The Structure and Ethos of the Wisdom Admonitions in Proverbs

156 Pages·1982·3.379 MB·English

by  Philip Johannes Nel

Philip Johannes Nel
The Structure and Ethos
of the Wisdom Admonitions in Proverbs

Philip Johannes Nel
The Structure and Ethos
of the Wisdom Admonitions
in Proverbs
w
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Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
1982
Beiheft zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
Herausgegeben von Georg Fohrer
158
CIP-Kurztitelaufnahme der Deutschen Bibliothek
Nel, Philip Johannes:
The structure and ethos of the wisdom admonitions in proverbs /
Philip Johannes Nel. - Berlin ; New York : de Gruyter, 1982.
(Beiheft zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft ;
158)
ISBN 3-11-008750-2
NE: Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft / Beiheft
©
1982
by Walter de Gruyter & Co., vormals G. J. Göschen'sche Verlagshandlung - J. Guttentag,
Verlagsbuchhandlung — Georg Reimer — Karl J. Trübner — Veit & Comp., Berlin 30
Alle Rechte des Nachdrucks, der photomechanischen Wiedergabe, der Ubersetzung,
der Herstellung von Mikrofilmen und Photokopien, auch auszugsweise, vorbehalten.
Printed in Germany
Satz und Druck: Arthur Collignon GmbH, Berlin 30
Bindearbeiten: Lüderitz & Bauer, Berlin 61
Preface
It is with great pleasure that I make mention of the following people
by reason of their contribution towards the completion of this study.
First of all, my profound appreciation and gratitude to my promotor,
Prof F. C. Fensham for his contribution, one I consider 'parental' to my
academic forming. I am grateful for his sustained interest, encouragement,
guidance and counsel without which this study could nothave been com-
pleted.
Secondly, I wish to thank Prof H. Gese, (University of Tübingen,
West Germany), for his indispensible contribution as external examiner.
His stimulating ideas and good counsel will not escape the attentive readers.
I am sincerely grateful to Dr W. T. Claassen for his part as examiner.
Then too, I wish to express my appreciation to Prof F. du T. Laub-
scher, head of the department of Semitic Languages at the UOFS, both for
his interest and his kind consideration during the completion of this study.
I am grateful to Drs P. Brouwer for his revision of this study's text
with a view to English idiom.
I also with to thank the Council of the University of the Orange Free
State for the special study leave granted to me and for their financial
assistance in the completion of this study.
I also gratefully acknowledge receipt of financial assistance from the
Human Sciences Research Council, which helps to make this publication
possible.
Finally, my gratitude and appreciation for the self-effacing assistance
offered by my wife and children. Therefore it gives me great pleasure to
dedicate this study to my wife.
Above all, I give thanks to God who makes each day of work a day
of joy.

Contents
Preface V
Abbreviations IX
Transliteration XI
Chapter 1 : Introduction 1
1.1. The Wisdom Literature of Israel 1
1.2. Discussion of Problems and Aims 3
1.3. Method of Study 5
Chapter 2 : The Formal Structure of the Wisdom 7
2.1. Introductory Notes 7
2.2. The Genres of the Wisdom 9
2.2.1. The Parable 9
2.2.2. The Allegory 10
2.2.3. The Fable 10
2.2.4. The Riddle 10
2.2.5. The numerical saying 11
2.2.6. Onomastica 12
2.2.7. Wisdom Teaching 13
2.2.8. The Hymn 13
2.2.9. The Dialogue 13
2.2.10. The Confession 14
2.2.11. Beatitude 14
2.2.12. The Popular Proverb 14
2.2.13. The Sentence ('Weisheitsspruch') 16
Chapter 3 : The Wisdom Admonition .„ . . . 18
3.1. The Structure of the Admonition in Proverbs 18
3.1.1. Admonition-Motivation in a Final Clause 18
3.1.2. Admonition-Motivation in Subordinate Clause 26
3.1.3. Admonition-Motivation in Result Clause or Result Descrip-
tion 28
3.1.4. Admonition-Motivation in Causal Clause 36
3.1.5. Admonition-Motivation in Predication 40
3.1.6. Admonition-Motivation as a Promise 46
3.1.7. Admonition-Motivation in an Interrogative Clause 48
3.1.8. Admonition-Motivation in a Conditional Clause . 50
3.1.9. Admonition-Motivation in a Secondary Command 51
VIII Contents
3.1.10. Admonitions in which the Motivation precedes the Imperative
Form 52
3.1.11. An Implicit Admonition-Motivation 54
3.1.12. Complex Structures 57
3.1.13. Admonitions without Motivations ? 62
3.2. Form-critical Conclusions 65
3.2.1. Index of References 65
3.2.2. Structural features of the Admonition as such in the various
Collections 68
3.2.3. The Motivative Clauses 68
3.2.4. Form-critical Development 70
3.2.5. Linguistic Description of the Admonitions 72
3.2.6. The Relation of Admonition and Wisdom Saying 74
3.3. The Life-Setting (Sitz im Leben) of the Wisdom Admonitions 76
Chapter 4: The Ethos of the Wisdom 83
4.1. The Role and Function of the Motivation 83
4.2. Authority in the Wisdom Admonitions 89
4.3. The Relation between the Tôrâ and the Wisdom Admonition 92
4.4. Th eyiratjahweh 97
4.5. TheEthosoftheWisdom 101
Chapter 5 : The Ethos as Recognition of the Evil 116
Concluding Statements 125
Bibliography 128
Text References 136
Abbreviations
ΑΙΟΝ Annali del'Instituto Orientale di Napoli.
ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts relating to the Old Testament.
August Augustinianum
Bibl Biblica
Bib Or Bibliotheca Orientalis
BS Biblische Studien
Bible Trans The Bible Translator.
BWL Babylonian Wisdom Literature
BWANT Beiträge zur Wissenschaft vom Alten und Neuen Testament
BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
BZ Biblische Zeitschrift
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
Ev Quart The Evangelical Quarterly
EVTh Evangelische Theologie
FS Festschrift
HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual
IrTQ Irish Theological Quarterly
IEJ Israel Exploration Journal
JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JBR Journal of Bible and Religion
JCS Journal of Cuneiform Studies
JNES Journal of Near Eastern Studies
JNSL Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages
JQR Jewish Quarterly Review
JTS Journal of Theological Studies
KS Kleine Schrifte zur Geschichte des Volkes Israel
Ν GTT Nederduits-Gereformeerde Teologiese Tydskrif
NThT Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift
NZSThR Neue Zeitschrift für Systematische Theologie und Religionsphilosophie
OA Oriens Antiquus
OTLib Old Testament Library
OTS Oud Testamentische Studien
OTWSA Ou Testamentiese Werkgemeenskap van Suid-Afrika
RGG Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart
SAV Schweizerisches Archiv für Volkskunde
SBT Studies in Biblical Theology
SJT Scottish Journal of Theology
ThLZ Theologische Literaturzeitung
ThRNF Theologische Rundschau Neue Folge
ThWNT Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Neuen Testament
VT Vetus Testamentum
χ Abbreviations
VTS Supplements to Vetus Testamentum
WMANT Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament
WO Welt des Orients
ZAW Zeitschrift für alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
ZThK Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche