PROVERBS: INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERARY STRUCTURE

The complete version of this analysis, of which the following is a summary, may be requested from me at elmerphd21@hotmail.com.

 The Book of Proverbs resembles the Psalter in that it is obviously a compilation of several separate collections. Bullock provides a convenient historical summary of the manner in which these various collections may have been originally assembled. However, the present emphasis is not on the text's prehistory, but on the manner by which the present text is organized. And it is organized, despite appearances.

In the first place, certain key words and phrases occur in the Book of Proverbs as multiples of symbolical numbers. Another indication of organization in the Proverbs is seen in the obvious introductions to the individual collections that appear throughout the book (see 1:1; 10:1; 22:17; 24:23; 25:1; 30:1; and 31:1). The acrostic nature of the “Praise to a Virtuous Wife” (31:10-31) that ends the Book of Proverbs also marks it off as a discrete section. Thus, there is a good consensus on the general outline of the book, with the first nine chapters treated as an introduction to the whole book, chs. 30-31 as a series of appendices, and perhaps some recognition that the middle sections form a chiasm of sorts.

Proverbs of Solomon (10:1-22:16)

         Sayings of the Wise (22:17-24:22)

        More Sayings of the Wise (24:23-34)

More Proverbs of Solomon (25:1-29:27)

Proposed Structure for the Book of Proverbs

One attempt to picture the whole of Proverbs as a chiastic organization is shown in Fig. 1 below.

Despite the number of individual units pictured there, sections I-IV may still be viewed as an introductory entity which ends with the reader being confronted with a choice between wisdom and folly before proceeding further. Exactly twelve times in these chapters the phrase “listen, my son” is used, pointing to the educational process as one of the most predominant images in these verses.

If sections I-IV of Fig. 1 are seen as the introduction to the book, then I'-IV' can be viewed, as do most commentators, as an appendix which serves to close the collection. As a whole, the organization of this “appendix” may be recast into the following scheme:

A. Introduction: “The words of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa” (30:1)

Part 1: Prov. 30:2-9

                                    Part 2: Prov. 30:10-33

B. Introduction: “The words of Lemuel, king of Massa” (31:1)

Part 1: Prov. 31:2-9

                                    Part 2: Prov. 31:10-31

For this structure to hold it is necessary to prove that (a) ch. 30 is indeed composed of two sections rather than one and that (b) the two parts of ch. 31 belong together. Concerning the first point, Waltke divides Agur’s collection into two parts, originally concluding the first unit with verse 6 as in Fig. 1 but later deciding on a break after verse 9, in agreement with the scheme above. So either possibility is a viable one. As to the second point, the proposed attribution of all of ch. 31 to Lemuel (or, more precisely, his mother) finds widespread support in the literature due to linguistic and structural considerations.

                                            Figure 1: The Structure of the Book of Proverbs

I. Concerning Wisdom and Wise Men (1:1-7)

II. Warnings from a Father (1:8-3:36)

III. The Two Ways (4:1-7:27)

IV. Two Invitations (8:1-9:18)

V. Solomon’s Proverbs: Part I (10:1-22:16)

A. Proverbs of Contrast (chs. 10-15)

B. Proverbs of Comparison (16:1-22:16)

VI. Book of Wisdom: Part I (22:17-24:22)

A. Trust the Lord (22:17-21)

B. Commands (22:22-23:18)

C. Father to Son (23:19-23:28)

B. Commands (23:29-24:2)

D. About Wisdom (24:3-7)

B. Commands (24:8-12)

C. Father to Son (24:13-14)

B. Commands (24:15-20)

A. Fear the Lord (24:21-22)

VI'. Book of Wisdom: Part II (24:23-34)

A. Behavior at court (24:23-25)

B. Speaking/thinking (24:26)

C. Behavior at work (24:27)

A'. Behavior at court (24:28)

B'. Speaking/thinking (24:29)

C'. Behavior at work (24:30-34)

V'. Solomon’s Proverbs: Part II (chs. 25-29)

            B. Proverbs of Comparison (chs. 25-27)

            A. Proverbs of Contrast (chs. 28-29)

IV'. Skeptic Answered (30:1-6)

III'. Agur’s Proverbs (30:7-33)

II'. Warnings from a Mother (31:1-9)

I'. Concerning Wisdom and the Wise Woman (31:10-31)

General Observations Regarding the Overall Structure

If the book, broadly speaking, adheres to an ABA pattern, then it is logical to ask about the relationship between the two “A” sections. There is a literary affinity to the two remote sections in that Prov. 1:8-19 utilizes the number 22 as its structural basis so that this “non-alphabetic acrostic” form finds its completion in the alphabetic acrostic that ends the book. Concerning the more important thematic issues, Schultz summarizes the situation perfectly in stating that chs. 1-9 and 30-31 “supply the theological framework for interpreting the proverbial collections in chs. 10-29. This invalidates any attempt to reduce folly to intellectual weakness rather than associating it with moral perversity.”  The key phrase “fear of the LORD” at 1:7 and 31:30 serves as an inclusio to the whole book, as noted by most commentators.

The structure outlined in Fig. 1 exhibits no true center due to the division of the “words of the wise” (or Book of Wisdom) into two separate collections. This has the effect of directing the reader's attention to the first and last elements of the outline, structurally strengthening the importance of these sections for understanding the whole book. These all-important sections will be approached by beginning at the center of the book and working outward.

Sections VI and VI'

Section VI is perhaps the most discussed portion of the whole book because of the similarities in teachings to the Egyptian Wisdom of Amen-em-Opet. Another parallel more germane to the present study is the similar structure to the two works. Wisdom is composed of thirty chapters and, according to some counts, Section VI consists of thirty proverbs. In addition, the word usually translated as “excellent things” in 22:20 can be rendered “thirty” with a slight emendation, as in RSV and NIV. The exact significance of the number thirty is debatable and may have a symbolic meaning that is lost to us today. Most commentators also note the similarities in general tone between VI and VI'.

Sections V and V'

There may be no detailed organization to the order of these Solomonic proverbs, but Murphy has demonstrated the extensive use of catchwords to connect adjacent sayings in the first collection, and Skehan even sees significance in the fact that this section contains 375 proverbs since the Hebrew word for “proverb” has a numerical value, using gematria, of 375.

Each of the two sections V and V' can be conveniently subdivided into two smaller units on the basis of the predominating form of proverb present: “antithetic” or “comparison” (see Fig. 1). As an example, consider two proverbs treating the same subject.

Antithetic: “A king's anger is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.” (19:11)

Comparison: “The dread anger of a king is like the growling of a lion; anyone who provokes him to anger forfeits life itself.” (20:2)

An alternative way of understanding the general distinction between the sub-units of V and V' is that the proverbs of VA and V'A tend to see the world in absolutes of right and wrong. On the other hand, the sayings in VB and V'B include the vast majority of the “better than” proverbs in the book, which express truths in more relative terms.

Sections IV and IV'

Section IV evinces the simple structure shown below:

A. Wisdom's Invitation (8:1-9:6)

        B. Scoffers (9:7-12)

A'. Foolish Woman's Invitation (9:13-18)

Several rare non-alphabetic acrostics appear within A and A'. Both IV and IV' center around the problem of the unbeliever or scoffer.

Sections III and III'

Section III has an ABA structure similar to that of IV in that (a) the outer elements describe, respectively, the Woman Wisdom and the Foolish Woman while (b) the central sub-unit provides the closest parallel to the corresponding unit in the last third of the book.

Figure 2: Structure of Section III

A. Seek Wisdom (4:1-6:15)

        B. Numerical Proverb (6:16-19)

A'. Avoid the Loose Woman (6:20-7:27)

Defining the limits of the whole unit is the unusual address to “my children” at 4:1 and 7:24, compared to “my child” elsewhere. In each verse there is a double admonition to “listen” and “pay attention.” IIIA and IIIA' begin with similar admonitions:

“Listen, children to a father's instruction...do not forsake my teaching.” (4:1-2)

“My child, keep your father's commandments, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.” (6:20)

Figure 3: Structure of Section III'

A. Numerical Requests (30:7-9)

        B. Proverb (30:10)

                C. Evil Men (30:11-14)

A'. Numerical Proverbs (30:15-33)

        B'. Proverb (30:32-33)

Justification for pairing A with A' is seen in that (a) A begins as if it were going to be a numerical proverb (see below) and (b) both A and A' start with the number two, only found in these two places in the book.

One specific parallel between sections III and III' is that both contain proverbs that point to the workings of the ant as an example (6:6-8; 30:24-28). The Agur sayings in Section III' show another interesting similarity to those in the wisdom proverbs of III in that all of the so-called numerical proverbs in the book are found in these two collections. An example of a numerical proverb is 30:18-19:

Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand;

            the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock,

            the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden.

This x / x + 1 literary formula is found in other Hebrew and near Eastern poetry. In each case “the intention of such a device is to express the concept of intensification and/or progression. The actual value of the numbers in such cases is not significant.” (Davis, Biblical Numerology)

Sections I-II and II'-I'

This brings us to the outer and most prominent elements of the book's outline, Sections I-II and their parallels at the end of the book. It should be first noted that the limits of Section I are still not universally agreed upon. The analysis in LaSor, et al (Old Testament Survey) concludes this introductory passage at 1:6 while most other scholars agree with the present proposal by including verse 7 as well. (The NRSV evades the issue by treating Prov. 1:7 as a separate literary unit.) Ross notes that the first seven verses of the book belong together grammatically.  Equally important is the presence of a strong verbal inclusio uniting 1:1 and 1:7, namely the common phrase “wisdom and instruction” and the occurrence of related Hebrew words for “know” and “knowledge,” respectively.

The literary unit labeled Section II (see Fig. 4) is identified by Bullock as one of “the larger, more reflective passages” in the Book of Proverbs. Exactly seven times in the section, the author addresses his remarks to “my child.” Overland analyzes both 1:10-19 and 1:22-33 as chiasms, with 1:20-21 as an introduction to the latter. If one similarly treats 1:8-9 as an introduction to 1:10-19, then these two sections become identical to IIA and IIB, respectively (see below).

Figure 4: Structure of Section II

A. Those who Entice (1:8-19)

        B. Wisdom Speaks (1:20-33)

        B'. Seek Wisdom (2:1-3:26)

A'. Those who Harm Others (3:27-36)

It is in consideration of these bracketing sections that the most significant contribution of structural analysis to understanding Proverbs is found. The opening words of Proverbs set the tone and goal for the book “that men may know wisdom and instruction” and “the wise man also may hear and increase in learning.” The start of the next section, according to the scheme of Fig. 1, begins in 1:8 with “Hear, my son, your father's instruction.” And although the verse continues with the admonition “reject not your mother's teaching” (which also appears in 6:20), the emphasis is squarely on the father figure Solomon, the reputed author. Waltke, however, feels that the mother is also an authoritative voice of instruction in the book, as implied by her presence at two crucial junctures in the text: 1:8 and 10:1, the beginning of our sections II and V, respectively.

Another corrective to the suspicion of misogyny is found in the equally important passages that close out the Book of Proverbs. Standing in parallel relationship to the definition of the wise man in Prov. 1:1-7 is the famous description of the virtuous wife in 31:10-31, a quite busy homemaker and business woman. Likewise, the proverbs in 1:8-3:36 handed down from King Solomon are paired chiastically with King Lemuel's proverbs of 31:1-9. However, the latter are pointedly stated in the first verse as having originated with the king's mother, indicating that even a future monarch may receive key moral and ethical instruction from a woman. The fact that Wisdom is personified throughout Proverbs as a woman must also be taken into account. In summary, Hawkins notes in his comments on ch. 31, “Neither wisdom nor folly is limited to a single gender.” 

This same theme of inclusion holds true for the remainder of the Appendix in that Agur and Lemuel come from outside Judaism (assuming that Massa in 30:1 and 31:1 is a place name and not to be translated as “oracle”).  The presence of their proverbs demonstrates “the international character of Hebrew wisdom.” (LaSor, et al) Thus, the literary organization of the whole book has the effect of universalizing the various lessons contained in the individual proverbs that make up the collection.

Returning to the Virtuous Woman at the end of the book, there is no doubt that she stands as a prime example of one who follows the principles of wisdom in all aspects of her active life.

However, an alternative view of Proverbs 31:10-31 has received wide acceptance and bears mention. Instead of viewing this acrostic poem as merely illustrative of the practice of wisdom principles in one’s life, the virtuous woman described there may play a more theological or symbolic role. McCreesh is typical of those scholars holding this view in stating that “the poem in chapter 31 is the book’s final, masterful portrait of Wisdom.”