders (p. 115), proposes a slight emendation to the verb qj^c* (= qj^x*), “laugh, be cheerful”, sometimes in the sense of “play, celebrate” (cf. Prov 8:30). However, I am inclined to follow the suggestion of Deutsch (p. 402) that the text of the manuscript here is corrupt and should be corrected (by the transposition of two letters) to hqvjaw, a form of the verb qv^j*, denoting a loving (and passionate) joining/embrace between two people (such as in a marital/conjugal context). Indeed, the following lines suggest and describe a passionate desire: (a) he is jealous (‘red-faced’) for the good (i.e., Wisdom); (b) he burns and is restless (dr^f*) in his soul for her; (c) he is unable/unwilling to turn away from her; (d) he wants to ascend as far as possible “onto her heights”. The latter reference could allude to Prov 8:2-4; 9:3, 14 (so Deutsch, p. 402), but I am reminded of the scenario in Song 7:7-9, where the young man expresses his desire to climb to the top of his beloved (as a palm tree) to reach her fruit; cf. also the comparison of young woman in 8:9-10 as a structure with battlements and high towers (her breasts are the towers). The author does seem to be drawing at least generally upon love poetry tradition to describe his relationship to Wisdom.

Verses 19c-20a

“[y] My hand(s) [ydy] open[ed her gates],
[and] I came to discern her nakedness;
[k] my palms [ypk] I made clean unto [her],
[and in purity I did find her].”

The allusive love-poetry language apparent in vv. 18-19b (see above) come even more clearly into view in this pair of bicola (central to the section). Unfortunately, the lines are only partially preserved in 11QPsa, and so we cannot be absolutely certain of the Hebrew text. In particular, for the first line of v. 19c, only the first four letters (p ydy) are preserved completely legible. Sanders (DJD, pp. 80, 82) and Skehan (p. 395) read the verb jtp (“open”) following ydy (“my hand”), in keeping with the Syriac and the reading of B (hjtp), i.e., [h]jtp ydy (“my hand[s] opened”), while Di Lella (Skehan / Di Lella, p. 575) prefers a form of the verb crp (“spread [out]”), following the LXX (e)cepe/tasa), i.e., [yt]crp ydy (“my hands I spread out”). If one accepts the reading with the verb htp, then one must surely the follow B/Syriac in restoring the remainder of the line with the word hyruv (“her gates”), though Skehan reads singular hruv (“her gate”). With regard to the idea of the man’s “hand” opening the “gate(s)” of the woman, one is reminded of the description in Song 4:12ff of the beloved as a garden locked with a door/gate and also of the erotic scene at the door of the beloved’s room (5:4-5).

The second line is almost entirely preserved, with the phrase “and I discerned her nakedness” emphasizing the erotic nature of the love-poetry language of the couplet. Skehan (p. 396) and Skehan / Di Lella (p. 575) both balk at rendering the noun <r)u&m^ (plur.) according to its basic meaning of “naked (person), nakedness” (cf. 2 Chron 28:15), preferring instead the figurative meaning “secret(s)”. While this is surely correct as regards the significance of the symbolism (i.e., uncovering Wisdom’s “nakedness” = uncovering her mysteries/secrets, cf. 42:18ff), it unnecessarily obscures the love-poetry imagery.

The first line of v. 20a is the last extent portion of the poem in column XXII of 11QPsa. In order to approach the purity of Wisdom in her “nakedness”, it is necessary for the young man also to purify himself. It is here that the erotic imagery of v. 19c begins to be interpreted from the standpoint of Wisdom, drawing upon the ethical-religious aspect of approaching the holy things of God with ‘clean hands’ (and a ‘pure heart’), cf. Psalm 18:21[20], 25[24]; 24:4; 73:13. The second line is restored from the Genizah manuscript B; cp. LXX verse 20.

Verses 20b-21

“[l] A heart [bl] I acquired with her from (the) beginning,
(and) because of this I will not (ever) leave her;
[m] my inner parts [yum] grew hot to look on her,
(and) because of this I acquired her (as) a good acquisition!”

The Hebrew of vv. 20b-30 can only be established on a tentative basis, by comparison with Geniza manuscript B (and the Syriac version) along with the LXX. For the translation, I have largely followed the text given by Skehan (p. 388).

The blending of love-poetry and Wisdom traditions continues here in this triad of couplets, particularly the bicola of vv. 20b-21. The use of the verb hn`q* (“acquire”) may intentionally echo the usage in Prov 8:22, and the specific wording of the first line (of v. 20b) perhaps alludes to Gen 4:1b (“I have acquired a man with YHWH”). From the very beginning, the protagonist’s experience with Wisdom enabled him to acquire a “heart” (i.e., understanding, wisdom), and this heart gives him the ability (and the desire) to remain ever faithful to her (“I will not [ever] leave [vb bz^u*] her”). At the theological level, this phrasing may reflect the eschatological promise that, in the New Age of Israel’s restoration, the Law will be written on/in the heart of the people so that they will be able to remain faithful to the covenant perfectly, without fail (see esp. Jeremiah 31:31-34). In Sirach, as in Psalm 119, Wisdom is identified prominently with the Torah, so that fidelity to Wisdom also means faithfulness to the Torah precepts and regulations, etc.

This “heart” toward Wisdom also has the effect of causing a person’s entire inner being (“inner organs/parts”) to “grow hot” (vb rm^K*) for her, continuing with a certain erotic imagery in the verse; the LXX uses the verb tara/ssw (“be disturbed”), and the Hebrew verb rm^K* can have a similar connotative meaning “be(come) excited”. This heat/excitement causes him to wish to “look [i.e., gaze] on her” (vb fb^n` + preposition B=); the LXX has the verb ek)zhte/w (“seek out”), i.e., “to seek her out”, which could suggest an underlying Hebrew verb such as vr^D* (“search [out]”, so Skehan).

The protagonist’s passionate love and faithfulness to Wisdom ultimately results in his acquisition of, not only a “heart” for Wisdom, but Wisdom herself.

Verses 22

“[n] Gave [/tn] YHWH to me my tongue (as) a wage,
and with my lips I will praise Him!”

In this final couplet of the second, the author-protagonist praises YHWH for giving all this to him (cf. earlier in verse 17b, at the close of the prior section). In addition to a wise “heart”, God also gave to him a understanding “tongue”, so that he is able to compose skillful Wisdom texts and poems (such as this very psalm), as well as hymns of praise.

Section 3: Verses 23-26
Verses 23-25

“[s] Turn aside [wrws] unto me, O youthful (one)s,
and spend the night in (the) house of instruction!
[u] Until [du] when will you be lacking these (thing)s,
and your souls be so very thirsty (for them)?
[p] I open [ytjtp] my mouth and speak by her:
Acquire (wisdom) for yourself, without silver!”

In the final two sections, the author-protagonist exhorts people—especially those who are young and inexperienced (and thus in need of instruction)—to follow his example of devotion to Wisdom (narrated in sections 1 & 2). It begins by “turning aside” (vb rWs) from one’s daily activities (and youthful preoccupations) to spend time immersed in the instruction of Wisdom, as represented by the advice and teachings of experienced Wisdom-instructors (such as the author). This is expressed by the idiom of ‘spending the night’ (i.e., lodging, vb /yl!) in such a “house” where Wisdom is taught—viz., the “house of instruction” (Skehan rs*Wm tyB@, B vr*d=m! tyB@). The substantive adjective yt!P# occurs frequently in Proverbs (and other Wisdom texts); it is sometimes translated “fool”, but properly refers to a person who is young and inexperienced (and thus naive and prone to foolishness). The author-protagonist hopes that young people will follow his example, and become devoted to Wisdom at an early age.

The interrogative ytm du (“until when…?”, i.e., “how long…?”) is a popular rhetorical device (including use in Wisdom texts). By its use here the author urges people not to be without Wisdom any longer than they already have been. Both the LXX and B/Syriac have the phrase “be lacking these things”; B reads wlya /m (partitive), “from (all) these (thing)s”. Skehan (p. 398) conjectures that the original Hebrew may have been hlkam (“from food”), which provides a parallel with the following line: “Until when will you be lacking food // and your souls be so very thirsty?” If the reading “these (thing)s” is correct, then it refers generally to kind the Wisdom-teaching that occurs in the “house of instruction”. The idiom of Wisdom as food/drink is relatively common in the tradition; cf. also Matt 5:6.

Wisdom is a valuable acquisition (see above, vv. 20b-21), but it is not to be acquired with money (“silver”)—a rather clear allusion to Isa 55:1-3, which also describes (prophetic) teaching as food/drink. If the reading of B “I speak of/by her [hb]” is correct (LXX simply has “I spoke”), the sense is either that he speaks of (i.e., about) Wisdom, or that he speak by (i.e., under the guidance and inspiration of) Wisdom.

Verse 26

“[x] Your necks [<kyrawx] bring in(to the) yoke,
and let your souls bear her burden.
[q] Near [hbwrq] she (is) to (those) seeking her,
and (the one) giving his soul finds her.”

In these final two couplets, the author exhorts people to submit to Wisdom, by making their necks come into her “yoke” so that they then might willingly bear (i.e., carry) the ‘burden’ that she asks them to carry. Typically, this yoke-idiom has a negative sense, but in at least one instance God (through the prophet) calls upon His people to willingly submit to (lit., bring their necks into) the yoke of the oppressor (Jeremiah 27); cf. Lamentations 3:27. More in keeping with the use of the idiom here is Jesus’ exhortation to his followers in Matt 11:29-30. There may be a bit of wordplay involving the (presumed) use of the noun vp#n# in the second line (v. 26b) of the first couplet; it is often translated “soul”, but it can occasionally carry the concrete (physical) meaning of “throat”, which of course makes a fitting parallel to “neck(s)” in line 1.

The nearness of Wisdom to those seeking her—with the promise that they will find her—reflects traditional ethical-religious language (cf. Deut 30:14; Psalm 34:19[18]; 85:10[9]; 119:151; 145:18; Isa 46:13; 55:6 [cf. the allusion to vv. 1-3 above]), and see especially the promise in Prov 8:17. Jesus also uses comparable language in Matt 7:7-8 par. On the need to give one’s own life (“soul”) to find Wisdom (which leads to life), cf. Matt 10:39 par.

Section 4: Verses 27-30
Verses 27-28

“[r] See [war] with your (own) eyes,
how I have toiled little, but found much.
[?] Hear [wumv] (thus) a little instruction,
and acquire by it silver and gold!”

In this final section, the author reprises his exhortation (from section 3), emphasizing the reward that will come from following his example and devoting oneself to Wisdom.

The LXX of verse 27 differs notably from the B manuscript. Skehan’s Hebrew text largely follows the Greek, while other commentators (e.g., Sanders, “Sirach 51”, pp. 432-3; Deutsch, p. 403) follow the B text (with some modification). The LXX reads “…I have labored little, and found much rest for myself”. By contrast, the Hebrew of B reads: “…I was little [/fq], and (yet) I stood with her and found her”. The latter draws upon the author’s autobiographical narration in section 1, while the former contains a Wisdom-saying similar to 6:18. The text as delineated by LXX/Skehan seems somewhat better suited to the context of the section (and note the parallel in v. 16 [cf. above]).

The couplet of verse 28 also diverges between the LXX and B. I have followed Skehan’s Hebrew for line 1, as it seems to provide a better parallel for the first couplet. In both 27a and 28a, B refers to the youth of the protagonist (viz., he has given instruction to people from his youth [i.e., even in his youth]). It is also unclear whether the great reward (“silver and gold”) that will come from heeding such instruction refers specifically to the protagonist or to Wisdom herself. The B manuscript reads “you will acquire by me [yb]”, while the LXX has “you will acquire by her [Hebrew hb]”. Probably the emphasis would be on the teaching, and so Hebrew hb (viz., the manifestation of Wisdom in the instruction) is perhaps more likely. I have translated generically, “by it”.

Obviously, the mention of silver alludes back to verse 25 (cf. above). Though one can acquire Wisdom without money, a life devoted to Wisdom will result in great blessing—including wealth (in money and possessions). However, here “silver and gold” is perhaps best understood figuratively, in reference to the great wealth that Wisdom herself represents.

Verses 29-30

“[t] Let be glad [jmct] your soul in devotion to Him,
and do not be ashamed in praise of Him.
[p] Work [wlup] your work with rightness,
and He (will) give to you your wage in its time.”

Again, there is considerable divergence between B and LXX in these final two couplets. In B/Syriac, the first couplet refers to the teaching (and the psalm) of the protagonist: “Let your soul [corrected from my soul] be glad in sitting with me [i.e., sitting to learn from him], and do not be ashamed by my song”. By contrast, the point of reference in the LXX is on God: “Let your soul be glad in His devotion [or, in devotion to Him], and do not be ashamed in praise of Him [or, of praising Him]“. Since the first half of the psalm (cf. the end of section 2, v. 22) closes with a reference to praising God, it seems likely that the second half may have ended similarly. This argues in favor of the LXX and the corresponding Hebrew text of Skehan (cf. also Skehan / Di Lella, p. 573).

The one devoted to Wisdom will also be devoted to YHWH (and the covenant)—this is a fundamental Wisdom-principle that the author of Sirach (Ben-Sira) certainly held. It is expressed here in the final verse of the psalm. The “working of (one’s) work”, in this context, epitomizes a daily life (and lifestyle) devoted to Wisdom. This work is done “in right(eous)ness”, i.e., in a manner that corresponds to the path/teachings of Wisdom, but also to the covenant with YHWH (viz., the Torah precepts and regulations). YHWH Himself will reward the one devoted to Wisdom (and the covenant). It is not clear whether the final word (wtub) means “in its time” or “in His time”; either would be possible, with not all that much difference in the overall meaning. For v. 30, I have followed the B/Syriac text; the LXX reads “Work your work before (its) time, and He will give your reward in His/its time”. The Qumran manuscript 11QPsa preserves the final two words of the psalm (at the beginning [line 1] of column XXIII): wtub <krkc (“your wage in His/its time”).

    • References above marked “Sanders” are to J. A. Sanders, The Dead Sea Psalms Scroll (Cornell University Press: 1967). Those marked “Sanders DJD” are to the more detailed scholarly treatment by the same author in volume 4 of the Discoveries in the Judean Desert [DJD] series (Clarendon Press [Oxford]): The Psalms Scroll of Qumran Cave 11 (11QPsa) (1965). Those marked “Sanders Sirach 51” are to idem, “The Sirach 51 Acrostic” in Hommages à André Dupont-Sommer (1971), eds. A. Caquot and M. Philonenko, pp. 429-38.
    • Those marked “Rey/Reymond” are to Frédérique Michèle Rey and Eric D. Reymond, A Critical Edition of the Hebrew Manuscripts of Ben Sira, With Translations and Philological Notes, Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism 217 (Brill: 2024).
    • Those marked “Skehan / Di Lella” are to Patrick W. Skehan and Alexander A. Di Lella, O.F.M., The Wisdom of Ben Sira, Anchor Bible [AB], vol. 39 (1987).
    • Those marked “Skehan” are to Patrick W. Skehan, “The Acrostic Poem in Sirach 51:13-30”, Harvard Theological Review 64 (1971), pp. 387-400.
    • Those marked “Deutsch” are to Celia Deutsch, “The Sirach 51 Acrostic: Confession and Exhortation”, Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [ZAW] 94 (1982), pp. 400-9.

Wednesday Wisdom: Proverbs 9 (Part 1)

Fourth Wisdom Poem: Proverbs 9:1-18

Proverbs 9 is the last of the four Wisdom poems interspersed among the ten Lectures of chapters 1-9. The earlier three poems were 1:20-33 (study), 3:13-20 (study), and chapter 8 (study).

All of the poems feature the figure of Wisdom personified as a woman (the noun hm*k=j* being grammatically feminine). The opposite of Wisdom, in this regard, is the “Strange Woman” figure, who features in a number of the pieces in chapters 1-9—most notably, the climactic tenth Lecture (chap. 7 [study]). Wisdom in the chapter 8 poem is juxtaposed with the “Strange Woman” in chapter 7. The two figures are paired even more precisely, by way of antithetical parallelism, here in chapter 9.

As I have discussed previously, the figure-type of the “Strange Woman” primarily represents the antithetical opposite of the personification of Wisdom (i.e., Lady Wisdom vs. the Strange Woman). The adjective rz` (fem. hr*z`) in this context is typically translated “strange”, but it properly designates one who is (or has) “turned aside” (vb rWz)—a designation that is quite fitting in view of the path/walking motif utilized throughout chapters 1-9. In this regard, the ‘Strange Woman’ represents the path(s) of wickedness and folly, in direct contrast to the straight/right path of Wisdom, the wicked/foolish ones having ‘turned aside’ from the path of Wisdom. Here in chapter 9, the contrastive juxtaposition, implicit throughout the earlier chapters, is made explicit. The ‘Strange Woman’ is clearly identified as the personification of foolishness (Folly), as the opposite of Wisdom. She is specifically designated as the “woman of foolishness” (tWlys!K= tv#a@), verse 13.

Both female figure-types are effectively presented as potential ‘lovers’ for the young man addressed in the Lectures. Either he chooses Wisdom for his intimate companion or the ‘Strange Woman’ (embodying wickedness and folly). Here, the choice is presented in dramatic terms, much as in the narration at the heart of chapter 7 (vv. 6-20), and in the first and third Wisdom poems (cf. 1:20-23ff; 8:1-5ff). The two women call to humankind (esp. to the young men, i.e., the “son[s]” addressed by the father in the Lectures), each inviting people everywhere to come to her, following her path.

The poem in chapter 9 is comprised of two main parts (points of parallelism are outlined and discussed by Müller, pp. 257-9ff; cf. also Schäfer, pp. 247-50):

    • Verses 1-6: Wisdom invites those in need of instruction to come to her house (for a banquet/feast)
    • Verses 13-18: Folly does the same, calling people to join her for a feast at her house

This is the first mention of Wisdom’s house, but the motif had already been established in reference to the house of the ‘Strange Woman’ —2:18; 5:8; 7:8, 27. Similarly, a contrast between two houses—viz., that of the wicked as opposed to the righteous—was introduced earlier as well (3:33). The house is on the path, and the path leads to it; at the same time, the house represents the path, the two motifs (house and path) having the same point of reference—viz., a lifetime (and lifestyle) following the teaching and guidance of Wisdom (or of following the opposite, that of Folly). The contrast between a house built by Wisdom and one belonging to Folly seems to anticipate the proverb in 14:1.

The idea of a feast being held at the house of the ‘Strange Woman’ was introduced in the dramatic scene of the chapter 7 narration (vv. 15-20), and cf. also the eating/drinking idiom in 1:31; 4:17. In all likelihood, the feasting imagery here in chapter 9 draws implicitly (and allusively) from love poetry tradition, as in 5:15-20 and 7:15-20, and occasionally at other points in chapters 1-9. At the same time, the feast/banquet motif may draw upon other lines of tradition—such as Canaanite mythic-religious tradition, Scriptural passages like Isa 65:11-15, and the Greek symposium; cf. Schipper, pp. 323-5; Maier, pp. 221-4, 227-9, 234-47; Baumann, pp. 214-7. Relevant details will be discussed at appropriate points in the notes.

Problematic to the structure and integrity of the chapter are the central verses 7-12, which many commentators regard as a secondary addition to the passage. The verses certainly seem to interrupt the clear thematic parallelism between the two feast-invitations (by Wisdom and Folly) of vv. 1-6, 13-18, and it is difficult to discern just how they are intended to relate to the flanking sections. Even if those verses were added at later point by a different author/editor, that individual must have felt that their inclusion was appropriate and made sense in terms of the overall message and literary structure of the passage. Verses 7-12, which consist of proverbial material more akin to the proverb-collections of chapters 10ff than the Lectures and poems of chaps. 1-9, will be discussed in Part 2 of this study.

Stanza 1: The Call of Wisdom (vv. 1-6)

This section can be divided into two units: (a) the setting for the feast at Wisdom’s house (vv. 1-3), and (b) the invitation/call for people to come to the feast (vv. 4-6).

Verse 1

“Wisdom has built her house,
she has made stand her seven pillars.”

The initial couplet states that Wisdom has constructed (i.e., built, vb hn`B*) her house (ty]B^), cf. 14:1, an image that is probably intended to echo the building terminology (regarding YHWH’s work as Creator) in 8:25-29. The fact that Wisdom here acts as a builder (or architect) could be cited in support of the view that she is understood as participating (along with YHWH) in the work of creation (cf. the earlier note on verse 30, and the significance of the term /oma*). In Akkadian (Babylonian-Assyrian) religious and mythic tradition, the expression “house of wisdom” (bît nimêqi) has cosmological significance; cf. Fox, p. 297 (citing an earlier study by F. Vattioni).
See also the article by Raymond C. Van Leeuwen, “Cosmos, Temple, House: Building and Wisdom in Mesopotamia and Israel” in Wisdom Literature in Mesopotamia and Israel, ed. Richard J. Clifford, Society of Biblical Literature [SBL] Symposium Series 36 (SBL: 2007), pp. 67-90.

The house was erected with seven pillars (“standing [post]s”, dWmu^ plur.). The number seven is symbolic, symbolizing completeness and perfection, etc., though it is possible that the poet is also drawing upon the actual design of houses in first-millennium Israel-Palestine. Bernhard Lang (Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs [The Pilgrim Press: 1986], pp. 90-3) in his discussion on this point, includes illustrative drawings of house-designs with a row of (seven) pillars:

Schipper (pp. 326-7; cf. also Schäfer, pp. 235-9) summarizes other suggestions by scholars as to the possible significance of the “seven” pillars—including associations with seven pillars of the world (b. Ḥag. 12b), the seven days of creation (b. Sanh. 38a), and the ‘seven sages’ of ancient Near Eastern tradition (cf. the article by Jonas C. Greenfield, “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom [Prov. 9:1]: A Mistranslation”, Jewish Quarterly Review 76 [1985], pp. 13-20). Schipper seems inclined to adopt an earlier proposal by Raymond Tournay (Revue Biblique 80 [1973], pp. 120-31 [130]) that the seven ‘pillars’ allude to the seven superscriptions of the book of Proverbs, and that the “house” of Wisdom thus refers implicitly to the book of Proverbs itself; cf. also Baumann, pp. 207-9; Murphy, pp. 58-9.

The MT of line 2 reads a form of the verb bx^j* (“cut/hew out”), which could conceivably refer to the quarrying and cutting/chiseling of a pillar. However, the parallelism with line 1 suggests rather that hbxj should be read as a form of the verb bx^n` (“stand/set up”, Hiphil), hbxh, vocalized hb*X!h! (= hb*yX!h!), “she made stand”, “she set up”. The emendation of the text thus required is extremely slight, and it finds support in the Versions (LXX, Peshitta, Targum), cf. Fox, Textual Commentary, p. 162.

On the plural form of the noun hm*k=j* (“wisdom”), i.e., tomk=j*, see the earlier note on 1:20.

Verse 2

“She has slaughtered her (animal)s for slaughter,
she has mixed her wine (with spices),
(and) has also arranged her table.”

Having built her house with its courtyard and pillared hall (for feasting), Wisdom now prepares a great feast, slaughtering numerous animals (for meat) and mixing wine with spices (cf. Song 8:2). Less likely is a reference to the mixing of wine with water (so as to dilute its strength), preferred by commentators who see an allusion to the Greek symposium (cf. Schipper, p. 327f).

The emphasis on slaughtering animals (vb jb^f*) for a great feast brings to mind Ugaritic mythic tradition (cf. Kirta II [CAT/KTU 1.15], columns 4-5); particularly relevant to the setting here in vv. 1-2 is the feast held by Baal after the construction of his palace (Baal Epic IV [CAT/KTU 1.4], column 6, lines 38-59). Cf. Maier, pp. 221ff; Schipper, p. 323, and the earlier article by M. Lichteinstein, “The Banquet Motif in Keret and Prov 9”, Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society of Columbia University 1 (1968-9), pp. 19-31. For other ancient Near Eastern examples of a feast in connection with the dedication of a building, cf. Meinhold, p. 152; Waltke, p. 432f.

The verse is an extended 4+3 couplet, which I display for the sake of the translation (above) as a tricolon.

Verse 3

“She has sent (forth) her young maids (and) calls
upon (the) ridges of (the) high spots of (the) city:”

The exact sense of the first line is unclear, as to whether Wisdom sends out her servant-girls to make the call (for her), or whether she sends them prior to making the invitation (herself). If the former, then they likely symbolize the local manifestations of Wisdom (such as embodied in the teaching/instruction given to a son by his parents), cf. Waltke, p. 435. However, it may simply be that the servant-girls are part of the preparations for the feast (v. 2) preliminary (or simultaneous) to the call going out. The parallel with 1:20-23ff and 8:1-4ff certainly favors the image of Wisdom herself standing on the “high places” of the city and calling out to humankind.
The LXX and Syriac translators presumably understood that the servants were sent out to make the public invitation; this perhaps explains why the feminine plural (of hr*u&n~) was ‘coverted’ to a masculine form (e.g., Grk dou/lou$), since it would have been deemed improper for young women to be sent out on such a task (cf. Waltke, p. 426). 

The expression <ym!r)m= yP@G~ gives added specificity to the location (probably for dramatic effect). Literally, it means something like “ridges of (the) high places”. The noun [G` (I) occurs only here in the Scriptures, and its exact meaning is uncertain but can be approximated based on cognate terms in Syriac (cf. gefīfā, “curve, vault”) and Arabic. As in 8:2, the reference is apparently to the hills near/surrounding the city—here, specifically, to the curving ridges at the top of the hills (i.e., their high points). It is not necessary to assume that Wisdom’s house is on this elevated location; rather it is the place where she sends out the call to the feast, being the most conspicuous location, so that she can be seen/heard and noticed by people all around.

Verse 4

“Who(ever is) a callow (youth), let him turn aside here!—
(the one) lacking a heart, (so) she (also) says to him—”

Wisdom speaks here in verse 4, giving her invitation (the call) for people to come to her house for the great feast she has prepared (vv. 1-3). However, the syntax of the couplet is a bit awkward, since the second line seems to interrupt the direct speech of Wisdom. The difficulty could be alleviated somewhat by the revocalization (from hr*m=a*, “she says”, to hr*m=a), “I will say”, cohort. “let me say”) suggested by Fox (p. 298, Textual Commentary, p. 163) and supported perhaps by the Syriac. It is better simply to treat the second line as parenthetical, as a way of including those people “lacking a heart” together with the callow youths of line 1—both groups are being addressed by Wisdom in vv. 4a, 5-6.

The noun yt!P# has already occurred a number of times in chapters 1-9 (cf. 1:4, 22, 32; 7:7; 8:5), but it is a bit difficult to translate in English. It properly refers to someone who is young and inexperienced (and thus naive and lacking a certain amount of sense); as a way of capturing this, I translate the noun here as “callow (youth)”. The second group addressed are those “lacking of heart” (bl@ rs^j&), also used in 6:32; 7:7 (similarly paired with yt!P#); in English idiom we would say “lacking sense”, as the noun bl@ can also mean something akin to “mind”. Such people are lacking in sense, but not necessarily due to youth and inexperience (like those in the first group). Both groups are in need of the instruction and guidance that Wisdom provides, and so she calls to them both. Compare the addresses in 1:22 and 8:5.

The verb rWs (“turn [aside]”) can be used in the negative sense of turning away from the right/straight path of Wisdom (5:7), but it can also be used in the positive sense of turning away from wickedness and folly (cf. 3:27; 4:27); here it particularly indicates turning toward Wisdom, and proceeding down her path (viz., the path that leads to her house). Schipper (p. 329) correctly points out the jussive force of the yiqtol form of the verb rWs, i.e., “he should turn aside”, “let him turn aside…!”.

Note the modest alliterative wordplay between the form of the verb rWs (rs%y`, yāsūr) and the adjective rs@j* (ḥāsēr). 

Verse 5

“Walk (over to me)—take of my food for food,
and drink of (the) wine I have mixed!”

Wisdom calls on the people (addressed in v. 4) to come to her, using the common verb El^h* (“walk, go”) which I translate here as “walk” so as to preserve the sense of the path/walking idiom. In discussing the location in v. 3 (see above), I mentioned that Wisdom’s “house” should not necessarily be thought of as located on the top of the hill near the city. However, here in v. 5, Wisdom’s ‘house’ is apparently synonymous with her person—i.e., wherever she is, calling out to humankind, there also is her ‘house’, since (as noted above), Wisdom’s house is also her path (and the path leading to her).

Wisdom calls them to come and eat the food and drink the wine that she has provided (for the feast, v. 2). The phrase in line 1 could be translated simply “eat my food”, but in order to preserve the cognate relationship between the verb <j^l* and noun <j#l#, I have rendered this as “take as/for food my food” —emphasizing that it is Wisdom’s food that they should eat, rather that the food provided by Folly (v. 17). This food/drink symbolizes the teachings of Wisdom, which a person takes in and assimilates as life-giving nourishment. Cf. Sirach 15:3, in light of the broader symbolism of God’s word (i.e., teaching/instruction) as food/drink (e.g., Deut 8:3; Isa 55:1ff). In the Gospel of John, bread/wine is used to represent both the person of Christ (as the incarnate Wisdom/Word of God [1:14ff, etc.]), and the life-giving Spirit that he provides—6:32-58, 63.

Verse 6

“Leave behind (your) youthful folly, and live—
and go straight on the path of understanding!”

The message of v. 4f is summarized here in the concluding couplet, in dramatic fashion. Those who lack sense (mainly due to the inexperience and naivety of youth) are called to turn away from the paths of folly and to walk instead on the right/straight path of Wisdom—called here the “path [Er#D#] of understanding [hn`yB!]”. Throughout chapters 1-9, the noun hn`yB! (“understanding, discernment”, cf. also the related hn`WbT=) is one of the regular Wisdom-terms, used more or less synonymously (and interchangeably) with hm*k=j* (“wisdom”)—1:2; 2:3; 3:5; 4:1, 5, 7; 7:4; 8:14. Indeed, in 8:1 and 14, hn`yB!/hn*WbT= functions as another name for personified Wisdom (i.e., Understanding).

The verb rv^a* I (“walk/march straight [ahead]”) continues the path/walking motif of chaps. 1-9, as well as the emphasis on the path of Wisdom as being “straight” (i.e., right), in the ethical/religious sense. The adjective rv*y` (“straight”) is frequently used to bring out this key characteristic. Of the six Scriptural occurrences of the verb rv^a* (I), three are in Proverbs (cf. 4:14; 23:19), the others in Isaiah (1:17; 3:12; 9:15).

That which a (young) person “leaves behind”, when beginning to walk upon the straight path of Wisdom, is a tendency toward waywardness which can lead a person down the crooked (and dangerous) paths of folly and wickedness. This is captured by the plural noun <y]at*P=, which is closely related to yt!P#, and translated here as “youthful folly” (cf. 1:32; 7:7; 8:5), i.e., an abstract plural (cf. Fox, p. 299; Müller, p. 252). If <y]at*P= is meant as a true plural (cp. the abstract noun tWYt^P= used in v. 13), then Wisdom may be seen as continuing her exhortation to the “callow (youth)s” (so Waltke understands the line), or, alternately, she calls individuals to leave the group of the naive/inexperienced ones (cf. Schipper, p. 329f; Schäfer, p. 233). The verb bz~u* (“leave behind, forsake, abandon”) can be used in the negative sense of abandoning the path/teachings of Wisdom (2:13, 17; 4:2, 6), while here it is the positive sense of abandoning senselessness and folly, etc.

    • References above marked “Fox” are to Michael V. Fox, Proverbs 1-9, Anchor Bible [AB], vol. 18A (Yale University Press: 2000). Those marked “Fox, Textual Commentary” are to idem, Proverbs: An Eclectic Edition with Introduction and Textual Commentary, The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition 1 (Society of Biblical Literature [SBL] Press: 2015). 
    • References marked “Waltke” are to Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1–15, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Eerdmans: 2004).
    • Those marked “Murphy” are to Roland E. Murphy, Proverbs, Word Biblical Commentary [WBC] vol. 22 (1998).
    • References marked “Schipper” are to Bernd U. Schipper, Proverbs 1-15, Hermeneia Commentary Series (Fortress Press: 2010). See also his monograph on Proverbs 2: Hermeneutik der Tora: Studien zur Traditionsgeschichte von Prov 2 und zur Komposition von Prov 1-9, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 432 (Walter de Gruyter: 2012).
    • Those marked “Meinhold” are to Arndt Meinhold, Die Sprüche, Teil 1: Sprüche Kapitel 1-15, Zürcher Bibelkommentare, AT 16.1 (Theologische Verlag Zürich: 1991).
    • Those marked “Müller” are to Achim Müller, Proverbien 1-9: Der Weisheit neue Kleider, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 291 (Walter de Gruyter: 2000).
    • Those marked “Schäfer” are to Rolf Schäfer, Die Poesie der Weisen: Dichotomie als Grundstruktur der Lehr- und Weisheitsgedichte in Proverbien 1-9, Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament 77 (Neukirchener Verlag: 1999).
    • Those marked “Baumann” are to Gerlinde Baumann, Die Weisheitsgestalt in Proverbien 1-9: Traditionsgeschichtliche und Theologische Studien, Forschungen zum Alten Testament 16 (Mohr Siebeck: 1996).
    • Those marked “Maier” are to Christl Maier, Die «fremde Frau» in Proverbien 1-9: Eine exegetische und socialgeschichtliche Studie, Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 144 (Universitätsverlag Freiburg Schweiz / Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht: 1995).

Wednesday Wisdom: Proverbs 8 (Part 4)

Third Wisdom Poem: Proverbs 8:1-36, continued

Section 4: Verses 32-36
Verse 32

“And (so) now, (my) sons, listen to me—
for happy (are those who) guard my paths!”

This final section of the poem (vv. 32-35) corresponds to Wisdom’s initial exhortation in vv. 4-11 (discussed in Part 1). However, the wording follows the pattern in the Lectures, in which the father addresses his son(s); in particular, the introductory wording here matches that of the closing exhortation of the tenth Lecture (7:24), utilizing the plural “sons” (<yn]B*).

“And now, (my) sons, listen to me…!”
yl!-Wum=v! <yn]B* hTu^w+

Wisdom is thus being portrayed as a mother for all humankind; based on the connection with v. 31 (see the previous note), the “sons” here clearly refer to all human beings (“sons of man[kind]”, cf. also the universal setting of vv. 1-3, 4ff). Since vv. 22-31 allude to YHWH (as Creator) giving ‘birth’ to Creation (see esp. the use of the verb hn`q* in v. 22 [note]), and since it is at least possible that these verses also refer to Wisdom playing a role (alongside YHWH) in that work of Creation, one could also regard Wisdom (in her female personification) as ‘giving birth’ to humankind. In the study on 3:13-20, we discussed the possible application (to the figure of Wisdom) of ancient Near Eastern goddess imagery; cf. especially the visual examples in the supplemental article “Tree of Life and Goddess in Ancient Near Eastern Religious Tradition”.

On the similarities (and possible relationship) between Wisdom personified in chap. 8 and the Egyptian goddesses Ma‘at and Isis, see Schipper, pp. 292-4; Kayatz, pp. 86-87; and cf. the article by Stephen J. Schweitzer, “The Egyptian Goddess Ma‘at and Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 1-9” in A Teacher for All Generations: Essays in Honor of James C. Vanderkam (2 vols.), eds. Eric F. Mason, et al. (Brill: 2012), pp. 113-32 (esp. 119-21). See also the article by Othmar Keel, “Die Weisheit ‘spielt’ vor Gott”, Freiburger Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Theologie 21 (1974), pp. 1-66. 

More relevant to the thematic emphases of Proverbs 1-9 is the idea that the practical wisdom given to a young man by his parents is a manifestation of the Divine Wisdom itself (or herself). The parallelism here between v. 32 and 7:24 makes this all the more clear. Even so, Wisdom generally is not portrayed as a mother (or parent) in chapters 1-9; rather, she tends to be depicted as a lover (figuratively speaking) for the young man, even as the figure-type of the ‘Strange Woman’ is a false/illicit lover. Cf. the imagery in verse 34, below.

The father’s exhortation to his son frequently involves the verb rm^v* (“guard”, or the parallel rx^n`, “keep watch [over]”)—that is, urging the son to guard the instruction that is given to him, as it represents a form of the teachings of Wisdom (cf. 4:4, 21; 5:2; 7:1-2). Now Wisdom does the same herself, urging young men (and people everywhere) to “guard” her teachings. These teachings also represent her “path(s)”, utilizing again the familiar path/walking motif that is so prominent throughout chapters 1-9. By following the teachings of Wisdom, one also follows her path, which (as the right path of God) leads to life, while the false and crooked paths (of wickedness and folly) lead to death (see on vv. 35-36 below). This promised blessing is expressed here via the traditional beatitude formula, using the exclamatory form yr@v=a^ (“O, [the] happiness of…!”, i.e., “How happy [is]…!”); cf. my earlier note on this formula (and its background). The Wisdom poem of 3:13-20 also begins with this formula; cf. also the parallels in Psalm 1:1ff and Isa 56:2.

I translate the initial w-conjunction of the second line as “for…” Waltke (p. 391) notes that “the paratactic clausal construction implies a causal relationship” (cf. Waltke-O’Connor, p. 649, 39.2.1c).

Verse 33

“Hear (this) instruction, and become wise—
indeed, you must not let go of [it]!”

The same verb um^v* (“hear”) is used here as in v. 32a where it was translated (with the preposition l=) “listen to” (cf. also v. 34a below). The noun rs*Wm (“instruction”, sometimes with the specific connotation of “discipline, correction”) is one of the regular Wisdom-terms used in chaps. 1-9 (cf. earlier in 1:2-3, 7-8; 3:11; 4:1, 13; 5:12, 23; 6:23; 7:22; 8:10). The jussive (with imperatival force) of the verb ur^P* (“let go/loose [of]”) effectively represents the opposite of the command to “guard” (i.e., hold firmly on to); governed by the negative, it means the same, i.e., “do not let go of…!” Cf. the earlier use of the same verb in 1:25; 4:15; note also the occurrences in 13:18 and 15:32. It can be used in the specific context of letting something (e.g., hair) grow wild, or allowing an animal to run free/wild, implying a lack of discipline.

I translate the w-conjunction at the beginning of line 2 emphatically (i.e., “indeed…”). Waltke (p. 391) mentions the likelihood that the text of line 2 originally included the suffixed object marker ota), but that it came to be dropped through scribal error (homoioteleuton) after the preceding final w-.  This possibility is indicated by square brackets above. Retention of the suffixed object marker completes the meter (3+3) that would otherwise be shortened.

Verse 34

“Happy (is the) man listening to me—
watching at my doors day (by) day,
guarding (the) posts of my openings!”

The beatitude formula from v. 32b is used again here in this tricolon (note the parallelism of the second and third lines). The one who listens to the teachings of Wisdom (again, the idiom of vb um^v* [“hear”] + l is used) will be truly blessed (and rewarded), as stated in the concluding v. 35 (below). Faithful listening to Wisdom is compared with a person who keeps watch (and stands guard) at the door of her house (or room). It is likely that this imagery is drawn (allusively) from love poetry, with the idea of the lover waiting at his beloved’s door (cf. Fox, p. 290). The parallels in 5:8 and 31:9 seem to confirm this line of interpretation; one is also reminded of the erotic scene at the door in Song 3:2-6a (and note the sexual door-imagery in 7:13; 8:9). The young man who faithfully follows the teachings of Wisdom is like a faithful lover or spouse to her (figuratively speaking). Sirach 14:20-27 seems to draw upon this same line of imagery. For other possible (religious) uses of the door-motif here, cf. Baumann, pp. 161-2; Schipper, p. 316.

The LXX has a different order for the lines of vv. 32-34 (omitting v. 33):

“Now then, my son, hear me: [v. 32a]
Happy (is the) man who listens to me [v. 34a]
and (the) man who guards my paths [v. 32b],
staying awake at my doors (day) by day [v. 34b],
watching (over the) stations of my entrances [v. 34c]”

Schäfer (p. 205) and Müller (p. 219) follow the LXX order, while preserving v. 33 (between v. 32a and 34a). Cf. also Whybray (pp. 492-6 and Composition, pp. 42-3) who omits both v. 32a and 33.

Verse 35

“For (the one) finding me finds life,
and he will obtain favor from YHWH;”

The blessing for the one who follows the path/teachings of Wisdom—described here in terms of finding Wisdom (vv. 9, 17; 3:13; 4:22; cf. also 1:28; 2:5)—is described in these closing lines. The point that the path of Wisdom leads to life is emphasized throughout chapters 1-9 (see esp. 3:2, 16, 18, 22; 4:10, 13, 22-23; 6:23); life itself is meant (as opposed to death), but also (specifically) a long and blessed life on earth. The blessing/reward that Wisdom provides is an indication of her Divine nature—since it represents the very blessing, etc., that YHWH Himself provides; cf. the context of 3:13-16 (the previous Wisdom poem), which, as already noted in this study, is quite similar to that here in chap. 8. The point is made explicit in v. 35, emphasizing that the blessing represents favor (/oxr*) shown by YHWH, as to those who are His faithful servants (with whom He is pleased and takes delight, 3:12). See 3:3-10, where similarly it is YHWH who provides the blessing, with the noun /j@ (“favor”, v. 4) being used instead of /oxr*; cf. also v. 34. In 4:9 it is Wisdom who bestows the favor (/j@). On the use of the ethical-religious path/walking idiom in connection with the covenant blessings (and curses), cf. Deut 30:15-20 in the context of chap. 28; Schipper, p. 316.

The Kethib (yaxm) of the third word in line 1 presumably represents a scribal error (dittography) unintentionally reproducing the y– of the prior word. The Qere (ax*m*, “he finds”) is to be followed. Cf. Fox, Textual Commentary, p. 161; Schipper, p. 284. A few commentators (e.g., Schäfer, pp. 205, 226; Müller, p. 219) prefer the Kethib (as the more difficult reading), which requires parsing the text as pair of construct plural participle forms: “(those) finding me (are one)s finding life”.

Verse 36

“but (the one) missing me harms his (own) soul,
(for) all (those) hating me love death (instead)!”

This final couplet contrasts the one who follows (and finds) Wisdom (v. 35) with the one who rejects her. There is likely some double-meaning wordplay here with the verb af*j*, which properly means “miss (the mark/target)”, and thus provides a suitable contrast to the verbs ax*m* (“find”) and qWP (II Hiphil, “reach, obtain”). At the same time, af*j* is regularly used in the ethical-religious context of “err, sin”. The person who ‘misses the mark’ with Wisdom—i.e., fails to find or reach her—also effectively sins against her (giving offense to her, etc.). In so doing, however, such people unwittingly to harm/violence (vb sm^j*) to their own soul. This same basic point is made regarding the wicked/foolish ones in 1:19, 31-32; 5:22f; 6:32. It may even be that the evil and violence that they intend for others actually comes back upon themselves—a detail that occurs frequently in the prayer-Psalms (esp. in the imprecatory portions), which reflects the broader lex talionis principle (viz., a person’s punishment matches the manner/nature of the crime).

The person who hates Wisdom (and thus rejects her) actually (and unwittingly) loves death—since the path(s) of wickedness and folly lead to death (cf. 1:19; 2:18-19; 5:5-6, 11; 6:26; 7:23, 27), while the right/straight path of Wisdom leads to life.

    • References above marked “Fox” are to Michael V. Fox, Proverbs 1-9, Anchor Bible [AB], vol. 18A (Yale University Press: 2000). Those marked “Fox, Textual Commentary” are to idem, Proverbs: An Eclectic Edition with Introduction and Textual Commentary, The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition 1 (Society of Biblical Literature [SBL] Press: 2015). 
    • References marked “Waltke” are to Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1–15, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Eerdmans: 2004).
    • References marked “Schipper” are to Bernd U. Schipper, Proverbs 1-15, Hermeneia Commentary Series (Fortress Press: 2010). See also his monograph on Proverbs 2: Hermeneutik der Tora: Studien zur Traditionsgeschichte von Prov 2 und zur Komposition von Prov 1-9, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 432 (Walter de Gruyter: 2012).
    • Those marked “Müller” are to Achim Müller, Proverbien 1-9: Der Weisheit neue Kleider, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 291 (Walter de Gruyter: 2000).
    • Those marked “Baumann” are to Gerlinde Baumann, Die Weisheitsgestalt in Proverbien 1-9: Traditionsgeschichtliche und Theologische Studien, Forschungen zum Alten Testament 16 (Mohr Siebeck: 1996).
    • Those marked “Schäfer” are to Rolf Schäfer, Die Poesie der Weisen: Dichotomie als Grundstruktur der Lehr- und Weisheitsgedichte in Proverbien 1-9, Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament 77 (Neukirchener Verlag: 1999).
    • Those marked “Kayatz” are to Christa Kayatz, Studien zu Proverbien 1-9, Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament [WMANT] 22 (Neukirchener Verlag: 1966).
    • References above marked “Whybray” are to R. N. Whybray, “Some Literary Problems in Proverbs I-IX”, Vetus Testamentum [VT] 16 (1966), pp. 482-96. Those marked “Whybray, Composition” are to idem, The Composition of the Book of Proverbs, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament [JSOT] Supplement 168 (Sheffield Academic Press: 1994). 

April 7: Proverbs 8:31

This is a series of exegetical notes supplemental to the study on Proverbs 8 (cf. Part 1, 2, 3), covering verses 22-31.

Proverbs 8:31

“being cheerful in (the habitable) land of His earth—
(so) even (is) my delight with (the) sons of man!”

As mentioned in the previous note, the four lines of vv. 30b-31 have a chiastic structure, and thus vv. 30-31 represent both a poetic and syntactic unity. The ‘outer’ lines feature the plural noun <yu!v%u&v^ (“delight[s]”), while the ‘inner’ lines are each governed by a participle of the verb qj^c* (“laugh”, Piel “be cheerful, rejoice, celebrate, play”):

    • “and I was (filled with) delight, day (after) day,
      • being cheerful [tq#j#c^m=] before Him at all time(s),
      • being cheerful [tq#j#c^m=] in (the habitable) land of His earth—
    • (so) even (is) my delight with (the) sons of man!

This parallelism juxtaposes Wisdom’s relationship to YHWH (the Creator) with her relationship to the Creation (spec. humankind). And, just as she was (and is) present with God (in Heaven), so she also is present with human beings (on earth). This thematic shift here in v. 31 prepares for the transition to the final section (vv. 32-36) of the hymn.
Dahood (p. 520f) effectively eliminates this juxtaposition by treating <da ynb in the second line not as the common expression <d*a* yn@B= (“sons of man[kind]”) but as a title for YHWH—viz., “Builder [yn@B)] of the land [<d)a*]”. 

The shift is facilitated by the cosmological-geographic distinction between the “(habitable) land” (lb@T@) and the “earth” (Jr#a#). In this context, the former term represents a narrower aspect of the latter. The noun Jr#a#, which has occurred a number of times in vv. 22-31, signifies the entire lower half of the cosmos, but also (more narrowly) the flat surface of the earth (i.e., the land on which human beings dwell). In this regard, lb@T@, which may denote the dry land (i.e., in contrast to the seas), can refer particularly to the habitable land—that is, where human beings dwell, and the regions which may be cultivated by humankind (cf. Psalm 24:1; Isa 14:17, 21; 27:6; 34:1; Nah 1:5). The noun was used earlier (v. 26) in specific connection to the soil of the earth. Here, the earth is designated as belonging to YHWH (the Creator), i.e., “His earth”. We may recall that the verb hn`q*, used in v. 22, has the basic meaning “acquire”, and thus reflects the idea of the cosmos as YHWH’s possession (which he “acquired” by ‘giving birth’ to it, i.e., creating it).

It was suggested (in the previous note) that the use of the noun <yu!v%u&v (plur.) in the phrase “I (was) delight” (i.e., “I was filled with delight”) expresses the idea that Wisdom shares in the delight that YHWH has in His Creation. In particular, she shares in the delight YHWH takes in humankind. The particle ta in the second line should probably be read as a preposition (“with/in”) rather than as the marker for the accusative (direct object). Thus, Wisdom declares that her delight is “with/in (the) sons of man”. It may also mean that she finds delight in being “with” (i.e., present among) human beings, just as she delights in being “before the face” of YHWH Himself. The theme of Wisdom’s presence among humans was established in the preface to the poem (vv. 1-3) and in Wisdom’s opening address (vv. 4ff).
Waltke (p. 391) regards the ta as the marker of the predicate in an otherwise verbless clause (cf. Walte-O’Connor, 10.3b, 10.3.2c [pp. 180, 183]): “(so) even my delight (is the) sons of man”.

A fundamental tenet of chapters 1-9, expressed quite clearly here (as also in the prior Wisdom-poem, 3:13-20), is that the Divine Wisdom that was present with YHWH in the beginning (and by which He created the universe) is also manifested in the practical wisdom a person learns (such as that which is taught to a young man by his father). Cf. Job 28:28 in the cosmological context of the chapter (vv. 12ff, 20ff); cited by Schipper, p. 314.

The LXX makes YHWH the subject of the rejoicing, in both v. 30b and 31a. The sense is that Wisdom shared in the delight YHWH took (vb eu)frai/nw, “have a good [i.e., cheerful/happy] heart/mind”) in His Creation:

“According to (each) day, indeed, I had a good heart in His presence in all time(s), when He was of good heart, (hav)ing completed the inhabited (world), he was (made) good in heart by (the) sons of men.”

Christological Significance

The Johannine Gospel Prologue (1:1-18), like verse 31 here, juxtaposes the Divine Wisdom’s presence with God (vv. 1-3, 18) and its presence with human beings (vv. 10ff, 14ff). Of course, the idea that the Wisdom (Logos) of God dwelt among human being has special theological significance in the Gospel context—since he/it dwelt among them in the person of Jesus Christ. Wisdom took such delight in humankind that, even after being rejected by them (vv. 10-11), he still desired to dwell among them—this time as a flesh-and-blood human being, dwelling in their midst in an even more intimate and tangible way.

      • References marked “Waltke” are to Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1–15, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Eerdmans: 2004).
      • References marked “Schipper” are to Bernd U. Schipper, Proverbs 1-15, Hermeneia Commentary Series (Fortress Press: 2010). See also his monograph on Proverbs 2: Hermeneutik der Tora: Studien zur Traditionsgeschichte von Prov 2 und zur Komposition von Prov 1-9, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 432 (Walter de Gruyter: 2012).
      • Those marked “Dahood” are to Mitchell Dahood, “Proverbs 8,22-31: Translation and Commentary”, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly [CBQ] 30 (1968), pp. 512-21.