The Bible Book

150 PROVERBS

figure who conveys teaching is

Wisdom, personified as a woman.

“Out in the open Wisdom calls

aloud, in the street, she raises her

voice in the public square” (1:20), the

first proverb in the book relates.

There is a contrast in tone

between the two strands. While

the maxims of the elder, the bulk

of the book, tend to appeal to reason

and good sense, the teachings

of personified Wisdom are more

emotive, approaching at times the

admonishing tones of the biblical

prophet: “How long will you who

are simple love your simple ways?”

Wisdom cries out. “How long will

mockers delight in mockery and

fools hate knowledge?” (1:22).

Teaching in the proverbs is

mostly presented in one of two

forms: the instruction and the

saying. Used in the first nine

chapters, the former develops an

idea—the perils of idleness, for

example—in a poetic paragraph

a few lines long. The saying, the

form that dominates most later

chapters, is more succinct. It is a

statement, usually of two lines, that

presents a truth in a way intended

to stay in the mind, often by virtue

of a paradox. Possibly the most

famous proverb of all works like

this: “Whoever spares the rod hates

their children, but the one who

loves their children is careful to

discipline them” (13:24).

A variation on the paradox is

the numerical proverb, which lists

items that have something in

common and then ends with an

ironic twist. One example is this

reflection: “There are three things

that are too amazing for me, four that

I do not understand: the way of an

eagle in the sky, the way of a snake

on a rock, the way of a ship on the

high seas, and the way of a man

with a young woman” (30:19).

Domestic focus

Perhaps because of its place within

the wider wisdom tradition of the

Near East, the Book of Proverbs

differs from much of the rest of the

Hebrew Bible in that it never

mentions Israel’s history. Its

approach is for the most part

St. Sophia the divine wisdom is

depicted in this 16th-century Russian

icon. In some forms of Christianity, her

figure of personified wisdom is seen

as the second part of the Holy Trinity.

Blessed are those who

find wisdom, those who

gain understanding,

for she is more profitable

than silver and yields better

returns than gold.

Proverbs 3:13–14

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WISDOM AND PROPHETS 151

observational. Proverbs is clear

that God lies at the heart of reality

and about the need to be humble

as a result. “Trust in the Lord with

all your heart and lean not on your

own understanding” (3:5) is one

of its admonitions. Wisdom, it

suggests, is learned through God.

The maxims it offers on human

affairs focus on areas such as

family, anger, poverty, and

righteousness, but cannot be truly

heeded without fear of the Lord.

Wisdom incarnate

Proverbs makes intriguing claims

about God and heaven in the voice

of personified Wisdom. She speaks of

how she is “the first of His works”

(8:22), continuing: “I was there

when He set the heavens in place”

(8:27). She even claims to have

been a craftsperson at God’s side

during creation.

This idea would be later

picked up and developed by

New Testament writers, notably

the author of John’s Gospel.

He sets out the idea of the Logos,

or Word, who “was with God in

the beginning,” through whom

“all things were made” and who

became incarnate as Jesus.

Proverbs’ personified Wisdom

contributed to the idea of God’s

wisdom incarnate being a part

of the Holy Trinity, leading to

the establishment of the later

doctrine of Jesus’s incarnation

(see pp. 298–99). ■

Eshet Hayil

Proverbs’ final half chapter

is an acrostic poem—one in

which each stanza begins

with a succeeding letter of the

Hebrew alphabet—extolling

the virtues of a woman of

“valor” or “noble character.”

Eshet Hayil in Hebrew, this

woman is the perfect wife and

mother, whose “worth is far

more than rubies” (31:10).

By no means confined to the

home, she works hard, has

a good business head, and

is generous to the poor.

Presiding over her household

with dignity, she brings honor

to her husband, who finds

himself “respected at the

city gate, where he takes his

seat among the elders of the

land” (31:23).

The portrait the Eshet

Hayil creates has resonated

over the centuries, and in

devout Jewish households it

is often sung or recited at

the start of the Kiddush, the

Friday evening ceremony

that ushers in the Sabbath.

According to the mystical

kabbalistic tradition of

Judaism, it refers to God’s

Shekhinah, or divine presence,

associated with a maternal,

nurturing role. In other

interpretations, it can be seen

more simply as the family

paying tribute to the mother.

The passage that proceeds the

acrostic narrates the lessons

King Lemuel has received from

his mother, so the poem may

also be his own glorifying

eulogy for her in return.

In some households the

Eshet Hayil is balanced

with a recital of Psalm 112:

“Blessed are those who fear

the Lord, who find great

delight in his commands.”

“Better a patient

person than a warrior,

one with self-control than

one who takes a city.”

Proverbs 16:32

Seek inner peace before

the peace of others.

“Ponder the path of

your feet; then all your

ways will be sure.”

Proverbs 4:26

Know the road you

are taking.

Familiar Proverbs

“Open your mouth

for the mute, for the rights

of all who are destitute.”

Proverbs 31:8

Help those who cannot

help themselves.

“Pride goes before

destruction, a haughty

spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 16.18

Be humble before

the Lord.

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