PROVERBS, BOOK OF. The Book of Proverbs belongs to that class of Hebrew literature known as Wisdom-literature, of which there are several examples in the Old Testament (Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes). It is a collection of sententious maxims (rneshellim) which enforce a practical rather than a speculative wisdom. C. H. Toy points out (Eneyel. Bibl.) that this wisdom has much in common with the thought of the preceding and contemporary literature. It accepts monotheism: takes monogamy for granted; and retains the traditional division of mankind into good and bad. As in the Pro phets and the Psalms, miracles play little or no part, except as reminiscences. On the other hand, its character is relatively non-national, little stress being laid on national institutions, laws, and hopes. Characteristic of the Wisdom-literature is its conception of virtue. As regards this. " in Job and Proverbs and the succeeding books we meet a conception of the moral life which, while not without a point of connection with the prophetic thought, still goes far beyond anything in the earlier literature; virtue is practically identified with knowledge. Knowledge, it is true, is a necessary condition of obedience, and is so spoken of in the Prophets (Is. I. 3, vi. 9, Jer. iv. 22, v. 4); but the sages treat it as if it were the same thing as obedience. The central fact in the books just named is wisdom, which is made to include all the duties of life from the lowest to the highest. The ideal person, he who stands for the right against and above the wrong, is the wise man. . . Instead of the simple demands of earlier times, the sole worship of Yahwe and obedience to his ritual and moral laws, there has now arisen a science of living, in which intellectual insight is the central faculty, it being assumed that he, and only he, who sees will do " (C. H. Toy in Elie/lel. Bibl., s.v. " Wisdom Literature "). The Book of Pro verbs is called in the Hebrew Bible Mishle, this being the first word in the description " Proverbs of Solomon " (Mishle Shelomoh). In the Vulgate the title is " Para
bohe Solomonis." Certain portions of the book have special superscriptions. Thus chapters x. 1-xxii. 16, in which has been found the real kernel of the Book of Proverbs, has the superscription " Proverbs of Solomon." The verses, many of which are antithetical in structure, are independent wholes. Chapters xxii. 17-xxiv. have the superscription " Words of the Wise." Chapter xxx. professes to be the " Words of Agur the son of Jakeh." Chapters xxv.-xxix. are ascribed to the literary activity of Hezekiah. They have the heading " These also are Proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied out." Prof. Driver thinks that the statement may be correct. The opening section, chapters i.-ix., " forms a treatise of moral instruction specially intended for young men, presented in the form of exhorta tions by a father to his son to take Wisdom as his guide " (O. C. Whitehouse). It is doubtful whether King Solo mon can be regarded as the author even of the oldest section of the book (chaps. x. 1-xxii. 16), though no doubt contemporary and even older proverbs have been incor porated. A number of scholars assign chapters 1.-ix. to a period a little before the Exile. Others regard prac tically the whole of the Book of Proverbs as past-exilic. The use of Solomon's name would be suggested by his reputation for wisdom. C. H. Toy thinks that, as regards rhythm, " the line in Proverbs has usually three beats (a form which may be called ternary), sometimes two (binary), sometimes four (quaternary). . . . In a few cases it is difficult to detect rhythm at all; but in such cases there is ground for supposing the trouble to be in the text." See C. H. Toy, " Proverbs" and " Wisdom Literature " in the Encycl. Bibl.; and Proverbs in the I.C.C., 1899; C. Cornill, Intr.; G. H. Box; O. C. White house.