How It All Goes Down
A Book Without "Events"
- Okay—so technically, nothing really "happens" in Proverbs (kind of like Seinfeld—or not). It's a collection of… well, proverbs, after all. But it does have a structure of sorts. It begins by praising wisdom—which it will repeatedly do throughout the course of its thirty-one chapters.
- Wisdom isn't just an abstract noun or a concept—it's a person (either metaphorically or like a kind of angel-goddess figure). "Lady Wisdom" (as she later became known) was God's first creation, according to Proverbs. The book takes us back before the first chapter of the Bible itself, before God said "Let there Be Light." In the very beginning, God creates Wisdom, who watches and applauds as God goes on to create the earth and the heavens.
- But in addition to this interesting piece of back-story on the Bible as a whole, Proverbs plunges onwards with fairly long catalogues of proverbs—some of which are attributed to King Solomon, and some of which are presented as collections from an assortment of unknown wise men and-or wise women. (Who knows? Solomon might've originated some of them, at least.)
Non-Israelite Wisdom Too?
- The themes are fairly simple: love wisdom and seek it with all your heart; be righteous and wise; and don't be wicked or foolish or lazy or a contentious wife or an adulteress (there are long passages in chapters 5 and 7 relating to this subject). But semi-frequently, Proverbs trots out some advice that's pretty unrelated: don't binge on honey, for instance, or you'll throw up. (Good advice, gang.)
- In its last two chapters, the Book of Proverbs ends with three important sections. First there's an oracle from an otherwise un-identified guy named Agur (maybe a non-Israelite wise man) who asks God for a life of moderation and peace, before going on to talk poetically about things that amaze and perplex him. Secondly, King Lemuel (whoever he was—maybe another non-Israelite, say scholars) records some advice his mom gave him about being a good king.
- The book winds up with an ode to a strong and capable wife—contrasting this example with its earlier attacks on the adulteress and the contentious wife.