VIRTUOUS LIVING - Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

My son, fear the Lord and the kingand do not be disobedient to either of them;for disaster from them will spring up suddenly,and who knows when their lives will be cut off? (Prov. 24:21-22).The perception here is that God and the king were in the same category. To bedisobedient to the king was tantamount to disobedience to God (cf Clements1992:99).Proverbs formed the main component of the texts regarded as Wisdom literature inthe Jewish tradition. The text in 1 Kings 3 and 4 serves to situate the later Jewishclaim of originality and superiority of Israel’s wisdom above the wisdom of othernations 96 . However, evidence of wise people and Wisdom literature indicate sourceswhich date even earlier than the Hebrew text. Noting that proverbs, as a form ofwisdom, were transmitted orally, most scholars argue that they (proverbs) date earlierthan the invention of writing in the fourth millennium BC as evidence of their oralgenre (cf Thompson 1974:36).Clements identifies three stages in the development of the Jewish wisdom tradition.The first stage was that of “the earliest traditions of folk wisdom” (Clements1992:23). It emerged from small communities and clans as indicated in itscharacteristics:It incorporated several aspects of family life, being pragmatic and stronglyrespectful of the authority of the family headed by the father. It alsoencouraged artistic elaboration in the form of riddles, allegories, fables andother forms of poetic speech. The fact that the proverb (Heb. Mashal -‘likeness’) remained one of the most popular and basic of all forms ofwisdom utterance suggests that skilful use of metaphors and simile werefavoured features of wisdom teaching (Clements 1992:23).The second stage was that of the development of wisdom in the royal courts. As notedearlier, this phase was fundamental as it provided a nurturing environment to wisdom.Wisdom did not necessarily become a prerogative of the courtiers alone. Rather96 Solomon prayed for wisdom from God. And it is affirmed in 1 Kings 4:30-31 “Solomon’s wisdomsurpassed all the wisdom of the people of the East, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiserthan all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darba, the sons ofMahol” (Thompson1974:35).233