Proverbs

מִשְׁלֵי

Proverbs posits that wisdom originates with God, and His centrality is assumed throughout the text. The wise, upright, righteous, and godly are equated, representing those who trust and know their God. These individuals reflect this knowledge through just and loving conduct towards others, in accordance with divinely-approved principles. Goodטוֹב
Transliteration: ṭôḇ Pronunciation: tobe – good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well):—beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, (be in) favor, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -lie, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, like (best), loving, merry, × most, pleasant, please, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favored). For more info click here and badרַע‎
Transliteration: raʿ – In the KJV is translated in the following manner: evil (442x), wickedness (59x), wicked (25x), mischief (21x), hurt (20x), bad (13x), trouble (10x), sore (9x), affliction (6x), ill (5x), adversity (4x), ill favored (3x), harm (3x), naught (3x), noisome (2x), grievous (2x), sad (2x), miscellaneous (34x) For more info click here are linked with reward and penalty, as God embodies both love and justiceוּמִשְׁפָּט‎
Transliteration: ûmišpāṭ – properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant’s) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant’s right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style:— adversary, ceremony, charge custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right, sentence. For more info click here. Consequently, God must promote goodטוֹב
Transliteration: ṭôḇ Pronunciation: tobe – good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well):—beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, (be in) favor, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -lie, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, like (best), loving, merry, × most, pleasant, please, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favored). For more info click here and eliminate evilרַע‎
Transliteration: raʿ – In the KJV is translated in the following manner: evil (442x), wickedness (59x), wicked (25x), mischief (21x), hurt (20x), bad (13x), trouble (10x), sore (9x), affliction (6x), ill (5x), adversity (4x), ill favored (3x), harm (3x), naught (3x), noisome (2x), grievous (2x), sad (2x), miscellaneous (34x) For more info click here.

The positive and negative standards in Proverbs serve as valuable tests for personal conduct. Jesus instructs His disciples to be “wise as serpents” (Matthew 10:16). The wisdom of Proverbs stands as the Old Testament counterpart to the practical exhortations found in the New Testament letters. This connection is evident in both the great fourteen fold discourse and the extensive series of concise instructions and observations that comprise most of this book, addressing various aspects of daily life.

About the Author

Proverbs 1.1 and 2 attribute the authorship of the book to Solomonשְׁלֹמֹה‎
His two names mean “peaceful” and “friend of God”, both considered “predictive of the character of his reign Reign 970–931 BCE (hypothesized) For more info click here. Chapters 10.1 to 22.16 are directly attributed to him. In chapter 22.17, he incorporates a group of “words of the wise” that he refers to as “my knowledge.” Chapters 24.23 to 34 were likely added by him or by Hezekiah’sחִזְקִיָּהוּ‎
Transliteration: ḥizqîyâ, or Ezekias[c]or Hizkiah or Hizkijah = “Yahweh is my strength” (born c. 741 BCE, sole ruler c. 716/15–687/86 or 697–642) 1. 12th king of Judah, son of Ahaz and Abijah; a good king in that he served Jehovah and did away with idolatrous practices 2.great-great-grandfather of Zephaniah the prophet 3. son of Neariah, a descendant of David 4. head of a family of returning exiles in the time of Nehemiah for more info click here men, along with Solomon’sשְׁלֹמֹה‎
His two names mean “peaceful” and “friend of God”, both considered “predictive of the character of his reign Reign 970–931 BCE (hypothesized) For more info click here second major series, chapters 25 through 29. The discourses, chapters 1 through 9, are undated, but there was a strong precedent in ancient Oriental literature for Solomonשְׁלֹמֹה‎
His two names mean “peaceful” and “friend of God”, both considered “predictive of the character of his reign Reign 970–931 BCE (hypothesized) For more info click here to preface them as an introduction to the main proverbs. The authorship of Agur, Lemuel, and the Goodטוֹב
Transliteration: ṭôḇ Pronunciation: tobe – good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well):—beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, (be in) favor, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -lie, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, like (best), loving, merry, × most, pleasant, please, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favored). For more info click here Wife poem remains unknown, but they could have been added during Hezekiah’sחִזְקִיָּהוּ‎
Transliteration: ḥizqîyâ, or Ezekias[c]or Hizkiah or Hizkijah = “Yahweh is my strength” (born c. 741 BCE, sole ruler c. 716/15–687/86 or 697–642) 1. 12th king of Judah, son of Ahaz and Abijah; a good king in that he served Jehovah and did away with idolatrous practices 2.great-great-grandfather of Zephaniah the prophet 3. son of Neariah, a descendant of David 4. head of a family of returning exiles in the time of Nehemiah for more info click here reign, although possibly later. Therefore, the earliest possible date for the present book of Proverbs would be during Hezekiah’sחִזְקִיָּהוּ‎
Transliteration: ḥizqîyâ, or Ezekias[c]or Hizkiah or Hizkijah = “Yahweh is my strength” (born c. 741 BCE, sole ruler c. 716/15–687/86 or 697–642) 1. 12th king of Judah, son of Ahaz and Abijah; a good king in that he served Jehovah and did away with idolatrous practices 2.great-great-grandfather of Zephaniah the prophet 3. son of Neariah, a descendant of David 4. head of a family of returning exiles in the time of Nehemiah for more info click here reign, just after 700 B.C., although it is possible that the book was written some time later.

External considerations support the tenth to seventh century B.C. date implied by the rubrics. Written proverbial literature was already ancient in the Near East during that period. Recent studies (not all of which have been published) of linguistic contacts and literary background from North-Canaanitic (Ugaritic), Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Hittite sources also suggest that Proverbs was written in the first half of the first millennium B.C.