The Peti and the Power of Speech in Proverbs 1-9
Speech is a prominent theme throughout ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. Accordingly, the proverbs in Proverbs 10-29 offer extensive instruction about the nature and power of speech. Speech also pervades Proverbs 1-9, a series of instructive lectures and interludes. However, speech is not prim...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
SA ePublications
2022
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| In: |
Old Testament essays
Year: 2022, Volume: 35, Issue: 1, Pages: 111-127 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Instruction
/ Rhetoric
/ Speech
/ Wisdom
/ Bible. Sprichwörter 1-9
/ Bible. Sprichwörter 10-29
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament HD Early Judaism HH Archaeology |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Speech is a prominent theme throughout ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. Accordingly, the proverbs in Proverbs 10-29 offer extensive instruction about the nature and power of speech. Speech also pervades Proverbs 1-9, a series of instructive lectures and interludes. However, speech is not primarily a topic of instruction; rather, it is a vehicle for instruction. Proverbs 1-9 puts speech on the lips of competing voices—the father, the gang, the seductress, Lady Wisdom, and Lady Folly—and admonishes, seduces, and encourages the son (the peti), who is presented with a choice: To whom will he listen? These chapters draw attention to what might be considered the most important trait of the peti: being a discerning listener. This article argues that, by prefacing the instruction of chapters 10-29 with chapters 1-9, the compiler of Proverbs sets discernment as the fundamental requirement for the instruction that follows. It surveys the topic of "speech" in ancient Egyptian wisdom literature; examines "speech" proverbs in Proverbs 10-29; and evaluates how "speech" in Proverbs 1-9 contributes to the portrayal of a teachable peti and one’s approach to the rest of the book. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2022/v35n1a8 |
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| ISSN: | 2312-3621 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Old Testament essays
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.17159/2312-3621/2022/v35n1a8 |