Introduction

MANY CHRISTIANS HAVE a love-hate relationship with the book of Proverbs. We love the sparkle and punch of the individual proverbs and can quote many from memory. Some, like “Pride goes before a fall,” have made their way into everyday conversation, although the actual proverb is, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). But many of us find it frustrating to try to read or study this book, let alone teach or preach from it. Some portions sound like tedious advice we never asked for (another word might be nagging), while other parts mystify us with riddles and cosmic symbolism. It sometimes seems easier to draw memorable quotes from the book of Proverbs and let it go at that.

This state of affairs shouldn’t surprise us, for we are a society that loves sayings and aphorisms. Advertising and television comedies create the catch phrases that pepper our conversations; a day spent listening for the sayings that inundate and shape our lives would end up with quite a list!1 There is also a renewed interested in wisdom in our time, but often it takes the form of sentimental life lessons or management pep talk. Real wisdom that not only observes how life works but also asks ultimate questions about how and why life is to be lived is not as popular. Wisdom of this sort is usually relegated to the back of the shopping mall bookstore in the philosophy and religion section, while guides to health, wealth, and success in life are placed up front to greet customers as they walk in.

Biblical wisdom surprisingly offers both, but on its own terms. We will do ourselves and the book a disservice if we think of Proverbs as the kind of success handbook we find in the self-help section. This commentary is written in hope that more Christians will study the wisdom of the book of Proverbs in its entirety, as it was meant to be heard, in home Bible studies, Christian education classrooms, and pulpits. Those who undertake such a study will discover the kind of wisdom that finds its beginning in the fear of the Lord.

Studying the Book of Proverbs

STUDENTS WHO HAVE tried to teach and preach from Proverbs have told me that they sometimes find it hard to move beyond the obvious meaning of so many of the teachings and sayings, and they fear they will appear to be as superficial as a sound bite when they preach. They worry that the shorthand of the proverbs can become a shortcut around reasoned argument and appeal. They have also heard scholars say that proverbs, once removed from their social context, are lifeless. In all, these students hope to recover some sense of Israel’s experience of God that gave rise to the book so the proverbs can do their work and speak to new situations. They also want to learn how to do the reflection that is necessary if one is to probe deeply into the wisdom of the book.

This commentary is designed to help the reader appreciate the similarities and differences between the world of the biblical writers and our own. It seeks to integrate historical and literary methods of study to bridge the gap between the two.2 While some distinction of aims in method should be made, the study of rhetorical and literary forms can build a bridge between ancient understanding of a text and contemporary readings. Historical research keeps interpretations grounded; literary study keeps interpretation from being stuck in the past.3

In all methods of study, the primary concern is for the theology of the texts and the place of that theology in the larger theological outlook of the Old and New Testaments. Some interpreters distinguish exegesis (what the texts themselves say) from biblical theology (the relationship between the different theologies of the many texts of Scripture) and biblical hermeneutics (explanation of the encounter between the worldview of the Bible and our own).4 Throughout the commentary, we will strive to stay focused on the witness of Proverbs to God’s work in the ancient world so that we can celebrate what God is doing now in our own days.

The book begins with the heading “The proverbs of Solomon” (1:1), yet the book is much more than a simple collection of sayings. For the purposes of this introduction, we will begin with the smallest unit (i.e., what is a proverb?) and work our way to the larger unit of the entire book (i.e., what is this book of Proverbs?).

What Is a Proverb?

THE STRANGE TRUTH discovered by researchers in folklore and communication studies is that almost everyone can recognize a proverb but hardly anyone can give an adequate definition. Paremiologists (students of proverbs) continue to propose and debate definitions, so A. Taylor’s famous statement about the “indefinable qualities” of a proverb is encouraging: “An incommunicable quality tells us this sentence is proverbial and that one is not.”5 Wolfgang Mieder gathered fifty definitions from nonexperts and condensed them into: “A proverb is a short sentence of wisdom,” highlighting the proverb’s brevity and observational quality.6 Other definitions do the same: “Proverbs are short sentences drawn from long experience” (M. Cervantes, Don Quixote, 1605); “much matter decocted into a few words” (T. Fuller, The Worthies of England, 1662); “the wit of one and the wisdom of many” (Lord J. Russell, Quarterly Review, 1850).7 One famous description is memorable in itself: A proverb has three qualities: shortness, sense, and salt.

A functional view comes from Kenneth Burke, who defined a proverb as a shorthand for situations in life that recur often enough that people feel the need to have a name for them.8 Proverbs name and size up situations, giving those who use and hear them guidance on how to respond. Proverbs, then, are speech-acts that teach, cajole, taunt, and reprove, depending on how they are used. When the king of Aram threatened to level Samaria, the king of Israel answered in defiance, “One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off” (1 Kings 20:11). When his disciples asked Jesus when and where the kingdom of God would come, he assured them that no one would miss it: “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather” (Luke 17:37). Burke thought that all poetry (even the poetry of the Bible) can be understood as “complex variants” of the capacity of proverbs to name a situation and embody the attitudes that go with it. Thomas Long adds that proverbs do not give advice as much as ask the question: Is this a situation that the name fits?9

Proverbs are found scattered throughout the Old and New Testaments. David used a popular proverb to declare his good intentions to Saul: “As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you” (1 Sam. 24:13). The Hebrew word for “saying” here is mašal, which is also the first word of the book, “the proverbs of Solomon.” mašal was used for prophetic proverbs (Ezek. 16:44; 18:2–3) and parables (Ezek. 17:2; 24:3–5), but also for taunts (Isa. 14:4; Mic. 2:4; Hab. 2:6), oracles (Num. 23:30, as well as the longer discourse sections of Job, see Job 27:1; 29:1). Jesus also quoted common proverbs, such as “Physician, heal yourself” (Luke 4:23), and many of his parables also have a proverbial ring about them (Matt. 13:52–53; Mark 3:23; Luke 6:39; 8:10). Other teachings of Jesus appear to have been inspired by the book of Proverbs (Luke 14:7–11).

As hard as it may be to define the term, we can at least conclude that the mašal is a saying that stimulates thought and provides insight. It connects with the human capacity to think in terms of comparisons.10 One model proposes that the mašal is an “ethnic genre” that draws from personal and collective memory and experience. The mašal provides a model of reality—or better, a model for reality—using analogy to connect the saying with the actual life situation of the audience.11 In sum, readers of the book of Proverbs must keep in mind that its proverbs are never simple ancient deposits of wisdom; rather, they are sayings designed to provoke a response in those who hear them and relate them to life. See also the excursus “Reading the Sentence Proverbs” in the discussion of chapter 10.

What Is the Book of Proverbs?

ANYONE WHO HAS read or skimmed Proverbs in one sitting will notice that the book is written in a variety of literary forms. While we are most familiar with the short catchy sayings, the first major section of the book was written in a form that most resembles a series of lectures (chs. 1–9). The end of the book brings together a confession, a series of numerical sayings, a final lecture, and an acrostic poem of praise (chs. 30–31).12 Therefore, the book of Proverbs can best be described as a wisdom anthology or collection. Because there are seven subheadings in the book that name speakers or compilers (1:1; 10:1; 22:17; 24:23; 25:1; 30:1; 31:1), we can more properly speak of a collection of collections.

Why do people make collections of proverbs, and how do the compilers expect them to be used? One contemporary bibliography of proverbs has 9,051 entries, most of them proverb collections.13 Some collections are created to preserve oral traditions and make them available to researchers, others simply to entertain. Fortunately, the book of Proverbs itself tells us that its sayings were collected with three purposes in mind: to teach wisdom, form character, and encourage an obedient relationship with the Lord (see the comments on 1:1–7).

With this information in mind, we can now ask: What is the book of Proverbs? Here is a definition that will help us understand the way the book presents itself. The book of Proverbs is:

A Course of Study

THE BOOK OF Proverbs presents itself as a course of study in three major sections. Readers will readily observe that the first two-thirds of the book are divided between instruction and sentence proverbs respectively. The voice of the instructor resumes again in the last third. A three-part structure suggests itself.14

Following a short prologue, a series of extended wisdom teachings allow us to listen in on the education of a young man coming of age. The young man’s mother and father urge him again and again: “Hear my son!” Scattered among these lessons are speeches of Wisdom, who invites young men to her feast of teaching (1:8–9:18). The middle and largest portion of the book is devoted to a collection of “Proverbs of Solomon,” individual wisdom sayings that are sometimes gathered around repetitions of word or theme (10:1–22:16). These anonymous sayings also speak of a son whose wise choices makes his parents glad. A third section of the book is a miscellaneous collection of instructions and individual sayings that concludes with a mother advising her son (22:17–31:31).15

This three-part course of study brings together parental instruction, community sayings, and traditional words of the wise in a series of lessons one must master before moving on to the next unit. For readers, this means one completes the lessons of chapters 1–9, learning wisdom and fear of the Lord, before going on to practice deciphering and connecting the individual sayings in chapters 10–22. The third and final course leads the reader into more nuanced use of forms and symbolism (chs. 22–31), challenging the reader to develop competence in a variety of genres.

Designed to Foster Wisdom

THE OPENING VERSES (1:1–7) explain that this course of study was designed to foster wisdom, and this commentary hopes to show that this wisdom encompasses all of life; it unites belief and action. Wisdom is concerned with what one understands but also what one does with that understanding. Wisdom is about developing both discernment and character.

Every good teacher knows that education is more than passing on a body of knowledge; it nurtures a person’s growth in knowledge and discernment. In the book of Proverbs, much is said about discipline and discretion (1:2–4), the ability to use knowledge and judgment to make wise decisions for the good of one’s self and one’s community. Wisdom is as much about seeing clearly as it is about making decisions and acting. To do what is right, one must be able to discern what that good is in a variety of situations, and wisdom promises to teach how that may be done.

Discernment and character are both necessary for wise living; they are inseparably related. Years ago I listened as an InterVarsity campus staff member explained to our college fellowship that God is just as interested in the kind of people we are as in the good works that we do. Character, he said, is the foundation for godly living, and he drew a diagram of a house set on a firm foundation to illustrate the point. Biblical wisdom unites the process of becoming mature persons with the larger scheme of God’s purposes for all creation. It guides the way we live in our bodies and our communities by encouraging the development of virtues.16

Using the Rhetorical Resources of Juxtaposition and Metaphor

FOR THIS COURSE of study to be effective in instilling wisdom, the learner must come to see, accept, and believe that wisdom really is the best path for life. In other words, education as it is found in the book of Proverbs employs elements of rhetoric; it must persuade the learner (ancient and contemporary) that its view of life is a good one and that its lessons are worth learning. Instructive lectures and witty proverbs have this in common: They both use every available means of persuasion to shape outlook and character. Many of the proverbs about speaking share this view (4:24; 15:23, 31). They look to the facility of speech as a means for establishing righteousness and justice in the world. Hear, for example, how Lemuel’s mother urges him to speak out for justice: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (31:8–9).

For the purposes of our definition, we begin by noting that biblical rhetoric shares the concern for the “means of persuasion” of classical Greek rhetoric, but also observe that it takes a very different path to achieve its ends. (1) Biblical rhetoric is concrete. Greek rhetoric states and illustrates whereas the Bible most often describes reality, leaving the reader to draw conclusions. (2) Biblical rhetoric uses parataxis, not syllogisms; words like “whereas,” “therefore,” and “consequently” are not often found. Instead, biblical rhetoric relies on juxtaposition, such as the comparison of Jairus’s daughter and the woman with a hemorrhage.17 The book of Proverbs juxtaposes characters, such as personified Wisdom and Folly in chapter 9, and single proverbs, such as in the famous pair of 26:4–5, illustrating both sides of dealing with the fool:

Binary structures prevail, not only in the parallelism of the verses but also in paired images: light and dark, two paths, righteous and evil, and especially oppositions. One learns to read the book of Proverbs by closely watching for the binary oppositions.18

Related to the strategy of juxtaposition is the use of metaphor to draw a comparison between insight and image. Metaphor is so widespread throughout the Bible that we often overlook its presence or we relegate it to a position of lesser importance by speaking of ornamentation or style. We need to keep in mind that metaphor is one of the Bible’s “controlling modes of thought,” a “perspective” or way of seeing something in terms of something else.19 For example, when the parental teacher wants to speak of wisdom’s rewards, the point can be made explicitly (3:1–10) or indirectly by speaking of Woman Wisdom as a tree of life (3:13–18).

I often refer to a distinction between practical teaching, which is direct, usually spoken in the imperative, and poetic teaching, which uses imagery as a form of indirect communication. Practical teaching is generally found in the instructions of the parent to the son while poetic teaching is most concentrated in the sayings, but the distinction should not be held too tightly. The instructions make much use of metaphor, as in the image of the road and the division of the two ways, and most majestically in the image of Woman Wisdom. So also, the individual sayings often speak their message directly (“It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice,” 18:5). Why metaphor? It not only teaches truth in unique and interesting ways, it speaks to the heart. Education in wisdom is too important to be trusted with anything less.

Original Meaning

THE NIV APPLICATION Commentary Series asks each of its authors to treat three areas of interpretation: the original meaning of a text, steps taken in bridging contexts, and the contemporary significance of a text. The first task, discerning the original meaning of a biblical text, requires that the student of Proverbs examine the ancient faith and culture of Israel as well as the larger context of wisdom in the ancient Near East.

Wisdom in the Ancient Near East

ONE MAY STUDY historical context in a variety of ways, examining political history, cultural practices, and belief systems, often consulting archaeological research; but whatever the interest, the student of biblical wisdom literature is primarily occupied with texts, biblical and extrabiblical. One scholar of ancient Near Eastern studies has said that ancient texts have a horizontal axis, the historical circumstances and lived experience that produced them in a particular time and place, and a vertical access, earlier texts that inspired them and later texts that react to them.20

Use of extrabiblical texts is a recent development; the nineteenth century discovery of the Rosetta Stone unlocked the scores of manuscripts written in hieroglyphics and ancient scripts. As a result, scholars discovered that many texts were similar to the extended teachings and proverbial sayings collected in the book of Proverbs. The study of biblical wisdom literature has profited enormously from the study of these texts, although the extent to which they should be compared is vigorously debated. For example, W. McKane’s distinction between extended instructions and short proverbial sayings is observed in this commentary, even while his theory that earlier secular wisdom texts were later given a religious overhaul is not.21 The cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia used both instructions and proverbs.

Mesopotamia and Canaan

THE EARLIEST TEXT, The Instructions of Shuruppak, may date as early as 2500 B.C. It records the words of a wise man urging his son to accept his teaching. Most of the teachings give a simple directive followed by a motivating reason for the command.

There are also a number of proverb collections. One Sumerian proverb recommends thrift: “Build like a lord, live like a slave! Build like a slave, live like a lord!”23 Although this literature shows a distinct use of instructional and proverbial forms, few scholars claim that any of these sayings inspired the proverbs of the Bible. Some, noting their separation of wisdom and religion, believe these texts should not be called wisdom literature at all.24

More comparisons are made with the writing associated with a wise man from the Neo-Babylonian court of Esarhaddon (681–669 B.C.). The figure of Ahiqar was widely known in the ancient world over a long period of time, even receiving mention in the apocryphal book of Tobit (Tobit 1:21–22). In a late fifth-century B.C. Aramaic manuscript uncovered in Egypt, the sayings attributed to Ahiqar are introduced with the story of his nephew’s plot to discredit him before the king. When he is vindicated, Ahiqar finds his nephew, puts him in chains, administers a beating, and then recites the teachings, presumably because the young man had not learned any wisdom the first time he heard them!

These aphorisms, riddles, fables, instructions, and brief sayings may have originated in Syria and were added latter to the narrative from Mesopotamia. Like the book of Proverbs, they advise readers on relating to kings and speak of wisdom as a divine gift.

Egypt

ALTHOUGH PROVERBS WERE not unknown to the Egyptians, most of the literature that is comparable to the book of Proverbs comes in the form of extended instructions given by an elder to a younger man addressed as “my son.” It is not certain whether the relationship depicted was real parenthood or that of a teacher and student. The instruction offered to teach a young man what he needed to know to succeed in life. Whether the teaching came from a ruler (e.g., Ptahhotep, Kagemni, Merikare) to his son, a teacher (e.g., Amenemhet, Duauf) to court officials, or a scribe (e.g., Ani) to his son, all made the basic assumption that “there is no one born wise.”26

Topics varied from instruction to instruction, but a general list of subjects includes choosing one’s friends and associates, proper behavior before superiors, responsible use of the power of speech, integrity in business and community relationships, and acceptance of the will of God. Such concerns were not limited to instructions but permeated the Egyptians’ outlook on life and death. One of the earliest tomb inscriptions presents a standard list of virtues in which the deceased claims to have “done justice,” such as rescuing the weak, giving bread to the hungry and clothes to the naked, respecting father, and pleasing mother. “I spoke truly, I did right, I spoke fairly, I repeated fairly.”27

Much scholarly attention has been given to the strong resemblance of Proverbs 22:17–24:22 and the “Instruction of Amenemope.”28 Arguments that one inspired the other, most assuming that the Egyptian text came first, are tenuous and add little to our understanding of Proverbs. It should also be remembered that themes and phrases comparable with Amenemope are found throughout the book of Proverbs, not just in chapters 22–24.29

In the last few years the picture of Israelite adaptation of ancient Near Eastern wisdom has received some challenges, especially concerning the lack of explicit reference in the biblical texts to court schools and professional teachers of wisdom. The instruction of Proverbs 1–9 seems to be directed toward life in general, not life at the court, and only a few sections of Proverbs 10–22 and 25–29 concern kings, and even these may have their origins among everyday people. The question of foreign wisdom’s influence on Israel is related to the question of the social context of education in ancient Israel. Were there schools similar to those depicted in texts from Egypt and Mesopotamia? How did education take place in Israel?

Social Situation: Schools, Courts, or Clan?

THE EARLIEST REFERENCE to schools in Israel is found in the apocryphal book of Sirach (Sir. 51:23), which names a “house of study” in the second century B.C., some eight hundred years after David and Solomon. While the evidence from the Bible and inscriptions indicates that writing was used and taught from a very early time, there is no mention of a school. Evidence for schools has been extrapolated from biblical texts, inscriptions from Palestine, and texts discovered throughout the ancient Near East, and scholars have reached opposite conclusions. Some say the silence on the existence of schools in Israel shows that none existed, while others say that the presence of schools was so widespread that no mention of them needed to be made.

The idea of Israelite schools was developed on analogy with the presence of schools in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and probably Ugarit. One hypothesis takes the presence of similar vocabulary and images in the biblical Proverbs as evidence that such ideas were passed on through schools.30 Yet no evidence brought forth to date is sufficient to support the analogy, nor does it require the presence of schools.31

Literacy is not stressed in Israelite wisdom literature; rather, the emphasis is placed on hearing, whereas Egyptian texts make a number of references to writing. Instead of postulating formal schools for which there is little evidence, one could envision “family guilds specializing in crafts of various kinds.”32 One model sets Israelite wisdom instruction in the house of the courtier training a son to succeed him in service.33 In sum, it appears that while similarities to Egyptian wisdom may be noted in the book of Proverbs (esp. in chs. 1–9 and 22–24), the biblical and archaeological evidence suggests that wisdom instruction in Israel took place in the family or clan, not in schools as we think of them.34

Author and Date

THE ATTRIBUTION OF the book to Solomon (Prov. 1:1) sends us to the notice in 1 Kings 4:29–34 that he received his wisdom as a gift of God. That text praises Solomon’s wisdom and insight as he is credited with speaking three thousand proverbs, composing a thousand and five songs, and exploring the world of nature. Earlier in that book, we read that Solomon asked God for this wisdom (3:2), and earlier still, David charged his son Solomon to act in wisdom, repaying those who had done evil to his father (2:6, 9). Solomon’s epitaph lifts up his wisdom as the most notable aspect of his reign (11:41), portraying him as a “wise son who brings joy to his father” (Prov. 10:1).

Yet there is a shadow that falls over Solomon’s reign. He also loved many foreign women, who turned his heart after other gods (1 Kings 11:1–13). The kingdom was torn away from his son Rehoboam, who was left with only one of the eleven tribes. Rehoboam refused the wise counsel of his advisors, and as a result he suffered a rebellion and the loss of the northern territory of Israel (12:1–20). So Solomon was also remembered for his apostasy and a dynasty that was only kept in place by the mercy of God. In sum, while Solomon was like the wise son of Proverbs, he also resembled the young men who go astray (Prov. 7:1–27; 9:13–18; 31:1–13) and had a son who did the same.

The attribution to Solomon at the head of the book and its link with Solomon’s patronage of wisdom sets the book of Proverbs in that historical context. Yet the contemporary reader may be surprised that foreign names are credited with some sections of the book.35 Of the seven superscriptions that organize the book of Proverbs, three name Solomon (1:1; 10:1; with “the men of Hezekiah,” 25:1), two name “the wise” (22:17; 24:23), and the last two name Agur (30:1) and Lemuel (along with his mother, 31:1), persons about whom we know hardly anything.

Arguments about authorship often go hand in hand with attempts to date the material, but dating is difficult, especially when working with a book that is an anthology of texts. Who could date the entries in a Norton Reader without the introductions? The earlier view that single proverbs came before the extended instructions has been overturned by the discovery of late proverbs and early instructions. Both types of literature can be documented in extrabiblical texts written before Solomon ruled. A more recent view, noting verbal and thematic similarities between chapters 1–9 and 31 and correspondences with the postexilic social situation, suggests a work of editorial shaping that placed those chapters as a frame around chapters 8–30, sometime after the return from exile.36 The differences in literary form in Proverbs make some sort of collection and shaping more than likely, but this hypothesis says little about the relative age of the components and smuggles in the older view. Even while it is logical to assume that an introduction is written last (the way we were taught in school), the claim that chapters 1–9 are introductory says more about editorial work than composition.37

Therefore, there is no compelling reason to doubt that Solomon is to be associated with much of the book as author and patron, even as we recognize that it is not possible to discern by any scholarly criteria what is directly attributable to Solomon and what is the work of later hands who carried on his tradition of wisdom. So it is that his name appears first, perhaps as tribute and dedication, the way Webster’s name appears on today’s editions of the dictionary he wrote long ago. “The people of Israel, no less than any one man, is ultimately also the author of Proverbs.”38

Perhaps more important, this book of Proverbs offers the wisdom that was given to Solomon to all who would read its pages and heed its lessons. Just as Solomon sought wisdom above the power of wealth and was given both, so readers of Proverbs in identification with Solomon are urged to make the same choice. It is often said that difficult situations require the “wisdom of Solomon.” It is available because he and those who came after him have bequeathed it to us in this book.39

Bridging Contexts

ONCE WE HAVE discerned an ancient writer’s message and purpose to the best of our ability, how are we to build a bridge between that original situation and our own? This commentary recommends three related approaches to the question: a concern for rhetorical effects, a study of the canonical context, and a reflection on the theological message.

Rhetorical Effects

IF WE ASSUME that the Scriptures were written to bring about changes in the lives of those who read, hear, and reflect on them, we will take care to discover the rhetorical effects a passage was designed to achieve. Rhetorical effects are those changes in belief, attitude, or action that come about as the product of intentional communication. If, for instance, Proverbs 9:1–6 and its picture of Wisdom’s feast was designed to create a desire for wisdom and a hunger for her teachings, then we will carry over that understanding of the intended outcome as we make application for today. While every commentary engages in this process to a greater or lesser extent, the renewed appreciation among biblical scholars for the intended effects of biblical texts will be central to our study.40 It is also this concern that keeps biblical study grounded in the life of the church (i.e., what some call the ethics of interpretation41).

Therefore, readers must not only attend to literary forms, techniques and structures, juxtaposition and metaphor as discussed in earlier sections, they must also look for the function such features are meant to perform. That is, they must look at their rhetorical strategy and ask how these texts are intended to inform and persuade. In studying a passage, one looks at the terms and images that are associated, those that are set in contrast, those that lead the reader along a movement and progression, and those that mark transformations. The approach can be summarized in a series of questions: What goes with what? What is versus what? What leads to something else? What is changed or becomes new?

Attention to these relationships and the structures they reveal give some clues to the writer’s persuasive purpose. In addition, readers can also look for the connection with the joys and sorrows of human experience, the point at which readers identify with the speaker, characters, or action. In the hands of a skilled communicator, identification with readers becomes a powerful rhetorical strategy.42

A related concern has to do with the community that written texts establish with their readers (and hearers), that is, how writers establish a relationship with readers through a written text. Interestingly enough, the book of Proverbs not only speaks to the business of getting along with others in families and communities, it creates a community, as all texts do with their readers.43 Students of the book of Proverbs are invited to live in this community of believers, created by teachers and speakers and sages, who use words to draw people together instead of driving them apart. This book of Scripture, then, is not only about wise speech and action, it also imparts words of wisdom as it addresses its readers and hearers. The book itself takes on the role of sage and teacher, becoming the reader’s guide and friend.

Teaching takes place as readers identify themselves with the sons who are addressed at the beginning and end of the book (as well as a number of points in between, 10:1; 13:1; 15:20; 23:26). Alongside the depiction of a young man’s education is a recurring symbol of home: The young man leaves his role as son in his parents’ home to establish a household of his own (Gen. 2:24; Prov. 31:10–31). As he learns and grows, he also must know how to relate to the larger community, treating neighbors well, avoiding any association with wicked men and adulterous women, and loving wisdom. In churches and seminary classes, a number of women have spoken to me about the difficulty of identifying with such a masculine role, and admittedly, more work is required of female readers. Even so, the symbolism can be transposed into terms that apply to men and women, speaking to such topics as relation to parents, choice of spouse, and reputation in the community.

A good example of this comes from Alice Ogden Bellis, who transposed the warnings about the adulteress in Proverbs 7 into terms her daughters could readily understand. In a letter to them she spoke about the seductions that would come from young men as well as from the larger culture:

While the symbolism requires some work of translation to be applicable to persons of all ages and both genders, it speaks to universal issues.

Canonical Context

WHEN INTERPRETERS USE a canonical approach, they recognize that the historical context in which a Scripture text was produced and shaped is not the only context to be considered. It is also necessary to study the final form of the book, its place in the larger biblical canon, and the process by which that canon was shaped.45 In other words, scholars, preachers, and teachers study the final form of text, inquiring about its norming function and the strategic questions it was designed to answer. Similarities in vocabulary and theme as well as other connections with the rest of the Old Testament suggest that the book of Proverbs was given its final form as a response to the story of Israel as recorded in the Old Testament (commands, historical narratives, and prophecy), a response that offers another way of describing a life lived in obedience and trust.

Put another way, the book of Proverbs is engaged in a conversation with the rest of the Old Testament, a conversation that points to the common ground that lies between the covenant God made with Israel and God’s instruction in wisdom found in Proverbs. A good example is the common language of fatherly discipline found in Deuteronomy 8:5 and Proverbs 3:11–12. One is set in the context of covenant, the other in the context of wisdom, yet both state that obedient sonship is a matter of growth and receiving correction.

The interpreter is therefore interested in the interactions that take place among Scripture texts, one shedding light on another, particularly when a text makes allusion to a person or event in Israel’s story.46 Clues to such intertextual relationships can be found by using a concordance to highlight common vocabulary. So we shall see that personified Wisdom picks up biblical images of creation to insist that she understands the way the world works and can pass on her secrets (see the comments on chs. 3 and 8).

Moreover, the canonical approach also insists that we read Old Testament texts in the context of the Christian Bible and look to see how Old Testament themes are developed there.47 The image of wisdom present at creation is central to the New Testament’s understanding of the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1; Col. 1; Heb. 1; see “Wisdom in the New Testament” later in this introduction). We do not read these later understandings back into the Old Testament texts, but rather look to see how the Old Testament provides the language to describe what God has done in sending Jesus into the world he made.

In sum, we will look at texts that come before and after Proverbs in our Bibles to set its message in the larger context of God’s word to the church. This work of canonical study is a necessary foundation for the third step in bridging contexts, that of theological reflection.

Theological Reflection

ONCE RHETORICAL STRATEGIES and canonical contexts have been examined, the last step before moving on to talk about application or contemporary significance is to reflect on a text’s theology.48 By theological reflection, I mean a discussion of a Scripture passage’s teaching about the character of God and its relation to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this way, the interpreter should show how a passage contributes to a biblical theology of the subjects discussed. A guiding rule of thumb for this step in interpretation will ask what each passage teaches about God, how that teaching is good news, and how it relates to the good news of the gospel. Certainly that good news also tells us about ourselves and life as it was meant to be lived in this world. Our goal will be to determine how the passage portrays God’s character and actions in the world of the past so that we can determine what God is doing today.

Responses of praise, trust, and obedience can follow from this reflection. But theology always comes first. “One must read the Bible theologically before reading it morally.”49 So, for example, we will ask what the book of Proverbs has to say about God before going on to discuss the human response, namely, the “fear of the Lord” (see comments in “Contemporary Significance,” below). While Proverbs’ portrait of God is many faceted, three features stand out.

(1) Yahweh created the world by wisdom. The statement of Proverbs 3:19, “By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations,” is developed as personified Wisdom places herself on the scene: “I was there when he set the heavens in place . . . when he marked out the foundations of the earth” (8:27–29). Yahweh creates and gives life, and Wisdom claims a role, just as she claims to lead those who follow her on the path of life (8:35; 9:11; 14:26–27). Yahweh blesses with health, wealth, and honor through the work of Wisdom who holds these gifts of God in her hand (3:5–10; 16). God’s life-giving work is mediated by Wisdom, who, like God, delights in humankind (8:31); Wisdom is an expression of God’s love!

(2) Yahweh in wisdom rules and judges the world. While it is not stated explicitly that Yahweh governs through the agency of wisdom, it is clear that Woman Wisdom’s prescriptions for a king’s righteous and just actions are modeled after divine rule (8:15–16; 15:10–12; 31:4–9). Proverbs’ instructions for fair dealing frequently pull back the curtain to show Yahweh who watches (15:3; 24:18) and acts (16:4–5; 21:12), repaying good and evil actions in kind. Yahweh looks out for the poor and opposes the wicked who take advantage of them. Such a view of a divine judge assumes a sovereign rule of this world that at times seems paradoxical from our limited viewpoint (16:1–7, 33).

(3) Yahweh gives wisdom to those who seek it. He not only gives and preserves life by means of wisdom, he offers that same wisdom to humans as a guide for choosing life-giving ways over ways that lead to death. In other words, wisdom is one of God’s ways to protect and preserve life. To those who seek it and call out for it, wisdom comes as a gift (and with it knowledge of God); in a sense, in giving wisdom, God is giving of himself (2:1–6). This gift protects and saves; it keeps its followers from receiving or doing harm (2:7–22). There is a reciprocal relationship at work. As one lives wisely, the good that one does to others returns, partly because that is the way the world works, but ultimately because that is the way God works in the world.

In sum, the book of Proverbs works to assemble a beautiful mosaic picture of our God who acts in wisdom to give, preserve, and protect human life in all its physical and social dimensions.50 More wonderful still is the news that God gives this wisdom to humans so they may walk through this world in ways that honor God. This work of God sustains the life of individuals, but it also maintains the life of households, communities, and entire nations, giving each the instructions on righteousness, justice, and equity they need to thrive (1:3). God demonstrated his love for Israel not only in deliverance and covenant (Deut. 7:7–11) but also in many acts of kindness “towards, and on behalf of Israel as a people,” including sending the gift of wisdom.51 Or, seen from another angle, just as God acted to save Israel from its enemies as reported in the historical books, here God acts in love to preserve Israel in times of peace by means of wisdom.

Wisdom in the Old Testament

DESCRIPTIONS OF WISDOM take different shape in different Old Testament contexts. In some, wisdom is knowledge related to a technical skill—for example, Bezalel’s skill in crafting artistic designs with silver and gold, stone, and wood (Ex. 31:3). In other contexts, wisdom refers to more general knowledge learned from experience, especially from observation of the creation—for example, the lowly ant models diligence and foresight (Prov. 6:6–8). In general, we can say that wisdom involves knowing what to do in a given situation; skill in crafts or skill in living well both require that a person has learned how to “do the right thing.”

Yet wisdom is also a gift from God, a revelation given to those who cry out and seek it (2:1–6); although it is hidden from humans, God knows how to find it (Job 28:1–28). We therefore come to know wisdom in a series of its multifaceted aspects, in part rather than in whole (cf. 1 Cor. 13).52 Users of this commentary will need to remember to let the word wisdom take its meaning from the way it is used in the literary context first and the lexicon second.

When Proverbs speaks of wisdom, it answers the question, What does a person need to come of age, to become mature and take on the responsibilities of adult life? Wisdom was and is often associated with age in the cultures of the world (cf. Job 12:12). In the Bible, one needs wisdom to function as an adult in relation to God and society.

Biblical wisdom shares these concerns with the commandments (or, to use the Hebrew word for the commandments and teaching, torah). In this way, wisdom is complementary to torah but comes at these matters from another direction. God teaches through observation and experience as well as divine command, although the distinction between the two is never so defined as to isolate one from the other. So, for example, whereas the commandment says, “Honor your father and mother” (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16), Proverbs says, “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother” (Prov. 10:1). The commandment says, “You shall not steal” (Ex. 20:15; Deut. 5:19); Proverbs says, “Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death” (Prov. 10:2).

One might go a little farther and say that experience and observation together persuade the wise of the truth of torah. It is torah tested in the crucible of experience, and one can draw from that crucible examples of how wisdom works in real life. Examples of wisdom in Proverbs, but also in Job, Ecclesiastes, a number of the psalms, and perhaps even the Song of Songs, join together to say: See, this way of life works—sometimes in ways we did not expect (see Job and Ecclesiastes)—and one need not be afraid to bring the teaching of torah to experience to be tested by it. In wisdom literature the rule of God described in the torah takes on personal suffering (Job), the contradictions of life (Ecclesiastes), and the presence of evil in this world (Proverbs) and affirms that God’s instructions can be trusted. Experience ultimately will not contradict them.53

Similarly, the wisdom of Proverbs has much in common with the story of Israel as recorded in the books sometimes called the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1–2 Samuel, and 1–2 Kings) and the Latter Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets).54 For example, Wisdom tells her hearers that “the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it” (Prov. 2:21–22). Readers will recall that Israel and Judah were both removed from the land just as the Lord had warned (Deut. 28:64). Wisdom in Proverbs offers another way of understanding what went wrong in the life of the nation. The historical and prophetic books condemned Israel for its idolatry and injustice; as the saying goes, theology is always reflected in sociology, the way we treat others. So also, Proverbs urges fear of the Lord as the antidote to idolatry, and fair dealing in word and deed instead of injustice.

In sum, biblical wisdom literature was written and handed on from generation to generation to offer encouragement to those struggling with their faith. (1) It first of all gives permission to ask the questions, to bring Scripture face to face with experience and experience face to face with Scripture. It is often the young, the sons and daughters of the faithful, who ask such questions, and they are encouraged to do so by the wisdom writings.

(2) It lets people of experience speak and bear witness in answer to those questions: parents teaching sons (Proverbs), sufferers and philosophers locked in debate (Job), an old king reflecting on what is really valuable (Ecclesiastes), and a community of faith that tested these words and passed them on. These were all experienced people. They weren’t there for the Exodus, the commands at Sinai, the wanderings in the desert; they weren’t there for the crisis of apostasy, prophecy, and conquest. They were, however, seasoned and thoughtful about what they heard in the tradition and what they saw with their eyes. They concluded that Scripture and experience do not contradict one another; their message for us is that obedience and trust worked then and still work now.55

What does this have to do with the book of Proverbs? The larger context of wisdom literature supports the suggestion that the book is to be read as the education of a young man receiving the instruction of those older and more experienced than he. He is called to desire and choose wisdom, to master the wisdom teaching of proverbs, maxims, and riddles—all with the goal of learning “the fear of the LORD.” Readers are to walk through this education in wisdom with the young man, receiving the teaching of these elders and testing that teaching with their own experience of life (on readers who are not young men, see the earlier discussion). Moreover, the testing takes place as readers see the teachings of the rest of the Old Testament confirmed by another voice of Scripture.

The Wisdom of Proverbs and the New Testament

THE BIBLE OF the Christian church, Old and New Testaments, finds its center in the revelation of God through the person of Jesus Christ. For this reason, we turn our attention toward the New Testament’s use of the book of Proverbs and the wisdom tradition of which it is a part. It has been my experience that time spent in study of the book of Proverbs and biblical wisdom tunes the ear for echoes of these writings throughout the New Testament. We know from the writings of emerging Judaism that biblical wisdom and the book of Proverbs had a significant influence on the development of Jewish life and thought. For example, the Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sirach not only presents a personification of Woman Wisdom similar to that of the book of Proverbs, it begins and ends with acrostic poems in homage to the book as well.

Both the teachings of Jesus as recorded by the Gospel writers and the portrait of the person they present are inspired by the book of Proverbs. (1) Jesus taught in ways that resemble the teaching of the sages; he not only used proverbs and comparisons to drive his point home, he talked at length about wisdom: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matt. 7:24); “wisdom is proved right by her actions” (Matt. 11:19; cf. Luke 16:8). In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus used paradox (“the first will be last”) and hyperbole (“better to lose an eye”) to get across the unexpected reversals that will come with the kingdom of God.56 Therefore, one of the titles we may ascribe to Jesus is that of sage or wisdom teacher (cf. Matt. 13:52), one greater in wisdom than Solomon (12:42).

(2) The Gospels, especially John, portray Jesus as more than a teacher of wisdom, but wisdom come in a person.57 Christians who read personified Wisdom’s declarations in Proverbs 8 cannot help but hear echoes of the hymn to the Word in John 1:1–14. How shall we give account for these echoes? We might look to a principle of analogy that is operative throughout the Old and New Testaments. As the Gospel writers struggled for words to describe the wondrous person of Jesus, they borrowed the language of Wisdom in a transferal of her attributes and blessings to him, just as they showed how Jesus was like Moses when he provided bread in the desert and like Elijah when he brought a child to life. Jesus is like Wisdom as she is described in Proverbs: “All that the early Jews or others sought in wisdom and her benefits, the Fourth Evangelist now maintains can be found in Jesus.”58

(3) Questions often arise concerning this use of the poem in Proverbs 8: Is Christ foreshadowed in the book of Proverbs? The answer is yes and no—yes in that the description of Wisdom provides the concepts and language to describe Christ, no in that the composer and editors of the book did not view it as pointing ahead to the salvation of God come in a person. Does the transfer of this description to the Son of God (John 1:1–14; Col. 1:15–17; Heb. 1:1–2) mean that we can think of him as feminine and address Christ using the feminine Sophia? We must remember that while the Bible uses a number of feminine images to describe God, it never speaks to or about God as “she.” Similarly, Jesus is like Woman Wisdom but is not to be identified with her.59 Rather, Christ is proclaimed as the wisdom of God and the power of God (1 Cor. 1:24; cf. Col. 2:2–3).

Therefore, the Christian who reads Proverbs can develop a new appreciation for the significant contribution of the book to the New Testament view of Jesus and what it means to follow this man who both taught wisdom and embodied wisdom in his person. Wisdom is not to become the forgotten voice of the Old Testament, nor is it only to be treated in Old Testament studies. Bible studies and sermons from the Gospels and New Testament letters can do much to restore this long neglected subject of wisdom to the life of Christian communities. To facilitate teaching and preaching, this commentary will look to New Testament texts to shed light on those parts of Proverbs that treat common themes.60

Contemporary Significance

IN THE PREVIOUS sections we have seen that Proverbs is so much more than a book of good advice and life lessons, even though it offers both. Its vision of true wisdom calls students from every age to maturity and community—maturity, because one must learn to use wisdom in making good decisions for life, and community, because we need teachers, advisors, and coworkers to make the rule of God visible by the way we live.

For this reason, we may need to unlearn the idea that Proverbs is a book of principles that allow us to predict or even control how life will turn out, a collection of promises that we can cash in like coupons. My seminary teacher in Old Testament used to say that “barking dogs never bite—most of the time.”61 He meant to teach us that proverbs describe the way life usually works, not how it always works or must work. We fool ourselves if we think that we are in a position to become masters of our fates just because we’ve learned to pay attention to outcomes.

Therefore, it is a mistake to assume that “train up a child” comes as a promise from God, as many brokenhearted parents have realized. Solomon and the sages who followed him never claimed that their observations were promises that God was duty-bound to fulfill. They understood that the wicked sometimes prosper for a time and that the righteous often suffer, but they also knew that God does not stop being God when circumstances seem to point the other way. Instead, these writings show us how life in this God-created universe works so we can work with it and not against it.

It is not only important to understand the nature of proverbs and how they work, but to remember that they were written to people who lived a long time ago in an oriental, agrarian society. When we consider the vast differences between the ancient cultures that first heard these proverbs and our own, we will think carefully before we act on what we think the proverbs teach and prescribe. In fact, we should be a bit surprised that so much of what is said rings true to our ears, testimony that many situations and problems in life are still with us today. Still, this sense of recognition should never lull us into a false sense of certainty that our understanding of these sayings is correct. The commentary will seek to point out such differences so readers can enter into the process of interpretation.

One way to draw a connection between the ancient world of Proverbs and our own is to remember that these teachers assume that their readers are also interested in the book’s theology and spirituality. There is an experience of God behind theology, and that theology stands behind its prescriptions for wise living. Rather than treating the Bible (and the book of Proverbs) as a collection of proof texts or a list of rules for behavior, we will seek to build on what a passage says about God and God’s will to develop theological guidelines for contemporary practice.

While we acknowledge that the Bible does not contain prepackaged responses to ethical questions or a finely scripted list of what believers should do in every situation, we also strongly affirm that Scripture can and does reveal knowledge of God and God’s will for us.62 In the book of Proverbs, the proper response to God is summed up as “the fear of the LORD,” the beginning of wisdom that guides all a person’s attitudes and actions. Wisdom in action is best described as a life of virtuous character, that is, a life of faithfulness.63

Fear of Yahweh

AS THE OLD saying goes, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” A wise person knows when to be afraid; the fool fears nothing (or the wrong thing) and pays the price. The saying is never more true than when used to speak about one’s relationship with God. The book of Proverbs opens with “the fear of the LORD [as] the beginning of knowledge” (1:7, and knowledge of God, 2:5; 9:10) and closes with the praise of the woman who “fears the LORD” (31:30). Everything in between reminds the reader again and again that one does right, not only because it benefits others and ultimately benefits oneself, but because it pleases God.

We may understand this truth better as we look at the many proverbs concerning the righteous king. The king is to judge rightly (16:10–12; 20:8, 26; 24:24–25); he is not to spend his resources on women and drink but is to speak for the rights of the poor and needy (31:1–9). A righteous king’s wrath is like a lion’s roar, a messenger of death (16:14; 19:12; 20:2), so he should be obeyed and feared. Fear of God and king are identified in 24:21–22: “Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious, for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?” Just as one would not want to displease a human king, so a wise person seeks to please the God who rules heaven and earth, both for the joy of bringing him pleasure and from a fear of bringing displeasure. Fear of the Lord is “worshipful submission”64 or “reverent obedience.”65

For the ancients, fear of the Lord was a sign of recognition that the universe has a ruler and that the proper response before a ruler is to bow. The same response is appropriate today. I do not often quote what actors playing clergy say on TV, but one exchange has stayed in my mind. In offering advice to a parishioner, this minister said, “Early on I learned two things that have helped me make my way in life. The first is that there is a God, and the second is that I am not him.” While it sounds obvious, I take this advice as a reminder that the cosmos has a kind and just ruler who rightfully calls people to account for their behavior. So Jesus told many a parable about kings and their subjects to communicate God’s gracious authority.

Fear of the Lord requires that we remove ourselves as the center of authority in our self-made universes. In Bertolucci’s film The Last Emperor, the Chinese boy-king comes to a sudden realization of the power that he holds over others. Wishing to impress his new teacher with a show of authority, he orders his cousin and classmate to drink the bottle of ink from his inkwell, and the cousin obeys. The teacher is appalled at the boy’s lack of concern for anyone but himself, yet he also sees his work cut out for him: to teach this king who has not yet gained the wisdom to match his authority.

Yet false kings and petty tyrants that we are, we make the same mistakes, acting only in our own interests and often appearing like spoiled children. Thus, the teachers and sages of Proverbs lead us to wisdom and maturity by pointing to persons who both exercise and submit to authority, much as the centurion related Jesus’ authority to his own (Luke 7:6–9). In Proverbs, parents teach children to submit to the community elders and king, while the king answers to God and the people (20:26–28).

While the biblical books we call wisdom books recommend fear of the Lord (see also Job 28:28; Eccl. 12:13–14), the phrase is especially prominent in Proverbs, coming as a kind of evangelistic sermon that calls readers to take on this basic orientation toward life and God. In other words, just as we seek to introduce family and friends to Jesus as Savior and Lord, our mothers and fathers of the faith in Israel called their children and neighbors to faith and obedience by talking about fear. For today’s Christian, the fear of the Lord also means that one has made the foundational decision to trust Jesus as Lord of one’s life. To say that we believe in Jesus but to refuse to acknowledge him as Lord of creation and Lord of our lives is to live like the fool, in dangerous denial of the facts. Proverbs, seeing that danger, offers more than tips for success or even for moral guidance; it holds out wisdom as an invitation to relationship with a loving Lord.

Character and Virtue

A SECOND BUT no less important concern of Proverbs is for character formation that leads to faithfulness. If it is a mistake to reduce Proverbs to a book of good advice, it is equally wrong to elevate its counsels to some lofty ideal of human life that has no bearing on everyday choices. Proverbs, if nothing else, zeroes in on the choices we face, and in recommending one way over another, it describes the kind of persons we can become and ought to be. So we are advised to speak truth and not falsehood (14:25; 15:4), to walk in humility and not pride (18:12; 15:25), to practice diligence instead of sloth (18:9), to show generosity instead of greed (18:11).

The proverbs do not give directions for what to do in every situation; instead, they present the qualities of character that guide us in the many decisions we will face in life. It can be encouraging to remember that there is a reciprocal relationship between decision making and character formation. While godly character influences the decision to, for instance, practice self-control over one’s tongue, each time we choose to tell the truth, avoid gossip, and offer encouragement instead of unfair criticism we also strengthen the character quality of self-control. Virtues, as they are practiced, become a habit.

The virtues of Proverbs may be summarized in the word “faithfulness” (3:3). In the Scriptures, faithfulness takes on a number of expressions: obedience to commands (Ex. 20:1–12; Matt. 5:19), imitation of Christ and other biblical figures (1 Cor. 4:16; Eph. 5:1; 1 Thess. 1:6; Heb. 6:12; 13:7), and virtue, the cultivation of godly and faithful character (1 Tim. 2:2; 4:8; 6:6, 11). In Proverbs, faithful people fear the Lord and therefore consider the effects their actions have on others (Prov. 14:8, 15; 15:28). They seek to preserve good relations with them, to bring them good and not harm. In New Testament language, they seek to practice love; the famous text of 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 takes on new significance after a study of Proverbs. Just as fear of the Lord turns our reference point away from ourselves as the final authority, so faithfulness turns our attention toward others as we seek to practice the social virtues of righteousness, justice, and fairness (Prov. 1:3).

In the world of Proverbs, faithfulness seems to move in ever-widening concentric circles from the individual to the family, to the larger household, to the community, and ultimately to the nation and its rulers. So also the church must not neglect Proverbs’ emphasis on a gathered people of character, or what some are calling the “communities of character.”66 These communities join together as personalities that practice what is fair, honest, and kind.

Communities, like individuals, exhibit character.67 We must ask ourselves whether our churches are becoming communities of character where truth is spoken, power politics rejected, generosity practiced, and peace maintained. I believe that they are, but I also know that there are many congregations where no pastor wants to go. It should not surprise us that the church becomes more conflicted as our culture becomes more contentious. True, we do not stop being people of our times when we gather as a Christian fellowship, but we must also be models of what is timeless. It is an irony that often some virtues (clean living) are held up to the exclusion of others (honesty, fairness, and tolerance).

While we ought not move directly from the ideal of a righteous Israel to that of a righteous America, we should observe that the wisdom of Proverbs has a great deal to say about how a nation should exhibit a righteous character, and we should call our government and its leaders to that standard. Many of wisdom’s teachings do work even when practiced without a faith commitment. But first things first. Our call for righteousness in our nation should be made credible by the church’s demonstration of the faithfulness found in Proverbs. The book should be read to learn what we may become as a church as well as individuals.

For all the above reasons, it is my hope that this commentary will help spark a renewed sense of the importance of biblical wisdom—and Proverbs in particular—in sermons and studies. We usually consult a commentary when we have to teach or preach from a passage, and that is especially appropriate here, for this book of Proverbs would have us become wise teachers. The ultimate goal of the book is to move its readers from students to teachers, those who take what is given and pass it on to the next generation (as implied in 4:1–9). The book of Proverbs is not only concerned that we become wise, but that we teach others to fear God and live in faithful relationships with others through love of wisdom. Just as the woman who “fears the LORD” is to be praised at the gate (31:30–31), let Wisdom as she is found in the book of Proverbs be praised in our Bible studies and pulpits!68