As we have seen, Thomas taught that self-interest can be good as long as it is subordinated to higher ends. However, what does it precisely mean that God is the highest end and how precisely is one supposed to subordinate the other ends to this one? The answer to these questions can be deduced from Thomas’s explanation of a section of the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 6:19‒34). There he lists four factors which make self-interest ‘inordinate’:439
1. Serving God for the sake of benefits (‘We should not… serve God for the sake of the necessities of food and clothing’).
2. Not hoping in God (‘We should not so concern ourselves about temporal things as to lose hope in divine help’).
3. Relying on one’s own powers (‘We should not think that we are able to procure all the necessities of life by our own concern without divine help’).
4. Obsessive anticipation of the problems of the future (‘Concern is inordinate when a man anticipates the time of it, by being concerned now about something which is a matter of care for the future, not for the present’).
Points 2 and 3 are closely related: one should hope in God (2) and not in oneself (3). Point 4 is somewhat different, but it is not unrelated to trusting in God and as such to points 2 and 3. Separating these points was probably suggested only by the text of the Gospel which Thomas wanted to follow closely. However, if we take into account the overlap between the four points and focus on the broader issues behind them, then we can say that, according to Thomas, having God as the final end requires two crucial things:
A. Not serving God because of the benefits of that service (1). B. Having a God-centred thinking, hope, and trust (2‒3‒4).
439
148
Proverbs 2
Are these two criteria true to Proverbs? The answer will be given mainly on the basis of Prov. 2 in the rest of this chapter. The choice of Prov. 2 as a starting point for my investigations is justified by two factors.
First, as Weeks comments, Prov. 2 ‘comes as close as anything to epitomizing Proverbs 1‒9 as a whole.’440 Called the Lehrprogramm for Proverbs 1‒9 by Meinhold, it introduces the major motifs of the later chapters (like the foreign woman and the path metaphor),441 and as such it is one of the most significant introductory chapters for the whole book.
Second, and even more significantly, the chapter writes about the ‘knowledge of God’ (Prov. 2:5; variations of this expression also occur in Prov. 9:10 and 30:3), which happens to be Thomas’s typical phrase referring to the highest end of human existence.442 So, if anywhere, here one can expect to find some parallels with Thomas. However, caution is recommended. This lexical parallel does not necessarily mean that the meaning, role, and significance of the ‘knowledge of God’ are the same in Thomas and Proverbs. These issues require a thoroughgoing investigation.
Before attempting to clarify the meaning of Prov. 2 and to decide whether the above- mentioned two Thomistic criteria of having God as the final end can be found in it, a translation of the chapter will be provided. Some exegetical observations will be made in the footnotes. These observations will concentrate mainly on issues which might influence the following argument.
My son, if you take in my words and hide my commands with(in) you,
[then], turning your ear to wisdom,443 you will direct your heart to understanding.444
1 םא ינב ךתא ןפצת יתוצמו ירמא חקת 2 הנובתל ךבל הטת ךנזא המכחל בישקהל 440 Weeks 2007:62. 441 Meinhold 1991a:43. 442
ST I‒II, 3, 4; ST I, 12, 1‒13 (especially ST I, 12, 13); ST III, 9, 1‒4; SCG, III, 37‒63; etc.
443 I take בישקהל as a gerundive ל + inf. which specifies the manner or method in which the finite verb of
the previous clause is executed (Merwe 1999:155; Waltke 2004:213 n. 1).
444
Imperfect forms can express apodosis (Waltke 1990:510‒513). My translation somewhat separates the first 2 verses, as an introductory section, from the rest of the chapter. It roughly follows the
149 Indeed, if to insight you call out, to understanding you raise your voice,
If you seek it like silver, and like treasure you search for it,
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God you will find,
Because it is the Lord himself who gives wisdom, and from his mouth [come]445 knowledge and understanding.
He hides446 prudence447 for the upright—(he is)448 a shield for those who walk in integrity,
Guarding the paths of justice he safeguards the way
3 ךלוק ןתת הנובתל ארקת הניבל םא יכ 4 םא הנשפחת םינומטמכו ףסככ הנשקבת 5 יהלא תעדו הוהי תארי ןיבת זא אצמת ם 6 יכ הנובתו תעד ויפמ המכח ןתי הוהי ) 7 ןפצו ] ( ןפצי [ םת יכלהל ןגמ הישות םירשיל 8 ךרדו טפשמ תוחרא רצנל ) ודיסח ] ( וידיסח [ translation of Waltke (Waltke 2004:213) and parallels the LXX, which also takes verse 2 as the apodosis of verse 1 (see Cook 1997:114, 118).
445
The ‘come’ is presupposed by the preposition ןמ. The Targ., α’, σ’, θ’, and ε’ has ‘and from his face’ (וינפמו).
446
I translate the Qere (ןפצי) which is supported by Targ. and Vulg. Ketiv (ןפצו) is supported by LXX and Syr. The textual difference does not have a theological significance which would affect my later argument.
I chose ‘hide’ and not the more usual ‘store up’ (Clifford 1999:44; Fox 2000:114; McKane 1970:213; Murphy 1998:13; Waltke 2004:214; NRSV, etc.) as a translation of ןפצ because I see a hiding‒seeking‒finding motive possibly running through Prov. 1:10‒2:5 (2:1, 5; cf. 1:11, 13, 18, 28).
447
LXX apparently translates העושת (σωτηρία, salvation) but this does not necessarily presuppose a different Vorlage. It could simply be a misreading of the Hebrew or an interpretation of it (Cook 1997:120).
Some translate הישות as ‘success’ (Murphy 1998:13; Waltke 2004:214), others as ‘resourcefulness’ (Clifford 1999:44; Fox 2000:114). I follow Weeks, who argues that its basic meaning is probably close to that of המכח (Weeks 2007:197). None of these suggestions is able to account for all of the occurrences of the word in my judgement. Job 5:12 suggests that one can do הישות with his/her hands, which would suggest ‘success’ and not ‘resourcefulness.’ The concept of ‘wisdom’ is also a possible candidate as it can also refer to practical skill and הישות often occurs simply as a general parallel to wisdom or counsel, which would make a more restricted meaning unlikely (Job 11:6; 26:3; Prov. 8:14—though in this verse it can be taken as parallel to הרובג (strength); Isa. 28:29). So, based on these observations, ‘wisdom’ seems to be the best translation. However, ‘success’ or ‘resourcefulness’ might be more appropriate for Job 6:13, though the precise meaning of the verse is not clear.
Other appealing solutions would be ‘competence,’ suggested by McKane 1970:282, or ‘sound judgement’ by Waltke 2004:225.
I (tentatively) chose ‘prudence’ because it captures well its close relationship to wisdom and also its connotations with resourcefulness, success, sound judgement and competence.
448
Grammatically ‘shield’ can be in apposition both to Yahweh and also to prudence. As ‘shield’ is a common Old Testament metaphor for the Lord (cf. Prov. 30:5; Deut. 33:29; Ps. 3:4) and it is clear that the Lord is the subject of 2:7a and 2:8b, to suppose that the Lord is the subject throughout verses 7‒8 seems to me the most natural reading. However, the ambiguity might also be intentional, or at least it can be utilized in an interpretation which is in harmony with the context. See later discussion.
150 of his faithful ones.449
Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity,450 every good track,
Because451 wisdom will come into your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Shrewdness will safeguard you, understanding will guard you:
Saving you from the way of the evil one,452 from the man who speaks perversions,
Those who abandon straight paths to walk in ways of darkness,
Those who delight in doing evil, who rejoice in evil perversions,
Whose paths are twisted and who are crooked in their tracks;
Saving you [also] from a strange woman, from an outsider who has polished her words,
Who abandons the companion of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God.
For her path descends to death and her tracks to the realm of the dead:453
רמשי 9 לכ םירשימו טפשמו קדצ ןיבת זא לגעמ בוט 10 יכ םעני ךשפנל תעדו ךבלב המכח אובת 11 כרצנת הנובת ךילע רמשת המזמ ה 12 תוכפהת רבדמ שיאמ ער ךרדמ ךליצהל 13 יכרדב תכלל רשי תוחרא םיבזעה ךשח 14 ער תוכפהתב וליגי ער תושעל םיחמשה 15 םתולגעמב םיזולנו םישקע םהיתחרא רשא 16 הקילחה הירמא הירכנמ הרז השאמ ךליצהל 17 תאו הירוענ ףולא תבזעה החכש היהלא תירב 18 לא החש יכ לאו התיב תומ היתלגעמ םיאפר 449
It cannot be ruled out that there is a more complicated textual history behind the text than what is suggested by the simple ketiv/qere variation in the MT. This is the only occurrence of the word דיסח in Proverbs. The Syr. translates הסח which also occurs in 14:32 and 30:5. The LXX also seems to translate הסח, when it renders the Hebrew as εὐλαβουμένων (those who respect [him]), as in 30:5. Cook suggests that the LXX translator (or redactor) might have been influenced by 30:5 (Cook 1997:121‒122).
450 Masoretic accents suggest that the list of objects overflows into the second colon. κατορθώσεις in
LXX can be understood as a verbal form (you will make straight) but it can also be taken as a noun and the parallel with Prov. 1:3 makes an emendation unnecessary here (see BHQ, p. 32, the commentary on the critical apparatus).
451
From this point on the LXX is different from the MT. It takes 2:10 as a protasis and verses 11‒12 as the apodosis and does not mention the ‘foreign woman’ in verses 16‒18. For a brief overview of LXX’s understanding of the section and scholarly opinions about its interpretation see Fox 2000:374‒376.
452 Or from ‘evil way.’ Here I follow Fox who, on the basis of the parallel with 2:12b and 2:16, argues that
ער is not an adjective but a noun (Fox 2000:117). This uncertainty of translation does not affect my forthcoming argument.
453
The text is full of lexical and grammatical problems. Is החש to be derived from החש (bow down, lay on the floor) or חוש (sink down, walk)? Or should we emend it to החוש (pit)? The תיב is masculine, whereas the verb is feminine. Should we emend התיב to התביתנ (my translation follows this suggestion)? What is
151
Structure of Proverbs 2
A. If you listen to me (v. 1)
B. then your heart will turn to wisdom. (v. 2) C. If you seek wisdom (i.e. listen to me) (vv. 3-4)
D. then you will know God (v. 5),
1. because it is God who gives wisdom (v.6), 2. and protects you (vv. 7-8)
E. then you will know righteousness (v. 9)
3. because wisdom will come into your heart(v. 10), 4. and she will protect you (v. 11)
F. 5. from wicked men (vv. 12-15) and 6. from wicked women (vv. 16-19), G. so that you will walk on the right path (v. 20),
H. which is the salvation of the righteous one (vv. 21-22). None who go to her return or regain the paths of life.
Thus you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.
Surely the upright will inhabit the land and those with integrity will be left in it,
But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be torn from it.
19 לכ אלֹו ןובושי אל היאב םייח תוחרא וגישׂי 20 םיקידצ תוחראו םיבוט ךרדב ךלת ןעמל רמשת 21 יכ ונכשי םירשי הב ורתוי םימימתו ץרא 22 הנממ וחסי םידגובו ותרכי ץראמ םיעשרו