WHO WROTE:  King Solomon.

 

 

WHAT TIME PERIOD IS COVERED:  B.C. 1039 - B.C. 999?

 

 

WHEN WRITTEN:  B.C. 1039 - B.C. 999.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  The title of this Book in the Hebrew is taken from its first word, “mashal,” which originally meant, “a comparison.”  Such as “a comparison” of good to evil.  It is also sometimes translated as, “parable,” sometimes as, “proverb,” which is now generally accepted for Its title.

 

In an interesting take upon this Book, consider that Proverbs is dedicated to the irradification of foolishness.  Solomons (our Lord’s) purpose in writing this Book is found in Its beginning verse, Proverbs 1:2:  “To know wisdom [Psa. 111:10; Pro. 9:10] and instruction [2Ti. 3:16]; to perceive [common sense] the words of understanding [ability to “know” how to use these God given gifts].”

 

When reading this Book there is a word that comes up quite often, i.e., “fro’ward.”  I have found, personally for me, that when one comes across this word, if they will replace it with a more modern word, i.e., “disobedient,” they can stay with the flow of the writer better.

 

Solomon is said to have written three thousand proverbs (1Ki. 4:32), with those contained in this Book being only a selection from the three thousand.

 

In the New Testament there are thirty-five direct quotations from this Book, or allusions to it.  By quoting from It, the New Testament canonizes this Book:

 

Proverbs 1:16 = Romans 3:10 & 15;

Proverbs 3:7 = Romans 12:16;

Proverbs 3:11-12 = Hebrews 12:5-6; Revelation 3:19;

Proverbs 3:34 = James 4:6;

Proverbs 10:12 = First Peter 4:8;

Proverbs 11:31 = First Peter 4:17-18;

Proverbs 17:13 = Romans 12:17; First Thessalonians 5:15; First Peter 3:9;

Proverbs 17:27 = Jamas 1:19;

Proverbs 20:9 = First John 1:8;

Proverbs 20:20 = Matthew 15:4;

Proverbs 22:8 = Second Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 6:7 & 9;

Proverbs 25:21-22 = Romans 12:20;

Proverbs 26:11 = Second Peter 2:22;

Proverbs 27:1 = James 4:13-14.

 

The Book of Proverbs is found in all Jewish lists among the “ketubim,” or “writings,” which is the “Hagiographa,” which is the third division of Scripture.  The “Talmud, in “Baba Bathra,” 14 b., gives the order as:  Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra (which includes the Book of Nehemiah), then Chronicles. 

 

A lot of Bible Commentators divide each Books of the Bible into sections; I generally do not.  However, if there is a Book that could safely be divided that way, it would be this one.  We would divide It into three sections.  Starting with Proverbs 1:1; then the next section beginning in Proverbs 10:1; and the last in Proverbs 25:1.  An exception would be that Proverbs, Chapters 30 & 31, would constitute a fourth division.

 

The Jews assign the composition of the Song of Solomon to Solomon’s youth, Proverbs to his manhood, and Ecclesiastes to his old age.  A proverb is defined as, “the wit of one, the wisdom of many.”  What is interesting to note is whom it is addressed to, i.e., “my son,” Proverbs 1:8 (and other places), or to, “my sons,” Proverbs 4:1; 5:7; 7:24; 8:32, which is a dialog in the tone of a father.  In a Christian’s case it would be a dialog of God Himself to the Christian.

 

Three kinds of parallelism stand out in the Book of Proverbs.  There are more but these stand out most prominently:  1) Synonymous Parallelism; 2) Antithetic Parallelism; and 3) Synthetic Parallelism.

 

1) Synonymous Parallelism always involves a couplet of two clauses; or two lines.  In Synonymous Parallelism, the second clause simply restates what was given in the first clause.  An example of this would be found in Proverbs 19:29: “Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.”  Notice how these lines say the same thing in two different ways; but they are synonymous.  It must be understood that in the Book of Proverbs there are three losers, and “scorners” and “fools” are two of the three, making them synonymous.  The third would be the “wicked” or “sinners.”

 

2) The opposite of that would be Antithetic Parallelism.  This is a truth that is stated in the first clause, but is stated even stronger in the second clause, by a contrast with an opposite truth.  It’s sort of me saying that there are two sides to a coin.  An example in Proverbs, would be in 13:9: “The light of the righteous rejoiceth:  but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.”  This is an example of a reversal.

 

3) Then there is Synthetic Parallelism.  This is where the second clause simply develops the thought of the first.  An example would be in Proverbs 20:2: “The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion:  whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.”  See how it continues the thought; or it will give the result of the thought; or it describes something that can relate to the thought.  This is called a Synthesis.

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