The study challenges the use of the book of Proverbs as a primary data set in the recovery of ancient Israelite and Judean educational values and practices. The study argues that an examination of the nature of the Book of Proverbs and its poetics must necessarily precede the use of this text in reconstructing the values and practices of ancient Israelite and Judean education. Although Proverbs can and has been compared to ancient Near Eastern instruction or ›wisdom‹ texts, the study demonstrates how the frame of Proverbs is distinct from the frames of these other texts. The study further argues that the Book of Proverbs in its framing and poetics articulates a specific and idiosyncratic position on formal speech performance and the value of participating in such an activity.