In | The Two Ways, Part 3

Proverbs represents life’s dilemmas through the lens of the Wisdom Tradition. The ancient dilemmas of obedience and disobedience, of life and death, are cast in the context of a fundamental distinction: wisdom and foolishness. This moves from a moral frame of reference to an honor/shame one.

Proverbs reminds us that disobedience isn’t only deadly, but profoundly foolish. Only a fool chooses the way of death when the way of life is laid out before him. Terms like “instruction” and “wisdom” typify the way of life in Proverbs, while the way of death is for those foolish (or shameful) enough to step willingly into its “snares” (13:14) or deliberately “injure themselves” (8:36).