Proverbs 1:1-30

The author gives us his own introduction to the book. He opens with a title (v. 1): The proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Plainly, this designation of the author means that Solomon composed and/or selected the proverbs of the first section. Later we shall see that the contributions of other inspired writers also are included. And indeed, other proverbs of Solomon himself are appended. The next six verses (vv. 2–7) provide a fitting general introduction to all that follows, describing the purpose for which the book was written. Verses 8 and 9 urge youth to heed to the counsels of their parents, verses 10 through 19 warn against those who would tempt them to get involved in bloodthirsty robbery, verses 20 through 23 echo with the call of Wisdom, and the chapter concludes with a description of the terrifying results of a failure to heed her call (vv. 24–33). It is a powerful introduction to the words of the first nine chapters in particular and to the Book of Proverbs as a whole.Let us look now at verses 2 through 6. The main purpose is clearly set out: to know wisdom and disciplined training; to understand words of discernment (v. 2). Note what is up front. If you want wisdom and knowledge, there is wisdom and knowledge to be had. That means that the disciple and discipler may find instruction about the will of God in this book. It is a book of revealed truth. To communicate knowledge of God’s will for His covenant people, then, is one aim of the author. Secondly, that will of God is called wisdom, a key term in this book. Proverbs belongs to a genre of biblical writing referred to as wisdom literature. By reading this material, learning from its insights and following its instructions, one will become wise. The word wisdom is a synonym for knowledge but means more than the attaining of knowledge; it carries the idea of skillful use of knowledge in the service of God. The wise man is one who competently lives for Him. This wisdom, however, does not come easily; it is attained only by disciplined training in righteousness (see 2 Timothy 3:16). As one reads again and again the wisdom that is inculcated in Proverbs, and prayerfully, and consistently applies it in life, he trains himself in righteous living. This is a training manual. The word for discipline here is also used in 22:15. But there is also a concern for the reader to understand words of discernment (lit., “to discern the words of discernment”). The word bin, from which these terms are derived, means instruction or understanding that comes with the ability to separate or distinguish between things that differ. One of the principal ways in which a disciple runs into trouble is from their lack of discernment.

In verse 3, a string of related words appears: to receive disciplined training in prudence, right living, judgment and uprightness. Not only will one learn the best ways of doing something from Proverbs, so that he may act prudently when doing so, but also, he will discover what right living means, how to make good judgments and what it is to be upright in all things. He will be able to settle questions of right and wrong, will know what is morally right in God’s sight and will be able to move through life with the care and patience born of prudent action. Wow! Isn’t that precisely what disciples need? Think of those who stumble and bumble into trouble because they lack prudence. The acquisition of that characteristic alone would reduce the number of setbacks we face? Consider the thoughtless manner in which people go about living their lives, the ways in which they drift, stumble and hurt others unintentionally. Think too of the disciples who cannot tell right from wrong, who are unable to understand how to acquire and apply truth from the Bible. Many are at sea most of the time; they never seem to reach harbor. And if and when they do make landfall they come crashing into rocks and barriers instead of gliding safely into port. They lack the very qualities in which this book purports to be able to train them. How useful Proverbs is for disciples and disciple makers! Now the sort of person who needs the teaching of this training manual is mentioned: to give clear perception to the naive, knowledge and discretion to the young man (v. 4). The “simple” or naive is the one who is highly impressionable, who is open to all sorts of influences—both good and bad - that is all of us. From time to time we all lack the know-how and the discretion to distinguish the one from the other. That is a dangerous place; we live in a fallen world that continually beckons in addition to the call of wisdom. He has trouble knowing which voice is which; he does not know how to distinguish the two. That is what this wisdom book will provide if he reads and heeds. Disciples abound who have been scammed into all sorts of things thinking that they were doing right only to wake up too late to the fact that they were “had.” They, like the young man who lacks experience, are naive, gullible. That is understandable in one who is only beginning life, but if they have for years possessed the Book of Proverbs and remain so, there is no excuse for the sort of naivete´ that leads to trouble and sin. It is time to grow up; time to learn what the world is all about. As a disciplemaker, you are fortunate to have a book that will enable you to help them do so.Verse 5 reads: The wise person hears and increases his learning, and those who exercise discernment will acquire wise counsel to guide them. The fool drifts along with what knowledge and discernment he has (which generally is little to begin with, and even that is slipping away). No wonder many persons need instruction about even the simplest matters. But the wise man is ever increasing his store of information and sharpening his intellectual and social skills in ways that please God. He wants to know about the teachings he will discover in Proverbs, and will find waiting to put them into practice difficult. He will devour new truth from God and improve his life as a result. Disciples like him soon find that their problems will melt away. Others, however, who lack such enthusiasm for learning God’s Word, will not progress. Therefore, you must encourage this trait for learning. You must show them how the very acquisition of a new truth from God can change everything. Just recently, a young man said to me, “Now that’s a new thought,” as I used a passage from Proverbs to illuminate his situation by showing him what God wanted him to do about it. You could see how this one fact newly awakened hope in him concerning a matter about which he had all but given up. In fact, that new insight was a turning point in the counseling session.Those who exercise discernment are always glad for wise counsel, no matter who may give it. Here, it is Proverbs that is the source of such counsel. But, note well, the Bible firmly stands on the side of using counsel that one obtains from the Scriptures. Here is a source of counsel, then, that the disciplemaker neglects only at peril to his discipleship and to his those being dicipled. Disciples, on the other hand, who are not interested in such instruction may be shown from this passage (and many others in this book) how unwise their disinterest is.It is not always easy to interpret the Bible on one’s own (though it is the obligation of every believer to growingly become able to do so), so it is necessary for many to consult with those who can make sense of those things that are difficult for them. They seek wise counsel in order to understand a proverb and its interpretation, the words of the wise and their dark sentences. Now, there is your commission. You are to become one who not only understands and can interpret proverbs, but who also is able to penetrate into the meanings of those verses that many find too dark (i.e., unintelligible). A big order? Why, certainly. But what could be of greater benefit to you and to others than for them to be able to come to you uncertain about the meaning of God’s Word, and to find you able to enlighten them? Much of disciplemaking at one point or another involves enlightenment about various aspects of Scripture. To disciple well, you must interpret well. Every disciplemaker must consider it his duty to become a good interpreter of the Bible.Why isn’t all Scripture equally perspicuous? Some of its sentences are dark. God may have many reasons for this. Certainly all those things that have to do with the way of salvation and with basic Christian living are patent on their surface. But there are other passages into which one must delve, diving very deeply for understanding. These He may have given in the form of parables and enigmatic sayings in order to fix their richness in one’s mind once he understands them. It is possible too that He reveals truth in such a manner in order to induce us to engage in more serious study of His Word. Whatever God’s purposes in this matter may be—and we do not need to inquire into them more fully—we know that the dark sayings of the Bible do serve to nudge us into deeper study of it.Now, the climax of the purpose statement with which the Book begins: The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but stupid fools despise wisdom and disciplined training (v. 7). There, in one sentence, is the nub of all that is being said. The wise man will come to know God and His wisdom through the proper state of mind and the proper relationship to God. To attain to wisdom (which comprises all that series of words whose meanings we have been exploring) one must fear God. He must understand that God is His Yahweh—the covenant making and the covenant keeping God Whose slogan is, “You are My people and I am your God.” To be in the relationship of fellowship with Yahweh through salvation and openness to His will as it is revealed in the Bible, is the condition for learning. The fear of Yahweh is not some servile fear, but a holy awe that flows from a healthy acknowledgment of His might and power. In certain places the phrase has become a semi-technical term meaning to be in a right relationship to God through saving faith.Counselor, don’t miss the point here: counseling for change that pleases God is not an academic matter. Nor is it merely a matter of behavior change. Good counseling begins by bringing counselees into a proper relationship with God. It is a moral-relational matter.But, sadly, there are stupid fools who despise wisdom. They despise wisdom because they are fools, and they are fools because they despise wisdom. Cyclically, the two feed one another. In counseling, however, you may need to determine which is dominant. Is one a fool, and therefore, one who stupidly despises wisdom? That is to say, does he have no interest whatsoever in wisdom because he is a fool? Or is it the other way round—is he a fool because he has turned his back on wisdom? There may be more hope for the latter than for the former, if you can help him to repent and turn around.At any rate, it is important to recognize that here Solomon is making a plea for the reader to enter into the study of that which will bring him the wisdom he needs for life. He urges a pious attitude that submits to and delights in the truths that God has revealed in his Word (in this case, in Proverbs in particular). To learn wisdom means first of all to love Yahweh, the Fountain from Whom all true wisdom flows (James 1:5ff.).But what is it to despise wisdom and disciplined training? The word in the original is a strong one indicating that the fool in question has stupidly slighted and even acted contemptuously toward wisdom and the training by which it is acquired. To despise it is more than the sour grapes attitude of one who has failed to learn as he ought; rather, it is to take a positive delight in showing contempt (probably by outward words and actions) for something. He has abandoned (or never begun) the search for wisdom, not so much out of lethargy (though that is where his antipathy toward wisdom and training may have begun) as out of a definite dislike for it. He is, according to the word for fool used here, one who will have nothing of the counsel of others; he is self-confident to the point of despising wisdom out of self-importance and pride. To submit to a teacher or counselor is the height of stupidity in his mind, whereas exactly the opposite is true. He is stupid for failing to do so. So, Solomon’s admonition is to heed Wisdom’s call to come and drink to the fill. If you do not, you will end up in the company of fools, and become like them.Verses 8 and 9 are directed to an application of the commandment to honor father and mother. Indeed, the very first word is the shema of the Book of Proverbs: hear. It is a plea to accept the wisest counsel that any youth can ever receive; it is a plea to listen to the words of one’s father and mother. He urges the reader, My son, listen to your father’s discipline (musar) and do not neglect your mother’s law. The beginning of wisdom is to fear Yahweh. One who does will respect his father and mother and heed their commands because in His Word Yahweh tells him to do so. Thus, the next step in wisdom occurs: next to fearing God, the wise son obeys his parents.Why should one obey? Because God commands it, of course. But what will it do for him? Obedience to the disciplined training and the law of his parents will cause others to note that the results are like an attractive ornament adorning your head (or headdress) and like chains for your neck (v. 9). The chains are not to be thought of as binding, but rather as adorning one’s neck. In other words, the one who accepts his parents’ instruction and obeys their will is going to live a beautiful life. His ways and his words will be attractive to others. Not only is he likely to attract the right sort of marriage partner, but also friends and working associates who are pleased to know someone like him. He will be a delightful person who exhibits a lifestyle that is like fair jewels in his headdress and beautiful chains around his neck. What a magnificent goal for a young person—or anyone! How worthwhile is the study of the Word. How important for the youth (or older person) whose lifestyle is anything but attractive to others. On the other hand, you may find it necessary to explain to the one who wonders why no one wants to associate with him, that it is because of the absence of these adornments. If he is older, and has grown up in rebellion against his parents, he may still have to learn all those lessons they might have taught him, at this late date. A rebellious person, one who wants only his own way and will not listen to others, is not a person who attracts others. They will turn from him as soon as they discover what he is like. Part of your work as a counselor is to size up the situation and learn which chains and ornaments are missing. In effect, then, you must become his surrogate parent, helping him fit these into the costume of his life.Coming to verses 10 through 19, we are introduced to a longer section having to do with robbery and violence. It is virtually a picture of what we see on TV every night. If ever a passage of Scripture were appropriate to our day this is it. Let me set forth the picture as a whole, in uninterrupted sequence as the author sketches it. He begins with a plea that is also a warning: My son, if sinners entice you, do not willingly consent. He then goes on to the description of the temptation, even using dialog to add to the drama:They say: Come, walk with us; let’s lie in wait for blood. Let’s ambush some who have no reason to suspect it. Let’s swallow them alive like Sheol does—whole, like those going down into the pit. We’ll find all sorts of valuable stuff; we’ll fill our houses with loot! Throw your lot in with us; we’ll all share one bag.Father: My son, don’t walk in the way with them; keep your foot off their path. Their feet are rushing toward evil; they are hurrying to shed blood. It’s useless to spread out the net in the sight of any bird, but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they are ambushing themselves! So are the ways of every one who is out to get gain; it takes away its owner’s life.This dramatic exchange, as I suggested above, is more than appropriate to our time. With the advent of street gangs in many large cities and the increase of crime—murder and robbery have become commonplace—no sounder advice could be given by a father/teacher to a young man. The public schools, in many places, have become a breeding ground for such activities, and the age of those participating in them has been falling every year. The method for warning here is powerful. The counselor takes the counselee behind the closed doors of those thugs who would like to recruit his pupils. He lets them listen in to their enticing spiel. He makes it sound every bit as exciting as it might be; his words are realistic. If and when his students are ever faced with such a proposition, they cannot fail to remember his warning. At the outset, he even makes it sound easy, challenging, inviting, sure to produce gain. But then he turns the tables. These people actually are lying in wait for their own blood; they can’t wait to rush to their own death. They are hurrying toward trouble. If you spread a net in the eyes of a bird to trap him in it, your efforts will be in vain. A bird is smart enough to recognize the danger. But these people are so ignorant that they fail to see—what ought to be in full view of their eyes—that they are setting a trap for themselves. They will end up dying for their gain! Those who take the sword will die by the sword.When counseling, drawing a vivid, accurate picture of the trouble toward which one’s counselee is heading, as a warning to call him off, is a powerful method. For instance, you may find yourself describing life in a mental institution toward which a counselee may be heading if he fails to assume responsibility for his life. And, when you do something like that, why not embellish it the way Solomon does—with dialog? Dialog is an important means of making principles come to life; it is almost as good as recreating the actual scene itself. And it is impressive; it leaves a deeper dye in the mind of the hearer than the mere repetition of a principle. By example, the Book of Proverbs shows a counselor much about how to best reach his counselees (for more, see the Introduction).Notice the contrast between the two perspectives from which the speakers view the proposed criminal way of life. On the one hand, the gang leader sees only money, easy living and the horrid thrill of theft and murder. He is short sighted; blinded by the glare of sin. The teacher, in contrast, sees beyond the temporary gain to the ultimate, dismal outcome of it all: utter ruin and death. The one sees the enterprise as a rushing toward quick wealth; the other as a path down which one recklessly runs toward death and destruction.Any counselor worth his salt will be able to see more in an evil scheme than the gains that may tempt his counselee. He will, therefore, be able to sketch a bigger picture. No counselee, contemplating an unsavory course of action (adultery, theft, etc.) willing or unwilling to listen, should ever leave your office without having been shown such contrasting scenes as you dramatically paint them for him. It is part of good teaching to do so. And remember, every counselor (to the extent that he is a faithful and successful counselor) by virtue of the nature of the task of counseling, is a teacher (for more on this, see my book, Teaching to Observe: The Counselor as Teacher).Following hard on the heels of the call of the wicked to obtain gain (actually to obtain death) comes the call of Wisdom (personified) to the naive who is satisfied with his naiveté and the fool who has been rejecting knowledge. Presumably, the call issued in verses 20 through 23 to such persons means that there is hope for them, even though they are in such an advanced state of sin, lethargy and scorn. Let’s listen to Wisdom who (again in dramatic dialog) seeks to win the heart of the reader. Verses 20 through 21 is what is said about her by way of introduction.What a powerful speech that is! Wisdom is not for the few; it is not found only in esoteric places. No! Indeed, wisdom cries out loudly in all sorts of prominent public places where everyone can hear and respond. No one may complain that wisdom is inaccessible to him. He fails to listen to its call. The simple, inexperienced, naive person who doesn’t want to progress, as well as the scorner who mocks at knowledge which he hates (because it would condemn him), alike are called to repentance. Turn, the graphic Hebrew word for repentance, pictures one who is following a wrong course of action and is called by Wisdom to turn back and get on the right one. According to this invitation, even the worst sinner (see Psalm 1:1, where the scorner is at the top of the heap) may repent and be saved to a productive life of honoring God. How is he to turn back? He is to recognize that the call of God comes to him, that his sinful way of life is futile and that God can change him dramatically. All of this is achieved by the Word (message) of Wisdom and the Spirit. God promises to those who want to change not only His good counsel but also the power of His Spirit of holiness to enable them to make the needed changes. That is a promise that any counselor may hold out to counselees, no matter how sordid, how hardened their previous attitudes and behavior may have been.But if they refuse to heed the call of wisdom their doom is sure. There comes a time when God will cease calling. And a time when He will hear them no more. Counselors need to warn stubborn counselees that light rejected is a serious matter, that what they are hearing from the Bible (presupposing, of course, they are) ought to be given full consideration because it may be the last opportunity they will ever have to respond. Listen as Wisdom continues in verses 24 through 28.These riveting words are intended to extend a powerful warning to all who continue to reject truth and reproof. In the face of rejected light and offered help, those who persist in their foolish ways will discover that the time will come when it is too late to turn; repentance will give way to mere regret. Though they call on God He will not answer. Though they get up early (i.e., make it a priority—a matter of first importance) to search for God, it will be too late; they will not find Him. He will laugh at their fear and distress which will come like a tornado, like a hurricane—with devastating force. All they will receive from God is the same sort of mocking and jeers that they, themselves, directed at Him and His Word for so long! These are terrifying words. And because they are, it is best for you in using them merely to read them, and not try to paraphrase them. People need to hear directly from God’s Word itself about the jeopardy into which they are plunging themselves. Therefore, when dealing with a scorner in counseling (usually, it will be at the last session—unless this warning has a salutary effect), you might close the discussion in a powerful way by reading this section. I urge you not to avoid such portions of the Scriptures; they are given precisely for such purposes and ought to be so used. There are few other places in which you will find a more pointed warning about the danger of rejecting God as He implores them with outstretched hand to repent. As a consequence, those who fail to do so will be rejected by Him.Wisdom concludes her speech in verses 29 through 33:Again, I can only commend the use of these concluding remarks by Wisdom in circumstances such as I have described above when looking at her earlier warning. Do, however, note the final word of hope in verse 33. To listen (i.e., heed)—which is the burden of the entire section—is to reap the fruit of security and true prosperity—and ease. The ease of the wicked is unsteady, perilous, ready at any moment to rip apart. That of the one who hears Wisdom when she calls is lasting and certain. That does not mean that all will be a bed of roses, you might want to observe. Rather, it may mean ease of soul in the midst of persecution or trial. Yet, there will be nothing to frighten or terrify the heart of those who have placed their trust in Yahweh. That is true ease and security (cf. 3 John 2, “even as your soul is prospering”).What a forceful beginning to the Book of Proverbs. If you use the book at all in counseling, surely you will want to use this chapter. Is there any other book of the Bible that so aptly describes the lure and the danger of violence, criminal activity, and gang membership? Here you have a remarkable, almost unique, source of help in this area; don’t fail to recognize and deploy it!

I. Title and Prologue (1:1–7)

While David was Israel’s preeminent psalmist, his son Solomon gave definitive stature to the nation’s proverbs. If paradox is at the heart of the proverb, it is certainly afforded full expression in this corpus of wise sayings. But the māšāl, as observed previously, covers a wide range of forms, varying from a telling simile (10:25) to an address dealing with the character of wisdom (8:1–36). The mention of Solomon in the title recognizes him as Israel’s famed progenitor of wise sayings, and this is an entirely appropriate recognition. Although some scholars have questioned whether he was the author of chapters 1–9, there can be little doubt that he was as well informed on the subject of wisdom as anyone in antiquity, and thus eminently qualified to introduce systematic teaching on this vitally important matter. Whether a later editorial addition or not, therefore, it designated accurately the character of the wisdom sayings, which may be attributed confidently to Solomon and his entourage. In the ancient world, the ruler of a city-state was the absolute owner not merely of the land, but also the property of the citizens and the people themselves. He could therefore lay legitimate claim to everyone and everything, including such intellectual property as proverbs formulated in a court environment. As a result there would be nothing exceptional in Solomon’s claim to proprietorship of the whole literary corpus.

The author, having identified himself, states the purpose of the material, which is to provide instruction for successful living against a background of covenant ethics and morality (v. 1). Verses 2–3 furnish a list of synonyms for wisdom, which makes clear the scope of the term. The instruction aims at developing mental acumen in people of varying backgrounds and capabilities, and if followed promises to lead to success in business and social endeavors. Through wisdom its adherents will become discriminating in judgment and will be able to derive maximum benefit from all the traditional proverbs, figures of speech, the utterances of wise men, and certain “mind games” such as riddles. But the imbibing of wisdom is not exactly a matter of salvation by works. The process has its beginnings in the individual’s commitment to God in fear and reverence. God is himself true wisdom and gives good things freely to those who ask of him (cf. Matt. 7:11). The very character of wisdom imposes limitations upon potential disciples, however. The fool (Heb. petı̂), who is gullible, naive, and deficient in moral attributes, despises wisdom (v. 7) and therefore excludes himself automatically from its benefits.

II. Wisdom and Some Opponents (1:8–9:18)

A. Criminals (1:8–19). Both parents are portrayed as instructing their children in wisdom and should be obeyed accordingly (Exod. 20:12). The teaching given here is depicted at the most personal level. The term my son would also apply to daughters, who were expected to grow up to become like the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31:10–31. A special warning is given about consorting with violent criminals such as terrorists, who ambush and murder innocent victims. The mention of “Sheol” or “the Pit” is a reference to the location of the dead. It seems to be a familiar description of death and is given little explanation. The criminals mentioned here include thieves as well as murderers, who pursue one of the commonest forms of lawlessness known to humanity. But wisdom teaches soberly that criminal activity brings its own just reward.

B. Wisdom’s call (1:20–33). In verse 20, and also in 9:3, wisdom is a plural noun (Heb. ḥākmôt), thought to be either a Phoenician singular form or a plural of “majesty.” Personified as a woman, wisdom appeals in all the public places of the city for self-centered, irresponsible people to begin fearing God and thus be enlightened and blessed by wisdom. She has stretched out her hands to a wayward people (cf. Isa. 65:2; Rom. 10:21), while warning them that if they spurn her she will repudiate them when they come whining to her in trouble. Even divine mercy needs human acceptance if it is to be truly redemptive, and while those who yield to wisdom’s entreaties will live, the simpletons who reject her will bring about their own destruction.

Harrison, R. K. (1995). Proverbs. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 410). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.