Proverbs 1

Proverbs 1:1

Proverbs Bible Study Commentary Lessons about wisdom An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on the Book of Proverbs www.easyenglish.info Keith Simons This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

Words in boxes are from the Bible.

About the Book of Proverbs King Solomon ruled the nation of Israel for 40 years. He brought peace and wealth to the nation. Solomon’s workmen built palaces, and the great temple (house of God in Jerusalem). The people of Israel learned arts, sciences and music.

When he was young, Solomon obeyed God. He asked God for wisdom, and God gave it to him (1 Kings 3:9, 12). Other rulers, including the queen of Sheba, visited Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-13). She asked him many questions. His answers showed great knowledge of many subjects. He taught about plants, animals and fish. Solomon became more and more famous.

Solomon learned and wrote many proverbs (wise words). He collected 3000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:29-34). The Book of Proverbs contains many of these proverbs. The Book of Proverbs also contains other lessons about wisdom. And the Book of Proverbs contains many poems about wisdom.

Solomon also wrote Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon in the Bible. The Bible also contains some other books about wisdom. These books are Job, Ecclesiastes and James. And Jesus taught lessons about wisdom in Matthew chapters 5 to 7 and Luke chapters 11 to 16.

Sections of the Book of Proverbs The Book of Proverbs has 6 main sections:

 Solomon’s wise lessons (Proverbs 1:1 to Proverbs 9:18)

 The proverbs (wise words) of Solomon (Proverbs 10:1 to Proverbs 22:16)

 30 wise lessons (Proverbs 22:17 to Proverbs 24:34)

 More of Solomon’s proverbs (wise words) (Proverbs 25:1 to Proverbs 29:27)

 The puzzles of Agur and Lemuel (Proverbs 30:1 to Proverbs 31:9)

 A poem about a perfect wife (Proverbs 31:10-31)

Chapter 1 Solomon’s Wise Lessons (Proverbs 1:1 to Proverbs 9:18) v1 This book sets out Solomon’s proverbs (wise words). Solomon was David’s son, and the king of Israel. His proverbs will help you in many ways.

v2 You will receive wisdom and discipline.

You will understand words of wisdom.

v3 You will be careful and wise.

Your actions will be right and fair.

v4 If you are simple, then you will learn more.

Young people will learn knowledge, and learn to be careful.

v5 The wise person will become wiser.

The intelligent person will be ready to accept advice.

v6 You will understand wise words and stories.

You will understand even difficult words of wisdom.

Verse 1

Solomon wrote both proverbs (wise words) and songs. In all, he collected 3000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:29-34). The Book of Proverbs contains many of them. This book teaches us how we should live. It explains the way of wisdom. It warns us about being foolish.

Verses 2-3

The wise person honours God, and God protects him. A foolish person refuses to obey God. There are many dangers for such a person. The Book of Proverbs explains these dangers.

Solomon tells us about four types of person. Each will benefit from Solomon’s wise words.

Verse 4

The simple person

Today, we should not call someone ‘simple’. We might offend him. He would think that we supposed him to be stupid.

In the Book of Proverbs, a simple person is someone who is not wise. By the word ‘simple’, Solomon means more than this. A simple person has not learned to be wise. So he is in danger. Evil people can easily lead simple people to do evil actions. But nobody is really good. ‘Everyone does evil things. Everyone fails when you use God’s standards’ (Romans 3:23). We are all simple people by God’s standards.

God wants the simple person to learn his wisdom. This begins when we invite God into our lives. Then God will help us to become wise. We must grow in wisdom, and we must grow in our knowledge of God.

Young people

The Book of Proverbs is poetry. Some poems are very short and other poems are longer.

The style of the poems may seem unusual. Sometimes, one line has the same meaning as the next. Sometimes lines contrast with each other. In other places, the meaning develops from line to line. Watch out for these different styles.

These poems help us to remember the proverbs.

The people believed that they should remember proverbs (wise words). Fathers taught proverbs to their sons. Mothers taught them to their daughters. Grandchildren learned them from their grandparents. Children had to use their memories. The adults tested the children’s memories.

In this way, children learned to be wise. In the future, when problems came, they would know the right thing to do.

For the same reason, we should learn Bible verses today. We should teach them to our children. In this way, we shall learn true wisdom.

Many things in the world change. There are new inventions, for example television. There are new illnesses, for example AIDS. There are revolutions and new governments.

Wisdom does not change. Solomon gave advice that is still good. He wrote wise words and they are still wise today.

Today’s young people will grow old. Wisdom that we teach them now will remain with them.

Verses 5-6

The wise person

A wise person loves wisdom. ‘He loves God’s law. He is always thinking about it.’ (Psalms 1:2).

He always wants to learn more. He is never too tired to think about wisdom.

He still makes mistakes. ‘Show a wise man how he is wrong! He will love you for your correction.’ (Proverbs 9:8). He even wants you to teach him. ‘Teach a wise man and he will become still wiser.’ (Proverbs 9:9).

We can all learn more. We can all grow in knowledge. The Bible teaches us God’s wisdom.

The intelligent person

Like the wise person, the intelligent person wants to learn. He will ask for advice. He is trying to understand God’s ways. As he studies, he will know more. He will even understand difficult words of wisdom.

v7 Respect God! Knowledge begins with this lesson. Fools hate wisdom and discipline.

Verse 7

When you learned English, you started with easy words. When you learn any subject, you must start with easy lessons. The first lesson in wisdom is that we must respect God. He made everything. He is greater than we are. We must give honour to him.

A person who does not know God may be clever. He may have many skills. We can learn many things from him. Such a person lacks something important. He has learnt many lessons. But he has missed the first lesson. Wisdom begins when a person respects God. We should try to show a better way to this person.

The opposite of a wise person is a fool. (You would offend a person, if you called him a fool.)

A fool intends to do evil things. A simple person does evil things, because he does not know wisdom. But a fool does evil things, because he hates wisdom.

We want to show God’s way to such people. But this is difficult. Jesus said, ‘Do not give valuable things to pigs’ (Matthew 7:6). Wisdom is valuable. Sometimes we must leave a fool to be foolish. A pig does not appreciate things that are valuable to us. A fool does not appreciate the value of wisdom.

We can learn from the mistakes of fools. We must not copy their mistakes.

A fool hates wisdom and discipline. If we are wise, we shall love wisdom and discipline.

v8 My son, listen to your father!

Do not forget your mother’s words.

v9 Wear them like a crown for your head or a chain for your neck.

v10 My son, if evil men tempt you, do not give in to them!

v11 They might say, ‘Come with us! We shall attack an innocent man. v12 We shall destroy him. We will be as cruel as hell to that man. v13 We shall take his riches. His wealth will belong to us. v14 Join us! We shall share everything.’

v15 My son, do not listen to them! Do not follow them!

v16 They are quick to do wrong deeds. They do not hesitate to kill innocent men.

v17 You cannot set a trap for birds whilst they watch you.

v18 These thieves attack only themselves.

v19 In the end, a thief will destroy himself. His evil plan will cause his own death.

Verses 8-9

In Solomon’s time, both parents educated their children. It is good when children can learn from both parents.

We should listen to wisdom. Wisdom is beautiful, and it is valuable. To possess it is like a crown on the head. Or, it is like a gold chain round the neck.

To obtain wisdom, we must study. And we need discipline. We cannot become wise quickly. But wisdom will improve our lives.

Some people imagine that they know a quicker way to improve their lives. Solomon warns about such people in verses 10-19. They offer friendship (verse 14). But their friendship cannot last because their plan is evil. They offer rich rewards (verse 13). But really they will suffer a terrible fate (verse 19). Wisdom is much better than any evil plan.

Verses 10-16

The thieves’ plan

In Solomon’s story, a band of thieves have a cruel plan.

The thieves ask a young man to join them. Together, they will attack someone else. They will steal from him, and murder him. The young man and the thieves soon will become wealthy.

The young man does not realise the true plot.

Verses 17-19

The truth is this. The thieves also intend to kill the young man. This means that the thieves will keep all the money.

Solomon’s story teaches us about evil behaviour. An evil life is not fun. It is dangerous. The evil person risks a terrible end.

The young man in the story thought that he would become wealthy. In reality, he lost everything.

Solomon warns us not to make the same mistake.

v20 Wisdom is like a woman who calls aloud in the street.

She shouts in the market place

v21 She calls at the city square.

She speaks at the city gate.

v22 ‘If you are simple, then change your ways!

If you insult people, then you must stop!

If you are foolish, then you must learn the truth!

v23 If you answer me, then I shall teach my thoughts to you.

v24 But you have refused my wisdom.

Nobody listened to me.

v25 You did not hear my advice.

You did not change your life when I corrected you.

v26 Your punishment will be severe,

and I shall laugh at you.

v27 Evil things will destroy you, like a sudden storm.

Troubles will attack you, like a sudden wind.

Troubles and pain will overcome you.

v28 ‘Then these people will call to me. In that day, I shall not answer.

They will search for me, but they will not find me.

v29 They hated knowledge and did not respect God.

v30 They did not accept advice or correction.

v31 ‘As a plant has fruit, their evil behaviour will have an evil reward.

v32 If they are simple, they will wander and die.

Lazy attitudes will destroy a fool.

v33 But the person who listens to wisdom is safe.

He can relax and he will not be afraid.’

Verses 20-26

The woman called Wisdom

In his second story, Solomon tells us about a woman. This woman’s name is Wisdom.

The woman is upset, and she is angry.

This is why she shouts. Her children are not obeying her. They refuse her advice.

She walks through the streets and she complains to everyone. She even goes to the city gate. In ancient times, judges were at the city gate. She wants to obtain a judgement against her children. They are simple, evil and foolish (verse 22). They deserve punishment (verse 26).

Verses 27-33

She obtains judgement. Their punishment is severe. This is because they refused wisdom.

They did evil things. Now they will suffer a terrible punishment. Their punishment is sudden, like a storm. It is powerful, like the wind. (Verse 27)

We are all like Wisdom’s children. We can learn to be wise. Or we can refuse to listen to wise words.

Wisdom begins when we respect God (verse 7). If we respect God, then God will reward us. But if we do evil things, then we shall suffer a terrible punishment.

Everybody does evil things. So we must turn to God. We must be sincere. Then God will forgive us and teach us his wisdom. He sent Jesus to take away our punishment.

© 2005, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

November 2005

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