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New Studies in Biblical Theology #4
Hear, My Son: Teaching Learning in Proverbs 1-9 (Volume 4)
Even a cursory reading of the book of Proverbs reveals that it is dominated by the subject of education, or personal formation. The voice of the teacher addressing his pupils resounds from its pages. A wide array of topics is presented, and frequent exhortations challenge the learner to hear and heed the teacher's instruction. This material, however, comes for the most part without recognizable order or sequence. Much of Proverbs consists of apparently random collections of maxims. As readers, we see many individual pieces, but the puzzle as a whole remains unclear. In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, Daniel J. Estes synthesizes the teachings of the first nine chapters of Proverbs into a systematic statement of the theory of education and personal formation that lies behind the text. Working from the Hebrew text and building upon an extensive analysis of exegetical works, Estes organizes his study of Proverbs 1–9 into seven categories typical of pedagogical discussion: worldview, values for education, goals for education, curriculum for education, the process of instruction, the role of the teacher and the role of the learner. His work agrees with but also transcends the original purpose of the text by revealing the foundational theory of intellectual and moral formation embedded in this important section of Scripure. It also has valuable things to say about constructing a bibilically informed philosophy of education today. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.
174 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
8 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
D.A. Carson
338 books732 followersDonald A. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has been at Trinity since 1978. Carson came to Trinity from the faculty of Northwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he also served for two years as academic dean. He has served as assistant pastor and pastor and has done itinerant ministry in Canada and the United Kingdom. Carson received the Bachelor of Science in chemistry from McGill University, the Master of Divinity from Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto, and the Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament from the University of Cambridge. Carson is an active guest lecturer in academic and church settings around the world. He has written or edited about sixty books. He is a founding member and currently president of The Gospel Coalition. Carson and his wife, Joy, reside in Libertyville, Illinois. They have two adult children.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 26, 2025
I picked up this book to read as preliminary research for a sermon series on Proverbs 1-9. I found plenty of helpful material for that purpose, arranged topically. What this book particularly brought to my attention that I might not have considered otherwise is application of the text to teachers of wisdom in the congregation (parents, elders, teachers, etc.). Lots of helpful material there.
What I didn't anticipate when I purchased the book was that I would get so much helpful theory for homeschooling. Estes does rightly conclude that the question of whether the pedagogy implied in Proverbs should be considered prescriptive isn't really answered by his own analysis. I'm inclined to take it as prescriptive, though.
The pedagogy Proverbs presents is holistic, aimed at the personal formation of the student, and encompasses a range of techniques that can't be pigeonholed into modern pedagogical theories. You may not be surprised that I find it to be a . . . wise approach.
What I didn't anticipate when I purchased the book was that I would get so much helpful theory for homeschooling. Estes does rightly conclude that the question of whether the pedagogy implied in Proverbs should be considered prescriptive isn't really answered by his own analysis. I'm inclined to take it as prescriptive, though.
The pedagogy Proverbs presents is holistic, aimed at the personal formation of the student, and encompasses a range of techniques that can't be pigeonholed into modern pedagogical theories. You may not be surprised that I find it to be a . . . wise approach.
December 9, 2020
A helpful biblical theology of whole-life education process. I read this with our ministry’s training staff and had good discussions based on it.
August 18, 2021
This is an incredibly useful book. Estes writes, "The goal of this monograph has been to synthesize the data of Proverbs 1-9 into a systematic statement of the implicit pedagogical theory that underlies its teachings" (151). Estes achieves exactly this in the book.
There is much to commend in this book. Estes is an erudite writer who never bores. I have a bit of an allergy to "worldview" language, but Estes handles it with precision, shying away from making it too cumbersome a term.
He continually returns to Proverbs' superficial similarities to Egyptian and Mesopotamian wisdom literature, reminding us that Proverbs is not hopelessly dependent on an external tradition, but, rather, the revelation of Yahweh, offering us something irreducibly unique. Estes' chapter on education rightly points out that the "biblical emphasis on wisdom as the primary goal for education contrasts with the pragmatic purposes in Egyptian and Mesopotamian instruction" (64). In gifting His people Proverbs, God intends far more than mere efficient government officials. His vision for faithfulness is all of our life for all of His people.
Estes has some really wonderful discussions on wisdom, the nature of wisdom and the created order, and folly. For Estes, wisdom requires a giving up of very strict notions of human autonomy (for the simple reason that the vision of the learner necessarily entails a teacher upon whom the learner is reliant). The opposite of this is foolishness or folly: "The fool insists on directing his own life, demanding autonomy at all costs. Even though it means eventual destruction, the fool makes personal freedom the chief value in life. On the other hand, wisdom chooses to seek what is best in Yahweh's ordered creation" (44-45). This "giving up" of strict notions of autonomy is not an infringement but a concession to the reality in which God has placed/gifted us--and it's for our good.
A Few (Mostly Unwarranted!) Criticisms:
Perhaps I'm a bit selfish (I am), but I was a little frustrated with the narrow scope of the work. This is, of course, my fault--not his or the books. He was explicit at the beginning about his purposes and methodology. However, I would have appreciated a longer work that answered some of the questions his "Prospect" section raises.
For instance, how does Proverbs 1-9 relate to early Christian paraenetic texts, like 1 Peter?
Secondly, because it only focused on Proverbs, it did not make much of the "Father/Son" rhetoric outside of the nuclear family. I think there's serious theological import to this language. Moreover—and I think this is my one legitimate criticism of the book—this familial language seems important for how we conceive of the identities of "Teacher" and "Learner." The relation between the two is bound together by love and a sense of responsibility towards one another. Unfortunately, Estes doesn't make as much of this language as I think Proverbs intends us to.
Lastly, and undoubtedly a more tedious and nitpicky criticism, Estes invokes recent pedagogical trends (128-29) and slightly rebuffs them. However, I think Estes puts his finger on the wrong pedagogical trend. He misses the 70s-80s shift towards forms of Critical Pedagogy in academia put forth by Freire, Giroux, or hooks. CP had already gained some cultural/academic prestige by the time Estes' book was published (1997), as indicated to me by John Searle's piece on it in the NYT in 1990. So it wouldn't entirely be out of left field for him to address it. Because, to my mind, CP seems opposed to that which is found in Proverbs, I wonder how important it would be to put these two methods in conversation. Alas, this goes beyond the scope of his book, and I won't knock any stars off because of my own musings.
The End:
This is a seriously good book. My minor grievances aside, Estes does an excellent job systematizing Proverbs' instructions in a way that does justice to its' internal order as a book. Finally, it's simply nice to see a monograph on a relatively neglected topic. Most "biblical theologies" are interested in far more "grandiose" themes that struggle to integrate the Wisdom literature into their visions. This does a great job paying attention to a more "ordinary" theme in Scripture--and his book serves as a reminder that those "ordinary" themes provide quite extraordinary insight.
There is much to commend in this book. Estes is an erudite writer who never bores. I have a bit of an allergy to "worldview" language, but Estes handles it with precision, shying away from making it too cumbersome a term.
He continually returns to Proverbs' superficial similarities to Egyptian and Mesopotamian wisdom literature, reminding us that Proverbs is not hopelessly dependent on an external tradition, but, rather, the revelation of Yahweh, offering us something irreducibly unique. Estes' chapter on education rightly points out that the "biblical emphasis on wisdom as the primary goal for education contrasts with the pragmatic purposes in Egyptian and Mesopotamian instruction" (64). In gifting His people Proverbs, God intends far more than mere efficient government officials. His vision for faithfulness is all of our life for all of His people.
Estes has some really wonderful discussions on wisdom, the nature of wisdom and the created order, and folly. For Estes, wisdom requires a giving up of very strict notions of human autonomy (for the simple reason that the vision of the learner necessarily entails a teacher upon whom the learner is reliant). The opposite of this is foolishness or folly: "The fool insists on directing his own life, demanding autonomy at all costs. Even though it means eventual destruction, the fool makes personal freedom the chief value in life. On the other hand, wisdom chooses to seek what is best in Yahweh's ordered creation" (44-45). This "giving up" of strict notions of autonomy is not an infringement but a concession to the reality in which God has placed/gifted us--and it's for our good.
A Few (Mostly Unwarranted!) Criticisms:
Perhaps I'm a bit selfish (I am), but I was a little frustrated with the narrow scope of the work. This is, of course, my fault--not his or the books. He was explicit at the beginning about his purposes and methodology. However, I would have appreciated a longer work that answered some of the questions his "Prospect" section raises.
For instance, how does Proverbs 1-9 relate to early Christian paraenetic texts, like 1 Peter?
Secondly, because it only focused on Proverbs, it did not make much of the "Father/Son" rhetoric outside of the nuclear family. I think there's serious theological import to this language. Moreover—and I think this is my one legitimate criticism of the book—this familial language seems important for how we conceive of the identities of "Teacher" and "Learner." The relation between the two is bound together by love and a sense of responsibility towards one another. Unfortunately, Estes doesn't make as much of this language as I think Proverbs intends us to.
Lastly, and undoubtedly a more tedious and nitpicky criticism, Estes invokes recent pedagogical trends (128-29) and slightly rebuffs them. However, I think Estes puts his finger on the wrong pedagogical trend. He misses the 70s-80s shift towards forms of Critical Pedagogy in academia put forth by Freire, Giroux, or hooks. CP had already gained some cultural/academic prestige by the time Estes' book was published (1997), as indicated to me by John Searle's piece on it in the NYT in 1990. So it wouldn't entirely be out of left field for him to address it. Because, to my mind, CP seems opposed to that which is found in Proverbs, I wonder how important it would be to put these two methods in conversation. Alas, this goes beyond the scope of his book, and I won't knock any stars off because of my own musings.
The End:
This is a seriously good book. My minor grievances aside, Estes does an excellent job systematizing Proverbs' instructions in a way that does justice to its' internal order as a book. Finally, it's simply nice to see a monograph on a relatively neglected topic. Most "biblical theologies" are interested in far more "grandiose" themes that struggle to integrate the Wisdom literature into their visions. This does a great job paying attention to a more "ordinary" theme in Scripture--and his book serves as a reminder that those "ordinary" themes provide quite extraordinary insight.
November 11, 2020
Excellent study of what Proverbs 1-9 teaches us about education. The moral skill required to live in God's creation is revealed, taught, and must be received. Wisdom, rooted in the fear of the Lord, can be handed down with persuasion.
March 16, 2014
Proverbs 1 to 9 is an extended address on the value of wisdom from a father or elder teacher to a son or student that introduces the wisdom sayings of the remainder of Proverbs. Daniel J. Estes has taken a novel approach to this literature and written a monograph exploring the philosophy and practice of teaching and learning reflected in this instruction given in these chapters. It is part of the New Studies in Biblical Theology series of monographs.
That may sound like dry, stodgy stuff but what Estes does is outline in a very straightforward fashion what we might learn from these texts about teaching and learning. The book is not an exposition of Proverbs 1 to 9 but rather a study of this discourse through the lens of what it teaches about education.
Here is the outline of the book. After an introduction describing and giving a rationale for this study, Estes looks first at the worldview underlying Proverbs as one seeing the universe as God's creation, one with a moral order and rationality that reflect the character of God, and thus implying a proper reverence for God by humans and other creatures. He then turns to values for education, of which the top one is wisdom which is understanding how to live well and in accord with God's order in the world, teachability, righteousness and life. Then follows a consideration of education's goals: commitment on the part of the learner, growth in character, competence in living, protection from folly and its consequences, prosperity and the knowledge of God.
The next sections turn to the nuts and bolts of education. Proverbs 1-9 describes a threefold curriculum of learning through observation of the world, through instruction in traditional wisdom passed along, and through revealed truth from God. He then turns to the educational process evident in this discourse which includes an address ("hear, my son"), description of the wise and foolish, various forms of commands, incentives, and an invitation to embrace the teaching. This then leads to a consideration of the role of teacher and learner in this process. Because the teacher alternates between expert authority and the role of facilitating wisdom's embrace, he sees the teacher as functioning as a knowledgeable guide in the learning process. Conversely the learner must receive, respond to, value and assimilate wisdom. Estes then concludes the book by summarizing these chapters and outlining avenues for further exploration as well as by offering few comments on contemporary education.
What I most appreciate about this book is that it articulates an approach to education that integrates faith and rigorous study of the world rather than bracketing these off into separate ventures. In fact, the earliest scientists studied the world as well as theology to understand God's order. Similarly, tradition, history, literature, and philosophy need not be opposed to either theology or science but all function together as a comprehensive curriculum to teach the fear of God, the order of creation, the cultivation of moral character, competence and common sense in the conduct of life. Competence and character, reason and faith walk together.
In sum, this book is a concise work that gives fresh insight into an aspect of Proverbs--teaching and learning--that has relevance for anyone engaged in the educational enterprise and particularly those who want to think Christianly about how education is done.
That may sound like dry, stodgy stuff but what Estes does is outline in a very straightforward fashion what we might learn from these texts about teaching and learning. The book is not an exposition of Proverbs 1 to 9 but rather a study of this discourse through the lens of what it teaches about education.
Here is the outline of the book. After an introduction describing and giving a rationale for this study, Estes looks first at the worldview underlying Proverbs as one seeing the universe as God's creation, one with a moral order and rationality that reflect the character of God, and thus implying a proper reverence for God by humans and other creatures. He then turns to values for education, of which the top one is wisdom which is understanding how to live well and in accord with God's order in the world, teachability, righteousness and life. Then follows a consideration of education's goals: commitment on the part of the learner, growth in character, competence in living, protection from folly and its consequences, prosperity and the knowledge of God.
The next sections turn to the nuts and bolts of education. Proverbs 1-9 describes a threefold curriculum of learning through observation of the world, through instruction in traditional wisdom passed along, and through revealed truth from God. He then turns to the educational process evident in this discourse which includes an address ("hear, my son"), description of the wise and foolish, various forms of commands, incentives, and an invitation to embrace the teaching. This then leads to a consideration of the role of teacher and learner in this process. Because the teacher alternates between expert authority and the role of facilitating wisdom's embrace, he sees the teacher as functioning as a knowledgeable guide in the learning process. Conversely the learner must receive, respond to, value and assimilate wisdom. Estes then concludes the book by summarizing these chapters and outlining avenues for further exploration as well as by offering few comments on contemporary education.
What I most appreciate about this book is that it articulates an approach to education that integrates faith and rigorous study of the world rather than bracketing these off into separate ventures. In fact, the earliest scientists studied the world as well as theology to understand God's order. Similarly, tradition, history, literature, and philosophy need not be opposed to either theology or science but all function together as a comprehensive curriculum to teach the fear of God, the order of creation, the cultivation of moral character, competence and common sense in the conduct of life. Competence and character, reason and faith walk together.
In sum, this book is a concise work that gives fresh insight into an aspect of Proverbs--teaching and learning--that has relevance for anyone engaged in the educational enterprise and particularly those who want to think Christianly about how education is done.
May 5, 2017
Daniel Estes, a fine scholar on the poetry of the Old Testament, contributes this volume in the celebrated New Studies in Biblical Theology (NSBT) series by IVP and edited by D. A. Carson. This monograph considers Proverbs 1-9 for what it tells us about teaching and learning.
He feels that the obvious pursuit in Proverbs is one of education or instruction. The teacher speaks to the student throughout. Though there appears to be a random order in our collection of Proverbs, he see seven pedagogical categories that holds them together. These seven are worldview, values, goals, curriculum, instruction, teacher, and learner.
He encourages us to notice “hear my son”. He covers a few more broad issues in the introduction. In chapter 1 he uncovers the worldview of Proverbs 1-9 and explains the assumptions of it. He says it’s evident that it “implies a prior faith commitment.” Further, in biblical wisdom there’s no differentiation between the sacred and the profane. From there, Mr. Estes traces out the theological points at work.
The book hits its stride in chapters 2 and 3 when the values and goals for education are explained. It was in these two chapters that I learned the most and felt he made the strongest case for his premise. Chapters 4-7 cover his other pedagogical categories in turn. Along the way many key words and verses are brought to light.
Though it only covers 9 chapters, this book is an excellent resource for studying Proverbs. It certainly lives up to the lofty status of this series.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
He feels that the obvious pursuit in Proverbs is one of education or instruction. The teacher speaks to the student throughout. Though there appears to be a random order in our collection of Proverbs, he see seven pedagogical categories that holds them together. These seven are worldview, values, goals, curriculum, instruction, teacher, and learner.
He encourages us to notice “hear my son”. He covers a few more broad issues in the introduction. In chapter 1 he uncovers the worldview of Proverbs 1-9 and explains the assumptions of it. He says it’s evident that it “implies a prior faith commitment.” Further, in biblical wisdom there’s no differentiation between the sacred and the profane. From there, Mr. Estes traces out the theological points at work.
The book hits its stride in chapters 2 and 3 when the values and goals for education are explained. It was in these two chapters that I learned the most and felt he made the strongest case for his premise. Chapters 4-7 cover his other pedagogical categories in turn. Along the way many key words and verses are brought to light.
Though it only covers 9 chapters, this book is an excellent resource for studying Proverbs. It certainly lives up to the lofty status of this series.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
January 10, 2025
This book deals with understanding the first part of the Old Testament book "Proverbs," which is part of wisdom literature, from the perspective of certain aspects of contemporary pedagogy. The author attempts to examine the value of this ancient wisdom in the context of modern concepts. Although the starting points are different, the desire for acquiring wisdom remains the same. Unlike contemporary science, biblical wisdom involves listening and the activity of hearing as fundamental ways to attain knowledge. This is because true knowledge is not found within human creation and innovation but in the humble readiness to hear what one does not know, which has been revealed and passed down by previous generations. Personally, I found the author's style somewhat dull and repetitive, which is why I give it a low rating.
February 5, 2021
A great study on Proverbs 1-9, with attention given to the pedagogical framework held in Ancient Israel. Far from assuming Proverbs to be merely a bunch of practical bits of advice, Estes grounds Proverbial wisdom in the thoroughly theological truth that the world was created by the LORD and is ordered according to his values. The wise man is the one who orders his way according to the Lord's created order. To live according to these proverbs, therefore, is actually a declaration of trust/faith in the Lord and the things he values. There is much to glean from Estes' chapters on worldview and values in Proverbs 1-9. Finally, the attention given to the instructional tactics employed by the teacher really increased my appreciation for this genre of divinely inspired Scripture.
August 23, 2017
I only managed to fit in the first few chapters of Estes' HMS. What I read, I appreciated. (Disclaimer: Dr Estes was one of my professors in undergrad, one who subtly but lastingly shaped my spirituality.)
Estes takes up a "worldview-ish" examination of pedagogical practice in Prov 1-9. While I've grown away from thinking worldviewishly, I still find value in the reflective attention to the text and the ways this text shapes us evident throughout HMS.
I hope to come back and read further in this volume someday.
Estes takes up a "worldview-ish" examination of pedagogical practice in Prov 1-9. While I've grown away from thinking worldviewishly, I still find value in the reflective attention to the text and the ways this text shapes us evident throughout HMS.
I hope to come back and read further in this volume someday.
December 18, 2017
I am grateful to have re-read this book by a longtime friend. In this monograph of Proverbs 1-9, Dr Estes shows us, among other things, the roles of the teacher and learner in the transmission of wisdom. Perhaps a suitable summary is this quote "In order to assimilate wisdom, the learner must organize all of life according to the fear of Yahweh." (p.148)
April 24, 2018
I liked it.
December 25, 2013
A great book that synthesizes the material in Proverbs 1-9 concerning the pedagogy implicit within the text. Lots of excellent exegetical insights that the preacher and teacher will find helpful. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews