The Landscape of Proverbs Chapters 1–7
- Yoriko Sakasegawa
- Jun 1
- 1 min read
While reading Proverbs 3,
I suddenly noticed something.
In chapter 1, there is:
“My son.”
In chapter 2:
“My son.”
In chapter 3:
“My son.”
In chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 as well,
the opening call is:
“My son.”
The phrase “My son” appears elsewhere in Proverbs,
yet chapters 1–7 repeatedly begin with this call.
As I sat with these chapters,
a certain landscape began to emerge.
First, the father calls.
Then he speaks.
He speaks again.
And again.
Over and over.
“My son.”
“Hear.”
“Incline your ear.”
“Do not forget.”
“Keep it in your heart.”
The father's voice echoes throughout the pages.
Yet strangely,
we are told very little about how the son answered.
What did he say?
How did he respond?
The text hardly tells us.
The father's call and his words simply continue.
Before long,
I found myself no longer watching the son's response,
but standing as one who hears the father's voice.
Perhaps Proverbs 1–7 is a landscape
of a father continually speaking to his son.
Words spoken for the son's peace,
for the son's life,
for the son's joy.
Today,
I spent the day lingering
before the father's call.
“My son.”
Tomorrow,
I will step into Proverbs 3.
Standing once again
before the father's call.
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