Deck 15: The Wisdom Literature

Question 1

1. Discuss the character of Job. Does he deserve his reputation as a paradigm of patience based on the biblical text? What factors may have contributed to this classic portrayal of Job as supremely patient?

Answer 1

Job is called "blameless" in the opening frame of the story, and he is extremely pious. But throughout the book he is not exactly "patient" but rather constantly demands that God show up and explain the injustice he is undergoing. On the other hand, he does endure this injustice without cursing God, and one old way of understanding patience is "long-suffering," and Job does indeed suffer through a great deal while maintaining his integrity, which may account for his reputation as especially patient.

Question 2

2. What is the difference between "positive" wisdom and "skeptical" wisdom. How do Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes represent these differences? In what ways do these books come to different conclusions about the same questions? Provide examples from each.

Answer 2

Positive wisdom attempts to describe how the world works and the best ways for people to live in light of that. Skeptical wisdom takes a contrary perspective and laments the seeming lack of order in the world or the impossibility of understanding the world's order and explains how to cope in light of this reality. Students should compare the positive perspective of Proverbs with the more skeptical approaches of Ecclesiastes and Job, providing examples from each.

Question 3

3. What are the major emphases of the book of Ecclesiastes? Why has this work been considered controversial since ancient times?

Answer 3

Ecclesiastes is about how to make sense of this world and emphasizes that in light of death and the general transience of everything on earth, everything under the sun is ultimately meaningless. The takeaway is not, however, to despair and die but rather to embrace the good in life while possible and live life to the full.

Question 4

4. Compare the representations of God in the books of Job and Ecclesiastes. What are the similarities and differences? How do these differ from representations of God in the Deuteronomistic History and the prophets?

Question 5

5. How are women portrayed in the book of Proverbs? Provide examples.

Question 6

6. Wisdom literature is considered a universal literary genre of the ancient world. Do you believe that this statement is accurate? What are some of the characteristics of wisdom literature, and what are its major themes?

Question 7

1. The book of Proverbs demonstrates a highly developed belief in the afterlife.

Question 8

2. Wisdom literature is a widely attested genre from the ancient Near East.

Question 9

5. In the book of Job, it is the satan who is ultimately responsible for Job's suffering.

Question 10

6. According to Job's friends, Job is being punished for no apparent reason.

Question 11

8. The author of Ecclesiastes is an atheist.

Question 12

9. The biblical proverbs are generally ahistorical in content.

Question 13

10. The prose frame of Job presents a different perspective from the poetic core of the book.

Question 14

1) In many ways, wisdom literature is analogous to

A) Babylonian epics.
B) prophetic works.
C) Deuteronomistic History.
D) Greek philosophy.

Question 15

2) Traditionally much of the biblical wisdom literature is attributed to

A) David.
B) Job.
C) Solomon.
D) Moses.

Question 16

3) In the book of Proverbs, Woman Wisdom is depicted as

A) a "strange woman."
B) a prophet.
C) God's companion.
D) the author of the psalms.

Question 17

4) Proverbs is divided into three distinct units. Which of the following is not one of them?

A) Several Wisdom Poems and Two Women
B) Observations for a Royal Son
C) Pithy Proverbs
D) Concluding Poems Involving Two Women

Question 18

5) The book of Proverbs is a representative of which category of wisdom?

A) positive
B) negative
C) skeptical
D) pithy

Question 19

6) A pithy and profound saying that encapsulates a distinctive understanding of the world and/or how best to live in it is a(n)

A) anagram.
B) aphorism.
C) proverb.
D) oracle.

Question 20

7) The book of Proverbs tends to include more ____________ than the book of Psalms.

A) synonymous parallelism
B) constructive parallelism
C) acrostics
D) antithetical parallelism

Question 21

8) Wisdom literature is based upon

A) divine revelation.
B) observation of everyday life.
C) laboratory-style experiments.
D) the covenant with Israel.

Question 22

9) Proverbs presents wisdom as a(n)

A) female divine companion of YHWH.
B) prostitute in the streets.
C) ideal wife.
D) guarantee of future success.

Question 23

10) "The Words of Ahiqar" is a text from

A) Assyria.
B) Persia.
C) Israel.
D) Egypt.

Question 24

11) The "Words of Ahiqar" comes from approximately____________ century B.C.E.

A) tenth
B) eighth
C) fifth
D) fourth

Question 25

15) The book of Ecclesiastes is traditionally attributed to

A) David.
B) Job.
C) Solomon.
D) Moses.