The Composition of the Book of ProverbsWho compiled the varied material in the book of Proverbs, and why? Is there any significance in the order in which it has been arranged? These and similar questions about the book have often been discussed in the past, but no agreed conclusions reached. In this study the question of the purpose behind the composition of the book is raised anew. Whybray first discusses each section of Proverbs separately and then enquires into the significance, if any, of the shape of the book as a whole in its final form. Among the chief features of this study are an analysis of redactional layers in chapters 1-9, the comparison of different concepts of wisdom in the book, the question of a theological development in the course of the redactional process and an investigation of the possibility that the numerous short proverbs in chapters 10-29 may have been consciously arranged in meaningful groups. |
Contents
| 7 | |
| 9 | |
| 11 | |
Chapter 2 PROVERBS 1012216 AND 2529 | 62 |
Chapter 3 PROVERBS 22172434 | 132 |
Chapter 4 PROVERBS 3031 | 148 |
Chapter 5 THE REDACTION OF THE BOOK | 157 |
| 166 | |
| 170 | |
| 172 | |
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Common terms and phrases
acquisition of wisdom acrostic admonition adulteress affinities Amenemope apodosis appears Aramaic beginning behaviour book of Proverbs chapters character clearly closely collections common composition concerned conclusion conditional sentence consists constitute context couplets Covenant Code distinct editor Egyptian example fact father father's teaching fear of Yahweh final folly fools G.W. Anderson groups of proverbs Hebrew heed Hermisson human individual proverbs instructions of chs intended introduction introductory Israel kethib kind kings Krispenz larger groups lēb literary material Meinhold motive clause Neukirchen-Vluyn Neukirchener numerical proverb occurs Old Testament original instruction pairs paronomasia passages person personified Wisdom pivotal verse Plöger possible present probably Prov pupil reference to Yahweh regarded righteous scholars second line similar single speaks specific speech Sprüche Salomos statement teacher theme thought tion topic verbal links Verse 11 Verse 20 warning wealth whole wicked wickedness wisdom literature wisdom poems wise words Yahweh proverbs Yahwistic