There are several words that appear with disproportionate frequency in the book of Proverbs — and with minimal representation in the rest of the Bible. They are:
- Sluggard occurs 14 times in Proverbs and nowhere else in the Bible.
- Prudent occurs 10 times in Proverbs and only twice elsewhere.
- Simple is found 14 times in Proverbs and only six other times in the entire Bible.
- Folly occurs 23 times in Proverbs and 16 times in the rest of the Bible.
- Quarrelsome occurs 6 times in Proverbs and only one other time in the rest of the Bible.
- Adulteress is mentioned 7 times in Proverbs and only 5 times elsewhere in the Bible.
Plus, there are some additional words that appear with surprising regularity in Proverbs:
In upcoming posts, we will look at each of these words.
[The 1984 NIV version of the Bible was used in determining the number of occurrences.]
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 700-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and numerous books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
