Wisdom requires relationships.
The Book of Proverbs is a collection of biblical wisdom in the form of brief sayings based on God’s perspective on human life. The truth contained in these proverbs is not exhaustive, but it is potent. The memorable words found in this book are intended to make us stop and think, and hopefully to redirect our lives.
Far from a hodgepodge of random remarks, Proverbs is a carefully constructed guidebook for life prepared by some of ancient Israel’s most eminent wise men. These leaders sought to help people succeed in every part of life—relationships, family, business, ethics, government, community. If Psalms became Israel’s hymnbook for worship, Proverbs became its textbook for practical living.
Proverbs exemplifies a form of writing known as Wisdom Literature (see the introduction to Job). Each saying distills a common situation in life into clear-cut categories of right and wrong, giving instructions for pursuing good and avoiding evil. The goal is to help people attain righteous, meaningful, and successful lives. Wisdom is more than abstract knowledge; it is a developed skill for living (see “Wisdom” at Prov. 1:2). Ultimately, wisdom is found in fearing God, discerning what He wants, and doing it.
The sayings of Proverbs are not promises for success but rather observations about how life usually works. Their characteristic two-line form was by design. The lines of the couplet can reinforce each other (for example, Prov. 11:29; 15:10; 18:10), provide a contrast (for example, Prov. 12:22; 19:16; 28:11), provide a comparison (for example, Prov. 11:22; 18:11; 21:1), or complete a thought (for example, Prov. 17:12; 22:6; 30:5). This structure made the couplet easy to remember and teach. It summarized the wisdom of the ages in a way that everyone could understand.
This formulaic approach became especially useful during periods of national crisis, when life’s difficulties may have discouraged the people into believing that even the most basic truths were complicated and out of reach. During and after the Babylonian exile, for example, Jewish teachers are believed to have extensively used Proverbs to train their people to remember and practice God’s ways. This book may have been the primer on which leaders such as Zerubbabel (see his profile at Hag. 1:12), Nehemiah (see his profile at Neh. 1:1), and Esther (see her profile at Esth. 2:7) were raised.
Many Christians seek the wisdom of Proverbs by reading one chapter each day. These words have the power to radically reshape our thinking and behavior, strengthening both heart and mind to honor God. And it is putting God above all else that is the beginning of wisdom.
Most of the Book of Proverbs is attributed to Solomon (Prov. 1:1; 10:1; 25:1; see also Solomon’s profile at 1 Kin. 2:12), who is said to have spoken three thousand proverbs (1 Kin. 4:32). However, other writers also contributed to the collection:
• a group of sages simply called “the wise” (Prov. 22:17; 24:23),
• Agur (30:1), who may have been among “the wise,” and
• Lemuel (31:1), possibly an Ishmaelite king, whose sayings are originally those of his mother.
The Book of Proverbs was likely being collected in its final form during the time of Hezekiah (25:1; see also Hezekiah’s profile at 2 Chr. 29:1). This process probably continued into the Babylonian exile and may not have been completed until the middle of the fifth century B.C., after the Jews were resettled in their homeland.
Key Verses in Proverbs
• “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7).
• “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5, 6).
• “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14).
• “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov. 15:1).
• “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18).
• “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24).
• “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6).
• “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:1).
• “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies” (Prov. 31:10).