Proverbs in Biblical History

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Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Definitions in Biblical History
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What is Proverbs?
PROVERBS OF SOL'OMON
the name of one of the poetical books of the O.T.; so called from the contents and the chief author. 1. Contents.- The Proverbs are a collection of wise maxims woven into a didactic poem, and making up a popular system of ethics. They are a guide of practical wisdom, the moral philosophy of the Hebrews. We have a similar collection in the book of Jesus Sirach in the Apocrypha. The following are the principal parts: (a) The praise of Wisdom, chs. 1-9, a connected series of proverbs. Brief introduction. 1:1-6. The fundamental thought that all true wisdom comes from above and has its beginning in the fear of God. v. 7. Then short discourses on various topics of religion and morality, rewards of those who seek wisdom, admonitions to seek it, warning against the allurements of the strange woman, ch. 7; Wisdom's appeal to men, her claims, her relation to Jehovah, ch. 8, and her invitation to her feasts. Ch. 9. (b) The proverbs of Solomon, chs. 10-22:16, a collection of various maxims of an ethical and practical nature. (c) A connected series with precepts on justice and prudence. Ch. 22:17-24:22. (d) Unconnected proverbs of various wise men. Ch. 24:23-34. (e) Another collection of Proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied out. Chs. 25-29. (f) "The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh." Prov 30:1-33. Ancient interpreters take "Agur" to be a symbolic name of Solomon, like "Koheleth ;" but then he would not be called the son of Jakeh. Probably the real name of some Hebrew sage. (g) "The words of Lemuel the king, the prophecy that his mother taught him." Prov 31:1-9. "Lemuel" is perhaps a symbolical name for Solomon - i.e., he who is turned to God. (h) An alphabetical poem in praise of a virtuous woman. Prov 31:10-31. A real gem. 1. Poetic Form. - The poetic structure of the Proverbs is that of Hebrew parallelism in its various forms. They consist of single, double, triple, or more couplets, the members corresponding to each other in sense and diction, either synonymously or antithetically. Delitzsch calls them two-liners, four-liners, six-liners, eight-liners. The first section, chs. 10-22:16, contains exclusively two-liners. Besides these, there are a few three-liners, five-liners, and seven-liners, where the odd line is either a repetition of or a reason for the idea expressed in the first lines. A few specimens will make this clear. (a) Single synonymous couplets: "My son, forget not my law: And let thy heart "keep my commandments.-"-Ch. 3:1. "Whom Jehovah loveth he correcteth: Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."- Ch. 3:12. "Blessed the man who finds wisdom: And the man who obtains understanding."-CH. 3:13. (b) Single antithetic couplets: "A wise son maketh a glad father: But a foolish son is the grief of his mother."- Ch. 10:1. "Hatred stirreth up strifes: But love covereth all sins." Ch. 10:12. "The wages of the righteous is life: The gain of the wicked is sin." Ch. 10:16. 1. Author. - No doubt Solomon is the chief, but not the sole, author. He bears the same relation to the Proverbs as David does to the Psalms. He struck the keynote of proverbial poetry and philosophy, as David did of Hebrew psalmody. He was very famous as a composer of proverbs. 1 Kgs 4:29-34. Yet many of his "three thousand proverbs" were lost, and, on the other hand, the Proverbs of our canon contain various collections of a later date. The compilation was probably made at the time of Hezekiah. Prov 25:1. 2. Value. - The Proverbs contain a vast amount of wholesome lessons for all times. They have furnished the richest contributions to the proverbial dictionaries of all Christian nations. The proverbs of the Bible are far superior to those of any other collection of the kind, such as the Sayings of the Seven Wise Men of Greece, the Aurea Carmina, attributed to Pythagoras, the Remains of the Poetae Gnomici, the collection of Arabic proverbs. They bear the stamp of divine wisdom and inspiration. They abound in polished and sparkling gems. They contain the practical wisdom (chokma) of Israel. They trace wisdom to its true source, the fear of Jehovah. Ch. 1:7. Nothing can be finer than the description of Wisdom in the eighth chapter, where she is personified as the eternal companion and delight of God, and commended beyond all earthly treasures, Prov 8:11-21, Prov 8:34-35: "Wisdom is better than rubies, And no precious things compare with her. " I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge of wise counsels. "The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; Pride, haughtiness, and an evil way, And a perverse mouth, do I hate. "Counsel is mine, and reflection; I am understanding; I have strength. "By me kings reign. And princes decree justice; By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth. "I love them that love me;" And they that seek me early shall find me. "Riches and honor are with me. Yea, enduring riches and righteousness. "My fruit is better than gold, yea than refined gold; And my increase than choice silver. "I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the path of rectitude; To ensure abundance to those that love me, And to fill their storehouse. . . . "Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors! For whosoever findeth me findeth life; And shall obtain favor from Jehovah." The description of the model Hebrew woman in her domestic and social relations, Prov 31:10-31 (in the acrostic form), has no parallel for truthfulness and beauty in all ancient literature, and forms the appropriate close of this book of practical wisdom; for from the family, of which woman is the presiding genius, spring private and public virtue and national prosperity. PROVINCE is used in the sense of "tribe" in 1 Kgs 20:14-15, 1 Kgs 20:17.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'proverbs' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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