by Paul Apple | Jun 4, 2024 | Bible-OT
Richard Clifford: The poem on the capable or valiant woman is an acrostic poem of twenty-two lines, each line beginning with a successive letter of the alphabet. . . As with most acrostic poems in the Bible, the unity of the poem comes more from its alphabetic...
by Paul Apple | Jun 2, 2024 | Bible-OT
Richard Clifford: Verses 1–9 are skillfully composed. The first section (vv. 3–5, 26 words) is an admonition against the imprudent use of sex and alcohol (“wine,” “strong drink”) lest the luxury-loving king forget the poor. The second section (vv. 6–9, 28 words) is an...
by Paul Apple | Jun 1, 2024 | Bible-OT
Paul Koptak: There are five numerical sayings in this section, all list “four” items. Four use a “three plus one” pattern. The numerical sayings are early examples of reflections on nature and society, distinct from the numerical lists in chapter 6 and elsewhere. The...
by Paul Apple | May 30, 2024 | Bible-OT
Paul Koptak: The introduction to the “sayings of Agur” asks a series of four rhetorical questions, followed by one person’s despair at finding wisdom and God. In a sense, the “oracle” is actually a prayer in two parts, first for knowledge of God and second for a life...
by Paul Apple | May 29, 2024 | Bible-OT
I. (:17-19) BENEFITS AND DIFFICULTIES OF TRAINING REGIMENS A. (:17) Benefits of Parental Discipline “Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; He will also delight your soul.” Paul Koptak: this hopeful proverb stresses the positive aspect of “discipline”; if a...
by Paul Apple | May 28, 2024 | Bible-OT
Paul Koptak: While chapter 29 does not fall into an obvious outline, the repetition of “thrive” (root rbh, “increase”) in 29:2 and 16 and the recurrence of “wise/wisdom” in between (29:3, 8, 9, 11, 15) ties the first half together. (:1) TRANSITIONAL WARNING –...
by Paul Apple | May 25, 2024 | Bible-OT
I. (:13-14) RIGHTEOUS VS. UNRIGHTEOUS RESPONSE TO SIN A. (:13) Confessing and Forsaking vs. Concealing – Impenitent Sinner “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” Allen Ross: Repentance and...
by Paul Apple | May 24, 2024 | Bible-OT
Lindsay Wilson: These verses deal with both the righteous and the wicked, but there is a greater emphasis on the wicked. In most verses both are mentioned, but sometimes there is a focus only on the wicked (vv. 3, 9). The righteous are never the subject of an entire...
by Paul Apple | May 24, 2024 | Bible-OT
Lindsay Wilson: While Van Leeuwen regards these verses as a loosely structured section, Waltke has shown that they divide into two parallel sections (vv. 1–10 and 11–21), with the hinge verse 22 (or Janus) at the end. He suggests that each section begins with ‘to whom...
by Paul Apple | May 22, 2024 | Bible-OT
Richard Clifford: According to its topics, the chapter falls into three parts, each marked by repetition of key words: vv. 1–12, 13–16, and 17–28. In vv. 1–12, “fool” occurs eleven times, being found in every verse but v. 2. “Sluggard” occurs in every verse of vv....
by Paul Apple | May 21, 2024 | Bible-OT
Lindsay Wilson: In this section on wicked characters, there appear to be six sections with negative figures mentioned: a hateful friend, false witness, faithless man/tormentor, enemy, backbiter/bad wife and the wicked (so Bryce 1972). Verse 27b operates as an inclusio...
by Paul Apple | May 20, 2024 | Bible-OT
(:1) PROLOGUE A. Author “These also are proverbs of Solomon” Van Leeuwen: Analysis of chapters 25-27 identifies the following components: 25:2–27 – a ‘proverb poem’ addressed to courtiers, about social rank and social conflict; 26:1–12 – a ‘proverb poem’ dealing...
by Paul Apple | May 20, 2024 | Bible-OT
(:23a) STRUCTURAL TRANSITION “These also are sayings of the wise.” Paul Koptak: A new section begins with the title, “These also are sayings of the wise.” It is distinct from the “sayings of the wise” (22:17 – 24:22) in what it lacks: There is no father’s address to...
by Paul Apple | May 17, 2024 | Bible-OT
I. (:1-14) CONTRAST BETWEEN THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF WISDOM AND THE EVIL BEHAVIOR OF FOOLS A. (:1-2) Do Not Envy the Wicked (:1) Prohibition – Do Not Envy the Wicked or Associate with Them “Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them;” Paul Koptak: The...
by Paul Apple | May 16, 2024 | Bible-OT
I. (:12-14) IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE AND INSTRUCTION IN PURSUING WISDOM A. (:12) Priority of Personal Discipline and Appropriating Wisdom “Apply your heart to discipline, And your ears to words of knowledge.” Richard Clifford: A new section (23:12–35) begins here,...
by Paul Apple | May 15, 2024 | Bible-OT
I. (22:22-29) OPENING SERIES OF PROBIBITIONS A. (:22-23) Don’t Exploit the Poor (:22) Admonition “Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Or crush the afflicted at the gate;” Paul Koptak: While the poverty of these people is reason enough to treat them kindly, most...
by Paul Apple | May 13, 2024 | Bible-OT
Paul Koptak: The shift from individual sayings to the address of a teacher in 22:17 tells us that we have entered a new section of the book, one that spans 22:17 – 24:22. We set this section apart here because (1) there is a new title, “the sayings of the wise”...
by Paul Apple | May 11, 2024 | Bible-OT
I. (:1-7) GENERAL INSIGHTS INTO RICHES AND AVOIDING TROUBLE A. (:1) What’s Better than Riches? “A good name is to be more desired than great riches, Favor is better than silver and gold.” Richard Clifford: Human beings are inherently social and find their happiness...
by Paul Apple | May 10, 2024 | Bible-OT
Verse 1 – Divine Sovereignty (over even the King) “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.” Richard Clifford: It takes great skill and power to direct water, whether it is confining the cosmic waters at...
by Paul Apple | May 8, 2024 | Bible-OT
Paul Koptak: The many doubled proverbs and images of this chapter suggest that a clue for reading can be found by attending to the repetition. So we observe that two pairs of royal proverbs (20:2 and 8; 20:26 and 28) frame two clusters of Yahweh proverbs (20:10 and...
