Wisdom Literature
Wisdom Literature
 The Hebrew word for wisdom is translated
“skill for living,” because the Jews regarded
wisdom in very practical terms.
 Wisdom is defined as “knowledge and good
judgment based on experience.”
 This literature provided guidance for moral
behavior and everyday living. It helped people
know how to cope with day-to-day living.
Wisdom Literature
 Hebrew wisdom literature, as distinguished from
the wisdom writings of other cultures, was
centered on God.
 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and
instruction.” (Prov. 1:7)
 “Solomon is revered in the Hebrew Bible as the
father of the wisdom tradition.”
Wisdom Literature
The Old Testament Contains three types of
Wisdom literature:
• Popular proverbs that express practical
truths.
• Riddles or parables with a spiritual meaning.
• Discussions of the problems of life.
Wisdom Literature
There are two characteristics of wisdom
literature:
 It originated in and was nurtured by the
family or tribe.
 It was oral in its earliest forms.
Types of Wisdom Teachings
Practical Wisdom:
1) Proverbs – short, easily remembered saying with
one main point.
2) Fable – Story with a moral giving human qualities
to animals or plants.
3) Short poetic discourses – longer proverbs with one
main point.
Job
• Job is a classic examination of the problems of
evil and human suffering. (1:8-12; 38:1 – 39:30;
42:1-6)
• The book of Job examines the question: “Can God
be trusted?”
• Job’s friends address him from the orthodox view
of traditional wisdom which provides no comfort.
• Job comes to understand that wisdom is
ultimately found in God alone, and human
wisdom cannot on its own fathom the ways of
God.
Psalms
A collection of 150 poems containing many
emotions, including: love and adoration toward
God, sorrow over sin, dependence on God in
desperate circumstances, the battle of fear and
trust, walking with God even when the way
seems dark, thankfulness for God’s care,
devotion to the word of God, and confidence in
the eventual triumph of God’s purposes for the
world.
Psalms
• Psalms is the hymnbook of God’s people.
• Many of the Psalms address the feelings,
understandings, and struggles of God’s
people.
• A recurring theme is the prosperity of the
wicked while the godly suffer. (1; 10)
Proverbs
• This book seeks to describe true wisdom
and helps God’s people to put it into
practice.
• The source of this wisdom is the “fear of
the Lord.”
• This wisdom is very practical and is
designed to develop proper attitudes
and godly behavior (1:7, 2:6-8, 3:1-6).
Ecclesiastes
• Ecclesiastes is concerned with imparting
wisdom and knowledge to the people of God
(12:9–11) and teaching them to fear the Lord.
• The book offers a philosophical discussion of
the emptiness of life without God and how to
find fulfillment in life. (1:2-3, 1: 12-18, 12:1314)
• The theme of Ecclesiastes is the necessity of
fearing God in a fallen, and therefore
frequently confusing and frustrating, world.
Song of Songs
•
•
•
•
This book contains marvelous poetry expressing
romantic love between a young man (a shepherd, 1:7)
and a young woman (a shepherdess, 1:8) in ancient
Israel.
It was understood by early Jewish interpreters as an
allegory of God’s love for Israel.
Many Christian interpreters saw it as an allegory of
Christ’s love for the church, or as Christ’s love for the
soul.
The theme is God’s covenant commands sexual purity
which provides the right context (marriage) within
which his people may properly enjoy the gift of sexual
intimacy (cf. Gen. 2:23–24).