Proverbs background

In the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, the Book of Proverbs is the second book of the Writings section, located between Psalms and Job.

The Hebrew name for Proverbs is “מָשָׁל” (mä·shäl’), which means “proverb” or “parable,” referring to the use of one thing to illustrate a similar thing in order to explain its nature and make it easy to understand. The book uses many concise, powerful, lively, and memorable phrases to contrast the paths of fortune and misfortune in various aspects of life. It helps God’s people make wise choices, transforming “the fear of the Lord” (1:7) from an abstract concept into practical wisdom for all facets of life, teaching life values and showing people how they ought to live.

The book has multiple authors and was written from the time of Solomon to the period of King Hezekiah, likely edited into its final form by Hezekiah’s scribes. 84% of the content was either spoken or collected by Solomon (1:1-9:18; 10:1-22:16; 25:1-29:27). Other authors include the wise men (22:17-24:34), Agur (30:1-33), and King Lemuel (31:1-31). The book adopts the form of wisdom literature and collects some ancient maxims from Egypt and Mesopotamia. However, even if the form is similar, the essence is completely different: the wisdom of the pagans views the world from a human perspective, discussing only pros and cons and not right and wrong, with the goal of satisfying the flesh, winning competition, and getting ahead. In contrast, the wisdom of Proverbs views the world from God’s perspective, looking to the eternal and holding lightly to what is seen, with the purpose of rejecting the flesh and living out “righteousness, justice, and equity.”

The foundation, premise, and purpose of Proverbs are all about life. Therefore, the Bible places Proverbs after Psalms, and the two must be read together to be properly understood and applied: Psalms is the root of life, and Proverbs is the fruit of life; Psalms teaches us how to pray, and Proverbs teaches us how to conduct ourselves; Psalms is about man’s relationship with God, and Proverbs is about man’s relationship with man; Psalms is “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37), and Proverbs is “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).