Proverbs

I have finished the Old Testament in my "new" slimline ESV and have a few sections to finish in the NT and I will be done with this read/mark through the Bible. It has been a good read.  I would recommend everyone have some kind of systematic read though the entire Bible as part of their Bible reading/study plan.

I've also been reading to prepare to teach on the book of Proverbs.  One source has been The New International Commentary on the Old Testament's The Book of Proverbs Chapters 1-15 by Bruce K. Waltke.

http://www.amazon.com/Book-Proverbs-International-Commentary-Testament/dp/0802825451 -- $34.65

I am working through the 130+ page introduction.  I am excited that he seems to promise giving some understanding of the context of the sections of "one verse" proverbs.  

1. The outline of proverbs from page 4 -

Collection 1 - Prologue  1.1-9.18

Collection 2 - Proverbs of Solomon  10.1-22.16

Collection 3 - Thirty Sayings of the Wise  22.17-24.22

Collection 4 - Further Sayings of the Wise  24.23-34

Collection 5 - Hezekiah's Collection of Solomon  25-29

Collection 6 - Agur  30 (parts 1 & 2)

Collection 7 - Lemuel  31 (parts 1 & 2)

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2. from page 45 - 

The hierarchy of signification levels in Proverbs is:

• collections
• sections
• poems/units
• stanzas/subunits
• strophes/proverb pairs
• verses/lines
• half-verses/versets
• phrases
• words
• syllables
• sounds

It is instructive to me that the bottom 3-5 elements seem to require the original Hebrew (which I don't have) to make sense of.  I am looking forward to his comments.

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3.  I am just beginning the 60 pages on the theology of Proverbs.  :o)