In view of the fact that Proverbs is primarily addressed to young men on the threshold of mature life, this focus on the ideal wife appears surprising. But its purpose may be twofold: (1) to offer counsel on the kind of wife a young man ought to seek, and (2) in a subtle way to advise the young man (again) to marry Lady Wisdom, thus returning to the theme of chs. 1-9 (as climaxed in ch. 9; compare the description of Lady Wisdom in 9:1-2 with the virtues of the wife in 31:10-31). In any event, the concluding epitomizing of wisdom in the wife of noble character forms a literary frame with the opening discourses, where wisdom is personified as a woman.
Outline
Prologue: Purpose and Theme (1:1-7)
The Superiority of the Way of Wisdom (1:8-9:18)
Appeals and Warnings Confronting Youth (1:8-33)
Enticements to secure happiness by violence (1:8-19)
Warnings against rejecting wisdom (1:20-33)
Commendation of Wisdom (chs. 2-4)
Benefits of accepting wisdom’s instructions (ch. 2)
Wisdom bestows well-being (3:1-20)
Wisdom’s instructions and benefits (3:21-35)
Challenge to hold on to wisdom (ch. 4)
Warnings against Folly (chs. 5-7)
Warning against adultery (ch. 5)
Warning against perverse ways (6:1-19)
Cost of committing adultery (6:20-35)
Warning against the enticements of an adulteress (ch. 7)
Appeals Addressed to Youth (chs. 8-9)
Wisdom’s appeal (ch. 8)
Invitations of wisdom and folly (ch. 9)
The Main Collection of Solomon’s Proverbs (10:1-22:16)
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise (22:17-24:22)
Additional Sayings of the Wise (24:23-34)
Hezekiah’s Collection of Solomon’s Proverbs (chs. 25-29)
The Sayings of Agur (ch. 30)
The Sayings of King Lemuel (31:1-9)
Epilogue: The Ideal Wife (31:10-31)
The Wise Man According to Proverbs: An Outline
His Character
He Is Teachable, Not Intractable
He receives and loves instruction (18:15; 19:20)
He grows in wisdom (1:5; 9:9; 10:14)
He Is Righteous, Not Wicked
He fears the Lord (1:7; 14:16; see below under relationship to the Lord)
He hates what is false (13:5)
He shuns evil (3:7; 14:16; 16:6)
He does what is righteous (2:20)
He speaks the truth (22:21)
He Is Humble, Not Proud (15:33)
He Is Self-controlled, Not Rash
His temperament
He is self-controlled (29:11)
He has a calm spirit (17:27)
He is slow to become angry (29:8,11)
2. His actions
He is cautious, not hasty (19:2)
He thinks before he acts (13:16; 14:8)
He thinks before he speaks (12:23; 15:2)
He Is Forgiving, Not Vindictive
He is patient (19:11)
He is concerned about goodwill/peace (14:9)
He forgives those who wrong him (10:12; 17:9)
He is not vindictive (20:22; 24:29)
His Relationships
To the Lord
He fears the Lord (9:10; 14:16; 15:33)
He trusts in the Lord (3:5; 16:3,20)
He is ever mindful of the Lord (3:6)
He chooses the Lord’s way/wisdom (8:10-11; 17:24)
He submits to the Lord’s discipline (1:2-3; 3:11)
He confesses his sin (28:13)
To His Family
To his parents
Respects them (17:6; contrast 30:17)
Listens to them (23:22; cf. 1:8; 4:1)
Seeks to bring them honor and joy
By being wise (10:1; 15:20; 29:3)
By being righteous (23:24)
By being diligent (10:5)
To his wife
He appreciates her
As a gift from the Lord (18:22; 19:14)
As his crowning glory (12:4; 31:10-31)
He praises her (31:28)
He trusts her (31:11)
He is faithful to her (5:15-20)
To his children
He loves them (3:12; 13:24)
He is concerned about them (1:8-9:18)
He trains them (22:6)
Reasons for training them
Own peace of mind and joy (29:17)
Child’s honor and well-being (1:8-9; 4:9; 19:18; 23:13-14)
By teaching/instructing them (1:10; chs. 5-7; 28:7; cf. 4:1-9)
By disciplining them
By verbal correction (13:1)
By physical discipline (13:24; 23:13-14)
He provides for their
Physical needs (21:20; cf. 27:23-27)
Spiritual heritage (14:26; 20:7)
To His Friends and Neighbors
To his friends
He values them (27:10)
He is constant to them (17:17; 18:24)
He gives them counsel (27:9,17; cf. 27:6; 28:23)
To his neighbors
He fulfills his obligations (3:27-28)
He strives for peace (3:29-30)
He does not outstay his welcome (25:17)
He does not deceive or mislead them (16:29; 26:18-19)
His Words
The Power of His Words
Their power
The power of life and death (12:6; 13:14; 15:4; 18:21)
The power to heal or to wound (11:9,11; 12:18; 15:4,30; 16:24)
Their limitation
No substitute for deeds (14:23)
Cannot alter the facts (26:23-26)
Cannot compel response (29:19)
The Character of His Words
They are honest, not false (12:22; 16:13)
They are few, not many (10:19)
Not boastful (27:2)
Not argumentative (17:14)
Not contentious (29:9)
Not a gossip
Revealing secrets (11:13; 20:19)
Spreading slander (10:18; 26:20-22)
They are calm, not emotional
Rational (15:28; 17:27)
Gentle and peaceable (15:1,18)
Yet persuasive (25:15)
They are apt, not untimely (15:23; 25:11)
The Source of His Words
His heart/character (compare 4:23 with Mt 12:33-35)
Positively, he is righteous (cf. 10:11; 13:14)
Negatively, he is not
Proud (13:10; cf. 6:16-19)
Hateful (26:24,28)
His companions (13:20; 27:17)
Reflections (15:28)