The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-17
Studies in Old Testament History.


re-arranged the materials before them;
some passages reflect the golden age of
Israel's monarchy; some belong to such
times as that of Jeroboam. When the
men of Hezekiah made their collection
there existed already body Of maxims
known as Solomon's. 1t is not to be sup
posed that Solomon sat down and DELHI
erately composed Book of Proverbs
such as we now possess. 1t is said that
he spake three thousand proverbs. He
must have had scribes and secretaries
who collected the wisdom that flowed
from his lips. This naturally formed
the nucleus around which accretions
gathered in the course of time"
1.-THE Book of Proverbs" says DIR.
Noyes, "bears evident marks of being
composed Of several small collections,
which we're made at different times. 1t
may accordingly be divided into FIVE dis
tinct parts. l. The first part consists of
the first nine chapters, and contains,
not what according to the common use
of language are called proverbs, but con-
nected discourses in praise of wisdom,
and urging the practice of virtue, espec-
tally the virtue of chastity. The dis
courses in these nine chapters probably
came from the same author. There
seems to be no sufficient reason for re-
jecting the Jewish tradition that Solo,
mon was the author of this part of the
book. 2. The second part begins
with chapter 10 and extends to chapter
%: II. 1t is of very different charac.
ter from the nine preceding. 1t con-
tains proverbs properly co-called; sen
tentious maxims of morality or prudence,
contained commonly in single verses, and
having no connection with each other.
This portion of the book has also sepa-
rate title, mainly indicating that it once
formed collection by itself. 3. At chap.
%: II it seems probable that another COL
lection begins. For it is introduced by an
exhortation extending through several
verses, similar to that in chap. l: 1-6.
This third section extends from chap.
p: IL to chap. 25. 1t seems to be dis
tinguished from the second part by a
greater con nection between the verses
and more negligent use of the paral
lelism. 4. The fourth part begins with
chap. %. 1t has new title. or preface,
setting forth that the proverbs con-
tanned in it were collected by men en-
ployed by king Hezekiah. 1t extends
to chap. 80. 5. The fifth portion of the
book begins with chap. 80 and extends
to the end. 1t contains some proverb-
ial maxims of a certain Agur, some ad-
vice addressed by his mother to a king
called Lemuel, and an alphabetical
poem, that is, poem the lines of which
begin with the different letters of the
Hebrew alphabet in regular succession,
the subject of which is the praise of
good wife,"
1t will add to the enjoyment and
profit in reading the Proverbs if we un-
derstand that the book is in large
sense poem,--a poem constituted of
multiplicity Vi poemS.
1t is specimen of the poetry of the
Orient. 1t abounds in SMILES and meta.
phors. The Hebraic genius for sublime
imagery is seen at it's best in Job, in
some of the Psalms, and in the Revela-
tion of ST. John; but its unmistakable
stamp is in this Book of Proverbs. We
have also to note the repetitions of the
same thought in successive phrases,
each repetition intended to add some
contribution to the thought, sometimes
running to couplets, sometimes to trip
let's. sometimes to bankruptcies. as the
need of each thought seems to require.
The parallelism is a simple method of
poetical expression; but it is exceedingly
musical and forcible. 1t is not often at
tempted by modern poets. Longfellow's
Hiawatha may be recalled as somewhat
after this kind. Its structure is only
suited to great themes. For instance
take Adds ms familiar lines:-
THE spacious armament ON high.
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, shining frame,
Their great 0rigina proclaim"
This is Hebraic in its repetitions, but not
in its meter and rhyme; observe the
sky is mentioned in four successive
phrases. Some critics have regarded
this as tautology: others regard it as a
stroke of genius. 1t is certainly qua
train in which great many have found
delight. 1t is the grand subject which
justifies such repeated naming. Each
phrase adds some new suggestion of
what the sky is in poetical conception.
So in the nature of the case Hebrew
poetry could not be trivial. Its very
form required it to be sublime. And it
may be also noted as significant fact
that the poetry of parallels, unlike the
more complicated styles of other old
classics is, with small loss of its essential
beauty, easily translated into all Ian
guages. In the authorized English YER
sion Of Hebrew poetry the poetical form
seems not often to be reproduced by de-
sign.-yet even here the cadences are in
the main exceedingly pleasant to the in
ner sense.