Thirty Sayings of the Wise
22:17 to 24:34
Proverbs 22:17-21 provides an introduction to the next main division to the book (to see link click Cz – Prologue to Thirty Sayings of the Wise). This section falls into two parts. The first part (22:17 to 24:22) is introduced as the sayings of the wise (22:17). It resembles the first nine chapters, being directly addressed to a disciple who is called a son, and in its style as a moral sermon. The sages exhort their hearers to listen to the words of the wise (22:17), comprising thirty (22:20) sayings (through 24:22). The second part is introduced by the statement: These are further sayings of the wise (24:23-34). These thirty sayings were written by various sages, with Solomon compiling and editing many of them.
In style, this section includes at least twenty instances in which two verses express a complete thought, rather than one verse, as in 10:1 to 22:16. Also, seven verses have three lines rather than the normal two lines (22:29, 23:5, 29, and 31, 24:14, 27, and 31), and two verses have four lines (23:7 and 24:12). My son occurs five times (23;15, 19, and 26, 24:13 and 21) whereas it occurs fifteen times in Chapters 1-9, and only once (19:27) in 10:1 to 22:16 and only twice (27:11 and 31:2) in the rest of the book. A wise son occurs once (23:24) in 22:17 to 24:34 compared with five times in 10:1 to 22:16.
Many sayings of the wise are warnings, using the words: do not (see 22:22, 24, 26, 28, 23:3-4, 6, 9-10, 13, 17, 20, 22-23 and 31, 24:1, 15, 17, 19, 21, and 28-29). Interestingly each of the thirty sayings in 22:22 to 24:22 includes a reason for the warning or other advice and several of the sayings in 24:23-34 include reasons. The sayings in 22:17 to 24:34 were written by wise men other than Solomon, and were compiled either during his lifetime or shortly thereafter. As stated in 22:20, the first portion (22:17 to 24:22) includes thirty sayings. For example 22:22-23, the first saying; and 22:24-25, the second saying.443
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