OT Library Commentary: Proverbs (Richard J. Clifford)

Requires Accordance 10.4 or above.

For even more information, see this article.

Two sentences from the great eighteenth-century English aphorist Samuel Johnson can serve as a motto to Proverbs and to this commentary. “Men more frequently require to be reminded than informed.” The book of Proverbs does not primarily provide information; its instructions are remarkably empty of “content” and its maxims, when rephrased, are often trite. Rather, it informs by giving its readers a perspective. To quote Johnson on the achievement of Alexander Pope: “New things are made familiar, and familiar things are made new.” Proverbs is about vision and action.

About the Old Testament Library Series:
The Old Testament Library is one of the most respected commentary series produced in the last 50 years. As with any series that reaches this level of respectability, it is comprehensive in scope while acknowledging that it is not exhaustive. Introductory matters cover historical concerns, cultural issues, the reception of the text, the integrity of the text, and other interpretive issues.

Each commentary provides a verse-by-verse analysis of critical exegetical matters that are then synthesized into a progressively building understanding of the text and interpretation. This includes analysis of problems in history, word meaning, syntactical and grammatical issues, text history, and many other exegetically relevant issues. Nevertheless, despite the breadth of their scope, volumes in the series remain relatively compact in comparison to series who share its aims and scope.

Key Elements

• Audience: Students, Pastors, and Scholars
• Perspective: Moderate/Liberal (See Author)
• Scripture: Inspired
• General Acceptance of Higher Critical authorship theories, and the reader should be familiar with these type of textual criticism
• Knowledge of Hebrew is not necessary, but a willingness to engage concepts from it will be necessary.

You may be interested in these other OTL/NTL products:

• 68-volume WJK OT/NT Commentary / Companion Bundle
• 46-volume OT/NT Commentary Bundle
• OT Library Commentary Set (31 volumes)
• NT Library Commentary Set (15 volumes)
• Classic OT Library Commentary Set (9 volumes)
• OT Companion Bundle (9 volumes)
• NT Companion Bundle (4 volumes)
• Individual OTL volumes
• Individual NTL volumes

Proverbs: A Commentary
• Series: Old Testament Library Commentary
• Author: Richard J. Clifford
• Editors: James L. Mays, Carol A. Newsom, David L. Petersen
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (1999)