Guidelines for Studying Proverbs (Part 1)

One of the keys to interpreting Scripture accurately is to recognize that the Bible contains a diversity of forms of writing commonly known as genres. Each of these genres requires that we make slight but essential adjustments in our approach to interpretation. As Roy Zuck writes:

When we read a historical novel, we do not expect all the details to be accurate historically. But when we read a physics textbook or a Latin grammar, we approach it differently from a novel. The way we read a board report differs from the way we read a cartoon. We do not read a recipe and a will the same way. Since the Bible contains various kinds of literature, the unique characteristics of each form of literature need to be taken into consideration…. The Bible includes narratives, poetry, prophecy, letters, proverbs, drama, law, wisdom literature, apocalyptic visions, parables, and discourses. If we are not aware of these literary forms we may misinterpret statements in those sections (Zuck 1991: 65-66).

According to Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, “To interpret properly the ‘then and there’ of the biblical texts, one must not only know some general rules that apply to all the words of the Bible, but one needs to learn the special rules that apply to each of these literary forms (genres)” (Fee and Stuart 1982: 20). 

With this in mind, in this three-part series, I would like to propose a list of five principles which should govern our interpretation of the book of Proverbs. As you read, think of these as additional guidelines which are designed to supplement the grammatical-historical method of interpreting Scripture.  

1. Interpret individual passages in light of the overall theme of Proverbs. 

The overall theme of the book of Proverbs is found in Proverbs 1:7a: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (also see 9:10). This motto serves as the compass that provides orientation to the entire book (Parsons 1995: 154), for Proverbs is designed to teach believers how to fear God in every area of life. For this reason, the individual verses and passages in Proverbs should be understood as an expression of this kind of devotion to Yahweh. 

2. Recognize the two basic literary forms in Proverbs. 

When interpreting Proverbs, it is helpful to be aware of the two basic literary forms found throughout the book—the admonition and the wisdom saying.

a. The Admonition: The admonition consists of either a positive command or a negative prohibition, both of which occur in the imperative mood: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be wiser still” (9:9a). The imperative in the admonition is often followed by a motivation clause introduced by the conjunction “for” (or sometimes “and” as in 9:9a above). This second clause conveys the practical consequences of the action mandated in the first clause, and the proverb as a whole is designed to convince the hearer of obeying the command or prohibition. As Grant Osborne writes, “At times the motivation clause may not be stated (20:18) or may be implicit (24:17-18; 25:21-22), but at all times commands are meant to stimulate response and obedience” (Osborne 1991: 196-97). 

b. The Wisdom Saying: A wisdom saying is an observation based on experience which is expressed by a verb in the indicative mood. Wisdom sayings are usually short sentences which make a general third-person observation about life. The unstated exhortation of such sayings is that the reader is to follow the path of wisdom rather than the path of foolishness, both of which can be recognized by the stated results of taking a given course of action. For example, when Solomon writes, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (15:1), he does not actually command his readers to do anything—the statements are in the indicative mood—but the implied exhortation is that his readers are to give a gentle answer instead of a harsh word. The careful interpreter will understand this to be the intent of the proverb.  

Look for part 2 on Monday.