The Book of Proverbs is also classified as “wisdom literature” meaning that it intends to teach wisdom, but the kind that has Yahweh as the center of everything. In this regard, “folly” shouldn’t be interpreted as lacking IQ either. 

Since this book is a collection of short wisdom sayings from different authors, it is inadvisable to force a common theme on all the pithy sayings. However, the central theological perspective is this: “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (see 1:7 and 9:10). To better grasp how this perspective influenced the organization of the collections, it is useful to see the broad divisions of the book as follows:

• Ch 1-9 Prolog
  1. 1:1-7 Introduction containing title, theme, purpose
  2. 1:8-9:18 Ten lessons from father to son of similar beginning (1:8, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:20, 7:1 and an epilog in chapter 9 contrasting the wisdom and folly)
• Ch 10-22:16 Proverbs of Solomon Part A
  1. 10:1-15:29 Antithetical couplets with little admonitions
  2. 15:30-22:16 Primarily synthetic couplets with emphasis on the king’s court
• Ch 22:17-24:22 Sayings of the Wise Part A – “30 sayings” (22:20)
• Ch 24:23-34 Sayings of the Wise Part B – outside of the “30 sayings”
• Ch 25-29 Proverbs of Solomon Part B
  1. 25-27 A collection more of comparative nature and longer length
  2. 28-29 Fifty five couplets focusing on the contrast of the wicked and the righteous
• Ch 30 Sayings of Agur
• Ch 31 Sayings of Lemuel

One of the things a Chinese reading these proverbs will say reflectively is that “we have that too.” Though the use of proverbs were common to many cultures, the Book of Proverbs differs from others in that it is designed for living amongst people under a covenant with Yahweh.  Thus the law is presupposed (6:16-19), to fear Yahweh is to hate evil (8:13), and there is always the life in the promised land (2:21-22; also 10:27-30). Having this presupposition of the people of Yahweh, and under the general headings of wisdom/folly or righteous/wicked, Proverbs teaches life values and behavioral preferences such as wealth/poverty, work/sloth, speech, relationships, and emotions. Many of these have applications for people of God today living with non-believers. 

A special note about reading this book must be borne in mind. The form of these proverbs is Hebrew poetry. That means that they will be arranged as “antithetical” which is one line following by another line of opposite meaning, or “synthetic” which is two lines pursuing the same thought but the second line reinforcing the first. Hebrew poetry also makes use of the “sound” of the words and the “length” of each line to make some stronger impression. Another way of arrangement is called “acrostic” which uses all 22 Hebrew alphabets to begin each successive line. 31:10-31 is of such an arrangement. The form of poetry carries its method: to make impressions and to aid memorization. Therefore, literal accuracy is not the intent and often, overstatement is employed. 

A word about the idealized wife in ch. 31 and wisdom is in order. In the Prolog of chapters 1-9, which pave way for the understanding of what comes after 10:1, the young are cautioned against easy money and easy sex, easily the same problem facing our society today. At the end of this Prolog, two women appear calling the young man: one is Wisdom and the other is Folly. Seen in this way, the many admonitions for the young man to return to his own wife is representative of a choice of Wisdom. Also seen this way, the final chapter portrays Lady Wisdom in the person of an idealized wife, recalls the many values taught throughout the book and for the one last time, appeals to the young man to return to Wisdom.