Notes on Proverbs

These are some of the notes I took on Proverbs from www.khouse.org - Proverbs study by Chuck Missler. It has helped me to know these things as I am reading through Proverbs. Hopefully it will help you to keep this stuff in the back of your mind as you read.

1. Look for the characteristics that remind you of other people in the bible.

2. Proverbs is very black and white.

3. The whole idea in Hebrew poetry is parallelism in ideas/concepts.
Synonymous- second clause restates first clause (19:29)
Antithetic- truth stated in first clause made stronger in the second clause by the reversal
Synthetic- second clause develops the truth in the first clause (continues the thought, describes the thought) proverbs 20:2

4. Picture Solomon at home with his sons. He is talking to his sons, trying to teach them how to be wise. Trying to find a way to sum up his years of experience in short sentences that his boys can remember and a way to make them interested in what he wants to pass along to them. What is most on a young guy’s mind…but girls…so Solomon uses two opposite women to describe to his sons the difference between what is wise and what is foolish. And there are basically four ways to respond to these women…as a fool, scorner, mocker or with wisdom.


5. Scott the Scorner mocks at God’s wisdom because it is too high for him, it’s out of reach, he is very educated, and will not admit the truth because he knows everything. He is blinded by the persuasion that he has all knowledge... almost as if when he dies, knowledge goes with him. The Hebrew word for scorner means to make a mouth. Can you picture Scott the Scorner sneering and curling his lips in scorn.


6. Foolish Fred is a person who is dense, sluggish, careless and self-satisfying. (Nabal- foolish in Hebrew /Abigail 1 Samuel 25 (minute 12 in lesson 2). He hates instruction! He is self-confident… his pride gets in the way. The barrier to truth for him is the presumption that he has it. He talks without thinking and mocks at sin.

7. Simple Simon believes everything and everybody…lack discernment. He is easily lead astray, can’t see ahead, and repeatedly walks into trouble.


8. Wise Walker listens to instruction and obeys what he hears. He stores up what he learns, leads others to the Lord, flees from sin, diligently works daily, and watches his tongue

9. Wisdom calls us to God, wealth, and life, Folly calls us to sin, poverty and death.