Presidential Address

Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature
18 November 2017
Boston, Massachusetts

Perhaps a good place to begin an introduction of Michael Fox is the word that opens the Festschrift honoring him: "How do you offer a tribute for someone who would just as soon quietly take his place among the academy's cadre of senior scholars? This problem has been largely solved by the 30 scholars whose articles published here attest Michael's influence and standing in academe. Their quick acceptance of invitations to write essays for this volume is itself a tribute to Michael."¹

I was particularly fascinated when reading this introduction because of the energy the authors placed in describing Michael's dedication to his students. Clearly, one cannot speak about the work of Michael V. Fox without speaking to his "careful reading of Hebrew texts, his mastery of secondary sources, and his control of English prose."² And while the authors further noted Michael's research agenda in wisdom literature, it was not on this topic that their focus lingered. They lingered instead on his dedication and devotion to being the best mentor and instructor he could possibly be for those who studied with him. They went on to note that, while Job did feature prominently in his teaching, the topic of wisdom literature itself did not loom large in his classes generally. They noted that "his main purpose … has been to give students exposure to the breadth of our discipline."³

I learned directly from Michael's former students that he was a rigorous teacher who expected a great deal from his students. He was also a humble colearner who expected to discover new insights through his interactions with them. Allow me to share a selection of representative comments:

I have said many times that Prof. Fox taught me how to read. It always feels a bit trite when I say that, but it's true. The way he would look at a given verse or passage from multiple angles; the way he would ask "why this word and not that word?"; the way he would think about what a text says and what it does not say; the way he would explore the depths of a metaphor; the way he would wrestle with a passage's ethical or social vision; the way he read the whole in relation to the part and the part in relation to the whole. He left no stone unturned. Delightfully, this is precisely the type of reading he displays in his publications.

From another:

I first met Michael as his student in the graduate program of the Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies at the UW–Madison. My initial response to him was fear. He was a demanding teacher, with little tolerance for lack of preparation or slovenly effort. Although those were characteristics I would come to appreciate for the drive they instilled in me, all of us students had a clear sense of his expectations and the seriousness with which he held them.… Over time, fear was replaced by profound respect, not merely for his response to students' concerns, but more so for his desire to learn from his students.

From another:

I'm happy to wax positive about Michael. He's a great and prolific scholar. Working with him on his HBCE [The Hebrew Bible: Critical Edition] edition of Proverbs was a sheer delight. His intelligence, erudition, and sound judgment were always on display as we worked together to refine his edition and to think through various problems about how to produce an eclectic edition with a full text-critical commentary. His HBCE Proverbs is a magisterial achievement.

And finally:

When I think of Prof. Fox's work, the words careful, conscientious, and soulful come to mind. His text-critical work is impeccably thoughtful and sensible. His works on Proverbs, Qohelet, Esther, and Job are downright edifying. I'm not certain he would like the words "soulful" or "edifying," but that's how I experience them. His commentaries, in particular, are so in touch with the texts on one hand...