August 27th, 2022

There is a very special ‘journey’ this very Sunday. Only a few Sundays in the three-year series have been given an Old Testament text from the book of Proverbs. This Sunday our journey with the Old Testament text takes us to Proverbs 25:2-10, and some helpful advice is given. But it may also be helpful to look at where this book started, its foundation point.

The beginnings of various books are too quickly passed over in this present age, and that is easily understood why that happens. With the advent of study bibles, there are often long, introductory notes, along with an outline of the work. But the text was originally just the text. And important things were usually given within those first words and sentences to help the reader or listener see a bigger picture—not just a lot of words.

What follows is a somewhat-literal translation of the first seven verses of the book from its original language; its format has been altered to help see the infinitives within the text:

(V. 1) Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

 (V. 2)    To know wisdom and discipline,

 to understand words of understanding,

(V. 3)    to take discipline in cleverness, righteousness and justice and evenness;

(V. 4)    to give to the simple prudence, to the youth, knowledge and discretion;

(V. 5) the wise may hear and may add learning, and the man of understanding may acquire skills;

(V. 6)   to understand a proverb and a parable, words of the wise and their riddles.

(V. 7) Fear of Yahweh, beginning of knowledge; wisdom and discipline, fools despise.

In the above text, these five infinities were given: to know, to understand, to take, to give, and to understand. What is interesting is a comparison to the Greek translation of this section. This translation was probably done about a century before Christ was born; and to be helpful, this somewhat-literal translation is in English. (For more detail, see The T&T Clark Companion to the Septuagint, the chapter by James K. Aitken and Lorenzo Cuppi, p. 342f.; edited by James K. Aitken; published by Bloomsbury T&T Clark [New York] in 2015.)

(V. 1) Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, who reigned in Israel:

(V. 2)   To know wisdom and discipline, and

to understand words of insight, and

(V. 3)   to receive turnings of words, and

to understand true righteousness, and
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to direct judgment,

(V. 4)   in order that he might give craftiness to the simple, and to the young child both discernment and knowledge.

(V. 5) For by hearing of these, a wise man will be wiser, and a man of understanding will gain direction;
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(V. 6) he will understand both a parable and a word of darkness, both the sayings of the wise and riddles.

(V. 7) Beginning of wisdom, fear of the Lord; and good understanding to all who do it; and piety toward God is the beginning of discernment, but wisdom and discipline the ungodly despise.

Some of the various differences between the two translations could be called significant, and much could be written about them. (You may wish to compare these translations to other more familiar translations.) What I would like to focus upon is that there are also five similar infinitives in this Greek translation, but they are in a significantly different order: to know, to understand, to receive, to understand, and to direct.

Both texts have five infinitives, but they are in an obviously different order. In the Hebrew, to understand is the second and fifth; in the Greek, the word is second and fourth.

In the Greek translation, it must be admitted that there is a progression within these words that makes a structure. There is a beginning at to know, then there is a progression on to understanding, then to receiving, then on to more understanding, then to directing. To put it in basic terms, there is a receiving, and then there is a giving out.

For the Hebrew infinitives, I would like to propose a progression that follows the progression and structure of the first five books of the Old Testament, the books considered to be written by Moses; these are also named the Pentateuch.

It is admittedly difficult to summarize five large books into five words, but, again, this is a helpful connection to make before the era of study bibles and introductory notes. Even in this present age, is sometimes important to see the bigger picture, and it is sometimes helpful to have it summarized in just a few words. (Seeing this bigger perspective is especially helpful if all you have is the text and not the sometimes-artificial divisions of chapter and verse, along with those added summaries in italics of various sections that appear in most bibles.)

GENESIS lays out the start of everything, and this includes all creation, but the most space is dedicated to the growth of the nation of Israel. At Genesis 4:1, the text says that Adam knew his wife, and they had a son. Things like this, for one TO KNOW another, those things continue on so that, eventually, the earth is filled.

EXODUS is certainly about Israel’s exodus from Egypt. But they simply do not go to the Promised Land. An incredibly significant stop is made at Mount Sinai. And an awful lot of words are spoken by the Lord. And he wants his people TO UNDERSTAND those special words.

LEVITICUS continues with Israel at Mount Sinai, but they are given more things to do, especially regarding the sacrifices—the job of the Levites. There are also things that make a person clean or unclean, along with the special days to do these things. The people also did not have to deal with other groups of people at this special place. The people are TO TAKE away these things and do them elsewhere.

NUMBERS is so named because there is a census at the beginning and at the end of the book. There are a lot of problems in between, and those problems occur at various times. There is still some teaching. Within this book Israel moves away from Mount Sinai, and they have to deal with the other nations in their way. And so, the people are TO GIVE what has been given to them by God. Sometimes they are to destroy other people, and sometimes they are to let them go.

DEUTERONOMY is so named because it is the second giving of the law. A lot of it is a repetition of what was said earlier, especially in the book of Exodus. These are some admittedly long sermons of Moses. And so, again, the Lord wants his people TO UNDERSTAND his special words.

Having a reference to the first five books of the Old Testament at the beginning of the book called Proverbs is a good reminder that wisdom needs a good foundation. When people become wise, they can be tempted to look at themselves and think how wise they have become. But true wisdom basically happens because of a gracious God, the God so deeply described in the Bible.