So I got this sweet commentary.... it's giving me the low down on what's going on in this ole' book of proverbs.
First of all, you all need to imagine yourselves as young jewish boys.... But before you break out the yarmulkes and get all gender confused on me, hear me out:
Chapters 1-9 was written from the perspectives of parents (so we can read it out-loud with Jewish MUDER (mother) Brooklyn accents!) to a Jewish boy, well teenager to be exact, on the cusp of adulthood. He's about to embark out into the world, and old ma and pa are giving him some advice. This is his education on how to relate to his family, greater community, neighbours, work, nice people, naughty people, and above all Wisdom (WISDOM = an attribute of GOD, always given by GOD, is perfectly personified by GOD, and is GOD (just as GOD= LOVE) by the way). This nice young man's parents want him to be a man of character, virtue, and integrity. Sadly, girls weren't really given this education or advice - at least not formally.
With this in mind: foolish does not mean 'non-christian, non-jew'. This book is only written to Isreal, no one else. Everyone outside of Israel was dead set on evil. They Bad. Exceptions were made, but not often. This club is exclusive... for now.
The rhetoric used in Proverbs is intended to win us (the Jewish BoyTeens) onto the side of wisdom and away from foolishness and bad living. This is why a lot of the proverbs are repeated a second time in a way reinforces and mirrors the first statement. It's kinda like your Jewish Bubba telling you over and over again to "CLEAN YO ROOM". "HOW WILL YOU EVER GET A MAN WITH A ROOM LIKE THAT?" The rhetoric is over-embellished with grandiose promises of blessing, good fortune, and land if the young man chooses wisdom over foolishness. We should leave each chapter proclaiming "YES! Wisdom is the right path! There is no doubt in my mind! How could I go any other way!? If I don't clean my room, I'll never land a man!"
That being said... just because the young boy chooses wisdom, does NOT mean that all his wishes will come true (or that if you clean your room, you'll find a nice boy to settle down with). Proverbs shows us how things usually go in life - BUT is not giving the hard and fast rules of how life goes. These proverbs are NOT promises from God.
Now back to the education of a stringy, pimple ridden, voice cracking, Jewish man-boy. How are we to identify with proverbs as young beauteous women? ESPECIALLY the part about miss Seduction herself? One wise women translated Proverbs 7 (or substitute this for any time they are talking about the seductress) for young women :
"Do not be misled by handsome faces, by beautiful bodies, by the right clothes or the correct manners. Especially do not be deluded by flatterers who tell you that you are beautiful (of course you are!) and then ask you to give them your body or your soul... Rather spend your time with men of substance and worth. A good man is hard to find, but he is more precious than jewels"
From this point on we will refer to the Seductress as "Jiggilow (sp?) Jack"
We do have a righteous queen to model our character after in Lady Wisdom - so we shall embrace her as our own.
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