2018, August 19 ~ Proverbs 9:1-6 and Ephesians 5:15-20

Proverbs 9:1-6

In Christian Bibles, the Book of Proverbs is included in the “Wisdom Literature,” but in the Jewish Bible (the “TaNaK”), it is part of the “Writings.” The other two parts of the Jewish Bible are The Torah and The Prophets. The name “TaNaK” is an acronym for the first letters of the Hebrew words for each of these sections: the Torah, the Nevi’im, and the Ketubim.

Although Proverbs claims to be written by Solomon (965-930 BCE) (v.1:1), most scholars agree that these sayings were compiled over a long period and put in their final form around 450 BCE. In fact, two Chapters of Proverbs (22:17 to 24:34) are copied almost word-for-word from Egyptian literature dating to about 1100 BCE.

Most of the sayings in Proverbs are presented as teachings from the elders and are aimed at young men. They generally advise that moral living (diligence, sobriety, self-restraint, selecting a good wife, honesty) will lead to a good life.

The usual translation of a recurring theme in Proverbs is that “fear” of YHWH (translated as LORD – all capital letters in the NRSV) is the beginning of wisdom, many scholars suggest that “awe of YHWH” or “reverence for YHWH” better captures the sense of the authors of the sayings in Proverbs.

In today’s reading, Wisdom is portrayed as a woman who invites even the “simple” and “those without sense” to share the bread and wine at her table and walk in the way of insight. In Proverbs 8:22, Wisdom was portrayed as being present at the Creation.

Ephesians 5:15-20

Ephesus was a large and prosperous city in what is now western Turkey. In the Acts of the Apostles and 1 Corinthians, Paul is said to have visited there. In Ephesus, there were Jesus Followers who were Jews and Jesus Followers who were Gentiles, and they didn’t always agree on what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.

Because the letter contains a number of terms not used in Paul’s other letters and gives new meanings to some of Paul’s characteristic terms, most scholars believe that this letter was written by one of Paul’s disciples late in the First Century. The letter was intended to unify the Jesus Follower community in Ephesus.

In today’s reading, the author continues to urge the Jewish Jesus Followers and the Gentile Jesus Followers in Ephesus to live wisely, soberly, and to be thankful to God. In the verses just before today’s reading, the author uses light and dark imagery to show that they are all now children of the light.