Wisdom

Luca Mazzinghi, Michael Tait, Walter Dietrich, David M. Carr, Adele Berlin, Erhard Blum, Irmtraud Fischer, Shimon Gesundheit, Walter Groß, Gary N. Knoppers, Bernard M. Levinson, Ed Noort, Helmut Utzschneider, Beate Ego

• Publisher: Kohlhammer Verlag
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9783170224254
• eBook ISBN: 9783170336506
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

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.

Introduction to the First Part (Wis 1–6)

The protagonists of the first part of the book of Wisdom are the just and the ungodly, but only the latter appear as active characters. The just appear to be totally passive: they undergo the violence of the ungodly and experience only death (Wis 2). Our sage is thus reflecting on the eternal reality of violence and evil which had already led to Job’s courageous rebellion and to the bitter and disenchanted conclusions of Qoheleth and wishes to offer a response.¹ Human life appears as a drama in which the ungodly seem to emerge as protagonists.² However, in the heart of this first part of the book (Wis 3-4), a wholly new perspective opens up, one which neither Job nor Qoheleth imagined: the just have the prospect of eternal life. The immortality given to the just is immediately transformed into the defeat of the ungodly. Their plans, expounded and so criticised in 1:16-2:24, are contrasted with their knowledge of their own tragic failure (Wis 5). In both cases, speech is given to the ungodly. In the outer frame (Wis 1:1-15 and 6:1-25), the author addresses his audience, the Alexandrian Jews, exhorting them to follow justice and to learn wisdom in order to find life. Justice, wisdom, and life thus become a triad which runs through the whole of the book: “Justice, Wisdom and Life are the universe offered by God whereas injustice, error and death are the way of the ungodly. Not for nothing, the author sets his hand to dramatic forms and speaks in a pathetic tone”.³

Literary Structure

We limit ourselves here to some general observations, noting first of all that Wis 1-6 offers an elegant concentric structure:

A – Initial exhortation (1:1-15): the pericope is identified by a double inclusio: δικαιοσύνη (vv. 1a, 15) and γῆς (vv. 1a and 14c). The book opens with an appeal to listen, addressed to those who “govern” so that they may embrace justice and wisdom.

B – Life project of the ungodly (1:16-2:24): cf. the inclusio on the term μερίς, “part / party” (1:16 and 2:24), the only occurrences of the term in the whole of the book of Wisdom except for 2:9 at the centre of this passage. Wis 2:1-20 presents the reasoning of the ungodly surrounded by the negative judgement of the author in 1:16 and 2:21-24 which, at the same time, recalls God’s plan for creation (cf. 1:13-15).

C – Wis 3:1-4:20 forms the centre of the first part of the book and contains four antithetical diptychs which highlight the different destiny of the just and the ungodly:

C1. The eternal bliss of the just with God (3:1-9) is contrasted with the misery of the ungodly (3:10-12); the key word “hope” (ἐλπίς), in vv. 4 and 11, binds the two parts of the passage together.

C2. The bliss of the sterile but virtuous woman and of the eunuch who is also virtuous is contrasted with the misery of the children of the adulterers (3:13-19).

C3. The sterile person without children is worth more than someone who has many children but is without virtue (4:1-6).

C4. For the just, premature death is the passage to eternal life (4:7-16; cf. the inclusio on γῆρας, “old age”, in vv. 8 and 16), while the misery of the ungodly is assured even if they live a long time (4:17-20).

B’ – Final account of the ungodly (5:1-23); the author’s thought is laid out in the frame represented by vv. 1-3 and 14-23. Verse 14 and v. 23 are characterised by the repetition of the rare word λαῖλαψ, “hurricane”, present only here in the book. This frame encloses a second discourse of the ungodly (5:4-13) similar to that of chapter 2, but relating, this time, to their miserable destiny at the moment of judgement.

A’ – Concluding exhortation addressed to the “governors” that they may follow wisdom (6:1-21). A good example of the keyword is “all the earth” (πᾶσα ἡ γῆ), which links 5:23 with 6:1. Two inclusios with the beginning of the book, “examine” (ἐξέτασις: 1:9 and ἐξετάσει: 6:3) and “seek” (ζητέω in 1:1 and 6:12, 16) link this final exhortation with the opening one (1:1-15).

The text of Wis 6:22-25 makes up the conclusion of the first part as well as the announcement of the second. The author is preparing to speak of wisdom, its nature, its origin, and its history. The term “wisdom” (σοφία; 6:21 and 22) and the verb παιδεύω, “educate” (6:11 and 25) link the introduction to the previous section.

Literary Genre: Wis 1-6 and the Encomium

Transumptive Narration From a perspective of the literary genre employed, David Seeley has an interesting proposal: Wis 1-5 would constitute a “Transumptive Narration”,⁴ that is, a new narration, which is based on previous stories and which intends to respond to the great questions of life. In fact, our sage is combining the Servant Songs of Isaiah, as well as other biblical sources (cf. Introduction, p. 31-32), with themes from the Graeco-Roman philosophical sphere. A common topos in the philosophy of the time is the accusation made against Epicureanism of leading from hedonism to violence (cf. the comment on Wis 2:10). Another topos is that of the philosopher who is opposed because of observing the laws (cf. the comment on 2:12). Our sage is thus constructing a story relating to a pious Jew which is actually following Hellenistic philosophical models.⁵

Wis 1-6 as Exordium Within the literary genre of the encomium, chapters 1-6 have the precise function of representing the exordium of the encomium itself.⁶ Wis 1:1-11 constitutes the exordium as such. There is an appeal to the listeners (1:1-2), and the subject (wisdom associated with the spirit) is introduced, incorporated (1:3-5, 6-11) within a polemical warning against the opponents. Wis 1:(12)13-15 contains the first announcement of the theme which will be at the heart of this exordium: God did not create death, and justice is immortal. Then, the opponents, the ungodly, come into the scene (2:1b-20), as happens in the exordium of some classical encomia (in his De amicitia, Cicero fields the Epicureans). The author’s judgement (2:21-24) closes the presentation of the ungodly, returning to what was anticipated in 1:13-15. The rejection of the opposing theses is illustrated by four paradoxical antitheses presented in Wis 3-4. The paradox is typical of the literary genre of the encomium and is introduced by our sage here precisely at the heart of the exordium. Chapter 5, with its presentation of the ungodly post mortem, is not part of the literary genre of the encomium but forms a logical pendant to chapter 2 within a concentric literary structure (cf. below).

The text of Wis 6:1-11 takes up the same themes as 1:1-11, introducing more clearly the basic theme of the book: wisdom.

In 6:12-21, we are once again in language typical of the exordium, but there are beginning to appear themes which will form part of the following elogium of wisdom. The text of Wis 6:22-25, a bridge between the first and second parts (see below) announces that the author will be speaking of the nature of wisdom (τί δέ ἐστιν σοφία; 6:22a) and of its origin (πῶς ἐγένετο) along the lines of the classical style of the encomium which takes its inspiration from the ἀρχή and the γένος of a person.⁷

Wis 1:1-15: Love Justice!

Literary Structure of Wis 1:1-15¹

Introduction to the Work Here we have the introduction to the whole work, an initial appeal addressed to the recipients of the book (those who “govern on earth”). It will be taken up again in Wis 6 in accordance with the concentric structure which we have outlined above. It is not strange, therefore, to find anticipated here many themes which run through the entire book: justice, the wisdom associated with the spirit of God, the presence of this spirit in the world, the contrast between the just and the ungodly, death and immortality, and the cosmos. Despite the presence of polemical points, the general tone is positive and, towards the end, almost joyful. Everything that exists has a salvific value, and there is no dominion of death on the earth.

Verse 1 opens with three imperatives in positive form (ἀγαπήσατε, φρονήσατε, ζητήσατε). The same verbal form is taken up again in vv. 11-12 where there appears a second series of four imperatives, in negative form or with a negative sense (φυλάξασθε, φείσασθε, μὴ ζηλοῦτε, μηδὲ ἐπισπᾶσθε). Verses 1-12 thus constitute a fairly unitary section. Its internal arrangement can be outlined as follows:

Wis 1:1-5 An urgent invitation to seek wisdom and justice. Cf. the quasi-inclusio δικαιοσύνη – ἀδικία (v. 1a, 5c). In 4a and in 5a, the two terms σοφία and πνεῦμα appear separately while in 6a they are associated with each other, something that suggests the existence of a certain caesura between v. 5 and v. 6.

Wis 1:6-10 The emphasis is shifted on to the theme of the word, something which gives unity to this short pericope. The terms γλώσσης (v. 6e and 11b) and γογγυσμῶν / γογγυσμόν (v. 10b and 11a) constitute two keywords with the following section.

Wis 1:11-12 With its four imperatives, this concluding exhortation recalls the text of 1:1 (cf. above). Two imperatives urge the avoidance of wrong behaviour (v. 11), and two are openly negative (v. 12).

Wis 1:13-15 These verses present characteristics which distinguish them from the rest of the pericope: between v. 12 and v. 13, there exists a certain break, even one of a thematic character². This short section attests the existence of notable contacts with Wis 2:23-24 at the end of the discourse of the ungodly (cf. 1:16-2:20). Like 2:23, v. 13 also opens with the expression ὅτι ὁ θεός followed by the verb ποιέω, which does not appear again before 6:7, and by κτίζω, which does not reappear before 10:1. Further points of contact are the presence of κόσμος (only used before...

Table of contents

• Deckblatt
• Impressum
• Editors’ Foreword
• Preface
• General Introduction
• Introduction to the First Part (Wis 1–6)
• Wis 1:1-15: Love Justice!
• Wis 1:16–2:24: The Godless Summon Death through Their Words and Deeds
• Wis 3-4: The Just and the Godless between Life and Death: Four Contrasts
• Wis 5: Concluding Contrast of the Just and the Godless before the Background of the Cosmos
• Wis 6:1-21: A New Appeal to the Readers
• Introduction to the Second Part (Wis 7-9)
• Wis 7-8: The Elogium of Wisdom
• Wis 9: The Prayer to Obtain Wisdom
• Introduction to the Third Part (Wis 10–19)
• Wis 10: Wisdom’s Work in History from Adam to Moses
• Wis 11:1-14: The First Antithesis
• Wis 11:15–12:27: The Divine “Philanthropy”
• Wis 13–15: The Criticism of Idolatry
• Wis 16: Three Antitheses: God Punishes and Favours; God’s Word Is Nourishment
• Wis 17:1–18:4: The Fifth Diptych – The Darkness and the Light
• Wis 18:5-25: The Sixth Diptych – The Night of the Passover
• Wis 19: The Seventh Diptych and the Creation Renewed
• Bibliography
• Indexes
• Plan of volumes