I got the idea for “The Factual Data” sheet from reading that Warren W. Wiersbe’s homiletic teacher, Lloyd Perry used a generic “Factual Data” sheet for all sermon preparation. I have adapted “The Factual Data” sheet to the different genres of Scripture instead of one size fits all. I have a "The Factual Data" Sheet also for Pauline Epistles, Narratives (Genesis and Nehemiah), Gospels (Mark), and Hebrew Poetry (Psalms and Proverbs).
D. Brent Sandy and Roald L. Giese, Jr. in their book Cracking Old Testament Codes have a helpful chapter on interpreting Proverbs: “Proverbs” by Ted A. Hildebrandt. Roy B. Zuck is the editor of Learning from the Sages: Selected Studies on the Book of Proverbs. This is a thorough treatment of Proverbs. Jeffery D. Arthurs has a chapter on preaching from Hebrew poetry in his book Preaching with Variety: How to Re-create the Dynamics of Biblical Genres. In chapter seven, they discuss Proverbs: Short Sentences Long Remembered.
The form of the genre, in this case, Proverb, should influence the form of the sermon. For example, since Proverbs has long admonitions in Proverbs 1-9, a sermon or Bible study could be a verse-by-verse exposition of each admonition. Beginning in chapter ten, the book of Proverbs covers themes, such as words, friends, and anger. Therefore, in contrast to the verse-by-verse exposition, a sermon or Bible study could be thematic and add variety to your preaching or teaching.
I. STUDY THE CONTEXT (Macro Hermeneutics)
A. What is the context of the genre of Hebrew poetry?
There are several characteristics unique to Hebrew poetry that would not be true of other genres such as narratives and prophecy.
1. One characteristic is wisdom literature. Proverbs especially provide wisdom for godly living.
2. The purpose of Proverbs is to “know wisdom” which is the skill of living.
Wisdom outside of Proverbs is the skill to make a living such as experienced by Bezaleel in Exodus 31:1-4. God gave him wisdom to build furniture for the Tabernacle.
Wisdom in Proverbs is the skill to live for the Lord as heard in Proverbs 1:7.
B. What is the context of the book?
Next, we begin to answer basic Bible study questions such as the author’s theme for each book in Hebrew poetry and the development of the theme of the book.
1. Job: Why Do Christians Serve the Lord (1:9) (Not for health and wealth, not for the approval of family and friends, but for the pleasure of God).
2. Psalms: God’s Devotional Book. The Psalms help us in our walk with God and our worship of God. We should interpret the individual psalms in that overarching context.
3. Song of Solomon: God’s Theology of Marriage.
4. Proverbs: God’s Practical Manual for Living (In Proverbs 1-9, there are 15 Fatherly Talks with his son. In Proverbs 10ff there are scattered aphorisms or moral truths.
5. Ecclesiastes: Life is meaningless without God.
C. What is the context in Proverbs
There are seven distinct contexts in Proverbs. There are seven sections in Proverbs that have their own unique introduction. These introductory headings are found at 1:1; 10:1; 22:17; 24:23; 25:1; 30:1; and 31:1. These various headings reflect that there were initially seven different collections of proverbial material. These were then collected into the book of Proverbs (Interpreting Proverbs by Dr. Robert V. McCabe) (click to open).
1. Chapters 1:1-9
“In general there are two basic literary forms or types of proverbs: the wisdom sentence and the admonition.
a. The wisdom sentence (or saying) is an observation based on experience which is stated in the indicative mood (e.g. Prov. 12:4). This type occurs primarily in 10:1-22:16 and 25-29.
b. The admonition, which occurs in the imperative mood (in either the second or third person), is found mainly in chapters 1-9 and 22:17-24:22. There are 15 Fatherly discourses to his “son” on how to live wisely in Proverbs 1-9. The “fear of the Lord” is the motto referred to in 1:7, 9:10, and 31: 30 (forming an inclusion).
1st Admonition (1:8-19)
2nd Admonition (1:20-33)
3rd Admonition (2:1-22)
4th Admonition (3:1-18
5th Admonition (3:19-26)
6th Admonition (3:27-35)
7th Admonition (4:1-27)
8th Admonition (5:1-23)
9th Admonition (6:1-5)
10th Admonition (6:6-11)
11th Admonition (6:12-19)
12th Admonition (6:20-35)
13th Admonition (7:1-27)
14th Admonition (8:1-36)
15th Admonition (9:1-18)
2. Chapters 10:1-22:16
Parallelism is essentially a repetition of thought or grammar in a second line of poetry. The predominant form of parallelism is thought repetition (Interpreting Proverbs by Dr. Robert V. McCabe) (click to open).
There is parallelism in other genres, such as narratives, but not as tight as in Hebrew Poetry. Constable shows the literary convention of the chiasm that Moses used in Genesis 6-8.[1]
A. God resolves to destroy the corrupt race (6:11-12)
B. Noah builds an ark according to God’s instructions (6:13-22)
C. The Lord commands the remnant to enter the ark (7:1-9)
D. The flood begins (7:10-16)
E. The flood prevails for 150 days and covers the mountains (17-24)
F. God remembers Noah (8:1a.)
E’. The flood recedes 150 days, and the mountains are visible (8:1b-5)
D’. The earth dries (8:6-14)
C’. God commands the remnant to leave the ark (8:15-19)
B’. Noah builds an altar (8:20)
A’. The Lord resolves not to destroy humankind (8:21-22)
[1] Allen P. Ross notes the theological significance of the chiasm: “The entire account of the flood was arranged according to a pattern of antithetical parallelism in which the second half of the story reflects the first half in reverse (i.e., in a chiasm) .... The chiasm “demonstrates ... the entire reversal centering on the divine remembrance of Noah. Here is the balance between the judgment on sinners and the deliverance of the recipients of grace” (Allen P. Ross, Creation & Blessing, 190-191).
The two dominant forms of parallelism in the book of Proverbs are that of contrast and comparison. The most dominant of the two forms is the parallelism of contrast. In Proverbs 10–15 approximately 90% of the proverbs are contrastive. This sets before the reader the responsibility to choose wisdom over folly. The comparative parallelism essentially says that at a common point “A is like B”(Interpreting Proverbs by Dr. Robert V. McCabe) (click to open).
a. Antithetic parallelism (chapters 10-15) connected with “but" (10:1 and 15:1)
b. Synonymous parallelism (chapters 16-22) connected with “and” (16:18)
c. Emblematic parallelism in which the first line is figurative, and the next line is literal (10:26; 25:25) often begins with “as”
3. Chapters 22:17-24:22
Some scholars contend that The Thirty Sayings of the Wise (22:20) were influenced by the thirty sections of the Wisdom of Amenemope (from Egypt). Amenemope was an Egyptian scribe who shared his wisdom with his son so he could be happy: “Be kind to yourself, make your body strong and happy” (Institute, Scriptural Research. Wisdom of Amenemope (p. 23). Digital Ink Productions. Kindle Edition). The Wisdom of Amenemope is man’s wisdom which promotes polytheism. Amenemope warned his son that an angry man will face the Egyptian moon god: “The god Iahw1 [Egyptian hieratic: jꜥḥw. Translation: moon-god] stands still in his path and holds him to be an abomination” (Institute, Scriptural Research. Wisdom of Amenemope (p. 18).
Satan tempted Eve with man’s wisdom in Genesis 3:6. Because Adam and Eve yielded to man’s wisdom their relationship with each other was distorted. They sewed fig leaves to cover their nakedness. Also, their relationship with God was distorted. They tried to hide from God behind a tree. Joseph contended with man’s wisdom in Egypt in Genesis 41:8. Moses and Aaron also combated man’s wisdom in Egypt in Exodus 7:11.
Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of man in Egypt in 1 Kings 4:29. There are similarities between these two documents. In chapter 10 of Amenemope wrote: “Do not associate with a man given to anger or go with a hot-tempered man” which compares to “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious [hot-tempered] man, you shall not go” (Prov 22:24). So how was Solomon’s wisdom greater if the wording is similar? God’s wisdom doesn’t just make one happy, the goal of Amenemope, but restores what was lost in the garden. God’s wisdom repairs the breach for the believer with man and God.
a. Some scholars say that the writers of Proverbs were influenced by the wisdom of Egypt (R. N. Whybray, The Book of Proverbs,60-62)
b. Others like E. J. Young contend that the writer of Amenemope copied from Proverbs (E. J. Young, Introduction of the Old Testament, 314). Peter A. Steveson argues against the influence of the Wisdom of Amenemope on Proverbs 22:17:24:22 (Proverbs, Greenville: BJU Press, 2001). Whether or not, the writer of Proverbs alluded to Amenemope or a common source does not affect the inspiration or authority of Proverbs. Paul quoted Greek authors when that reference would aid his message. What the writer of Proverbs wrote and Paul wrote were inspired Scriptures.
4. Chapters 24:23-34
More sayings of the wise
5. Chapters 25-29
Proverbs compiled by Hezekiah 250 years after Solomon to aid his reforms which are recorded in 2 Kings 18:1-7. There is an emphasis in this section on the role and influence of kings (25:1-2).
6. Chapter 30 Proverbs of Agur
C. Hassell Bullock contends that “the words of Agur” may be from a non-Israelite that was adapted to Hebrew faith” (C. Hassell Bullock, An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books, Chicago: Moody Press, 1979, 164).
7. Chapter 31 Proverbs of King Lemuel
Bullock believes that Proverbs 31 was also likely written by a non-Israelite .… It contributes to the Yahwistic perspective: ‘But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised’ (Ibid., 165). Bullock in defending the writers of Proverbs using sources from other cultures fits with the universal perspective of Proverbs: “To stake a claim upon a piece of literature from a pagan culture and adapt it for the only true faith was not incompatible with the universal perspective of ancient Israelite wisdom” (Ibid., 165).
D. Who is speaking or writing?
1. ____________ confessing his sin in Psalm 51.
2. ____________ is complaining at the beginning of Psalm 73.
3. ____________ writes two psalms in Psalm 72 and 127.
4. ____________ writes just one psalm in Psalm 90.
5. ____________ is sharing wisdom with his son in Proverbs 1-9.
E. To whom is the writer writing?
1. Solomon is writing to his ________ in Song of Solomon.
2. Solomon is delivering Fatherly chats with his ______ in Proverbs 1-9.
3. Solomon is writing to young potential _________ in Ecclesiastes (12:1ff).
F. Where was this Hebrew Poetry written?
Most of the Psalms were written in Israel, but Psalm 137 was written in Babylon during Israel's captivity. Solomon wrote Proverbs in Israel. It is not known where Agur and King Lemuel were when they wrote their Proverbs.
G. When was this Hebrew Poetry written?
1. Solomon wrote Song of Solomon when he was young and in love.
2. Solomon wrote Proverbs when he was older and wiser.
3. Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes when he was old and repentant.
4. Moses wrote Psalm 90 when he was old.
5. An Israelite in captivity wrote Psalm 137 during the Babylonian Captivity.
6. The surviving Israelite from captivity wrote Psalm 85 after the Babylonian Captivity.
H. What was the purpose for writing this Hebrew Poetry?
1. Psalm 51 was written to ____________.
2. Psalm 103 to ____________.
3. Proverbs 1-9 were written to teach ____________.
In Part Two, we will discuss studying the passage's content or micro hermeneutics.