Exegetical study of Proverbs 10:1‑22:16. Proverbs are neither statements of this-worldly cause and effect nor universally applicable doctrines of divine order. Rather, a proverb’s meaning and ‚truth‘ are conditioned by the context. The author delimits sections which the editor(s) of the collection consciously grouped together in their present sequence. He then examines how these literary arrangements both influence the meaning of the individual proverbs and determine their function in context. Indexes of names, passages and subjects are included.