Thursday, July 31, 2014

Proverbs 30 and 31

Proverbs 30 has an interesting section VII, called Numerical Proverbs.  The verses name two things, then three, then four but never really ties them all together.  This feels like poetry to me.  It looks lovely, but I am missing the all-important key to unlock the code.

Proverbs 31 has the most interesting section of all of Proverbs, section IX:  The Ideal Wife.  I was extremely happy to see that "She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands" (31, 13), and that "She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle" (31, 19). I am a knitter who loves to work with fine wools and fibers.  If the Ideal wife does this, I am in good company.  It also says "She rises while it is still night" (31, 15), and "at night her lamp is undimmed" (31, 18).  I get up early and try to stay productive to the end of MOST days.  She also "picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings, she plants a vineyard" (31 16).  So the Ideal wife is also a gardener.  I am good with all of this.  There are any parts of this section that do not pertain to me, but I hit on a couple, so even if I am not an Ideal Wife, I am probably at least a pretty good wife.

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