The Book of Proverbs
Proverbs is a book of wisdom for everyday life. Its short, memorable sayings deal with speech, work, money, friendship, family, anger and honesty, and its central claim is stated at the start: the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.
The book opens by naming Solomon son of David, king of Israel, and stating its purpose. Chapters 1 to 9 are longer talks from a parent to a son, in which Wisdom is pictured as a woman calling out in the streets. From chapter 10 the book turns to groups of short sayings, among them the sayings of the wise, more proverbs of Solomon copied by the men of King Hezekiah, and the words of Agur and of King Lemuel. It closes with a poem in praise of a wife of noble character.
Tradition links the book with Solomon, whom 1 Kings remembers for his wisdom, while its own headings show that some of its sayings were gathered generations after his reign. Many readers note that a proverb describes how life usually goes rather than making a promise for every case.
The Proverbs study begins with the book's setting and its link to Solomon, drawing on the accounts of his reign in Kings and Chronicles, then follows the book in order to its closing poem. In Your Bible App, it comes as short, fun rounds that make the wisdom stick.
Key people
Solomon
Son of David and king of Israel, named in the book's first verse and remembered in 1 Kings for his wisdom.
Hezekiah
A king of Judah whose men copied out a further set of Solomon's proverbs (Proverbs 25:1).
Agur
Agur son of Jakeh, whose sayings fill chapter 30, including several numbered lists.
King Lemuel
A king whose mother's teaching is recorded at the start of chapter 31.
Wisdom
Not a historical person but wisdom itself, pictured as a woman who calls out in public and invites the simple to learn.
Themes
The fear of the LORD
Reverence for God is the starting point of knowledge and of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10).
Wisdom and folly
The book sets two paths side by side and shows where each one leads.
Words
Many sayings weigh the power of speech to heal or to wound, and praise the person who listens before answering.
Work and diligence
The ant and the slacker show how steady work and laziness lead to very different ends.
Family and friendship
Parents teach their children, and the book prizes faithful friends and honest counsel.
Key verses
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs quiz: sample questions
Whose sayings does the first verse of this book say these are?
- Hosea son of Beeri
- Moses, the servant of the LORD
- Solomon son of David
- Isaiah son of Amoz
- Jeremiah son of Hilkiah
Show the answer
Answer: Solomon son of David
Why: The opening verse names Solomon son of David as the one whose proverbs these are.
These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
In the opening appeal of Proverbs 1:8, the hearer is urged to hold on to teaching that comes from whom?
- The prophets sent to Israel
- His father and his mother
- The elders who sit at the city gate
- The priests serving at the temple
- The king and his royal officials
Show the answer
Answer: His father and his mother
Why: Proverbs 1:8 tells the son to listen to his father's instruction and not to abandon his mother's teaching. The setting of the instruction is the household, not the court or the temple.
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
Proverbs 6:6 tells the lazy person to go and look at one small creature and learn from how it lives. Which creature does the verse name?
- The eagle that soars toward the heavens
- The lion, mighty among beasts, retreating before nothing
- The dove, and being as innocent as it is
- The ant: observe its ways and become wise
- The ravens, which neither sow nor reap
Show the answer
Answer: The ant: observe its ways and become wise
Why: Proverbs 6:6 sends the slacker to this small creature, telling him to watch how it lives and so gain wisdom.
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
Proverbs 6:16 announces a list, and the verses that follow spell out what is on it. Which of these does that list name?
- A lamp put under a basket instead of on a stand
- A net let down on the right side of the boat
- A rib taken from the man
- One who stirs up discord among brothers
- Pharaoh's chariots hurled into the sea
Show the answer
Answer: One who stirs up discord among brothers
Why: Proverbs 6:16 opens with a numerical saying, and the verses after it name each item in turn. The seven run from haughty eyes through to one who stirs up discord among brothers.
a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the book of Proverbs about?
Proverbs teaches practical wisdom for daily life, rooted in reverence for God. It covers speech, work, money, friendship, family and self-control, and it sets the path of wisdom against the path of folly.
Who wrote the book of Proverbs?
The book opens by naming Solomon, and its headings credit much of it to him, including further proverbs of Solomon copied by the men of King Hezekiah. The headings also name other sources: the sayings of the wise, Agur son of Jakeh and King Lemuel. Scholars differ on how much goes back to Solomon himself and on when the book reached its final form.
What does "the fear of the LORD" mean in Proverbs?
It describes a deep reverence and awe toward God that shapes how a person lives. Proverbs calls it the beginning of knowledge (1:7) and the beginning of wisdom (9:10).
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