Proverbs A-Z: A Practical Guide for Today's Living

Proverbs A-Z

A Practical Guide for Today's Living

Gary Snider

ISBN 978-1-63885-819-5 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63885-820-1 (Digital)

Copyright © 2022 Gary Snider

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

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Table of Contents

Facts Surrounding the Book of Proverbs

Acknowledgments

Proverbs Introduction

List of Abbreviations

Chapter 1

Abomination (Detestable)

Adultery

Adversity (see trouble)

Advice (see counsel)

Alcohol (-ic; see beer, drink, drunk, hangover, intoxicated, liquor, wine)

Anger

Answer

Argue (see quarrel)

Arrogance (arrogant)

Backbiting

Backslide

Bargain

Beauty

Beer (see alcohol, drink, drunk, hangover, intoxicated, liquor, wine)

Behavior

Beware

Blame

Bless (-ed, -es, -ings)

Boast (see brag)

Bondage (see cosign)

Borrowing (see credit, loan)

Brag (see boast)

Breast

Bribe

Business

Chapter 2

Calamity (see trouble)

Call (-ed)

Cancer

Careless

Caution

Character

Charity (giving)

Cheat

Cheerful

Child (children)

Choices

Clown around

Collateral (see cosign)

Compassionate

Complacency (of fools)

Compromise

Conceal

Conceit (-ed)

Condemnation (see wicked)

Confess

Confidence

Conscience

Consequences

Contempt

Contentious (see quarrel)

Control (-ed, -s)

Correction

Cosign (see debt, loan)

Counsel (see advice)

Counselor (-s)

Courage

Court

Cover-up

Craftiness

Cranky (see contentious)

Crime

Criticism

Cruel

Curse (-s)

Chapter 3

Dark (-est, -ness)

Death

Debt (see cosign, collateral)

Deceit

Decision (-s)

Deliver (deliverance)

Depress (-ed)

Desire

Despise

Destroy (destruction)

Diligence (hard work)

Direction

Discipline

Discord (dissension)

Dishonest (-y)

Disobey

Dissension (see discord)

Dog

Drink (see alcohol, beer, hangover, liquor, wine)

Drunk

Employee

Encouragement

Enemy (-ies)

Entice

Envy

Evaluate

Evangelism

Evil

Example

Exploitation

Eyes

Chapter 4

Fail

Faithful (Ness)

Fall

Family

Father

Fear (Afraid, Reverence)

Flattery

Fool (see stupid)

Foolish

Foresight

Forgive

Fraud

Friend (-s, -ship)

Futile

Future

Gambling

Generous

Gentle

Gift

Give (-s, -ing)

Gloat

Glutton

Golden rule

Good

Gossip (-s, -ers)

Government

Grace

Grandchildren

Greed (MONEY, RICHES, WEALTH)

Griping

Guard

Guidance

Guilt (-y)

Chapter 5

Habit

Hair

Hangover (see alcohol, beer, drink, liquor, wine)

Happy (happiness)

Harlot (see prostitute)

Hasty

Hate

Heal (-ing)

Health

Heart

Help (-ful)

Heritage

Hide

Hire

Home

Honest (-y)

Honor

Hope

Humble (humility)

Hunger (hungry)

Hypocrite

Idle

Ignorance

Immorality

Impatience

Income

Indulging

Inheritance

Instruction

Insult

Integrity

Interest

Intoxicated (see alcohol, beer, drink, hangover, wine)

Iron

Chapter 6

Jealous

Job

Joking

Joy

Judge (-ing, -ment)

Justice

Kind (-ness)

Kiss (-es, of an immoral woman)

Knowledge

Laughter

Lawsuit

Lazy

Lend

Lender

Liar

Lie (-s, -ing)

Life

Life direction

Liquor (see alcohol, beer, drink, intoxicated, wine)

Listen (-s)

Loan (see borrow, collateral, cosign, debt lender)

Look (before you leap)

Love

Loyalty

Lust

Luxury

Chapter 7

Marriage

Meddle

Medicine

Mind

Misfortune

Modesty

Money (see riches, wealth)

Moral

Mother

Motive

Mouth

Murderer

Nagging

Naive (see simpleton)

Neighbor

Obey

Obstinate

Offend (-ed)

Offense

Opinion

Oppress (-ed, -ion)

Chapter 8

Parents

Partiality

Patience (patient)

Peace

Peer pressure

Penalty (see retribution)

Persevere

Persuasive (-ness)

Plan (-s, -ing)

Please (s)

Poor (poverty)

Possessions

Poverty (see poor)

Praise

Prayer

Presumption

Pretend

Pride (see proud)

Profit

Promise

Prosper

Prostitute

Protect

Proud (see pride)

Providence (God's)

Provoke

Punish (-ed, -ment)

Purpose

Chapter 9

Quarrel (see argue, contentious)

Rebel (-ion, -ious, rebel)

Rebuke

Refuge

Reliable (unreliable)

Repay

Repent

Reproof

Reputation

Respected (disrespect)

Restraint

Retirement

Retribution

Revenge

Reverence

Reward

Rich (-es, money, wealth)

Righteous (-ness)

Chapter 10

Sacrifice

Sadness

Safety

Save (-s)

Secret

Security

Seduction

Self-control

Self-indulgent

Sensuality

Sex (see prostitute, consequences)

Shame

Shield

Simpleton (see naive)

Sin

Sinner

Slander

Slave

Sorrow

Sow (-s)

Spanking

Speculation

Speech (see tongue)

Steal

Stiff-necked

Strife

Struggle

Stubborn

Stumble

Stupid (see fool)

Success

Suffering

Suicide

Surety (see cosigner, debt, loans)

Suspicious

Chapter 11

Talk

Teach (-es, -ing)

Television heroes

Temper

Temperament

Temptation

Thief

Think

Thought (-s)

Tomorrow

Tongue (see speech)

Train

Trap

Trick

Trouble (see adversity, calamity)

Troublemaker

Trust (trustworthy)

Truth

Tuition

Understanding

Unreliable

Chapter 12

Violence

Vision

Vow

Wage (-s)

Warning

Watch (-ed, -ing)

Weak

Wealth (see money, riches)

Wicked

Widow

Wife

Wine (see alcohol, beer, drink, hangover, intoxicated, liquor)

Wink

Wisdom

Wise

Withhold

Witness

Woman (women)

Word (-s; see speech, tongue)

Work

Wrath

Youth

Zeal (zealous)

Index

Copyright of scriptures used by permission of the publishers as follows:

Scriptures quotations marked (AMP) are from The Amplified Old Testament Part Two Bible Copyright © 1962, Zondervan Publishing House—The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (TEV) are from the Today's English Version—Copyright © 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992, American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotation marked (NASB) are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE,

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All right reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible Copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

COMPILED and EDITED by

GARY SNIDER

The book of Proverbs are pithy statements of God's wisdom and are

useful tools in giving us all direction and counsel for life.

Proverbs A–Z is a handy topical companion getting

and giving God's instruction as a father gives

to his child. It is lined out in alphabetical order

for easy reference.You will return to it

many times for its convenience. God

bless you as you use it.

rncrosscarrier.orgRick Newton

Facts Surrounding the Book of Proverbs

There are thirty-one chapters and 915 verses.

Written between 970 and 930 BC

Written mostly by Solomon (wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs—1 Kings 4:31–32)

Chapter 30 was written by Agur, son of Jakeh of Massa.

Chapter 31 was written by Lemuel, king of Massa.

Solomon is the sixth most mentioned man in the Bible.*

Solomon's father, David, is the most mentioned man in the Bible.*

Solomon's mother is Bathsheba (1 Samuel 12:24).

Written to the children of Israel (young people just starting out in life).

Purpose—1:1–6

Divided into three sections:

Young people—chapters 1–9 wisdom

All men—chapter 10–22 wealth

Kings and rulers—chapter 22–31

Look for Comparisons:

Faithfulness/adultery

Wisdom/foolishness

Righteous/wicked

Hard work/lazy

Wealth/poverty

Truth/falseness

Moral/immoral

Humility/pride

Security/fear

Life/death

Good/evil

*H. L. Willington, Willington's Book of Bible Lists (Wheaton, Illinios: Tyndale House Publishers, 1987) p. 39–40.

Acknowledgments

I want to say thanks, many times over, to my wife, for struggling through many trials as we have experienced God at work through the Proverbs in our lives, also to our daughters, Sherri and Kimberly, who stuck with their dad as I struggled through how to live life and teach our children to trust God's Word.

Finally, for a pastor, that passed on a challenge that he had heard to read a chapter a day in the Proverbs. He suggested we use the date of the month to correspond with the chapter number so if we got off schedule, we could just turn to the date of the month and continue on.

I found the wisdom that God promises after making a commitment to read a chapter a day of six months. The benefits of the Proverbs have stretched over the years, and my prayer is that God will use this study in your life to experience and share what he has shown you.

A special thanks to each of the people that has helped to proofread, edit, and made suggestions that made this book more helpful to you. The list of names seems endless that have encouraged me to put this in print, and my prayer is that it will bless your life as much as it has blessed mine.

Proverbs Introduction

Self-help books abound in the bookstores and at our libraries as our world continues in a downward spiral. In attempting to help find the answers we need in order to live, we have neglected to apply and share what God has revealed to us in his book of the Proverbs. In my own search for the wisdom needed to get through this life, I have, for years, read in many places, but it is the book of Proverbs that I find myself returning time and again. We are told, If you receive my words (Prov. 2:1), then you will understand (Prov. 2:5).

Proverbs does not have a story line, and it is not an allegory. It is, however, a collection of God's wisdom given to mankind to be recorded and to be used for a lifetime of godly service as we seek ye first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33).

This study started out as an attempt to organize the proverbs into a unique, categorized form that would make it easier for me to reference life's challenges and to know which proverb(s) would specifically help me through the daily trials of life. I found that I would begin to memorize a proverb after reading and meditating on it but would forget its location (chapter and verse). As you read, study, and meditate your way through the Proverbs, space has been provided for you to jot down other scriptures for your further study or reference. Use this space and share your insights with others. The Lord will send people your way in order to share with them what he has shown you.

God's Word does have the answers to life. We need more Christians sharing their struggles and answers with one another. We grow and are encouraged when we see how the Lord has provided wisdom and ways of escape, in each of our lives, as opposed to relying on the world's ways to solve the problems of life.

The understanding of the Scriptures is reserved for those who are spiritual (saved, a child of God).

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come