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{"id":71170,"date":"2025-06-10T01:40:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T05:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/bibleandculture\/?p=71170"},"modified":"2025-05-14T16:40:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T20:40:46","slug":"wisdom-literature-part-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/bibleandculture\/2025\/06\/10\/wisdom-literature-part-four\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisdom Literature– Part Four"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

The proverbs in Prov. 10 begin with brief, sometimes enigmatic contrasts\u2013 \u201cBlessings on the righteous man\u2019s head\/ but outrage will cover the mouth of the wicked\u201d.\u00a0 \u201cHatred foments strife\/but love covers up all misdeeds\u2019.\u00a0 \u201cLike vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, the sluggard is to those who send him.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cA golden ring in the snout of a pig\/A lovely woman who lacks good sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

To illustrate just how difficult some of these compact proverbs are consider Prov.13.24: \u201cWho spares the rod hates his son\/but who loves him seeks him out for reproof\/correction.\u201d\u00a0 But the Hebrew involves internal rhyme and assonance in very few words: as in \u2018hoseikh shivto, sonei beno\u2019. And of course all the poetic effect of rhyme and assonance is lost in translation. Actually \u2018spare the rod\/spoil the child\u2019 would be closer to the first line.<\/p>\n

Some of the proverbs strongly contrast outcomes for the righteous and the wicked, but some are just insightful human observations like Prov. 14.13\u2013 \u201cEven in laughter the heart may ache\/and joy\u2019s end is sorrow.\u201d\u00a0 Or how about 14.30\u2013 \u201ca healing heart is life to the body\/but envy is a rot in the bones\u201d, or perhaps Prov. 15.1 \u201cA soft answer turns back wrath\/but a hurtful word stirs anger\u201d or. 15.4. \u201cHealing speech is a tree of life\/but perverse speech breaks the spirit.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0Some of the sayings are more theological in character like 15.11: \u201cSheol and Perdition [these are synonyms referring to the vast depths of the land of the dead] are before the Lord\/how much more so the hearts of human beings.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0This saying is reflecting on the all knowing character of God\u2013 nothing escapes his notice, in this life or the next.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"