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Solomon Says: Directives for Young Men
If you don't learn to govern yourself, you will be governed by others, and your own impulses will be the reins they use to lead you.
That's Solomon's warning to young men in the Book of Proverbs. Solomon asked God for wisdom so that he could rule righteously, and God wants each of us to become, like Solomon, wise kings in this life and the next. We must rule well, and that begins with ruling ourselves.
Mark Horne packs Solomon Directives for Young Men with robust exegetical insight into several passages from the Book of Proverbs that caution young men to stamp out sloth, flee from immorality, and curb other habits that might impoverish them.
Drawing on the biblical text and other 20th century thinkers, Horne advises young men on ways they can become husband material, or how they should battle pornography, drunkenness, and a gluttonous lifestyle while also training their bodies for honest work and their tongues for righteousness instead of toxic talk.
As Solomon warned, a young man who does not learn to parent himself will be ruled by other "parents," whether wicked people or wicked desires, that do not have his best interests in mind.
That's Solomon's warning to young men in the Book of Proverbs. Solomon asked God for wisdom so that he could rule righteously, and God wants each of us to become, like Solomon, wise kings in this life and the next. We must rule well, and that begins with ruling ourselves.
Mark Horne packs Solomon Directives for Young Men with robust exegetical insight into several passages from the Book of Proverbs that caution young men to stamp out sloth, flee from immorality, and curb other habits that might impoverish them.
Drawing on the biblical text and other 20th century thinkers, Horne advises young men on ways they can become husband material, or how they should battle pornography, drunkenness, and a gluttonous lifestyle while also training their bodies for honest work and their tongues for righteousness instead of toxic talk.
As Solomon warned, a young man who does not learn to parent himself will be ruled by other "parents," whether wicked people or wicked desires, that do not have his best interests in mind.
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Published May 16, 2024
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About the author
Mark Horne
13 books13 followersMark Horne was born in Melbourne, Florida, but has also lived in Liberia, West Africa, and Kwajalein, Marshall Islands before graduating from high school. After graduating from Houghton College in Western, NY, in 1989, Mark worked for American Vision, Coral Ridge Ministries, and co-authored two books with George Grant. After living in Nashville, TN, where he worked as a writer/editor for Legacy Communications, Mark attended Covenant Theological Seminary here in Saint Louis and earned his M.Div. degree in 1998. Mark has pastored two congregations since his seminary graduation, and he returned here to serve as Assistant Pastor in January 2005. Mark is a prolific writer and the author of a layperson's commentary on the Gospel of Mark.
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June 23, 2025
Mark Horne takes the ancient wisdom of Proverbs and makes it incredibly practical for young men trying to figure out how to actually live well. The central message is powerful and simple: “If you don’t learn to govern yourself, you will be governed by others, and your own impulses will be the reins they use to lead you.” In our current cultural moment where young men are struggling with direction, purpose, and frankly just basic life skills, this book hit all the right notes
What I really appreciated about Horne’s approach is that he doesn’t try to be a comprehensive commentary on Proverbs. He comes right out and tells you that this is a reader’s guide to Proverbs, focusing on the practical wisdom that young men desperately need. The book covers everything from managing money and avoiding debt to preparing yourself to be a good husband. Horne argues that Wisdom is presented as the ability to rule oneself well and thereby become trustworthy with responsibility, and free from self-defeating compulsions. That’s exactly what so many guys are missing today - the basic understanding that self-governance is the foundation of everything else.
The timing of this message couldn’t be better. We’re living in a moment where young men are being told they’re either toxic or irrelevant, while simultaneously being offered no real path forward. Social media algorithms are designed to hijack their attention, porn is everywhere, and the traditional markers of adulthood (career, marriage, homeownership) feel increasingly out of reach. Horne doesn’t ignore these realities, but he focuses on what you can actually control - your own choices, habits, and character.
What I really appreciated about Horne’s approach is that he doesn’t try to be a comprehensive commentary on Proverbs. He comes right out and tells you that this is a reader’s guide to Proverbs, focusing on the practical wisdom that young men desperately need. The book covers everything from managing money and avoiding debt to preparing yourself to be a good husband. Horne argues that Wisdom is presented as the ability to rule oneself well and thereby become trustworthy with responsibility, and free from self-defeating compulsions. That’s exactly what so many guys are missing today - the basic understanding that self-governance is the foundation of everything else.
The timing of this message couldn’t be better. We’re living in a moment where young men are being told they’re either toxic or irrelevant, while simultaneously being offered no real path forward. Social media algorithms are designed to hijack their attention, porn is everywhere, and the traditional markers of adulthood (career, marriage, homeownership) feel increasingly out of reach. Horne doesn’t ignore these realities, but he focuses on what you can actually control - your own choices, habits, and character.
June 12, 2021
The best book I have read on Proverbs. He does not get bogged down in the details, but hits the main themes of Proverbs, which makes it a perfect read for young men. He shows that wisdom attains certain blessings, but wisdom also knows that hardship and evil days come and will prepare for those days. In other words, wisdom does not equal a health and wealth type gospel. He demonstrates how Christ's life was filled with the type of wisdom we see in Proverbs. He connects the dots between numerous types of sins, such as sexual immorality, theft, murder, laziness, and foolish speech. A great book to give to young men and older men like me. It is one of the few books I have read in the last few years that pushed me to change certain areas of my life and I keep coming back to it.
December 11, 2021
Really rich in insights and biblical connections. Read it with my family, and it’s now my favorite general treatment of Proverbs. Definitely worth rereading. And hoping he’ll write more books aimed at aspiring adults.
January 18, 2021
This is an excellent book that I will be widely recommending in the future.
December 3, 2020
One of the best books I’ve read this year. Recommended.
August 13, 2020
A new go to for gifting to young men - God has given you a kingdom, rule it well.
January 26, 2022
Very good. A young man’s self-help book with the teaching of history’s wisest man as its foundation.
August 29, 2020
An extremely insightful read that provides many practical examples for young men (and older, too) on the path for wisdom. I highly recommend this book to any and every man.
December 22, 2020
A very helpful summary of the various broad themes in Proverbs.
January 2, 2021
Great, insightful, and short book about self-discipline based on Proverbs. Also lays out well how Proverbs ties into the rest of the Bible—in some ways it has more to do with the Great Commission than evangelism does—and the Christian life generally.
June 22, 2020
So, so solid.
Also, regardless of the title, this is not a book specifically tailored for young men. Literally none of the advice does not directly apply to women. Even the author, in the introduction, says that Proverbs (though written to a son) directly applies to all of humanity.
That said, this book is a gem. I had so many lightbulb moments while reading it. Normally, I find quotes at the beginning of chapters drive me crazy, but I read every single one and found them to be golden.
Wish I had read this as a young teen. Definitely will recommend it to everyone I know, and put it in the re-read yearly pile.
Also, regardless of the title, this is not a book specifically tailored for young men. Literally none of the advice does not directly apply to women. Even the author, in the introduction, says that Proverbs (though written to a son) directly applies to all of humanity.
That said, this book is a gem. I had so many lightbulb moments while reading it. Normally, I find quotes at the beginning of chapters drive me crazy, but I read every single one and found them to be golden.
Wish I had read this as a young teen. Definitely will recommend it to everyone I know, and put it in the re-read yearly pile.
May 19, 2020
Probably one of the best pieces of advice my wife and I received as young parents is that we weren't raising children, we were raising adults! That changed our outlook and gave us a renewed direction amidst all of the normal and abnormal frustrations in our 34 years of parenting. Mark Horne, a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, executive director of Logo Sapiens Communications, and author, has mapped out a similar trail in his new 166-page softback "Solomon Says: Directions for Young Men". But the subtitle is a bit of a misnomer. The directions apply to young women as well. But are useful to adults just as much as to youth, because Horne is giving "a reader's guide to Proverbs that lays out some important themes in Proverbs" with the goal of inspiring readers at whatever age to read and memorize "Proverbs as you seek and find wisdom for your life" (xv). This is an easy-to-read manuscript that can be grasped by teenagers and septuagenarians alike.
After the important preface and introduction, the book opens out into nine lessons that will be familiar to anyone who has ever read the biblical book of Proverbs. Sloth, speech, spending, and self-government are major subjects from one end to the other. Rightly does Horne note, "If you do not govern yourself, you will be governed by others, and your impulses will be the reins they use to lead you" (5). Therefore, "what we do is who we become" (43). And so, gaining wisdom "is for our empowerment and enjoyment in life, not to oppress us" (12). I appreciated his emphasis that growing in wise ways now has long term reverberations. "Growing into a wise man is the best way to prepare to become a wise spouse" (65). And this applies to becoming a wise woman as well.
The opposite of biblical wisdom is folly. And fools "become slaves to others because they allow themselves to become slaves to emotions, behaviors, and false stories that justify them" (4). Horne, following the sapential writer, points out how folly's destructive traits even show up in speech, when "people assume all their words are important and must be expressed. That need to express whatever you think is a kind of selfishness, and it is often a form of self-destructive behavior" (5-6). The author will later take this to a new level when he describes the way sensible gun-safety should guide us in sensible tongue-safety, and the destructive results if we don't practice either (92). In the end, a life of folly is a life of fettering ourselves to the whims and winds of our own passions, driven by the manipulative approaches of others.
Horne nicely exposes the canonical connection of Proverbs to much of Scripture. As the author notes, it is "easy to read Proverbs as a meditation on Genesis" (19). I would go further, and point out that this sagacious material is also a reflection of the Son of God, who always did his Father's will and what pleased his Father (John 8:28-29, 49). Not only is Proverbs about the first Adam, but also the final Adam. And our being joined to Christ, we find he has "become to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30). There is a Gospel hum playing in the background of Proverbs.
"Solomon Says" has to do with wine, women, wealth, work and words. The author stays close to the major subjects found in Proverbs, how they build on each other, and build into each other. Further, Horne correctly sees that Proverbs is clearly about the ways liberated people can stay liberated. This volume is ideal for parents to read with their young teens. It would also make a good resource for an adult class, as well as a men's or women's retreat. And it is definitely for personal growth and devotional reading. I highly recommend the book
My thanks to Athanasius Press. I asked to a review copy, and they happily sent me the one used for this assessment. They made no demands of me, and so this analysis of the book is given without any restraints, other than that which i have imposed on myself.
After the important preface and introduction, the book opens out into nine lessons that will be familiar to anyone who has ever read the biblical book of Proverbs. Sloth, speech, spending, and self-government are major subjects from one end to the other. Rightly does Horne note, "If you do not govern yourself, you will be governed by others, and your impulses will be the reins they use to lead you" (5). Therefore, "what we do is who we become" (43). And so, gaining wisdom "is for our empowerment and enjoyment in life, not to oppress us" (12). I appreciated his emphasis that growing in wise ways now has long term reverberations. "Growing into a wise man is the best way to prepare to become a wise spouse" (65). And this applies to becoming a wise woman as well.
The opposite of biblical wisdom is folly. And fools "become slaves to others because they allow themselves to become slaves to emotions, behaviors, and false stories that justify them" (4). Horne, following the sapential writer, points out how folly's destructive traits even show up in speech, when "people assume all their words are important and must be expressed. That need to express whatever you think is a kind of selfishness, and it is often a form of self-destructive behavior" (5-6). The author will later take this to a new level when he describes the way sensible gun-safety should guide us in sensible tongue-safety, and the destructive results if we don't practice either (92). In the end, a life of folly is a life of fettering ourselves to the whims and winds of our own passions, driven by the manipulative approaches of others.
Horne nicely exposes the canonical connection of Proverbs to much of Scripture. As the author notes, it is "easy to read Proverbs as a meditation on Genesis" (19). I would go further, and point out that this sagacious material is also a reflection of the Son of God, who always did his Father's will and what pleased his Father (John 8:28-29, 49). Not only is Proverbs about the first Adam, but also the final Adam. And our being joined to Christ, we find he has "become to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30). There is a Gospel hum playing in the background of Proverbs.
"Solomon Says" has to do with wine, women, wealth, work and words. The author stays close to the major subjects found in Proverbs, how they build on each other, and build into each other. Further, Horne correctly sees that Proverbs is clearly about the ways liberated people can stay liberated. This volume is ideal for parents to read with their young teens. It would also make a good resource for an adult class, as well as a men's or women's retreat. And it is definitely for personal growth and devotional reading. I highly recommend the book
My thanks to Athanasius Press. I asked to a review copy, and they happily sent me the one used for this assessment. They made no demands of me, and so this analysis of the book is given without any restraints, other than that which i have imposed on myself.
April 28, 2023
Solid in many ways, and very helpful in its discussion of dominion and what that means for individuals who are seeking to live in a wise and godly way. I took off stars, however, because there is hardly any emphasis or instruction on how to walk in the Spirit—that is, where to get the fuel for the work of training yourself in godliness and pursuing wisdom. If I only read this book, I would think it was up to me to pull myself up by the bootstraps and do it all by my own effort. In our modern culture full of self-help books, I think there needs to be much more emphasis on the Spirit’s role and on how to grow in dependence on him rather than trying (and failing) to do these things on our own.
March 11, 2025
This book is for anyone who wants to become wise. The author breaks down the book of Proverbs in a readable and digestible way.
God calls us all to be students of wisdom and this book helps to guide us into the wisdom given through scripture.
If you are a young man (or woman), this book is your call to war against laziness and against foolishness. I would highly recommend any follower of Christ to read this book and to be encouraged to seek wisdom.
God calls us all to be students of wisdom and this book helps to guide us into the wisdom given through scripture.
If you are a young man (or woman), this book is your call to war against laziness and against foolishness. I would highly recommend any follower of Christ to read this book and to be encouraged to seek wisdom.
July 1, 2020
Wonderful wisdom from Mark Horne (by way of Solomon). I would recommend this book to anyone, especially young men.
September 15, 2024
Excellent. Much needed wisdom geared toward young people, but needed even by many older folks today. I wish I’d read this book when I was a teenager.
March 2, 2025
Odd little screed about gun ownership aside, this is good stuff. The final chapter on acting your way into feeling was excellent. Emotions are to be trained.
December 4, 2022
Much like the Proverbs, Mark Horne is encouraging and convicting. Solomon Says is an excellent book for late middle schoolers through recent college graduates.
April 2, 2020
An ideal book to encapsulate the many truths from the book of Proverbs in a very usable format for personal instruction or in the instruction of others. The insights were helpful, convicting, and encouraging. It is a gift to have such a book and to be able to share it with others.
May 2, 2020
Proverbs has 31 chapters which (almost) makes it possible to read one a day, the whole book month after month after month. And that is what a young man really ought to set himself to do. And then read Mark Horne's book once a year. It's that good.
June 18, 2020
Mark Horne conveys a sense of the grand sweep of Proverbs and Solomon’s call to wisdom and maturity; but he also fleshes the vision out with many practical insights. This book is a stirring call to the hard but rewarding pursuit of maturity and dominion beginning with self-rule.
July 13, 2020
A book I wish I had as a teenager. Now I will reread it with my boys.
July 18, 2022
Mark Horne gives a great overview of some of the most important wisdom principles from Proverbs and does so with a fresh perspective.
His overarching point is that God made Adam and commissioned him to fill the earth and subdue it. Adam was called by God to practice dominion; the work of a king. We are all kings and priests in the New Covenant. We are all called to practice dominion over the "kingdom" God has given us. We are all called by God to order our lives and the "world" around us according to God's statutes.
God, by the power of His Spirit, conforms our inner-man to the image of His Son. This "new creation" that God develops in us expresses itself through obedience to God's Word. As we are obedient to God, everything in our life is transformed by the Gospel; by the power of Salvation; from glory to glory; from faith to faith. As God renews our lives, He works in and through us to renew the world around us; the lives of those around us; our neighbor.
Proverbs is profitable for anyone, but is geared toward young men especially. This book is filled with the wisdom that a king, called by God, is to use to order his life. Seeking God's way is the most precious jewel, the finest wine, the largest estate we could ever ask for. Seek her above all other riches. God's Word does not return void.
I also really enjoyed Horne's creativity as he explains that the word often translated as "vanity" in Ecclesiastes is better translated "mist" or "vapor." Horne then takes this "water" principle and shows how when the earth was in chaos, it was when it was a ball of water; without form or void. God created order out of chaos. He gave the deep sea its limit. This is what we are called to do. Man has deep waters in him (and in his life) that he is called to reign in the image of God over. We are called to create order out of chaos, just like our Creator. We are called to order our lives after the heavenly pattern, after our Mother; New Jerusalem above.
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His overarching point is that God made Adam and commissioned him to fill the earth and subdue it. Adam was called by God to practice dominion; the work of a king. We are all kings and priests in the New Covenant. We are all called to practice dominion over the "kingdom" God has given us. We are all called by God to order our lives and the "world" around us according to God's statutes.
God, by the power of His Spirit, conforms our inner-man to the image of His Son. This "new creation" that God develops in us expresses itself through obedience to God's Word. As we are obedient to God, everything in our life is transformed by the Gospel; by the power of Salvation; from glory to glory; from faith to faith. As God renews our lives, He works in and through us to renew the world around us; the lives of those around us; our neighbor.
Proverbs is profitable for anyone, but is geared toward young men especially. This book is filled with the wisdom that a king, called by God, is to use to order his life. Seeking God's way is the most precious jewel, the finest wine, the largest estate we could ever ask for. Seek her above all other riches. God's Word does not return void.
I also really enjoyed Horne's creativity as he explains that the word often translated as "vanity" in Ecclesiastes is better translated "mist" or "vapor." Horne then takes this "water" principle and shows how when the earth was in chaos, it was when it was a ball of water; without form or void. God created order out of chaos. He gave the deep sea its limit. This is what we are called to do. Man has deep waters in him (and in his life) that he is called to reign in the image of God over. We are called to create order out of chaos, just like our Creator. We are called to order our lives after the heavenly pattern, after our Mother; New Jerusalem above.
---------------------------
Follow!
https://www.instagram.com/laymansprog...
August 31, 2021
A lot of wisdom here. Horne masterfully connects many of the proverbs through thematic chapters rather than verse-by-verse commentary, and the result is impactful. A few observations I very much appreciated:
- The contrast in Proverbs between the heart of the fool and the lips of the righteous. The fool blurts out everything he's thinking (what comes out his lips=what's in his heart), but the righteous person says a lot less than they're thinking (what comes out his lips- What does it mean for the words of a man's mouth to be deep waters? If you follow the biblical imagery of deep waters, it means that a man's words can be a) chaotic and wild or b) full of potential for growth and blessing. Choose which one you want yours to be.
- Lust and the love of money are both rooted in fantasy. Don't love fantasies.
- Godliness requires training. Like we need to train to run a marathon, you need to train to shut your mouth. You need to train to be self-controlled. You need to get into the habit of being slow to speak. The fruit of the Spirit doesn't just flow out of you because you're now a Christian. It comes with training and practice.
I got a little frustrated by the author's disjointed writing. It was frequently hard to track with his main point/s as the many thoughts, while good, came out quite randomly. Could do with a good editing and would easily be 5 stars.
- The contrast in Proverbs between the heart of the fool and the lips of the righteous. The fool blurts out everything he's thinking (what comes out his lips=what's in his heart), but the righteous person says a lot less than they're thinking (what comes out his lips- What does it mean for the words of a man's mouth to be deep waters? If you follow the biblical imagery of deep waters, it means that a man's words can be a) chaotic and wild or b) full of potential for growth and blessing. Choose which one you want yours to be.
- Lust and the love of money are both rooted in fantasy. Don't love fantasies.
- Godliness requires training. Like we need to train to run a marathon, you need to train to shut your mouth. You need to train to be self-controlled. You need to get into the habit of being slow to speak. The fruit of the Spirit doesn't just flow out of you because you're now a Christian. It comes with training and practice.
I got a little frustrated by the author's disjointed writing. It was frequently hard to track with his main point/s as the many thoughts, while good, came out quite randomly. Could do with a good editing and would easily be 5 stars.
May 18, 2021
Overall the book is a great instruction full of scripture and tie in to life as we know it. I used the book for a young men's class. First I want to say thank you to Mr. Horne for writing the book. We (culture) need a book for young men from the perspective of Proverbs. I think more needs to be done here. My only criticism (small) is that the book doesn't fill out concepts and the flow is a little disjointed. This means that young men (14-17) reading on their own don't make the applications as fully. Our culture is to blame for some of this, as we have not pushed our young men to think (leisure). However, this book is written at a time when our young men must be guided more (unfortunately). I will repeat this is an excellent book to use for teaching should you use it as a spring board to open discussion and push the application into the corners of their lives.
So don't just hand a young man this book, be his mentor and follow the proverbs and you the wiser person guide said young man in the ways of wisdom...
So don't just hand a young man this book, be his mentor and follow the proverbs and you the wiser person guide said young man in the ways of wisdom...
June 17, 2020
At 18, a pastor encouraged friends & me to read through the Proverbs every month. I did and have found it beneficial - but how much more so it would have been with this book! Not a commentary, but more like a study guide to apply the Proverbs, “Solomon Says” shows the reader the path set before us to grow up wisely. Chapters 6 & 7 are worth the price of the book: Keeping Your Tongue Sheathed, Part 1 & 2!
The book is an easy read full of some heretofore missed insights from this familiar book of the Bible. Its subtitle is “Directives For Young Men,” but both sexes will benefit from it.
I’ve already ordered a copy to give away and anticipate doing that repeatedly in the future.
The book is an easy read full of some heretofore missed insights from this familiar book of the Bible. Its subtitle is “Directives For Young Men,” but both sexes will benefit from it.
I’ve already ordered a copy to give away and anticipate doing that repeatedly in the future.
December 4, 2020
Lots of practical, real-world insights (like Solomon!). Horne portrays wisdom as more than "judge-like" mental skill, routinely unpacking how wisdom connects to both the material/pragmatic aspects of this life and the glories of the life to come. Of course godly wisdom isn't a magical incantation for obtaining prosperity, but there is a clear relationship to the "good life." By nature we are *always* either forming or destroying habits, so fathers in particular should help train their children to have an eye unto this reality. I particularly enjoyed his connections of Proverbs to Genesis.
October 22, 2021
This book has to be one of the top 5 books I've ever read. As someone who listened to and read much material by folks like Jordan Peterson and Jocko Willink, I was helped significantly by Mr Horne's clear demonstration of the biblical foundation and call for personal development . While most self-help literature steals biblical wisdom and neglects to credit the source (God), Mr Horne makes no such mistake. Rather, he presents principles for self-discipline straight from the text of God's word. Again, this was a helpful read. And as a young man I am especially thankful for this book.
May 13, 2020
Mark has written a profound and enjoyable book. Most books on Proverbs can see the obvious outline to chapter 1-9, but then reveal just how much the (otherwise useful) Redemptive-Historical method fails to do justice to the text. While not a commentary pre se, this fun, short book takes you through how to begin thinking though the rest of Proverbs as God always intended, as self-regulating adults. Highly recommended
December 15, 2020
Excellent book on Proverbs.
He breaks Proverbs down into it's main themes, the topics that the proverbs frequently bring up. I love that he ties wisdom to godliness and foolishness to wickedness. He shows that the wise man is one who loves God and obeys Him whereas the fool hates God and transgresses against His law. This book is an excellent reminder to seek after godliness and obedience and to take an active role in your sanctification. I look forward to reading it again.
He breaks Proverbs down into it's main themes, the topics that the proverbs frequently bring up. I love that he ties wisdom to godliness and foolishness to wickedness. He shows that the wise man is one who loves God and obeys Him whereas the fool hates God and transgresses against His law. This book is an excellent reminder to seek after godliness and obedience and to take an active role in your sanctification. I look forward to reading it again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews