Principles for Interpreting Proverbs
Ten Principles from Richard Mayhue1
1. Realize that no proverb or section in Proverbs intends to be an exhaustive, unabridged, final
treatment of the subject at hand.
2. Proverbs must be understood in terms of context which includes: 1) the language as used
elsewhere in Scripture; 2) the particular section of Proverbs in which the text occurs; 3) the
book of Proverbs; 4) the writings of Solomon; 5) the wisdom sections of the Old Testament;
6) the complete Old Testament; and 7) the entire Bible.
3. Proverbs demand to be interpreted in the cultural and historical settings of the time in which
it was written.
4. Proverbs should not be taken as absolute, unconditional, guaranteed promises but rather, by
definition, as generalizations that can have exceptions.
5. Poetic features and figures of speech need to be taken appropriately into account when
interpreting Proverbs, so that you do not interpret the text too literally.
6. Be careful not to use Proverbs with the personal motive of selfish gain but rather for
achieving spiritual maturity and wisdom in order to glorify God.
7. If a proverb is unclear, read it in other good Bible translations (NASB, NKJ, [ESV or NIV])
and consult several trusted commentaries on Proverbs.
8. Interpret the proverb first to determine the original intent of the author and then develop
personal applications and timeless principles of the interpretation.
9. Proverbs is not designed for large doses of reading at one sitting, and will be most profitably
studied in small portions to allow time for contemplation and reflection.
10. Treat Proverbs as a divine imperative for your life, not merely another optional idea coming
from the secular world of wisdom.
1
Richard Mayhue, Practicing Proverbs (Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2003), 39-40.
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7 Clues from Mark Dever2
1. “Common sense is required.”
2. “Individual proverbs are always ultimately true.” Even if a Proverb does not look to be
immediately true, they will always be ultimately true. Proverbs 16:7 is a good example:
“When a man’s way are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with
him.” This isn’t always true here, and it definitely wasn’t true with Jesus’ first coming but
God will ultimately cause every knee to bow.
3. Individual proverbs are normally true now.” Proverbs don’t exhaust a topic and all caveats,
but can be counted on to normally be true.
4. “Individual proverbs employ poetic imagery.” The poetic imagery of Proverbs should be
recognized and not taken literally if it wasn’t intended to be taken as such. (The use of
highway in 16:17 for example doesn’t refer to a literal highway but the way that one lives
life). This goes back to common sense. Our goal is to understand the author’s intended
meaning, so understand figures of speech and imagery as the author intended them to be
understood.
5. “Individual proverbs are partial in themselves.” To understand all that Proverbs teaches on a
topic, a single proverb must not be taken as exhaustive. Rather each proverb typically makes
a pithy and memorable statement on one aspect of a topic. Take each statement in light of the
others.
6. “Individual proverbs are sometimes obscure.” Without existing in the culture in which the
Proverbs were written 3,000 years ago, there will be some statements that just won’t make
sense (or would have meant something different then than they do now). Understand what
the proverb meant then before you try to transport the meaning to now. You may need a
commentary to help you bridge that gap. You may have to be content with some level of
mystery and uncertainty in regard to some proverbs.
7. “As a whole, the proverbs are religious.” “It is a book about are lives before God” not just a
book of practical knowledge.
2
Mark Dever, The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made (Wheaton: Crossway, 2006), 509-11.
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10 Principles from Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart3
1. Proverbs are often parabolic (i.e., figurative), pointing beyond themselves.
2. Proverbs are intensely practical, not theoretically theological.
3. Proverbs are worded to be memorable, not technically precise.
4. Proverbs are not designed to support selfish behavior—just the opposite!
5. Proverbs strongly reflecting ancient culture may need sensible “translation” so as not to lose
their meaning.
6. Proverbs are not guarantees from God, but poetic guidelines for good behavior.
7. Proverbs may use highly specific language, exaggeration, or any of a variety of literary
techniques to make their point.
8. Proverbs give good advice for wise approaches to certain aspects of life, but are not
exhaustive in their coverage.
9. Wrongly used, proverbs might justify a crass, materialistic lifestyle. Rightly used, proverbs
will provide practical advice for daily living.
10. Proverbs point to Jesus.
3
Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993), 247-48.
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5 Principles from Matt Weymeyer4
One of the keys to interpreting Scripture accurately is to recognize that the Bible contains a
diversity of forms of writing commonly known as genres. Each of these genres requires that we
make slight but essential adjustments in our approach to interpretation. As Roy Zuck writes:
When we read a historical novel, we do not expect all the details to be accurate historically. But
when we read a physics textbook or a Latin grammar, we approach it differently from a novel.
The way we read a board report differs from the way we read a cartoon. We do not read a recipe
and a will the same way. Since the Bible contains various kinds of literature, the unique
characteristics of each form of literature need to be taken into consideration…. The Bible
includes narratives, poetry, prophecy, letters, proverbs, drama, law, wisdom literature,
apocalyptic visions, parables, and discourses. If we are not aware of these literary forms we may
misinterpret statements in those sections.
According to Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, “To interpret properly the ‘then and there’ of the
biblical texts, one must not only know some general rules that apply to all the words of the Bible,
but one needs to learn the special rules that apply to each of these literary forms (genres).”
With this in mind, in this three-part series, I would like to propose a list of five principles which
should govern our interpretation of the book of Proverbs. As you read, think of these as
additional guidelines which are designed to supplement the grammatical-historical method of
interpreting Scripture.
1. Interpret individual passages in light of the overall theme of Proverbs.
The overall theme of the book of Proverbs is found in Proverbs 1:7a: “The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of knowledge” (also see 9:10). This motto serves as the compass that provides
orientation to the entire book, for Proverbs is designed to teach believers how to fear God in
every area of life. For this reason, the individual verses and passages in Proverbs should be
understood as an expression of this kind of devotion to Yahweh.
2. Recognize the two basic literary forms in Proverbs.
When interpreting Proverbs, it is helpful to be aware of the two basic literary forms found
throughout the book—the admonition and the wisdom saying.
a. The Admonition: The admonition consists of either a positive command or a negative
prohibition, both of which occur in the imperative mood: “Give instruction to a wise man,
and he will be wiser still” (9:9a). The imperative in the admonition is often followed by a
motivation clause introduced by the conjunction “for” (or sometimes “and” as in 9:9a
above). This second clause conveys the practical consequences of the action mandated in
the first clause, and the proverb as a whole is designed to convince the hearer of obeying
4
Blog posts from https://expositorythoughts.wordpress.com/2006/12/14/guidelines-for-studying-proverbs-part-1
https://expositorythoughts.wordpress.com/2006/12/18/guidelines-for-studying-proverbs-part-2
https://expositorythoughts.wordpress.com/2006/12/19/guidelines-for-studying-proverbs-part-3
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the command or prohibition. As Grant Osborne writes, “At times the motivation clause
may not be stated (20:18) or may be implicit (24:17-18; 25:21-22), but at all times
commands are meant to stimulate response and obedience.”
b. The Wisdom Saying: A wisdom saying is an observation based on experience which is
expressed by a verb in the indicative mood. Wisdom sayings are usually short sentences
which make a general third-person observation about life. The unstated exhortation of
such sayings is that the reader is to follow the path of wisdom rather than the path of
foolishness, both of which can be recognized by the stated results of taking a given
course of action. For example, when Solomon writes, “A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger” (15:1), he does not actually command his readers to do
anything—the statements are in the indicative mood—but the implied exhortation is that
his readers are to give a gentle answer instead of a harsh word. The careful interpreter
will understand this to be the intent of the proverb.
3. Recognize the significance of poetic parallelism in Proverbs.
The dominant characteristic of poetry in the Old Testament is Hebrew parallelism in which
one line corresponds with the other. There are four main types of poetic parallelism used in
the book of Proverbs—synonymous parallelism, antithetical parallelism, emblematic
parallelism, and synthetic parallelism.
a. Synonymous Parallelism: In synonymous parallelism, the second line of the pair repeats
the idea of the first line without making any significant addition or subtraction. This often
includes the use of a strict grammatical parallel between the two lines:
• 1:20: “Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square.”
• 17:4: “An evildoer listens to wicked lips, a liar pays attention to a destructive
tongue.”
As Osborne notes, “The interpreter in some instances should not read too much into the
semantic variation between the two lines, for that could be intended more as a stylistic
change for effect.” In other words, the student of Proverbs should guard against the
common error of seeing anything more than a subtle difference in meaning between two
words being used as synonyms. In addition, when the interpreter encounters synonymous
parallelism and comes to an obscure Hebrew word whose definition is unclear,
comparing it to its synonymous counterpart will usually shed light on its meaning.
b. Antithetic Parallelism: In antithetic parallelism—the most common form in Proverbs—
the second line is set in contrast to the idea of the first line, and usually by means of the
adversative conjunction “but.” This often consists of a restatement of the idea of the first
line by asserting its opposite (i.e., both lines state the same idea but in antithetical ways):
• 10:1: “A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.”
• 12:5: “The thoughts of the righteous are just, but the counsels of the wicked are
deceitful.”
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According to Allen Ross, this type of parallelism emphasizes the importance of choosing
the way of wisdom and avoiding the fate of a fool by setting “before the reader the choice
between the wise and profitable way versus the foolish and disastrous way.” When
encountering this form of parallelism, the interpreter is aided in determining the meaning
of certain key words by comparing them to their antonyms.
c. Emblematic Parallelism: In emblematic parallelism, one line is figurative and the other
is literal, and together they form a simile with the word “like” or “as” introducing one of
the lines (usually the figurative one):
• 10:26: “Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy one to those
who send him.”
• 11:22: “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a beautiful woman who lacks
discretion.”
The fundamental question for the interpreter is: How is A like B? In answering this
question, he must determine the common denominators in the comparison as well as the
overall point being made by the proverb.
d. Synthetic Parallelism: Synthetic parallelism is a form of synonymous parallelism in
which the second line completes, advances, or develops the thought of the first line by
supplying additional ideas. If the second line provides no further clarification of the first,
the parallelism should be classified as synonymous, but if it does bring forth clarification
or expansion, it is synthetic.
• 15:3: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good.”
• 16:4: “The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the
day of evil.”
The goal of the interpreter is to determine the contribution of that second line, as well as
the point of the two statements taken together as a whole. Because synthetic parallelism
usually takes the form of a wisdom saying (see 2b in part 1), the interpreter will need to
determine the unstated exhortation implied by the proverb by wrestling with the question:
How am I to live in light of this truth? To fail to take this extra step is to miss the point of
the verse.
4. Beware of assuming that proverbs are unconditional promises.
Proverbs are not to be understood as unconditional promises but rather as practical principles
to follow as one seeks to fear God and live wisely. In other words, they are poetic guidelines
for behavior, not legal guarantees from God, for proverbs state what generally takes place in
certain circumstances, not what always takes place in those circumstances (Fee and Stuart
1982: 198-99).
For example, consider Proverbs 10:4: “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the
hand of the diligent makes rich.” Is this true in every case? No, for some wealthy people are
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lazy and some poor people are diligent. Or Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away
wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Is this the way that an angry person will respond
every single time? Of course not. As Parsons writes, “A gentle answer may turn away wrath,
but at times such an answer may have no positive effect on stubborn individuals” (Parsons
1995: 159).
So rather than unconditional promises from God, proverbs often consist of generalizations of
what is likely to happen if a certain course of action is taken. In this way, they are intended to
exhort people to walk the path of wisdom, not offer iron-clad assurances that A will always
produce B. At the same time, some proverbs are unconditionally true, usually those
connected to an attribute or action of God (e.g., 11:1; 12:22; 15:3; 15:8; 16:2, 4, 33; 17:3;
22:2) (Parsons 1995: 160).
5. Beware of assuming that any one proverb is an exhaustive statement about the subject
it discusses.
As Ted Hildebrandt writes, “The truth of an individual proverb is limited to the specific slice
of reality that it portrays” (Hildebrandt 1995: 249). In other words, no proverb is a complete
statement of truth, and no proverb is exhaustive in its coverage of a particular subject (Fee
and Stuart 1982: 201-03). For this reason, the interpreter of a given proverb will need to keep
in mind that other proverbs and other portions of Scripture may fill in certain aspects of
living wisely in the circumstances addressed by the proverb under consideration.
For example, Proverbs 16:9 (“The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his
steps”) should give one confidence in the sovereignty of God, but in light of Proverbs 15:22
(“Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed”), it
should not be understood as eliminating the need for careful planning. As Fee and Stuart
write, “Each inspired proverb must be balanced with others and understood in comparison
with the rest of Scripture” (Fee and Stuart 1982: 200). So with these five principles in mind,
enjoy and be blessed by your study of Proverbs. And always remember: The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom!
Works Cited:
Of the following sources, I would most highly recommend the chapter by Greg Parsons, to
whom I am indebted for much of this series.
• Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding
the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982.
• Hildebrandt, Ted A. “Proverb.” In Cracking Old Testament Codes: A Guide to Interpreting the Literary
Genres of the Old Testament, edited by D. Brent Sandy and Ronald L. Giese, Jr., 233-54. Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995.
• Osborne, Grant R. The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation.
Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1991.
• Parsons, Greg W. “Guidelines for Understanding and Proclaiming the Book of Proverbs.” In Learning from
the Sages: Selected Studies on the Book of Proverbs, edited by Roy B. Zuck, 151-68. Grand Rapids: Baker
Books, 1995.
• Ross, Allen P. “Proverbs.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, 5:883-
1134. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991.
• Zuck, Roy B. Basic Bible Interpretation. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1991.
