Bible Commentaries
Proverbs 1

Verses 1-35

XIX

THE INSTRUCTION OF WISDOM

Proverbs 1:1-3:35.

We learn, in general, from the salutation, Proverbs 1:1-6:

1. The general author of the book, especially that Solomon was the father of this kind of literature;

2. The manifold use of proverbs, or the manifold purpose of the book.

The manifold purpose of the book, as set forth in the salutation, is: to know wisdom; to discern words; to receive instruction; to give prudence, knowledge, and discretion; and to understand a proverb.

The author’s text for this division (Proverbs 1:1-9) is Proverbs 1:7: The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; But the foolish despise wisdom and instruction,

"Fear" here means childlike reverence and "instruction" means discipline, or correction.

The foundation maxims of wisdom are parental reverence and obedience: My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck. – Proverbs 1:8-9.

There is a warning in Proverbs 1:10-19 against robbery caused by greed of gain. The times reflected here are the different times in the history of Israel from the Judges to the time of Christ. Thompson’s The Land and The Book. gives a fine description of the conditions here referred to. There are two striking figures of speech in Proverbs 1:12-17, one describing the greediness of sinners and the other representing the craftiness of the trapper, meaning the wiles of the devil.

In Proverbs 1:20-33 we have personified wisdom’s appeal and the folly of rejecting it. And analysis of this paragraph is as follows:

1. Wisdom’s method (Proverbs 1:20 ff.): she cries aloud. She is not esoteric but exoteric. She teaches not in secret but openly. She does not carry on through a secret society but, like Jesus and Paul, she teaches "publicly, and from house to house."

2. Wisdom’s appeal (Proverbs 1:22-23): she gives reproof and exhorts the simple ones, the scoffers and fools to turn and heed. In Proverbs 1:23 we have a promise of the spirit’s illumination which is later given and enlarged upon by Isaiah (Isaiah 32:15) and Joel (Joel 2:28).

3. Wisdom’s rejection and the result (Proverbs 1:24-32) ; she had called and stretched out her hand, but they did not regard, therefore she will turn the deaf ear to all their signals of distress when their storm of calamity comes like a whirlwind.

4. Wisdom’s encouragement (Proverbs 1:33); she gives a ray of hope to those who heed her call and offers them a quiet, peaceful, and secure dwelling place.

The meaning of "simple ones," "scoffers," and "fools" (Proverbs 1:22), is as follows: "simple" here means unwary; "scoffers" refers to a class of defiant and cynical freethinkers in contrast with the "wise" referred to so often in the Wisdom Literature; "fools" signifies heavy, dull, gross fellows. This enumeration covers the field: the "simple," from whom recruits are too easily drawn to the army of evil; "scoffers," the proud leaders of the host; "fools," the rank and file of the host. Proverbs 1:23 of this passage is, undoubtedly, the germ of Isaiah 44:3 and Joel 2:28, and the fulfilment of which is John 7:37 and Acts 2:33.

Proverbs 1:31 reminds us of Galatians 6:7: "Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap."

The teaching of Proverbs 2 is that wisdom must be sought as one would seek silver or hid treasures, expressed in synonymous parallelism mainly. The characteristics of the seeker of wisdom are a willingness and desire to know, accompanied by devotion, to which may be added diligence and persistency (Proverbs 2:1-4).

The results of finding such wisdom are expressed in Proverbs 2:5-20, which are the understanding of the fear of Jehovah, the finding of the knowledge of God who gives wisdom to the upright, who also is a shield and guard to his saints, then the understanding of righteousness and justice, the pleasure of knowledge, the deliverance from evil ways and perverse men who forsake right paths to walk in darkness, and deliverance from the strange and wicked woman who has forsaken her friends, forgotten her God, and whose house leads to death from which there is no recovery.

There is a great and encouraging prophecy given in Proverbs 2:21-22. It is the final triumph of the righteous over the wicked. The righteous who possess the divine wisdom here described may walk in the ways of good men and dwell safely in the land, but the wicked are doomed to defeat and final banishment.

The subject of Proverbs 3 is the cultivation of wisdom as the best thing to adjust all our relations toward God and man. A brief outline of this chapter is:

1. Our duty to God (Proverbs 3:1-12).

2. The happy state of them that have wisdom (Proverbs 3:13-26).

3. Man’s duty to his fellow man (Proverbs 3:27-35).

According to Proverbs 3:1-12, our duties to God are to remember his law and keep his commandments; to walk in the ways of kindness and truth; to trust in Jehovah implicitly and acknowledge him always; to be not conceited but fear Jehovah; to honor Jehovah with our substance, and not to despise the chastening of Jehovah nor be weary of his correction, since it all comes as an expression of his love for us as his children.

It is interesting to note here the New Testament use made of Proverbs 3:11-12. Paul quotes these verses in Hebrews 12:5-6 to enforce his argument on the chastening of the Lord being a proof of his love for his people. Here the author of Hebrews calls this passage in Proverbs an "exhortation, which reasoneth with you as with sons" and then shows the superiority of God’s chastening over the chastening of our earthly parents who chasten us as it seemed good to them, but God chastens his children for their good. This shows the unmistakable meaning and application of Proverbs 3:11-12.

According to the second division of this analysis, we find that the value of wisdom is beyond all comparison with earthly attainments or things, and produces a happiness far more enduring than the most valuable things of time; she is better than silver, more precious than rubies and beyond comparison with anything that the human heart can desire, since she holds in her hand lengths of days, riches and honor; her ways are pleasant and her paths are peace; she is a tree of life and a perpetual source of happiness; by her Jehovah wrought his mighty works and she is to be kept as a source of life and grace; she helps to walk straight, takes away fear and gives sweet sleep; she takes away sudden fear of the desolation of the wicked since her possessors are believers in Jehovah and their feet are being kept by him.

According to the last section of this chapter, our duties to our fellow man and God’s attitude toward the wicked and the righteous are set forth. The righteous are commanded to pay what they owe when it is possible for them to do it and not to put off their neighbors one day when they can attend to it at once. Then they are commanded to plan no evil against their neighbor and to avoid all responsibility for strife and envy, since the wicked are abominable to Jehovah and his curse rests upon them, while his blessing and grace are with the righteous. The last verse contrasts the wise and the foolish. One is reminded here of our Lord’s parable of the ten virgins. Proverbs 3:34 is quoted by James (James 4:6) and Peter (1 Peter 5:5) to show God’s attitude toward both the proud and the humble. They both say, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble."

QUESTIONS

1. What do we learn, in general, from the salutation, Proverbs 1:1-6?

2. What is the manifold purpose of the book as set forth in the salutation?

3. What is the author’s text for this division (Proverbs 1-9) and what is the meaning of "fear," and "instruction"?

4. What is the foundation maxims of wisdom?

5. What is the warning in Proverbs 1:10-19, what time does this passage reflect and what striking figures of speech used here?

6. What is the warning in Proverbs 1:20-33, and what is a brief analysis of this section?

7. What is the meaning of "simple ones," "scoffers," and "fools," Proverbs 1:22?

8. Of what scripture is Isaiah 1:23 the germ and what scriptures show their fulfilment?

9. Of what New Testament scripture does Proverbs 1:31 remind us?

10. What is the teaching of Proverbs 2 and what kind of parallelism is most prominent in this chapter?

11. What must be the characteristics of the seeker of wisdom?

12. Give a summary of the results of finding such wisdom.

13. What is the great and encouraging prophecy given in Proverbs 2:21-22?

14. What is the subject of Proverbs 3?

15. Give a brief outline of this chapter.

16. According to Proverbs 3:1-12 what are our duties to God and what New Testament use of Proverbs 3:11-12?

17. According to the second division of this analysis, what is the value of wisdom and what does she offer to those who seek her?

18. According to the last section of this chapter, what are our duties to our fellow man and what is God’s attitude toward the wicked and the righteous, and what is New Testament use of Proverbs 3:34?