Proverbs 22 Wisdom, Wealth and Moral Instruction I

1. Authorship Solomonic tradition

– Recall, the principal author is the Holy Spirit, set within the entirety of the Canon

TS of Proverbs 1:1-7

Prologue

² That men may know wisdom and instruction,
understand words of insight,
³ receive instruction in wise dealing,
righteousness, justice, and equity;
⁴ that prudence may be given to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
⁵ the wise man also may hear and increase in learning,
and the man of understanding acquire skill,
⁶ to understand a proverb and a figure,
the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.

1. Date & Historical Context

Royal Kingdom: Purple (royalty) Narrative I & II Samuel, I Kings, I & II Chronicles 970-931 BC

Possibly derived from the school associated with the royal court. Throughout the years, editor or editors formed the collection. Proverbs in this form would have been particularly helpful during the postexilic period.[1]

III. Outline Recall overall structure of the Book

Another possibility from study of structural analysis, with this structure spousal imagery, marital fidelity, and the Nobel Woman.

Prologue: Solomon’s Discourses to His son (Prov 1-9) note strong connection to Epilogue

1. Proverbs of Solomon I (Prov 10:1 – 22:16)
2. Words of the Wise 1 (Prov 22:17-24:22)

III. Words of the Wise 2 (Prov 24:23- 34)

1. Proverbs of Solomon 2 (Prov 25-29)
2. Words of Agur (Prov 30:1-14)
3. Numerical Proverbs (Prov 30:15-33)

VII. Words of Lemuel (Prov 31:1-9)[2]

Epilogue: The Song of the Noble Woman (Prover 31:10-31) cf Ruth, Bride (Soul) in Song of Solomon

Good to take context into consideration

[1] Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm, Wisdom Literature Vol. XIII (Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI 1981) 53

[2] John Bergsma & Brant Pitre A Catholic Introduction to the Bible, The Old Testament (Ignatius: San Francisco 2018) 598