Pro 1 | TNotes | STEP | Book of Proverbs — Quick facts: Purpose: To offer practical wisdom for making decisions and ordering life Author: Various; many are attributed to Solomon Date: Written and compiled over the course of several centuries, beginning during Solomon’s reign (971–931 BC ) and continuing until at least the reign of Hezekiah (728–686 BC ) Setting: Part is directed to a young man; other parts hint at diverse settings Book of Proverbs — Overview: Setting Proverbs is a collection of sayings from various times and social contexts. Many individual proverbs find their primary setting in the royal court, addressing matters such as how to act in front of a king. Some proverbs have a family setting and best fit an agricultural context. Others pertain to the world of commerce, trade, and business. Much of Proverbs is directed toward a young man who seems to be at the age of beginning a profession. Proverbs offers wisdom and guidance for success in all the spheres of life that a person in ancient Israel might face. Yet it is also timeless, with significant application to readers today. Summary Proverbs is ancient Israel’s anthology of wise sayings, advice, instructions, and warnings. The book has two major sections: It begins with talks that a father gives to his son (chs 1–9 ). These are followed by collections of wise sayings (chs 10–31 ) from a variety of authors on a wide range of topics; most frequently mentioned are wealth and poverty, planning, laziness, prostitutes, hard work, relationships, pride, and humility. Genre and Style Wise Sayings. In the ancient Near East, wise sayings were collected into anthologies for people to consult for guidance on a correct course of action. In Israel, as in neighboring nations, the purpose of these collections was to educate the young and give them direction for living well. Evidence suggests that Babylonian and Egyptian wisdom collections were incorporated in the curriculum of schools. A proverb expresses an insight, observation, or piece of advice that has been popularly accepted as general truth. Often, uttering the right proverb at the appropriate time is all it takes to resolve a discussion. Hebrew Poetry. Proverbs is also poetry. Its compact language holds a lot of content in few words. It is literature that rewards reflective time and meditation on its rich nuances. Many proverbs teach through poetic imagery. For example, laziness is discouraged through the use of a comparison with common irritants: Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes (10:26 ). One important characteristic of Hebrew poetry is parallelism. Many proverbs use synonymous parallelism—the second part continues and sharpens the thought of the first part: The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly (16:13 ). Other proverbs are antithetical , meaning that the first and second parts are opposites: A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands (14:1 ). Still other proverbs make comparisons: Better to have little, with fear for the Lord , than to have great treasure and inner turmoil (15:16 ). Awareness of these elements of Hebrew poetry enhances one’s ability to understand and interpret the proverbs. Authorship Proverbs was begun by Solomon (1:1 ), a wise king (1 Kgs 3:5-15 ) who collected wise sayings and composed his own (1 Kgs 4:29-32 ). Material written or edited by later teachers was then added. For example, two hundred years after Solomon, “the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah” collected additional proverbs of Solomon and added them to the anthology (Prov 25:1 ). Other composers or editors mentioned in Proverbs include Agur (30:1 ), Lemuel (31:1 ), and “the wise” (22:17 ; 24:23 ). Some of the sayings are influenced by neighboring nations, such as the “thirty sayings” of the wise (22:17–24:22 ), which appear to have borrowed heavily from an Egyptian writing called The Instruction of Amenemope (around 1100 BC ). Proverbs was edited to its final form several hundred years after Solomon’s time. Readers Proverbs 1:8–9:18 contains a series of discourses from a father to a son. There is some debate as to whether this was a biological son or an apprentice since the recipient of the Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope was an apprentice. However, the presence of the “mother” in Proverbs (e.g., 1:8 ) suggests a biological son. Much of the material is more appropriate for young males than for women (such as warnings to avoid immoral women), yet Proverbs has a much broader audience than just young men. Its purpose is to teach wisdom to people (1:2 ), both to the simple (1:4 ) and to the wise (1:5 ). Proverbs is addressed to everyone—but not everyone will receive it (1:7 ). Meaning and Message Proverbs is a book of practical wisdom for life. It often takes the form of a father teaching his son. As the son walks the path of life, he will come to crossroads where he must make decisions about which way to go. The book of Proverbs helps us to make right choices today. It teaches that there are rewards for wise behavior and punishments for foolish behavior. But while these rewards motivate us to heed instruction, they are not universal promises. Proverbs offers principles that are generally true, but these principles do not always guarantee a favorable outcome. For example, a person who works hard and has integrity is likely to have more material resources than a lazy and shiftless person. However, a lazy person might inherit wealth, and a hard worker might lose wealth when exploited by a corrupt government official. (This disjunction between righteousness and material reward is a major theme of Job and Ecclesiastes.) The advice of Proverbs sometimes seems to contradict itself, but wisdom and careful reading reveal the circumstances to which each piece of advice applies. Should we answer a fool’s arguments? Or should we be silent when we realize that we are arguing with a fool (26:4-5 )? It depends. We find the same thing with English aphorisms. On some occasions “Look before you leap” applies; other times we are reminded that “He who hesitates is lost.” Contradictory sayings might both be true in different situations. The truly wise person knows when to apply a particular proverb and when not to. The wisdom of Proverbs is practical, but the sayings contain much more than good advice. Real wisdom is based on a reverent, faith-filled relationship with God, who is the true source of all wisdom. This message is expressed in 1:7 : “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge.” Proverbs invokes a fundamental spiritual choice, because there is no true wisdom apart from a living relationship with God. 1:1 Solomon is the foremost authority on Israelite wisdom (see 1 Kgs 3:1-28 ; 4:32 ). Many proverbs are ascribed to Solomon, but he did not write all of them (see Prov 22:17 ; 24:23 ; 25:1 ; 30:1 ; 31:1 ).

Book of Proverbs — Quick facts:

Purpose: To offer practical wisdom for making decisions and ordering life

Author: Various; many are attributed to Solomon

Date: Written and compiled over the course of several centuries, beginning during Solomon’s reign (971–931 BC) and continuing until at least the reign of Hezekiah (728–686 BC)

Setting: Part is directed to a young man; other parts hint at diverse settings

Book of Proverbs — Overview:

Setting
Proverbs is a collection of sayings from various times and social contexts. Many individual proverbs find their primary setting in the royal court, addressing matters such as how to act in front of a king. Some proverbs have a family setting and best fit an agricultural context. Others pertain to the world of commerce, trade, and business. Much of Proverbs is directed toward a young man who seems to be at the age of beginning a profession. Proverbs offers wisdom and guidance for success in all the spheres of life that a person in ancient Israel might face. Yet it is also timeless, with significant application to readers today.

Summary
Proverbs is ancient Israel’s anthology of wise sayings, advice, instructions, and warnings. The book has two major sections: It begins with talks that a father gives to his son (chs 1–9 ^a). These are followed by collections of wise sayings (chs 10–31 ^b) from a variety of authors on a wide range of topics; most frequently mentioned are wealth and poverty, planning, laziness, prostitutes, hard work, relationships, pride, and humility.

Genre and Style
Wise Sayings. In the ancient Near East, wise sayings were collected into anthologies for people to consult for guidance on a correct course of action. In Israel, as in neighboring nations, the purpose of these collections was to educate the young and give them direction for living well. Evidence suggests that Babylonian and Egyptian wisdom collections were incorporated in the curriculum of schools.
A proverb expresses an insight, observation, or piece of advice that has been popularly accepted as general truth. Often, uttering the right proverb at the appropriate time is all it takes to resolve a discussion.
Hebrew Poetry. Proverbs is also poetry. Its compact language holds a lot of content in few words. It is literature that rewards reflective time and meditation on its rich nuances. Many proverbs teach through poetic imagery. For example, laziness is discouraged through the use of a comparison with common irritants:
Lazy people irritate their employers,
like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes (10:26 ^c).
One important characteristic of Hebrew poetry is parallelism. Many proverbs use synonymous parallelism—the second part continues and sharpens the thought of the first part:
The king is pleased with words from righteous lips;
he loves those who speak honestly (16:13 ^d).
Other proverbs are antithetical, meaning that the first and second parts are opposites:
A wise woman builds her home,
but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands (14:1 ^e).
Still other proverbs make comparisons:
Better to have little, with fear for the Lord,
than to have great treasure and inner turmoil (15:16 ^f).
Awareness of these elements of Hebrew poetry enhances one’s ability to understand and interpret the proverbs.

Authorship
Proverbs was begun by Solomon (1:1 ^g), a wise king (1 Kgs 3:5-15 ^h) who collected wise sayings and composed his own (1 Kgs 4:29-32 ⁱ). Material written or edited by later teachers was then added. For example, two hundred years after Solomon, “the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah” collected additional proverbs of Solomon and added them to the anthology (Prov 25:1 ^j). Other composers or editors mentioned in Proverbs include Agur (30:1 ^k), Lemuel (31:1 ^l), and “the wise” (22:17 ^m; 24:23 ⁿ).
Some of the sayings are influenced by neighboring nations, such as the “thirty sayings” of the wise (22:17–24:22 ^o), which appear to have borrowed heavily from an Egyptian writing called The Instruction of Amenemope (around 1100 BC). Proverbs was edited to its final form several hundred years after Solomon’s time.

Readers
Proverbs 1:8–9:18 ^p contains a series of discourses from a father to a son. There is some debate as to whether this was a biological son or an apprentice since the recipient of the Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope was an apprentice. However, the presence of the “mother” in Proverbs (e.g., 1:8 ^q) suggests a biological son.
Much of the material is more appropriate for young males than for women (such as warnings to avoid immoral women), yet Proverbs has a much broader audience than just young men. Its purpose is to teach wisdom to people (1:2 ^r), both to the simple (1:4 ^s) and to the wise (1:5 ^t). Proverbs is addressed to everyone—but not everyone will receive it (1:7 ^u).

Meaning and Message
Proverbs is a book of practical wisdom for life. It often takes the form of a father teaching his son. As the son walks the path of life, he will come to crossroads where he must make decisions about which way to go.
The book of Proverbs helps us to make right choices today. It teaches that there are rewards for wise behavior and punishments for foolish behavior. But while these rewards motivate us to heed instruction, they are not universal promises. Proverbs offers principles that are generally true, but these principles do not always guarantee a favorable outcome. For example, a person who works hard and has integrity is likely to have more material resources than a lazy and shiftless person. However, a lazy person might inherit wealth, and a hard worker might lose wealth when exploited by a corrupt government official. (This disjunction between righteousness and material reward is a major theme of Job and Ecclesiastes.)
The advice of Proverbs sometimes seems to contradict itself, but wisdom and careful reading reveal the circumstances to which each piece of advice applies. Should we answer a fool’s arguments? Or should we be silent when we realize that we are arguing with a fool (26:4-5 ^v)? It depends. We find the same thing with English aphorisms. On some occasions “Look before you leap” applies; other times we are reminded that “He who hesitates is lost.” Contradictory sayings might both be true in different situations. The truly wise person knows when to apply a particular proverb and when not to.
The wisdom of Proverbs is practical, but the sayings contain much more than good advice. Real wisdom is based on a reverent, faith-filled relationship with God, who is the true source of all wisdom. This message is expressed in 1:7 ^w: “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge.” Proverbs invokes a fundamental spiritual choice, because there is no true wisdom apart from a living relationship with God.
1:1 ^x Solomon is the foremost authority on Israelite wisdom (see 1 Kgs 3:1-28 ^y; 4:32 ^z). Many proverbs are ascribed to Solomon, but he did not write all of them (see Prov 22:17 ^aa; 24:23 ^ab; 25:1 ^ac; 30:1 ^ad; 31:1 ^ae).
Summary for Prov 1:2-7: 1:2-7 ^af This prologue explains the purpose of the book and identifies the different readers to whom it is addressed.
Summary for Prov 1:2-3: 1:2-3 ^ag Wisdom is practical knowledge that involves ethical choices. Words such as right, just, and fair are associated with biblical wisdom. Gaining wisdom involves discipline, an active, intentional training of energy toward wisdom and away from folly. The book of Proverbs encourages us to resist our natural sinful tendencies toward wrong behavior.
1:4 ^ah The simple are like empty containers. Wisdom and folly compete to fill their minds and hearts (see 9:1-18 ^ai).
1:6 ^aj Proverbs help the wise person to understand riddles. Here the Hebrew word (khidoth) indicates enigmas or paradoxes—difficult sayings that require interpretation (cp. Judg 14:14 ^ak).
1:7 ^al Fear of the Lord recognizes total dependence on God for everything, including knowledge and wisdom (9:10 ^am). It is not just a mental attitude but involves service, love, and obeying God’s laws (see Deut 10:12-13 ^an). Fear of the Lord is the basis of all knowledge. How can we understand life without knowing the most fundamental truth about it—that it is God’s creation?
Summary for Prov 1:8: 1:8–9:18 ^ao My child (Literally My son): Like other wisdom literature of the ancient Near East, much of chs 1–9 ^ap is a father’s (and occasionally, a mother’s) instruction to a son. Because the son is being trained to follow in his father’s profession, much of the teaching concerns the son’s occupation. The NLT usually translates the term as child, since the lessons are applicable to both sons and daughters.
Summary for Prov 1:8-19: 1:8-19 ^aq There are two paths (1:15 ^ar) in the book of Proverbs: a wise, just way and a foolish, evil way. The parents represent the wise way and encourage their child to follow it.
1:9 ^as crown you ... chain of honor: Ornaments often represent wisdom and its rewards (see also 3:22 ^at; 4:9 ^au). This imagery inspires readers to pursue wisdom with diligence.
Summary for Prov 1:10-19: 1:10-19 ^av The father warns his child not to join a gang of sinners in their plan to pounce on the innocent, for their evil actions will rebound on themselves (see 28:10 ^aw; Pss 9:15 ^ax; 35:8 ^ay). The evil way is a path of violence and robbery.
1:12 ^az like the grave: Hebrew like Sheol. In the Old Testament, Sheol is the abode of the dead. It is not necessarily associated with punishment.
Summary for Prov 1:17-19: 1:17-19 ^ba Birds will not go into an obvious trap, but greedy people will. By resorting to violence and robbery, they will be violently robbed of life. They might be killed in the attempt or executed when caught. Even if sinners prosper until the end of their lives, they will find judgment in death, while the righteous will be in God’s presence (see Ps 1 ^bb).
Summary for Prov 1:20-33: 1:20-33 ^bc The author personifies wisdom as a woman (the Hebrew noun translated wisdom, khokmah, is grammatically feminine) and encourages his son to embrace her (see 3:18 ^bd; 8:1–9:6 ^be).
1:22 ^bf Three main words in Proverbs describe those who lack God’s wisdom. Simpletons (Hebrew pethim) have not hardened themselves against God’s wisdom and are most open to correction (see 1:4 ^bg). Fools (Hebrew kesilim) have heard God’s wisdom but resist it. Mockers (Hebrew latsonim) not only resist wisdom but even ridicule it.
1:23 ^bh Wisdom invites all three groups (1:22 ^bi) to come so she can make them wise. An intimate relationship with Wisdom means entering an intimate relationship with God, the foundation of true knowledge (1:7 ^bj; see Job 28 ^bk).
Summary for Prov 1:24-27: 1:24-27 ^bl You ignored my advice—i.e., the call of God himself (see Ps 14 ^bm). God calls to us through creation (Ps 8 ^bn; Rom 1:18-20 ^bo) and Scripture (2 Tim 3:16-17 ^bp; 2 Pet 1:20-21 ^bq).
1:28 ^br I will not answer: If a person has not sought wisdom before calamity strikes, it is often too late to learn.
Summary for Prov 1:29-30: 1:29-30 ^bs they hated knowledge: There is no middle ground in the language of Proverbs. One either loves and embraces Wisdom or hates and rejects her.
1:31 ^bt Evil people suffer the consequences of their own actions (see 1:15-19 ^bu); God will ensure that sinners receive their proper punishment (see Matt 25:44-46 ^bv; Heb 10:29 ^bw; 2 Pet 2:9 ^bx).
1:33 ^by Truly wise people are untroubled by fear. They know that God is in control, and wisdom guides them in dealing with every situation.