Since the beginning of chapter 10, the book of Proverbs has consisted of a string of two line phrases (bicolons), generally of the form "A ... but B..." or "Better than A is B...." There are, by my count, more than 350 of these before the style changes at Proverbs 22:17.
Proverbs 22:1, Integrity and reputation
A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
This saying is echoed elsewhere. (In Ecclesiastes 7:1 it has a darker second line.) Here, consistent with the rest of Proverbs, is the emphasis on things that are truly important -- wealth is not one of those.
Proverbs 22:2, YHWH maker of all mankind
Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.
Lest one is tempted to despise the poor, this proverb stresses that all are creations of YHWH.
Proverbs 22:3, The gift of fear
A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Included in wisdom and prudence are the ability to recognize small subtle warnings of danger. (See also 27:12.) It is amazing how many dangers in life come with little warning, with only the most tenuous of flags. My sister, long ago, put me onto Gavin de Becker's book, The Gift of Fear, which details the importance of being alert to these small hints, small "gifts" of fear.
Proverbs 22:4, Humility, not pride
Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.
Humility and the "fear" (respectful awe) of YHWH are closely linked and, here, promise to bring the triplet of wealth, honor, life.
Proverbs 22:5, Thorns and snares
In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares,
but he who guards his soul stays far from them.
As said many places elsewhere, the path of the wicked is dangerous and painful.
Proverbs 22:6, Training a child
Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.
The emphasis here may be on bringing up a child in ways that recognize his/her gifts and abilities. (A friend of mine alerted me to that interpretation; Alter would agree.)
Proverbs 22:7, Financial servanthood
The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is servant to the lender.
This appears to be a mere observation. If it includes any advice, it might be suggesting that one try not to borrow money.
Proverbs 22:8, Fury destroyed.
He who sows wickedness reaps trouble,
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
Wickedness leads to trouble; the angry man is eventually weakened by his fury. (In my experience this can take awhile....)
Proverbs 22:9, Generosity
A generous man will himself be blessed,
for he shares his food with the poor.
There is gain, says the Teacher, in being generous. ("It is more blessed to give than receive," was a proverb attributed to Jesus; see Acts 20:35.)
Proverbs 22:10,
Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
quarrels and insults are ended.
See 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 11 for a New Testament warning regarding the disruptive member of a church. Also Matthew 18:17.
Proverbs 22:11, Purity in thought and speech
He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious
will have the king for his friend.
Kindness and purity, in thought and speech, are important attributes of a good citizen.
Proverbs 22:12, The eyes of YHWH
The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge,
but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.
The Teacher promises here that YHWH is looking over the actions of people, confounding the words of the traitor (Alter) or dishonest man.
Proverbs 22:13, The sluggard's excuses
The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!"
or, "I will be murdered in the streets!"
This proverb is repeated in Proverbs 26:13. The point is that the "sluggard" finds fears to avoid work.
Proverbs 22:14, The adulteress
The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;
he who is under the LORD's wrath will fall into it.
See Proverbs 7:5-27 for a warning about this stranger-woman. The Hebrew word zuwr means "stranger" but in the form zarot, here, means a "stranger-woman", that is, a woman married to someone else.
Proverbs 22:15, Discipline of children
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.
This once popular proverb talks about the importance of disciplining a child. It begins with the statement that "folly" or foolish behavior is natural, intrinsic to a child and so discipline is needed to correct that natural simplistic behavior.
The rod here might indeed be a stick or a paddle, but guided by my wife and others, including the book Dare to Discipline, I learned that Jan and I could usually find "rods of discipline" that were more creative, and less violent, than a simple stick or board. This required a fairly deep understanding of the motives of our very different children, as suggested by verse 6, above. Still, discipline is a necessary part of loving a child.
Proverbs 22:16, Headed for poverty
He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and he who gives gifts to the rich--
both come to poverty.
Kidner and Alter agree that the Hebrew of this proverb is "cryptic" and its meaning is unclear. The simplest interpretation is that both actions, the oppression of the poor or the bribery of the rich, are unwise and lead to ruin.
A change in style
At this point, from chapter 10 on, we have had about 375 short statements, most of them two lines with a "this... but that..." form. We now begin a collection of longer proverbs. Some of these proverbs (from 22:17 through 23:12) appear to be closely related to other teachings in the culture of the ANE, especially the Teaching of Amenemope, an ancient Egyptian document from about 1200 BC. Although the connections between the Egyptian document and these proverbs is a bit tenuous, it is clear that teachings on wisdom were part of the culture that surrounded Israel.
Proverbs 22:17-19, Read and think through these proverbs
Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,
for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
So that your trust may be in the LORD,
I teach you today, even you.
In chapter 1 of the Teaching of Amenemope is this statement (translated into Victorian English in 1942):
"Give thine ear, and hear what I say, And apply thine heart to apprehend; It is good for thee to place them in thine heart, let them rest in the casket of thy belly; That they may act as a peg upon thy tongue".
In our proverb above, an additional verse is added -- the author of these proverbs wants to use these teachings to further the reader's trust in YHWH.
Proverbs 22:20-21, Thirty sayings
Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
sayings of counsel and knowledge,
teaching you true and reliable words,
so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you?
The next chapter or so will include about 30 sayings (says Alter.) The Teachings of Amenemope also have thirty sayings, thirty chapters.
Proverbs 22:22-23, God cares for the poor
Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,
for the LORD will take up their case
and will plunder those who plunder them.
The second line literally says one should not crush the needy "at the gate." The gate of the city was where rulings were made (see Ruth 4:1-12 for an example of an important meeting at the gate of Bethlehem.)
The first half of the passage above is similar to this saying from Amenemope, chapter 2: "Beware of robbing the poor, and oppressing the afflicted."
Proverbs 22:24-25, Hot temper
Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man,
do not associate with one easily angered,
or you may learn his ways
and get yourself ensnared.
Learning patience and calmness is part of learning wisdom.
In Amenemope, chapter 10 we have this saying: "Associate not with a passionate man, Nor approach him for conversation; Leap not to cleave to such an one; That terror carry thee not away."
Proverbs 22:26-27, Be aware of pledges
Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge
or puts up security for debts;
if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be snatched from under you.
See Proverbs 6:1-5. We return to the cautions against putting up security for others.
Proverbs 22:28, Theft of land
Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.
This is explicitly prohibited in the Law, see eg. Deuteronomy 27:17.
Proverbs 22:29, The importance of skill
Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will serve before kings;
he will not serve before obscure men.
There is (and should be) a certain pride in developing a skill!
In Amenemope, chapter 30, we have this saying: "A scribe who is skillful in his business findeth worthy to be a courtier."
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