Proverbs

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Proverbs How to live in God’s World

Approaching Proverbs •

What was the authorship and date of Proverbs?

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How is the Book of Proverbs arranged?

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What are the key theological issues in the Proverbs?

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How does Proverbs point us to Jesus and the NT?

Approaching Proverbs •

What was the authorship and date of Proverbs? •

The book opens with an attribution of the whole to Solomon (1:1). •

And yet, it is clear from the contents that other authors and editors are included in Proverbs (25:1; 30:1; 31:1).

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So, in what sense is Solomon the author of Proverbs? •

Solomon authored the large bulk of the material (10:1-22:16, 25:1-29:27)

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He was the representative of the wisdom tradition and was a known collector of proverbs; this book is a summary of that material (1 Kings 4:29-34)

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There was clearly a later editor, since Hezekiah’s collection serves as a source of material (25:1-29:27).

Approaching Proverbs •

What was the authorship and date of Proverbs? •

In fact, Solomon and Hezekiah provide us with the only sure dates for the book: Solomon reigned 970-930 BC and Hezekiah reigned 715-686 BC.

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And so, the material likely fits into that time span, especially because later Jewish wisdom literature (such as Sirach and Wisdom of Solomon) look nothing like the material found in Proverbs, in terms of form or content.

Approaching Proverbs •

How is the Book of Proverbs arranged? •

Proverbs is an anthology of sorts—seven “books” of wisdom and proverbial sayings.

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The prologue sets forward the goal, method, and summary motto of the entire book (1:2-7): •

Goal: “To know wisdom and instruction” (1:2)

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Method: “To understand a proverb and a saying” (1:6)

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Summary motto: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (1:7)

Approaching Proverbs •

How is the Book of Proverbs arranged? •

The extended discourses on wisdom (1:8-9:18) have been arranged variously: some see 10-15 different appeals/sections; others see units, but no overarching structure. •

Key in this section are the personification of Wisdom (1:20-33; chaps. 8-9); the “fatherly” appeals to seek wisdom (2-4); and the warnings against adultery (5-7).

Approaching Proverbs •

How is the Book of Proverbs arranged? •

The Proverbs of Solomon (10:1-22:16) form the central section of the book. •

They utilize a form called “bicola”—two line wisdom statements. 90% of the proverbs in this section are “antithetical,” serving to contrast wisdom with folly.

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There is no obvious structure to the section, but an almost haphazard arrangement. There are small sections of proverbs collected together but those mini-collections are rare.

Approaching Proverbs •

How is the Book of Proverbs arranged? •

The thirty “sayings of the wise” (22:17-24:22) •

This section—that doesn’t have a clear author (“hear the words of the wise”)— divides into thirty discrete sayings (see the ESV Study Bible—the notes break down these sayings with comments).

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The section appears to have strong parallels with an Egyptian collection of Proverbs, the Instruction of Amenemope, which dates from around 1200 BC. •

Would it be surprising for Egyptian proverbs to show up here? No, because it seems that Lemuel and perhaps Agur were non-Israelites as well; and because Solomon collected materials from all over the ANE world.

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What does that mean for biblical inspiration? It means that these materials, modified by the editor who included them, were consonant with the goal, method, and summary motto of the book and hence included under divine inspiration

Approaching Proverbs •

How is the Book of Proverbs arranged? •

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Hezekiah’s collection of Solomonic Proverbs (25:1-29:27) •

From the heading (25:1), it is clear that Hezekiah’s scribes collected these, perhaps as part of Hezekiah’s religious reforms.

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Many deal with leadership, rulers, and the work of kings (e.g. 25:2, 3, 6, 8-9, 15, etc).

The sayings of Agur (30:1-33)—not sure who Agur was; he may have been Akkadian, hence Gentile. •

The form of these sayings often is marked by the reputation of numerical sayings, e.g. “There are three things that are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand” (30:18)

Approaching Proverbs •

How is the Book of Proverbs arranged? •

In some ways, Proverbs 31 serves as a bracket with Proverbs 1: •

1:8-19: a father appeals to his son to seek wisdom by avoiding those committed to violence; 31:1-9: a mother appeals to her son to pursue wisdom by avoiding wayward women and strong drink.

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1:20-33: Lady Wisdom calls out to her people to seek her; 31:10-31: Lady Wisdom personified in an acrostic framework—showing what wisdom looks like “from A to Z.”

Approaching Proverbs •

What are the key theological issues in the Proverbs? •

Interpreting individual Proverbs •

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A proverb is a succinct and persuasive saying proven generally true by experience. •

Proverbs are not promises (Prov 22:6)

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Proverbs are not commands (Prov 22:24-25; 24:27)

A proverb, then, means to convey wisdom •

They intend to show how to live in ways that express “fear of the Lord” and avoid “folly,” which is having no fear of the Lord (cf. Psalm 14:1).

Approaching Proverbs •

What are the key theological issues in the Proverbs? •

Interpreting Proverbs as a whole •

While Proverbs 10-31 doesn’t mention God much and while the entire book doesn’t have key OT themes explicit (covenant; redemption; law), that doesn’t mean that this merely “secular” wisdom.

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Proverbs 1:1-7 and 1:8-9:18 serve as the interpretative grid for chaps. 10-31. •

The goal, method, and motto of 1:1-7 serve to guide the approach— 10-31 express what it looks like to “fear the Lord”

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The contrast between the Ladies Wisdom and Folly, especially in Prov 8-9 also help us understand the rest—those who are wise are those who fear the Lord and embody Lady Wisdom.

Approaching Proverbs •

What are the key theological issues in the Proverbs? •

Themes in Proverbs: •

The Proverbs cover a range of themes that spell out what a life looks like when one fears the Lord

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They also repeatedly show what happens when one doesn’t fear the Lord.

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They offer instruction about how to engage with rulers, peers, wise, and fools (e.g. 26:4-5)

Selected themes in Proverbs Diligence and Laziness

10:5, 26; 12:27

Friendship

3:27-28; 18:24

Speech

10:11, 13, 18-21; 13:3

Marriage

12:4; 18:22; 19:14

Child rearing

13:24; 22:6

Domestic peace

15:17, 17:1

Honesty

11:1, 12:17, 19-22, 13:5

Good manners

23:1-2, 25:16-17; 26:17-19; 27:14

Genorosity

11:24

Humility

12:9

Approaching Proverbs •

How does Proverbs point us to Jesus and the NT? •

Jesus is God’s Wisdom (1 Cor 1:30) •

As the “firstborn of all creation” (Col 1:15), he personifies the Wisdom with which God created all things (Prov 8:22:23).

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Jesus refers to himself as Wisdom (Matt 12:19)

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He is the one in whom the treasures of wisdom are hidden (Col 2:3)

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He spoke in “parables” (the Greek word is related to the Hebrew word that is translated “proverbs”), a wisdom form.

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He embodies and models what it looks like when one lives wisely, in the fear of the Lord.