This self-study guide offers you insight into one of the most practical books in the Bible—Proverbs. In it you'll learn how to live a godly life in the present with the assurance of eternal reward. Proverbs is more than a book of popular sayings. Its theme is wisdom for those who know and obey the law of God. Written in beautiful contrasts, Proverbs not only gives godly advice, but also shows by graphic example the conseqences of a lifestyle that leaves God out. The books in the Jensen Bible Self-Study Guide series are designed to provide you with a broader understanding of God’s Word. Offering historical context and background, author information, charts, and other helps, these books will equip you with a comprehensive reference tool you’ll return to often. Each study includes an opportunity for analysis, response, and further study in a response-oriented format. The thirty-nine books in this series are suitable for both personal and group use. IRVING L. JENSEN (B.A., Wagner College; S.T.B., Biblical Seminary; Th.D., Northwestern Theological Seminary), was professor and chairman of the department of Bible at Bryan College, Dayton, Tennessee, and the author of numerous books, including the entire Bible Self-Study Series; Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament; Jensen's Survey of the New Testament; Jensen's Bible Study Charts; Acts: An Inductive Study; Independent Bible Study; and How to Profit from Bible Reading. Proverbs: A Self-Study Guide By Irving L. Jensen Moody Press Copyright © 1976 The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-8024-4471-4 Contents Introduction, 1. Background of the Book of Proverbs, 2. Survey of the Book of Proverbs, 3. The Beginning of Wisdom, 4. "Wisdom Is the Principal Thing", 5. Enticement to Sin, 6. Call to Righteousness, 7. Marks of Godly Living, 8. Ways of Man That Please the Lord, 9. Applying God's Word to Our Living, 10. Further Descriptions of Godliness, 11. Good and Evil, 12. The Words of Agur, 13. The Words of Lemuel, Appendix: Familiar Proverbs, Bibliography, CHAPTER 1 Lesson 1 Background of the Book of Proverbs God inspired the writing of Proverbs partly as an antidote to the spiritual apostasy of His people Israel. Like all Scripture, the book of Proverbs arose out of an immediate, local setting, involving people and their relationships to each other and to God. An understanding of the setting and characteristics of this twentieth book of the Bible will greatly enhance our study of its text. This in turn will make it easier for us to apply Proverbs to our lives. Such is the scope of this opening lesson. I. TITLE The common title of the book is "Proverbs," from the opening phrase, "The proverbs of Solomon," in 1:1. The Hebrew word for "proverb," mashal, comes from a root meaning "to be like," or "to represent." This is appropriate, since most proverbs use comparison to teach their truths. (An example: "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls," 25:28.) Proverbs are terse maxims about conduct and character, primarily in the spiritual, moral, and social realms. When brought together in an anthology such as the book of Proverbs, they are like "small pictures crowded together on the walls of a large gallery." Read the following verses where the word "proverb(s)" appears: Numbers 21:27—first appearance of the word in the Bible 1 Samuel 10:12—first citation of a proverb 2 Peter 2:22—a New Testament citation of a biblical proverb II. AUTHORSHIP Most of the proverbs originated with Solomon son of David. (Read 1:1, 10:1, and 25:1, which are the opening verses of the three largest sections of the book.) Chapters 30 and 31 are assigned to Agur and Lemuel, respectively, whose identities are unknown. The section 22:17–24:34 is attributed to "the wise men" (22:17; cf. 24:23). Read 1 Kings 4:31 for a reference to such a class of men. If the wise men of Proverbs 22:17 lived before Solomon's time, Solomon may have been the one to assemble their writings and add them to his own. The proverbs of chapters 25-29 were written by Solomon and edited about two hundred years later by a committee appointed by King Hezekiah (c. 700 B.C.). Some think that this group, called 'men of Hezekiah" (25:1), may have included Isaiah and Micah, who were contemporaries of Hezekiah. Solomon was a unique character in many ways. Consult a Bible dictionary for a sketch of his colorful career. From 1 Kings 3:12 and 4:29 we learn that his wisdom was a direct gift from God. This was in answer to Solomon's petition (1 Kings 3:59). Solomon was the author of 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs (1 Kings 4:32). Read 1 Kings 3:16-28; 4:29-34; and 10:1-9, noting other things said about him, such as his knowledge of natural science and his wealth. Solomon is the author of three books of the Bible. One commentator has suggested the possibility of the books' being written at different stages of