Wisdom for Life: A Consideration of Wisdom in the Old Testament

Wisdom for Life: A Consideration of Wisdom in the Old Testament

WONG Fook Kong

The concept of wisdom in the Old Testament includes both practical and philosophical wisdom. In the usage of the word “wisdom” as well as in the teachings of the books of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, practical and philosophical wisdom are inextricably joined together. In the case of Proverbs, practical wisdom flows naturally from its theological-philosophical view of life. In the case of Ecclesiastes, penetrating practical wisdom permeates the book despite its assertion of the meaninglessness of life. In this respect, ancient Israelite wisdom was similar to wisdom in the Ancient Near East, where both the usage of the term wisdom and the contents of the wisdom literature involved practical as well as philosophical wisdom.