Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Form And The Literary Style Of Wisdom - 1456 Words

Discuss the content, the form and the literary style of wisdom as presented in Proverbs 11 Wisdom literature within the Old Testament consists of a broad collection of books that reflect on Israel’s religious faith. Within the Catholic designation, seven books that of Proverbs, Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth) Song of Songs, Sirach and Wisdom are proffered. These books differ in both style and subject matter, nonetheless they share common characteristics which distinguish them from other biblical books. Wisdom has a focus on divine salvation proclaimed by the Torah and prophets, whilst displaying a slight interest in Israel as a nation historically. There main emphasis is in addressing the problems of why there is suffering,†¦show more content†¦Proverbs encapsulate the human experience in its universality and comprehension, and is a classic example of postexilic composition, with a lengthy history dating back to the Solomonic era. Some sayings have been attributed to the civilisation of the Sumerians in 3000 B.C. with later additions by Solomon not written down until two centuries later in the time of King Hezekiah of Judah. Other smaller collections are attributed to wise teachers and kings. Proverbs is a book largely made up of maxims or in Hebrew the mashal. The sayings within offer a key to proper conduct in the course of daily living and cover everything from table manners to sexual behaviour in setting forth the norms for a good life. It is based on the reverence for God and obedience to his laws with the â€Å"fear of the Lord† the essence of all true human wisdom. The origins of the Wisdom (personified as a woman) literature are often identified with court circles where young men were trained in the discipline and skills of royal life. Israel was not alone in this with many example of this type of wisdom on other Near Eastern culture. Education was seen as valid and applicable to much of life’s circumstances and suitable to that of a postexilic monarchy. It is generally alleged that it was after this p eriod that ‘proverbs’ were collected and edited. It is proposed that some of the collections of proverbs originated within family and

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.