From Chapter One
- Wisdom seems to have several ‘cousins’ described in vs 2-7. What do you think the nuances are of each word? Is there something worth learning in distinguishing between the synonyms?
- What does it mean that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge? Waltke has summarized it like this, “What the alphabet is to reading, notes to reading music, and numerals to mathematics, the fear of the Lord is to attaining the revealed knowledge of this book.” (Proverbs, 181)
- The application of acquired wisdom (8-9) seems to result in both beauty (pendant) and authority (garland for your head).
- What do you think it means to set an ambush for your own life (18)? Isn't it ironic that the the same people who are setting an ambush for someone else are actually ruining their own lives?
- The words of verse 19 seem to echo the message of Jesus that it is possible to gain the world but lose your own soul.
