PROVERBS 1:1 Title, Goal, and Motto. After the title (v. Proverbs 1:1), there is an introduction that describes the goal of the whole book (vv. Proverbs 1:2) and the motto that underlies every instruction in the book (v. Proverbs 1:7). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getE [ Continue Reading ]
PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 1:2 These verses give the purpose and benefit of the book: it instills wisdom in the reader. The wisdom offered here is practical (INSTRUCTION IN WISE DEALING), intellectual (INCREASE IN LEARNING), moral (RIGHTEOUSNESS, JUSTICE, AND EQUITY), and inquiring (TO UNDERSTAND A P... [ Continue Reading ]
PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 1:7 THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE. This is the core truth of the book: the quest for wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (see Proverbs 9:10 and Psalms 111:10). “Knowledge” and “wisdom” are closely tied together in Proverbs 1:1. “Knowledge” tends to... [ Continue Reading ]
PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 1:8 A Father’s Invitation to Wisdom. This section describes the two paths implied in Proverbs 1:7: the wise (grounded in the fear of the Lord) and the foolish (despising such wisdom and instruction). The appeals consist of: (1) a father (and mother in Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs... [ Continue Reading ]
PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 1:17 A BIRD that sees a fowler spreading a NET is aware of the trap and will flee the danger rather than take the bait. However, those who seek to trap the innocent overlook the fact that they are setting AN AMBUSH FOR THEIR OWN LIVES. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElemen... [ Continue Reading ]
PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 1:20 Wisdom is personified here as a woman. She is pictured appealing to simple ones, scoffers, and fools to pay attention to her words. Wisdom speaks in a way that recalls the words of the Lord (e.g., I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT TO YOU; I WILL MAKE MY WORDS KNOWN TO YOU, v.... [ Continue Reading ]
PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 1:31 THEREFORE THEY SHALL EAT THE FRUIT OF THEIR WAY. A person’s actions both reveal the state of the heart and also help to shape a person’s character. Those who refuse to listen to Wisdom’s correction walk in a way that will ultimately produce calamity, terror, and destru... [ Continue Reading ]