Which two figures are listed as possible unknown authors of Proverbs?

• A. Agur and King Lemuel
• B. Solomon and Hezekiah
• C. Lemuel's mother and Agur
• D. Hezekiah and Agur

Answer: (A)

In Proverbs, some sections are explicitly attributed to poets other than Solomon, giving us named sources for those sayings. The two figures listed as possible authors are Agur and Lemuel. Agur is introduced in Proverbs 30 as “Agur son of Jakeh,” presenting a distinct, self-contained set of sayings. King Lemuel appears in Proverbs 31:1-9 as the ruler whose words are recorded, with a note that his mother taught him the admonitions. Together, these passages show two named figures other than Solomon who are credited with portions of the wisdom literature.

The other options mix figures in ways the text doesn’t support as direct authors of Proverbs. Solomon and Hezekiah aren’t both presented as independent author-figures in the same way; Hezekiah is tied to a later compilation note rather than being a direct author. Lemuel’s mother is described as the tutor or source of the instruction, not as the author herself. Hezekiah and Agur would likewise misrepresent the textual attributions.