Ten Tips for Interpreting Proverbs
Richard Mayhue offers 10 tips on interpreting Proverbs on pages 39-40 of Practicing Proverbs. See yesterday's "7 Clues for Reading Proverbs" by Dever for more.
- Realize that no proverb or section in Proverbs intends to be an exhuastive, unabridged, final treatment of the subject at hand.
- 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) teh entire Bible.
- Proverbs demand to be interpreted in the cultural and historical settings of the time in which it was written.
- Proverbs should not be taken as absolute, unconditional, guaranteed promises but rather, by definition, as generalizations that can have exceptions.
- 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.
- 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.
- If a proverb is unclear, read it in other good Bible translations (NASB, NKJ, [ESV or NIV]) and consult several trusted commentaries on Proverbs.
- Interpret the proverb first to determine the original intent of the author and then develop personal applications and timeless principles of the interpretation.
- 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.
- Treat Proverbs as a divine imperative for your life, not merely another optional idea coming from the secular world of wisdom.
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