Comments on: How to Understand Proverbs (and Avoid Twisting Scripture) http://biblical-studies.ca/blog/2008/03/17/how-to-understand-proverbs-and-avoid-twisting-scripture/ My musings on Biblical Studies, Biblical Hebrew, Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Popular Culture, Religion, Software, and pretty much anything else that interests me! Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:16:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: BIBBIABLOG » Temi biblici nei blog del mese di marzo http://biblical-studies.ca/blog/2008/03/17/how-to-understand-proverbs-and-avoid-twisting-scripture/comment-page-1/#comment-259392 BIBBIABLOG » Temi biblici nei blog del mese di marzo Sun, 06 Apr 2008 07:06:10 +0000 http://biblical-studies.ca/blog/wp/2008/03/17/how-to-understand-proverbs-and-avoid-twisting-scripture/#comment-259392 [...] Surely part of translation is understanding, and so take a gander at Tyler William’s post on understanding Proverbs. [...] [...] Surely part of translation is understanding, and so take a gander at Tyler William’s post on understanding Proverbs. [...]

]]> By: Tyler Williams http://biblical-studies.ca/blog/2008/03/17/how-to-understand-proverbs-and-avoid-twisting-scripture/comment-page-1/#comment-253628 Tyler Williams Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:48:29 +0000 http://biblical-studies.ca/blog/wp/2008/03/17/how-to-understand-proverbs-and-avoid-twisting-scripture/#comment-253628 I too would recommend Waltke's commentary, Andrew. Van Leeuwen's work Context and Meaning in Proverbs 25-27 (Society of Biblical Literature, 1988) is also a great one for exactly the reasons you note, Dave, though it isn't always apparent if or how individual proverbs are tied to their context. Thanks for the comments. I too would recommend Waltke’s commentary, Andrew.

Van Leeuwen’s work Context and Meaning in Proverbs 25-27 (Society of Biblical Literature, 1988) is also a great one for exactly the reasons you note, Dave, though it isn’t always apparent if or how individual proverbs are tied to their context.

Thanks for the comments.

]]> By: dave b http://biblical-studies.ca/blog/2008/03/17/how-to-understand-proverbs-and-avoid-twisting-scripture/comment-page-1/#comment-253323 dave b Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:52:39 +0000 http://biblical-studies.ca/blog/wp/2008/03/17/how-to-understand-proverbs-and-avoid-twisting-scripture/#comment-253323 Yes, these are important correctives to the misusing of proverbs. Often reading these proverbs in their immediate literary contexts (something that Longman resists) as well as in the context of the whole book--as Andrew alluded to at the end of his comment--is key to interpreting Proverbs. The two passages you cite illustrate this very well. In the Prov. 3:1-10 it's essential to keep reading. V. 11 instructs that one should not despise the discipline of Yahweh. In other words this seems to suggest that there may be instances when God allows one to endure suffering for a time but this too may be necessary for those who follow him. In the case of Prov. 26:4-5, these verses are right in the middle of a discourse (of sorts) about what is fitting (vv 1-12)--i.e., wisdom requires that one discern what is fitting various contexts. VanLeeuwen speaks of the Sitz im Buch. By the way, another excellent source for how to read Proverbs is Craig Bartholomew's little Groves booklet called Reading Proverbs with Integrity (perhaps a bit hard to access in North America). Yes, these are important correctives to the misusing of proverbs. Often reading these proverbs in their immediate literary contexts (something that Longman resists) as well as in the context of the whole book–as Andrew alluded to at the end of his comment–is key to interpreting Proverbs.

The two passages you cite illustrate this very well. In the Prov. 3:1-10 it’s essential to keep reading. V. 11 instructs that one should not despise the discipline of Yahweh. In other words this seems to suggest that there may be instances when God allows one to endure suffering for a time but this too may be necessary for those who follow him. In the case of Prov. 26:4-5, these verses are right in the middle of a discourse (of sorts) about what is fitting (vv 1-12)–i.e., wisdom requires that one discern what is fitting various contexts. VanLeeuwen speaks of the Sitz im Buch.

By the way, another excellent source for how to read Proverbs is Craig Bartholomew’s little Groves booklet called Reading Proverbs with Integrity (perhaps a bit hard to access in North America).

]]> By: Andrew Compton http://biblical-studies.ca/blog/2008/03/17/how-to-understand-proverbs-and-avoid-twisting-scripture/comment-page-1/#comment-252990 Andrew Compton Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:32:21 +0000 http://biblical-studies.ca/blog/wp/2008/03/17/how-to-understand-proverbs-and-avoid-twisting-scripture/#comment-252990 Great post - thanks for the thoughts on this tricky issue. Thought I'd add (to your Longman recommendation) the section entitled "Does Proverbs Promise Too Much?" in Bruce Waltke's NICOT commentary on Proverbs 1-15 (pgs. 107-109). He too notes the importance of recognizing the particular circumstances being described, as well as what he calls the "counterproverbs" that qualify the others. Great post – thanks for the thoughts on this tricky issue.

Thought I’d add (to your Longman recommendation) the section entitled “Does Proverbs Promise Too Much?” in Bruce Waltke’s NICOT commentary on Proverbs 1-15 (pgs. 107-109). He too notes the importance of recognizing the particular circumstances being described, as well as what he calls the “counterproverbs” that qualify the others.

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