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.

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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.