Like Grapes of Gold Set in Silver: An Interpretation of Proverbial Clusters in Proverbs 10:1-22:16

392 Pages·2001·11.409 MB·English

by  Knut Martin Heim

Knut Martin Heim
Like Grapes of Gold Set in Silver
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die
alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
Herausgegeben von
Otto Kaiser
Band 273
W
DE
G
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
2001
Knut Martin Heim
Like Grapes of Gold Set in Silver
An Interpretation of Proverbial Clusters
in Proverbs 10:1-22:16
w
DE
G
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
2001
® Printed on acid-free paper which falls within the guidelines of the ANSI
to ensure permanence and durability.
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Heim, Knut Martin:
Like grapes of gold set in silver : an interpretation of proverbial
clusters in proverbs 10:1-22:16 / Knut Martin Heim. - Berlin ;
New York : de Gruyter, 2001
(Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft ;
Bd. 273)
Zugl.: Liverpool, Univ., Diss., 1996
ISBN 3-11-016376-4
© Copyright 2001 by Walter de Gruyter Gmbh & Co., D-10785 Berlin
All rights reserved, including those of translation into foreign languages. No part of this book
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permis-
sion in writing from the publisher.
Printed in Germany
Printing: Werner Hildebrand, Berlin
Binding: Lüderitz & Bauer-GmbH, Berlin
To the memory of my father,
Klaus Ernst Heim (1934-1993)
(Proverbs 17:6)

Preface
This book is based on doctoral research undertaken at the University of
Liverpool and completed during my time at Tyndale House, Cambridge. I
have many people to thank. The inspiration to study biblical Hebrew I owe to
Dr. H. Pehlke (Gießen). The lectures of Professor Dr. R. S. Schultz (Gießen
and Wheaton) on Ecclesiastes have changed my theology and my life, and he
has been a friend and encourager. Professor Dr. Dres. h. c. O. Kaiser
(Marburg) has broadened my understanding of Hebrew poetry and Old
Testament textual criticism and kindly welcomed this study as part of the
BZAW monograph series. My supervisor, Professor A. R. Millard, has given
generous advice and unwavering support. Allowing me independence to
develop my own ideas, he was always there when needed. Many thanks also
go to Professor K. A. Kitchen and Dr. Chris Eyre (Liverpool) for their help
with Middle Egyptian, thus opening my understanding to modern linguistics.
Generous financial support came from the Methodist Church Overseas
Students Development Fund, from Tyndale House, Cambridge, and from the
Arbeitskreis für evangelikale Theologie, Tübingen. I am immensely grateful
to the people who represent these institutions. Particular thanks are also due
to the Rev. Dr. L. J. Griffiths, who read part of the manuscript and provided
useful comments on it. The Rev. Dr. I. H. Jones, formerly Principal of
Wesley House, Cambridge, has been a wise mentor. During the years as
Minister in Soham and Wealdstone, the Rev. Kenneth G. Howcroft, of the
Methodist Church's Formation in Ministry Office, has enabled me to spend
considerable time on this book. Many friends have enriched my life. 1 want to
single out Mr. R. Ziegler, Mr. U. Schröder, Mr. K. Plüddemann, the Rev. Dr.
R. Doyle, Dr. S. Hamid-Khani and Dr. D. P. Bailey. Finally, I want to thank
my family. My father, Mr. Klaus Heim, who died before I completed my
doctoral research, has always encouraged me to be the best I can be. I
dedicate this book to his memory. My mother, Mrs. Irmtraut Heim, has
supported me sacrificially. My brother Marc and my sister Edda have always
encouraged me. My wife Hannah and our two sons, Kebba and Mafaal, have
filled my life with joy and created the space I needed to complete this book.
Wealdstone, Easter 2001 Knut M. Heim

Table of Contents
Preface VII
Bibliographical Note XI
Abbreviations XI
Introduction 1
Part One: A Survey of Recent Study 5
1 Denial of Coherent Groupings 7
2 Proverb Performance Context 21
3 Affirmation of Coherent Groupings 27
Part Two: On Reading Proverbs in a Collection 67
4 Towards a Theory of Reading Proverbs in a Collection 69
5 The Linguistic Study of Appellations in Proverbs 77
6 Criteria for the Delimitation of Editorial Clusters in Proverbs 105
Part Three: Exegesis of Proverbs 10:1-22:16 109
7 Exegesis of Proverbial Clusters in Proverbs 10:1—13:25 Ill
8 Exegesis of Proverbial Clusters in Proverbs 14-16 171
9 Exegesis of Proverbial Clusters in Proverbs 17:1-20:4 225
10 Exegesis of Proverbial Clusters in Proverbs 20:5-22:16 271
Summary and Conclusions 313
Appendix 321
Bibliography 331
Indices 351