Digital Logos Edition
It can be a challenge to understand the Hebrew Bible’s wisdom literature and how it relates to biblical history and theology, but John L. McLaughlin makes this complicated genre straightforward and accessible.
This introductory-level textbook begins by explaining the meaning of wisdom to the Israelites and surrounding cultures before moving into the conventions of the genre and its poetic forms. The heart of the book examines Proverbs, Job, Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes), and the Deuterocanonical Ben Sira and Wisdom of Solomon. McLaughlin also explores the influence of wisdom throughout the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
Offers an excellent, accessible reading of wisdom across the Bible. McLaughlin brings readers into the world of wisdom ranging from Egypt to Mesopotamia, and he masterfully presents the conventions of Hebrew poetry. . . . A pleasure to read, most highly recommended.
—Mark S. Smith, Princeton Theological Seminary
A welcome introduction to an understudied and underappreciated body of biblical literature. McLaughlin provides helpful, concise, and insightful discussions of all of the wisdom books found in the Hebrew Bible and the Deuterocanon.
—Gary N. Knoppers, University of Notre Dame