September 23, 2012, 17 Pentecost
Proverbs 31:10-31
Ode to a Capable Wife
Background: Proverbs, like Ecclesiastes and Song of
Solomon is attributed to Solomon. It is likely that Solomon was not the author
but because the verses describe wisdom they are associated with the archetype
of wisdom in the Old Testament. Principal in the book of Proverbs is the
combination of received tradition with new insights.
Theme: This section marks the close of the book of
Proverbs. This section is one of the wisdom poems and expresses the great value
of the family as the important social and religious unit within Israelite
society. This passage also helps correct the imagery of the woman as a dangerous
being who saps men’s lives and fortunes.
Questions to Ponder
* What do you think the intent of this passage might be?
What do you think the author is trying to emphasize by describing the capable
wife to the Israelites?
* This passage is an acrostic poem (each verse begins with
the successive letter in the Hebrew alphabet: 10 – alef [א], 11 – bet [ב], etc.). What might
the significance of this fact be? What do you think the writer was trying to
convey through the use of the acrostic poem format for this passage?
* The NRSV translation uses “capable” to describe the wife
but other adjectives could be used including “good,” “perfect,” “virtuous,”
“noble,” or “valiant.” What do you think the author was trying to attribute to
the capable wife in verse 10a?
* This proverb identifies the virtues of a good wife. What
do you think the virtues extolled are?
* Which of the virtues described are typically associated
with our understanding of the function of a wife in Jewish society? Which
virtues listed catch you off guard and why?
* What do you think the implications of the red and purple
cloth are when describing the wife and/or her family?
* What do you think the author is trying to assert when they
state “non-typical” virtues for a woman in the list of virtues of a good wife?
* How would you describe the virtues of the good wife?
* What might be meant by verse 30, “Charm is deceitful and
beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”?
* Verse 29 states that the good wife is better than all the
other virtuous women. What do you think about that assertion? Why might the
author have said this? Do you think that passage builds or lessens conflict?
* What applications can be drawn from this passage for our
society?
* What impeachments might be drawn from the social layout of
today?
* How might we take this apparently chauvinistic passage and reframe it
in a society that is becoming less male-centric (albeit slowly)?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment