Imagine a person or friend in your life who has all of the answers, a person who has complete understanding of themself and their existence, and is knowledgeable about everything. It’s a difficult thing to imagine as the perfect human condition does not exist. The truth is that no human being is equipped with the same level of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding like God; and the Book of Proverbs highlights the contrast between an individual who strives to be more like God, and an individual who does not. Biblical texts such as Proverbs and the work of the great civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. condemn unjust human behaviors and faults, therefore emphasizing the mission to strive for better, and strengthen human relationships with God and each other.
The Book of Proverbs often uses contrasting language such as a “wise man” versus a “fool” to make distinctions between individuals who strive for goodness compared to those who do not. For example, in the King James translation it states “a wise man maketh a glad father but a foolish man despises his mother” (Proverbs 15:20), while the Septuagint translation reads “a wise son gladdens father, and a foolish son sneers at his mother” (Proverbs 15:20). Additionally, the King James Bible reads “the lips of the wise disperse knowledge but the heart of the foolish does not so” (Proverbs 15:7), while the Septuagint reads “the lips of the wise are bound by discretion, but the hearts of the foolish are not safe” (Proverbs 15:7). Therefore, Proverbs uses interesting diction to contrast the condition between an individual who acknowledges and honors God’s power and righteousness (wise man), and an individual who is ignorant and ultimately denies God’s power, making them a fool. The Septuagint and King James Bible use different words to convey the same message and advice to readers. The mission behind Proverbs is to ultimately teach righteousness, humility, wisdom, and morality so that humans may follow the divine path of God. For example, the King James Bible reads “a soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1) and that “he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty” (Proverbs 16:32).
The messages and teachings of the Book of Proverbs are presented to readers using imagery which makes it easier to understand the distinctions between good and evil. For example, the King James Bible states “the Lord will destroy the house of the proud, but he will establish the border of the widow (Proverbs 15:25). This descriptive language helps emphasize God’s power by presenting it in the form of physical destruction of one’s home. Additionally, the King James bible reads “how much better it is to get wisdom than gold, and understanding over silver” (Proverbs 16:16). Therefore, through the use of physical examples and materials, The Book of Proverbs teaches a very clear and easy to understand message about the importance of building one’s relationship with God and striving for wisdom and understanding.
Similar to the Book of Proverbs, Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech uses a similar technique of imagery and intentional diction to convey a very powerful message about the civil rights movement and the mission of striving for racial equality in America. The speech was given on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Dr. King’s speech was carefully crafted with a lot of powerful imagery to really drive his message forward. For example, Dr. King said “but 100 years later, the Negro is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land”. This descriptive and specific language of Dr. King helps the audience understand the raw message of the speech. Similar to the Book of Proverbs, this language describing physical conditions such as “chains of discrimination” and a “lonely island of poverty” ultimately hammers home the message of the severe and urgent issues of racial discrimination and inequality. This technique makes for a very powerful visualization and teaching that is challenging for the audience to forget.
In conclusion, the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and the Book of Proverbs use a similar technique to teach their intended messages. Through the use of specific diction and imagery, these texts convey messages that are easy for individuals to visualize and understand. Therefore, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and the Book of Proverbs are powerful examples of effective teaching.
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