This addition to Sheffield''s acclaimed Old Testament Guides series introduces students not only to Proverbs but also to the genre of ''wisdom literature'' in general (dealing with such questions as the origin and location of ''wisdom'' in ancient Israel). Martin discusses the structure of the book of Proverbs as a whole, provides a guided reading to the more or less sustained discourses in chapters 1-9 and to the collections of proverb-type sentences in the remaining chapters, and considers the relationship of Proverbs to other ancient Near Eastern literature. The Guide is completed by essays on ''The Feminine in the Book of Proverbs'' and ''Wisdom and Theology''.