Introduction to the Book of Proverbs
Proverbs 1:7
The Book of Proverbs is one of the books classified as the poetry of Scripture. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon all belong in the same package because they are written as Hebrew poetry.
Solomon, the son of David, is the primary author and/or collector of the Book of Proverbs. After becoming king of Israel, 1 Kings 3:3-15 tell of God appearing to Solomon in a dream, asking what he desired. The young king asked the LORD for wisdom to lead Israel. From then onward, Solomon became known for his great wisdom, and that people from all over the earth came to hear his words (1 Kings 4:34). With his understanding, Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs and composed 1,005 songs. Many of those proverbs are no doubt within this book.
But Proverbs is not the sole work of Solomon. In some passages of Proverbs, the sages who wrote the book are named. Proverbs 30 was written by Agur, son of Jakeh (30:1), but we know nothing else about him.
Proverbs 31:1 informs us that King Lemuel wrote the famous chapter about the virtuous woman. In this verse, we learn that Lemuel was taught proverbs by his mother. Proverbs 25:1 provides another insight into authorship: “These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.” The word translated “copied” can also mean “transcribed.” This suggests that some of the proverbs (perhaps chapters 25–29) were produced by scribes living in the days of Hezekiah (ca. 715–687 BC), after the lifetime of Solomon.
The Hebrew word translated “proverb” is also translated ”oracle” (Nu 23:7,18), “taunt” (Isa 14:4) and “parable” (Eze 17:2), so its meaning is considerably broader than the English term. This may help explain the presence of the longer discourse sections in chs. 1–9. Most proverbs are short, compact statements that express truths about human behavior. Often there is repetition of a word or sound that aids memorization. In 30:33, e.g., the same Hebrew verb is translated “churning,” “twisting” and “stirring up.”
The book of Proverbs was written as poetry, and it employs many of the techniques common to Hebraic poetry—vivid imagery, parallelism, and other literary techniques—to guide the reader in the quest for wisdom. The introductory verses of the book express this central theme: “A wise man will hear, and will increase in learning … but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:5, 7).
Proverbs can be a very difficult book to understand well, so before we begin our study of the book, here are a few principles to keep in mind while studying Proverbs.
First, Proverbs is divided into two major halves. The first half (chapters 1-9) are an introductory course of on biblical wisdom, with Solomon writing to us readers as a father teaching his son. Although these paternal speeches form the bulk of the first nine chapters, we are also treated occasionally to speeches from Lady Wisdom. Because of this teaching pattern, it is important for us to approach these chapters as students ready to learn wisdom from experts.
Second, Proverbs are principles, not promises. Many parents can testify that Proverbs 22:6 does not always happen. Proverbs show us how things should work within God’s creation. Ecclesiastes and Job show us how biblical wisdom is applied to situations when life goes against what we expected.
Third, Proverbs cannot make us wise, only God can. Even though Proverbs is the book of biblical wisdom, they cannot make us wise themselves. We must rather pray for God to use His Word to make us wise, but without His illumination, these words will never change or impact our hearts.
Fourth, Proverbs are not one's day to day activity to apply immediately; they require wisdom to use properly. Too many people think of Proverbs as being full of sayings that can be grabbed without context and applied to life’s various situations. In fact, Proverbs speaks against trying to use these wise words without wisdom: “Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools” (26:7). Or “Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools” (26:9).
Fifth, Proverbs is a covenantal book. Those who obeyed were promised tremendous blessings, but those who disobeyed were threatened with terrible curses (Deuteronomy 28 )
What is the purpose of Proverbs? Let us see how the Bible puts it. He (Solomon) wrote them to teach his people how to live- how to act in every situation - Proverbs 1:2 This is what Proverbs is all about - wisdom for living before God. Most of us know how to make a living but how many of us know how to live so that our lives will be pleasing to God.
The key verse is found in the first chapter: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov. 1:7).
The Orient and the ancient East are the homes of proverbs. But there is a difference between the Book of Proverbs and proverbs in other writings.
There are some characteristics and features of the Book of Proverbs that I think we should note
1. Proverbs bears no unscientific statement or inaccurate observation. For example, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). This is a remarkable statement because it was about 2,700 years later that Harvey found that the blood circulates and that the heart is the pump. In contrast, in an apocryphal book called the Epistle of Barnabas, mention is made of the mythical pheonix, a bird that consumes itself by fire and rises in resurrection. Such a fable does not appear in the Book of Proverbs nor anywhere else in the Bible. It is strange that this is an ancient book containing hundreds of proverbs and not one of them is unscientific today. That in itself ought to alert any thinking person to the fact that the Book of Proverbs is God–inspired.
2. Proverbs is a book on a high moral plane. You simply will not find in its pages the immoral sayings which occur in other writings.
3. The Proverbs do not contradict themselves, while man’s proverbs are often in opposition to each other. For example: “Look before you leap” contrasted with “He who hesitates is lost.” “A man gets no more than he pays for” contrasted with “The best things in life are free.” “Leave well enough alone” has over against it, “Progress never stands still.” “A rolling stone gathers no moss” versus “A setting hen does not get fat.” The proverbs of man contradict each other because men’s ideas differ. But there is no contradiction in the Book of Proverbs because it is inspired by God.
While the Book of Proverbs seems to be a collection of sayings without any particular regard for orderly arrangement, nevertheless it tells a story. It is a picture of a young man starting out in life. He gets his first lesson in Proverbs 1:7, which is the key to the book. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
The advice that is given in the Book of Proverbs transcends all dispensations. Whether one lives in Old Testament or New Testament times, old Jerusalem or new Jerusalem, its truths are still true. It is a good book for anyone.
Someone may raise this objection: “There is nothing in it about Jesus and the gospel.” Just wait a minute, it is there. The book is not a hodgepodge of unrelated statements, nor is it a discourse of cabbages and kings. Wisdom and its opposite foolishness are personified as women. Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly - each of whom attempts to persuade people to follow her ways. The purpose of this personification is to make the reader aware that against the fatal attraction of folly, wisdom brings true delight. Jesus also used this device of personification when He said in Matt. 11:19 "But wisdom is proved right inn her actions." The divine purpose for the personification of wisdom is not simply to acquaint us with a set of rules or helpful suggestions by which we run our lives but to acquaint us with that true wisdom lies in a person - that person being none other than Jesus Christ.
It is a book that makes sense, and it does have an arrangement and an organization. Solomon has something to say about his own teaching: “And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs” (Eccl. 12:9).
The literary form of these Proverbs is mostly in the form of couplets. The two clauses of the couplet are generally related to each other by what has been termed parallelism, according to Hebrew poetry. (Hebrew poetry does not have rhyme or meter as poetry in English does. Hebrew poetry consists of parallelism of ideas.) Three kinds of parallelism have been pointed out:
1. Synonymous Parallelism. Here the second clause restates what is given in the first clause. (It expresses the same thought in a different way.)
“Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools” (Prov. 19:29).
2. Antithetic (Contrast) Parallelism. Here a truth, which is stated in the first clause, is made stronger in the second clause by contrasts with an opposite truth.
“The light of the righteous rejoiceth, but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out” (Prov. 13:9).
(You can see that the second statement is stating the same truth but from the opposite point of view by way of contrast.)
3. Synthetic Parallelism. The second clause develops the thought of the first.
“The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion; He that provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own life” (Prov. 20:2).
If Solomon is granted a prominent role in the book, most of Proverbs would stem from the tenth century b.c. during the time of Israel’s united kingdom. The peace and prosperity that characterized that era accord well with the development of reflective wisdom and the production of literary works.
The proverbs contained in this book are not to be interpreted as prophecies or their statements about effects and results as promises. For instance, 10:27 says that the years of the wicked are cut short, while the righteous live long and prosperous lives . The righteous have abundant food (10:3), but the wicked will go hungry (13:25). While such statements are generally true, there are enough exceptions to indicate that sometimes the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper Normally the righteous and wicked “receive their due on earth” (11:31), but at other times re-ward and punishment lie beyond the grave.
In the initial cycle of instruction (1:8—9:18) the writer urges the young man to choose the way of wisdom (that leads to life) and shun the ways of folly (that, however tempting they may be, lead to death).
The author chooses two prime exemplifications of folly to give concreteness to his exhortations:
(1) to get ahead in the world by exploiting (even oppressing) others rather than by diligent and honest labor, and
(2) to find sexual pleasure outside the bonds and responsibilities of marriage.
Temptation to the one comes from the young man’s male peers (1:10-19); temptation to the other comes from the adulterous woman (ch. 5; 6:20– 35; ch. 7). Together, these two tempta-tions illustrate the pervasiveness and power of the allurements to folly that the young man will face in life and must be prepared to resist
Although Proverbs is more practical than theological, God’s work as Creator is especially highlighted. The role of wisdom in creation is the subject of 8:22–31 , where wisdom as an attribute of God is personified. God is called the Maker of the poor (14:31; 17:5; 22:2). He sovereignly directs the steps of people (cf. 16:9; 20:24)—even the actions of kings (21:1)—and his eyes observe all that humans do (cf. 5:21; 15:3). All history moves forward under his control (see 16:4,33 ).
In summary, Proverbs provides instruction on how to live wisely and successfully in the “fear of the Lord” (1:7; 9:10) within the theocratic arrangement. The fear of the Lord includes reverence for, trust in and commitment to the Lord and His will as revealed in His word. Wisdom in this context, then, is basically following God's design for human happiness within the creation order—resulting in quality of mind (1:2) and quality of life (1:3).
The book is addressed to a young man. The situations he will face while he is young receive much attention. These situations supply concrete examples from which all readers can apply lessons to their own lives. Anyone who is wise and who pays attention will benefit (1:5) from this instruction.
The reader of Proverbs must seek to understand the various types of people the book describes.
The most obvious characters in the book are the wise, the fool, and the simple. Proverbs urges its readers to be wise, which means embracing God’s covenant and living out the covenant in everyday situations (compare 2:2; 10:1).
At least four kinds of fools are mentioned in Proverbs:
1. The simple fool (1:4, 22; 7:7; 21:11)
2. The hardened fool (1:7; 10:23; 12:23; 17:10; 20:3; 27:22)
3. The arrogant fool (3:34; 21:24; 22:10; 29:8)
4. The brutish fool (17:21; 26:3; 30:22)
The fool is the person who constantly opposes God’s covenant (1:7b). In Scripture, a fool is associated with wickedness and a direct denial of God (e.g., in Psalm 53:1). Because God has infinite wisdom, the person who neglects God will and purpose naturally miss out on wisdom—he will become a fool. A fool is anyone who does not follow the warnings and commands of God. A fool lacks wisdom, has no concern for others, does not desire to avoid sin, and brags about his sinful actions.
The simple is the person who is not firmly committed, either to wisdom or to folly; he is easily misled (14:15).
What is the difference between being smart and being wise? Wisdom goes beyond knowledge. It is more than a catalog of facts. It is a masterful understanding of life, a practical art of living, and an expertise in good decision-making. Proverbs challenges us to gain knowledge, to apply that knowledge to our lives, and to share the wisdom we gain with others.
The book of Proverbs further tells us that the wisdom we gain is not just for ourselves, but also to share with others, “to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young” (Prov. 1:4). Proverbs 9:9 commends us to “give instruction to the wise” and to “teach the righteous.” Proverbs 26:4-5 advises the reader about sharing wisdom with a fool. We share wisdom not only by teaching, but also by wise living, imparting wisdom to those who see us and follow our example. The opposite is also true. If we live foolishly, others may be tempted into the same foolishness, and we harm not only ourselves but them.
The wisdom contained within the book of Proverbs covers nearly every aspect of life. The proverbs focus as much on the quirks of human nature as they do on the basic behavior of a righteous person and on man’s proper relationship to God. Because the proverbs address such varied topics, a verse in Proverbs often has no connection to the verses before or after it.
Most importantly, if we don’t understand Proverbs, we will apply it to our people as “an obvious truth" thinking that will help us get along better in this life. But when we do this, we forget that Proverbs is a covenantal book. Under the covenant, those who obeyed were promised tremendous blessings, but those who disobeyed were threatened with terrible curses (Deuteronomy 28).
All true bibilical theology is based on a divine covenant. The Christian religion must be understood covenantally, for that is how God has chosen to relate to man, whether in the garden or after the entrance of sin into the world. The goal of all divine–human covenants is summed up in the words found throughout the Bible: “I will be your God and you will be my people, and I will dwell among you” (Ex. 6:7; 29:45; Ezek. 11:20; 2 Cor. 6:16; Rev. 21:3).
At its most basic level, a covenant is an oath-bound relationship between two or more parties. Thus, human covenants (for example, marriage) fall under this general definition. In divine covenants, God sovereignly establishes the relationship with His creatures and there are conditions attached to the covenant on the human side.
If the human party involved in a covenant with God does not keep the covenant’s conditions, there will be consequences - the working out of Deut 28 .
Blessings in the covenant was contingent upon faith and obedience, but that does not mean grace was absent. Obedience is the visible ratification of the genuineness of faith.
Proverbs is therefore a collection of life’s snapshots presented to God’s covenant people. It is to guide the general direction of the lives of the people of Israel. According to Proverbs 1:3, the goal of wisdom is not that we show others how clever we are, but that we receive instruction “(to do) what is right and just and fair .” Wisdom Literature shows us what it means to please God; thus, all can benefit from it. Young and old, educated and uneducated—everyone who pays heed to biblical wisdom (vv. 1: 4-6) will be blessed.
We take the “teeth” out of Proverbs when we turn it into a mere “word for the wise.” In other words, Solomon isn’t teaching his sons how to have their best life now. He’s preparing them for kingship. The king of Israel was to be the primary covenant keeper. By his example, he was to lead Israel in keeping the covenant. Unfortunately, Solomon’s sons chose to walk in foolishness, and the kingdom split in two after his death.
It is also important to understand that there is a context in which New Covenant believers are to read and obey the Proverbs, and that context is "the fear of the Lord."
So, what does it mean to fear the Lord? To understand that He is very concerned with the choices we make and how we live our lives. It is to believe that there are repercussions for our actions, whether good or bad, because He sees all and knows all and will judge all. The opposite of this is folly, or living in such a way as if God does not exist or is indifferent to the way in which we live, which is why David tells us in Psalms 14:1 that “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
Having this foundation makes us ask this question: how does one get this wisdom? The answer is found in the New Testament, where we see the fullness of God’s “mystery,” which was “hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints” (Col. 1:26). In 1st Corinthians
Paul implicitly shows us how the entire book of Proverbs should be understood by God’s people: “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” – (1 Cor 1: 22-24).
Proverbs aims to teach us biblical wisdom, which is the skill of understanding and navigating the broken, sin-filled world around us by conforming ourselves to God’s pattern for our lives..
