The Proverbs in the Bible and Ancient Near-Eastern Wisdom

My Bible reading program had me read through Proverbs in January this year. One fascinating aspect of this book is the fact that it's a widespread genre in the Ancient Near East. For example, there is the Instruction of Amenemope, the work of an Egyptian scribe, where we find particularly striking parallels with the book of Proverbs in the Bible:

Am. ch 1 - Give thine ear, and hear what I say, And apply thine heart to apprehend; It is good for thee to place them in thine heart, let them rest in the casket of thy belly; That they may act as a peg upon thy tongue.

Pr. 22:17-18 - Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

Am. Ch. 6 - Remove not the landmark from the bounds of the field ... and violate not the widows boundary.

Pr. 23.10:11 - Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you.

Am. Ch. 7 - Toil not after riches; If stolen goods are brought to thee, they remain not over night with thee. They have made themselves wings like geese. And have flown into the heavens.

Pr. 23:4-5 - Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.

Am. Ch. 23 - Eat not bread in the presence of a ruler, And lunge not forward(?) with thy mouth before a governor(?). When thou art replenished with that to which thou has no right, It is only a delight to thy spittle. Look upon the dish that is before thee, And let that (alone) supply thy need.

Pr. 23:1-3 - When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.

There are others, but this is a sample of the more interesting ones. These parallels suggest that one of the two sages was inspired by the work of the other. Not all scholars agree whether it's Amenemope borrowing Hebrew proverbs or whether it goes in the other direction,¹ but the majority opt for the latter.

Would it a problem for our understanding of the Bible as the Word of God if, indeed, some biblical proverbs had their origin in Egyptian wisdom? My answer is no, this possibility fits perfectly with the theology of the Bible.

According to the Bible, all human beings are created in the image of God, and all humans have a certain measure of wisdom and discernment to understand the world around them. We all have a certain awareness of God (Rom 1.19), of his moral requirements (Rom 2.14), and a wisdom for living in this world, wisdom that ultimately comes from God (Isa 28.23-29). It's not surprising, then, if Egyptians have insights that God's people can benefit from; it would actually be surprising if they didn't.

Of course, the wisdom of Amenemope is shot through with paganism. Without God, the best of human wisdom always turns to folly (1 Cor 1.20), but since the whole creation is destined to be redeemed (Rom 8.21), and since the treasures of all peoples will have their place in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21.24), the jewels of Egyptian wisdom, washed and purified by the Spirit, can find their place in the biblical revelation.

1. All these parallels are found not in the proverbs attributed to Solomon, but in a section of the book called Words of the Wise, Prv. 22.17f.