AUTHOR

Proverbs consists of different collections of wisdom sayings. While several of these collections are associated with King Solomon, his exact role in their preparation is uncertain. Solomon’s interest in wisdom is clear from 1 Kings 4:29-34, which indicates that he authored three thousand proverbs. It is likely that many of the proverbs in the book originated with Solomon, but given his interest in wisdom and the similarities between Proverbs 22:17–23:14 and a collection of proverbs from Egypt, it is also likely that some of the material in the book was collected by Solomon rather than authored by him. According to the statement in Proverbs 25:1, one of these collections was copied by the scribes of Hezekiah, and so our present book could not have been put into its present form until after 700 BC. Certain literary features make it likely that the book was compiled prior to the Babylonian exile.

A BOOK OF WISDOM

The literary forms designated by the Hebrew word translated “proverb” are considerably broader than what is conveyed by the English word proverb. They include concise sayings and riddles as well as longer poems such as the alphabet acrostic describing the excellent woman in Proverbs 31:10-31. Similar literary forms are found throughout the history of civilization and in virtually every culture. Apart from some explicitly theological material (for example, Pr 1:7; 2:5-8; 3:5-12; chap. 8; and 16:1-11,20), the material in Proverbs seems to reflect the conclusions of people as they carefully observed the world in an attempt to identify the basic patterns that operate in life.

According to Israelite thinking, the basis for such observations is the fact that God created the world and designed order into it, as Proverbs 3:19-20 and 8:22-31 make clear. Thus the Israelites were able to recognize the legitimacy of wisdom that came from sources outside Israel, as is clear from passages such as 1 Kings 4:30-31 and from references to non-Israelites noted for their wisdom. The Israelites would have had no innate objection to accepting the observations of non-Israelites into their wisdom tradition.

At the same time there are two qualifications Israel would have affirmed as essential. First, some “wisdom” that came from other cultures was derived from their religion and from practices we would describe as occult. Such activity was prohibited by the law, and Israel rejected the “wisdom” that resulted from such methods. Second, the fundamental context for the pursuit of wisdom is established by verses such as Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” The fear of the Lord involves recognizing who God is (the sovereign Creator of all things) and who we are (creatures made by God and accountable to him) and then living all of life with that awareness.

Israel also believed that the order designed into the world by God extended to the theological, moral, and ethical realms, and a failure to acknowledge God and his revelation in such matters had the potential for leading to significant error. The Lord had revealed himself to Israel through the Law and the Prophets, and Israel’s search for wisdom was set in the context of that special revelation and faith. Thus the seeker of wisdom must at the beginning recognize God as the Creator and Designer of the order in the world and acknowledge God’s authority over him. It is knowledge about God known through God’s self-revelation to Israel that puts a person into a right relationship with the reality he is trying to understand. It is also the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that come through God’s revelation in the Law and the Prophets that allow people to know important aspects of God’s order, especially as it pertains to truth about God, morals, and the like. Thus wisdom, whatever its origin, had to be consistent with God’s special revelation to Israel.

INTERPRETING PROVERBS

Some have raised objections to material in Proverbs because it seems to command a certain behavior but then commands a different, incompatible behavior elsewhere or because it makes a general promise that the Bible appears to contradict or qualify elsewhere. Proverbs also makes what appear to be comprehensive statements that seem to be contradicted by the realities of life (for example, proverbs that promise long life to the wise and righteous but a premature death for the wicked). An interpreter must be careful to interpret this material in a way that appropriately considers the nature of a proverb and the way its original audience would have understood it. Many objections reflect a failure to understand what a proverb is and how proverbs function in cultures that use them regularly.

The types of sayings found in Proverbs reflect a way of thinking and teaching that has been largely abandoned in modern Western culture. Proverbs are general statements of truth rather than invariable promises or laws, and an individual proverb normally captures a tiny cross section of truth rather than making a comprehensive statement about a topic. For example, “A gentle answer turns away anger” (15:1) constitutes one component of the broader topics of using words wisely and dealing with angry people. This single principle is one small piece of a much larger mosaic, and the task of the student is not only to put together the broader mosaic piece by piece but also to learn to apply these principles skillfully to the complexities that one encounters in life. The goal of the wisdom in Proverbs is to develop skill in living according to the order that is embedded in God’s creation.

Most proverbs state a single general truth with little attempt to note exceptions and qualifications. Such an approach effectively emphasizes the principle taught by avoiding the distraction of qualifications. The authors of proverbs also emphasized the points they wanted to make through the use of idealized examples and hyperbole. While the sluggard, for example, is a real character, he is described in exaggerated terms that set his basic characteristics in clear relief. One would probably never find someone who perfectly fits the descriptions of a sluggard, because the person whose picture emerges from putting together the various pieces of the sluggard mosaic in the book is a stereotypical character. The same is also true for the excellent woman in Proverbs 31 and for the wise man and for the fool described throughout the book.

When a pair of proverbs seems conflicting or even contradictory, the first proverb moves the reader in a certain direction, then the contrasting proverb provides a balancing principle to point the reader toward another dimension of the skill of living in a complex world. For example, Proverbs 26:4 says, “Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness or you’ll become like him yourself,” while the next verse says, “Answer a fool according to his foolishness, or he’ll become wise in his own eyes.” The student of wisdom recognizes that encounters with a fool require responses appropriate to that particular situation. The student also recognizes that a variety of other approaches between those extremes may be the wise response, and the student’s goal is to become the kind of wisdom craftsman who can frame the appropriate response no matter the situation he faces.

Likewise, the ambiguity that often characterizes proverbs reflects the same pedagogy and goals. The student of wisdom is challenged by the ambiguity to explore the possibilities for understanding the proverb along with the variety of situations in which the principle appropriately applies. The ambiguity also promotes ongoing reflection as to the legitimate limits for applying the principle.

While the book addresses a wide variety of issues, it gives considerable attention to matters such as the contrast between the wise person and the fool, the importance of virtues such as diligence and self-control, the importance of using words wisely, warnings about sexual immorality, the responsible use of money, priorities, and advice about proper behavior in a variety of social settings. Most proverbs deal with the general and the typical, but their goal is to equip people with the skills to apply wisdom to the particular experiences of life.