13. Exegeting Proverbs 9vv1-6 Outline

Exegeting Proverbs Part 2a Proverbs 9:1-6 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city. “Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those that lack judgement. “Come and eat my food and drink the wine that I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.” Step 1. List the units of thought: Wisdom              

has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city. “Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those that lack judgement. “Come and eat my food and drink the wine that I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”

Step 2. Shape the structure: Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city. “Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those that lack judgement. “Come and eat my food and drink the wine that I have mixed.

Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.” 2 Step 3. Observe the different parts: OBSERVATIONS Wisdom has built her house; Who? she has hewn out its seven pillars. Wisdom (= ?) She has prepared her meat W’s maids and mixed her wine; The simple / lack judgement she has also set her table. What? She has sent out her maids, W’s house & its 7 pillars and she calls from the highest point of the city. W’s meat & wine “Let all who are simple W’s table come in here!” Simple ways she says to those that lack judgement. The way of understanding “Come Where? [When? – (implied) come now!] and eat my food The city’s highest point and drink the wine “Here” (W’s house) that I have mixed. Why? Leave your simple ways So you will live and you will live; How? walk in the way of understanding.” By eating & drinking W’s fare By leaving simple ways By walking in the way of understanding Step 4. Question the meaning & significance of the parts QUESTIONS Wisdom has built her house; “Wisdom”? she has hewn out its seven pillars. seven pillars? She has prepared her meat (of stone)? and mixed her wine;

Who / what is What are the Why are they hewn out Why is the wine mixed?

she has also set her table. Why has Wisdom done everything herself She has sent out her maids, in preparation for her guests? and she calls from the highest point of the city. Why does W. call from the highest point? “Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those that lack judgement. Who are the simple that lack judgement? “Come and eat my food and drink the wine What is the choice presented? that I have mixed. Leave your simple ways What are the simple ways they must leave? and you will live; What kind of life is promised? walk in the way of understanding” What is the difference between. • eating & drinking and • walking? 7 THE CANONICAL CONTEXT Observe the ultimate (canonical) context: the canon of the whole Bible: OT setting: choosing between God and idols, life and death Gospels: Jesus is God’s wisdom and source of life Epistles: Jesus (like Wisdom in Proverbs) is the agent of creation and

bringer of life Wisdom and Jesus In the NT • Jesus associates himself with Wisdom Mat 11:18-19

• Paul also identified Him with Wisdom 1 Cor 1:30 When Jesus associates himself with Woman Wisdom, He is using a powerful (metaphorical) way of saying that • “I, Jesus, am the embodiment of God’s wisdom” When we read the NT and are introduced to Jesus as the Wisdom of God,

we realise that, • not only is the fear of God the beginning of all wisdom (OT theology), but also that • to embrace Wisdom is to enter into a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Similarly regarding Madam Folly, the choice now for us post-NT Christians s: • Do we dine with Jesus, • or with the devil?

6 B. Dame (Woman) Folly Q: What characterises Folly? (9:13-18) Folly is: • Brash (loud), rather than bold • Sticks her nose in where it should not be • Ignorant and doesn’t realise it! • The complete opposite of Wisdom Understanding the messages of the two women Message understood by interpreting the developing metaphor) • Both desire relationship – come in with me! • Both have prepared a meal: to eat with someone is to form an intimate relationship (Ancient Near Eastern culture) • Both compete with each other (the young man cannot have both!) Discovering their Identity A clue: the location of their houses: • The highest point of the city • Temples built at the top of a mount (highest point) Conclusion: • Lady Wisdom a metaphor for God • Dame Folly a metaphor for any false god What is Involved in the Invitation of a woman inviting a young man to dinner? A. Wisdom • Wisdom stands to invite everyone • Wisdom’s banquet brings life

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She is like the tree of life to those who embrace her. Happy are those who hold her tightly!

B. Folly • sits to hook a client individually • Folly’s meal is enticing – but • Previous guests are all dead! • She does not deliver what she promises!

The Lesson

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Embrace God’s Wisdom and make her an integral part of your life! 3 Step 5. Suggest some Answers (either by reflection or by referring to commentaries) ANSWERS  Wisdom: the wisdom of God the Creator of a wisely ordered universe  Seven: suggests perfection or simply a mark of a prosperous home  Hewn out pillars: suggests effort, craftsmanship  Mixed wine: enjoyment, richness, complexity, subtlety of wisdom  Wisdom’s involvement in every preparation: God’s personal care for us  The highest point: the place of worship (e.g. where the Temple was built)  The simple: the naïve, ignorant and even foolish  The choice: the way leading to life and the foolish ways (leading to death)  Life: authentic, lasting life, as opposed to deadness and eventual death  Eating: feeding on what is provided; walking: obeying wisdom

the central point or core message of that passage It should be • An ACCUATE statement in one sentence of the HEART of the passage that faithfully REPRESENTS its EMPHASIS (not a statement of a secondary theme or idea within the passage) • A CONCISE statement of this central point (not a precis of the total passage) • A MEMORABLE statement in contemporary language (not simply a repetition of part of the text) THE HEART-BEAT of Proverbs 9:1-6 Suggestion 1. God calls us to • leave our foolish ways and • b) come & feed on his rich wisdom, which he has gone to great trouble to provide for us so that we may truly live, and • c) follow his wise ways 4 Suggestion 2. Embrace Wisdom Which is better? Suggestion 1 or suggestion 2? What are the strengths and weaknesses of  Suggestion 1?  Suggestion 2? Can you make any other Suggestion?

Step 6. What is the over-all Subject of the passage? The Wisdom of God the Creator of His wisely ordered universe Step 6. What does the passage say about this over-all Subject? Wisdom  Has gone to great trouble to prepare for her guests  Invites to her house all who lack her insight  Invites the simple to feed at her rich table  Exhorts them to obey her instruction  Promises them life Step 7. What is the heart-beat of the passage? The Heart-Beat of a passage is

Exegeting Proverbs Part 2b Proverbs 9:1-6 Bringing in THE LITERARY CONTEXT THE LITERARY CONTEXTS Five significant literary contexts:  The immediate context (chapter 9)  The sectional context (chapters 1 -9)  The larger (book) context  The context within the Hebrew Scriptures (OT)  The ultimate context (the whole Bible)

The men they beckon are immature, still in the process of development, and therefore at a critical stage of making up their mind. Some are showing signs of resistance to Wisdom: a simpleton, a mocker, a fool

A. THE SECTIONAL CONTEXT The Literary Dynamics of Chapters 1- 9 Observe: The literary device of a familiar family situation: • A father speaking to his son about life o two paths open to his son… The Choice: two Kinds of Paths (2:13) • The straight paths o Warning: Not to leave! o Lead to life (8:35)

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Observe: The situation and metaphor combined: The implied reader of Proverbs 9 is a male, choosing between two women inviting him to enter an intimate relationship! The Literary Dynamics The ultimate significance of this disturbing metaphor:

The dark paths o where dangers lurk: o crooked men and enticing women! o warning: Not to walk down! o Lead to death (8:36)

The invitation to him to enter an intimate relationship points to the ultimate encounter on the path of life involving the choice between life and death! The Choice 5

B. THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT (Chapter 9):  Section 1 – vv 1-6 Lady (Woman) Wisdom  Section 2 - 7-12 Miscellaneous wisdom sayings  Section 3 – vv 13-18 Dame (Woman) Folly

The Literary Dynamics of Chapter 9 Observe: The (disturbing?) use of the over-all metaphor: • The (female) figure of Wisdom soliciting the choice of the (male) Youth • in competition with another female figure – Folly

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The Young Men that are Invited described as: • Simpletons (9:4)

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Mockers (1:22) Lacking judgement (9:4)

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Fools (8:5) Her sons (8:32)

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On the path of life (8:2)

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The crowds (8:3)

A. Lady (Woman) Wisdom People can be known by the company they keep and the people they avoid! Q: With whom is Wisdom associated? Whom does she avoid? (8:615) Wisdom’s company • Includes righteousness (8:6) – truth (8:7) –wholesome behaviour (8:8) – good judgement (8:12) – common sense – success – insight – strength (8:14.15) • Excludes deception, evil, pride and arrogance (8:7-8,13) Note: Wisdom is not merely intellectual, but also entwined with ethical behaviour.