Proverbs 1:2-6

2. The purpose of the book 1:2-6

"The Book of Proverbs has two purposes: to give moral skillfulness and to give mental discernment. The first purpose is developed in Proverbs 1:3-4; then, after a parenthetical exhortation in Proverbs 1:5, the second purpose is developed in Proverbs 1:6." [Note: Ross, p. 904.]

"The purpose of all these sections [all the sections of the book] is the inculcation of certain cardinal social virtues, such as industry, thrift, discretion, truthfulness, honesty, chastity, kindness, forgiveness, warning against the corresponding vices, and praise of wisdom as the guiding principle of life." [Note: Crawford H. Toy, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Proverbs, p. vii.]

This book claims to offer wisdom (Heb. hokmah) to the reader. The words "wise" and "wisdom" occur about 125 times in Proverbs. It is this wisdom that the Apostle Paul commanded Christians to walk in (cf. Ephesians 5:15).

Wisdom is "God’s fixed order for life, an order opposed to chaos and death.

"No longer can wisdom be defined simplistically as ’the practical application of knowledge.’ Instead wisdom must be thought of as a broad, theological concept denoting a fixed, righteous order to which the wise man submits his life." [Note: Bruce K. Waltke, "The Book of Proverbs and Ancient Wisdom Literature," Bibliotheca Sacra 136:543 (July-September 1979):234, 238.]

"’Wisdom’ (hokmah) basically means ’skill.’" [Note: Ross, p. 904.]

". . . wisdom means being skillful and successful in one’s relationships and responsibilities. It involves observing and following the Creator’s principles of order in the moral universe." [Note: Roy B. Zuck, "A Theology of the Wisdom Books and the Song of Songs," in A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, p. 232.]

"It isn’t enough simply to be educated and have knowledge, as important as education is. We also need wisdom, which is the ability to use knowledge. Wise men and women have the competence to grasp the meaning of a situation and understand what to do and how to do it in the right way at the right time. . . .

"The pages of history are filled with the names of brilliant and gifted people who were smart enough to become rich and famous but not wise enough to make a successful and satisfying life. Before his death, one of the world’s richest men said that he would have given all his wealth to make one of his six marriages succeed. It’s one thing to make a living, but quite something else to make a life." [Note: Wiersbe, pp. 10-11, 12.]

"When a man knows the right and does the right he is a wise man. It is the wedding of knowing and doing-it is the junction of the good and the true." [Note: Paul E. Larsen, Wise Up and Live, p. 4.]

This is not to say that everyone who submits to God will be able to make equally wise decisions in life. Some Christians, for example, demonstrate more wisdom than others. This is another sense in which Proverbs uses the word wisdom. Nevertheless, essentially, wisdom is a proper or skillful orientation toward God. [Note: For a study of the subject of wisdom as Proverbs uses it, including the shades of meaning the various Hebrew synonyms provide, see Kidner, pp. 36-38; and Zuck, pp. 209-19, 232-38. Several commentaries contain helpful topical indexes to the proverbs (e.g., Ross, pp. 897-903; W. G. Plaut, Book of Proverbs, pp. 333-36; and Kidner, pp. 31-56).]

"Proverbial wisdom is characterized by short, pithy statements; but the speculative wisdom, such as Ecclesiastes or Job, uses lengthy monologues and dialogues to probe the meaning of life, the problem of good and evil, and the relationship between God and people." [Note: Ross, p. 883. Cf. The New Bible Dictionary, s.v. "Wisdom Literature," by D. A. Hubbard.]

The key words in Proverbs 1:2 through 4 have the following meanings.

A second purpose of the book is to solve riddles: thought-provoking problems about life. The riddles in view (Proverbs 1:6) are any puzzles that are unclear and need interpreting, not just what we call riddles today (cf. Numbers 12:8; Judges 14:12; 1 Kings 10:1; Ezekiel 17:2; Habakkuk 2:6). [Note: See Harry Torcszyner, "The Riddle in the Bible," Hebrew Union College Annual 1 (1924):125-49.]

Proverbs 1:2-6 set forth four objectives. God gave us these proverbs to impart an intimate acquaintance with wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:2 a) and to impart understanding of wisdom sayings (Proverbs 1:2 b, 6). He also wanted to impart moral insight (Proverbs 1:3) and to identify the intended recipients of wisdom (Proverbs 1:4). [Note: John E. Johnson, "An Analysis of Proverbs 1:1-7," Bibliotheca Sacra 144:576 (October-December 1987):425-28.]

"The Book of Proverbs was not intended to be read as an exhaustive book of right actions but as a selective example of godly wisdom." [Note: John H. Sailhamer, "The Mosaic Law and the Theology of the Pentateuch," Westminster Theological Journal 53 (Fall 1991):247.]