The Book of Proverbs, Background
Quick Run-Down
Wisdom!
What the book of Proverbs is all about. Just like the Gospel, wisdom is vast
and we learn that in this book. The book is a collection of moral and religious
teachings in the form of sayings and proverbs. Much of it has to do with
practical, everyday concerns hinging on the reminder that “To have knowledge,
you must first have reverence for the Lord.” The sayings further deal with
matters not only of religious morality, but also of common sense and good
manners. Its many short sayings reveal the insights of ancient Israelite
teachings about what a wise person will do in certain situations.
The
piths of the Proverbs are incredibly practical and readily applicable, dealing
with family relations, others, business dealings all the way to addressing
social etiquette and relationships. Self-control is of equal importance – a
remedy especially applicable in our time. Much is said about the qualities of
humility, patience, respect for the poor, and loyalty to friends.
Title
The title in the Hebrew Bible is “The Proverbs of
Solomon” (1:1), as also in the Greek Septuagint (LXX). Proverbs pulls together
the most important 513 of the over 3,000 proverbs pondered by Solomon (1Ki
4:32; Ecc 12:9), along with some proverbs of others whom Solomon likely influenced.
The word “proverb” means “to be like,” thus Proverbs is a book of comparisons
between common, concrete images and life’s most profound truths. Proverbs are
simple, moral statements (or illustrations) that highlight and teach
fundamental realities about life. Solomon sought God’s wisdom (2Ch 1:8-12) and
offered “pithy sayings” designed to make men contemplate 1) the fear of God and
2) living by His wisdom (1:7; 9:10). The sum of this wisdom is personified in
the Lord Jesus Christ (1Co 1:30).
Author and Date
The phrase “Proverbs of Solomon” is more a title than an
absolute statement of authorship (1:1). While King Solomon, who ruled Israel
from 971-931 B.C. and was granted great wisdom by God (see 1Ki 4:29-34), is the
author of the didactic section (chaps. 1-9) and the proverbs of 10:1-22:16, he
is likely only the compiler of the “sayings of the wise” in 22:17-24:34, which
are of an uncertain date before Solomon’s reign. The collection in chaps. 25-29
was originally composed by Solomon (25:1) but copied and included later by
Judah’s king Hezekiah (ca. 715-686 B.C.). Chapter 30 reflects the words of Agur
and chap. 31 the words of Lemuel, who perhaps was Solomon. Proverbs was not
assembled in its final form until Hezekiah’s day or after. Solomon authored his
proverbs before his heart was turned away from God (1Ki 11:1-11), since the
book reveals a godly perspective and is addressed to the “naïve” and “young”
that need to learn and learn the fear of God. Solomon also wrote Psalms 72 and
127, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
Background and Setting
The book reflects a 3-fold setting as: 1) general wisdom
literature; 2) insights from the royal court; and 3) instruction offered in the
tender relationship of a father and mother with their children, all designed to
produce meditation on God. Since Proverbs is Wisdom literature, by nature it is
sometimes difficult to understand (1:6). Wisdom literature is part of the whole
of the OT truth; the Priest gave the Law,
the Prophet gave a Word from the
Lord, and the Sage (or wise man) gave his wise Counsel (Jer 18:18; Eze 7:26). In Proverbs, Solomon the Sage gives
insight into the “knotty” issues of life (1:6), which are not directly
addressed in the Law or the Prophets. Though it is practical, Proverbs is not
superficial or external because it contains moral and ethical elements
stressing upright living, which flow out of a right relationship with God. In
4:1-4, Solomon connected 3 generations as he entrusted to his son Rehoboam what
he learned at the feet of David and Bathsheba. Proverbs is both a pattern for
the tender impartation of truth from generation to generation, as well as a
vast resource for the content of the truth to be imparted. Proverbs contains
the principles and applications of Scripture, which the godly characters of the
Bible illustrate in their lives.
Historical and Theological
Themes
Solomon came to the throne with great promise, privilege,
and opportunity. God had granted his request for understanding (1Ki 3:9-12; 2Ch
10 and 12), and his wisdom exceeded all others (1Ki 4:29-31). However, the
shocking reality is that he failed to live out the truth that he knew and even
taught his son Rehoboam (1Ki 11:1,4,6,7-11), who subsequently rejected his
father’s teaching (1Ki 12:6-11).
Proverbs contains a gold mine of biblical theology,
reflecting themes of Scripture brought to the level of practical righteousness
(1:3), by addressing man’s ethical choices, calling into question how he
thinks, lives, and manages his daily life in light of divine truth. More specifically,
Proverbs calls man to live as the Creator intended him to live when He made man
(Ps 90:1,2,12).
The recurring promise of Proverbs is that generally the
wise (the righteous obey God) live longer (9:11), prosper (2:20-22), experience
joy (3:13-18) and the goodness of God temporally (12:21), while fools suffer
shame (3:35) and death (10:21). On the other hand, it must be remembered that
this general principle is balanced by the reality that the wicked sometimes
prosper (Ps 73:3,12), though only temporarily (Ps 73:17-19). Job illustrates
that there are occasions when the godly wise are struck with disaster and
suffering.
There are a number of important themes addressed in
Proverbs, which are offered in random order and address different topics, so
that it is helpful to study the proverbs thematically as illustrated.
I. Man’s
Relationship to God
A. His
Trust (Pr 22:19)
B. His
Humility (Pr 3:34)
C. His
Fear of God (Pr 1:7)
D. His
Righteousness (Pr 10:25)
E. His
Sin (Pr 28:13)
F. His
Obedience (Pr 6:23)
G.
Facing Reward (Pr 12:28)
H.
Facing Tests (Pr 17:23)
I.
Facing Blessing (Pr 10:22)
J.
Facing Death (Pr 15:11)
II. Man’s
Relationship to Himself
A. His
Character (Pr 20:11)
B. His
Wisdom (Pr 1:5)
C. His
Foolishness (Pr 26:10,11)
D. His
Speech (Pr 18:21)
E. His
Self Control (Pr 6:9-11)
F. His
Kindness (Pr 3:3)
G. His
Wealth (Pr 11:4)
H. His
Pride (Pr 27:1)
I. His
Anger (Pr 29:11)
J. His
Laziness (Pr 13:4)
III. Man’s
Relationship to Others
A. His
Love (Pr 8:17)
B. His
Friends (Pr 17:17)
C. His
Enemies (Pr 16:7)
D. His
Truthfulness (Pr 23:23)
E. His
Gossip (Pr 20:19)
F. As
a Father (Pr 20:7; 31:2-9)
G. As
a Mother (Pr 31:10-31)
H. As
Children (Pr 3:1-3)
I. In
Educating Children (Pr 4:1-4)
J. In
Disciplining Children (Pr 22:6)
The two major themes, interwoven and overlapping
throughout Proverbs are wisdom and folly. Wisdom, which includes knowledge,
understanding, instruction, discretion, and obedience, is built on the fear of
the Lord and the Word of God. Folly is everything opposite to wisdom.
Interpretive Challenges
The first challenge is the generally illusive nature of
Wisdom literature itself. Like the parables, the intended truths are often
veiled from understanding if given only a cursory glance, and thus must be
pondered in the heart (1:6; 2:1-4; 4:4-9).
Another challenge is the extensive use of parallelism,
which is the placing of truths side by side so that the second line expands,
completes, defines, emphasizes, or reaches the logical conclusion, the ultimate
end, or, in some cases, the contrasting point of view. Often the actual
parallel is only implied. For example, 12:13 contains an unstated, but clearly
implied parallel, in that the righteous one comes through trouble because of
his virtuous speech (cf. 28:7). In interpreting the Proverbs, one must: 1)
determine the parallelism and often complete what is assumed and not stated by
the author; 2) identify the figures of speech and rephrase the thought without
those figures; 3) summarize the lesson or principle of the proverb in a few
words; 4) describe the behavior that is taught; and 5) find examples inside
Scripture.
Challenges are also found in the various contexts of
Proverbs, all of which affect interpretation and understanding. First, there is
the setting in which they are spoken; this is largely the context of the young
men in the royal court of the king. Second, there is the setting of the book as
a whole and how its teachings are to be understood in light of the rest of
Scripture. For example, there is much to be gained by comparing the wisdom
Solomon taught with the wisdom Christ personified. Third, there is the
historical context in which the principles and truths draw on illustrations from
their own day.
A final area of challenge comes in understanding that
proverbs are divine guidelines and wise observations, i.e., teaching underlying
principles (24:3,4) which are not always inflexible laws or absolute promises.
These expressions of general truth (cf. 10:27; 22:4) generally do have
“exceptions,” due to the uncertainty of life and unpredictable behavior of
fallen men. God does not guarantee uniform outcome or application for each
proverb, but in studying them and applying them, one comes to contemplate the
mind of God, His character, His attributes, His works, and His blessings. All
of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge expressed in Proverbs are hidden in
Christ (Col 2:3).
Outline
I. Prologue
(1:1-7)
A.
Title (1:1)
B.
Purpose (1:2-6)
C.
Theme (1:7)
II. Praise and
Wisdom to the Young (1:8-9:18)
III. Proverbs for
Everyone (10:1-29:27)
A. From Solomon (10:1-22:16)
B.
From Wise Men (22:17-24:34)
C.
From Solomon Collected by Hezekiah (25:1-29:27)
IV. Personal Notes
(30:1-31:31)
A.
From Agur (30:1-33)
B.
From Lemuel (31:1-31)
