Proverbs, book of

An Old Testament book of wise sayings. Many were written by King Solomon, the son of David. Some sections were apparently written by Agur (Proverbs 30) and Lemuel (Proverbs 31:1–9). The purpose of the book is to help people gain wisdom. Most of the proverbs tell what a wise person does and contrasts his acts with those of a foolish person.