For a fill-in-the-blank group workbook, Crenshaw offers substantial verse-by-verse commentary that covers all verses. This is unlike most study booklets that only cover selected themes from Proverbs. The commentary compares different translations when they have different meanings. A good companion to this concise booklet is THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones. It offers 6 translations in parallel which make it easy to compare their differences on disputed interpretations. There is an in-depth commentary along with many historical drawings and photos to give you a sense of the culture of the time. Many of the mysteries and riddles of Proverbs are also explored.

Life has its mystery, which often baffles and challenges those that seek its secrets. For millenniums Old Testament wisdom literature has given reflections and observations about the reality of life. Most of the teachings from these texts comes from "experiential wisdom," wise words based on encounters with life, not theory. Wisdom literature excels in bestowing to the reader instructions on how to live, find happiness and prosper. They are the world's first "How To" books.

One of the leading specialists in Old Testament Wisdom literature is James L. Crenshaw, Professor of Old Testament at Duke University Divinity School. For more than 30 years he has written provocative essays on Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and Job. In "Urgent Advice and Probing Questions," you will find 37 essays that contain valuable and insightful information. This should not be a 'one sitting' reading, for the depth and discrimination used in examining these texts requires selective reading. However, for those Biblical students, scholars and veracity seekers, "Urgent Advice and Probing Questions" will be a book that you will return to over and over. Highly Recommended

I am using this book as a supplement as I translate the book of Joel with a Professor at the University of Missouri. For purposes such as this it is an excellent reference. However, it does not beat supplementary translations in accuracy. Instead, Crenshaw is writing a commentary as he translates. The purpose is two-fold. I only mean that the commentary is only great within the confines of Crenshaw's translation. Unless you are an exhaustive Key-Word scholar, do not purchase this unless you are familiar with biblical Hebrew. It is not a commentary based upon the English text. It is a commentary based upon Crenshaw's rendering of the Masoretic text.

I do not even remember where I purchased this book at but it has been an invaluable tool for both OT and NT studies in my pursuit of understanding the ancient wisdom traditions. The title of the book can be pleasantly deceiving. Crenshaw goes well beyond the wisdom tradition found in the biblical books of Ecclesiates, Psalms, Proverbs, and Job. He takes a broader perspective and includes apocrapha writings as well as Egyptian and Mesopotamian literature. I have found this book to be a very thorough, concise, and well orgainized book, much appreciated for students working under time constraints. This book has proven to be invaluable for exegesis of both OT and NT passages that make reference to ancient wisdom traditions. It is simple to read and has a great biblography that aids in indepth study of the word.