Navigating Proverbs

Proverbs is fairly comprehensive with its 31 chapters. To help you with some structure, here is a helicopter view of the book.

Outline

This is a basic outline of Proverbs, with chapter and verse numbers in parentheses.

• Introduction, what to expect from Proverbs (1:1-7),
• A father admonishing his son (1:8-7:27),
• Wisdom (8:1-9:12) and Folly (9:13-18) speak, as persons,
• Short words of wisdom (“proverbs”) by King Solomon and a few others (10:1-31:9),
• An excellent wife praised (31:10-31).

The short sayings of wisdom (called proverbs) make up the largest part, by far.

Introduction, 1:1-7

The book of Proverbs takes off by declaring its noble purpose with fanfare. From Proverbs, you may expect instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and prudence. From it you may receive knowledge and discretion. No false modesty here! Proverbs is there for the simple, the young, the wise, the intelligent. Each and every person can expect to benefit from Proverbs.

A Father Admonishing His Son, 1:8-7:27

A father’s words to his son follow the general introduction. He wants his son to lead a good life and shares from his own know-how. The son ought to listen to his mother as well; she is also a source of wisdom. The father wants the son to benefit from the experience of his parents and to see and learn from the mistakes of others. Everyone learns from mistakes, but you do not necessarily have to make all mistakes yourself.

Evidently, wisdom is not, first of all, theory. Wisdom is no-nonsense, hands-on practice.

The advice of the father, and actually all of Proverbs, is based on the idea that the world works in a definite way. There are, as it were, natural laws of human behaviour, just as there are natural laws of physics. Do A, and B will happen.

The natural laws of Proverbs are not religious but neutral facts, applying to all humankind, regardless of faith or non-faith.

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18

Even if much of Proverbs is not religious, God is naturally present and active. Here and there the topic is God himself, usually called the Lord.

The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
Proverbs 10:3

This type of saying also resembles natural laws. They imply that it is possible to know something about God. He is not capricious, hidden, or incomprehensible.

The father would like his son to be aware of how the world works and how to relate to God. If he adjusts himself to those principles, he will enjoy an unimpeded and stable life. Just like you cannot ignore gravitation without getting hurt, you cannot ignore the natural laws of human behaviour, or ignore God, without getting into trouble. Trouble, in such a case, means that important practical aspects of your life stop working.

A remarkable portion of the father’s words to his son is caution against the strange woman. It is about loose relationships and adultery. This general topic fills most of chapters 5 - 7, three chapters.

The natural laws of human behaviour in Proverbs are complemented by a robust moral compass. Life is not just a matter of what works or getting away with something. It is also a matter of right and wrong.

Wisdom and Folly Speak, chapters 8-9

Wisdom first appears as a person in chapter 1, verse 20, onwards. In chapter 8, wisdom speaks for the entire chapter and continues into chapter 9.

To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man.
Proverbs 8:4

Wisdom is a person who has something to offer. Wisdom is not exclusive but addresses everyone.

In Proverbs 8:22, wisdom reveals her origin. She was born of the Lord at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old … at the first, before the beginning of the earth. Wisdom was there when God created the earth and its inhabitants. It was a joyful season with angelic celebration on a cosmic scale.

when [the Lord] marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.
Proverbs 8:30-31

For this reason, wisdom says, you should pay attention. Wisdom was there from the very start and knows how things work. Wisdom does not shy away from inviting the simple and those who lack sense (9:4). All are welcome.

Folly, the antithesis of Wisdom, calls out from the highest places. Folly also has an offer, addressing the same crowd as Wisdom. Accepting Folly’s invitation does not end well.

But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Proverbs 9:18

(Sheol is the house of death.)

In short, the calls of wisdom and folly both reach humanity. They have to choose for themselves which one to follow.

The Sayings, 10:1-31:9

The sayings we usually think of as proverbs begin in chapter 10, extending into the last chapter of Proverbs. A typical proverb consists of two phrases. The second phrase often forms a parallel or a contrast to the first.

A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Proverbs 10:4

If there is any system or particular order in the collection of proverbs, it is hard to detect. More obvious is a number of recurring themes as well as what you might call contrasting archetypal behaviour: the wise versus the fool, the diligent versus the lazy, the upright versus the wicked.

As of 22:17 the style of the text changes to some extent. Several themes extend over many verses. It is not just a matter of style. The text clearly says that it originates from authors other than King Solomon. King Hezekiah, mentioned in 25:1, is known from the Bible, while Agur in 30:1 and King Lemuel in 31:1 are unknown personalities.

An Excellent Wife, 31:10-31

Somewhat unexpectedly, Proverbs ends with lavish praise for an excellent wife. Marriage is highly esteemed, not only here, but generally in Proverbs. In the world of Proverbs, gender is binary, and a man and a woman join in marriage, end of story.

The wife in Proverbs 31 is energetic and enterprising. Her husband trusts her completely and expresses his admiration for her. Their common, arduous life is made possible by teamwork. Considering the enormous time span and cultural distance from our society, it is remarkable that the wife is so autonomous. She is fully trusted to organise and run her own projects for the benefit of all of her house.

Summary

Proverbs is not completely homogenous from beginning to end, even if it mostly consists of short sayings that we usually would call proverbs.

The world of Proverbs is subject to what seems like natural laws of human behaviour. Like physical natural laws, they are not religious but neutral, affecting everyone. They are complemented by a robust moral compass. The best way to lead a stable and unimpeded life is to adapt to these principles. Conversely, you are inviting trouble if you ignore the natural laws. A wise person never stops learning about people and the world, and also about God.

In chapters 8 and 9, Wisdom and Folly appear as persons. Both address humanity and appeal to them to come and follow them. From an individual’s point of view, Wisdom and Folly both entice us with their calls. The book of Proverbs promises in its introduction that it will help us tell wisdom from folly and follow a favourable path.