Like Psalms,It has been a very long tim since I have read Proverbs. What I noticed in this round is that there is not an explicit mention of the Davidic monarchy. I find this peculiar for two reasons:most of these proverbs are attributed to Solomon and they were compiled into the book probably after the exile.
Solomon,considered the wisest man to have ever lived on earth,made the pursuit of wisdom an extension of the government. The story goes that God offered him wealth,riches,long life,or whatever he desired;however,Solomon acting as a just king asks merely for wisdom to help rule his kingdom,which he inherited from his father. I always found it humorous that the Hebrew name for Solomon is transliterated as “Shlowmo”,and that does not sound to me like the name of a wise sage or descendent of the great king David.
Although the book was likely compiled after the exile,many of the proverbs range in dates from the pre-exilic period. The book itself is divided into multiple parts:Chapters 1-9 are a call to pursue wisdom;further,Wisdom herself is often personified and found making speeches. Chapters 10-29 is a full discourse of proverbs ranging from chapter 9,which is the beginning of the proverbs of Solomon proper;to chapter 25,which begins those proverbs of Solomon “that the officials of King Hezekiah of Judah copied”(Pr. 25.1). Chapters 30 and 31 have their own attributed authors:30 are the “words of Agur,son of Jakeh”(30.1) and chapter 31 are the “words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him”(31.1).
Some good FAQ questions might concern these final two chapters,which are proverbs outside of Solomon: 1) What king received proverbs 31 as a lesson from his mother? (Lemuel)
2) Who is considered responsible for Proverbs 30? (Agur,son of Jakeh)