The Proverbs

The Lectionary gave us a taste of the Proverbs last week before moving on to Ecclesiastes. Both are attributed (more or less) to Solomon, son of David, to whom I Kings 4:32 attributes three thousand proverbs. Linguistic reasons make it virtually certain that both books received their final form centuries later. Prov. 25:1, while specifically referring to only a portion of the book, is a likely indicator of how most or all of these two books were written: "These are also proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out." Some of Solomon is likely in the background of the Proverbs, and perhaps much more that got attached to his name in the same way as did the "Psalms of David," or the repertoire of "Gregorian Chant." Many of the proverbs are far too earthy for someone who spent his life in royal luxury. I suspect that they were the folk wisdom, the "old wives' sayings" of the people. It could well be that Solomon had enough sense to recognize this wisdom and collect such sayings, to which collection other sayings accreted in succeeding generations and later editors assembled into what we have; if so, he is to be blessed for it. In any event, both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are treasures.

It is hard to imagine these two books coming from the same person. As if that is not enough, there is the Song of Solomon as well, which seems utterly unlikely for the polygamous king -- more likely is that the first verse "The song of songs, which is Solomon's" is in the sense that it is written/sung for Solomon, not by him. But making the assumption for a moment that Solomon is the source of all three books, what a complex person he must have been! No wonder he fascinated the Queen of Sheba (I Kings 10:1-10, c.f. Matt. 12:42). It is out of fashion to do so, but I readily accept the idea of Solomon as a wise, subtle, complex, and very great individual. And flawed, as Scripture makes abundantly clear.

I wrote elsewhere about Ecclesiastes, in the context of local events of two years ago. As I said there, my personal theory of authorship, completely unsupported by any scholarship, is Hezekiah, also a "son of David, king in Jerusalem" (Eccles. 1:1).

But for now, Proverbs:

The first time that I dipped into the Analects of Confucius, I said to myself "This is like Proverbs!" It is not especially religious; it is much more interested in practical life. It seems to be a jumbled mass of unconnected sayings. And both the Analects and the Proverbs remind us that these little kernals of wisdom are gifts from God, and an indispensable part of the foundation of civil society.

As with the rest of Scripture, application is fraught with peril. How many children have been physically abused because of 23:13-14? "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." On another front, the Proverbs have much that is negative to say about women -- these passages are fascinating if one tries to imagine Solomon writing them. But the "loud and stubborn" woman (7:11), and the "strange" woman (5:3), and the "contentious and angry" woman (21:19) must be balanced against Hagia Sophia: "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars..." (chapter 9). The contrast of the two is doubtless intentional in chapters seven through nine. Finally, there is the crowning glory and conclusion of the book, 31:10-31.

I do not often speak of my wife in these pages, for she would not have it so, but I must record here that when I read of this "virtuous woman" whose "price is far above rubies," I think of my wife, who is all of the things described in this passage. "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all" (31:29).