Proverbs

One of the Books of the Bible in the Old Testament.

Basics

• Author: Most are the proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, explicitly attributed in Proverbs 1 and 10. Proverbs 25 says they are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied. Proverbs 30 is the words of Agur son of Jakeh. Proverbs 31 is the oracle taught to King Lemuel by his mother. Proverbs 24:23 says, "These also are sayings of the wise."
• Length: 31 chapters
• Order: Psalm > Proverbs > Ecclesiastes

(The ESV Study Bible^TM, English Standard Version (ESV) by Crossway Bibles, 2007. Page ???)

Literary Quality

Obviously Proverbs's contents are predominantly the proverb. Old Testament Wisdom Literature is written in a predominantly poetic form. Even the prose is poetic in effect. Imagery, metaphor, and simile are employed. Parallelism lends an aphoristic effect.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. The Bible as Literature by Leland Ryken, Page 144-145)

Proverbs Outline, Proverbs Summary

• To know wisdom and instruction, / to understand words of insight,
• to receive instruction in wise dealing, / in righteousness, justice, and equity;
• to give prudence to the simple, / knowledge and discretion to the youth—
• Let the wise hear and increase in learning, / and the one who understands obtain guidance,
• to understand a proverb and a saying, / the words of the wise and their riddles.
• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; / fools despise wisdom and instruction.

1-3 is by King Solomon, written to his son. He addresses 4 to his sons.

Topics

Figures

• The adulteress, the forbidden woman
• My son
• Solomon, son of David, king of Israel
• Wisdom

Peoples

• Fools
• The humble
• The innocent
• His saints
• Scoffers
• Scourners
• The simple, simple ones
• Sinners
• The treacherous
• The upright
• The wicked
• The wise
• The youth

Places

• The pit
• Sheol

Other

• Anguish
• Calamity
• Commandments
• Complacency
• Counsel
• Covenant
• Crooked paths
• Disaster
• Discipline
• Discretion
• Distress
• Dread
• Ear
• Equity
• Evil
• Father
• Fear of the Lord
• Fruit
• Good
• Greed
• Guidance
• Hand
• Heart
• Insight
• Instruction
• Integrity
• Justice
• Knowledge
• Learning
• Mother
• Perversion, perverted speech, perverseness of evil
• Proverb, saying, riddle, words of the wise
• Prudence
• Reproof
• Righteousness
• Scoffing
• Security, secure
• Shield
• Silver
• Soul
• Teaching
• Terror
• Treasure
• Tree of Life
• Turning away
• Understanding
• Wisdom

Verses

• Proverbs 1:7 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; / fools despise wisdom and instruction.
• Proverbs 1:22 - “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? / How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing / and fools hate knowledge?"
• Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, / and do not lean on your own understanding. / In all your ways acknowledge him, / and he will make straight your paths.
• Proverbs 15:1 - A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.