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God's Wisdom in Proverbs
An excellent introduction and selective exposition of the book of Proverbs. Written in a such a way that the seasoned expositor, student, or laymen will be challenged, encouraged, and instructed in skillful living as God has revealed it.
- GenresTheology
432 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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December 30, 2024The greatest strength of this book is that it is scholarly, but never academic. The tone is informal and the content is nothing if not practical. The reader is reminded how uncanny the wisdom of God is. It’s almost magical how seemingly prosaic truths when mixed with fear of the Lord can equal a life filled with supernatural power. How unimpressive the proverbs must seem to someone who does not believe in God, and how astounding they reveal themselves to be to someone who does.
July 18, 2012
I desperately wanted to give this book 5 stars for its content, but its unhelpful, discouraging style prevented me from doing so.
CONTENT: Just amazing. Phillips's rich insights delight me on almost every page. His keen eye to the text of Proverbs is like a river of life. Especially noteworthy is his handling of the purpose of the Proverbs (Prov 1:1-7), the fear of the Lord, and the Gospel. Unfortunately, you have to wait until the Epilogue to get that last point (the Gospel), but, once you do, it packs a serious punch. I was floored by God's undeserved mercy and lavish love toward a wretched fool like me.
STYLE: The good was pretty good, but the bad was very, very bad. The good part was that Phillips was both frank and readable. He has an easygoing writing style that comes across somewhat conversationally. So far, so good.
The bad part, however, consists of Phillips's insistence on referencing the Hebrew needlessly (without even explaining why) and his unpersuasive harshness. I doubt that many who don't already agree with Phillips's points would be drawn in and won over. I'll give one example from page 52:
"What does one observe in all too many young people? Orange and pink hair, paper clips in their noses, sharp objects deliberately poked through various parts of their bodies, carvings and markings, addiction to immoral sex and drugs and addictive behaviors, knee-jerk uniform viewpoints on virtually everything, and a sad, purposeless nihilism. One pictures the tattooed, pierced, disfigured young ignoramus at age 35 asking, 'Mom, why can't I get a job?'"
I doubt that many youngsters would read that paragraph and be persuaded to a different lifestyle. I hope young preachers don't follow the author's example here. I wish Mr. Phillips had allowed Proverbs to instruct him further so that his timely, biblical insights could have landed more effectively. "The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness" (Prov 16:21, ESV).
CONTENT: Just amazing. Phillips's rich insights delight me on almost every page. His keen eye to the text of Proverbs is like a river of life. Especially noteworthy is his handling of the purpose of the Proverbs (Prov 1:1-7), the fear of the Lord, and the Gospel. Unfortunately, you have to wait until the Epilogue to get that last point (the Gospel), but, once you do, it packs a serious punch. I was floored by God's undeserved mercy and lavish love toward a wretched fool like me.
STYLE: The good was pretty good, but the bad was very, very bad. The good part was that Phillips was both frank and readable. He has an easygoing writing style that comes across somewhat conversationally. So far, so good.
The bad part, however, consists of Phillips's insistence on referencing the Hebrew needlessly (without even explaining why) and his unpersuasive harshness. I doubt that many who don't already agree with Phillips's points would be drawn in and won over. I'll give one example from page 52:
"What does one observe in all too many young people? Orange and pink hair, paper clips in their noses, sharp objects deliberately poked through various parts of their bodies, carvings and markings, addiction to immoral sex and drugs and addictive behaviors, knee-jerk uniform viewpoints on virtually everything, and a sad, purposeless nihilism. One pictures the tattooed, pierced, disfigured young ignoramus at age 35 asking, 'Mom, why can't I get a job?'"
I doubt that many youngsters would read that paragraph and be persuaded to a different lifestyle. I hope young preachers don't follow the author's example here. I wish Mr. Phillips had allowed Proverbs to instruct him further so that his timely, biblical insights could have landed more effectively. "The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness" (Prov 16:21, ESV).
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October 8, 2011God's Wisdom in Proverbs is now the first resource I will turn to when studying or teaching the biblical book of Proverbs. A very helpful book for the student of Scripture. Read my full review here: http://caseylute.com/uncategorized/bo...
September 2, 2014
Life-changing. And it's a theology & Christian living book that reads like a good novel.
March 12, 2024
There is much confusion on how to properly interpret the Bible, let alone a mysterious book like Proverbs. Hebrew Poetry can be difficult for the Western Christian who relies upon a modern-day hermeneutical grid of feelings and thoughts. Phillips takes you to the original setting and helps you rightly interpret challenging proverbs.
The book is not comprehensive by any means but provides enough insight to cause the student to dig into the book of Proverbs. He leans in on the masters like Waltke and Kidner while contributing significantly with his own insights.
I took some stars away since it may be overwhelming for those not familiar with the original languages. Even despite multiple qualifications and warnings by the author. The repeated display of Hebrew would turn many readers away. At times I found the use of Hebrew more of a flex than of help for the reader.
The book is not comprehensive by any means but provides enough insight to cause the student to dig into the book of Proverbs. He leans in on the masters like Waltke and Kidner while contributing significantly with his own insights.
I took some stars away since it may be overwhelming for those not familiar with the original languages. Even despite multiple qualifications and warnings by the author. The repeated display of Hebrew would turn many readers away. At times I found the use of Hebrew more of a flex than of help for the reader.
December 10, 2024
This was such a wonderful, in depth study of the book of Proverbs. Philips is clearly very knowledgeable in the Hebrew written language, and that knowledge is used all through this book to really take you deep into each passage. I learned so much about parenting and being a good wife and much more through this study of Proverbs, and it really showed me how the book points to Christ and how much we can learn. It also showed me how much details matter, like if Solomon really did write it and if it was translated accurately.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2017
Good solid book - A bit out of my league in terms of analysis of the Hebrew.
September 15, 2015
With wit and clarity, Phillips shows the value of the book of Proverbs for Christians today. His commitment to the Bible's inerrancy and thus inherent relevance makes this work readily valuable the student of Proverbs.
May 31, 2013
This is a superb introduction to Proverbs. One of the first books anyone should buy on Proverbs.
October 26, 2013
Best book I've read period in a long time. Highest recommendations.
November 3, 2014
I really liked this introduction to Proverbs. The chapter on child-training was very practical. I highly recommend this book.
April 27, 2016
This was a great introduction to the book of Proverbs. Definitely exceeded my expectations. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews