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<\/a><\/p>\nProv. 25 begins with a statement telling us that the scribes of King Hezekiah (late eighth century B.C.) collected and present some proverbs of Solomon, and as Robert Alter notes, the word \u2018too\u2019. here\u00a0 (\u2018These too are proverbs of Solomon\u2019) means there was a previous collection, and Alter suggests it is in Prov. 10.<\/p>\n
25.2-3\u2013 \u201cGod\u2019s honor is to hide a matter\/ the king\u2019s honor to probe a matter\u2026.but the heart of kings is beyond probing\u201d.<\/p>\n
25.11\u2013 \u201cGolden apples in a silver carving\/a word spoken in its own right way.\u201d\u00a0 This saying reminds that how one shares wisdom or a truth matters for it to be understood and received.<\/p>\n
Apparently Solomon enjoyed posing brain teasers or riddles.\u00a0 For instance \u201cLike the chill of snow on a harvest day [but as Alter says, that never happens in late May or late October], a faithful messenger to his senders, he revives his master\u2019s spirits.\u2019\u00a0 (25.13).\u00a0 Is the point that the sender is surprised when the messenger does the right thing?\u00a0 Is refresh co-ordinated with a surprise snowfall that breaks the heat wave and is refreshing?<\/p>\n
A bit less enigmatic is the following one in vs. 14 \u201cClouds and wind and yet there is no rain\/ a man who boasts of a deceptive gift\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0The point is similar to the Texas maxim\u2013 that man is all hat and no cattle.\u00a0 \u00a0The gift is empty like a cloud without rain, and should never have been boasted of.<\/p>\n
Vs. 25 is clearer and more effective\u2013 \u201cCool water to a dry throat\/ good news from a distant land\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Prov. 25 begins with a statement telling us that the scribes of King Hezekiah (late eighth century B.C.) collected and present some proverbs of Solomon, and as Robert Alter notes, the word \u2018too\u2019. here\u00a0 (\u2018These too are proverbs of Solomon\u2019) means there was a previous collection, and Alter suggests it is in Prov. 10. 25.2-3\u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":71026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[15529],"class_list":["post-71188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-riddle-me-this"],"yoast_head":"\n
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