International Exegetical Commentary on
the Old Testament (IECOT)
Edited by:
Walter Dietrich, David M. Carr,
Adele Berlin, Erhard Blum, Irmtraud Fischer, Shimon Gesundheit, Walter Groß, Gary Knoppers, Bernard M. Levinson, Ed Noort, Helmut Utzschneider and Beate Ego (Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical books)
Cover:
Top: Panel from a four-part relief on the “Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III” (859–824 BCE) depicting the Israelite king Jehu (845–817 BCE; 2 Kings 9f) paying obeisance to the Assyrian “King of Kings.” The vassal has thrown himself to the ground in front of his overlord. Royal servants are standing behind the Assyrian king whereas Assyrian officers are standing behind Jehu. The remaining picture panels portray thirteen Israelite tribute bearers carrying heavy and precious gifts.
Photo © Z.Radovan/BibleLandPictures.com
Bottom left: One of ten reliefs on the bronze doors that constitute the eastern portal (the so-called “Gates of Paradise”) of the Baptistery of St. John of Florence, created 1424–1452 by Lorenzo Ghiberti (c. 1378–1455). Detail from the picture “Adam and Eve”; in the center is the creation of Eve: “And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.” (Gen 2:22)
Photograph by George Reader
Bottom right: Detail of the Menorah in front of the Knesset in Jerusalem, created by Benno Elkan (1877–1960): Ezra reads the Law of Moses to the assembled nation (Neh 8). The bronze Menorah was created in London in 1956 and in the same year was given by the British as a gift to the State of Israel. A total of 29 reliefs portray scenes from the Hebrew bible and the history of the Jewish people.
Wisdom
W. Kohlhammer
Translation: Michael Tait
Redaction: Jonathan M. Robker
1. Edition 2019
All rights reserved
© W. Kohlhammer GmbH, Stuttgart
Production: W. Kohlhammer GmbH, Stuttgart
Print:
ISBN 978-3-17-022425-4
E-Book-Formats:
pdf: ISBN 978-3-17-033649-0
epub: ISBN 978-3-17-033650-6
mobi: ISBN 978-3-17-033651-3
W. Kohlhammer bears no responsibility fort he accuracy, legality or content of any external website that is linked or cited, or for that of subsequent links.
For the first time, the present commentary brings together all relevant aspects necessary to understand and appreciate this late portion of Old Testament Scripture: textual criticism; detailed philological and literary analysis; the text=s two-fold historical context in its Hellenistic environment, on the one hand, and in the biblical tradition on the other; and ultimately the very innovative theology of the book of Wisdom. Aspects of the book=s reception history as well as hermeneutical questions round off the commentary on the text.
Dr. Luca Mazzinghi is professor of Old Testament at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.
Editors’ Foreword
Preface
General Introduction
A Unique Book
Text and Versions
The Unity of the Book
Literary Structure
Language and Style
Language
Style
The Literary Genre: Between the Epideictic Genre and Midrashic Style
Wisdom: A Protreptic
Wisdom: An
The tyle
Author, Date, and Place of Composition
Author
Date
Place
The Book of Wisdom and the Scriptures
The Book of Wisdom and the Ancient Jewish Tradition
The Book of Wisdom and Hellenism
The Book of Wisdom and the Christian Tradition
The Links with the New Testament
The Problem of Canonicity and the Use of the Book in Christian Antiquity
Introduction to the First Part (Wis 1–6)
Literary Structure
Literary Genre: Wis 1-6 and the Encomium
Wis 1:1-15: Love Justice!
Literary Structure of Wis 1:1-15
Wis 1:1-5: Justice, Wisdom, and Spirit
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 1:6-10: Wisdom is a Philanthropic Spirit
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 1:11-12: Do Not Seek Death!
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 1:13-15: God Did Not Create Death!
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 1:1-15
Wis 1:16–2:24: The Godless Summon Death through Their Words and Deeds
Literary Structure of Wis 1:16–2:24
Wis 1:16-2:5: The Party of Death: A Life without Meaning
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 2:6-9: Let Us Enjoy Life!
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 2:10-16: Let Us Oppress the Just Man!
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 2:17-20: Let Us See If the Just One Is the Child of God …!
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 2:21-24: The Mysteries of God
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 1:16 – 2:24: The Identity of the Ungodly and That of the Just
Wis 3-4: The Just and the Godless between Life and Death: Four Contrasts
Literary Structure of Wis 3-4
The First Diptych: The Destiny of the Just and the Ungodly (Wis 3:1-12)
Wis 3:1-9: The Just Are in the Hand of God and Will Govern Nations
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 3:10-12: The Ungodly and Their Descendants
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
The Second Diptych: The Barren Woman, the Eunuch and the Infertility of the Ungodly (Wis 3:13-19)
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Wis 3:13-15: Praise for the Childless and the Eunuch
Wis 3:16-19: The Children of the Godless
Diachronic Analysis
The Third Diptych: Virtue and Children (Wis 4:1-6)
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
The Fourth Diptych: The Premature Death of the Just and the Sad Death of the Ungodly (Wis 4:7-20)
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Wis 4:7-16: The Premature Death of the Just
Wis 4:17-20: The Sad Death of the Godless
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 3-4
Wis 5: Concluding Contrast of the Just and the Godless before the Background of the Cosmos
The Literary Structure of Wis 5
Wis 5:1-3: Introduction to the Second Discourse of the Ungodly
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 5:4-13: The Discourse of the Ungodly
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 5:14-23: The Vain Hope of the Ungodly and the Blessed Destiny of the Just; the Cosmos, in Alliance with God
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 5
Wis 6:1-21: A New Appeal to the Readers
The Literary Structure of Wis 6
Wis 6:1-11: Listen, O kings!
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 6:12-21: Wisdom Searches for the One Searching for Her
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 6:22-25: I Will Explain the Nature of Wisdom to You
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary
Introduction to the Second Part (Wis 7-9)
Wis 7-8: The Elogium of Wisdom
The Literary Structure of Wis 7-8
Wis 7:1-6: Weakness of “Solomon”
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 7:7-12: Love Wisdom
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 7:13-22a: the gifts of wisdom
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 7:22b–8:1: The Nature of Wisdom
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
The Theological Sense of Wis 7:22b-23 in Light of Its Sources
Wis 8:2-9: Wisdom as Spouse, Friend, Counsellor
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Wis 8:2-4: Wisdom, Friend and Counsellor
Wis 8:5-8: Wisdom Is Superior to Every Good
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 8:10-16: On the Gifts of Wisdom Again
Synchronic Analysis
Wis 8:10-12: The Gifts Offered by Wisdom
Wis 8:13: The Gift of Immortality
Wis 8:14-16: Wisdom, the Art of Good Governance
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 8:17-21: A Prayer to Obtain Wisdom
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 7-8
Wis 9: The Prayer to Obtain Wisdom
Literary Structure of Wis 9
Wis 9:1-6: The First Strophe – Wisdom, Creation, and Human Weakness
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 9:7-12: The Second Strophe – Wisdom and God
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Isis and Wisdom
Wis 9:13-18: The Third Strophe – Wisdom, the Will of God, and Salvation
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 9
Introduction to the Third Part (Wis 10–19)
Wis 10: Wisdom’s Work in History from Adam to Moses
The Structure and Literary Genre of Wis 10
Wis 10:1-4: Adam, Cain and Abel, Noah
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 10:5-9: Abraham, Lot and His wife
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 10:10-12: Jacob
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 10:13-14: Joseph
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 10:15-21: Moses
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 10
Wis 11:1-14: The First Antithesis
Literary Structure of Wis 11:1-14
Wis 11:1-5: The Introduction to the Seven Antitheses
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 11:6-14: The First Antithesis. The Water Changed into Blood; the Water from the Rock
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 11:15–12:27: The Divine “Philanthropy”
Literary Structure of Wis 11:15–12:27
Wis 11:15–12:2: Divine Moderation towards Egypt
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 12:3-21: Divine Moderation towards the Canaanites and Its Lessons
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 12:22-27: God’s Mercy and Zoolatry
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 11:15–12:27
Wis 13–15: The Criticism of Idolatry
Literary Structure of Wis 13-15
Wis 13:1-9: The Religion of the Philosophers
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 13:10–15:13: Criticism of Idolatry
Wis 13:10-19: The Birth of an Idol
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 14:1-10: The Ship of Providence
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 14:11-31: Origins and Consequences of Idolatry
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Wis 14:11-14: The Insubstantial Nature of the Idols
Wis 14:15-21: Premature Grief, Worship of Rulers, Birth of Idols
Wis 14:22-31: The Birth of Immorality
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 15:1-6: Faithfulness of God; Fidelity of the People
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 15:7-13: The Folly of Idolatry
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 15:14-19: Criticism of Egyptian Zoolatry
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 13-15
Wis 16: Three Antitheses: God Punishes and Favours; God’s Word Is Nourishment
The Literary Structure of Wis 16
Wis 16:1-4: The Second Diptych – The Plague of the Beasts and the Quails
The Literary Structure of Wis 16:1-4
Text
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 16:5-14: The Third Diptych – The Serpent in the Desert
The Literary Structure of Wis 16:5-14
Text
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 16:5-14
Wis 16:15-29: Fourth Antithesis – The Hail and the Manna
The Literary Structure of Wis 16:15-29
Part One of the Diptych: Wis 16:15, 16-19, and 20-23
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Part Two of the Diptych: Wis 16:24-29
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 16:15-29
Wis 17:1–18:4: The Fifth Diptych – The Darkness and the Light
The Literary Structure of Wis 17:1–18:4
Wis 17:1-6: A Night of Fear
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 17:7-11: The Magicians and Conscience
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 17:12-15: An Infernal Fear
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 17:16-21: Prisoners of Fear
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 18:1-4: Wisdom and Law, Light for the World
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 17:1–18:4
Wis 18:5-25: The Sixth Diptych – The Night of the Passover
The Literary structure of Wis 18:5-25
Wis 18:5-9: Passover Night
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 18:10-13: The Egyptians’ Dirge
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 18:14-19: The Punishing Logos
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 18:20-25: The Trial of the Israelites and the Intercession of Aaron
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 18:5-25
Wis 19: The Seventh Diptych and the Creation Renewed
The Literary Structure of Wis 19
Wis 19:1-5: The Seventh Diptych; the Crossing of the Sea
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 19:6-12: The Crossing of the Sea and the Creation at the Service of God’s Children
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 19:13-17: Egyptians and Sodomites – The Civil Rights of the Jews of Alexandria
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Wis 19:18-21 and 22: The Creation Renewed. The Book’s Conclusion
Notes on the Text and Translation
Synchronic Analysis
Diachronic Analysis
Summary of Wis 19. The Theology of Chapter 19 and the Conclusion of the Book of Wisdom
Bibliography
1. Commentaries
2. Secondary Literatur on the Book of Wisdom
3. Other Literature
Indexes
Index of Hebrew Words
Index of Key Words
Index of Biblical Citations
Index of Other Ancient Literature
Plan of volumes
The International Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament (IECOT) offers a multi-perspectival interpretation of the books of the Old Testament to a broad, international audience of scholars, laypeople and pastors. Biblical commentaries too often reflect the fragmented character of contemporary biblical scholarship, where different geographical or methodological sub-groups of scholars pursue specific methodologies and/or theories with little engagement of alternative approaches. This series, published in English and German editions, brings together editors and authors from North America, Europe, and Israel with multiple exegetical perspectives.
From the outset the goal has been to publish a series that was “international, ecumenical and contemporary.” The international character is reflected in the composition of an editorial board with members from six countries and commentators representing a yet broader diversity of scholarly contexts.
The ecumenical dimension is reflected in at least two ways. First, both the editorial board and the list of authors includes scholars with a variety of religious perspectives, both Christian and Jewish. Second, the commentary series not only includes volumes on books in the Jewish Tanach/Protestant Old Testament, but also other books recognized as canonical parts of the Old Testament by diverse Christian confessions (thus including the Deuterocanonical Old Testament books).
When it comes to “contemporary,” one central distinguishing feature of this series is its attempt to bring together two broad families of perspectives in analysis of biblical books, perspectives often described as “synchronic” and “diachronic” and all too often understood as incompatible with each other. Historically, diachronic studies arose in Europe, while some of the better known early synchronic studies originated in North America and Israel. Nevertheless, historical studies have continued to be pursued around the world, and focused synchronic work has been done in an ever greater variety of settings. Building on these developments, we aim in this series to bring synchronic and diachronic methods into closer alignment, allowing these approaches to work in a complementary and mutually-informative rather than antagonistic manner.
Since these terms are used in varying ways within biblical studies, it makes sense to specify how they are understood in this series. Within IECOT we understand “synchronic” to embrace a variety of types of study of a biblical text in one given stage of its development, particularly its final stage(s) of development in existing manuscripts. “Synchronic” studies embrace non-historical narratological, reader-response and other approaches along with historically-informed exegesis of a particular stage of a biblical text. In contrast, we understand “diachronic” to embrace the full variety of modes of study of a biblical text over time.
This diachronic analysis may include use of manuscript evidence (where available) to identify documented pre-stages of a biblical text, judicious use of clues within the biblical text to reconstruct its formation over time, and also an examination of the ways in which a biblical text may be in dialogue with earlier biblical (and non-biblical) motifs, traditions, themes, etc. In other words, diachronic study focuses on what might be termed a “depth dimension” of a given text – how a text (and its parts) has journeyed over time up to its present form, making the text part of a broader history of traditions, motifs and/or prior compositions. Synchronic analysis focuses on a particular moment (or moments) of that journey, with a particular focus on the final, canonized form (or forms) of the text. Together they represent, in our view, complementary ways of building a textual interpretation.
Of course, each biblical book is different, and each author or team of authors has different ideas of how to incorporate these perspectives into the commentary. The authors will present their ideas in the introduction to each volume. In addition, each author or team of authors will highlight specific contemporary methodological and hermeneutical perspectives – e.g. gender-critical, liberation-theological, reception-historical, social-historical – appropriate to their own strengths and to the biblical book being interpreted. The result, we hope and expect, will be a series of volumes that display a range of ways that various methodologies and discourses can be integrated into the interpretation of the diverse books of the Old Testament.
Fall 2012
The Editors
The book of Wisdom is the object of renewed interest. Although deeply rooted in the Scriptures of Israel, it forms an interesting bridge between the Jewish and Hellenistic worlds.
This commentary presupposes two previous works which both constitute solid points of reference for the exegesis of Wisdom: the three volumes of C. Larcher (La Sagesse de Salomon ou le livre de la Sagesse, 1983-1985) and the three of G. Scarpat (Libro della Sapienza, 1989-1999). Begun in 1969 with his pioneering Etudes sur le livre de la Sagesse, Larcher’s work constitutes the best existing work on Wisdom carried out in light of the criteria of traditional historical-critical exegesis. For its part, Scarpat’s work offers a monumental philological analysis of our book which it would be hard to surpass. However, the studies of the last twenty years have contributed to the highlighting of some fundamental aspects which complete and develop these works. First of all, there has been a discovery of a careful literary structure through which the author of the book intends to communicate a precise theological message (M. Gilbert, P. Bizzeti). Then, a broader and more complete view of the style and literary genre of the book has developed. These too are seen to serve the message which the author is intending to offer to his readership. Secondly, there has been a broader and deeper assessment of the relationship which the book displays with the biblical and Jewish world, on the one hand, and with the Hellenistic world, on the other. There has also been a more accurate view of the historical context in Alexandria towards the end of the first century BCE. Finally, there has been closer attention to the particular theological standpoint of our sage. Although taken into consideration in the studies of Larcher, this has not been highlighted sufficiently by the other commentators, however illustrious (Scarpat, but also D. Winston). That is especially the case of the third part (Wis 10-19) which has been rediscovered only since the 1990s. All of this leaves room for a new commentary on Wisdom, certainly one that is more concise than the majority of its predecessors, but also one that seeks to unite exegetical analysis properly so called with the three factors indicated above: structure and literary genre; relationship with the biblical (and Jewish) world and with Hellenism; and the theological perspective of the author.