Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs
These books of the Bible, despite their differences, all treat the phenomenon of what it means to live wisely before God. In this readable commentary, Ellen Davis points out that the writers of these books considered wisdom--and the fruits of wisdom, a well-ordered life and a peaceful mind--to be within the grasp of anyone wholeheartedly desiring it.\ Books in the Westminster Bible Companion series assist laity in their study of the Bible as a guide to Christian faith and practice. Each...
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Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, though entirely different books, are similar in that they provide spiritual guidance about what it means to live wisely before God. In this thorough and readable commentary, Ellen Davis points out that the writers of these books considered wisdom and the fruits of wisdom - a well-ordered life and a peaceful mind - to be within the grasp of all those wholeheartedly desiring it.
Series ForewordAcknowledgmentsGeneral Introduction: These Three Books1Proverbs91Poetic PrefaceThe Goal of Learning (1:1-6)25The Fear of the Lord (1:7)28Bad Company (1:8-19)29Wisdom's Challenge (1:20-33)31The Choice between Two Paths (2:1-22)34Beyond the Limits of Human Understanding (3:1-12)39Laying Hold of Happiness (3:13-26)42The Scorners (3:27-35)46Loving Wisdom (4:1-9)47The Anatomy of Wisdom (4:20-27)48Frank Talk about Sex (5:1-23)50Standing Surety (6:1-5)54Parable of the Ant (6:6-11)55Adorned with the Commandments (6:20-24)57Femme Fatale (7:1-27)58Wisdom's Speech from the Heights (8:1-36)62Two Invitations (9:1-18)702Proverbs ProperConstructive and Destructive Criticism (10:10)75Joy in Hope (10:28)77Gossip (11:11-13)78Women's Beauty, Women's Power (11:22)80The Root of the Righteous (12:3 and 12:12)82Working for Ourselves (12:9)84Choosing Companions (13:20)86Disciplining Children (13:24)87Honoring Solitude (14:10)90Joy and Sorrow (14:12-13)91Children's Inheritance (14:18,26)92The Religious Significance of the Poor (14:20-21)93Healing Speech (15:4)96Gaining a Heart (15:30-33)98Autonomy and Obedience (16:1-9)100The Power and the Justice of Kings (16:10-16)103Trusting God (16:20)106Temperance (16:32 and 25:28)107Choosing the Good (17:1)108The Danger of Isolation (18:1-2)109Deadly and Life-giving Speech (18:20-21)112Good Companions (18:22-24)113Contentiousness (19:13)115Fast Money (20:20-21)116Radical Pedagogy (22:6)119Thirty Savings (22:17-24:22)120The Cost of Laziness (24:30-34)129Delivering the Message (25:11-13)131Defeating Evil (25:21-22)133A Fool's Anger (27:3)134Envy (27:4)134Choosing Silence (27:14)1363Closing FramesThe Words of Agur (30:1-33)138The Wisdom of Women (31:1-31)148EcclesiastesIntroducing Koheleth (1:1)169The Great Question (1:2-3)170Instability and Amnesia (1:4-11)171Koheleth's Memoir (1:12-2:26)173The Pattern Woven in Time (3:1-15)182Injustice: Forsaking Our Creaturehood (3:16-22)186Perversions of Good Work (4:1-8)189The Wisdom of Reticence (5:1-7)191Economies of Grief and Joy (5:8-20)193Human Limitations (6:10-12)196Finding the Balance That Is Wisdom (7:1-22)198A Personal Note: Koheleth's Loneliness (7:23-29)204Against Presumption (8:1-9)206Is There Any Justice? (8:10-17)208To Life! (9:1-12)211Reckoning with Privilege (10:16-20)215The Grace of Not Knowing (11:1-6)218Youth and Age (11:7-12:8)220The Epilogue (12:9-14)225The Song of SongsSolomon's Best (1:1)238Desire and Imagination (1:2-2:7)241Seeking, Finding (3:1-5)254Up from the Wilderness (3:6)260Desire Satisfied (4:1-5:1)262Testimony of the Women of Jerusalem (5:2-6:3)275Formidable Beauty (6:4-10)284The Dancing Shulammite (6:13-7:13)287The Strength of Love (8:6-14)295Works Cited303For Further Reading306Abbreviations306
