I am currently in the middle of preparing for a study of Proverbs 1-9 with some folks from my church. I use such studies as an excuse to further my own knowledge of a particular topic. As I was working on Proverbs 1.1-7, which we’ll cover in the first week, I ran across verse six:
להבין משל ומליצה דברי הכמים וחידתם
The final word presents its own interesting issues in the present context, but they are–perhaps–more easily dealt with than those associated with מליצה. The issue with מליצה is that it is only used twice in Biblical Hebrew (three times if one includes its occurrence in Ben Sira), and therefore pinning down an exact meaning is difficult. BDB glosses the word as “satire, mocking poem” which works fine in Habakkuk 2.6, but doesn’t exactly fit the context in the present passage; at least, that tends to be the argument that scholars make. Michael Fox lists six possible options for the word’s meaning in his commentary on Proverbs 1-9:
1. An easily understood saying
2. A dark saying (based on LXX)
3. A satirical statement
4. An allusion
5. A smooth saying
6. Parable, possibly “trope”
Of these, it seems that #1 may be dismissed as an over simplification. Fox dismisses #2 by saying that the reading of LXX is a “surmise based on the collocation with [חידה].” It would appear that #4 and #5 are based primarily on seeing the word as derived from מלץ rather than ליץ. This meaning does not, however, work out quite as well as some others in the Habakkuk passage. In addition, it seems to me that attempting to derive the word from מלץ is a little bit of a reach. Specifically, it allows a scholar to make sense of this word in Proverbs, but in such a way that may be just a little too perfect.
That leaves #3 and #6 as realistic options in my mind. Fox favors #6, writing “judging from its few occurrences, however, [מליצה] refers to artistic epigrams, never folk sayings, whereas [משל] is both.” To be completely honest, I think that Fox rests his conclusions on tenuous evidence. Three occurrences is slim evidence to begin using words such as “never” without heavy qualifications. The occurrence in Ben Sira is further complicated by its apparent reliance on Proverbs 1.6. I’m not prepared to say that he is incorrect. Rather, I’m nervous because he seems to be saying a great deal based on comparatively little evidence. Let me be clear, I don’t have a problem saying that a מליצה is somehow related to a משל or even that it is a type thereof. My problem is in saying that it “refers to artistic epigrams, never folk sayings.” I simply don’t believe there is enough evidence to make such a distinction.
Bruce Waltke, in a disappointing turn, simply cites Torczyner and says that מליצה is synonymous with משל. He is able to do this, partly, because he takes the vav which connects the two words as the vav explicativum. Fox, on the other hand sees מליצה not as an explanation of משל but as a specific type thereof. Other scholars fall into either these two camps, or one of the others mentioned above.
My question is, what is a מליצה? Personally, I’m leaning towards option #3 above, that מליצה refers to some kind of satirical statement or saying. This much seems clear if the word is derived from ליץ. I would even be willing to say that it is, perhaps, a type of משל, because of its occurrence in parallel to that word in any extant text. However, I am not entirely convinced by this, and Fox’s view has certain merits.
So, I’d like to open this up for some discussion. I know that several of you who frequent this blog share my interest in the Wisdom Literature; perhaps you have something to offer?
There’s also the occurrence in 1QpHab 8:6 of מליצי which might be applicable.
HALOT defines מליצה as “allusive expression; proverb” and cites Richardson VT 5:178.
Jim, thanks for the tip. I’ve checked out the Richardson article, and I find his reasoning unconvincing regarding מליצה. He wants to derive it from מלץ, as I mentioned above. His idea is based on מלץ having the root meaning “to slip,” but as far as I can tell, it’s a stative meaning “be smooth,” though an Arabic cognate does mean “slip.” I could be missing something that makes deriving מליצה from מלץ obvious, I suppose.
On the other hand, Richardson does make a convincing argument that ליץ doesn’t mean “scorn” at all, but rather “to talk freely.” As a result he argues that לַץ means “babbler” rather than “scorner.” Thinking out loud, I wonder if מליצה might mean something like “a repeated saying.”
I’m going to attempt to look up the 1QpHab reference the next time I’m in the library. Thanks again.
For once Calvin’s blog post didn’t go entirely over my head! In fact, I could even semi-pronounce most of the Hebrew and I know what a vav is
And Calvin, I may need to give up the Zumi’s Sunday School session to attend your class!
You forgot to mention Genesis 42.23 where
מליץ
means “translator”, “interpreter”.
Therefore
מליצה
may mean “translation”, “interpretation”.
So:
משל
is a metaphoric proverb, and
מליצה
is it’s translation, the thing that the metapor relates to.
Proverbs 1.6 states that the reader of the book should understand both the metaphors and their translations.
Habakkuk 2.6 also describes a metaphor and a translation: the metaphor is verses 6-7 (a heavy loan-taker, that seems to have a lot of money but actually owes a lot of money with a high interest rate) and the translation is verse 8 (Babylon took a lot of loot from occupied people, but it’s actually a loan that they will have to pay back with high interest).
Erel,
It’s not so much that I forgot the Genesis 42.23 occurrence, as much as I simply didn’t mention it. Understanding מליצה as an “explanation” (which I think is what you’re getting at), may have potential. Especially if we agree with Richardson, which I am inclined to do, and say that ליץ doesn’t mean “scorn” but “talk freely.” In that case the Hifil participle (like the occurrence in Gen. 42.23) begin to make more sense.
Overall I think its a difficult word to pin down, exactly. Especially since it appears to be negative in most instances, but neutral in others (Gen. 42.23, 2 Chron. 32.31, Job 33.23, etc).