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 PrintableVersion ProverbsDon’t judge a book by its coverPROVERBS This new commentary by the Senior Pastor at the Stow Alliance Fellowship, Ohio, is in the Mentor series produced by Christian Focus. Thus it is a longer and more scholarly work than the one in their ‘Focus on the Bible’ series by the present reviewer. For a long while little of real value was available on this great book, but this situation is improving. Mr. Kitchen’s offering bears comparison with any others on the market, and though the length and price may be off-putting to the ‘average church member’, the style and language are plain enough for most who come into that category. It has a thorough Introduction of 24 pages (vital in a book like Proverbs) which handles the essential matters: Context (its place not only in the Bible’s Wisdom literature, but the Bible as a whole and Wisdom literature in the world generally), Authorship (which is not confined to Solomon), Date, Audience, Purpose, Interpretation (which handles the difficulties raised by the book’s ‘black-and-white’ world view), Theology (for it has one behind the practical advice!) and Structure (for it is not completely haphazard!). There are different ways of handling Proverbs. Kitchen’s approach is plain and straightforward: simply to work through it verse by verse. He makes no attempt to bring out the way various themes dominate the chapters. This makes it less suitable for continuous reading and more useful for reference. However, to study one verse per day with the help of this commentary will be of great benefit to anyone who attempts it. The comments on each verse range from half a page to just over one page. Generally speaking, those on the proverbs proper (chapters 10-31) are longer than those on the introductory section (chapters 1-9). The author concentrates mainly on exegesis and is careful to refer to other parts of Scripture, including the New Testament, to elucidate the meaning. There are occasional sentences of application, exhortation and even prayers! There is a useful Appendix in which Wisdom and Folly (the two big themes of Proverbs) are discussed and compared. Finally, there are three very good indices: a Thematic index, a Subject index and a Scripture index. One of his final statements virtually sums up the challenge of Proverbs and is almost proverbial itself: ‘We must not miss this fundamental fact: the choice of a path is also the choice of a destiny’. Anyone contemplating the study of this important Bible book will not regret spending £25, and will make his bookshop manager’s day! Eric Lane, © Evangelicals Now - March 2007 |
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