Biblical Hebrew Blog by ClassicalHebrew.com

The Wisdom literature of the Bible was not necessarily officially defined as such in biblical times, but can be described as those books which include different kinds of advice which is based on wisdom and experience. The books included in this category are Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job, and from the Apocrypha – the Proverbs of Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon.

While the meaning of the word “wisdom” is rather clear in modern times, in biblical times it is slightly more complex. Initially, this word denoted any kind of expert: God says of Bezalel, who designed the instruments of the desert Tabernacle, that “I have filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom and intelligence…”. However, eventually, the word came to denote an expert in rhetorical arts, and from there received its meaning as one who is an expert in giving advice.

Contrary to popular thought, biblical wisdom is not necessarily religious in character. It often has more to do with good practical and moral advice, which is usually presented in the form of a proverb. The most significant compilation of such proverbs is found, naturally, in the Book of Proverbs, which is comprised of nine collections of proverbs. In these are included different kinds of advice, scolding, general sayings defining different aspects of life, encouragement of the fear of God, and in the last chapter – the description of the Woman of Valor.

Another important book belonging to the Wisdom Literature is the Book of Ecclesiastes, in which Qoheleth, traditionally identified as Solomon, describes his life-time search after Wisdom in a manner reminiscent of the Greek philosophers. After presenting the various questions he tried to solve and discovering the limits of human thought, Qoheleth pessimistically concludes that all human efforts to understand the world are futile and people must simply enjoy what they have in life and fear God.

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