Table of Contents
Series Introduction
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
Proverbs as a Theological Work
The Composition of Proverbs
Proverbs as Scripture
Commentary
Proverbs A (Proverbs 1:1–9:18)
Proverbs 1:1–33
Wisdom, Ethics, Theology, Spirituality
Introducing Wisdom (1:1–7)
How Crime Doesn’t Pay (1:8–19)
Wisdom the Prophet (1:20–33)
Proverbs 2:1–22
Wisdom on the Road
The Nature and Purpose of Wisdom (2:1–11)
Stupidity Embodied by Men (2:12–15)
Stupidity Embodied by a Woman (2:16–19)
The Cost of Turning Away (2:20–22)
Proverbs 3:1–35
Wisdom and Yahweh
With Modesty (3:1–12)
With Good Fortune (3:13–20)
With Security (3:21–26)
With Neighborliness (3:27–35)
Proverbs 4:1–27
Be Attentive to Wisdom
Listening to Your Father (4:1–9)
Wisdom’s Walk (4:10–19)
Ear, Eyes, Mind, Mouth, Foot (4:20–27)
Proverbs 5:1–23
Marital Unfaithfulness and Faithfulness
Wisdom and Unfaithfulness (5:1–6)
What Follows from Adultery (5:7–14)
What Follows from Faithfulness (5:15–19)
Unfaithfulness and Stupidity (5:20–23)
Proverbs 6:1–19
Four Forms of Stupidity or Antisocial Behavior
Guaranteeing (6:1–5)
Sloth (6:6–11)
Provoking Arguments . . . (6:12–15)
. . . In the Family (6:16–19)
Proverbs 6:20–35
Torah, Unfaithfulness, and the Price You Pay
Pay Heed to Instruction (6:20–23)
Resist Enticement (6:24–25)
Rationales (6:26–35)
Proverbs 7:1–27
The Fatal Attraction
Pay Heed to My Words and to Wisdom (7:1–4)
The Seducer (7:5–23)
Pay Heed to My Words and Think (7:24–27)
Proverbs 8:1–36
Wisdom’s Activity
Wisdom Preaches in the City (8:1–11)
Wisdom Makes Her Claims (8:12–21)
Wisdom Recalls Her Past (8:22–31)
Wisdom Issues Her Challenge (8:32–36)
Proverbs 9:1–18
The Choice
Wisdom’s Invitation (9:1–6)
Some Provisos (9:7–12)
Stupidity’s Invitation (9:13–18)
Proverbs B (Proverbs 10:1–22:16)
Proverbs 10:1–30
The Faithful and the Faithless
Solomon (10:1)
Faithfulness, Diligence, Sufficiency, Security, Recognition (10:2–7)
Lips, Mouth, Tongue, Commands (10:8–14)
Wealth (10:15–22)
Plans, Fears, Expectations, Hopes (10:23–30)
Proverbs 10:31–11:31
Wisdom and Faithfulness
The Crooked and the Straight (10:31–11:7)
Neighbors and Communities (11:8–15)
Grace, Beauty, and Perceptiveness (11:16–22)
The Willingness to Risk and to Give (11:23–31)
Proverbs 12:1–28
The Faithful and the Faithless, a Reprise
The Reprise (12:1–8)
Food (12:9–16)
Truthfulness (12:17–23)
Lethargy and Determination (12:24–28)
Proverbs 13:1–25
Wisdom, Discipline, Carefulness, Assets
One Who Guards Their Mouth (13:1–6)
Wealth and Poverty (13:7–12)
Words, and Some Backup (13:13–18)
Food and Folly, or Dim Sum and Dimwit (13:19–25)
Proverbs 14:1–15:2
Wisdom, Awe for Yahweh, and the King
Stupidity and Wisdom (14:1–9)
The Inner Being (14:10–14)
The Naïve and the Neighbor (14:15–25)
King and God (14:26–15:2)
Proverbs 15:3–33
Yahweh-Exposure, Awe, Outrage; Discipline, Correction
The Eyes of Yahweh, Watching (15:3–12)
Awe for Yahweh and a Happy Heart (15:13–24)
Outrage to Yahweh and Tearing Away (15:25–33)
Proverbs 16:1–30
Yahweh and the King, the Judicious and the Scoundrel
The Action of Human Beings and the Action of Yahweh (16:1–9)
The King (16:10–15)
The Judicious Individual (16:16–26)
The Scoundrel (16:27–30)
Proverbs 16:31–17:26
Heroes and Villains and Dimwits
Heroes Crowned, and Dimwits They Watch (16:31–17:6)
Villains, and Dimwits among Them (17:7–15)
Dimwits, and Villains among Them (17:16–26)
Proverbs 17:27–19:7
Words Spoken and Unspoken
Where Wisdom and Folly Lie (17:27–18:9)
Where Strength Lies (18:10–21)
Between Badly Off and Well Off (18:22–19:7)
Proverbs 19:8–20:1
Wisdom and Family
Wisdom in an Individual’s Life (19:8–12)
Wisdom in the Family (19:13–19)
Wisdom in an Individual’s Life (19:20–23)
Wisdom in the Family (19:24–20:1)
Proverbs 20:2–21:3
Royal Power and Divine Power
The King’s Winnowing (20:2–13)
Things People Say (20:14–22)
Yahweh’s Sovereignty (20:23–21:3)
Proverbs 21:4–31
The Faithless and the Faithful
Aims and Desires (21:4–10)
Wisdom and Judiciousness (21:11–20)
A Gallery of Wise Men and Rogues (21:21–31)
Proverbs 22:1–16
The Well Off and the Badly Off, and a Reprise
The Well Off and the Badly Off (22:1–9)
A Reprise (22:10–16)
Proverbs C (Proverbs 22:17–31:31)
Proverbs 22:17–23:11
Words of the Wise, Part One
Introduction (22:17–21)
The Poor, the Angry, the Debtor, and the Family Land (22:22–28)
On Relating to the Administration (22:29–23:3)
The Wealthy, the Mean, the Fool, and the Parentless (23:4–11)
Proverbs 23:12–24:22
Words of the Wise, Part Two
Discipline (23:12–18)
Drinking, Overeating, Honoring, Whoring (23:19–24:2)
Wisdom Builds, Battles, Speaks, Discerns, Satisfies (24:3–14)
Don’t Lie in Wait, Don’t Exult, Don’t Fret, Don’t Mix (24:15–22)
Proverbs 24:23–34
Words of the Wise, Part Three
Justice and Work (1) (24:23–27)
Justice and Work (2) (24:28–34)
Proverbs 25:1–28
Sayings Copied for Hezekiah, Part One
The King (25:1–7a)
Involvement in Decision-Making (25:7b–15)
Endangering Relationships (25:16–20)
Conflicted Relationships (25:21–28)
Proverbs 26:1–28
Sayings Copied for Hezekiah, Part Two
The Dimwit (26:1–12)
The Slacker (26:13–16)
The Disputant (26:17–22)
The Fraud (26:23–28)
Proverbs 27:1–27
Sayings Copied for Hezekiah, Part Three
Outsider and Other, Neighbor and Friend (27:1–10)
Wisdom and Stupidity, Outsider and Neighbor (27:11–22)
The Sheep Farm (27:23–27)
Proverbs 28:1–28
Sayings Copied for Hezekiah, Part Four
Heeding and Abandoning Instruction (28:1–9)
The Misleading Leader (28:10–18)
How to Be Full (28:19–28)
Proverbs 29:1–27
Sayings Copied for Hezekiah, Part Five
Wisdom and Happiness (29:1–11)
Authority and Discipline (29:12–21)
Yahweh and Outrage (29:22–27)
Proverbs 30:1–33
Words of Agur
Thinking about Wisdom (30:1–9)
Thinking about People (30:10–20)
Thinking about Order (30:21–33)
Proverbs 31:1–31
Words of Lemuel
A Mother’s Utterance (31:1–9)
A Resourceful Woman (31:10–31)
Conclusion
Actions and Consequences
Proverbs in the Context of the Scriptures
Virtue
Selected Bibliography
Indexes
