Notes on Proverbs

Notes on

Proverbs

2020 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable

TITLE

The title of this book in the Hebrew Bible is "The Proverbs of Solomon, the Son of David, King in Israel" (cf. 1:1). The Greek Septuagint called this book "Proverbs of Solomon." The Latin Vulgate named it "The Book of Proverbs." Translators of English Bibles place Proverbs among the poetic books (Psalms--Song of Solomon), whereas in the Hebrew Bible it is found among the "Writings," the third and final major section.

There is some debate about whether 1:1 is the title of the whole book or just the title of the first major section (chs. 1--9). The first view has in its favor the fact that the Hebrew Bible took the verse as the title of the book. According to this view the references to Solomon in 1:1 are an indication that he was the primary author of the proverbs in the book.1 The second view is that 1:1 simply introduces the first major section of the book.2 The support for this view is that some succeeding sections begin with a similar caption (cf. 10:1; 24:23; 25:1; 30:1; 31:1). However, chapters 1--9 do not contain "proverbs" as such, but longer wisdom speeches. In either case, the book got its title from the proverbs it contains. The whole book is a book of proverbs and wise sayings, so the title is appropriate.

WRITER

Proverbs claims to be a compendium of the wise sayings of several different individuals. Only Proverbs and Psalms in the Old Testament claim composite

1See Derek Kidner, The Proverbs, p. 22. 2See Edward J. Young, An Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 328, who believed that 22:17 also contains a heading.

Copyright ? 2020 by Thomas L. Constable



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authorship for themselves. Solomon originated or collected most of the proverbs (10:1--22:16 and chs. 25--29 definitely, and probably chs. 1-- 9 as well).1 Unnamed wise men (sages) wrote other parts (22:17--24:34 definitely, and possibly chs. 1--9). Hezekiah's men copied some of Solomon's proverbs and added them to this collection (chs. 25--29). Agur and King Lemuel produced chapters 30 and 31 respectively. We do not know who the sages were who wrote 22:17--24:34, nor do we know the names of the men whom King Hezekiah instructed to compile some of Solomon's sayings. Agur and Lemuel are unknown to us also, though Lemuel seems to have been a non-Israelite monarch.2

Some of the proverbs appear to have been copied from, or at least influenced by, earlier ancient Near Eastern books of wisdom.3

"... whatever the Spirit of God inspired the ancient writers to include became a part of the Word of the Lord. Such inclusions then took on a new and greater meaning when they formed part of Scripture; in a word, they became authoritative and binding, part of the communication of the divine will."4

"The opinion ... of R. [Rabbi] Jonathan, that Solomon first composed the Canticles, then the Proverbs, and last of all Ecclesiastes, inasmuch as the first corresponds with the spring-time of youth, the second with the wisdom of manhood, and the third with the disappointment of old age, is founded on the supposition of the unity of the book and of its Solomonic authorship."5

1See Andrew E. Steinmann, "Proverbs 1--9 as a Solomonic Composition," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 43:4 (December 2000):659-74. 2See my comments on 31:1. 3See Jack Finegan, Light from the Ancient Past, pp. 123-25; W. F. Albright, Archaeology and the Religion of Israel, p. 15; Michael V. Fox, Proverbs 1--9, pp. 17-23; Allen P. Ross, "Proverbs," in Psalms-Song of Songs, vol. 5 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary, pp. 88386; Roland E. Murphy, Proverbs, pp. 290-94; Tremper Longman III, Proverbs, pp. 42-56. 4Murphy, pp. 885-86. 5Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Proverbs of Solomon, 1:1-2.

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DATE

Solomon reigned from 971 to 931 B.C. and Hezekiah from 715 to 686 B.C.1 We do not know when the sages, Agur, or Lemuel lived. The earliest the Book of Proverbs could have been in its final form was in Hezekiah's day, but it may have reached this stage later than that. We have no way to tell. The contents of the book could have been in existence in Solomon's lifetime, though not assembled into the collection we know as the Book of Proverbs.

According to 1 Kings 4:32, Solomon "spoke" (Heb. dbr) 3,000 proverbs. The Book of Proverbs only contains a total of 800 proverbs.2 That Solomon "spoke" or "uttered" them does not necessarily mean that he "composed" (NRSV) them. Probably the proverbs of Solomon recorded in the Book of Proverbs are ones that he collected, some of which he may have composed but others of which he obtained from other sources.3

GENRE

"Knowledge of the genre is essential to the interpretation."4

"As we look at the contents of Proverbs, we see more than one type of genre in the book. For instance, we immediately sense a difference between chaps. 1--9 and 10--31. The former is made up of discourses or speeches, while the latter are closer to what we call proverbs in English."5

Proverbs are a distinctive genre (type of literature). The Hebrew word translated "proverb" (masal) essentially means a comparison. However, through usage it came to mean any profound pronouncement, including: maxims, observations, sermons (e.g., ch. 5), even wisecracks (cf. Ezek. 18:2), and revelations from God (cf. Ps. 49:4).6 Etymologically, the English

1Edwin R. Thiele, A Chronology of the Hebrew Kings, pp, 75, 78. 2Delitzsch, 1:1. 3See Longman, pp. 23-25. 4Hubbard, p. 45. 5Longman, p. 30. 6For word studies of masal, see Allen H. Godbey, "The Hebrew Masal," American Journal of Semitic Languages 39:2 (January 1923):89-108; and A. S. Herbert, "The 'Parable' (Masal) in the Old Testament," Scottish Journal of Theology 7 (1954):180-96.

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word means "in place of (i.e., for) words." A proverb is usually a succinct statement that stands in place of a long explanation and expresses a truth about reality.

"The proverb, understood broadly, is a short, pithy saying that offers advice or an observation on the world. E. I. Gordon defines it more specifically as a 'short familiar saying, expressing some well-known truth or common fact of experience,' and he cites Cervantes' memorable definition that a proverb is a 'short sentence founded on long experience.'"1

"Proverbs express ideas commonly accepted as true."2

As mentioned above, the English word "proverb" is a translation of the Hebrew word masal, meaning resemblance. Proverbs are statements that paint a small word picture of what life is like or should be like. A proverb is a snapshot of life. However, as with every snapshot, a proverb does not always represent what life always looks like. One picture does not capture everything. A good proverb, like a good snapshot, captures what is typical.

There are exceptions to the proverbs. They are not always true, but they are usually true. They represent life accurately, but not completely. Visualize a photograph of a waterfall. It accurately represents a typical waterfall, but it does not picture every feature of every waterfall, even every waterfall in the locale where the picture was taken. Some waterfalls look quite different, though all waterfalls share certain things in common that this picture shows.

"... in my opinion, Ecclesiastes and Job function in part as a canonical corrective to an overreading of the book of Proverbs. They quash any presumption that one invariably and immediately receives rewards for good behavior and punishments for bad behavior."3

Proverbs are a form of literature (genre) that is essentially different from promises. One of the common mistakes that many Christians make when they read the proverbs is to take them as promises. Some are promises as

1Longman, pp. 54-55. His quotation is from Edmund I. Gordon, Sumerian Proverbs: Glimpses of Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia [1959 ed.], p. 1. 2Longman, p. 31. 3Ibid., p. 62.

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well as proverbs, when the proverb expresses a truth that is always consistent, but it is important to be able to distinguish a proverb from a promise. Promises are straightforward statements of assurance that guarantee that stated effects will inevitably follow. Some promises are conditional, and others are unconditional. Proverbs and promises are really different forms of expression, and different types of literature.

"It is inappropriate to treat the proverbs of this book as promises. They are theological and pragmatic principles."1

"Christians are often confused and sometimes discouraged in their attempt to apply the proverbs. The confusion usually stems from misunderstanding the character of the proverbs. They are often treated as inviolable laws or infallible promises when they should be understood as universal but not inflexible principles."2

"Because the proverbs of Solomon are Scripture, it is supposed that God himself will guarantee the performance of every proverb. This has put a strain on many Christians' faith when they have 'claimed God's promises in prayer,' holding up some proverb to God. When the exceptional or the unusual occurs, they then think God has failed to fulfill his promise. However, proverbs in Solomon's collection are not promises made by God, but are guides which are to direct people in living successful and productive lives."3

Let me try to clarify the difference between a proverb and a promise. If you were driving along a country road, for example, and saw a huge, long shed with the word "chickens" over the doorway, you would probably conclude that chickens were inside. If you got out of your car, walked over to the shed, and looked in, you would probably see hundreds of white, feathery, clucking chickens. But if your traveling companion said, "Those aren't chickens; they're pigs," you would say he was crazy. That is what many Christians say when they look into the book labeled "Proverbs." They say, "Those aren't proverbs; they're promises."

1C. Hassell Bullock, An Introduction to the Poetic Books of the Old Testament, p. 162. See also Longman, p. 85 2Kenneth G. Hanna, From Moses to Malachi, p, p. 302. 3William E. Mouser Jr., Walking in Wisdom, pp. 13-14.

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