The Proverbs.
The Proverbs.
§ 145. The Proverbs of Solomon are called by the Hebrews 
, the “Parables or Proverbs of Solomon.”
** Solomon, also called Jedediah and Koheleth, wrote three books in accord with the number of his names. Nevertheless the latter part of this book (from c. 25 to the end) was copied from other books by Sebna and other scribes of King Hezekiah of Judah. **
The Greeks call them 
, “Proverbs,” because they contain adages, parables, comparisons, and outstanding statements encouraging everyone to the virtues described in the Decalogue. It contains thirty-one chapters. It can be divided with regard to its efficient cause into the proverbs of Solomon and of other wise men, or with regard to its object and subject matter into: (1) general and specific statements—political, economic, ethical, and mixed; (2) into rules about faith and behavior.
Solomon is commonly claimed to be the author of this book, yet some think that this book was collected by some other person from the statements of Solomon. We could justifiably call it “The Book of Duties” or “Holy Ethics” because it contains useful rules of life about the duties of the devout toward God and men. In addition, because this Book of Proverbs mentions the Son (30:4), Franciscus Davidis (Disp. Albana tt. ij, letter A), the ministers of Transylvania (bk. 2, c. 10), and Johannes Sommerus (Refut. Carol., p. 41) reject it “among the apocryphal books” in which we cannot safely place our confidence. Against these heretics, however, we set forth the unanimous consensus of the Israelite and Christian Church that never doubted the canonicity of this book. It contains 915 verses.