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How to Read
How to Read Proverbs
Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. A perverse person spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise. Everyday we make choices on the path of life. Proverbs are memorable capsules of wisdom, chiseled in words and polished through use by those who have traveled that path ahead of us. But the proverbs of the Bible make a greater claim than "a penny saved is a penny earned." They are woven into the web of divine revelation, rooted in the "fear of the Lord" that is the beginning of wisdom. While many proverbs speak to us directly, we can gain much greater insight by studying the book of Proverbs as a whole, understanding its relationship to ancient non-Israelite wisdom and listening to its conversation with the other great voices of wisdom in Scripture--Job and Ecclesiastes. In How to Read Proverbs Tremper Longman III provides a welcome guide to reading and studying, understanding and savoring the Proverbs for all their wisdom. Most important for Christian readers, we gain insight into how Christ is the climax and embodiment of wisdom.
174 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2002
63 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Tremper Longman III
193Ìýbooks121ÌýfollowersTremper Longman III (PhD, Yale University) is the Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. Before coming to Westmont, he taught at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia for eighteen years. He has authored or coauthored numerous books, including An Introduction to the Old Testament, How to Read Proverbs, and commentaries on Daniel, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Jeremiah and Lamentations, and Song of Songs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
March 24, 2021
This is a great tool for learning how to understand the book of Proverbs as more than a strand of random aphorisms. Tremper Longman does a great job of presenting academic material in an accessible way, and he strives to educate his readers on how to interpret contextually and canonically. I will be looking for his other books!
June 1, 2013
This short book is highly readable and well worth the time. Longman does a fantastic job of illustrating the various poetic elements that are incorporated in the Proverbs. The reader of the book will come to appreciate the rich depth of the Proverbs.Early in the book, Longman reveals the dangers in reading the Book of Proverbs with a strictly literal interpretation. The Proverbs are poetic literature and contain all the elements one would expect to find in poetry; such as, imagery and hyperbole. A literal interpretation of the Proverbs robs them of their depth. Longman also explains the Biblical Proverbs amongst other Near Eastern wisdom literature. The reader will discover while there are striking similarities between the Proverbs and other wisdom literature, there is one striking difference that sets the Biblical Proverbs apart.
I highly enjoyed reading this little book and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to study Old Testament poetry. I will be adding this book to my recommended reading list.
Update 5/14/13: I recently revisited this book for a class I'm taking and was just as impressed with it the second time around. One particular aspect of the book that struck a chord with me was Longman's treatment of how the Proverbs is situated an "international tradition of wisdom literature." One of the challenges I've heard frequently is that Proverbs is copied from similar ancient wisdom literature. Longman stares this challenge directly in the eyes and decimates all doubt. He writes, "In the light of those similarities, the differences in Proverbs - particularly the connection between Yahweh and wisdom - stand out even more" (p. 72).
I highly enjoyed reading this little book and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to study Old Testament poetry. I will be adding this book to my recommended reading list.
Update 5/14/13: I recently revisited this book for a class I'm taking and was just as impressed with it the second time around. One particular aspect of the book that struck a chord with me was Longman's treatment of how the Proverbs is situated an "international tradition of wisdom literature." One of the challenges I've heard frequently is that Proverbs is copied from similar ancient wisdom literature. Longman stares this challenge directly in the eyes and decimates all doubt. He writes, "In the light of those similarities, the differences in Proverbs - particularly the connection between Yahweh and wisdom - stand out even more" (p. 72).
December 31, 2019
Outstanding introductory book on Proverbs. Longman is an acknowledged expert on Hebrew poetry and wisdom literature, and his skill is on display in this book. Written on the popular level, the insights he shares are valuable for both the scholar and the ordinary reader. If you're going to study Proverbs, start with this book. Highly recommended.
August 10, 2021
Dr. Longman’s How To Read series is an important addition to OT studies and this book is no exception.
Proverbs is one of the most misunderstood books in the Bible. The tendency is to read Proverbs like an instruction manual or to read it like a book of promises. Neither of those are true. If you read Proverbs like an instruction manual, you get moralism. Proverbs is about God’s Wisdom beckoning is into relationship. If you read Proverbs as a book of promises, you get either prosperity gospel or retribution theology. Neither of those options are acceptable. Proverbs doesn’t make promises. Not every proverb can be applied to every situation. Wisdom comes in knowing when to apply which Proverb to which situation.
Dr. Longman helpfully connects Proverbs to its ancient near eastern context in a few chapters and also provides a Christological reading of Proverbs. Christ is the wisdom of God, as Paul tells us. And he beckons us into relationship.
It’s very accessible as well. I’ve already recommended it to folks in my congregation.
Proverbs is one of the most misunderstood books in the Bible. The tendency is to read Proverbs like an instruction manual or to read it like a book of promises. Neither of those are true. If you read Proverbs like an instruction manual, you get moralism. Proverbs is about God’s Wisdom beckoning is into relationship. If you read Proverbs as a book of promises, you get either prosperity gospel or retribution theology. Neither of those options are acceptable. Proverbs doesn’t make promises. Not every proverb can be applied to every situation. Wisdom comes in knowing when to apply which Proverb to which situation.
Dr. Longman helpfully connects Proverbs to its ancient near eastern context in a few chapters and also provides a Christological reading of Proverbs. Christ is the wisdom of God, as Paul tells us. And he beckons us into relationship.
It’s very accessible as well. I’ve already recommended it to folks in my congregation.
October 17, 2022
Longmann hat die Gabe akademisch und praktisch zu arbeiten. Das Buch ist recht knapp mit etwas mehr als 150 Seiten. Dadurch liest es sich einfach und schnell. Hat Spaß gemacht, dass Buch zu lesen. An manchen Stellen wurde er sogar zu wiederholend, sodass man das Buch tatsächlich noch kürzer oder inhaltlich breiter fassen könnte.
February 23, 2023
Readable, nuanced, and insightful. Longman gives an accessible introduction to the mechanics of Proverbs and Hebrew poetry, the ANE and canonical context of the book, and a method of thematic interpretation. He emphasizes the thoroughly theological nature of the Israelite conception of wisdom, and how it ultimately points to Christ. This is an excellent little book.
May 26, 2014
I've had this book on my shelf for a couple of years and have paid scant attention to it. But I was happy to discover that it's been a great help as I began studying Proverbs and preaching through it's themes in recent weeks. I hope this means that others in the How to Read series will be helpful as well and I look forward to digging into them. In particular, this volume handles well the unique interpretation challenges such as the question of whether or not Proverbs are always true. Another unique interpretation issue is that the book was initially written to young men. This could cause women and older men to overlook the book as largely irrelevant to them. The book gives excellent guidance for why this is not a helpful approach. I’ll be keeping this book with my other commentaries for regular reference.
September 12, 2023
Longman has written a very helpful book for anyone who needs an introduction to the Book of Proverbs. This is not a verse by verse commentary on the book of wisdom. Rather, the author introduces the reader to the sweeping themes in the book. Longman does an excellent job teaching the reader how to read proverbs from a literary perspective as well as a hermeneutical standpoint.
I’m still looking for a book that deals with the structure of Proverbs. I’m convinced by the genre of wisdom literature in the ANE and the Scriptures that this priceless book is more than a collection of wisdom sayings without any coherence or structure. Longman did not address this issue in depth. OT scholar Bruce Waltke has a lecture series on BiblicalTraining.org and a commentary on Proverbs that might address this issue.
I’m still looking for a book that deals with the structure of Proverbs. I’m convinced by the genre of wisdom literature in the ANE and the Scriptures that this priceless book is more than a collection of wisdom sayings without any coherence or structure. Longman did not address this issue in depth. OT scholar Bruce Waltke has a lecture series on BiblicalTraining.org and a commentary on Proverbs that might address this issue.
June 18, 2018
Many times I have listened to Christians quote verses out of the book of Proverbs in ways that don't really keep it in context or in some cases, use the name-it-and-claim-it approach expecting things to happen in a certain manner.ÌýTremper Longman III did a very nice job of presenting the book of Proverbs in a way that helps readers of Proverbs to get a solid understanding of how to correctly interpret and apply the book of Proverbs to their lives.
I conducted a class at our church on how to study the Bible on your own using the Inductive Bible Study Method and this book really follows that concept nicely. In fact, I would recommend this book very highly for anyone that is interested in being able to correctly interpret and apply the book of Proverbs to their lives.
I really liked how the author brought other books of the Bible into play to present similar themes and ideas in relation to the book of Proverbs.ÌýI appreciated the sections in each chapter for Further Reflection and also For Further Reading. I think many will find these aspects very helpful as additional resources and learning.
This book does a good job to help people understand how important the culture and audience (just for two examples) play a critical role in knowing how to properly interpret Scripture. I felt that this book was easy to follow and hard to put down.
I have come across some reviews where people have commented that this book is too basic, while others have commented that this is geared more toward Bible students and was difficult for them to understand. I'm not quite seeing either side of these comments and tend to not fall into either of these extremes as I feel that this book is written very well and does help readers gain a more solid understanding of the book of Proverbs.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review from IVPÌýand all opinions are my own.
I conducted a class at our church on how to study the Bible on your own using the Inductive Bible Study Method and this book really follows that concept nicely. In fact, I would recommend this book very highly for anyone that is interested in being able to correctly interpret and apply the book of Proverbs to their lives.
I really liked how the author brought other books of the Bible into play to present similar themes and ideas in relation to the book of Proverbs.ÌýI appreciated the sections in each chapter for Further Reflection and also For Further Reading. I think many will find these aspects very helpful as additional resources and learning.
This book does a good job to help people understand how important the culture and audience (just for two examples) play a critical role in knowing how to properly interpret Scripture. I felt that this book was easy to follow and hard to put down.
I have come across some reviews where people have commented that this book is too basic, while others have commented that this is geared more toward Bible students and was difficult for them to understand. I'm not quite seeing either side of these comments and tend to not fall into either of these extremes as I feel that this book is written very well and does help readers gain a more solid understanding of the book of Proverbs.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review from IVPÌýand all opinions are my own.
May 14, 2021
I'm a big fan of Tremper Longman III. Longman manages to communicate nuanced academic material in a very accessible way. How to Read Proverbs is an excellent introduction to the book of Proverbs.
Longman breaks up How to Read Proverbs into three sections: 1) Understanding Proverbs; 2) Reading Proverbs in Context; 3) Following the Themes in Proverbs. If you're expecting Longman to give you a verse-by-verse exposition of Proverbs or even delve into all of the themes, this isn't the book for you. Two-thirds of the book is devoted to clarifying what Proverbs are, comparing the book to other ancient collections of proverbs, and comparing the book to other biblical wisdom.
What Longman is trying to accomplish with his book, he is very successful with. Longman does a masterful job of framing what Proverbs are, clarifying the central intent of the book, and putting the book in its context.
If you are looking for a book that deals more with the themes of Proverbs, I commend Dominick Hernandez's Proverbs: Pathways to Wisdom. The books serve as fantastic partners in introducing Proverbs.
For more reviews see .
Longman breaks up How to Read Proverbs into three sections: 1) Understanding Proverbs; 2) Reading Proverbs in Context; 3) Following the Themes in Proverbs. If you're expecting Longman to give you a verse-by-verse exposition of Proverbs or even delve into all of the themes, this isn't the book for you. Two-thirds of the book is devoted to clarifying what Proverbs are, comparing the book to other ancient collections of proverbs, and comparing the book to other biblical wisdom.
What Longman is trying to accomplish with his book, he is very successful with. Longman does a masterful job of framing what Proverbs are, clarifying the central intent of the book, and putting the book in its context.
If you are looking for a book that deals more with the themes of Proverbs, I commend Dominick Hernandez's Proverbs: Pathways to Wisdom. The books serve as fantastic partners in introducing Proverbs.
For more reviews see .
May 8, 2017
Part of a series of books which orient readers, both culturally and literarily, to read and understand books of the Old Testament. These tend to be trickier texts than those in the New Testament, which generally consist of more familiar literary genres such as letters, biographies and histories. This particular volume deals with the book of Proverbs; a chaotic and often entertaining set of pithy sayings and speeches about living wisely.
I read this as part of my preparation for a talk I've been asked to give this summer. I found it more useful than a detailed textual commentary as it permits to you read the text and hear it's contents for yourself without every nuance being unpacked for you. It's a thinky popular-level book, so anybody can read it. Once I've done my own reflection on the text, assisted by the pointers I picked up from this book, I'll probably pick up a more technical academic commentary to drill into the details I missed.
I read this as part of my preparation for a talk I've been asked to give this summer. I found it more useful than a detailed textual commentary as it permits to you read the text and hear it's contents for yourself without every nuance being unpacked for you. It's a thinky popular-level book, so anybody can read it. Once I've done my own reflection on the text, assisted by the pointers I picked up from this book, I'll probably pick up a more technical academic commentary to drill into the details I missed.
September 29, 2021
This book is well done and helpful in what it sets out to do. The title is truth in advertising as this book helps orient the reader of the book of Proverbs. It is not a deep dive study of wisdom literature, but that wasn't the intention of the author. Issues like the overall organization and structural and thematic unity of the book are only touched on enough to whet your appetite. Longman doesn't deal with intertextuality per se, but he does have a chapter for interaction between Proverbs and Job and Ecclesiastes, and a later mention of the New Testament book of James. The book particularly shines in giving attention to the fact that you must take any individual sayings in light of the whole book.
May 14, 2023
See my longer review on SpoiledMilks (4/14/23).
How do we read a book full of fortune cookies? Proverbs is a book full of lots of good ideas, though it often seems to contradict itself (Prov 26:4 with 26:5; 3:9-10 with 13:23). More so, how do we apply it to our lives under the rule of Jesus? Are proverbs always true? If not, when are they?
Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman has written a very helpful, short, and easy-to-read introduction on how to read Proverbs. He divides the book into three sections:
1. Understanding Proverbs
2. Reading Proverbs in Context
3. Following the Themes in Proverbs
Part One
In Part One: Understanding Proverbs, answer the “why?� question of reading Proverbs. We should read Proverbs because it guides us on the path of life (chs 1-2). It teaches us how to handle life’s problems, how to deal with difficult people and uncomfortable situations, and how do we express our emotions. The book’s purpose is to make us wise. We are to learn instruction what is “right, and just, and fair� (Prov 1:3). These are ethical terms, and we cannot be wise without them.
The wise person “must be open to God’s foundational role in the world and in their lives� (20). Fools are excluded from God’s life-giving wisdom because they reject God.
In chapters 4 and 5, Longman explains different forms of Proverbs and whether or not proverbs are always true. So “a proverb is only accepted as true if applied at the right time,� and “proverbs are not intended to be universally true statements� (38). A single proverb gives us only a slice of life.
Part Two
In Part Two: Reading Proverbs in Context, Longman compares biblical proverbs with other wisdom literature from the surrounding ANE nations (ch 6). Longman summarizes the main messages of Job and Ecclesiastes, showing that they are not in disagreement with Proverbs (ch 7). Chapter 8 shows wisdom being played out in the lives of Joseph and Daniel.
The title of chapter 9 “Where Is God in Proverbs? Christ, the Treasure of God’s Wisdom� is a bit misleading, I think, because the focus on “God in Proverbs� is on Woman Wisdom in Proverbs 8. This doesn’t really answer the question of where God is in Prov 10-31. That said, this has somewhat been answered in other chapters since Woman Wisdom represents God, and Proverbs 1-9 lay the foundation of godly wisdom for the rest of the book.
As Longman argues, Jesus is not literally Woman Wisdom. In Proverbs 8, Woman Wisdom is a metaphor, and as a metaphor, the father in Proverbs is not saying God is female, nor that God created a separate deity at the beginning of time to help him create all things. The eternal Son created all things (John 1:1-3; Col 1:15-17; Heb 1:1-3). Prov 8:22-31 makes the point that “God created the cosmos by virtue of his age-old wisdom� (104).
Longman again, wanting to prevent theological error, writes “Woman Wisdom is not a pre-incarnate form of the second person of the Trinity� (110). Rather, “the association between Jesus and Woman Wisdom in the New Testament is a powerful way of saying that Jesus is the embodiment of God’s Wisdom� (110).
Part Two was my least favorite section compared with the rest of the book. The content was good, but I thought chapters 6-8 were too long and crowded out other insights that could have been here instead. Comparing biblical proverbs with those in the ANE is important, but I don’t imagine most laypeople will give a hoot about it, really.
Part Three
In Part Three: Following the Themes in Proverbs, Longman takes a thematic approach and surveys the topics of money, women, and speaking wisely and foolishly in Proverbs. He also explains how you would go about performing such a study yourself.
Recommended?
I quite enjoyed reading this book. Longman is to be commended for writing a clear and simple introduction that is very easy for laypeople to read. Teachers wanting to get a quick handle on Proverbs ought to pick up Longman’s book. They will go far if they use Longman’s principles in their study.
How do we read a book full of fortune cookies? Proverbs is a book full of lots of good ideas, though it often seems to contradict itself (Prov 26:4 with 26:5; 3:9-10 with 13:23). More so, how do we apply it to our lives under the rule of Jesus? Are proverbs always true? If not, when are they?
Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman has written a very helpful, short, and easy-to-read introduction on how to read Proverbs. He divides the book into three sections:
1. Understanding Proverbs
2. Reading Proverbs in Context
3. Following the Themes in Proverbs
Part One
In Part One: Understanding Proverbs, answer the “why?� question of reading Proverbs. We should read Proverbs because it guides us on the path of life (chs 1-2). It teaches us how to handle life’s problems, how to deal with difficult people and uncomfortable situations, and how do we express our emotions. The book’s purpose is to make us wise. We are to learn instruction what is “right, and just, and fair� (Prov 1:3). These are ethical terms, and we cannot be wise without them.
The wise person “must be open to God’s foundational role in the world and in their lives� (20). Fools are excluded from God’s life-giving wisdom because they reject God.
In chapters 4 and 5, Longman explains different forms of Proverbs and whether or not proverbs are always true. So “a proverb is only accepted as true if applied at the right time,� and “proverbs are not intended to be universally true statements� (38). A single proverb gives us only a slice of life.
Part Two
In Part Two: Reading Proverbs in Context, Longman compares biblical proverbs with other wisdom literature from the surrounding ANE nations (ch 6). Longman summarizes the main messages of Job and Ecclesiastes, showing that they are not in disagreement with Proverbs (ch 7). Chapter 8 shows wisdom being played out in the lives of Joseph and Daniel.
The title of chapter 9 “Where Is God in Proverbs? Christ, the Treasure of God’s Wisdom� is a bit misleading, I think, because the focus on “God in Proverbs� is on Woman Wisdom in Proverbs 8. This doesn’t really answer the question of where God is in Prov 10-31. That said, this has somewhat been answered in other chapters since Woman Wisdom represents God, and Proverbs 1-9 lay the foundation of godly wisdom for the rest of the book.
As Longman argues, Jesus is not literally Woman Wisdom. In Proverbs 8, Woman Wisdom is a metaphor, and as a metaphor, the father in Proverbs is not saying God is female, nor that God created a separate deity at the beginning of time to help him create all things. The eternal Son created all things (John 1:1-3; Col 1:15-17; Heb 1:1-3). Prov 8:22-31 makes the point that “God created the cosmos by virtue of his age-old wisdom� (104).
Longman again, wanting to prevent theological error, writes “Woman Wisdom is not a pre-incarnate form of the second person of the Trinity� (110). Rather, “the association between Jesus and Woman Wisdom in the New Testament is a powerful way of saying that Jesus is the embodiment of God’s Wisdom� (110).
Part Two was my least favorite section compared with the rest of the book. The content was good, but I thought chapters 6-8 were too long and crowded out other insights that could have been here instead. Comparing biblical proverbs with those in the ANE is important, but I don’t imagine most laypeople will give a hoot about it, really.
Part Three
In Part Three: Following the Themes in Proverbs, Longman takes a thematic approach and surveys the topics of money, women, and speaking wisely and foolishly in Proverbs. He also explains how you would go about performing such a study yourself.
Recommended?
I quite enjoyed reading this book. Longman is to be commended for writing a clear and simple introduction that is very easy for laypeople to read. Teachers wanting to get a quick handle on Proverbs ought to pick up Longman’s book. They will go far if they use Longman’s principles in their study.
February 6, 2021
Tremper is doing it yet again.
Finally finished the book of Proverbs - with new eyes.
Especially found his comment on reading the Proverbs verses (individually) backwards, incredibly helpful. Moving on to his reference on Job :)
And can’t wait to take out my wallet for his more in depth commentary.
“Proverbs is so much more than a collection of well-crafted insights into living. It is a thoroughly theological book, confronting us from the very beginning with the most fundamental of choices: what is or should be the driving force of my life? Will I enter a relationship with Wisdom or Folly? With God or Idols?�
Finally finished the book of Proverbs - with new eyes.
Especially found his comment on reading the Proverbs verses (individually) backwards, incredibly helpful. Moving on to his reference on Job :)
And can’t wait to take out my wallet for his more in depth commentary.
“Proverbs is so much more than a collection of well-crafted insights into living. It is a thoroughly theological book, confronting us from the very beginning with the most fundamental of choices: what is or should be the driving force of my life? Will I enter a relationship with Wisdom or Folly? With God or Idols?�
July 7, 2017
Longman traz uma interpretação bastante peculiar da leitura de Provérbios. O livro é uma introdução ao livro de Provérbios pela perspectiva do Longman, me ajudou a entender coisas especiais, embora achei, em alguns momentos, forçado a compreensão dicotômica dele refente às mulheres Sabedoria e Tola.
May 9, 2018
Really helpful book on understanding Proverbs that combines top-notch scholarship with biblical orthodoxy. Longman explains how to study Proverbs, talks about major themes, and, most of all, shows how they point us to Jesus. Definitely a great resource for studying or teaching this wonderful book of wisdom.
June 25, 2018
Fantastic, dense yet brief, book on Proverbs. This was recommended to me by my pastor as potential further reading when we were going through Proverbs in a sermon series. I really enjoyed this. I look forward to reading it again as I continue to go through Keller's Proverbs devotional (also very good).
Very blessed to be receiving such wonderful Proverbs teaching this year.
Very blessed to be receiving such wonderful Proverbs teaching this year.
January 18, 2020
This was a helpful book for me, especially in understanding a bit more about the nature and context of the proverbs. Longman sheds light on the way to read proverbs, in the ancient world generally and the Bible specifically. He also walks through how to study the book of Proverbs thematically, giving three examples in wealth, words, and relationships.
February 3, 2020
Wonderful volume on the book of Proverbs. The authors guides us through the major topics/issues found in the book. He deftly explicates how to critically read it, and what pitfalls to escape as we read each proverb. In addition, he provides recommendations of commentaries for further study.
I found this volume immensely informative.
I found this volume immensely informative.
May 4, 2021
A helpful and engaging book on understanding and reading the book of Proverbs. The book is divided into three parts: Understanding Proverbs, Reading Proverbs in Context, and Following the Themes in Proverbs. There are questions at the end of each of the 12 chapters, which could work well in a Bible Study.
October 23, 2021
Wonderful short introductory book on how to read Proverbs and the principles that go into discerning their meaning and applying them wisely.
Longman does a great job at making the text accessible through his reflection! I recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed the proverbs and wants to begin a deeper study of them!
Longman does a great job at making the text accessible through his reflection! I recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed the proverbs and wants to begin a deeper study of them!
October 21, 2022
This is a wonder, easy to read and understand overview of Proverbs. Tremper does an excellent job breaking down the sections of Proverbs, Women Wisdom vs Women Folly, literary differences in Proverbs, etc. I also love that after each chapter there are well thought out questions to help you thing and apply the principles in each chapter.
November 6, 2018
It was a good overview, with a great wealth of understanding on how to approach proverbs. I first started using this book as I was studying proverbs as a commentary. This is not what it is. I stopped my study immediately and used this book as an “introduction to the book of Proverbs.�
July 7, 2020
This is a quick introductory read which is part of Longman's series including Genesis, Exodus, Job, Psalms, and, most recently, Daniel. It is a non-technical introduction which focuses on some major themes and what one should expect as they dig into the book of Proverbs.
November 9, 2022
Great for an undergraduate in Biblical studies or an elder or academic layman. Very helpful in both understanding the proverbs generally and applying them to life in a way that is faithful to the text and Christ centered.
June 7, 2023
Second time reading: a good basic introduction to reading the Proverbs. Longman looks at all the needed contextual parts including how it fits into the other Wisdom books. He also tackles whether Proverbs are promises (always true?). He gives a strategy for studying proverbs in themes.
January 24, 2018
Frustratingly repetitive. A few good observations obscured by a great many words signifying little. Popular-level books can be golden; this one isn't.
April 6, 2018
This is a pretty good overview of Proverbs. I found his commitment to the NLT (I'm guessing it was his translation work) somewhat inhibiting, though I love the NLT.
April 26, 2018
Excellent background for understand Proverbs. Will help you interpret individual says as well as understand the larger themes of the book.
October 26, 2020
Very helpful in thinking through all that Proverbs is teaching us. A general overview with some specific examples.
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