Proverbs 31:10–31: An antithesis of pre-exilic Hebrew womanhood?

Abstract

The priests and scribes were familiar with the process of applying a manuscript or prophecy to a current context to produce relevant material for the era. It is most probable that the scribes and/or priests during the post-exilic Persian period reinterpreted the prophecies of Isaiah and Amos against the moral and social decay of the women of the Hebrew nation during the 8th century BCE to create an antithesis of that situation in the form of the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31:10–31. The similarity of words in the poem and the writings of Ezra could suggest that Ezra might have had a hand in the writing or editing of the poem in Proverbs 31:10–31. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The study brings Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern studies together, with both elucidating each other.

Keywords

• virtuous woman
• pre-exilic
• post-exilic
• didactic
• hebrew
• poem
• ezra
• antithesis