1 SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS PAGE

Proverbs--Introduction

1. "Pariemiology" is the study of Proverbs.

2. Proverbs from Other Ages--Proverbs have always been with us.

1. From Sumer, c. 2000 BC

From J.S. Arkenberg, Internet Ancient History Sourcebook at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/2000sumer-proverbs.html.

• "Whoever has walked with truth generates life."
• "He who drinks too much beer must drink water."
• "Wealth is hard to come by, but poverty is always at hand."

2. From the United States of America, c. 2001 AD

From Charles I. Kelly & Lawrence E. Kelly, Commonly-Used Proverbs-Randomly Chosen at www.manythings.org/c/r.cgi/proverbs,u.

• "Waste not, want not."
• "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched."
• "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

 

3. Style--Like all Hebrew poetry, the Book of Proverbs makes use of parallelisms and figures of speech.

4. The Author/Editor--Proverbs 1:1 indicates that King Solomon was the author.

5. The Purpose is found in Proverbs 1:2-6.

1. For whom is it?

1. The Naive (1:4a)
2. Youth (1:4b)
3. Wise Man (1:5a)
4. Man of Understanding (1:5b)

2. What are the teaching techniques?

1. Proverb (1:6a)
2. Figure (1:6a)
3. Words of the Wise (1:6b)
4. Riddles (1:6b)

3. What are the synonyms of Wisdom (1:2a)?

1. Instruction (1:2b; 3a)
2. Sayings of Understanding (1:2b)
3. Prudence (1:4a)
4. Knowledge (1:4b)
5. Discretion (1:4b)
6. Learning (1:5a)
7. Wise Counsel (1:5b)

4. What is the moral character of Wisdom?

1. Righteousness (1:3b)
2. Justice (1:3b)
3. Equity (1:3b)

 

6. The Theme--The beginning of wisdom is to fear God (Proverbs 1:7 & 9:10).

7. Are Individual Proverbs Applicable to All Situations?

"Because proverbs are wise observations based on experience, they must not be understood as unconditional promises but as pragmatic principles (or procedures) to follow. Neither are the proverbs 'legal guarantees from God' but rather 'poetic guidelines for good behavior.' Thus the proverbs tell what generally takes place without making an irreversible rule that fits all circumstances (Greg W. Parsons, Guidelines for Understanding and Proclaiming the Book of Proverbs, Bibliotheca Sacra, April 1993, pp. 152-171."

1. Occasionally the Answer is "Yes."

Such a Proverb often refers to an attribute of Deity that is universally applicable:

 

2. "Conflicting" (Really Complementary) Proverbs

3. Proverbs Teaching the Usual Response not the Comprehensive Response

4. The Sovereignty of God Trumps the Proverb

5. Conclusion--Interpret the Proverbs in the Context of the Entire Bible.

". . . the compacted language limits the conclusions that can be reached, resulting in overstatement or oversimplification, since individual proverbs carry no fine print, footnotes or lists of exceptions (Daniel P. Bricker, The Doctrine of the 'Two Ways' in Proverbs, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, December 1995, p. 505)."

 

8. Is there a higher standard for Christians than the Proverbs? Probably!

• "So keep the words of this covenant to do them, that you may prosper in all that you do (Deuteronomy 29:9)."
• "Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality (2 Corinthians 8:1-2)."
• "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4)."
• "For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God (1 Peter 2:20)."

9. Outline--The outline is from the Ryrie Study Bible:

© 2001, Ken Bowles -- August 25, 2002, Edition

Advertising appearing in conjunction with this page is not endorsed.