Proverbs

About this book

Proverbs is a book of practical wisdom, gathered so that people, especially the young, might learn to live well before God. It begins with a father urging his son to seek wisdom as one would seek treasure, and it personifies wisdom as a woman calling in the public square, in contrast to the seductive voice of folly. The center of the book is a long run of short sayings on work and laziness, money, speech, friendship, anger, justice and family life. These are observations about how life generally goes, not iron promises, and the book itself admits that the world is not always fair. Later sections add collections from other sages and end with the words of a queen mother and a portrait of a capable, industrious woman. Underneath everything is one conviction: reverence for the Lord is where knowledge starts. Wisdom here is not cleverness but a trained, humble way of living that fits the way God made the world.

Author

Largely Solomon, with sections credited to other sages, Agur and King Lemuel; the collection was edited over time, including in Hezekiah's era.

Date

Solomon's reign (10th century BC) for the core; collecting and editing continued into the 8th–5th centuries BC.

Audience

First the young in Israel, and any reader who wants to live wisely in daily life.

Themes

Outline

1. 1:1–9:18A father's call to wisdom
2. 10:1–22:16Solomon's sayings
3. 22:17–24:34Words of the wise
4. 25:1–29:27Sayings gathered under Hezekiah
5. 30:1–31:9Agur and Lemuel
6. 31:10–31:31The capable woman

Key verses