Book Introduction - Proverbs
This collection of sententious sayings is divine wisdom applied to the earthly conditions of the people of God. That the Proverbs were Solomon's (Proverbs 1:1) implies no more than that he gathered into orderly arrangement sayings already current amongst the people, the wisdom of the Spirit, perhaps through many centuries (Ecclesiastes 12:9). Chapters 25-29 were current in Hezekiah's time (Ecclesiastes 25:1). Chapters 30 and 31 are by Agur and Lemuel.
The book is in six parts:
1. To sons (Proverbs 1-7).
2. The praise of wisdom (Proverbs 8-9).
3. The folly of sin (Proverbs 10-19).
4. Warnings and instructions (Proverbs 20-29).
5. The words of Agur (Proverbs 30).
6. The words of King Lemuel (Proverbs 31).