Instruction of Amenemope
Wisdom of Amenemope
Ancient Near East
Consider the thoughtful man that you may discover Life, and you yourself will flourish upon earth. Do not move the markers at the edges of the fields nor alter findings of the measuring-cord; Do not be greedy in distributing the holdings nor violate the boundaries of the widow. The furrows of the plough are cultivated for a lifetime— and the swindler covets them; But should he get them, lyingly and falsely, surely he will fall at last to the Moon's justice. Keep watch on one who does this while on earth— he is a despoiler of defenseless people, He is a foe, wreaking havoc on your very body, and malice dwells in his eye. His household is declared a public enemy and his granaries are leveled to the ground; They seize his goods out of his children's hands, and the little that he had is given to another. Avoid unsettling the boundaries of the fields that the fear which you inspire may be ended;
Date: 1300 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Proverbs 22:28
Hebrew Bible
26 Do not be one who strikes hands in pledge or who puts up security for debts. 27 If you do not have enough to pay, your bed will be taken right out from under you! 28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone that was put in place by your ancestors. 29 You have seen a person skilled in his work—he will take his position before kings; he will not take his position before obscure people.
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Notes and References
"... The verbal correspondence between the sayings makes likely a close relationship, probably as part of a writing-supported cognitive process of transmission, as seen in the typical sort of memory variation between the words for making a border in Proverbs 22:28 ( השע ) and Deuteronomy 19:14 ( לבג ). 35 In addition, at least two factors suggest that Deut 19:14 is the later of the two versions. First, Deuteronomy 19:14 represents an elaboration of the saying compared to its briefer counterpart, indeed an elaboration featuring typically Deuteronomic language for “inheriting” the land that “YHWH gave to take possession of it.” Second, it happens that Proverbs 22:28 is part of a section of Proverbs that is particularly closely related to the ancient Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope, and this saying in Proverbs 22:28 parallels a saying in Amenemope about moving borders (7:12–8:19). Therefore, it is much more likely that the briefer formulation in Proverbs 22:28, an adaptation of its parallel in Amenemope, is the earlier version, while Deuteronomy 19:14 is a later adaptation and elaboration ..."
Carr, David McLain
The Formation of the Hebrew Bible: A New Reconstruction
(p. 416) Oxford University Press, 2011
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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