The teacher of wisdom states that he will share a wealth of knowledge through thirty sayings, based on his experiences and direct observations of life and human behavior. There could be more or fewer than thirty; the key point is that this collection encompasses a variety of sayings that address numerous themes in human life. Neither this section nor any other in wisdom literature is a treatise on the systematic study of knowledge or a theory of how we know things; instead, it is an ancient method of educating children and young people in general, where simple “secrets” are shared to explain certain aspects of the human soul or to warn against specific wrong behaviors.
The observer recognizes that life must have a particular order and harmony, and that everything should be approached with common sense and prudence. While discovering the benefits of living an orderly life, one also sees the drawbacks of merely following instincts or being misled by other models of behavior that lead nowhere good. The father or elders of the community share this knowledge, gained from experience, with the younger generation; they correct and earnestly request that such correction be accepted willingly, because only those who love correction do so, and only those who feel loved recognize that correction is a good thing, a sign of support and even solidarity. This effort is also carried out by the wise men, who elevated the wisdom of the people to the highest levels of the court, making it a possession mostly exclusive to the aristocracy and those who can afford to pay for a good teacher. In this way, the role of wisdom in God’s plan was distorted, and the primary focus of justice was called into question.