Proverbs

Clifford’s OTL commentary is a concise but unusually insightful treatment of Proverbs that combines strong philology, ancient Near Eastern background, literary interpretation, and theological reflection. One of its most fruitful contributions is Clifford’s understanding of Proverbs as an act of creative anthologizing: inherited sayings and instructions are not merely collected but acquire new meaning through their placement within a larger literary work. He is especially strong on Proverbs 1–9, where the competing figures of Woman Wisdom, deceptive men, and the strange woman create a metaphorical choice of life-companion and household; this reaches an impressive culmination in his reading of the capable woman of Proverbs 31 as both an exemplary wife and, at the level of the whole book, a concrete embodiment of what Woman Wisdom accomplishes for her disciples. Clifford also offers many excellent judgments on individual sayings and helpfully describes wisdom as simultaneously a way of knowing, acting, and relating to God. Some redaction-critical reconstructions are more speculative than the exegesis requires, but they do not dominate the commentary. An original, compact, and consistently rewarding companion to Fox, Waltke, or Ansberry.

Concise, original discussion of the meanings of each of the proverbs and their place in their original context, as well as attention to the overall structure of the book. [Full Review]

Clifford is excellent at bringing out the pithiness of individual proverbs and seeing their significance and application. He includes just the right amount of background and technical discussion while focusing on meaning. Also includes good background material and connections to other ANE wisdom literature.