A COLLECTION OF MORAL AND RELIGIOUS MAXIMS containing instruction concerning right living. Also brief discourses on Wisdom, Justice, Temperance, Industry, Purity, etc. In these pithy sayings a sharp contrast is drawn between Wisdom and Folly, Righteousness and Sin.

AUTHORS. Solomon is generally credited with the authorship of a large portion of the Proverbs. It is quite probable that all were not original with him. In chapters 30 and 31 are found the words of Agur and Lemuel.

CHIEF PURPOSE, To give Moral Instruction, especially to young People.

KEY VERSE
# Pr 1:4

KEY THOUGHT, “The fear of the Lord,” which occurs fourteen times.

SYNOPSIS.
(1) Fatherly counsels and warnings, with exhortations concerning the attainment of wisdom, chs. 1-7 # Pr 1:1 – 7:1
(2) Wisdom’s call, chs. 8,9 # Pr 8:1 – 9:1
(3) Proverbs of Solomon;–contrasts between Good and Evil, Wisdom and Folly, chs. 10-20
# Pr 10:1 – 20:1
(4) Proverbial maxims and counsels, chs. 21-24  # Pr 21:1 – 24:1
(5) Proverbs of Solomon copied by men of King Hezekiah, chs. 25-29 # Pr 25:1 – 29:1
(6) The words of Agur, the oracle, ch. 30 # Pr 30:1
(7) The words of King Lemuel;–a mother’s advice # Pr 31:1-9
The description of an Ideal wife # Pr 31:10-31

CHOICE SELECTIONS
Wisdom, the Call of, # Pr 1:20-23
the Source of # Pr 2:6 8:1-36
the Preciousness of # Pr 3:13-26
the Principal thing # Pr 4:5-13
the Richest Treasure # Pr 8:11-36
the Feast of # Pr 9:1-6

SUBJECTS SPECIALLY DISCUSSED
Anger # Pr 14:17,29 15:18 16:32 19:11
Benevolence # Pr 3:9,10 11:24-26 14:21 19:17 22:9
Children, correction of # Pr 13:24 19:18 22:6,15 23:13,14

Enticers # Pr 4:14 9:13 16:29
Fear of God # Pr 1:7 3:7 9:10 10:27 14:26,27 15:16,33 16:6 19:23 23:17 24:21
Fools
Slanderous # Pr 10:18
Short-lived # Pr 10:21
Mischief-makers # Pr 10:23
Self-righteous # Pr 12:15
Irritable # Pr 12:16
Mock at sin # Pr 14:9
Talk nonsense # Pr 15:2
Insensible # Pr 17:10
Dangerous # Pr 17:12
Visionary # Pr 17:24
Meddlesome # Pr 20:3
Despise Wisdom # Pr 23:9
Stupid # Pr 27:22
Self-confident # Pr 14:16 28:26
Garrulous # Pr 29:11
Friendship # Pr 17:17 18:24 19:4 27:10,17
Indolence # Pr 6:6-11 10:4,5 12:27 13:4 15:19 18:9 19:15,24 20:4,13 22:13
# Pr 24:30-34 26:13-16
Knowledge Divine # Pr 15:11 21:2 24:12
Oppression # Pr 14:31 22:22 28:16
Pride # 6:17 11:2 13:10 15:25 16:18,19 18:12 21:4,24 29:23 30:13
Prudence  # Pr 12:23 13:16 14:8,15,18 15:5 16:21 18:15 27:12
Scorners # Pr 3:34 9:7 14:6 19:25 24:9
Strife # 3:30 10:12 15:18 16:28 17:1,14,19 18:6,19 20:3 22:10 25:8 30:33
Temperance # 20:1 21:17 23:1-3,20 23:29-35 25:16 31:4-7
The Tongue # Pr 4:24 10:11-32 12:6,18,22 13:3 14:3 15:1-7,23 16:13,23,27 17:4
# Pr 18:7,21 19:1 20:19 21:23 26:28 30:32
Unjust Gain # Pr 10:2 13:11 21:6 28:8
Wealth # Pr 10:2,15 11:4,28 13:7,11 15:6 16:8 18:11 19:4 27:24 28:6,22
Women, evil # Pr 2:16-19 5:3-14,20,23 6:24-35 7:5-27 9:13-18
Women, good # Pr 5:18,19 31:10-31

SPIRITUAL LESSON
Solomon was a GUIDE-POST, rather than an example. He pointed the way to Wisdom, but in the latter part of his life he did not walk in it; hence his son, Rehoboam, followed his EXAMPLE, rather than his COUNSELS, and became a foolish and evil ruler.