I always find it helpful to know something about the person who wrote the book that I'm reading. It helps to understand why they might say the things that they are saying.
Most of the book of Proverbs is penned by the son of David. His name was Solomon. 1 Kings 4:29-34 says this:
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
The wisdom Solomon had came from God. It was amazing.
32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.
That's a lot of material!
33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.
It seems that Solomon wasn't boring to listen to. People came from all over just to sit and listen to him talk. If he was a long-winded preacher, nobody minded one bit.
Solomon knew that his wisdom came from God. Remember, the Bible is God's word, not Solomon's word. This understanding was at the heart of his wisdom. He knew he was nothing without God.
For more on how Solomon was given such great wisdom and a famous story about how he settled a matter between two women who claimed to be the mother of the same child, read 1 Kings 3. When I was a child, I used to ask my dad to tell me that story over and over again at bed time. It was my favorite.
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