What is wisdom? Does occupying the top of life's heap mean you have it? Does being near the bottom mean you don't? Wisdom can certainly help you acquire wealth, influence people, or succeed at your career, yet it involves more than knowledge alone. It's also a matter of understanding God's perspectives in applying what you know and having the character to act accordingly. That is why true wisdom---the kind that begins with fear of the Lord---frequently runs counter to what our culture values and applauds. This is the wisdom the book of Proverbs teaches. Proverbs deals with the relationship between heaven and earth on a practical level that covers the broad swath of human activity. We could all use more wisdom in our lives; the book of Proverbs was designed to guide us into it. Proverbs is far from monolithic. It has multiple authors and employs diverse styles. But its goal remains simple: to equip us for living in a way that succeeds first and foremost in God's eyes. Exploring the links between the Bible and our own times, Paul Koptak shares perspectives on Proverbs that reveal ageless truths for our twenty-first-century lives. Most Bible commentaries take us on a one-way trip from our world to the world of the Bible. But they leave us there, assuming that we can somehow make the return journey on our own. They focus on the original meaning of the passage but don't discuss its contemporary application. The information they offer is valuable---but the job is only half done! The NIV Application Commentary Series helps bring both halves of the interpretive task together. This unique, award-winning series shows readers how to bring an ancient message into our present-day context. It explains not only what the Bible meant but also how it speaks powerfully today.
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What is wisdom? Does occupying the top of life’s heap mean you have it? Does being near the bottom mean you don’t? Wisdom can certainly help you acquire wealth, influence people, or succeed at your career, yet it involves more than knowledge alone. It’s also a matter of understanding God’s perspectives in applying what you know and having the character to act accordingly. That is why true wisdom—the kind that begins with fear of the Lord—frequently runs counter to what our culture values and applauds. This is the wisdom the book of Proverbs teaches.
Proverbs deals with the relationship between heaven and earth on a practical level that covers the broad swath of human activity. We could all use more wisdom in our lives; the book of Proverbs was designed to guide us into it. Proverbs is far from monolithic. It has multiple authors and employs diverse styles. But its goal remains simple: to equip us for living in a way that succeeds first and foremost in God’s eyes.
Exploring the links between the Bible and our own times, Paul Koptak shares perspectives on Proverbs that reveal ageless truths for our twenty-first-century lives.
Most Bible commentaries take us on a one-way trip from our world to the world of the Bible. But they leave us there, assuming that we can somehow make the return journey on our own. They focus on the original meaning of the passage but don’t discuss its contemporary application. The information they offer is valuable—but the job is only half done!
The NIV Application Commentary Series helps bring both halves of the interpretive task together. This unique, award-winning series shows readers how to bring an ancient message into our present-day context. It explains not only what the Bible meant but also how it speaks powerfully today.
About the Author
Paul E. Koptak (PhD, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary/Northwestern University) is Paul and Bernice Brandel Professor of Communication and Biblical Interpretation at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois.
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More About the Author
Paul E. Koptak (PhD, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary/Northwestern University) is Paul and Bernice Brandel Professor of Communication and Biblical Interpretation at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois.
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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The NIV Application Commentary series is written in a unique format and Dr. Koptak is a unique author. The commentary brings us step by step from the original context to our contemporary setting. Proverbs seems to be a book of disjointed short pithy sayings. Many commentaries simply take a topical approach to the subject matter. What is unique about Dr. Koptak's approach is the method he employs in his chapter-by-chapter approach. He takes us from earth to heaven then back to earth again. In the "Original Meaning" section, Dr. Koptak's poetic nature shows through as he helps us identify the main theme of each chapter by identifying clusters (repeated words or themes). He then explains what the passage meant in the cultural and religious context it was written in. Next, in the "Bridging Contexts" section, he draws out the universal principle from the passage. The universal principle is that moral principle that is applicable to all people at all times, throughout all of human history. And finally, in the "Contemporary Significance" section, he assists us in applying this universal principle to our everyday situations. This commentary is a must read for pastors, teachers, and all serious Bible students. I highly recommend this commentary.
Dr. John Carlini
Senior Pastor, Devon Church
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I purchased 3 separate helps books on Proverbs and this was the one that has been the most help. It takes the text verse by verse, then pulls all of the information together at the the end of each chapter. If you are a serious student, I would highly recommend this book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
In the recent decades there is a trend to read the Book of Proverbs in terms of its literary structure instead of a collection of random sayings without any order, and this commentary is following this trend. This is most obvious when Koptak interprets Proverbs 10-22. In addition to reading these "sentence Proverbs" one by one, Koptak also attempts to identify the repeating keywords or themes and propose an underlying literary structure. This attempt significantly enriches the meaning of the text beyond individual sayings, and it leads the reader to discern the editorial intention behind the collection of individual proverbs. In my view this is far better than cutting the Book of Proverbs into pieces and re-organize them into "themes" according to the commentators' own tastes.
While I like this commentary I found it somehow repeats itself in certain topics when discussing on the "Bridging Contexts" and the "Contemporary Signficance" sections. I don't think this is Paul Koptak's fault because the overall structure is already prescribed in the NIV Application Commentary series, and that's why I give this book four stars.
While I like this commentary I found it somehow repeats itself in certain topics when discussing on the "Bridging Contexts" and the "Contemporary Signficance" sections. I don't think this is Paul Koptak's fault because the overall structure is already prescribed in the NIV Application Commentary series, and that's why I give this book four stars.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Proverbs, what else can you say!
I really like the 3 parts to each exposition. The past written context, the meaning to the Jewish people, the current reading of what it means to us now. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Paul D. Pipher
Proverbs quest
As my life continues I seem to have more of a need to be closer to God, to read, understand and absorb His word. Read more
Published on December 2, 2008 by K. Keepper
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