Abstract
This exegetical study explicates the father's direct speech to his son, which is however quoted by the son. We can find it in the Book of Proverbs 4:4-9.
The explication is done from four points of view: the author's, that of the text, the recipients' and the father's viewpoint. The core message is a list of requirements placed on the son.
The speech itself consists of four parts, each of which is separately analyzed based on the Hebrew text using the synchronous analysis and explication. The father's speech illustrates the nature of oral tradition and its quoting by the son shows the continuity of values within the Judaic community in the Babylonian exile.