ALL IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH YHWH'S PURPOSES, WITH THE CONSEQUENCE THAT THE PROUD WILL BE PUNISHED, WHILST THOSE WHO FEAR YHWH WILL DEPART FROM EVIL AND FIND THAT BOTH YHWH AND THEIR ENEMIES ARE AT PEACE WITH THEM (PROVERBS 16:4). In s specific YHWH subsection, we learn that YHWH has made everything fo... [ Continue Reading ]
YHWH IS CONCERNED ABOUT INJUSTICE WHETHER AT THE HANDS OF THE KING OR OF MEN (PROVERBS 16:8). In this subsection men are urged to act justly and rightly in their business dealings, and kings are urged to act justly in their dealings with their people. In both cases we are assured that both men and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY OF A KING (PROVERBS 16:12). It is no coincidence that this subsection with its fourfold mention of the king comes after a series of subsections in which YHWH and His jurisdiction has been prominent. In Proverbs the king is always seen as being in the shadow of YHWH.... [ Continue Reading ]
WISDOM IS TO BE SOUGHT AND PRIDE MUST BE AVOIDED BY THE ONE WHO WOULD WALK IN THE RIGHT WAY WITH TRUST IN YHWH (PROVERBS 16:16). In this subsection the envelopes of wisdom (Proverbs 16:16) - pride (Proverbs 16:18) - pride (Proverbs 16:19) - wisdom (Proverbs 16:21) surround the call to the reader to... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WISE PASS ON THEIR WISDOM PERSUASIVELY BUT FOOLS HAVE NOTHING TO PASS ON BUT THEIR FOLLY (PROVERBS 16:22). In this subsection the reference in Proverbs 16:21 to the idea of possessing and sweetly passing on wisdom to others is now taken up and amplified. To its possessor understanding is a well... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HARD-WORKING PERSON, THE WORTHLESS MAN, THE PERVERSE MAN AND THE MAN OF VIOLENCE (PROVERBS 16:26). This subsection is based on the idea of ‘a man' (ish) which is repeated in each proverb apart from the first, and connects back to the use of ‘a man' in Proverbs 16:25. In each case the ish is a wo... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLOMON CONTRASTS THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE PERVERSE AND WORTHLESS MAN WITH THE LIFE AND ATTITUDES OF THE MAN GROWN OLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHO IS AN EXEMPLAR OF ALL THE RIGHTEOUS (PROVERBS 16:30 TO PROVERBS 17:7). The subsection begins with a contrast between the perverse and worthless man who closes his... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLOMON CONTRASTS THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE PERVERSE AND WORTHLESS MAN WITH THE LIFE AND ATTITUDES OF THE MAN GROWN OLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHO IS AN EXEMPLAR OF ALL THE RIGHTEOUS (PROVERBS 16:30 TO PROVERBS 17:7). The subsection begins with a contrast between the perverse and worthless man who closes his... [ Continue Reading ]