Lady Wisdom is the central figure in 1:20-33; 4:6-9; 8:1-36; and 9:1-18.
However, Proverbs 1:1-2 and more clearly
still, 1:1-6, distinguish Solomon’s proverbs from wisdom. The former are not
identified with wisdom, but are spoken of as suitable for the purpose of attaining
knowledge of wisdom (1:2). A wise man will add to the wisdom he possesses
by attending to the words of the book (1:5).
It is thus clear that the proverbs of Solomon
are a subset, no more, but also no less, of what according to the book may
legitimately be called wisdom and instruction. As such, like all wisdom and
instruction, the proverbs of Solomon will help the discriminating man acquire
the capacity of orientation, the same capacity he already has in so far as he
is already a person of discernment (1:5). Here is the relevant text:
מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה
בֶן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל
לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר
לְהָבִין אִמְרֵי בִינָה
לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל
צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִים
לָתֵת לִפְתָאיִם עָרְמָה
לְנַעַר דַּעַת וּמְזִמָּה
יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח
וְנָבוֹן תַּחְבֻּלוֹת יִקְנֶה
לְהָבִין מָשָׁל וּמְלִיצָה
דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְחִידֹתָם
The proverbs of Solomon son of David king of Israel.
For attaining knowledge of
wisdom and restraint,
for committing to mind discriminating
words.
For attaining the restraint of
insight,
of correctness, justice, and equity.
For endowing the simple with
shrewdness,
the young with knowledge and cunning.
The wise man will hear and add
learning,
the discerning man will acquire the
capacity of orientation,
committing to mind saying and
epigram,
the words of the wise and their
dilemmas.
According to 1:1-6, the “Proverbs of Solomon”
are suitable for the purpose of attaining knowledge of wisdom because, within
the covers of that collection, besides the proverbs attributed to Solomon, selections
from “the words of the wise” (1:6) are included (22:17–24:22; 24:23-34;
31:2-33; 31:2-9, 10-31).
There is no clear evidence for the view that Agur,
the mother of Lemuel, or Lemuel himself (Prov 30-31) were proselytes to the
Israelite faith. The most economical theory is that their wisdom exemplifies
that of the East that is elsewhere spoken of with respect (1 Kgs 5:10). Furthermore,
that “the words of the wise” found in Prov 22:17-23:11 are largely based on the
Egyptian “Instruction of Amenemope” is well-known.
In short, the book of Proverbs contains
extra-Israelite “words of the wise” integrated into a larger Israelite whole.
There is no basis for saying that extra-Israelite words of the wise are
attributable to Lady Wisdom as the grantee only after they have been integrated
into an Israelite context.
The wording of 1:1-6 makes it clear that the
proverbs of Solomon and the words of the wise contained within the covers of
the book with that title are examples of wisdom.
On a synthetic interpretation of the book, it
is possible to say that the proverbs of Solomon and the words of the wise
contained within the collection exemplify Lady Wisdom’s teaching. But it
is not possible to say that Lady Wisdom is a personification of the proverbs
of Solomon. That would leave the relationship of Lady Wisdom to words of the
wise not contained in the book of Proverbs – for example, those the wise man
knows already, to which he adds in the process of absorbing the contents of the
book of Proverbs (1:5) – unexplained.
Indeed, based on 1:5 alone, there are no grounds for holding that Lady Wisdom, when she speaks in public (1:20; 8:1, 4) or dishes up her treats (9:2-6), confines herself to the proverbs of Solomon, whether they be defined as Prov 10:1-22:16 and 25:1-29:27 or more broadly, as including 1:2-9:18, or as including the book’s entire stock of proverbs and instruction.
Bibliography
Bruce K. Waltke, The
Book of Proverbs 1-15 (NICOT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004).
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