“These, too, are for the Wise!”: Proverbs 24:23 and the Structure of the Book of Proverbs

Whereas modern Bible translations and recent Proverbs commentaries translate the Hebrew superscription in Proverbs 24:23 (גַּם־אֵלֶּה לַחֲכָמִים) as “These, too, are (sayings) of the wise”, the present article argues that the Hebrew wording should be understood differently. Proverbs 24:23 is one of the seven superscriptions of the book of Proverbs which give the book its structure by referring to the prologue of the book in Proverbs 1:1-7. The prologue presents the book of Proverbs as wisdom for the beginner and for the advanced student who wants to become a wise person. While the beginner should learn the main principles of wisdom, the advanced wisdom student should aim at becoming a wise scribe, and contribute to the tradition of scribal wisdom.<br/> When asking how such a skill can be achieved, the seven superscriptions provide the answer. They connect the different parts of the book with the idea of a two-tiered pedagogy. Within the overarching structure Proverbs 24:23 marks the middle with three superscriptions preceding it and three following it. The first three superscriptions (1:1; 10:1; 22:17) introduce the notion of wisdom by invoking two different authorities: the “proverbs of Solomon” (מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה) and the “words of the wise” (דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים). The second set of three superscriptions that follow Proverbs 24:23 also refers to the proverbs of Solomon (25:1) and the words of wise men (30:1 and 31:1), but with an important modification. The proverbs of Solomon are not presented directly but with reference to the “men of Hezekiah” who collated them. Moreover, the “words” are not introduced as words of “wise men” but as the words of foreign authorities such as Agur and the mother of King Lemuel. In short, the superscription in Proverbs 24:23 can be seen as the turning point within the system of the seven superscriptions, introducing a second educational stage within the overall composition of the book. It encourages the study of wisdom, as becomes clear when looking at the grammatical structure (גַּם־אֵלֶּה לַחֲכָמִים). The lamed in לַחֲכָמִים should not be taken as lamed auctoris as some scholars argue (“from the wise”); the phrase should rather be translated as “for the wise”. Such a reading is supported by the ancient biblical translations such as the Septuagint, the Syriac, the Vulgate as well as by the medieval commentators: The “wise” are not the authors but the addressees; they should learn wisdom.<br/> In sum, the brief wording in Proverbs 24:23 receives its deeper sense by the general structure of the book of Proverbs and can, therefore be translated, as: “These, too, are for the wise”.