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Proverbs: Wisdom
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At times the book of Proverbs is very direct and earthy (cf. 6:6; 21:9; 25:16; 26:3). This is the nature of wisdom literature as it seeks pedagogically effective ways to illumine life situations and to guide the unwise (or not yet wise) into wise choices concerning how to shape their lives as members of the human community that lives under the scrutiny and the providential rule and care of the Creator (see essay, p. 970).
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The Bible Book of Proverbs is used to teach its reader about practical wisdom, discernment, discipline, and discretion. The development of skills in all areas of life are stressed, so that wisdom, knowledge and understanding will replace foolishness and evilness through dependence upon God. The key word throughout Proverbs is wisdom. King Solomon, considered to be the wisest man to have ever lived, wrote this Bible book. It is included in the poetic books of the Bible. Job, Psalms, Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes are the other four.
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The authorship of Proverbs has not been easy to determine. Solomon’s name appears in Proverbs 1:1, "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, King of Israel", although this does not necessarily mean that he was the author. It was often the custom to place the name of the King or someone of prominence in writings in order to honour them, or to give those writings more prestige. However, Solomon is often mentioned as someone who has extensive wisdom in the Bible as well as in extra-biblical literature. In 1 Kings 4:29-34, 3000 proverbs and over 1000 songs are said to have come from Solomon. It is ... said that people came from all over to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
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A close study of the present Hebrew Text of the Book of Proverbs proves that the primitive wording of the pithy sayings which make up this manual of Hebrew wisdom has experienced numerous alterations in the course of its transmission. Some of these imperfections have, with some probability, been assigned to the period during which the maxims of the "wise men" were preserved orally. Most of them belong undoubtedly to the time after these sententious or enigmatic sayings had been written down. The Book of Proverbs was numbered among the "Hagiographa" (writings held by the ancient Hebrews as less sacred and authoritative than either the "Law" or the "Prophets"), and, in consequence, copyists felt naturally less bound to transcribe its text with scrupulous accuracy. Again, the copyists of Proverbs knew, or at least thought they knew, by memory the exact words of the pithy sayings they had to write out; hence arose involuntary changes which, once introduced, were perpetuated or even added to by subsequent transcribers. Finally, the obscure or enigmatic character of a certain number of maxims led to the deliberate insertion of glosses in the text, so that primitive distichs now wrongly appear in the form of tristichs, etc.
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If Solomon is granted a prominent role in the book, most of Proverbs would stem from the tenth century b.c. during the time of Israel�s united kingdom. The peace and prosperity that characterized that era accord well with the development of reflective wisdom and the production of literary works. Moreover, several interpreters have noted that the 30 sayings of the wise in 22:17�24:22 (especially the first ten) contain similarities to the 30 sections of the Egyptian �Wisdom of Amenemope,� an instructional piece that is roughly contemporary with the time of Solomon (see chart, p. xxii). Likewise, the personification of wisdom so prominent in chs. 1�9 (see 1:20 and note; 3:15�18; 8:1�36; 9:1�12) can be compared with the personification of abstract ideas in both Mesopotamian and Egyptian writings of the second millennium b.c.
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Notes on Proverbs Thomas L. Constable points out that the quality of wisdom that Proverbs presents is much more than the ability to apply knowledge to various situations in life effectively. It ... involves submission to the way of God that is the order of life God has revealed as best for men and women.
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