Instructor: Mr.
Watson
Understanding Proverbs
The Rebellious Proverbist:
Solomon was Israel’s pop-icon and international king who was notorious for his wisdom and wealth (1 Kings
10:23), as well as his wives (700 wives and 300 concubines – 1 Kings 11:3) and his rebellion against God. Part of
Solomon’s disobedience was his alliance and love for “Egypt” (Deut. 17:16). Ancient Egypt was known for their
power, wealth, religion, and for their proverbs. 1 Kings 4:32 tells us that Solomon “spoke three thousand
proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.” Adopting a proverbial style of communicating truth from
Egypt was one thing, but unfortunately, Solomon’s love and mimicking of Ancient Egypt did not stop there. He
married their women (1 Kings 3:1), received gifts from their blood-bath conquests of power (1 Kings 9:15-16);
worshipped their gods (1 Kings 11:1-4), and even enslaved people, like Egypt did (1 Kings 4:6;5:13;
9:15). Needless to say, though he began well, Solomon was not a good guy. However, he was granted wisdom
and favor early on, and “Solomonic Proverbs” were passed on throughout the years, kept, and eventually written
down.
The Writer of Proverbs:
Undoubtedly, much of the book of Proverbs are “Solomonic” but he is not the author of the book. Proverbs is a
collection of sayings and writings (specially from parents/fathers to children/sons) from a number of writers –
King Hezekiah, Agur, and Lemuel (a non-Israelite). As Tremper Longman puts it, “…the book of Proverbs is actually
a collection or anthology that has the following form: Preamble (1:1-7), Extended Discourse on Wisdom (1:8-9:18),
Solomonic Proverbs (10:1-22:16; 25:!-29:27), Sayings of the Wise (22:17-24:34), Sayings of Agur (30:1-33), Sayings
of Lemuel (31:1-9), and the Poem of the Virtuous Woman (31:10-31).
Practical Shalom:
So Proverbs is a collection of writings but for what purpose? One distinction to make is that Proverbs not at all
the same as the Law or the Prophets. The difference is one of emphasis rather than basic orientation.
The Law and the Prophets lay their stress on the covenant people as a whole, called to show the world what
shalom (restored humanity) can be; Proverbs focuses on what shalom (restoration) should look like in day-to-day
behavior and in personal character.
Proverbial Wisdom for Everyday Stuff:
A key term in Proverbs is of course “wisdom.” The word (Hb. khokmah) can have the nuance of “skill” (as it does
in Ex. 28:3), particularly the skill of choosing what is right and truly beneficial. In the covenantal framework of
Proverbs, it denotes skill in the art of godly or shalom living. As Eugene Peterson described it, “Wisdom is the art
of living skillfully in whatever actual conditions we find ourselves…Wisdom has to do with becoming skillful in
honoring our parents and raising our children, handling our money and conducting our sexual lives, going to work
and exercising leadership, using words well and treating friends kindly, eating and drinking healthily, cultivating
emotions within ourselves and attitudes toward others that make for peace.”
Proverbs are general principles – not universal rules or promises - covering a wide array of topics from daily life:
diligence and laziness (6:6–11); friendship (3:27–28; 18:24); speech (10:19–21); marriage (18:22; 19:14); child
rearing (22:6); domestic peace (15:17; 17:1); work (11:1); getting along and good manners (23:1–2; 25:16–17;
26:17–19; 27:14); eternity (14:32; 23:17–18); and much more.
From The ESV Study Bible’s Introduction to Proverbs:
In each of these areas it offers wisdom for realizing the life of the covenant in the details; it shows that “godliness
is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:8). It
demonstrates clearly that:
1. God's will is intensely practical, applying to every aspect of his people's lives. A proper relation to God
involves, first, trying hard to understand his truth, and then embracing and obeying what one
understands.
2. A life lived by God's will is a happy life (3:21–26).
3. A life lived by God's will is a useful life (3:27–28; 12:18, 25).
4. A life lived by God's will does not just happen; one must seek after it, study, pursue it, and discipline
oneself.
5. Such a life is available to those who go after it (9:1–6).
