Proverb – a brief, popular epigram or maxim; adage; byword. (Don’t you just hate it when you look up the definition of a word and then have to look up all the words in the definition?)
Epigram – a concise poem dealing pointedly with a single thought or event and often ending with an ingenious turn of thought; a terse sage (wise) or witty and often paradoxical saying.
Maxim – a general truth, fundamental principal, or rule of conduct.
Adage – a saying often in metaphor form that embodies a common observation.
Metaphor – a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in the place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them; figurative language.
Byword – one that personifies a type, one that is noteworthy or notorious; epithet.
Epithet – a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing.
(Definitions from Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary 1973)
Purposes of Proverbs:
To know, attain wisdom, instruction, discipline.
To learn how to live and act in every situation.
To understand words of insight.
To acquire discipline and a prudent life.
To learn how to do what is just and fair.
To make the simple wise.
To make the young and impetuous wise and discrete.
To make the wise wiser.
To give guidance.
Proverbs has something for everyone, no matter what level of spiritual growth they’re on.
The first step to wisdom is to know, fear, reverence and trust God. Only fools refuse to be taught and/or despise wisdom and discipline.
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