Proverbs
Title: Proverbs, in Hebrew Mishley – from
the verb to make alike, to assimilate – sayings, based on similar
properties of things or events.
Date of
writing: Depending
on the dating of 25:1, 30:1, and 31:1 the time might stretch from about 1000 BC
to 707 BC (Times of king Hezekiah)
Structure: Seven parts can easily be
identified
A. 1 – 9,
Proverbs (of Solomon) as speeches to “my son(s)”
B. 10:1 –
22:16, Proverbs of Solomon
C. 22:17 –
24:22, words of the wise
D. 24:23-34,
more saying of the wise
E. 25 – 29,
Proverbs (of Solomon) gathered by the men of king Hezekiah
F. 30, Words
of Agur son of Jakeh (“gatherer, the obedient one”)
G. 31, Words
of king Lemuel (Devoted to God) [what his mother – Bathsheba – taught him]
Main
themes:
God and man
Wisdom and
folly
Labor and
laziness
Friend(s)
Rule and
leadership
Words and
tongue
Family:
husband and wife, parents and children
Life and
death
Reflection
in other parts of the Bible:
There are
parallels between the Book of Proverbs and Deuteronomy: Both begin with a long exhortation,
then there are many particular rules (Deut.) or “suggestions” (Prov.). Both
books end up with a poetic conclusion – a song – that sums up the whole book:
Deut. 32 and Prov. 31
There are
also parallels with Psalms:
19:10 – the
Word is more desirable than gold and honey, Pr. 25:16,27
111:10 the
fear of the LORD, Pr. 1:7
Jesus uses
proverbs for His parables, see. Lk. 14:7-11 (Pr. 25:6-7)
Lutheran
teaching: The Book
of Concord uses a few verses from Proverbs.
17:15 “he
who justifies the wicked…” is found in both Epitome and Solid Declaration of
the Formula of Concord discussing the Righteousness of faith (FC, Epitome III:7
and SD III:17).
22:6 “train
up a child…” it is used in the Large Catechism I:75, 168 207 to establish the
foundation of godly parenting raising up the faithful children.
Lutheran
hymnody:
LSB 750 – If
Thou but Trust in God to Guide Thee (3:5-6)
LSB 618 – I
come, O Savior, to Thy Table (25:6-7)
Relevancy
of the Book:
Unlike the Books
of the Law, Proverbs do not give a commandment – they present the observations
of life. “Most of the time it works like this”. So, the sayings of Proverbs
should be taken as the Divine suggestions of the wise person to the one who
wants to be successful in life. Yet, it is not about earthy wealth first and
foremost. The Proverbs begin with the fear of the LORD and they end with the description of Lady Wisdom that
is teaching faithfulness (to God) and shares His gifts of bread and wine (:16,
26).
Memory
verses:
1:7 The
fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools
despise wisdom and instruction.
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