Research Paper on:
Proverbs and Solomon's Social Background

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Israel. But, putting that aside, or using that knowledge only slightly, we find that the proverbs themselves give us subtle hints at the social background of the author. Of course,  as is the case with any work that is explicated for such elements, there are many perspectives, or opinions, that one could form. With that in mind the following paper  briefly examines some of Solomons Proverbs, examining what they tell us about his social background. The version of the Bible used in this paper is the NRSV. Solomons  Social Background We begin examination with Proverbs 18. In the first three of these, 18:1, 18:2, and 18:3, "The one who lives alone is self-indulgent, showing contempt for all who  have sound judgment..A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing personal opinion...When wickedness comes, contempt comes also; and with dishonor comes disgrace." These are very typical of  Solomons Proverbs. We note that they do not give us a great deal of detail about his social background, but we can see subtle hints. For example, putting aside his  position in society, and his teaching regarding God, we can see that he feels that a man who lives by himself gives nothing to his State, or his community. This  would indicate that Solomons social background was one that was possessed of education as well as social observations involving government and the system of the time. While this may not  seem like a perspective we would readily understand today, in the time when these were written if an individual was involved in the State then they maintained beliefs that no  man stood alone and all men were responsible for their society, somewhat philosophically speaking. And, only educated individuals thought in such a manner. We can also see that there was