Proverbs, volume 2: Proverbs 10-15

709 Pages·2022·2.651 MB·English

by  J. A. Loader

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PROVERBS VOLUME II

Proverbs 10-15
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by James Alfred Loader
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HISTORICAL COMMENTARY
ON THE OLD TESTAMENT
***
PROVERBS VOLUME II
PROVERBS 10-15
HISTORICAL COMMENTARY
ON THE OLD TESTAMENT
Editorial team:
Carly Crouch
(Nijmegen, The Netherlands)
Bénédicte Lemmelijn
(Leuven, Belgium)
Gert T.M. Prinsloo
(Pretoria, South Africa)
Klaas Spronk
(Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Wilfred G.E. Watson
(Newcastle, UK)
PROVERBS VOLUME II
PROVERBS 10-15

by
James Alfred Loader
PEETERS
LEUVEN – PARIS – WALPOLE, MA
2022
A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
Cover design by Dick Prins.
ISBN 978-90-429-4838-9
eISBN 978-90-429-4839-6
D/2022/0602/84
© 2022 — Peeters, Bondgenotenlaan 153, B-3000 Leuven (Belgium)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the publisher.
CONTENTS
PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII
ABBREVIATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IX
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XV
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
§1. Using the Commentary: Practical Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
§2. The Structure of the Book and the Question of Proverb Groups . 4
2.1 The Main Divisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2 Single Sayings or Proverb Groups? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2.1 The Sentence Literature as Independent Sayings . . . 7
2.2.2 Proverb Groups in the Sentence Literature . . . . . . . . 13
2.2.3 A Two-sided Coin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
§3. Line, Parallelism and Rhythm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.1 Line (= Stich) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.2 Parallelism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.3 Rhythm and Metre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
§4. The Date and Social Setting of the Book and its Diversified
Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
§5. The Order of the Masoretic Text and the Versions . . . . . . . . . . . 35
§6. The Relevance of Proverbs: Theological and Ethical Consid-
erations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
§7. Essays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
§7.1 Virtue between Command and Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
7.1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
7.1.2 Proverbs as a Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
7.1.3 Education in Different Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
7.1.4 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
§7.2 Learning in the Indicative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
7.2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
7.2.2 The Imperative, the Indicative, and Life-setting . . . 58
7.2.3 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
§7.3 Metaphorical and Literal Readings of Aphorisms in Proverbs 65
7.3.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
7.3.2 Evidence from the Textual Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
7.3.3 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
VI Contents
COMMENTARY
THE SECOND PART OF THE BOOK OF PROVERBS
PROVERBS 10:1–22:16*
ESSENTIALS AND PERSPECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
CHAPTER 10
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Translation and Exegesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
CHAPTER 11
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Translation and Exegesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
CHAPTER 12
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Translation and Exegesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
CHAPTER 13
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Translation and Exegesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
CHAPTER 14
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Translation and Exegesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494
CHAPTER 15
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584
Translation and Exegesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588
INDEX OF AUTHORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663
INDEX OF RABBINIC AND PATRISTIC SOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671
* This volume of the commentary covers half of the Second Part of the Book of Proverbs
(10:1–15:33). The other half will open the next volume of the Proverbs commentary in HCOT,
beginning at 16:1.
PREFACE
In the preface to Proverbs 1-9, which is the first volume of this commen-
tary on the biblical book also known by its Hebrew title of Mishle, I made a
number of remarks that also hold good for the second volume under the title
of Proverbs 10-15. Among those are the questions regarding the justifica-
tion for another commentary on the Book of Proverbs, a matter that does not
need to be discussed in a second volume of the same commentary. An issue
that does bear pointing out in the preface of a second volume, is the demands
made on the author of a commentary in which the short sayings beginning at
Chapter 10 are concerned.
The short sayings need to be treated along the same lines that govern all
the volumes in the series Historical Commentary on the Old Testament.
• The Hebrew text is first translated, followed by short observations under
the following headings:
• “Essentials and Perspectives” that are intended to offer readers a general
orientation to the pericopes to be commented on.
• In the design of the series that is followed by an “Introduction to the
Exegesis,” which was identified as “Exposition I” in the first Proverbs
volume.
• Last follows the detailed exegesis, previously under the title “Exposition
II,” which contains the mainstay of the commentary.
• The first two of these are also provided with a short literature list relevant
for that specific section.
I have followed this pattern as closely as possible in the first volume of the
commentary, which could be done because it was concerned with the extended
texts making up the poems found in Chapters 1-9. But in the present volume
such a strict organisation is not possible. Here we have to do with single say-
ings, each requiring its own interpretation in terms of form and content, that
is, cum grano salis, like miniature chapters in their own right.1 It stands to
reason that each cannot be treated as though it were a full chapter, each con-
taining the paragraph headings suited for extended texts. But I have tried to
attend to the issues required by the series Historical Commentary on the Old
Testament, and to do so in a way suitable for the treatment of short sayings.
1 This remains true despite the fact that some have been edited together to form what has
come to be called “clusters.” My view on interpreting short proverbs in their own right while
allowing for the existence of groupings and pairs is set out in the Introduction and will be obvi-
ous throughout the commentary.
VIII Preface
This volume has been a long time in coming, somewhat like the first one
– and to a not inconsiderable degree for similar reasons. I sincerely hope the
third volume will not follow the same pattern. That simply won’t do, even
if I no longer have the luxury of assistants whom I would have liked to thank
again, such as Frau Katja Bachl, Frau Helene Lechner, Frau Esther Scheuchl,
Herr Björn Bergh, Frau Nayomi Lara Keller or Herr Ferenc Susmaier. At the
end of this stage, I nevertheless express words of gratitude. First, to the edi-
tor of the series Historical Commentary on the Old Testament, who yet again
showed the patience and understanding I thanked him for in the preface to
the first volume – and to whom I owe the same appreciation, but to a height-
ened degree. To Dr Margot von Beck, who did the page editing and always
showed concern for my personal wellbeing. To my family, especially my wife,
who supported me during the continued difficult time of writing not only this
volume, but also her own book.
Special thanks to our little dog, who lay on my feet under the desk when
there was nobody else at home. That provided the warmth indispensible for
work in the Alpine cold.
Finally, it seems that Qohelet was wrong – producing books does come
to an end, at least for individuals. In my case, whether I get to the end of
Volume III or whether I don’t.
I would like to dedicate this volume to Professor Jurie le Roux, in gratitude
for having learnt much more from him than he will ever realise.
Vienna,
as autumn encroaches on the last rose of summer, 2021
ABBREVIATIONS
AB The Anchor Bible
AEL Lichtheim, M., Ancient Egyptian Literature I-III, Berkeley 1973-1980
AJBI Annual of the Japanese Biblical Institute
AJSL American Journal for the Study of Religion
AnBib Analecta Biblica
ANE ancient Near East
ANEM Ancient Near East Monographs
ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, ed.
J.B. Pritchard, Princeton 1955; Supplements: The Ancient Near East.
Supplementary Texts and Pictures Relating to the Old Testament, Con-
sisting of Supplementary Materials for The Ancient Near East in Pic-
tures and Ancient Near Eastern Texts, ed. J.B. Pritchard, Princeton
1969 (page numbering continuous)
ANF The Ante-Nicene Fathers
AnOr Analecta Orientalia
AOTC Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries
ArTh Arbeiten zur Theologie
ArOr Archiv Orientálni
AS Acta Sumerologica
ATD Das Alte Testament Deutsch
AThANT Abhandlungen zur Theologie des Alten und Neuen Testaments
AuS Arbeit und Sitte in Palästina I-VII, by G. Dalman, Hildesheim 1964
[Gütersloh 1928ff.]
BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
BBRS Bulletin for Biblical Research Supplements
BDB Brown, F., Driver, S.R. & Briggs, C.A., Hebrew and English Lexicon of
the Old Testament. With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic,
Oxford 1966
BEThL Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium
BHQ Biblia Hebraica Quinta, Part 17, ed. J. de Waard, Stuttgart 2008
BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, Part 12, ed. J. Fichtner, Stuttgart 1974
BHTh Beiträge zur Historischen Theologie
BIFAO Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale
Bib et Or Biblica et Orientalia
Bibl Biblica
BINS Biblical Interpretation Series
BK Biblischer Kommentar
BOT De Boeken van het Oude Testament
BS Biblische Studien
BSOAS Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
BTh Biblical Theology
BThZ Berliner Theologische Zeitschrift
BWANT Beiträge zur Wissenschaft vom Alten und Neuen Testament
BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft