These chapters are introduced by a superscription indicating that they are from Solomon by way of the “men of Hezekiah.” The sayings break from the admonitory style of 22:17–24:34 and resemble those of chapters 10–22:16. However, these sayings are much more vivid, and in chapters 25–27 they form larger units (“proverb poems,” as they have been called). Explicit comparisons are frequent. We are unable to say much about the general setting of the collection, but the ambience of the court predominates in chapters 25–27. The characteristic sound patterns (assonance, alliteration, catchwords, etc.) mark this collection just as they did the previous chapters. For the sake of brevity these patterns will not be emphasized here, but the reader is referred to the studies of McCreesh, Sound (index), …