Proverbs [Hardcover]

This reviewer is no expert; neither is he knowledgeable in ancient Hebrew. So this make his review more suited for the layperson instead of the pastor. He has, nonetheless, decided to write a review because he likes this commentary.

The author, Roland Murphy, is a scholar in his own right and is well known, having published a commentary on Ecclesiastes.

This commentary provides its own translation, which makes comparing the text to known Bible versions interesting and helpful. Murphy's translation is at times wooden: Murphy tried to follow the form of the text more than other translations. Thus, his translation does add value and makes reading the text strikingly new. Not only is the feel closer to the original tongue (from what I can gather) but it also has more assonance and alliteration of the ancient Hebrew.

Concerning his commentary, Murphy's detailed discussions are remarkable and his comments are most helpful and filled with insight.

To give you a taste of his translation style, below are two well-known Proverbs in the traditional text followed by Murphy's translation. For Proverbs 16:18, Murphy's beliefs on translation come through are quite clearly.

Proverbs 15:1

Traditional: A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Murphy: A soft answer turns back wrath, but a sharp tongue stirs up anger.

Proverbs 16:18

Traditional: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Murphy: Before a collapse, pride, and before stumbling, haughtiness of spirit.

Of all the books of the Bible, Proverbs is probably the one book I turn to most frequently (there are 31 chapters in Proverbs, no more than 31 days in a month--perfect devotional reading). However, while I read Proverbs with frequency, this is my first commentary on the book, and I must express my disappointment in Murphy's treatment of it.

To be sure, Roland Murphy, a professor of Biblical Studies at Duke University, had a tremendously difficult task in preparing a commentary on such a Biblical book: not only are most of the chapters disjoined and unconnected, but many of the verses seem unrelated to the surrounding verses; context is nearly impossible to ascertain, etc. Murphy is to be commended for researching and presenting the connections and threads which are woven throughout the Biblical book, frequently having to reach both forward and backward to make connections. He effectively argues that the person who put the final form of Proverbs together didn't do it as haphazzardly as modern man often thinks. Furthermore, Murphy's translation and explanation of the individual proverbs were found beneficial for this reader. The final 50 pages of excursuses also provided a helpful, holistic treatment of various topics.

However, I tend to disagree with many of the theological assumptions that Murphy brings to Proverbs and as a result, have found much in the commentary that I disagree with. (1) On pages 276-277, Murphy argues for religious pluralism in the book of Proverbs; (2) throughout the book, he argues that Israelite wisdom is dependant upon Egyptian wisdom (as opposed to a high view of Scripture which does not deny the connection but at the same time tends not to elevate the Egyptian worldview); (3)Murphy holds on to the belief that Ancient Israelites did not believe in an afterlife(making the theology of many proverbs suspect); (4)and Jesus Christ is kept to a minimum in this commentary (mentioned only three times in passing to dismiss the idea that "Woman Wisdom" in Proverbs 8 and the "Son of God" in Proverbs 30 referrs to Christ). While Murphy is definately not a theological liberal (he argues against some liberal arguments), his moderate attitude does tend to lead to many doubtful conclusions.

While there is much to commend in Murphy's well-researched, scholarly, thorough commentary. Furthermore, he is to be doubly commended because of the difficult nature of the book of Proverbs. However, I cannot recommend this book because Murphy approaches the text with a lower view of Scripture than is helpful, and holds on to too many ideas which run counter to Orthodox Christianity.

The major part of Proverbs consists of (quite) independent maxims, many covering only one verse. The only way to comment them is to expound the full mening of each one of them, or at least write longer treatments on all of the themes. The reader wants to know fully that the single proverb implies. Any commentary achieving less that this can hardly be called good. Most commentaries do fail in this way (often due to the series' format), and are thus deficient. This goes for Murphy's commentary too. Commenting Proverbs in this way would demand many pages, but the book is 31 chapters long, you know.