Proverbs: An Introduction [Pamphlet]

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Excerpt: The book of Proverbs occupies a unique place within the canon of Scripture; there is no other book quite like it. Ecclesiastes may appear to be of a similar nature, but it considers a very different subject. Ecclesiastes is occupied with man’s search for meaning in this world; Proverbs, on the other hand, gives us God’s wisdom for our earthly pathway. In Ecclesiastes, the speaker acknowledges God, yet there is no known relationship with Him. In Proverbs, God is known in covenant relationship as Jehovah. Ecclesiastes is a gloomy book with little to lift our spirits; conversely, Proverbs offers happiness to the one who heeds its lessons. “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding” (Prov. 3:13). Ecclesiastes concludes with, “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13). Proverbs begins with, “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7). Morally, Proverbs follows Ecclesiastes. Interestingly, however, Proverbs appears to have been written early in Solomon’s life, whereas Ecclesiastes is the sum of his earthly experiences.

Although Solomon received wisdom from God and was the wisest of men (1 Kings 4:29), he had to come into the good of it the same way we do. In many instances Solomon failed to live up to that wisdom. We do well to learn from Solomon and his mistakes. “He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding” (Prov. 15:32). One raised in a Christian home does not simply inherit Christian virtues; he or she must come into the good of them through faith in God — if not, they become legal bondage. Many are under bondage because they have never bought the truth (Prov. 23:23); others have simply thrown off restraint: “Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint” (Prov. 29:18 JND).

Although Jehovah is God’s name of covenant relationship with His earthly people, we should not limit Proverbs’ lessons to Israel. It is only when we take a letter addressed to another and reinterpret it as if it were to ourselves that we run into problems. However, when we recognize to whom a letter is written, we can learn much from it without misapplying those things specific to the recipient. Remembering this will be helpful when interpreting certain proverbs.

Proverbs is not a book of laws; however, many of its maxims represent moral principles that can no more be escaped than the law of gravity can be defied. Proverbs considers God’s government, which, though not always evident, will ultimately be made good in righteousness. Proverbs touches upon all men and their conduct, whether they accept it or not. It is, however, especially addressed to those known to God. It leaves no aspect of life untouched; it speaks of personal conduct, relationships, money, neighbors, business dealings and governments.

In a short booklet such as this, it is not possible to provide a commentary on the entire book, but, rather, it is the author’s intent to examine major themes within the framework of a general outline.

General Outline

We receive the book of Proverbs as the Word of God; it is not a book of man’s philosophy, as, say, the writings of Confucius. While Solomon is the author of much of the book, the instruction given by Agur the son of Jake in chapter 30 does not appear to have been from his pen. It is also clear that it was not formed into the collection that we have today during Solomon’s reign. In chapter 25 we find a supplement to the proverbs of Solomon added at the direction of King Hezekiah: “These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out” (Prov. 25:1). In no way does this detract from its divine inspiration.

At first glance the book of Proverbs may seem to contain little structure — just one proverb after another. This makes its material rich and very accessible; a verse can generally be read and enjoyed without specific reference to context. However, the book is not entirely without structure; there are five clearly marked divisions.

Prov. 1-9 “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David ... ”

Prov. 10-24 “The proverbs of Solomon ... ”

Prov. 25-29 “These are also proverbs of Solomon ... ”

Prov. 30 “The words of Agur the son of Jake ... ”

Prov. 31 “The words of king Lemuel ... ”

The divisions have their own unique character and each have further groupings within them. While much of the book does not take the form of a continuous narrative, the first 9 chapters do. Recognizing this and reading them as a whole, enhances our understanding of this portion.