In Front | Reflection on Promises and Principles

It’s important to see how various genres in the Bible function. We’ve seen in this lesson, for example, that proverbial statements are not meant to be taken as promises that will always come to pass in every case. For example, acquiring wealth through deception will normally be short-lived (Prov 21:6). But there may be cases when someone with ill-gotten gain retains their wealth for decades. 

The point of the Proverb is not to suggest that wealth gained in this manner will always be a “fleeting vapor” (NASB). Rather, it’s a warning against engaging in deceptive practices for gaining wealth. 

As a result, you can see how respecting the genres in the Bible can provide interpretive guardrails for us.