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Introduction: The Hebrew title, "The Proverbs of Solomon," credits this book to Solomon, who succeeded David his father on the throne in Israel about 970 B.C. Two additional references, 10.1 and 25.2, identify Solomon as the author of most of the proverbs in this collection.
The statement in 25.1 that chapters 25-29 were added to the existing collection during the reign of Hezekiah indicates that the book in its present form was not completed before about 700 B.C.
Although Solomon is credited with writing 3,000 proverbs (1Kings4.32), the book of Proverbs contains only about 900. Consequently this represents only a partial collection.
The word "proverb" denotes "a description by way of comparison." Since a proverb usually pointed up some self evident truth, is became a teaching device that gained extensive use.
A stated purpose of this book of Proverbs is to impart skillful and godly Wisdom. Proverbs is a practical book dealing with the art of living, and it bases Wisdom solidly on the fear of the LORD (1.7). This reverence for God is set forth as the path to life and security (3.5; 9.10; 22.4). In chapters 1-9 the writer contrasts the way of Wisdom with the way of folly - the path of violence and immorality. Wisdom in the Proverbs has a broad base of meaning, covering such things as practical knowledge in discerning between good and evil in the ordinary affairs of life; the discernment between truth and error or that which is lasting and makes fur success in life; and the insight of man beyond the human to the divine realities discerned and deduced from that which God has revealed. All three of these meanings ar involved int the teaching through these pithy sayings.
Solomon was famous for his wisdom, as is indicated in the records in the books of the Kings and the Chronicles. Many of these proverbs may have come from his own ixperience, whereas others may already have been ancient in the literature of that period.
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