However, through usage it came to mean any profound pronouncement, including: maxims, observations, sermons (e.g., ch. The Hebrew word translated "proverb" ( masal) essentially means a comparison. They are a particular kind of figure of speech. Proverbs are a distinctive genre (type of literature). The former is made up of discourses or speeches, while the latter are closer to what we call proverbs in English." For instance, we immediately sense a difference between chaps. "As we look at the contents of Proverbs, we see more than one type of genre in the book. "Knowledge of the genre is essential to the interpretation." Probably the proverbs of Solomon recorded in the Book of Proverbs are ones that he collected, some of which he may have composed but others of which he obtained from other sources. That Solomon "spoke" or "uttered" them does not necessarily mean that he "composed" (NRSV) them. The Book of Proverbs only contains a total of 800 proverbs. The contents of the book could have been in existence in Solomon's lifetime, though not assembled into the collection we know as the Book of Proverbs.Īccording to 1 Kings 4:32, Solomon "spoke" (Heb. The earliest the Book of Proverbs could have been in its final form was in Hezekiah's day, but it may have reached this stage later than that. We do not know when the sages, Agur, or Lemuel lived. Jonathan, that Solomon first composed the Canticles, then the Proverbs, and last of all Ecclesiastes, inasmuch as the first corresponds with the spring-time of youth, the second with the wisdom of manhood, and the third with the disappointment of old age, is founded on the supposition of the unity of the book and of its Solomonic authorship." Such inclusions then took on a new and greater meaning when they formed part of Scripture in a word, they became authoritative and binding, part of the communication of the divine will." "… whatever the Spirit of God inspired the ancient writers to include became a part of the Word of the Lord. Some of the proverbs appear to have been copied from, or at least influenced by, earlier ancient Near Eastern books of wisdom. Agur and Lemuel are unknown to us also, though Lemuel seems to have been a non-Israelite monarch. We do not know who the sages were who wrote 22:17-24:34, nor do we know the names of the men whom King Hezekiah instructed to compile some of Solomon's sayings. Agur and King Lemuel produced chapters 30 and 31 respectively. Hezekiah's men copied some of Solomon's proverbs and added them to this collection (chs. Unnamed wise men (sages) wrote other parts (22:17-24:34 definitely, and possibly chs. Solomon originated or collected most of the proverbs (10:1-22:16 and chs. Only Proverbs and Psalms in the Old Testament claim composite authorship for themselves. Proverbs claims to be a compendium of the wise sayings of several different individuals. The whole book is a book of proverbs and wise sayings, so the title is appropriate. In either case, the book got its title from the proverbs it contains. However, chapters 1-9 do not contain "proverbs" as such, but longer wisdom speeches. The support for this view is that some succeeding sections begin with a similar caption (cf. The second view is that 1:1 simply introduces the first major section of the book. According to this view the references to Solomon in 1:1 are an indication that he was the primary author of the proverbs in the book. The first view has in its favor the fact that the Hebrew Bible took the verse as the title of the book. There is some debate about whether 1:1 is the title of the whole book or just the title of the first major section (chs. The Greek Septuagint called this book "Proverbs of Solomon." The Latin Vulgate named it "The Book of Proverbs." Translators of English Bibles place Proverbs among the poetic books (Psalms-Song of Solomon), whereas in the Hebrew Bible it is found among the "Writings," the third and final major section. The title of this book in the Hebrew Bible is "The Proverbs of Solomon, the Son of David, King in Israel" (cf. Introduction of the Later Solomonic Collection 25:1 Collection 5: Solomon's MAXIMS EXPRESSING WISDOM chs. Collection 4: Six More Sayings of the Wise 24:23-34 Collection 3: thirty SAYINGS of the wise 22:17-24:22 Further advice for pleasing God 19:1-22:16 Collection 2: Solomon's cOUPLETS EXPRESSING WISDOM 10:1-22:16 Warnings against unfaithfulness in marriage ch. Divine promises and human obligations 3:1-12 Warning against consorting with sinners 1:8-19
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