August 16, 2009 - 11th Sunday after Pentecost

SCRIPTURE STUDY
FOR THE 11TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOS
PROPER 15, YEAR B
AUGUST 16, 2009


SCRIPTURE: John 6:51-58

Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever."

EXEGESIS:

CHAPTER 6: CONTEXT

These verses constitute the ending of the Bread of Life Discourse (vv. 22-58), given at the synagogue in Capernaum (v. 59), Jesus' hometown as an adult (Matthew 4:13). The discourse follows the stories of the feeding of the five thousand (vv. 1-15) and Jesus walking on water (vv. 16-21).

The fact that Jesus delivers this discourse in his hometown makes it especially difficult for his listeners to accept his words –– provocative words and claims that appear to be exaggerated. Jesus' neighbors ask him for a validating sign, and mention Moses' gift of the manna in the desert as an example of the kind of sign that they expect (v. 31). Jesus corrects them –– "It was not Moses who gave you (past tense) the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you (present tense) the true bread from heaven" (v. 32). He then identifies himself as the bread of life (v. 35).

Jesus' listeners complain about his apparent grandiosity. How can this local boy, their neighbor, claim to be bread from heaven (v. 41)? How can his Father give them the true bread from heaven? They know his father, Joseph (v. 42) –– an ordinary carpenter –– not a baker of heavenly bread.

Jesus responds by making even bolder claims. The Israelites ate manna in the wilderness, but the manna sustained their lives for only a few years –– they are long since dead. By contrast, Jesus claims to be "the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (v. 51). Small wonder that these listeners find his words difficult!


VERSES 51-52: I AM THE LIVING BREAD

51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats (Greek: phage) of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh (Greek: sarx)." 52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"


"I am the living bread that came down from heaven" (v. 51a). This "living bread" parallels the "living water" that Jesus offered the Samaritan woman (4:10).

"Whoever eats (phage) of this bread will live forever" (v. 51b). Phage is the aorist of esthio (to eat), and thus represents a one-time action. To eat of this bread, in this context, means the once-and-for-all action of accepting or believing in Christ.

"and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (sarx) (v. 51c). Jesus does not retreat from the offense of his words, but instead adds to it with his mention of flesh (sarx).

• This is sacrificial language. "In the larger narrative context, this refers to Jesus' body given on the cross for the sins of humanity" (Kostenberger, 215).

The Torah requires ritual sacrifices of animals, and specifies in detail how they are to be prepared and how their flesh is to be used. Some flesh is to be burned on the altar and other flesh is to be eaten. The gift of one's flesh is the most personal of all sacrifices that a person can make in behalf of another. In this instance, Jesus makes it in behalf of the world –– not just Israel (see also 3:16-17). His sacrifice is both voluntary and vicarious.

• The sacrificial language recalls John the Baptist's earlier reference to Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (1:29) –– which, in turn, brings to mind the Passover lamb sacrificed to save the lives of the Israelites in Egypt (Exodus 11-12), a sacrifice which Israel commemorates annually.

• It also recalls the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, who "bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:13).

• "God's salvation is often described in Scripture in terms of eating and drinking…, nowhere more impressively than in Isa 55, where the descent of the word from God's mouth is likened to that of rain and snow, which water the earth and make possible its production of bread (v. 10). This after the opening…invitation:

Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price. (Isa 55:1)" (Smith, 159-160).

"The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'" (v. 52). This phrase, "the Jews," refers to the Jewish religious leaders, who are in most cases Jesus' opponents. "Flesh" is a provocative word, raising the specter of cannibalism. It is especially provocative in a culture that distinguishes so precisely between clean and unclean meat and emphasizes strict observance of dietary laws. The first consideration for any Jew, contemplating the eating of any flesh, would be whether that flesh is permitted or forbidden. No observant Jew would consider eating human flesh.


VERSE 53: UNLESS YOU EAT AND DRINK

53So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat (Greek: phagete) the flesh (Greek: sarka –– from sarx) of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.


"Very truly, I tell you" (v. 53a). These words make emphatic that which follows.

"unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (v. 53b). The title, Son of Man, comes from Daniel 7:13, where God "delegated his power of absolution to a "Son of Man' who carries out his gracious will in the earthly sphere; therefore, 'upon the earth the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins" (Marcus, 223). (NOTE: Because of its inclusive language agenda, the NRSV translates the phrase in Daniel 7:13 as "human being" rather than "Son of Man." This is an especially unfortunate translation, given the significance of the title, Son of Man).

This title has the advantage of having none of the militaristic connotations associated with the title, Messiah. People expect the Messiah to raise an army, to drive out the Romans, and to re-establish the great Davidic kingdom. They have no such expectations regarding the Son of Man.

Jesus frequently refers to himself as Son of Man (1:51; 3:13; 5:27; 6:27, 53, 62; 8:28; 9:35; 12:23; 13:31). Only four times in the New Testament (John 12:34; Acts 7:56; Revelation 1:13; 14:14) does anyone other than Jesus use the phrase, and then always to refer to Jesus.

Guelich gives three possible meanings for the title, Son of Man (Guelich, 89-90). It might mean:

• Humanity in general
• "I who speak to you"
• It might be a Messianic title.

The first significant issue here is whether Jesus' words are Eucharistic in nature (referring to the Lord's Supper) or simply incarnational/sacrificial (referring to the incarnation and the cross). The question is significant. Is Jesus emphasizing participation in the Eucharist here? Should a sermon based on this text emphasize participation in the Lord's Supper? Scholars are divided on this question, and raise a number of points for consideration –– three of which favor not emphasizing participation in the Eucharist:

• First, the word "flesh" (sarx) in verse 51c is unusual. In all of the accounts of the institution of the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24), the word is "body" (soma) –– not "flesh" (sarx). However, Raymond Brown questions the validity of this argument, noting that "there is really no Hebrew or Aramaic word for 'body,' as we understand the term; and many scholars maintain that at the Last Supper what Jesus actually said was the Aramaic equivalent of 'This is my flesh' " (Brown, 285).

• Second, the word "flesh" brings to mind, not the Lord's Supper, but the Incarnation –– "And the Word became flesh and lived among us" (1:14). It could be that the emphasis of 6:51-58 is incarnational rather than Eucharistic.

• Third, in verse 47, Jesus established belief as the condition for receiving eternal life. In verse 53, his language changes, and eating his flesh and drinking his blood become the condition for receiving eternal life. If we interpret this eating and drinking to be participation in the Eucharist, it sounds as if any person who partakes of the bread and wine is guaranteed salvation regardless of any other consideration, such as belief or baptism. It is difficult, based on our reading of other New Testament passages, to believe that could be the case.

• Jesus' listeners would not have understood Jesus to be referring to a sacramental feast.

However, other considerations favor a Eucharistic interpretation –– suggesting that Jesus is speaking, at least in part, about participation in the Lord's Supper:

• The crowd's mention of manna ("bread from heaven") as the kind of sign that they expect Jesus to perform (v. 31) constitutes the background of 6:51. Jesus responds by identifying himself as "the bread of life" (v. 35) and "the living bread that came down from heaven" (v. 51). He then says, "and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (v. 51c). The language seems Eucharistic at this point.

• The Gospel of John does not include an account of the institution of the Lord's Supper, but instead tells only the story of the foot washing (13:1-20). Some scholars think of 6:51-58 as the Johannine equivalent of the institution of the Lord's Supper.

• At the beginning of this Bread of Life discourse, John establishes that the Passover is near (6:4). This is significant, because the Passover ritual involves the sacrifice and eating of the Pascal (Passover) lamb. Earlier in this Gospel, John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (1:29), and the Lord's Supper in the Synoptics is a Passover meal. The Passover context, then, gives Jesus' words a decidedly Eucharistic flavor.

• "John may expect his readers to read Jesus' words in light of the church's observance of the Lord's Supper, though not necessarily in a sacramental sense" (Kostenberger, 217).

I conclude that incarnational, sacrificial, and Eucharistic emphases are intertwined in 6:22-58, and that the emphasis shifts to favor the Eucharistic at verse 51c. If this is correct, it is appropriate, perhaps even important, to emphasize participation in the Lord's Supper when preaching from this text.


A second significant issue has to do with the relationship of belief and eating and drinking as requirements for receiving eternal life. Jesus first establishes belief as a requirement (v. 40), and then establishes eating and drinking as a requirement (v. 53). Do these function independently? Are we saved either by belief or by eating/drinking –– or are both required? O'Day concludes that these are also intertwined. "Participation in the eucharist and the faith decision are parallel in the Fourth Gospel, not either/or acts" (O'Day, 608).

We should note two things that were happening at the time of the writing of this Gospel that might have influenced the author to emphasize the eating of Jesus flesh and the drinking of his blood:

• The first was the influence of Docetic and Gnostic heresies, both of which considered flesh to be evil and denied that Christ could have a physical body. 6:53ff. emphasizes the physical nature of his body –– perhaps, in part, to counter these heresies.

• The second was Jewish discrimination against Christian believers. Christians who observed the Lord's Supper were likely to be banned from synagogues. It is possible that, by emphasizing the Lord's Supper as a requirement for receiving eternal life, the author intends to push fence-straddlers off the fence. Such participation is important, not only for their personal religious lives, but also as a visible witness to their faith. As Paul says, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26).


VERSE 54-55: THOSE WHO EAT AND DRINK HAVE ETERNAL LIFE

54Those who eat (Greek: trogan) my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.

"Those who eat (trogan) my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life" (v. 54a). Jesus shifts from the polite word for eating (phage) to a much coarser word (trogan) ––munch –– a word more commonly used for animals munching on their feed. Trogan, like sarx, is provocative –– designed to get attention. Jesus will continue to use trogan through the rest of this discourse.

"The command to 'munch' is literal, but the flesh that is eaten is not" (Howard-Brook, 165).

As noted above, observant Jews would find the talk of eating human flesh abhorrent. Leviticus 17:10-14 also prohibits the consumption of blood.

"have eternal life" (v. 54a). The promise is not only eternal life (available now –– realized eschatology) but also resurrection (available only later –– final eschatology) (Brown, 292).

Jesus flesh and blood are true food and drink, bringing us sustenance at the deepest level of our being, in contrast with manna, which fed only the body.

In our culture, we are bombarded by advertisements for things as diverse as toothpaste and sports cars, each claiming to meet our deepest needs. Such claims are empty, and ultimately disappoint. However, when we believe in Jesus and partake of his flesh and blood, he strengthens and sustains us in ways that nothing else can.

However important the Eucharist might be, it is one of the means by which we experience the presence of God. "The true sustenance and refreshment of our spiritual life are to be found… in all ways in which his people feed on him by faith –– not only at the Holy Table, but in reading and hearing the Word of God, or in private or united prayer and meditation" (Bruce, 160).

"and I will raise them up on the last day" (v. 54b). "The continuing reference to Christ's raising up the believer at the last day is interesting. There may be more to eternal life than life in the age to come, but life in that age is certainly prominent" (Morris, 336).

"for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink" (v. 55). Earlier in this discourse, Jesus told the people who had experienced the feeding of the 5000, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you" (vv. 24-25). The manna that their ancestors experienced in the wilderness was not true food –– did not give them life (v. 49). The bread that Jesus used to feed the 5000 on the mountaintop was something less than true bread, because it satisfied the people's hunger only momentarily. By way of contrast, Jesus' flesh and blood are true food because "whoever eats of this bread will live forever" (v. 51) –– and "have (present tense) eternal life" (v. 54).

VERSE 56: THOSE WHO EAT AND DRINK ABIDE

56Those who eat (Greek: trogon) my flesh and drink my blood abide (Greek: menei –– from meno) in me, and I in them.

The promise to those who eat and drink is that they abide in Jesus and Jesus in them. This concept of "abiding in" or "dwelling in" (meno) is important in this Gospel:

• Jesus promises the disciples that the Spirit of truth will abide with them and will be in them (14:17).

• He invites the disciples, "Abide in me as I abide in you" –– likening such abiding to the relationship between vine and branches (15:4-7).

• He says, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love" (15:10).

• In his High Priestly Prayer, he prays for the disciples, "that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (17:21). While the word, meno, is not found in this prayer, the concept of deep relationship is.

• Paul expresses the same idea in different words when he talks about Christians being "in Christ" (Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 15:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17, etc.).


VERSE 57: WHOEVER EATS ME WILL LIVE BECAUSE OF ME

57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats (Greek: trogon) me will live because of me.

The phrase, "living God," is common in both Old Testament and New Testament, but this is the only occurrence of "living Father."

Jesus establishes the life-giving chain of authority. The "living Father" sent him, and he lives because of the Father. In like manner, the person who eats him (believes in him/ accepts him/participates in the Eucharist) will live. As the Father gave him life, so he gives us life. "Christ alone has direct access to the Father. Believers receive life only mediately through Christ" (Morris, 337).


VERSE 58: THE ONE WHO EATS THIS BREAD WILL LIVE FOREVER

58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors (hoi pateres –– the fathers –– ancestors) ate, and they died. But the one who eats (Greek: trogon) this bread will live forever."

As noted above, it was Jesus' listeners who first mentioned manna, referring to it as "bread from heaven" given by Moses (v. 31). Jesus corrected them. It was not Moses who gave them bread, but God. Manna was not the true bread from heaven, but was only a type (a foreshadowing) of the true bread from heaven. Jesus identified himself as the bread of life (v. 35) and the living bread (v. 51). He has already reminded his listeners that the manna could not be the bread of life, because their ancestors, who ate it, died in the wilderness (v. 49), and he reiterates that thought again here. The death that the ancestors died was a physical death, but "there was a late Jewish tradition that the generation in the desert died spiritually as well and would have no place in the world to come" (Brown, 284).

Jesus is promising eternal life (v. 54) –– a quality of spiritual life that we can begin enjoying now rather than a continuation into infinity of physical life. In his High Priestly Prayer, Jesus will define eternal life in terms of the relationship of the believer to the Father and the Son: "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (17:3).

THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

God's help is nearer than the door.

William G. Benham

* * * * * * * * * *

It is impossible for that person to despair
who remembers that his helper is omnipotent.

Jeremy Taylor

* * * * * * * * * *

God is no distant deity but a constant reality,
a very present help whenever needs occur.
So? So live like it. And laugh like it!
(The apostle) Paul did.
While he lived, he drained very drop of joy
out of every day that passed.

Charles R. Swindoll

* * * * * * * * * *

O Lord, support us all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen
and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.

Then in Thy mercy grant us a safe lodging,
and a holy rest,
and peace at the last.

Book of Common Prayer

* * * * * * * * * *

God does not offer us a way out of testings of life.
He offers us a way through,
and that makes all the difference.

W. T. Purkiser

* * * * * * * * * *

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Barclay, William, The Daily Study Bible, "The Gospel of John," Vol. 1 (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1955)

Borchert, Gerald L., New American Commentary: John 1-11, Vol. 25A (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1996)

Brown, Raymond, The Anchor Bible: The Gospel According to John I-XII (Garden City: Doubleday, 1966)

Bruce, F. F., The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983).

Brueggemann, Walter; Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R. and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV––Year B (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1993)

Carson, D. A., The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1991).

Craddock, Fred R.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; and Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year B (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1993)

Gossip, Arthur John and Howard, Wilbert F., The Interpreter's Bible, Volume 8 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1952)

Guelich, Robert A., Word Biblical Commentary: Mark 1 - 8:26 (Dallas: Word Books, 1989)

Howard-Brook, Wes, Becoming the Children of God: John's Gospel and Radical Discipleship (New York: Maryknoll, 1994).

Lincoln, Andrew T., Black's New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to Saint John (London: Continuum, 2005)

Kostenberger, Andreas J., Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: John (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004)

Marcus, Joel, The Anchor Bible: Mark 1-8 (New York: Doubleday, 1999)

Morris, Leon, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995).

O'Day, Gail R., The New Interpreter's Bible, Volume IX (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995)

Ridderbos, Herman (translated by John Vriend), The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997)

Sloyan, Gerald, "John," Interpretation (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1988)

Smith, D. Moody, Jr., Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: John (Nashville: Abingdon, 1999)


THE OLD TESTAMENT

SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 9:1-6

Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her servant girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,
"You that are simple, turn in here!"
To those without sense she says,
"Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
and walk in the way of insight."

EXEGESIS:

THE CONTEXT

The book of Proverbs is generally considered to have eight sections, each introduced by a verse that usually gives the author of that particular collection. For instance, the first section begins with the words, "The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel" (1:1). The eight sections are as follows:

Chapters 1-9 (Solomon)
10:1 - 22:16 (Solomon)
22:17 - 24:22 (no attribution)
24:23-34 (sayings of the wise)
Chapters 25-29 (Solomon)
Chapter 30 (Agur son of Jakeh)
31:1-9 (King Lemuel)
31:10-31 (no attribution)

Proverbs 9, then, concludes the first section of the book, which contrasts wisdom and folly and the consequences that typically follow from each, as a way of preparing the reader for the wise sayings that follow, beginning in chapter 10.

Wisdom is personified as a woman here and elsewhere in Proverbs 1-9 (1:20-33; 3:13-20; 7:4; 8:1-36). It seems odd that, in a patriarchal society, scripture would present a woman as speaking and acting with Godly authority. However, "in languages that mark their nouns as masculine or feminine, that gender marking guided the poetic imagination in personifications" (Waltke, 83, citing Karl Brugman's findings).

Wisdom is the antithesis of the foolish "loose woman" or "adulteress" of 2:16-19; 5:3-14, 19, 20; 6:24-35; 7:1-27.

Lady Wisdom's words are reminiscent of the Deuteronomist and the prophets, but she speaks of wisdom versus foolishness instead of right living versus sinfulness. Wisdom, Deuteronomist, and prophets all spell out the consequences of right versus sinful living in the hope of persuading listeners to choose the right way instead of the sinful way.

In this chapter, Lady Wisdom (vv. 1-6) is contrasted with Foolish Woman (vv. 13-18). In the middle, (vv. 7-12) are a series of maxims that contrast the scoffer with the wise person –– encouraging the reader to choose wisdom. They repeat the signature verse of Proverbs, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (v. 10a; see also 1:7; 1:29; 2:5; 8:13; 10:27; 14:26; 15:16, 33; 16:6; 19:23; 23:17).


VERSES 1-3: WISDOM CALLS OUT FROM THE HIGHEST PLACES IN TOWN

1Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
3She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,


"Wisdom has built her house" (v. 1a). In most societies, and especially in patriarchal societies, the building of a house would be the work of a man rather than a woman. Here, though, Lady Wisdom builds her house. We are reminded of the ideal woman presented in chapter 31, who "considers a field and buys it" (31:16) –– and "girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong" (31:17) –– and "opens her mouth with wisdom" (31:26).

"she has hewn her seven pillars" (v. 1b). This contrasts with the Foolish Woman, who does not build her house but merely sits at its door (v. 14).

Scholars debate the meaning of these seven pillars. In the Bible, seven is an ideal number that symbolizes completeness or perfection. It was on the seventh day of creation that God rested, symbolizing the completion of the task (Genesis 2:2-3). Jewish law requires people to let the land to lie fallow every seven years (Leviticus 25:2-7). Solomon's temple had seven pillars (1 Kings 7:17).

The size of a house would dictate the number of pillars needed to support the roof. Waltke says that three would be typical (Waltke, 433), although some modest homes probably required none. A house so large as to require seven pillars would be a grand house indeed.

"She has slaughtered her animals; she has mixed her wine" (v. 2a). Like building a house, slaughtering animals would usually be a man's job, but Lady Wisdom isn't intimidated by difficult and messy work. Like the ideal woman of Proverbs 31, she is quite capable of doing what needs to be done.

Animals are good for more than meat. Some animals pull plows or provide milk or wool. Others provide eggs. In that culture, most people would count their livestock as a significant portion of their physical assets, so they would not casually slaughter an animal to eat. Lady Wisdom is providing abundant food for the banquet to which she intends to invite those in need of her instruction. This contrasts with the Foolish Woman, who provides only "stolen water" and "bread eaten in secret" (v. 17).

"she has also set her table" (v. 2b). Her table is set with words of wisdom from this book –– proverbs and maxims that enable growth and prolong life. If we have any doubt that wisdom can be life-enhancing, we need only look at the many people in our communities who live foolishly and pay a terrible price for their foolishness.

"She has sent out her servant-girls" (v. 3a). That Lady Wisdom has servant girls suggests the kind of prosperity that would naturally result from wise living. There is no mention of servant girls in the verses about the Foolish Woman (vv. 13-18).

"she calls from the highest places in the town" (v. 3b). The highest places in town would typically be used for temples or palaces. Shouts from high places carry further than calls from low places. While the Foolish Woman is loud (v. 13), she issues her invitations from the door of her house (v. 14) –– surely in the lowest part of town.


VERSES 4-6: LAY ASIDE IMMATURITY, AND LIVE

4"You that are simple (Hebrew: peti), turn in here!"
To those without sense she says,
5"Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6Lay aside immaturity (Hebrew: peta'•yim), and live,
and walk in the way of insight."


"You that are simple (peti), turn in here!" (v. 4a). The peti are the foolish –– the simpleminded –– the naive –– the inexperienced –– the young (Baker & Carpenter, 930). The purpose of this book is "to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young" (1:4). Those who are already wise can also listen and learn (1:5), but it is the young and foolish who most desperately need wisdom for living.

"To those without sense she says, 'Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed'" (v. 4b-5). Wisdom has set the table with the best of the best. She has shouted the invitation from the rooftops. She has sent servant-girls to call the simple to her banquet. Now it is up to those who have been called. Will they respond, or will they ignore the invitation? We can expect that some will ignore her, but others will respond.

Lady Wisdom's bread and wine contrast with the Foolish Woman's "stolen water" and "bread eaten in secret" (v. 17).

"Lay aside immaturity (peta'•yim), and live" (v. 6). Peta'•yim is related to peti in verse 4a. Verse 6, then, calls foolish, inexperienced young people to lay aside their foolishness and inexperience so that they might avoid the dangers that so often ensnare the young. The benefit of doing so is life. The way of life offered by Lady Wisdom contrasts with the way of death offered by the Foolish Woman, whose "guests are in the depths of Sheol" (v. 18).

"and walk in the way of insight" (v. 6b). When the peti –– those who are foolish, simpleminded, naive, and inexperienced –– accept Lady Wisdom's invitation, they will gain insight and cease to be foolish.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Baker, Warren and Carpenter, Eugene, The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003)

Deane, W.J., The Pulpit Commentary: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Vol. IX (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, no date)

Garrett , Duane A., New American Commentary: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Vol. 14 (Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993)

Horne, Milton P., Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary: Proverbs-Ecclesiastes (Macon, Georgia: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc., 2003)

Hubbard, David A., The Preacher's Commentary: Proverbs (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989)

Kidner, Derek, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Proverbs, Vol. 15 (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1964)

Murphy, R., and Huwiler, E., New International Biblical Commentary: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1999)

Murphy, Roland E., Word Biblical Commentary: Proverbs, Vol. 22 (Dallas: Word Publishing, Inc., 1998)

Perdue, Leo G., The Old Testament Library: Proverbs, (Louisville: John Knox Press, 2000)

Tucker, Gene M. in Craddock, Fred B.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year, B (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1993)

Van Leeuwen, Raymond C., The New Interpreter's Bible: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, the book of Wisdom, and Sirach, Vol. 5 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1997)

Waltke, Bruce K., The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1-15 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004)

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