THE BOOK OF. That Solomon was the author of the Book of Proverbs has seldom been questioned. Some have indeed thought that he composed a part only of the Proverbs included in that book, and collected the others from various sources. It is probable, indeed, that he availed himself of any sayings already current which he regarded as useful and important. Whether he ever made any collection of his proverbs in writing is Proverbs, somewhat doubtful. From the twenty-fifth chapter to the end of the book, we are expressly informed, was written out and added to the previous portion, by order of King Hezekiah. The divine authority of the book is sufficiently proved by the quotations made from it in the New Testament (Rom. xii. 16; Heb. xii. 5, 6; 1 Pet. iv. 8; 1 Thess. v. 15). It has in all ages, indeed, been regarded as a great storehouse of practical wisdom. The early fathers were accustomed to call it σοφίας κράτος. Modern writers have been equally filled with admiration of the profound knowledge of human nature displayed in it, its accurate delineations of character, and the wonderful richness and appropriateness of its instructions.

The Hebrew word rendered proverbs (משׁל, mashal), is derived from a root which means,—1. To resemble, to compare; 2. To rule; and signifies primarily a similitude or comparison of two objects. Many of the proverbs of Solomon are of this nature,—e.g., x. 26; xxv. 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28. Hence the meaning of the word may have been gradually extended so as to embrace any apophthegm or brief pithy saying. Or we may consider this meaning to have been derived from the other signification, viz., to rule; whence authoritative maxims. The idea of resemblance, however, seems to be the prominent one, and may refer to the figurative style common in proverbs, even when no direct comparison is instituted. And as highly figurative language belongs to poetry, it came to pass that mashal was used to indicate any composition expressed in a highly ornamented and poetical style. Thus the prophecy of Balaam is called mashal (Num. xxxiii. 7). The characteristics of the proverbial style (in the more restricted sense of the word) are, according to Bishop Lowth,—1. Brevity; 2. Obscurity; 3. Elegance. The first of these is, however, the only one that can be considered at all universal. We should be rather inclined to name, as a characteristic of the proverb, a pointed and sometimes antithetical form of expression; and this, in addition to brevity or sententiousness, constitutes perhaps the only universal distinction of this species of composition. Conciseness indeed enters into the very essence of the proverb; and this fact is probably indicated by the word itself; proverbia, for or instead of words,—i.e., one word for many. From what has been said of the characteristics of the proverbial or parabolic style, it is obvious that it possesses peculiar advantages as a medium of communicating truth. The proverb once heard remains fixed in the memory. Its brevity, its appositeness, its epigrammatic point, often aided by antithesis or paronomasia, not only ensure its remembrance, but very probably its recurrence to the mind at the very time it is needed. The advantages above specified apply to the proverbial mode of writing in any age and among any people. But Solomon must have had other reasons for selecting it, peculiar to the age and country in which he lived. The Hebrews have been called a nation of children. We find this mode of writing employed in the most remote ages; and wise sayings, maxims, apothegms, constitute a large part of the early literature of most nations. Especially is this true of the orientals. Recent travellers in the East assure us that the reverence for proverbs still exists there; and that nothing gives a man so much advantage in an argument as the ability to quote one of them on his side. We may therefore conclude that the wise king could have found no better mode of impressing truth on the minds of his countrymen than the one he has here chosen.

As to the style of the book of Proverbs, we find it to be marked by those characteristics which distinguish the poetry of the Hebrews from their prose compositions. Of these, one of the most obvious and important is what has been termed parallelism. This consists in a certain resemblance or correspondence, either as to thought or form, or both, between the members of a period. The two most simple kinds of parallelism, and the only two we shall notice here, are when the period contains but two members, and the last either repeats the thought contained in the first, or presents an antithetical assertion, beginning generally with the adversative but. The first kind of parallelism is called by Lowth synonymous; the second antithetic. The following passage is a beautiful example of synonymous parallelism:

"My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thine heart to understanding; Yes, if thou criest after knowledge, And liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, And searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God." (Prov. ii. 1-5.)

As an instance of antithetic parallelism, take these verses:

"The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: But the years of the wicked shall be shortened. The hope of the righteous shall be gladness; But the expectation of the wicked shall perish. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright; But destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity." (Prov. x. 27-29.)

It will be perceived that there is a continuity in the former of these passages, which does not belong to the latter. In fact the first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs are remarkably distinguished from the remainder, and constitute a sort of preeminent exordium to the work. This portion was probably committed to writing, while the disconnected aphorisms which compose the greater part of the remaining portion were only uttered. It is a continuous discourse, written in the highest style of poetry, adorned with apt and beautiful illustrations, and with various and striking figures. The personification of Wisdom in these chapters is universally regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of prosopopoeia to be found in the Bible, and possesses an indescribable grace and majesty. At the tenth chapter a different style commences. From ch. x. to ch. xxii. 17 is a series of pithy disconnected maxims, on various subjects, and applicable to the most diverse situations. From ch. xxii. 17 to ch. xxv., a style resembling that of the exordium, though inferior in elegance and sublimity, prevails; and at the twenty-fifth chapter the separate maxims recommence. These compose the remainder of the book, with the exception of the thirtieth chapter, which is ascribed to Agur, and the thirty-first, which is said to be the advice given to King Lemuel by his mother. Who these persons are is not known. The supposition that Lemuel is another name of Solomon does not appear to be supported by proof. The thirtieth chapter affords an example of another species of writing closely allied to the proverb, and equally in favour among the Orientals. It is that of riddles or enigmas designed to exercise the wit and ingenuity of the hearer, and to impart instruction through the medium of amusement. The concluding chapter, containing the counsels addressed to King Lemuel by his mother, needs no elucidation. It presents a beautiful picture of female excellence in an age and country where modesty, industry, submission, and the domestic and matronly virtues were esteemed the only appropriate ornaments of woman.

The literature of the book of Proverbs is contained chiefly in the following works (besides the preliminary dissertations in the various Commentaries):—Melanchton, Explicatio Prov. 1555; Mercier, Comment in Prover. Salom.; Geleer, Prover. Salom. 1669; Schultens, Proverbia Salom. 1748; Hirtz, Veldt, Erklär der Sprüche Salom. 1768; Hunt, Observations on the Book of Proverbs, 1775; Hodgson, On the Book of Proverbs, 1775; Jager, Observati.