Book of Wisdom

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Old Testament and Hebrew Bible
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Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox
Tobit
Judith
1 Maccabees
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Wisdom
(Wisdom of Solomon)
Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus) (Wisdom of Sirach)
Baruch
Letter of Jeremiah - Considered as part of Baruch in Roman Catholic Tradition
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Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox
1 Esdras (3 Esdras)
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Book of Odes (includes Prayer of Manasseh)
Psalm 151
Russian and Oriental Orthodox
2 Esdras (4 Esdras)
Oriental Orthodox
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Enoch
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Wisdom or the Wisdom of Solomon is one of the deuterocanonical books of the Bible. There are no surviving copies of the text in Hebrew. Although the author claims to be Solomon, many scholars believe that its language and ideas are of Greek origin and therefore the author is an Alexandrian Jew. Thus it is the most classical Greek in the Septuagint. It is usually dated to the 1st or 2nd century BC. The author of the text, often referred to as Pseudo-Solomon, is noted by scholars as well versed in the popular philosophical, religious, and ethical writings of Hellenistic Alexandria.

Philosophical influences may possibly include those of Middle-Platonism (and much of its foundational classical Platonic thinking). Some religious and ethical influences that are found in the Book may stem from Greco-Roman Stoicism, which blossomed in popular culture due to the writings of the Hellinistic Jew Philo. This is evident in the use of the four Stoic ideals which are borrowed from Plato. A Sorites appears in Chapter 6 on wisdom. This logical form, also called Chain-inference “of which the Stoics were very fond.” (Zeller, 'Stoics', p. 216 note)

In one passage (Wis. viii. 2-18) are very similar to those of Hercules' speech on Virtue in Xenophon, Mem. ii. 1.

Although it is purported to have the same author as Ecclesiastes the beliefs on afterlife are significantly different. Chapter 2 in particular seems to be in direct response to Ecclesiastes; “For they said within themselves, reasoning not aright, Short and sorrowful is our life; And there is no remedy when a man cometh to his end” (Wis. ii. 1)

It is considered to be a possible source for the Gospel of Matthew. Parallels between Wisdom and Matthew include the theme of testing and mocking of a servant of God’s claim to be protected by God. According to Matthew Jesus is the suffering servant of God. The best example of that is that Matthew 27:43, which is connected to Jesus and is material unique to the Gospel of Matthew, is very similar in language and theme to Wisdom 2:12-20, which in turn seems to be alluding to the suffering servant of Psalm 22:8.

Matthew 27:43 "He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

Wisdom 2:13 "He professeth to have the knowledge of God: and he calleth himself the child of the Lord..." 17 "Let us see if his words be true..." 18 "For if the just man be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him."

Psalm 22:8 "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."

Note that Matthew's phrase "the Son of God" appears in Wisdom but not in the Psalm.

External links

[The Book of Wisdom] Full text from http://St-Takla.org (also available in [Arabic])

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