He who heeds discipline shows the way to life,
וְטוֹזֵב תוֹכַחַת מַתְעֶה
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
As Proverbs 10:15 was linked to the preceding pair
via a catch word, so Proverbs 10:16 is linked to the next
verse by an explicit repetition of לְחַיִּים (for life).
Proverbs 10:17 seems to provide a thematic hinge between
two well-bound proverbs on wealth, back to the theme of
proper speech. It stands by itself, having no pair, and
marks the middle point of this section (10:13-21). It
links the two former pairs (10:13-14; 15-16) with the two
latter pairs (10:18-19; 20-21). While one may count the
four 's present for a possible alliteration, because of
positional variations, it seems that only the 's in
initial positions in the final words of each stich are of
any probable significance (vid., מוּסָר [discipline]; מַתְעֶה
[errors]). The labial מ connects this proverb with the
next (10:18) in an anadiplotic fashion. An assonantic
effect is gained by the two Qal participles ( שׁוֹמֵר [keep];
עוֹזֵב [forsake]). So too, although less likely, is the וֹ -
sequence in אֹרַח (path) and תוֹכַחַת (reproof). The unity of
this proverb is further felt by the chiastic drawing
together of שׁוֹמֵר מוּסָר (keeper of discipline) and עוֹזֵת תוֹכַחַת
(forsaker of reproof). The outer elements tell the
outcomes of such patterns of life.
Proverbs 10:18 מְכַסֶּה שִׂנְאָה שִׂפְתֶי־שֶׁקֶר
He who conceals his hatred has lying lips,
וּמוֹצִא דִבָה הוּא כְסִיל
and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
It was Proverbs 10:18 which, for this writer,
originally triggered the discovery of the importance of
sound patterns as proverbial cohesional elements.
Proverbs 10:18 reopens the proverbs on speech (cf. 10:13,
14). Thematically, it is clearly linked to the following,
rather than the former, proverb. It is, however, sound-
bound to the previous proverb through the labial מ. This
proverb may exhibit what Akhmanova has coined a
"phonestheme," by which she means "a recurrent combination
of sound which is similar to the morpheme in the sense
that a certain content or meaning is more or less clearly
associated with it."1 Sibilants predominate, being
____________________
1Olga Akhmanova, Linguostylistics: Theory
and
Method (The Hague: Mouton, 1976), p. 23. (E.g.,
repeated six times through various letters ( ס, שׂ, שׁ, צ).
The palatal-sibilant sequence is also repeated in the
initial and final words of this proverb ( מְכַסֶה
[concealing]; כְּסִיל [fool]; cf. שָׁקֶר). Thus one can clearly
sense the hissing of the slurring slanderer slyly
spreading his secrets. Semantically there is an
interesting contrast in that the two stichs do not display
the normal antithetical character since they both present
negative types of speech habits. While the antithesis is
normally gained by the contrast of character (e.g., צַדִּיק
[righteous]/ רָשָׁע [wicked]), here the contrast is of two
diverse actions. One is a deceptive concealing, while the
other is an improper disclosing of that which should have
been kept concealed. The initial verb contrast in both
stichs is followed by an element of evil ( שִׂנְאָה [hatred];
דִבָּה [slander]), which in turn is followed by a character
evaluation ( שִׂפְתֵי־שָׁקֶר [false-lips]; כְסִיל [fool]). Thus,
this proverb is very tightly constructed phonetically and
semantically.
Proverbs 10:19 בְּרֹב דְבָרִים לֹא יֶחְדַל־פָשַע
When words are many, sin is not absent
וְחֹשֶׁךְ שְׂפָתָיו מַשְׂכִּיל
but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Proverbs 10:19 presents an interesting turn in its
relationship with 10:18. There is a chiastic effect based
____________________
"sl"-words: slither, slip, slimy, slide, slosh, sluggish,
etc.)
on the quantity of expression. In Proverbs 10:18-19 the
following semantic AB/BA pattern is observed: hidden
hatred/spread slander//many words/few words. Thus, to
hold one's tongue is wise unless it is merely to cover
hatred--in which case it may be a means of deception.
There is a two-fold sound link between the pair: (1) דִבָּה
(slander) and דְּבָרִים (words) both have the דב sequence; and
(2) the palatal-sibilant sequence כס or שׂכ not only
connects these two proverbs ( כְּסִיל [fool]; מַשְׂכִיל [wise])
but also initiates 10:20 ( כֶסֶף [silver]). The trailing
ִיל further strengthens the nexus between כְּסִיל (fool) and
מַשְׂכִיל (wise) as does their final position in their
respective stichs.1 חֹשֵׁךְ (withhold) in the second stich
also exhibits this שֹׂךְ (sibilant-palatal) sequence, which
is repeated five times in this pair. Another sound echo
which Boström has pointed to is the labial-sibilant
sequence פש in פָשַׁע (transgression) and שְׂפָתָיו (lips).
It is appropriate at this point to reflect on
Brown's suggested sectional framing, which he sees in the
likeness between Proverbs 10:12 and 10:18, 19. The
repetition of שִׂאְנָה and also the root כָּסָה (conceal) in
10:12 and 18 suggests that such common end framing may
indeed be the case. This is strengthened by the
repetition of פָשַׁע / פְשָׁעִים (transgression) in Proverbs 10:12
____________________
1 Ibid., p. 125.
and 10:19. An enveloping effect is furthered by the
repetition of one who lacks sense ( חֲסַר־לֵב) in Proverbs
10:13 and 10:21. These two verses also contain a common
reference to שִׂפְתֵי (lips).1 This study will confirm that
the second section is composed of 10:13-21, as these
repetitions suggest. The change of topic also
corroborates this decision. The links between the end of
the first section (10:1-12) and the end of the second
(10:13-21) verify not that 10:12 should go with the
following section but that both sections close with common
terms.
Proverbs 10:20 כֶּסֶף נִבְחָר לְשׁוֹן צַדִּיק
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
לֶב רְשָׁעִים כִּמְעָט
but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
Proverbs 10:20 is a tightly-woven, chiastic
proverb which contrasts the value of the tongue of the
righteous and the worthlessness of the heart of the
wicked. The initial כֶּסֶף (silver) plays on two sounds
which have been developed in the preceding proverb pair.
The כֶּסֶף (silver) also forms an outer boundary with
כִּמְעָט (like chaff) which has a common initial letter which
draws them together for the semantic contrast in value.
The repetition of the ל in the לְשׁוֹן (tongue) and לֵב
(heart) likewise draws these two units together. The
____________________
1Brown, "Structured Parallelism in the
Composition
and Formation of Canonical Books," p. 9.
contrast is made specific by the normal antithetical pair
צָדִּיק / רְשָׁעִים (righteous/ wicked). Also quite normal is the
morphological variation of the singular righteous and the
plural wicked. The בר sequence is seen both in נִבְחָר
(choice) and לֵב רְשָׁעִים (heart of the wicked). This sequence
provides another phonetic echo of the previous proverb
which proffered this pattern. The contrast is
semantically heightened by the placing of value on that
which is usually not considered so (the tongue), while the
heart, which is usually judged to be of great worth, is
likened to chaff. The reversal places the emphasis on the
contrasting character as being the determining factor.
Proverbs 10:21 שִׂפְתֵי צַדִּיק יִרְעוּ רַבִּים
The lips of the righteous nourish many,
וֶאֱוִילִים בַּחֲסַר־לֵב יַמוּתוּ
but fools die for lack of judgment.
The final proverb in this section (10:13-21) pairs
well with its mate. The theme of the inherent value of
the righteous speech is made specific by the observation
that righteous lips feed many. The repetition of צַדִּיק
(righteous) and לֶב (heart) provides the catch-words which
link the two proverbs into a pair. Bostrom notes the
sound echo in נִבְחַר (choice, 10:21) and חֲסַר־לֵב (lack of
sense, 10:22).1 It is hard to prove such a connection,
which may be strengthened by noting that a follows in both
____________________
1Bostrom, Paronomasi I den Aldre Hebreiska
Maschalliteraturen, p. 125.
cases. The thrice repeated ר, because of its placement,
is probably insignificant. The play on words comes by the
fact that lips are said to feed, rather than as one would
expect, that they should be fed. This calls attention to
the fructiferous nature of being righteous. The
connection of folly and death is only natural (contrast
10:2).
Proverbs 10:21 ends this section and the thematic
shift between 10:21 and 22 is reinforced by the lack of a
catch-word or of a sound correspondence. The framing, as
mentioned above, turns one back to 10:12 and 13 at this
point. The first section (10:1-12) is a twelve-verse
cohesional unit composed of two sub-sections one with two
pairs and one with three pairs, with a single head verse
(10:1) and tail verse (10:12). The second section
(10:13-21) is composed of nine verses: two initial pairs
(10:13-14, 15-16), a single, central proverb (10:17), and
two final pairs (10:18-19, 20-21) which round out the
section with inclusio type links of word repetitions
between the beginning verse (10:13) and the final pair
(10:20-21). The end has features parallel with the end of
the first section (10:12, 10:18). The break between 10:21
and 22 is as pronounced as that between 10:12 and 13.
Proverbs 10:22בִּרְכַּת יְהוָה הִיא תַעֲשִׁיר
The blessing of the LORD brings wealth,
וְלֹא־יוֹסִף עֶצֶב עִמָּה
and he adds no trouble to it.
The last sectional unit in this chapter is a well-
structured, twelve-verse string (10:22-11:1). The
difference in theme and the lack of lexical or phonetic
links with the preceding verse clearly call for a division
between 10:21 and 22. The initial word, בִּרְכַּה (blessings),
was also the initial word in the 10:6-11 sub-section.
While Brown uses this word to support his bifid structure
(A [10:1-5 wealth and poverty]; B [10:6-11 the righteous/
the wicked]; A [10:12-21 the wealthy/the poor]; and B
[10:22-25 righteousness/wickedness], one can note several
irregularities.1 First, though he labels 10:12-21 as
thematically focused on the wealthy/the poor, it is clear,
however, that 10:22--which he puts in a righteousness/
wickedness unit--is really about wealth. The tie back
from 10:22 to 10:6-11 through the initially repeated
(blessings) is not as dramatic when one observes that the
topically significant word תַעֲשִׁיר (make rich) links this
proverb (10:22) with 10:4. If one takes 10:1-12 as
the larger unit this problem is resolved. Thus, 10:22
____________________
1Brown, "Structured Parallelism in the
Composition
and Formation of Canonical Books," p. 9. This bifid
structure is presented more lucidly in the chart which was
received at the lecture.
may reflect back to 10:4 or 10:6 due to repetitions,
although one wonders if these repetitions are structurally
significant.
The presence of a third feminine singular pronoun
הִיא (she), which sets off the final verb, links 10:22 (cf.
10:18b) with a similar syntactic structure in 10:24. This
proverb also makes a good structural divider because of
its uniqueness not only in its use of the divine name but
also because of its non-antithetical character. The
"synthetic" parallelism of the saying isolates it as a
singular proverb marking a structural shift (cf. 10:1,
12). The proverb is pronominally bound in that Yahweh is
the explicit subject in the first stich and pronominally
affixed as the subject of the verb in the second. The
four-fold reiterated may not be of great significance as
a sound link. One wonders whether the לֹא + verb structure
might also tie 10:22 back to the wealth proverbs which
used this pattern in 10:2 and 3 (although cf. 10:19).
There is a hint of a contrast in the things which Yahweh
adds--that is, he gives wealth and pain. The second is
reversed by the negative.
Proverbs 10:23 כִּשְׂחוֹק לִכְסִיל עֲשׂוֹת זִמָּה
A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct,
וְחָכְמָה לְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה
but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.
Proverbs 10:23 is detached from similar כ initial
proverbs in this section (10:25, 26). This detachment
phenomenon occurs elsewhere as well (cf. 11:9-11, 14).
The proverb is bound together by its elliptical character,
which demands that the כִשְׂחוֹק (as laughter) and עֲשׂוֹת (to
do) play double-duty roles by being implicitly present in
the second stich. The normal contrast between the כְּסִיל
(fool) and אִישׁ תְּבוּנָה (man of understanding) also binds the
proverb together. The repeated preposition ל + person
type ( כְּסִיל [for a fool], אִישׁ תִּבוּנָה [for a man of
understanding]) also cements the two stichs together. A
sound echo is clearly heard in the palatal-sibilant
sequence כשׂ / כס in כּשְׂחוֹק (as laughter) and לִכְסִיל (for a
fool). The final word תִּבוּנָה (understanding) provides the
sound link with the next proverb.1
Proverbs 10:24 מְגוֹרַת רָשָׁע הִיא תְבוֹאֶנּוּ
What the wicked dreads will overtake him;
וְתַאֲוַת צַדִּיקִים יִתֵּן
what the righteous desire will be granted.
Proverbs 10:24 really does not share a common
theme with 10:23. They may be loosely sequentially
linked--that is, 10:23 tells what the various characters
love to do while 10:24 tells the results. The contrasting
character types are different, however. As noted above,
while 10:24 is sound linked to 10:23 through תְבוֹאֶנּוּ (comes
on him), there are also clear syntactic ties to 10:22
through the pronoun + verb sequence ( הִיא תְבוֹאֶנּוּ [it comes
____________________
1Bostrom has also noted this connection
(Paronomasi
I den Aldre Hebreiska Maschalliteraturen, p. 125).
on him]). Perhaps a proverbial triad is being employed
here (10:22-24). The five-fold repetition of seems to
serve as a sound binder in giving the proverb its ring.
The normal contrast between the wicked and the righteous
is present, with the righteous being pluralized in
morphological variation. The final ֵ/ ֶ + ֶן may provide
an end rhyme for each stich to draw these two semantically
parallel words together via their sounds ( תְבוֹאֶנּוּ [comes on
him] and יִתֵּן [give]).
Proverbs 10:25 כַּעֲבוֹר סוּפָה וְאֵין רָשָׁע
When the storm has swept by the wicked are gone,
וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם
but the righteous stand firm forever.
With verse 25 another clear proverb pair begins,
which is linked not only by the initial כ, but also by the
dual nature of the first stich, which has a stich-medial וְ
(which is very rare in these proverbs). The initial כ
link should also be tied back to the detached 10:23 (cf.
11:9-11, 14). While some who consider only the thematic
level may categorize these two proverbs as diverse, the
sound and syntactic links undeniably weld these two
proverbs into a pair. One must understand and appreciate
the compositional techniques of the ancient sages based on
their own standards, rather than forcing a restrictive
theme-only approach upon their collections. Brown is at
fault here as he calls for a major division between 10:25
and 26 because of Skehan's mechanical suggestion that all
of the 375 proverbs of this section fall into 25 unit
groups.1 The strong connection between these two verses
shows the artificiality of Skehan's suggestion. He comes
to the text with a preconceived framework, rather than
allowing the framework to arise naturally from a careful
scrutiny of the text itself. Thus, this pair provides a
glaring counter-example.
One final indicator that a division should not
come between 10:25 and the following proverbs is the
manifest thematic link with Proverbs 10:29-30 concerning
the transientness of the wicked and the enduring quality
of the righteous. It is not accidental that the word עוֹלָם
is repeated (10:25, 30). This thematic link causes 10:25
to point in the direction of what follows rather than to
what goes before it, where there is no thematic link.
Further thematic connections may be seen in comparing
10:27 to 22 and 10:28 to 24.
Proverbs 10:25 has the normal contrast between the
righteous and the wicked. Boström tries to draw the words
סוּפָה (storm) and יסוֹד (stand) together on the basis of the
similarity between סוּ and סוֹ. The continuation of the
paired רָשָׁע (wicked) and צַדִּיקִים (righteous) in 10:24 and 25
____________________
1Brown, "Structured Parallelism in the
Composition
and Formation of Canonical Books," pp. 4, 9. Cf. Skehan,
"Wisdom's House," p. 36.
connects these two proverbs besides giving a cohesiveness
to 10:25 itself. The contrasting imagery of the wicked as
a storm passing by and the righteous as timelessly
steadfast again draws the proverb together as a unit.
Proverbs 10:26 כַּחֹמֶץ לַשִּׁנִַּים וְכֶעָשָׁן לָעֵינָיִם
As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
כֵּן חֶעָצֵל לְשׂלְחָיו
so is a sluggard to those who send him.
Proverbs 10:26, while being thematically diverse
from the preceding proverb, is bound simply on the grounds
of the initial כ and medial ו in the first stich. The
initial כ should not be under-emphasized in that it is
clearly being played on within verse 26 ( כַּחוֹמֶץ [as
vinegar]; כֶטָשָׁן [as smoke]; and כֵּן [so]) as well as linking
verse 26 to verse 25. Bostrom observes the שׁנ sequence in
לַשִּנַיִּם (to the teeth) and כֶטָשָׁן (as smoke).1 He also
observes the assonance between לָעֵינָיִם (for the eyes) and
(so), where both 's are followed by נ's. The lack of
antithesis and the recurrent use of simile parallels many
proverbs found in Proverbs 25-27 and may have been placed
here as a result of the כ initial similarity with 10:25.
It is interesting that the sluggard motif is not found
elsewhere in this section, but it does cause one to
reflect on the pair in 10:4 and 5.
____________________
1Bostrom, Paronomasi I den Aldre Hebreiska
Maschalliteraturen, p. 126.
Proverbs 10:27 יִרְאַת יְהוָה תּוֹסִיף יָמִים
The fear of the LORD adds length to life,
וּשְׁנוֹת רְשָעִים תִּיקְצֹרְנָה
but the years of the wicked are cut short.
Proverbs 10:27 begins another pair. It obviously
echoes the initial verse in this section (10:22) both in
the presence of the divine name and in the use of תוֹסִיף
(adds) as the major verb. It is suggested that this pair
(10:27, 28) marks the middle of this section. The section
begins with a YHWH-proverb (10:22); the divine name and
the verb יָסַף (to add) are centrally reiterated in 10:27;
then in 11:1, it will be suggested, the section closes as
it began--with a lone proverb containing the divine name.
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