Proverbs

Who

Attributed to Solomon, with later sections naming Agur and Lemuel, and one collection copied out by Hezekiah's men.

When

Gathered over centuries; the Hezekiah collection is dated by its own heading to around 700 BC.

What it is

Short sayings about how life generally goes, arranged for the young and inexperienced.

What to watch for

They are observations, not promises. Read beside Job and Ecclesiastes, which press hard on the places where the rule does not hold.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.Proverbs 1:7