What Are Proverbs Doing?
Short, often metaphorical sayings that express practical "wisdom" about human behavior and values.
What are proverbs?
The chapter says judgments should be guided mainly by this, not hearsay.
What is evidence (and witness testimony)
"The king cannot be accused, the sky cannot be ploughed."
What is the belief that rulers/government are treated as untouchable?
The chapter says this is often preferred to winning in court because it restores social harmony.
What is reconciliation?
Proverbs can be used to support almost any viewpoint because they’re situational and sometimes contradictory.
Why shouldn’t proverbs be treated as fixed universal truths?
"One man may not give judgment; one stick does not light."
What is the idea that justice should be collective, not decided by one person alone?
A contrasting proverb suggests even a king can be judged (before God), meaning this principle matters.
What is "nobody is above the law"?
"Reconciliation is better than gold."
What is the belief that restoring relationships can matter more than money?
A role proverbs can play by ending debate with a shared truism.
What is being a "conversation stopper"?
"A case stays long, it becomes like over-fermented beer."
What is the idea that legal cases should be resolved quickly?
"The calabash and the stone fighting, a lord and a commoner litigating."
What is the idea that the poor usually lose against the powerful in court?
A proverb explains reconciliation can’t be forced: even a king can’t reconcile someone who refuses.
What is the idea that reconciliation depends on willingness, not status?
The approach that sees proverb meaning as shaped by both shared ideas and the speaker’s situation.
What is an interactionist view of proverbs?
"Attempting to defy a court order is like trying to swim without knowing how."
What is the idea that court decisions should be respected and followed?
"To put in jail someone without judgment equals going against the Creator."
What is the importance of due process and opposing arbitrary detention?
"Sin is remedied by confession, injury by compensation."
What is the idea that harm should be repaired through accountability and restitution?
The kind of "background assumptions" about justice and authority that proverbs can hint at
What is a society’s legal ethos (or tacit knowledge)?
"The worst judge is one who is partial," warning about bias and bribery.
What is the danger of corrupt or partial judges?
The chapter notes that mid-20th century codes often did this to customary law, creating distance from ordinary people.
What is sidelining/overriding customary law with codified state law?
"One who got rich on compensation, one who got drunk on sour milk."
What is the idea that compensation is for repair, not enrichment?