Quick Answer
The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters and 915 verses. The Bible says Solomon "composed three thousand proverbs" (1 Kings 4:32), but only a selection made it into the book. The largest collection, Proverbs 10:1–22:16, holds 375 sayings, which happens to equal the numerical value of Solomon's name in Hebrew. If you count each verse as a proverb, the answer is 915, but some sayings run longer than one verse, so the number of separate proverbs is a little lower.
How Many Chapters Are in Proverbs?
Proverbs has 31 chapters, one for each day of a long month. That is why many Christians read a chapter of Proverbs a day, matching the chapter to the date. Chapters 1–9 are longer poems about wisdom; chapters 10–31 are mostly short sayings, closing with the famous poem about "a capable wife" in chapter 31.
Counting the Proverbs: Why the Numbers Differ
You'll see several different numbers online. They are all answering slightly different questions.
915 is the number of verses in the book of Proverbs. In chapters 10–29, most verses are a single two-line saying, so verse count is a fair rough count of proverbs. In chapters 1–9 and 31, though, a single teaching runs for many verses.
375 is the number of sayings in the main "proverbs of Solomon" collection (Proverbs 10:1–22:16). The Hebrew letters of Solomon's name (Shelomoh) add up to 375, which many scholars think is intentional.
3,000 is how many proverbs Solomon spoke in his lifetime: "He composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand five" (1 Kings 4:32). Most of those were never written down in Scripture.
So the most accurate short answer is: the book of Proverbs has 915 verses of wisdom sayings, selected from a much larger body of Solomon's and others' wisdom.
What Is a Proverb?
The Hebrew word is mashal, which means a comparison, likeness, or saying. A proverb packs a large truth into a few memorable words, usually in two balanced lines: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Proverbs are meant to be carried around, repeated, and lived. The book states its own purpose at the start: "For learning about wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight" (Proverbs 1:2), and its motto: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). See Biblical Wisdom and Bible Verses About the Fear of the Lord.
How the Book of Proverbs Is Organized
Proverbs is a collection of collections. The book itself names its sources as it goes.
| Section | Chapters | Source named in the text | What it contains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prologue on wisdom | 1:1–9:18 | "The proverbs of Solomon" (1:1) | Long teachings from a parent to a child; Wisdom calls out in the street |
| Proverbs of Solomon | 10:1–22:16 | "The proverbs of Solomon" (10:1) | 375 short two-line sayings |
| Words of the wise | 22:17–24:22 | "The words of the wise" (22:17) | About thirty sayings (22:20) |
| More sayings of the wise | 24:23–34 | "These also are sayings of the wise" (24:23) | Short sayings on justice and laziness |
| Solomon's proverbs copied by Hezekiah's officials | 25:1–29:27 | "Other proverbs of Solomon that the officials of King Hezekiah of Judah copied" (25:1) | A second Solomon collection, gathered about 250 years later |
| Words of Agur | 30 | "The words of Agur son of Jakeh" (30:1) | Humble questions and numbered lists |
| Words of King Lemuel | 31:1–9 | "The words of King Lemuel... that his mother taught him" (31:1) | A mother's advice to her royal son |
| The capable wife | 31:10–31 | Unnamed | A 22-verse acrostic poem, each verse starting with the next Hebrew letter |
Who wrote Proverbs?
Most of Proverbs is credited to King Solomon, but the book itself names other contributors: unnamed "wise" teachers, Agur, King Lemuel and his mother, and the officials of King Hezekiah who copied and arranged Solomon's sayings centuries later. Proverbs grew over several hundred years. Read the full answer in Who Wrote Proverbs? and When Was Proverbs Written?, and see When Did Solomon Live?
10 Well-Known Proverbs (NRSV)
If you only memorize a handful, start here.
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5–6)
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." (Proverbs 15:1)
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) See Pride in the Bible.
"A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22)
"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10)
"Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray." (Proverbs 22:6)
"Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another." (Proverbs 27:17)
"A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels." (Proverbs 31:10)
Proverbs Outside the Book of Proverbs
The book of Proverbs is not the only place Scripture quotes a proverb. Israel's everyday sayings show up in history, prophecy, and the Gospels:
"Is Saul also among the prophets?" (1 Samuel 10:12), a saying that became a proverb in Israel.
"Like mother, like daughter." (Ezekiel 16:44)
"The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." (Ezekiel 18:2), a proverb the prophet tells Israel to stop using.
"Doctor, cure yourself!" (Luke 4:23), which Jesus calls a proverb.
"Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house." (Matthew 13:57)
"It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35), a saying of Jesus that Paul quotes.
Jesus taught in the same wisdom tradition, though his favorite form was the longer story. See How Many Parables Are in the Bible? and The 24 Parables in the Gospel of Luke.
Proverbs Are Principles, Not Promises
Read with care: A proverb describes how life usually works in a world God made. It is not a guarantee. "Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray" (Proverbs 22:6) is wise counsel, not a promise that faithful parents will never grieve a wandering child. The book itself shows this by setting two sayings side by side: "Do not answer fools according to their folly, or you will be like them yourself. Answer fools according to their folly, or they will be wise in their own eyes" (Proverbs 26:4–5). Wisdom is knowing which one fits the moment. Job and Ecclesiastes sit beside Proverbs in the Bible to remind us that life does not always follow the pattern.
Read Proverbs in a Month
Because Proverbs has 31 chapters, it fits a calendar month almost perfectly. Read the chapter that matches today's date, and you will finish the book in a month. In 30-day months, read chapters 30 and 31 together on the last day. Many readers repeat the cycle every month for a year; by December the short sayings start to come to mind on their own, which is exactly what they were written to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many proverbs are in the Bible?
The book of Proverbs has 915 verses in 31 chapters. The main Solomon collection (10:1–22:16) holds 375 sayings. First Kings 4:32 says Solomon "composed three thousand proverbs," so the book preserves only a selection of them.
How many chapters are in Proverbs?
Thirty-one, which is why many people read one chapter a day for a month.
Did Solomon write all of Proverbs?
No. Solomon is the main name attached to the book, but the text also credits "the wise" (22:17), Agur (30:1), and King Lemuel's mother (31:1), and says Hezekiah's officials copied a collection of Solomon's proverbs (25:1). See Who Wrote Proverbs?
How many proverbs did Solomon write?
First Kings 4:32 says he composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. Most of those sayings were not preserved.
What is the most famous proverb?
Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge," is the book's theme verse. Proverbs 3:5–6 ("Trust in the LORD with all your heart") is probably the most memorized.
Why do some proverbs seem to contradict each other?
Because wisdom depends on the situation. Proverbs 26:4–5 gives two opposite instructions about answering a fool on purpose, so the reader learns to judge which one applies.
Keep Studying
More about Proverbs and Solomon
The other wisdom books
More Bible by the numbers
