Bible 101: Lesson 18

Proverbs

The word “Proverb: could also be translated “parable” or “saying”. A proverb is a short, pithy statement that stands on its own and expresses a timeless truth. Most often, it expresses a piece of wisdom about the right way to live one’s life. The book of Proverbs is classified as wisdom literature, and, with Psalms, stands as the other most loved book of the Old Testament, if not the entire Bible.

Hebrew wisdom is very practical and down to earth; never abstract or theoretical. The focus is everyday life, so the range of subjects is very broad. Wisdom has to do with how we honor our parents and raise our children; how we handle our money and conduct our sexual lives; with going to work and exercising leadership; using words well and treating friends kindly; eating and drinking healthily; cultivating emotions and attitudes that lead to peace; and, above all, how we think of and respond to God. Many of the proverbs are not particularly spiritual, but on of the most famous proverbs states that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (1:7; 9:10) All of the proverbs express a wisdom that is based on the understanding that God is in control, a person will reap what they sow, and all of us will answersome day for our deeds. The book of Proverbs proves conclusively that the here and now, the practical and down-to-earth is viewed as sacred in the Bible.

Proverbs, like Psalms, was written by different authors. Solomon contributed the most and is known to have spoken 3,000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:2). However, many of the proverbs have other authors or are anonymous, probably coming from oral tradition. The book continued to be added to long after Solomon’s day (25:1) and was probably made final only after the return from Babylonian exile.

Contains no messianic prophecies.