The “Thirty sayings” of Proverbs 22:17 – 24:22 and the “Instruction of Amenemope” and other Egyptian influences on Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
They writings of King Solomon show significant foreign influence, in particular the Egyptian influence is the strongest. This is consistent with his extensive network of international treaties and trade alliances. These alliances were commonly sealed by marriage of a king’s daughter to the allied king with the presumption that the new family relationship would preclude hostilities. Egypt was the neighboring “superpower” of the day, and Solomon seems to have married Pharaoh’s daughter first and given her special treatment: He built a palace for her next to his own and she is mentioned four times in the historical account of Solomon’s life in I Kings. None of the other princesses that he married are mentioned as having there own palace, and in fact they are only mentioned at one point (chapter 11) of I Kings (where the daughter of Pharaoh is mentioned first, presumably indicating her prominence). She would likely have filled her palace with Egyptian cultural influences to remind her of home and it would be no surprise if that included numerous papyri and scribes/priests to read them to her (hieroglyphics were literally “sacred writings” and thus the domain of the priestly class). It seems that Jerusalem was probably a very cosmopolitan city under Solomon’s reign (note Solomon’s interest and awareness of the importance of foreigner’s spiritual growth through exposure to Israel’s presence, particularly the worship at the temple in Jerusalem, as recorded in I Kings 8:41 – 43). As will be seen below, a particular section of Solomon’s Proverbs (chapter 22:17 through chapter 24:22) shows very strong correlation with the Instruction of Amenemope, an Egyptian collection of proverbs believed to have originated around 1400 BC and which had apparently become so popular in Egypt by 1000 BC that it was used as a standard text for apprentice scribes to practice writing hieroglyphics. The Instruction of Amenemope is divided into thirty chapters and Proverbs 22:20 appears to mirror that structure with the statement “have I not written thirty sayings for you . . .”. It is possible that, since the stated purpose of the book of Proverbs was to provide an education for Solomon’s sons, the inclusion of proverbs from Amenemope was his wife’s contribution to the effort. Other sections of Solomon’s Proverbs and his other two books, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon show similar influence from foreign sources and it appears that the “Aramaic Proverbs of Ahiqar” may show the opposite trend: It may have been influenced by Solomon’s Proverbs.
Cognate passages are shown below. Translations for the Instruction of Amenemope are taken from http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amen_em_apt.htm. (Commentary on the translation is my own). Hieroglyphics from PDF file at: http://webperso.iut.univ-paris8.fr/~rosmord/hieroglyphes/amenemop.pdf.
Prov. 22:17 – 18: Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;
Apply your heart to what I teach,
For it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart . . .
Amen. 1.1 – 3 Give your ears, hear the sayings,
Give your heart to understand them.
It is good to put them in your heart . . .
Line 1:
The quill/owl mean ‘let’ or ‘allow’.
The owl/arm means ‘give’ (a hand extended to give something).
The next seven symbols spell out ‘ears’ (5th and 6th are the “determinative” or category indicator for ears. The determinative is essentially an aid to the reader to help determine what kind of word the previous letters were intended to spell since some symbols can represent more than one sound and some sounds can be represented by more than one symbol (even professional Egyptian scribes needed help understanding hieroglyphics, so don’t feel bad if you get confused). Determinatives normally placed at the end of a word. The tear drop (7th symbol) is also a determinative and means that the previous word refers to a part of the human body. The pair of backslashes before the ears is used to indicate “duality”, i.e. things that come in pairs (eyes, ears, hands, feet, etc.).
The saucer with handle means ‘you’ or ‘your’.
The ear/owl means ‘to hear’. The next symbol is a vertical papyrus roll which has a string tied around it (to keep it rolled up). It means that the previous word represents an abstract concept (i.e. the ear does not represent the physical object, but rather the intended function of that object).
The next seven symbols spell out ‘sayings’. The seated man with his hand to his mouth is used to indicate any thing associated with the mouth (speech, eating, drinking, etc.). After him the snake over the hand means ‘to speak’. The last symbol, three vertical bars, is used to indicate that the previous word is plural. A single bar would mean singular, two bars (or backslashes as seen in the word for ‘ears’) means two of something and three bars means three or more. Numerical determinatives of this sort are usually placed after the letters.
Line 2:
The first four symbols are the same as in line one.
The next three symbols are the letters for the word heart and the following two (heart above a vertical bar) are the determinative for heart. In this case the single vertical line means that the symbol next to it is to be interpreted as a determinative, not another letter.
The saucer with handle means ‘you’ as in line one.
The symbol below the saucer is a mouth and often means ‘mouth’or ‘speech’. However it is even more often used to mean the conjunction ‘to’ and that is the case here.
The next three symbols can mean a riddle or parable. Note the vertical scroll at the end to indicate an abstract concept. The overall meaning is probably similar to the English expression ‘food for thought’, i.e. something to ponder.
The last three symbols indicate words: the seated man with hand to mouth for speech and the three vertical bars makes it plural. The curl represents the letter ‘u’ and is often added to the end of words to make them plural (apparently redundant here).
Line 3:
The first three symbols literally mean ‘bright’ or ‘splendid’ (particularly the bird with the long beak), but here mean more generally ‘good’, ‘happy’, etc. Note the horizontal papyrus roll. It indicates an abstract concept just as the vertical papyrus roll. Symbols are often rearranged or re-oriented to fit in the space available or to produce a more pleasing visual appearance. Hieroglyphics were as much art as writing – they were often written on tombs and monuments to ancestors as a form of decoration. Also, they had to fit on the amount of stone or wood that the tomb or casket was made of, so some letters might have to be left out to make the sentence fit.
The flying bird and standing eagle mean ‘the’ or ‘this’.
The extended arm holding a gift (the triangle at the left side) means ‘to give’ or perhaps ‘to put’ in this context. The semicircular symbol below it can represent the letter ‘t’ or it can be a loaf of bread. The letter ‘t’ is often used as the feminine ending for words. I am not sure which function it has here.
The next three symbols form the word ‘they’ or ‘them’. The shepard’s crook can mean ‘he’ but when followed by the ‘t’ (loaf) it means ‘she’ and the determinative for plurality (three bars) turns it into ‘they’ or ‘them’.
The owl by itself is a preposition, normally ‘of’ but probably ‘in’ in this case. Hieroglyphic prepositions and conjunctions can take on meanings that correspond to a variety of English prepositions and conjunctions.
The heart followed by a single stroke means that the symbol is to be interpreted as ‘heart’ and not a letter of the next word.
The saucer with handle means ‘your’.
Prov. 22:20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
Sayings of counsel and knowledge,
Amen. 30.1 – 2 Chapter 30 of the scroll of words.
Look to these thirty chapters:
They inform, they educate . . .
Line 1:
The first symbol is often used in words representing buildings, palaces, etc. It seems that the author may be presenting the entire work in a metaphorical style in which each chapter is a room in a palace with each room containing a particular gem of wisdom. It is surprisingly similar to modern Role Playing Games in the video game market in which a character moves from room to room of a fortress and can acquire special abilities, weapons, etc. in each room.
The second symbol (loaf) is probably a feminine ending.
The third symbol (curl) probably indicates plurality.
The fourth symbol is a papyrus scroll and the vertical bar under it means that the symbol is not a letter.
The sixth symbol is probably a short form for speech or words. The horizontal scroll indicates and abstract concept.
An upside down U represents the number ten, so the three upsidedown U’s mean 30. The loaf at the end is probably a feminine ending. I think the underscore is present in the original document, but I am not sure. (The vertical bar at the left is not in the original. It appeared there when I pasted the hieroglyphics into this WORD document from a PDF. I have not figured out how to get rid of it yet).
Line 2: The first four symbols represent the letters that spell a word which means ‘to glance’, or ‘to look’ when in used as a verb, or ‘a thing seen’ when used as a noun. The fifth symbol (the eye) is the determinative for things associated with the eye.
The sixth symbol (wavy line representing water when used as a determinative) indicates the letter ‘n’ and is a form of conjunction or preposition probably functioning here to mean ‘toward’, i.e. ‘look toward’.
The seventh symbol (the saucer) means ‘you’.
The eighth and ninth symbols (loaf and standing eagle represent the letters ‘t’ and ‘a’) represent the word ‘the’. The two strokes after them probably turn the word into ‘these’.
The three upside down U’s mean ‘30’.
The wavy line is a connecting word of some sort.
The symbol used in the chapter heading is seen again followed by a rectangular symbol which represents a building or room with a doorway (top view). This is a more complete spelling of the same word in the title and emphasizes the metaphor described above. The last two symbols mean a papyrus scroll (the vertical bar means that the symbol is a determinative, not a letter).
Line 3:
The first three symbols mean ‘they’ as discussed for Amen 1.3
The next ten symbols mean ‘to inform’. The seated man with hand to mouth at the end is the determinative for speech.
The next three symbols mean ‘they’ as above.
The next six symbols mean ‘to instruct’
The last two mean a papyrus scroll.
Compare the last line to the opening line of the entire work, Amen. Intro.1 which translates as “The beginning of the instruction scroll for life”:
The lion’s head and foreleg (remarkably like a sphinx) with arm has meanings such as ‘first’, ‘most important’, ‘head’, etc. Here it means "beginning".
The owl by itself means ‘of’.
The next eight symbols mean ‘instruction’. Note the similarity to Amen 30.2 above.
The next two symbols mean papyrus scroll.
The next symbol is the Egyptian symbol for life and the two symbols after it are the last two letters of the word for life. The pattern of adding a few letters from a word after its symbol is fairly common. It is not clear that there is any consistent pattern for choosing which letters will be added. The vertical scroll at the end indicates an abstract concept.
Prov. 22:21 Teaching you true and reliable words,
So that you can give sound answers
To him who sent you . . .
Amen. Intro:3,5 – 6 Every rule for relations with elders,
For conduct toward magistrates.
Knowing how to answer one who speaks,
To reply to one who sends a message . . .
Line 1:
The head and foot (with vertical lines to indicate that they are to be interpreted as stand alone symbols, not letters) mean ‘rules’. The scroll indicates an abstract concept and the three bars indicate plurality.
The saucer without handle means ‘every’.
The wavy line means ‘for’.
The next eight symbols mean ‘to enter’ or ‘to go in’. Note that there is a pattern of three letters repeated twice followed by two backslashes. The walking legs are the determinative for movement or travel.
The man with a walking stick represents an old man. The curl and the three vertical strokes indicate plurality.
The seated man is a determinative for people in general.
Line 2: The first three symbols mean ‘to know’. The first symbol is a mouth, probably originating from the close relationship between knowledge and speech. Note the vertical scroll indicating an abstract concept.
The next four symbols mean ‘to turn back’. Note the two determinatives at the end: a man striking with a rod or working with a stick and a pair of legs walking backwards (compare the orientation of the pair of legs in the line above). The man striking/working generally means ‘to act forcefully’.
The next seven symbols mean ‘to answer’. Note the determinative for speech at the end.
The wavy line means ‘to’ or ‘toward’.
The snake over the hand means ‘to speak’.
The last two symbols mean ‘them’ (symbol for ‘him’ with curl to indicate plurality).
Line 3: The first symbol means ‘to’.
The next three symbols mean ‘to turn back’ or ‘to contradict’ or ‘to rejoin’.
The next four symbols mean ‘a proclamation’. Note the determinative for speech at the end.
The wavy line means ‘of’.
The next six symbols mean ‘to send’. Note the determinative for movement or travel at the end.
The last two symbols mean them (as in the line above).
Prov. 22:22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor,
And do not crush the needy in court . . .
Amen. 2:1 – 2 Beware of robbing a poor wretch,
Of attacking a cripple . . .
Prov. 22:24 – 25 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man,
Do not associate with one easily angered,
Or you many learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.
Amen. 9:1 - 2 Chapter nine.
Do not befriend the heated man,
Nor approach him for conversation . . .
Line 1: Chapter nine. Similar to ‘Chapter 30’ above.
Line 2: The second symbol, the eye, means ‘to make’ or ‘to do’. The owl in front of it appears to indicate negation, i.e. ‘do not’.
The third symbol means ‘brother’. The two taken together mean ‘companions’. Note the two backslashes emphasizing the duality of companionship.
The wavy line (symbol 8) means ‘of’.
The saucer with handle means ‘you’.
The flying bird and standing eagle mean ‘the’.
The last five symbols mean ‘a hot man’. The penultimate symbol is a spark that flies up from a burning log and then falls back downward. It means ‘hot’. The man with hands tied behind his back usually means ‘enemy’, but can also mean ‘prisoner’. The implication seems to be that the man is a prisoner of his temper.
Line 3: The owl implies negation.
The fourth symbol means ‘you’.
Symbols five through twelve mean ‘to approach’. Note the single leg and the pair of legs at the end – the determinative for movement or travel.
The snake/snail symbol means ‘he’ or ‘him’.
The mouth shaped symbol means ‘to’.
The last six symbols mean ‘speaking’. Note the seated man with hand to mouth at the end – the determinative for speech.
Amen. 9:35 – 10:2 Do not leap up to join such a one,
Lest a terror carry you away.
Do not force yourself to salute the heated man,
For then you injure your own heart.
Amen.12:5 – 6 Do not seize the word a hot tempered man
Do not associate with a man of evil spirit.
Line 1: The first two symbols mean ‘do not’ as in Amen. 9.1.
The next six symbols mean ‘to work on some hard substance, to model, chiseled, engraved’.
The next symbol (9th) is a mouth. The vertical bar under it means that it is to be interpreted as ‘mouth’, not the preposition ‘to’.
The next two symbols mean ‘with’.
The next two symbols mean ‘the’ or ‘this’.
The last five symbols mean ‘a hot man’ as in Amen. 9.1.
Some translations render this verse “Do not needle a hot tempered man”. A precise translation may be difficult to produce, but the gist of it is quite clear.
Line 2: The owl appear to indicate negation.
The fourth symbol (saucer with handle) means ‘you’.
The next four symbols mean ‘to be a companion’ as in Amen 9.1.
The wavy line means ‘of’.
The saucer with handle means ‘you’.
The next three symbols mean ‘a man’.
The mouth (symbol 14) means ‘to’ or ‘of’.
The next two symbols spell ‘ka’, the Egyptian word for ‘spirit’.
The arm with angle on the right side probably means ‘give’.
The small bird under the arm means ‘evil’ or ‘bad’ or ‘small’ or ‘weak’.
The last symbol is the generic determinative for people.
Prov. 22:28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
Set up by your forefathers.
Amen. 6:1 – 2 Do not move the markers on the borders of fields,
Nor shift the position of the measuring-cord.
Prov. 22:29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will serve before kings;
He will not serve before obscure men.
Amen. 30:10 – 11 The scribe who is skilled in his office
Is found to be a worthy courtier.
Prov. 23:1 – 3 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
Note well what is before you,
And put a knife to your throat
If you are given to gluttony.
Do not crave his delicacies,
For that food is deceptive.
The Maxims of If you are one among guests
Ptahhotep 119 - 22 At the table of one greater than you,
(Egypt, 2350 B.C.) Take what he gives as it is set before you;
Look at what is before you.
(Translation from H. C. Washington, “Wealth and poverty in the Instruction of Amenemope and the Hebrew Proverbs,” SBL Dissertation series, no.142, p.143 (Scholar’s Press, Atlanta, 1994).
Amen. 23:1 – 6 Eat no bread in the presence of an official
And then set your mouth before him.
If you are sated, pretend to chew,
Content yourself with your saliva.
Look at the bowl that is before you,
And let it serve your needs.
Prov. 23:4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
Have the wisdom to show restraint.
Amen. 7:5 – 6 Do not labor to seek increase,
What you have, let it suffice you.
Amen. 7:1 Do not set your heart on riches.
Line 1: The first two symbols mean ‘do not’ as in Amen 9.1.
The next eight symbols express the concept of chasing after something. Note the last symbol which is a man throwing a stick. The three symbols before it are a bent stick and, combined with the flying bird, express the concept of a “flying stick’, i.e. a boomerang. Note the horizontal scroll below the flying bird to indicate an abstract concept.
The next two symbols (heart and vertical bar) mean ‘heart’.
The saucer with handle means ‘your’.
The owl here is a conjunction, perhaps ‘of’.
The next two symbols mean the number ‘one’ or ‘first’.
The pair of legs implies travel or movement toward.
The six symbols mean ‘wealth’. The staff with jackal’s head is a symbol of wealth, power or prestige. It is probably the equivalent of a European king’s scepter. Note the determinatives at the end indicating an abstract concept and plurality (plurality implying abundance in this case).
The general gist of the verse can be expressed as “Don’t boomerang your heart after wealth”. It is a remarkably apt description of many modern Americans.
Prov. 23:5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
For they will surely sprout wings
And fly off to the sky like an eagle.
Amen. 7:15 – 16 They (i.e. riches) made themselves wings like geese
And flew away into the sky.
Line 1: The eye means ‘to make’.
The next seven symbols mean ‘themselves’. The curl and the three strokes indicate plurality.
The next seven symbols mean ‘wings’. Note the obvious determinative for wings at the end.
The next two symbols mean ‘like’.
The next two symbosl (mouth with vertical bar) mean ‘mouth’.
The last four symbols mean ‘geese’. Note the determinative for a goose at the end. The three vertical bars indicate plurality.
Line 2: The first three symbols mean ‘they’. Compare Amen. 1.3 and 30.2.
The next seven symbols mean to fly. Note the flying bird and the legs at the end. It brings to mind the way a bird takes off into flight by running for several steps and then leaping into the air.
The mouth symbol means ‘to’.
The loaf and standing eagle (symbols 12 and 13) mean ‘the’.
The next three symbols mean ‘heaven’. The first two on top are letters and the horizontal one below is the determinative for heaven. It is supposed to be an arch shape representing the heavens arching over our heads.
The last symbol is the generic symbol for a god, so the last four symbols probably mean ‘the heavens of god’.
Prov. 23:6 – 8 Do not eat the food of a stingy man,
Do not crave his delicacies;
For he is the kind of man
Who is always thinking about the cost.
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten
And will have wasted your compliments.
Amen. 11.1 – 4 Do not covet a poor man’s goods,
Nor hunger for his bread.
A poor man’s goods are a block in the throat,
It makes the gullet vomit.
Instruction for When you sit with a glutton,
Kagemni I.8 - 10 Eat when his greed has passed,
(Egypt, Old When you drink with a drunkard,
Kingdom) Take when his heart is content.
(Translation from H. C. Washington, “Wealth and poverty in the Instruction of Amenemope and the Hebrew Proverbs,” SBL Dissertation series, no.142, p.144 (Scholar’s Press, Atlanta, 1994).
Prov. 23:10 – 11 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
Or encroach on the fields of the fatherless.
For their defender is strong,
He will take up their case against you.
Amen 6:1 – 8 Do not move the markers on the borders of fields,
Nor shift the position of the measuring-cord.
Do not be greedy for a cubit of land
Nor encroach on the boundaries of a widow.
The trodden furrow worn down by time,
He who disguises it in the fields,
When he has snared (it) by false oaths,
He will be caught by the might of the Moon (i.e. the Moon god, “Thoth”).
Prov. 23:13 – 14 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
If you punish him with the rod he will not die.
Punish him with the rod
And save his soul from Sheol.
Aramaic Proverbs Do not withhold discipline from your children;
of Ahiqar 81 - 82 If you beat them with a rod, they will not die.
(originally Assyrian If you beat them with the rod
c. 690 B.C.) You will save their lives from Sheol.
(Translation from H. C. Washington, “Wealth and poverty in the Instruction of Amenemope and the Hebrew Proverbs,” SBL Dissertation series, no.142, p.140 (Scholar’s Press, Atlanta, 1994).
Prov. 23:29 – 31 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Those who linger over wine,
Who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
When I sparkles in the cup,
Instruction of Don’t overindulge in drinking from the beer jug.
Any 4.6 (Egypt, When it goes down smoothly!
New Kingdom)
(Translation from H. C. Washington, “Wealth and poverty in the Instruction of Amenemope and the Hebrew Proverbs,” SBL Dissertation series, no.142, p.142 (Scholar’s Press, Atlanta, 1994).
Prov. 23:32 – 33 In the end it bites like a snake
And poisons like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange sights
And your mind imagine confusing things.
Instruction of lest bad utterances come out of your mouth,
Any 4.7 and you don’t know what you are saying.
(Translation from H. C. Washington, “Wealth and poverty in the Instruction of Amenemope and the Hebrew Proverbs,” SBL Dissertation series, no.142, p.142 (Scholar’s Press, Atlanta, 1994).
Prov. 23:34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
Lying on top of the rigging.
Instruction of You fall down . . . one finds you lying on the ground,
Any 4.7,10 (Egypt Like a little child.
New Kingdom)
(Translation from H. C. Washington, “Wealth and poverty in the Instruction of Amenemope and the Hebrew Proverbs,” SBL Dissertation series, no.142, p.142-3 (Scholar’s Press, Atlanta, 1994).
Prov. 23:35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up so I can find another drink?”
Instruction of You hurt your body, but no one holds out a hand to you.
Any 4.8 – 9 Your drinking companions stand up saying, “Away with this sot!”
(Translation from H. C. Washington, “Wealth and poverty in the Instruction of Amenemope and the Hebrew Proverbs,” SBL Dissertation series, no.142, p.143 (Scholar’s Press, Atlanta, 1994).
______________________
Other Proverbs showing Egyptian influence from the Instruction of Amenemope:
Prov. 15:16 – 17 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
Than great wealth with turmoil.
Better a meal of vegetables where there is love,
Than a fattened calf with turmoil.
Amen. 6:33 – 36 Better is poverty in the hand of the god,
Than wealth in the storehouse.
Better is bread with a happy heart,
Than wealth with vexation.
Line 1: The first three symbols mean ‘bright’ or ‘splendid’. Compare Amen. 1.3.
The next two symbols mean ‘the’.
The sixth through twelfth symbols mean ‘a poor man’ or possibly ‘an orphan’. The eleventh symbol is a generic determinative for a small or unimportant man and the twelfth symbol (small bird) means ‘small’, ‘bad’ or other types of negative connotations.
The owl (thirteenth symbol) is a conjunction probably meaning ‘in’.
The next three symbols mean ‘hand’ or ‘the hand’ (the loaf may mean ‘the’).
The next two symbols mean ‘the’.
The last two symbols mean ‘a god’.
Line 2: The first symbol means ‘to’, probably in the sense of ‘compared to’.
The next six symbols mean ‘wealth’. Compare Amen. 7.1.
The owl is a preposition meaning ‘of’ or ‘in’.
The last four symbols mean ‘a storehouse’. Note the determinative for a building at the end.
Line 3: The first three symbols mean ‘bright’ or ‘splendid’ as in line one.
The next two symbols mean ‘the’ as in line one.
The next six symbols mean ‘loaves of bread’. The last symbol indicates plurality and the one before it means a loaf of bread.
The next two symbols mean ‘being’.
The next five symbols mean ‘heart’. Compare Amen. 1.2.
The last three symbols mean ‘sweet’. The first symbol is apparently a sweet fruit or vegetable of some sort.
Line 4: The first seven symbols are identical to line 2.
The next three symbols mean ‘also’.
The last seven symbols mean ‘strife’. Note the two determinatives at the end: the man with hands tied behind his back and the three bars indicating plurality (i.e. much of the unpleasantness implied by the “prisoner” determinative).
Prov. 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Amen. 13.13 – 16 Better is praise with the love of men,
Than wealth in the storehouse.
Better is bread with a happy heart,
Than wealth with vexation.
Line 1: The first three symbols mean ‘bright’ or ‘splendid’.
The next four symbols mean praise. Note the determinative for speech at the end.
The owl is a preposition meaning ‘of’ or ‘with’.
Next three symbols – and handheld hoe, a mouth and the determinative for speech – mean ‘love’.
The wavy line means ‘according to’ or ‘from’.
The last four symbols mean people. The two determinatives at the end are the generic determinative for people and plurality.
Line 2: Identical to Amen. 6.34.
Line 3: Identical to Amen. 6.35.
Line 4: Identical to Amen. 6.36.
Prov. 20:10 Differing weights and differing measures –
The Lord detests them both.
Amen. 16:9 – 10 Do not make for yourself deficient weights,
They are rich in grief through the might of god.
Prov. 17:5 He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;
Whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
Amen. 25:1 – 5 Do not laugh at a blind man nor tease a dwarf.
Nor cause hardship for the lame.
Do not tease a man who is in the hand of the god,
Nor be angry with him for his failings.
Man is clay and straw, the god is his builder.
He tears down, he builds up daily.
Prov. 20:9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;
I am clean and without sin”?
Amen. 18:8, 12 - 15 Do not say, “I have done no wrong.”
There is no perfection before the god,
But there is failure before him.
If one labors to seek perfection,
In a moment he has marred it.
Prov. 21:23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue
Keeps himself from calamity.
Prov. 20:19 A gossip betrays a confidence;
So avoid a man who talks too much.
Amen. 21:11 – 14 Do not empty your belly to everyone,
And thus destroy respect of you.
Broadcast not your words to others,
Nor join with one who bares his heart.
Prov. 12:22 The Lord detests lying lips,
But he delights in men who are truthful.
Amen. 10.5-6 Do not speak falsely to a man,
The god abhors it!
Prov. 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Instruction of Any A rude answer brings a beating,
7.10 (Egypt New Speak sweetly and you will be loved.
Kingdom)
(Translation from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, v. 2, p140, Univ. of California Press, Los Angeles, 1976)
Prov. 61:9 A man’s heart plans his way
But the Lord determines his step.
Instruction of The plans of the god are one thing,
Ankhsheshonq the thoughts of [men] are another.
26:14
(Translation from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, v. 3, p.159-84, Univ. of California Press, Los Angeles, 1976)
Ecclesiates
Eccl. 9:7 – 9 Go eat your food with gladness
And drink your wine with a joyful heart,
For it is now that God favors what you do.
Always be clothed in white, and anoint your head with oil.
Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love,
All the days of this meaningless life
that God has given you under the sun – all your meaningless days.
For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.
Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh, whither rovest thou?
Tablet 10, section 3 The life thou pursuest thou shalt not find.
ANET, 90 When the gods created mankind,
(Babylonian version; Death for mankind they set aside,
Original Sumerian Life in their own hands retaining.
Version c. 2050 BC) Thou, Gilgamesh, let full be they belly,
Make thou merry by day and by night,
Of each day make thou a feast of rejoicing,
Day and night dance thou and play!
Let thy garments be sparkling fresh,
Thy head be washed; bathe thou in water.
Pay heed to the little one that holds on to thy hand,
Let thy spouse delight in thy bosom!
For this is the task of [humankind]!”
Song of the Harper Follow thy desire, as long as thou shalt live
(Egyptian, 14th Put myrrh upon they head and clothing of fine linen upon thee,
century B.C.) Being anointed with the genuine marvels of the god’s property.
Set an increase to thy good things;
Let not thy heart flag.
Follow thy desire and thy good.
Fulfill thy needs upon earth, after the command of thy heart,
Until there come for thee that day of mourning.
(Translations from D. Garrett, “Ecclesiastes” in The New American Commentary, vol. 14, pp. 265-6, Broadman Press, Nashville,1993).
Song of Solomon
SoS 6:9 – 10 But my dove, my perfect one, is unique,
the only daughter of her mother,
The favorite of the one who bore her . . .
Who is this that appears like the dawn,
fair as the moon, bright as the sun,
Majestic as the stars in procession?
(Papyrus Chester Beatty I, translation from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, v. 2, p182, Univ. of California Press, Los Angeles, 1976):
The One, the sister without peer
The handsomest of all!
She looks like the rising morning star
At the start of a happy year.
Shining bright, fair of skin
Lovely the look of her eyes,
Sweet the speech of her lips . . .
SoS 2:8 – 9 Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes,
Leaping across the mountains,
Bounding over the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Papyrus Chester Beatty I, translation from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, v. 2, p187:
O that you came to sister swiftly,
Like a bounding gazelle in the wild
SoS 5:10 My lover is radiant and ruddy
Outstanding among ten thousand
(Papyrus Chester Beatty I, translation from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, v. 2, p184, Univ. of California Press, Los Angeles, 1976):
Splendid youth who has no peer
Brother outstanding in virtues!
SoS 8:1
If only you were to me like a brother,
who was nursed at my mother's breasts!
Then, if I found you outside,
I would kiss you,
and no one would despise me.
(Papyrus Chester Beatty I, translation from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, v. 2, p185, Univ. of California Press, Los Angeles, 1976):
Then will I hurry to my brother!
I will kiss him before his companions,
I would not weep before them.
SoS 5:14
His arms are rods of gold
(Papyrus Chester Beatty I, translation from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, v. 2, p182, Univ. of California Press, Los Angeles, 1976):
Arms surpassing gold
SoS 4:16
Awake, north wind,
and come, south wind!
Blow on my garden,
that its fragrance may spread abroad.
Let my lover come into his garden
and taste its choice fruits.
(Papyrus Chester Beatty I, translation from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, v. 2, p192, Univ. of California Press, Los Angeles, 1976):
I am your sister, your best one;
I belong to you like this plot of ground
That I planted with flowers
And sweet-smelling herbs
SoS 5:2, 4
I slept but my heart was awake.
Listen! My lover is knocking:
"Open to me, my sister . . .
My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
my heart began to pound for him.
(Papyrus Chester Beatty I, translation from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, v. 2, p188, Univ. of California Press, Los Angeles, 1976):
I passed by her house in the dark
I knocked and no one opened;
A good night to our doorkeeper
Bolt, I will open!
SoS 4:9
You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have stolen my heart
with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
SoS 7:5
Your hair is like royal tapestry;
the king is held captive by its tresses.
(Papyrus Chester Beatty I, translation from Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, v. 2, p190, Univ. of California Press, Los Angeles, 1976);
The voice of the wild goose shrills
It is caught by its bait
My love of you pervades me
I cannot loosen it