Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Biblical Eloquence in Proverbs 10:27-32

The Psalms and the Proverbs have always been some of my favorite passages of scripture to read because they are full of great sayings and wisdom, and they also have great rhetorical value. The following verses are often quoted, mainly because the language is so powerful.

Proverbs 10:27-32

 27 The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
 28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
 29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
 30 The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
 31 The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.
 32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

Image result for proverbs 10 28When first reading this passage, one would notice that there is a lot of repetition used. The succession of the word and at the beginning of each verse—a anaphora—creates this precedence for each word that will come after it. Notice that in each first, after the word the, a noun follows, adding further importance to that noun or idea. The word the also tells the reader that something new will be discussed right after, or later in the clause. The word but is also repeated in each verse—also an anaphora. But proceeds the positive clause in each verse, hinting that a contrast to the previous thought will occur, and then goes on to repeat the word the again, presenting a new idea that contrasts with the previous clause. The repetition of the word of is also used: "The fear of the Lord," "The hope of the righteous," etc. This pattern, "The ... of ... but ... the... of" continues in each verse of the passage, giving positives and negatives, and also creating a rhythm that makes the verses easier to read and memorize. 

Most of the time, there is repetition in the verses, creating those positives and negatives. This is something that I have seen in many of the Proverbs and Psalms, and that is one of the main reasons why I enjoy reading these verses. I can see the consequences of righteous and wicked behavior. The author of the Proverbs in particular did a great job in creating these contrasts that helps the reader see the positive of, for example, having Godly fear prolonging days, verses being wicked, and having your days shortened. This also creates a scare factor because the author presents a positive consequence to a certain action, and then presents the consequence of not doing that action. For example, in verse 28, it tells us that the happiness is hope of, and the outcome, of being righteous, while the wicked will have no hope, but an expectation to parish. This is powerful language, and causes the reader to remember it.

2 comments:

  1. You bring up a great point about verses in Proverbs and Psalms showing the positive and the negative, almost like a cause and effect. I noted the same thing in the verses I selected in Psalms. I think this is done because it is logical and satisfying in a way to see a natural process of events and actions - If I do A, B will happen/not happen.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The pattern that you found is so pervasive in Proverbs that it makes me wonder how the rhetorical effect of lacing the whole book with the same technique would compare to using many different techniques throughout. It might give the book a sense of unity, but it can also come off as a little repetitive.

    ReplyDelete