Proverbs 2, Seek Wisdom Like Silver

Instructions on seeking wisdom, from the wise mentor, to his students, continue.

Proverbs 2: 1-4, Search for silver!

  My son, if you accept my words 

and store up my commands within you,

 turning your ear to wisdom 

and applying your heart to understanding,

 and if you call out for insight 

and cry aloud for understanding,

 and if you look for it as for silver 

and search for it as for hidden treasure,

In the previous chapter, Wisdom called out in the noisy streets. Here the one who should be wise is told to search for Wisdom, as if she were silver or some hidden treasure. One must be active in obtaining wisdom.

Proverbs 2: 5-8, Then you will receive wisdom

 then you will understand the fear of the LORD 

and find the knowledge of God.

 For the LORD gives wisdom, 

and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

 He holds victory in store for the upright, 

he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

 for he guards the course of the just 

and protects the way of his faithful ones.

The one who searches for wisdom, as described in the first four verses, receives it. Again, wisdom is equated with knowledge and awe of YHWH. Kidner explains that "verse 5 encompasses the two classic Old Testament terms for true religion -- the poles of awe and intimacy." Wisdom is then described as providing victory, a shield, guard and protection. This is a broad generic promise; as Job points out, there are occasionally exceptions to these general rules.

Proverbs 2: 9-11, Understanding and knowledge

 Then you will understand what is right 

and just and fair--every good path.

 For wisdom will enter your heart, 

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

 Discretion will protect you, 

and understanding will guard you.

As in chapter 1, wisdom has various forms and flavors: knowledge, discretion, understanding.

Proverbs 2: 12-15, Saved from the wicked

 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, 

from men whose words are perverse,

 who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways,

 who delight in doing wrong 

and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

 whose paths are crooked 

and who are devious in their ways.

There is a geometry ("spacial metaphors" says Alter) to the moral descriptions. The righteous walk on straight paths while the evil have paths that are crooked and speak words that are tahpukah, "perverse" or "topsy-turvy" (Alter.) 

Proverbs 2: 16-19, A house leading down to death

It will save you also from the adulteress, 

from the wayward wife with her seductive words,

 who has left the partner of her youth 

and ignored the covenant she made before God.

 For her house leads down to death 

and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

In verse 16 the NIV describes the woman as "wayward wife." The Hebrew word zā·rāh  means "strange" and some other English versions write "strange woman." Both Kidner and Alter say that the phrase "strange woman" here means a woman strange to appropriate social circles and so "wayward" seems to be a good translation.

The adulteress is described here as one who has ignored her companion-husband and her vows to God. Alter says that the Hebrew word bā·’e·hā, translated here "go to her" may include sexual innuendo; the root of the word is bo, which can mean "into".

Proverbs 2: 20-22, Upright/wicked, life/death

Thus you will walk in the ways of good men

 and keep to the paths of the righteous.

 

For the upright will live in the land, 

and the blameless will remain in it;

 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,

and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

The book of Proverbs keeps the results simple and uncomplicated. As we note in the book of Job, it is not always this straightforward.

Proverbs 1, Wisdom's Invitation to an Education

We begin a new book, the misle (from mashal) of Solomon. The NASB translate mashal into English as byword, discourse, parable, proverb, taunt or taunt-song. The Hebrew word can apparently represent a variety of short or long wise statement, from a maxim to an allegory (Kindner.) In this book we will see a variety of these, describing a variety of forms of wisdom.

Proverbs 1: 1-6, The many colors of Wisdom
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

 for attaining wisdom and discipline; 

for understanding words of insight;

 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, 

doing what is right and just and fair;

 for giving prudence to the simple, 

knowledge and discretion to the young--

 let the wise listen and add to their learning,

 and let the discerning get guidance--

 for understanding proverbs and parables, 

the sayings and riddles of the wise.

The first seven verses of this chapter play the same role as Psalm 1 does to the Psalter: it explains the purpose of the book. This book, consisting primarily, but not exclusively, of proverbs attributed to Solomon, is intended to provide a complexity of thinking patterns that fall, collectively, under the heading of Wisdom. There is understanding and knowledge, discpline and discretion, even answers to philosophical riddles, all of which will be covered in this book.

Proverbs 1: 7, Theme

 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, 

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Implicit in all the Wisdom books of the Old Testament, but explicit here, is the statement that wisdom flows out of the understanding of YHWH. (See Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 15:33, Psalm 111:10, and Job 28:28 for similar statements.)

Proverbs 1: 8-9, Advice from parents

 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction 

and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

 They will be a garland to grace your head 

and a chain to adorn your neck.

The body of the wisdom teachings now begins with advice from the elderly to the young. Pay attention to the things your parents have learned, says the Teacher.

Proverbs 1: 10-14, Throw in your lot with us!

 My son, if sinners entice you, 

do not give in to them.

 If they say, "Come along with us; 

let's lie in wait for someone's blood, 

let's waylay some harmless soul;

 let's swallow them alive, like the grave,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

 we will get all sorts of valuable things 

and fill our houses with plunder;

 throw in your lot with us, 

and we will share a common purse"--

This warning comes to the younger adult, attracted by the energetic groups around him (or her.)  Although the advice rings with Old Testament language, it is as useful today as it was in Solomon's time. I am reminded of the various campustowns I've explored. love the university campus, but I am aware that around any American university campus are shops and hawkers who want to entice college students into addictions, tobacco, alcohol, gambling, pornography,... etc. This was true when I was young and certainly true today (we've added more gambling and cannabis shops since.) The goal is to make money off the naivete of the college student; addictions lead to regular profits for the seller, even if the invitation to "party" sounds relatively mild. I love campustown, with its energy, pizza places and bars, but one has to be alert and wise as one walks through.

Proverbs 1: 15-17, No, my son!

 my son, do not go along with them, 

do not set foot on their paths;

 for their feet rush into sin, 

they are swift to shed blood.

 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!

The Teacher warns of a "path", steps that slowly move away from righteousness, toward destruction.

Proverbs 1: 18-19, Trap themselves

 These men lie in wait for their own blood; 

they waylay only themselves!

Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; 

it takes away the lives of those who get it.

The warning is that those who set up the traps fall into them

Proverbs 1:20-22, Wisdom calls

 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, 

she raises her voice in the public squares;

 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, 

in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? 

How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

Wisdom, personified, will call out from time to time in the proverbs. Here she calls people to pay attention, to move away from simplicity and foolishness. The root word hamah, translated "noisy streets" in verse 21 (and translated "concourses" iun the KJV) carries the meaning of "boisterous", or "roaring". Wisdom attempts to shout over the crowds. Is anyone listening?

Proverbs 1: 23-27, Wisdom's rebuke

 If you had responded to my rebuke, 

I would have poured out my heart to you 

and made my thoughts known to you.

 But since you rejected me when I called 

and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

 since you ignored all my advice 

and would not accept my rebuke,

 I in turn will laugh at your disaster;

 I will mock when calamity overtakes you--

 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, 

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, 

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

Wisdom is portrayed as warning that she will turn away and laugh when those who ignore her get into trouble. At the beginning of verse 21, the NIV translates the Hebrew word wat·tip̄·rə·‘ū (root para') as merely "ignored" but Alter gives it more force, translating it as "flung aside". He argues that the word is often used for "unbinding hair" and means to put something into disarray. The advice from Wisdom might not just be ignored, but consciously dismissed. 

The last line, says Alter, ends with two Hebrew words in alliteration: tsareah umetsukah ("distress and trouble.")

Proverbs 1: 28, Too late

 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; 

they will look for me but will not find me.

Wisdom warns that a time may come when she is no longer available.

Proverbs 1: 29-32, Fools destroyed

 Since they hated knowledge 

and did not choose to fear the LORD,

 since they would not accept my advice

 and spurned my rebuke,

 they will eat the fruit of their ways 

and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, 

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

In four lines we are told that the foolish hate, do not fear, do not accept, spurn the wisdom of YHWH. Their fate is then given in four more lines.

Proverbs 1:33, But those who listen...

 but whoever listens to me will live in safety 

and be at ease, without fear of harm."

The chapter, this poem on listening to Wisdom, ends with an upbeat promise, that safety, ease, lack of fear comes to those who listen to her.

Psalm 106, Not One Lesson Was Learnt (Part 2)

We continue reading through Psalm 106, a psalm that recounts the many rebellions of the people of Israel against God and records, still, His incredible grace and forgiveness.

Psalm 106:19-23, Golden calf

 At Horeb they made a calf 

and worshiped an idol cast from metal.

 They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, 

which eats grass.

 They forgot the God who saved them, 

who had done great things in Egypt,

 miracles in the land of Ham 

and awesome deeds by the RedSea.

 So he said he would destroy them-- 

had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him 

to keep his wrath from destroying them.

The infamous story of the golden calf idol is in Exodus 32. There Moses argues with YHWH and defends his people. 

Note the irony described here in the Israelites replacing a glorious God with an image of something that eats grass!

Psalm 106:24-27, Refused to enter Canaan

 Then they despised the pleasant land; 

they did not believe his promise.

 They grumbled in their tents 

and did not obey the LORD.

 So he swore to them with uplifted hand 

that he would make them fall in the desert,

 make their descendants fall among the nations 

and scatter them throughout the lands.

After twelve spies are sent into Canaan, the Israelites believe the report of ten of them and refuse to enter the Promised Land. (See Numbers 14.)

In order to move relatively quickly through the introductory books of the Old Testament in 2023, I skipped Leviticus and Numbers and saved them for late 2025. For this reason, many of the stories reported in this psalm have not yet been covered in this blog!

Psalm 106:28-31, Baal Peor

 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor 

and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;

 they provoked the LORD to anger by their wicked deeds, 

and a plague broke out among them.

 But Phinehas stood up and intervened, 

and the plague was checked.

 This was credited to him as righteousness 

for endless generations to come.

The sacrifices to Baal Peor, and the sexual immorality which went with it, are described in Numbers 25. This includes the actions of the priest Phinehas, who kills an Israelite man and a Moabite woman who go together into a tent even while Moses and Israelites are watching. (Numbers 25:6-8.)

Psalm 106:32-33, Meribah

 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, 

and trouble came to Moses because of them;

 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, 

and rash words came from Moses' lips.

The conflict at Meribah, and Moses's reaction to the insults is covered in Exodus 17 and repeated in Numbers 20, 

Psalm 106:34-39, Mingled with the nations

 They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them,

 but they mingled with the nations 

and adopted their customs.

 They worshiped their idols, 

which became a snare to them.

 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.

 They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, 

whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, 

and the land was desecrated by their blood.

 They defiled themselves by what they did; 

by their deeds they prostituted themselves.

The many sins described in the scrolls of Kings and Chronicles, the gross idolatry and murderous acts that that involved, were due, says the psalmist, to the Israelites refuse to drive out the people of the land.

Psalm 106:40-43, And so handed over

 Therefore the LORD was angry with his people 

and abhorred his inheritance.

He handed them over to the nations, 

and their foes ruled over them.

 Their enemies oppressed them 

and subjected them to their power.

 Many times he delivered them, 

but they were bent on rebellion 

and they wasted away in their sin.

As a result of their rebellion, the Israelites were conquered by pagan nations. Thus was allowed by YHWH as punishment for their idolatry and unfaithfulness.

Psalm 106:44-46, Pitied

 But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry;

 for their sake he remembered his covenant 

and out of his great love he relented.

 He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.

Despite the repeated stubbornness of the people of Israel, God still remembers His love for them and brings them back into His embrace. In the last line, He is described as getting the oppressors to have pity on captive Israelites. It is not clear if there is a historical event described here; it is possible that this psalm was written after the Babylonian exile.

Psalm 106:47-48a, Save us and gather us!

 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations,

that we may give thanks to your holy name 

and glory in your praise.

 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, 

from everlasting to everlasting. 

Let all the people say, "Amen!" 

The phrase "gather us from the nations" might refer to the Babylonian exile. Or to earlier conquests.

Unlike the previous psalm, which praises YHWH for His mighty works, this one admires His mighty works but praises YHWH for His incredible love and grace to the stubborn people of Israel.

The first verse and the last two verses appears in 1 Chronicles 16:34-36, as part of the praise offered when the ark is brought to Jerusalem.

Psalm 106:48b, Hallelujah!

Praise the LORD.

This statement of praise (Hebrew "Halalu Yah") ends Book IV.

Each of the five books of Psalms end with a simple praise chorus that might be separate from the main text of the psalm, acting as a conclusion for the entire book. See Psalm 41:13, Psalm 72:18-20, and Psalm 106:48, and Psalm 150:6.

First published Sept 5, 2024, last updated Sept 5, 2027

Psalm 106, Not One Lesson Was Learnt (Part 1)

Kidner says that parts of Psalms 96, 105 and 106, were sung by Asaph and others, at the orders of King David, when the ark first entered Jerusalem (see 1 Chronicles 16:7-36.)

Psalm 78 and the previous psalm, Psalm 105, are both songs reviewing the history of Israel. Psalm 105 reviews all the incredible things God did for Israel in that time. This psalm reviews all the stubborness and rebellion of the Israelites during that same era! Kidner labels Psalm 105, "Not One Thing Has Failed" and Psalm 106, Not One Lesson Was Learnt."

Psalm 106:1-5, Proclaim the mighty acts! 

 Praise the LORD.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; 

his love endures forever.

 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD 

or fully declare his praise?

 Blessed are they who maintain justice, 

who constantly do what is right.

 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,

come to my aid when you save them,

that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, 

that I may share in the joy of your nation 

and join your inheritance in giving praise.

The psalm opens with the same theme as the previous one, praising the acts of YHWH.

Psalm 106:6, But...

 We have sinned, even as our fathers did; 

we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

This will be the theme of this psalm. After first praising God, the psalmist turns to remember the many ways that Israel has failed. The psalmist sees no separation between his ancestors and the people of his day; all, including the psalmist, are rebellious and eager to do wrong.

Psalm 106:7-12, Rebellion at the Red Sea

 When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; 

they did not remember your many kindnesses,

and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.

 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, 

to make his mighty power known.

 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; 

 he led them through the depths as through a desert.

 He saved them from the hand of the foe; 

from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.

 The waters covered their adversaries; 

not one of them survived.

 Then they believed his promises 

and sang his praise.

Despite the miracles in Pharaoh's court, the Israelites panicked when the Egyptians came after them and rebelled against Moses. (See Exodus 14:10-12.) 

Repeatedly, throughout the Exodus journey, YHWH's actions demonstrate His power over Pharaoh, actions done "for His name's sake." Indeed, the Third Commandment of the Ten (Exodus 20:7) stresses the importance of His name.

Psalm 106:13-15, Testing them in the desert

 But they soon forgot what he had done 

and did not wait for his counsel.

 In the desert they gave in to their craving; 

in the wasteland they put God to the test.

 So he gave them what they asked for, 

but sent a wasting disease upon them.

In Numbers 11:31-34, the complainers were struck down with a plague even as they gorged themselves on quail. The "craving" is described in Numbers 11:18-20.

Psalm 106:16-18, Rebelled against Moses and Aaron

 In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, 

who was consecrated to the LORD.

 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; 

it buried thec ompany of Abiram.

 Fire blazed among their followers; 

a flame consumed the wicked.

In Numbers 16 we see Korah and 250 Israelites rebel against Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 106:19-23, Golden calf

 At Horeb they made a calf 

and worshiped an idol cast from metal.

 They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, 

which eats grass.

 They forgot the God who saved them, 

who had done great things in Egypt,

 miracles in the land of Ham 

and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

 So he said he would destroy them-- 

had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him 

to keep his wrath from destroying them.

The infamous story of the golden calf idol is in Exodus 32. There Moses argues with YHWH and defends his people. Observe the irony described here in the Israelites replacing a glorious God with an image of something that eats grass!

Like the other historical psalms (Psalm 78, Psalm 105), this psalm is longer than most. We will continue the second half of this psalm tomorrow.

First published Sept 4, 2024, last updated Sept 4, 2027

Psalm 105, The God of History (Part 2)

We continue Psalm 105, in which the singer praises YHWH for choosing Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and guiding them through history. We ended the first half at the plagues of Exodus:

Psalm 105:28-36, The plagues

 He sent darkness and made the land dark-

 for had they not rebelled against his words?

 He turned their waters into blood, 

causing their fish to die.

 Their land teemed with frogs, 

which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, 

and gnats throughout their country.

 He turned their rain into hail, 

with lightning throughout their land;

 he struck down their vines and fig trees 

and shattered the trees of their country.

 He spoke, and the locusts came, 

grasshoppers without number;

 they ate up every green thing in their land,

 ate up the produce of their soil.

 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, 

the firstfruits of all their manhood.

Eight of the ten plagues (from Exodus 7-11) are recounted. The order of the plagues is interesting -- the ninth plague, the last one in which Moses stood before Pharoah comes first and the final plague, the death of the firstborn male ends the list. It is these two events that were most dramatic and led to Pharoah's reluctant release of Israel. The other plagues, listed between these, are the first (blood), second (frogs), fourth (flies), third (gnats), seventh (hail) and eighth (locusts.) Left out are the plague on livestock and the skin disease (boils) of Exodus 9:1-12.

Psalm 105:37-38, Leaving Egypt

  He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, 

and from among their tribes no one faltered.

Egypt was glad when they left, 

because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

Because of the plagues of darkness and the death of the newborn son, the Egyptians were glad to be rid of the Israelites and gave them silver and gold as they left.

Psalm 105:39-41, The Exodus

 He spread out a cloud as a covering, 

and a fire to give light at night.

They asked, and he brought them quail 

and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;

like a river it flowed in the desert.

The psalmist briefly recalls the exodus from Egypt, guided by cloud and fire, with manna and quail provided. The event in which water comes from a rock at Massah/Meribah is in Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:1-13.

Psalm 105:42-43, Canaan

 For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.

 He brought out his people with rejoicing, 

his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

The rejoicing and shouts of joy are reflected in Exodus 15, The Song of the Sea (suggests Alter.)

Psalm 105:44-45, Canaan

 he gave them the lands of the nations, 

and they fell heir to what others had toiled for--

 that they might keep his precepts 

and observe his laws.

Praise the LORD.

After the exodus, Israel took over the Promised Land, the special land provided for them by YHWH. There they are to remember their covenant duties and keep the Laws of YHWH. (On that, see the next psalm!)

And so the psalm ends in a Hallelujah!

Kidner says that parts of Psalms 96, 105 and 106, were sung by Asaph and others, at the orders of King David, when the ark first entered Jerusalem (see 1 Chronicles 16:7-36.)

First published Sept 3, 2024, last updated Sept 3, 2027

Psalm 105, The God of History (Part 1)

Much of Psalm 105 appears in 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 as part of the praise offered when the ark is brought to Jerusalem. Alter calls this a "historical psalm", as it recounts episodes from Israel's history. Another historical psalm is Asaph's Psalm 78 which, like this one, is quite long.

Psalm 105:1-5, Tell of His wonders

Give thanks to the LORD, 

call on his name; 

make known among the nations what he has done.

 Sing to him, 

sing praise to him; 

tell of all his wonderful acts.

 Glory in his holy name; 

let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

 Look to the LORD and his strength; 

seek his face always.

 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, 

and the judgments he pronounced,

The psalm opens with instructions to sing to God, praising his wonderful acts and remembering His miracles and His declarations. The song will now move on to describe many of these wonderful acts.

In Isaiah 12:4, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a future time when the people of Israel praise God for restoring their land. That praise song naturally begins just like this psalm.

Psalm 105:6-11, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob

 O descendants of Abraham his servant, 

O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.

He is the LORD our God;

his judgments are in all the earth.

 He remembers his covenant forever, 

the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,

 the covenant he made with Abraham, 

the oath he swore to Isaac.

 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, 

to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

 "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."

Foremost in God's divine acts, in the mind of the psalmist, is God's choice of Abram, Isaac and Jacob. The psalmist declares that YHWH will remember His covenant forever and so reaffirms the declaration of the First Commandment, Exodus 20:1, that YHWH is their God, ruler of all the earth.

In the second line of parallelism, the psalmist replaces "forever" with "a thousand generations", emphasizing the length of God's covenant. (From the viewpoint of the scroll of Chronicles or of Matthew 1:1-17, the number of generations from Abraham to the readers was less than fifty.)

Psalm 105:12-15, Wandering Arameans

 When they were but few in number, 

few indeed, and strangers in it,

 they wandered from nation to nation, 

from one kingdom to another.

 He allowed no one to oppress them; 

for their sake he rebuked kings:

 "Do not touch my anointed ones; 

do my prophets no harm."

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and descendants were protected when they wandered across Palestine, even to Egypt. Warnings about "touching God's anointed ones" echo events in Genesis 12:10-20, Genesis 20, Genesis 26:1-11, in which a foolish Abraham or Isaac is protected from a king who desires their wife.

Psalm 105:16-22, Joseph in Egypt

 He called down famine on the land 

and destroyed all their supplies of food;

 and he sent a man before them-- 

Joseph, sold as a slave.

 They bruised his feet with shackles, 

his neck was put in irons,

 till what he foretold came to pass, 

till the word of the LORD proved him true.

 The king sent and released him, 

the ruler of peoples set him free.

 He made him master of his household, 

ruler over all he possessed,

 to instruct his princes as he pleased 

and teach his elders wisdom.

God's work through Joseph is retold. Joseph's story was one of suffering and slavery, yet part of a divine plan to save the family of Jacob. (See Genesis 39-41.) This divine plan was "foretold" (verse 19) in Joseph's dreams (Genesis 37:1-10.)

Psalm 105:23-25, Jacob's tribe grows

 Then Israel entered Egypt; 

Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.

 The LORD made his people very fruitful; 

he made them too numerous for their foes,

 whose hearts he turned to hate his people, 

to conspire against his servants. 

In Egypt the descendants of Jacob grow, until a pharaoh is threatened by them. (Exodus 1:1-10.) This passage includes a statement about God turning the people (especially Pharaoh) against the Israelites. (Exodus recounts that eventually "God hardened Pharaoh's heart", eg. Exodus 9:12.)

Psalm 105:26-27, Moses and Aaron sent

 He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

They performed his miraculous signs among them, 

his wonders in the land of Ham.

In order to save the Israelites from Pharoah, God picks Moses and Aaron of the desert and sends them to Egypt.

Psalm 105:28-36, The plagues

 He sent darkness and made the land dark-

 for had they not rebelled against his words?

 He turned their waters into blood, 

causing their fish to die.

 Their land teemed with frogs, 

which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, 

and gnats throughout their country.

 He turned their rain into hail, 

with lightning throughout their land;

 he struck down their vines and fig trees 

and shattered the trees of their country.

 He spoke, and the locusts came, 

grasshoppers without number;

 they ate up every green thing in their land,

 ate up the produce of their soil.

 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, 

the firstfruits of all their manhood.

Eight of the ten plagues (from Exodus 7-11) are recounted. The order of the plagues is interesting -- the ninth plague, the last one in which Moses stood before Pharoah comes first and the final plague, the death of the firstborn male ends the list. It is these two events that were most dramatic and led to Pharoah's reluctant release of Israel. The other plagues, listed between these, are the first (blood), second (frogs), fourth (flies), third (gnats), seventh (hail) and eighth (locusts.) Left out are the plague on livestock and the skin disease (boils) of Exodus 9:1-12.

Our three year blog calendar has a few days of leeway and since this is a rather long psalm, we will break it into two days and continue looking at it tomorrow.

First published Sept 2, 2024, last updated Sept 2, 2027

An Introduction to the Book of Proverbs

Throughout Proverbs there is an emphasis on the damages caused by certain actions. Adultery, prohibited elsewhere by the Mosaic Law, is here condemned because it is damaging. In my experience, it is not sufficient to say, "That is wrong because God prohibits it!"; it is much more helpful to say, "Look at the damage this could cause." Christian author, James Dobson (before he went off the rails, seduced by politics), was a child psychologist with good advice for families. I recall his advice to husbands: if you fantasize about an affair with another woman, play the tape to the end. To the divorce, separation from children....  That advice fits the theme of chapter 7 and indeed, the "play it to the end" is the theme of Proverbs.

Sources: Kidner and Alter, as with the Psalms.

Proverbs 1-9 in the first section, a multipart poetic essay on the very importance of wisdom.

10-22 consists of short pithy sayings contrasting wisdom and foolishness, righteousness and wickedness.

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 ANE, especially the Teaching of Amenemope, an ancient Egyptian document from about 1200 BC. Although the connection between the Egyptian document and these proverbs is a bit tenuous, it is clear that teachings on wisdom were part of the ANE culture. Alter says that this passage includes some Aramaic loan words, indicative of this borrowing.

The Words of Ahikar (Egyptian) include some sayings that also appear in Proverbs.

Instruction of Ptah-hotep (also Egyptian)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Maxims_of_Ptahhotep

Babylonian

Instruction of Shuruppak

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructions_of_Shuruppak

Counsels of Wisdom

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counsels_of_Wisdom

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The Setting

The  book of Proverbs...

Outline

The book of Proverbs....

Resources and References

My practice is to read through the text from the New International Version (NIV), copied into the blog and italicized in blue.  At the head of each blue paragraph of text I place a short title; after the text I place my thoughts or comments in black.  I begin this process with my own reactions and thoughts and then supplement these comments with gleanings from a commentary or two.

The real goal of this blog is to force me to read every verse thoughtfully. I hope that you, too, read the passages thoughtfully!   Feel free to disagree -- or to react in other ways! (I place hyperlinks in pink, created so that one can click on a link and see the linked site open in another window... and go down a rabbit hole if you wish!)

For the book of Proverbs, I have relied on the commentaries by Kidner and Alter, as with the Psalms.

There are other resources online.

• Amongst the online commentaries provided by EasyEnglishBible, is an online commentary on Proverbs. (The Easy English Bible commentaries are easy to read, with deliberately simple language intended for those for whom English is a second language. The Old Testament text is included in the commentary.) 
• The Gospel Coalition now has a set of online commentaries. Here is their commentary on Proverbs.

I highly recommend the Bible Project. The Bible Project also has something close to a course on Proverbs that begins here.