Intro to Proverbs

Rev. Troy Dennis, 2006

Author and Background

The book of Proverbs is a gem of wisdom and helpfulness for the believer. It is jam-packed with sage advice on relationships, the value of hard work, character, fairness in business, the foolishness of pride and anger, compassion for the poor, the dangers of strong drink, and the perils of adultery, among many other topics.

The book was written in part and compiled at first by King Solomon. The first verse of the book tells us that these are “The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel...” Solomon was very wise and well-known in the ancient world for his wisdom (1Kings 4:29-34). 1 Kings 10 tells us that the queen of Sheba travelled far because of his reputation. Upon hearing him she was so impressed she presented him with very generous gifts.

Not all of Solomon’s wisdom was recorded in the book during his lifetime. About 230 years after his death, a number of his sayings were discovered during Hezekiah’s reign. These were added, as the inscription in 25:1 tells us.

We also know that others contributed sayings to the book. Agur son of Jakeh is mentioned in 30:1, as is King Lemuel in 31:1. We know nothing about these two men other than what the verses mention. However, their wisdom was recognized and fit both the tone and theology of Israel.

Reading the Proverbs

A proverb is a short, catchy saying about human nature and life. Proverbs often involve metaphors and so the Hebrew word for proverb also means “comparison.” Solomon originally used them for training his palace servants and government officials, but they were certainly not restricted to this use only.

It is important to remember some very important facts about proverbs as we read them. First of all, they were written as Hebrew poetry. As we open our modern translations of the Bible to Proverbs, we see immediately that the text is not lined up in paragraphs. Rather, the lines are often indented. This reflects the poetry. An indented line means that the thought goes with the one above it.

The basic form of Hebrew poetry is the doublet, or two lines written together. Occasionally, three lines are found together (ex. 1:11). This is for emphasis, designed to make the reader take note. However, the doublet is by far the most common form.

Here is how a doublet works. The first line establishes a basic thought. The second line fills out the saying. The overall meaning of the saying is not to be found as much in individual words as it is in the picture created as we take the two lines together.

The second line of the doublet will do one of three things. It will either confirm the first line, add to it, or contradict it. If it says the same thing using different words, we call it a synonymous parallel.  We see examples of this is verses like 1:8: “Listen, my son, to your father's instruction / and do not forsake your mother's teaching.” The picture here is of a child listening to his parents as they have raised him. The admonitions to “listen” and “not to forsake” are synonymous expressions to follow our parents’ wise advice. As far as the poetry is concerned, there is no distinction in meaning between “instruction” and “teaching,” nor between “father” and “mother.”

When the second line of the doublet adds to the first by expanding and building upon it, we call this a synthetic parallel. The key to understanding this is to remember that “synthesis” means “made up of different parts.” We see an example of this in 1:10: “My son, if sinners entice you /     do not give in to them.”

Let’s go on to the next verse (1:11) to continue the thought. “If they say, ‘Come along with us / let's lie in wait for someone's blood / let's waylay some harmless soul.’” This is a triplet and so we see two different kinds of parallels. The second line builds on the first, so it is synthetic. The third line says the same thing as the second, so it is synonymous. Taken as a whole, we see the advice not to fall in with bad company.

Finally, when the second line of the doublet says the opposite of the first, this is called an “antithetic” parallel. 11:1 says, “The LORD abhors dishonest scales / but accurate weights are his delight.” The second line has two contradictory elements: “abhor” VS “delight” and “dishonest” VS “accurate.” Again, the meaning is found in the picture. God desires honesty in business.

Once we understand these three types of parallels, we are well-equipped to understand not only Proverbs, but a large portion of the Old Testament. Books like Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and almost all of the prophets are written in poetic form.

A Warning

We must be careful not to see the whole of truth about a subject in a single proverb. For example, 22:6 is often quoted as a promise to faithful parents. “Train a child in the way he should go /  and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Because of this verse many parents have asked themselves what they did wrong after their children went astray. However, it is important to note that the verse is not a promise, nor is it the whole truth about parenting. We need to remember other proverbs like 17:21 “To have a fool for a son brings grief / there is no joy for the father of a fool.” Both are true. We must be careful to raise our children properly, AND some children grow up to be foolish despite the best of parents. “

Outline

1-9       The Importance of Wisdom

10-24   The Proverbs of Solomon

            10:1-22:16       singles sayings re: morality and living with wisdom

            22:17-24:22     “Sayings of the Wise”

            24:23-34          “Further Sayings of the Wise”

25-29   More Proverbs of Solomon

30        Sayings of Agur

31:1-9  Sayings of Lemuel

31:10f  The Wife of Noble Character

Copyright Troy Dennis 2006. Rev. Troy Dennis is a pastor and writer. His weekly letter on faith and character can be found at www.onfireletter.com.