Date

5-1-2025

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Bible Exposition (PhD)

Chair

Curtis W. Fitzgerald

Keywords

Proverbs 30 and 31, Rhetorical Criticism, Biblical Performance Analysis, Agur and Lemuel, Woman of Valor, King

Disciplines

Christianity | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

Although Proverbs 30 and 31 often bear the label of being appendices to the book of Proverbs, and at first glance, reveal very distinct genres, this study aims to demonstrate a purposeful editorial coherence uniting the two oracles, conveying a significant message to the king. That united message reveals itself through a personal confession, numerical sayings, intimate advice from a mother to her son, and through an acrostic of the Woman of Valor. The two prophetic messengers, Agur and the Queen Mother, two elite voices within the Jerusalem palace-temple complex, strongly support the king. However, they see him as a morally weak leader, a poor role model for his people, and indifferent toward the plight of the poor. Within this social context, God inspires them in their unique ways to prophetically address their beloved king.

This study uses rhetorical devices such as inclusio, anaphora, chiasms, catchwords, other repetitions of vocabulary, keywords, juxtaposition, animal symbolism, a cursory performative analysis, and in-depth close reading of both text and form to discover the unity of each chapter and the editorial linkage between the chapters to expose the message to the wayward king. Linkages between the chapters include the parallel dimensions, mostly thematic, of the divine oracles, Yahweh and Torah responsibilities, the wayward king, and the chaotic and corrupt society within his realm. Here exist the strong and weak, the powerful and powerless, the good and the wicked, the rich and poor, the human and divine, the human and the animal, attitude and behavior, humbleness and greed, survival and destruction, faith and indifference.

Encapsulated within these distinctive Hebrew poems in chapters 30 and 31 is a call to the king for personal piety and ethical living. Daily Torah reading and prayer are encouraged, as well as a strong admonition to help the poor, confront the evil in society, and avoid involvement with destructive women and the distraction created by excessive drinking. Finally, the king is given a portrait of a godly wife whose entrepreneurial skills, kindness, and fear of Yahweh contribute to her community's well-being and success for her husband and family.

In conclusion, the intimate relationship between Yahweh and the Davidic dynasty, in 2 Samuel 23 and displayed in Psalms 2, as well as the unique and demanding requirements of a king in Deuteronomy 17, carried with it high expectations. These expectations, however, encounter a syncretistic and immoral geopolitical world as well as a sinful human nature where pride, lust, and greed abound. Within this context, kings often faltered, and God provided prophetic voices who attempted to balance the scales. Agur and the Queen Mother deserve a place within the roll call of the prophets. They loved their king but feared Yahweh and his impending judgment on wayward kings.

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