The Bible, King James version, Book 20: Proverbs — A Closer Reading

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In Category - Theology

Authors: Anonymous Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2005 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Bible. Proverbs Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 18,188

Reading time 80 min

Text sections 3

Before opening The Bible, King James version, Book 20: Proverbs — A Closer Reading, the edition data offers a quick orientation: 18,188 words, 1 hr 20 min estimated reading time, and 3 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 19.0 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Bible. Proverbs,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #8020

This editorial note examines how the catalog subjects 'Bible. Proverbs' and 'philosophy-ethics' align with the text's opening emphasis on wisdom, instruction, and the fear of the Lord, while noting the practical, often harsh social observations in later excerpts.

Editorial Edition Score 4.5/5

★★★★★ ★★★★★

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Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

Total of 100 points, scaled to a 2.5-5.0 range. Editions with an empty description or a missing EPUB file are not scored.

Edition quality

File: pg8020

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This eBook was produced by David Widger with the help of Derek Andrew's text from January 1992 and the work of Bryan Taylor in November 2002.

20:001:001 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

20:001:002 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

20:001:003 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

20:001:004 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

20:001:005 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

20:001:006 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

20:001:007 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

20:001:008 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

20:001:009 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

20:001:010 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

20:001:011 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

20:001:012 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

20:001:013 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

20:001:014 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

20:001:015 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

20:001:016 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

20:001:017 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

20:001:018 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

20:001:019 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

20:001:020 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

20:001:021 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

20:001:022 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

20:001:023 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

20:001:024 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

20:001:025 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

20:001:026 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

20:001:027 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

20:001:028 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

20:001:029 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

20:001:030 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

20:001:031 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

20:001:032 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

20:001:033 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

20:002:001 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

20:002:002 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

20:002:003 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

20:002:004 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

20:002:005 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

20:002:006 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

20:002:007 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

20:002:008 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

20:002:009 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

20:002:010 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

20:002:011 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

20:002:012 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

20:002:013 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

20:002:014 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

20:002:015 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

20:002:016 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

20:002:017 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

20:002:018 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

Continue Reading →

The Book of Proverbs opens with a clear statement of purpose: 'to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding' (20:001:002). The catalog subjects list 'Bible. Proverbs' and 'philosophy-ethics,' but the text itself grounds knowledge in a specific religious premise: 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge' (20:001:007). This is not abstract philosophy; it is a framework where moral behavior is tied to divine authority. The early verses also personify Wisdom as a woman crying out in the streets, a vivid rhetorical device that recurs throughout the book.

Wisdom as a Personified Teacher

In the first chapter, Wisdom is not a concept but a speaker: 'Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets' (20:001:020). This personification appears in the public square, at the city gates—places of judgment and commerce. The text gives Wisdom an urgent, almost confrontational tone: 'How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?' (20:001:022). She promises to 'pour out my spirit unto you' but also warns of mockery when calamity comes (20:001:26). This dual role—teacher and judge—shapes the book's ethical instruction. The catalog subject 'philosophy-ethics' captures some of this, but the excerpts show that wisdom here is less a system of thought and more a direct, relational call to obedience.

Practical Observations on Daily Life

Later proverbs shift from lofty personification to blunt observations about human behavior. For instance, 'Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging' (20:020:001) and 'The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest' (20:020:004). These verses are concrete, drawing on agriculture, commerce, and family dynamics. The text repeatedly contrasts the wise and the foolish, the diligent and the slothful, the righteous and the wicked. A notable example: 'Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD' (20:020:010), which condemns dishonest trade. Such verses align with the catalog's 'philosophy-ethics' but ground ethics in everyday transactions, not abstract principles.

The Role of Family and Authority

Family relationships are a recurring concern. The opening verses address 'my son' and urge him to 'hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother' (20:001:008). Later, the text warns: 'A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping' (20:019:013). Authority figures—parents, kings, and the LORD—are portrayed as sources of order or wrath. 'The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass' (20:019:012). These verses suggest a hierarchical society where obedience to authority is linked to wisdom. The catalog subject 'Bible. Proverbs' fits, but the excerpts emphasize that this wisdom is deeply embedded in social roles and power structures.

Readers approaching Proverbs through this digital edition will find a text that oscillates between poetic personification and blunt moral instruction. The catalog subjects provide a starting point, but the excerpts reveal a work more concerned with practical conduct than systematic philosophy. Pay attention to the recurring figures—the wise son, the foolish scorner, the diligent worker—and how they embody the book's central claim that knowledge begins with reverence.

I’ve been thinking about the Proverbs lately—those sharp, almost weary observations on how people actually behave, and the tenderness hidden underneath. It reminded me of something quieter I once read, Magic and Religion — A Closer Reading, where the sacred and the everyday brush against each other in ways that feel familiar. Both stay with you, like an old friend’s honest word.

Luke Thompson

3 weeks ago

5 out of 5 (1 User reviews )

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Amber Brandon Ruiz - 2 weeks ago

This edition of Proverbs is a treasure. The timeless wisdom in these verses is presented in the beautiful language of the King James Version, making it both inspirational and deeply moving. Each chapter is a reminder of practical truths that apply to daily life. Whether for personal study or reflection, this book is a valuable addition to any library.

Jacob Hill - 2 weeks ago

A classic collection of wisdom sayings, this edition stays true to the original King James translation. The literary quality is high, but for modern readers, the archaic language can be challenging. Still, the proverbs offer practical advice that remains relevant, and the book is a quick read.

Mary Christine Villarreal - 2 weeks ago

This reprint of the King James Version of Proverbs provides little added value. The language is outdated and hard to grasp for contemporary readers. While the content is timeless, this edition lacks annotations or commentary to help interpret the text. There are more accessible versions available that offer clearer insights.