Book 20 The Book of Proverbs
Who wrote the book of Proverbs: Most of the proverbs were written by Solomon. Others, however, were written by ‘the wise’ and a man named Agur. The final chapter of the book of Proverbs is attributed to King Lemuel, who is most likely Solomon (but more on that later).
hen was it written: Most, if not all, were written during the reign of Solomon (10th century BC)—before the division of the Kingdom of Israel.
Why was it written: To give knowledge, wisdom, and advice to everyone.
Like the Psalms, Proverbs is not a book of events or doctrine, per se. The Psalms are a mix of praise, petition, worship, teaching, and warning. Proverbs, on the other hand, focuses on teaching, admonishment, warning, and encouragement (pleas) to grab hold of wisdom and practical knowledge and hang on to it.
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Proverbs could easily have been written by anyone who has ‘been there, done that’ or an older person who has experienced life from all directions. Proverbs is filled with:
- Warnings against making some of the same mistakes the writer has made
- Truths of the results of choosing worldliness (sin) over righteousness (God)
- Instruction on how to acquire real knowledge
- Moral guidance—including how, what, why
- Truths about the rewards that naturally result from making prudent and wise choices
- Plain old common sense
Like the book of Psalms, Proverbs contains far too much to try to squeeze into a chapter of a book. So once again I will provide you with a mini-list of some of my favorite verses, but I also strongly encourage you to read the entire book.
Circle and underline the verses that speak to your heart and address your personal situation and life. Write notes in the margins of your Bible or prayer journal. Impress these words on your heart, soul, and mind. Live by them to be more of the person God made you to be.
Proverbs 4: A collection of verses teaching us the benefits and blessings of seeking wisdom and using it to make life choices.
“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16-19
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 8:10
“The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9
Proverbs 11: This chapter is filled with Godly and sound advice on living a life of integrity. The world would be a much better place if we followed this advice.
“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18
Proverbs chapters 13, 15, and 16: These three chapters are must-reads for any Christian or anyone seeking to know how to live an upright life of honor and integrity. People whose character reflects these qualities will be respected, successful, and spiritually sound.
“Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:8-9
Proverbs 31: The second half of this chapter is arguably the most popular and most often quoted from the book. The heading at the beginning of the chapter is this: “Saying of King Lemuel”, which leads us to the comment at the beginning of this chapter regarding the belief that King Lemuel and King Solomon are one and the same.
While there is no hard evidence that King Lemuel is in fact, King Solomon, the probabilities are strong. The reasons for this include:
- There is no other reference to King Lemuel in the Bible other than in Proverbs 31.
- The only historical record of King Lemuel is one who was descended from Ishmael. This fact would remove him from the likelihood of being a contributor to the Bible.
- Solomon’s mother, Queen Bathsheba, would have had every reason to advise her son in this manner (considering the lifestyle choices he made later in life)
- Solomon’s life and other writings are in line with the message of Proverbs 31—the ‘learn from my mistakes’ mentality
Regardless of who Lemuel is, the wisdom of the words is timeless and priceless.
For women, it is an encouragement and reminder that God honors women for using their intellect, heart, and physical strength to be the people he created them to be.