The Beginning of Wisdom Pt.2

Wisdom is Key

What is a Proverb?

A Proverb is a short, memorable statement is used to give wise advice or counsel.

Proverbs 1:5 NLT

5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Proverb

PROVERB (משל, mshl; παροιμία, paroimia). A common form in Wisdom literature where a short, memorable statement is used to give wise advice or counsel. Sometimes designed to provoke a conclusion about the natural world based on experience or observation. Characterized by metaphor, terseness, ease of memorization, and applicability outside its original context.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Biblical Relevance

Proverbs mostly occur in the poetry and Wisdom books in the Bible, though they commonly appear in other books amid narratives (e.g., Judg 8:21; 1 Sam 16:7; 1 Kgs 20:11). Though they probably existed prior to writing systems, the proverb is encountered in written form as early as the third millennium BC. There was probably a shared intellectual heritage by which proverbs spread among the milieu of the ancient world, as suggested by these facts:

Wisdom is available to all people, of all races and cultures.

How do we know this?

1.Prov. 8:1-5

Proverbs 8:1–5 NLT

1 Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! 2 On the hilltop along the road, she takes her stand at the crossroads. 3 By the gates at the entrance to the town, on the road leading in, she cries aloud, 4 “I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people. 5 You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding.

2. Proverbs from the Egyptian wisdom text the Instruction of Amenemope appear to be in common with Prov 22–24 (see Proverbs, Book of, Critical Issues)

Proverbs 22:17–18 Tanakh

17 Incline your ear and listen to the words of the sages; Pay attention to my wisdom. 18 It is good that you store them inside you, And that all of them be constantly on your lips,

(Amenemope, ch. 1): "Give thine ear, and hear what I say, And apply thine heart to apprehend; It is good for thee to place them in thine heart, let them rest in the casket of thy belly; That they may act as a peg upon thy tongue"

Proverbs 23:4–5 Tanakh

4 Do not toil to gain wealth; Have the sense to desist. 5 You see it, then it is gone; It grows wings and flies away, Like an eagle, heavenward.

(Amenemope, ch. 7): "Toil not after riches; If stolen goods are brought to thee, they remain not over night with thee. They have made themselves wings like geese. And have flown into the heavens."

3. The Authors of Proverbs Chapter 30 and 31 are none Jewish.

Proverbs 30:1–10 CEB

1 The words of Agur, Jakeh’s son, from Massa. The man declares: I’m tired, God; I’m tired, God, and I’m exhausted. 2 Actually, I’m too stupid to be human, a man without understanding. 3 I haven’t learned wisdom, nor do I have knowledge of the holy one. 4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind by the handful? Who has bound up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is this person’s name and the name of this person’s child— if you know it? 5 All God’s words are tried and true; a shield for those who take refuge in him. 6 Don’t add to his words, or he will correct you and show you to be a liar. 7 Two things I ask of you; don’t keep them from me before I die: 8 Fraud and lies— keep far from me! Don’t give me either poverty or wealth; give me just the food I need. 9 Or I’ll be full and deny you, and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or I’ll be poor and steal, and dishonor my God’s name. 10 Don’t slander a servant to his master; otherwise, the servant will curse you, and you will be guilty.

Philippians 4:11–12 NLT

11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.

Luke 12:15–20 NLT

15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” 16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

So Agur is the author, who is the son of Jakeh who comes from possibly Massa the land of an Ishmaelite tribe.

Proverbs 31:1–7 NLT

1 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him. 2 O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows, 3 do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol. 5 For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed. 6 Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress. 7 Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more.

So Lemuel is the author who was a King from Massa which some believe is N. Arabia.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Biblical Relevance

• The Bible attests to the notion that its proverbial wisdom is available to all people (see Prov 8:1–5).

• Proverbs from the Egyptian wisdom text the Instruction of Amenemope appear to be in common with Prov 22–24 (see Proverbs, Book of, Critical Issues).

• It is likely that the named authors of Prov 30 and 31 are non-Israelite.

• Proverbs are well represented among the Deuterocanonical and deuterocanonical literature, including the Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach; they are also represented in the noncanonical Gospel of Thomas.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Biblical Relevance

The definition of the biblical proverb and its definition in paremiology—the study of proverbs—remains somewhat fluid. For this reason, classifying sayings in material that is not explicitly a collection of proverbs or wisdom sayings as proverbs is a somewhat circular exercise. The definition may be dictated to a degree by the characteristics of the material. However, observing the formulas present in the large proverb collections provides a number of guidelines for classifying the form and where it appears in other contexts.

The etymology of the root which occurs in the Bible, משל (mshl), has two meanings—“likeness,” which refers to a relation of one thing to another through metaphor or simile, and “rule” which describes a fundamentally reliable aspect of natural order.

What type of Proverbs do we see in this collection?

Proverbs have characteristic formulations which, in the Old Testament, commonly employ motifs from Hebrew poetry.

Parallelism - While poetry is designed to say much with few words, these words occur in line pairs, the second of which takes the thought further.

Proverbs 4:24 Tanakh

24 Put crooked speech away from you; Keep devious talk far from you.

Alliteration - rhetorical devices like rhymes, puns, or homophones to create a literary effect by playing off sound patterns, ambiguity, or polysemy.

Psalm 1:1 Tanakh

1 Happy is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or taken the path of sinners, or joined the company of the insolent;

Chiasm - A literary device whereby words or ideas are repeated in inverted order, so that, for example, the first clause corresponds with the fourth, and the second with the third.

Proverbs 16:20–24 Tanakh

20 He who is adept in a matter will attain success; Happy is he who trusts in the Lord. 21 The wise-hearted is called discerning; One whose speech is pleasing gains wisdom. 22 Good sense is a fountain of life to those who have it, And folly is the punishment of fools. 23 The mind of the wise man makes his speech effective And increases the wisdom on his lips. 24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweet to the palate and a cure for the body.

Wordplay - Wordplay develops not only humor and depth within a passage but also fosters literary ambiguity. It is within this ambiguity that the full range of the literary effect and the interpretation can be found.

Proverbs 8:30 Tanakh

30 I was with Him as a confidant, A source of delight every day, Rejoicing before Him at all times,

Proverbs 26:17 Tanakh

17 A passerby who gets embroiled in someone else’s quarrel Is like one who seizes a dog by its ears.

Linked in acrostic - A device employed in poetry whereby the initial letters or signs of each line, read downward, constitute a name, a sentence, or an alphabetic pattern.

Proverbs 31:10–15 NLT

10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. 14 She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Parsing Proverbs

Parsing Proverbs

Proverbs have characteristic formulations which, in the Old Testament, commonly employ motifs from Hebrew poetry such as:

• Parallelism

• Alliteration

• Chiasm

• Wordplay

• Linked in acrostic

These features assist in memorization and keep terseness limited by the poetic formula. Proverbs most commonly occur in couplets: A and B.

They occur in recognizable literary forms and patterns, though these methods often contain overlap. The method of parallelism by which the point is achieved is one way to categorize proverbs—synonymous parallelism, antithetic parallelism, or synthetic parallelism.

Synonymous proverbs make a simile between A and B or equate A with B:

• Sir 20:29—“Favors and gifts blind the eyes of the wise like a muzzle on the mouth they stop reproofs” (NRSV).

• Prov 28:3—“A ruler who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food” (NRSV).

Antithetic proverbs contrast A with B:

• Prov 10:3—“The memory of the righteous is a blessing but the name of the wicked will rot” (NRSV).

• Prov 15:1—“A soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger” (NRSV).

Synthetic proverbs take the truthfulness of A as a causative to conclude B:

• Prov 15:3—“The eyes of the Lord are in every place keeping watch on the evil and the good” (NRSV).

• Prov 21:12—“The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; He casts the wicked down to ruin” (NRSV).

Proverbs may be divided by certain catch words—such as “better than” proverbs or beatitudes which begin with “blessed” or “happy”:

• Eccl 4:6—“Better is a handful with quiet than two handfuls with toil, and a chasing after wind” (NRSV).

• Sir 20:31—“Better are those who hide their folly than those who hide their wisdom” (NRSV).

• Sir 26:1—“Happy is the husband of a good wife; the number of his days will be doubled” (NRSV).

• Wis 3:13b—“For blessed is the barren woman who is undefiled, who has not entered into a sinful union; she will have fruit when God examines souls” (NRSV).

• 4QBeatitudes [4Q525]—“Blessed are those who adhere to his laws and do not adhere to perverted paths.”

• Luke 6:20b—“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (NRSV)

Proverbs may also be divided by the theme or area of life with which they are concerned (the deeds of the rich and poor, insights from nature, cautions concerning women, and self-control):

• Prov 21:13—“If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard” (NRSV).

• Sir 13:3—“A rich person does wrong, and even adds insults; a poor person suffers wrong, and must add apologies” (NRSV).

• Sir 13:19—“Wild asses in the wilderness are the prey of lions; likewise the poor are feeding grounds for the rich” (NRSV)

• Prov 26:9—“Like a thornbush brandishes the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool” (NRSV).

• Prov 22:14—“The mouth of a loose woman is a deep pit; he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it” (NRSV).

• Prov 9:13—”The foolish woman is loud; she is ignorant and knows nothing” (NRSV).

• Gos. Thom. § 27a—“If you do not abstain from the world, you will not find the kingdom.”

• Sir 18:32—“Do not revel in great luxury, or you may become impoverished by its expense” (NRSV).

Proverbs 1:7 NLT

7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 5:3–6 NLT

3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. 4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. 6 For she cares nothing about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.

Proverbs 13:4 NLT

4 Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.

Proverbs 30:24–28 NLT

24 There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: 25 Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer. 26 Hyraxes—they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks. 27 Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation. 28 Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces.

Proverbs 12:10 NLT

10 The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.

Proverbs 4:8–9 NLT

8 If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. 9 She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.”

Proverbs 3:9–10 NLT

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

Proverbs 6:1–5 NLT

1 My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger— 2 if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said— 3 follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. 4 Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do. 5 Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.

Proverbs 7:15–27 NLT

15 You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are! 16 My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen. 17 I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses, 19 for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip. 20 He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won’t return until later this month.” 21 So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. 22 He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, 23 awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life. 24 So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. 25 Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path. 26 For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. 27 Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.

Proverbs 8:22–28 NLT

22 “The Lord formed me from the beginning, before he created anything else. 23 I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began. 24 I was born before the oceans were created, before the springs bubbled forth their waters. 25 Before the mountains were formed, before the hills, I was born— 26 before he had made the earth and fields and the first handfuls of soil. 27 I was there when he established the heavens, when he drew the horizon on the oceans. 28 I was there when he set the clouds above, when he established springs deep in the earth.

Proverbs 9:13–18 NLT

13 The woman named Folly is brash. She is ignorant and doesn’t know it. 14 She sits in her doorway on the heights overlooking the city. 15 She calls out to men going by who are minding their own business. 16 “Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, 17 “Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!” 18 But little do they know that the dead are there. Her guests are in the depths of the grave.

Proverbs 15:1 NLT

1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.

Proverbs 15:6 NLT

6 There is treasure in the house of the godly, but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble.

Proverbs 14:15 NLT

15 Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps.

Proverbs 16:1–4 NLT

1 We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. 2 People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. 3 Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. 4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.

Proverbs 17:6–7 NLT

6 Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children. 7 Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler.

Proverbs 18:11–12 NLT

11 The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. 12 Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.

Proverbs 19:2 NLT

2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.