Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs

These books of the Bible, despite their differences, all treat the phenomenon of what it means to live wisely before God. In this readable commentary, Ellen Davis points out that the writers of these books considered wisdom--and the fruits of wisdom, a well-ordered life and a peaceful mind--to be within the grasp of anyone wholeheartedly desiring it.Books in the Westminster Bible Companion series assist laity in their study of the Bible as a guide to Christian faith and practice. Each volume explains the biblical book in its original historical context and explores its significance for faithful living today. These books are ideal for individual study and for Bible study classes and groups.

Ellen F. Davis is Professor of Old Testament at the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia.

Series Foreword

ix

Acknowledgments

viii

General Introduction: These Three Books

1

(8)

PROVERBS

9

(294)

Introduction

11

(14)

Poetic Preface

The Goal of Learning (1:1--6)

25

(3)

The Fear of the Lord (1:7)

28

(1)

Bad Company (1:8--19)

29

(2)

Wisdom's Challenge (1:20--33)

31

(3)

The Choice between Two Paths (2:1--22)

34

(5)

Beyond the Limits of Human Understanding (3:1--12)

39

(3)

Laying Hold of Happiness (3:13--26)

42

(4)

The Scorners (3:27--35)

46

(1)

Loving Wisdom (4:1--9)

47

(1)

The Anatomy of Wisdom (4:20--27)

48

(2)

Frank Talk about Sex (5:1--23)

50

(4)

Standing Surety (6:1--5)

54

(1)

Parable of the Ant (6:6--11)

55

(2)

Adorned with the Commandments (6:20--24)

57

(1)

Femme Fatale (7:1--27)

58

(4)

Wisdom's Speech from the Heights (8:1--36)

62

(8)

Two Invitations (9:1--18)

70

(5)

Proverbs Proper

Constructive and Destructive Criticism (10:10)

75

(2)

Joy in Hope (10:28)

77

(1)

Gossip (11:11--13)

78

(2)

Women's Beauty, Women's Power (11:22)

80

(2)

The Root of the Righteous (12:3 and 12:12)

82

(2)

Working for Ourselves (12:9)

84

(2)

Choosing Companions (13:20)

86

(1)

Disciplining Children (13:24)

87

(3)

Honoring Solitude (14:10)

90

(1)

Joy and Sorrow (14:12--13)

91

(1)

Children's Inheritance (14:18, 26)

92

(1)

The Religious Significance of the Poor (14:20--21)

93

(3)

Healing Speech (15:4)

96

(2)

Gaining a Heart (15:30--33)

98

(2)

Autonomy and Obedience (16:1--9)

100

(3)

The Power and the Justice of Kings (16:10--16)

103

(3)

Trusting God (16:20)

106

(1)

Temperance (16:32 and 25:28)

107

(1)

Choosing the Good (17:1)

108

(1)

The Danger of Isolation (18:1--2)

109

(3)

Deadly and Life-giving Speech (18:20--21)

112

(1)

Good Companions (18:22--24)

113

(2)

Contentiousness (19:13)

115

(1)

Fast Money (20:20--21)

116

(3)

Radical Pedagogy (22:6)

119

(1)

Thirty Sayings (22:17--24:22)

120

(9)

The Cost of Laziness (24:30--34)

129

(2)

Delivering the Message (25:11--13)

131

(2)

Defeating Evil (25:21--22)

133

(1)

A Fool's Anger (27:3)

134

(1)

Envy (27:4)

134

(2)

Choosing Silence (27:14)

136

(2)

Closing Frames

The Words of Agur (30:1--33)

138

(10)

The Wisdom of Women (31:1--31)

148

(21)

ECCLESIASTES

Introduction

159

(10)

Introducing Koheleth (1:1)

169

(1)

The Great Question (1:2--3)

170

(1)

Instability and Amnesia (1:4--11)

171

(2)

Koheleth's Memoir (1:12--2:26)

173

(9)

The Pattern Woven in Time (3:1--15)

182

(4)

Injustice: Forsaking Our Creaturehood (3:16--22)

186

(3)

Perversions of Good Work (4:1--8)

189

(2)

The Wisdom of Reticence (5:1--7)

191

(2)

Economies of Grief and Joy (5:8--20)

193

(3)

Human Limitations (6:10--12)

196

(2)

Finding the Balance That Is Wisdom (7:1--22)

198

(6)

A Personal Note: Koheleth's Loneliness (7:23--29)

204

(2)

Against Presumption (8:1--9)

206

(2)

Is There Any Justice? (8:10--17)

208

(3)

To Life! (9:1--12)

211

(4)

Reckoning with Privilege (10:16--20)

215

(3)

The Grace of Not Knowing (11:1--6)

218

(2)

Youth and Age (11:7--12:8)

220

(5)

The Epilogue (12:9--14)

225

(13)

THE SONG OF SONGS

Introduction

231

(7)

Solomon's Best (1:1)

238

(3)

Desire and Imagination (1:2--2:7)

241

(13)

Seeking, Finding (3:1--5)

254

(6)

Up from the Wilderness (3:6)

260

(2)

Desire Satisfied (4:1--5:1)

262

(13)

Testimony to the Women of Jerusalem (5:2--6:3)

275

(9)

Formidable Beauty (6:4--10)

284

(3)

The Dancing Shulammite (6:13--7:13)

287

(8)

The Strength of Love (8:6--14)

295

(8)

Works Cited

303

(3)

For Further Reading

306

(1)

Abbreviations

306

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Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials