Beardslee, William A.  "Uses of the Proverbs in the Synoptic Gospels."  Interpretation 24, no. __ (1970): 61-73.

Abstract

Though the word on tradition has been considered an important influence on the writing of the gospels and the teaching of Jesus, most of the scholarly interest has centered around the parable rather than the proverb.  Proverbs, like parables, use intensification and hyperbole to reflect upon commonplace events, which jolt the hearer into a new perspective on these events.