The collecting of proverbs is not unique to the Bible. We have certain proverbs in English—such as ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ or ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink’—that express commonly accepted wisdom. Solomon was not the only man in the ancient world who took interest in wise sayings. Others, including the Egyptians and Babylonians, had wise men who spoke and collected proverbs. It is not surprising that these proverbs have similarities
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