What's It Supposed to Do? Proverbs is an anthology of wisdom poetry. Its primary purpose, indicated in the first sentence (1:2,3), is to teach wisdom. It is thus directed particularly to the young and inexperienced (1:4); but also to those who desire advanced training (1:5,6).
What's with the Name? The name "Proverbs," while not an exact equivalent of the Hebrew mischle, describes the main contents, even though it is not an adequate translation. It means "ways to be wise about how you live."
What Kind of Wisdom? The wisdom which the book teaches covers a wide field of human and divine activity, ranging from secular matters to moral and religious truths, such as God's knowledge (5:21;15:3-11), power (19:21; 21:30), providence (20:1-24), goodness (15:29), and the joy and strength resulting from trusting in the power of God (3:5 ;16:20 ;18:10).
What Kind of Teaching? The teaching of the book is placed on a firm foundation by the principle that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" (1:7; 9:10).
Questions 1-6
1. In your own words, explain what Proverbs is about.
2. In the first chapter, what does the writer say about the purpose of the book (p. 880, Teen Bible)?
3. In the "God Gives Advice" section (p. 801), what do the editors claim you will get from the wisdom in Proverbs?
4. What does Proverbs 5:21 (p. 806) say about God's knowledge of what we do?
5. According to chapter 3 (p. 802), what will be the result of the study of wisdom?
6. Fun Question: what is the gender of wisdom in chapter 3?
When and Where and Whatfor's
Solomon Back at Work:To Solomon are explicitly ascribed parts II and V of the book; he is the patron of Hebrew wisdom. Of Agur (part VI) and Lemuel (part VIII), nothing further is known. Parts III and IV are attributed to "the wise." The remaining parts are anonymous.
Place in Christianity: Christ and the Apostles often quoted the Proverbs (John 7:38; Romans 12:20 ; James 4:6) or repeated their teaching; compare Luke 10:14 , and Proverb 25:7;1 Peter 4:8 ; James 5:20 and Proverb 10:12 . The book has an important place in the Latin and Greek liturgies.
Date of Authorship: The earliest collection (25:1–29:27), titled “proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied,” came into being about 700 BC; the latest (1:1–9:18) dates from the 4th century BC. There also is an untitled acrostic poem about the virtuous wife (31:10–31).
International Background: The third collection (22:17–24:22) has attracted much attention because of its close affinity to the Egyptian “Wisdom of Amenemope,” variously dated between the 10th and 6th centuries BC. This likeness suggests that Israel's wisdom movement, whatever its origins, was influenced by the wisdom literature of other ancient Middle Eastern cultures.
Questions 7-12
7. Challenge: Is there any mention of the "big guns" of Israel's tradition—Moses, David, the prophets in Proverbs? What gives?
8. Proverbs 8 has the Figure of Wisdom (p. 809). Why does she say that wisdom is better than gold, silver or skate boards (or two of these)?
9. In the "God Gives Advice" section (p. 801), what do the editors claim you will get from the wisdom in Proverbs?
10. What's the difference between being smart and being wise?
11. What would the Figure of Wisdom say to one who has been sexually promiscuous and has contracted disease?
12. According to chapter 17 (p. 821), what do the following bring: one who loves a quarrel; a man of perverse heart; a foolish son?
13. Challenge: Why is it not surprising that the New Testament quotes Proverbs a lot?