Reference: Wisdom
Hastings
The great literary landmarks of the 'wisdom' teaching are the Books of Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Sirach, and the Wisdom of Solomon. This literature, in its present form at least, belongs to the latter half of the Persian period and to the Greek period of Jewish history. But behind this latest and finest product of the Hebrew mind there lay a long process of germination. In the pre-exilic history there are traces of the presence of the 'wisdom' element from early times. This primitive 'wisdom' was not regarded as an exclusively Israelitish possession, but was shared with other nations (1Ki 4:30-31; Ge 41:8; Jg 5:29; Jer 10:7; Eze 27:8). In Israel it was confined neither to rank (1Ki 10:28; De 16:19; Job 32:9) nor to sex (2Sa 14:1 ff; 2Sa 20:22); but it was particularly characteristic of 'the elders' (De 1:16; Job 12:12; 32:7), and in course of time seems to have given rise to a special class of teachers known as 'the Wise' (Jer 18:18).
Early 'Wisdom' was varied in character and of as wide a scope as the range of human activities. It thus included the most heterogeneous elements: e.g. mechanical skill (1Ki 7:14), statecraft (1Ki 5:12), financial and commercial ability (Eze 28), political trickery (1Ki 2:6), common sense and tact (2Sa 14; 20:14-22), learning (1Ki 3:16-28), military skill and administrative ability (Isa 10:13), piety (De 4:6), and the creative energy of God (Jer 10:12). In short, any capacity possessed in an exceptional degree was recognized as 'wisdom,' and was regarded as the gift of God. But there was already manifest a marked tendency to magnify the ethical and religious elements of 'wisdom,' which later came to their full recognition.
In pre-exilic Israel, however, 'wisdom' played a relatively small part in religion. The vital, progressive religious spirit exhausted itself in prophecy. Here was laid the foundation of all the later 'wisdom.' Not only laid the prophets hand down the literary forms through which the sages expressed themselves, e.g. riddle (Jg 14:14-18), fable (Jg 9:3-15), parable (2Sa 12:1-3; Isa 5:1-5), proverb (1Sa 10:12; Jer 31:29), essay (Isa 28:23-29), lyric, address, etc., but they also wrought out certain great ideas that were presupposed in all the later 'wisdom.' These were: (a) monotheism, which found free course in Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, and Deutero-Isaiah; (b) individualism, or the responsibility of the individual before God for his own sins and for the sins of no one else
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The very next morning, he was frustrated about the dream, so he sent word to summon all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them what he had dreamed, but no one could interpret them.
I charged your judges at that time, "When you hold a hearing between brothers, judge fairly between a man and his brother or between foreigners.
Observe them carefully, because this will show your wisdom and discernment in the eyes of people who'll listen to all these decrees. Then they'll say: "Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people.'
You must not twist justice, show favoritism, or take bribes, because a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the speech of the righteous.
Her wise attendants find an answer for her; in fact, she tells the same words to herself:
So his mother's relatives spoke all of this on his behalf in the presence of all the "lords" of Shechem. Since they were inclined to follow Abimelech, they said, "He's our relative!" and they gave him 70 silver coins from the temple that they had built to Baal-berith. Abimelech hired some worthless and useless men, who followed him read more. to his father's house in Ophrah. There he murdered his own brothers, Jerubbaal's sons all 70 of them in one place. But Jerubbaal's youngest son Jotham survived by hiding himself. All the men from Shechem and Beth-millo gathered together and set up Abimelech as king near the pillar erected in Shechem. When Jotham was informed about this, he went out, took his stand on top of Mount Gerizim, and cried out loudly, "Listen to me, you "lords" of Shechem, and God will listen to you. "Once upon a time the trees went out to consecrate a king for themselves. "So they told the olive tree, "Reign over us!' But the olive tree asked them, "Should I stop producing my rich oils by which both God and men are honored and go take dominion over trees?' "So the trees told the fig tree, "Hey you! Come and reign over us!' But the fig tree asked them, "Should I leave my sweet, good fruit and go take dominion over trees?' "So the trees told the grape vine, "Hey you! Come and reign over us!' But the grape vine asked them, "Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go take dominion over trees?' "So all the trees told the bramble bush, "Hey you! Come and reign over us!' Then the bramble bush replied to the trees, "If you really are consecrating me to rule you, come and put your confidence in my shade; but if not, may fire spring out from the bramble bush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon"'
So he told them: From the eater came something edible; from the strong something sweet. For three days they couldn't solve the riddle. The next day, they told Samson's wife, "Coax your husband to explain the riddle or we'll set fire to your father's house with you in it! You've invited us here to make us paupers, haven't you?" read more. So Samson's wife cried in front of him and accused him, "You only hate me. You don't love me. You've told a riddle to my relatives, but you haven't told the solution to me." Samson responded, "Look, I haven't told my parents, either. Why should I tell you?" So she kept on crying in front of him for the entire seven days of the wedding party. On the seventh day he told the solution to her because she nagged him, and then she told the solution to the riddle to her relatives. Then the men of the city answered him just before sunset on the seventh day: "What is sweeter than honey? What are stronger than lions?" Samson responded, "If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, you wouldn't have solved my riddle."
A man from there answered: "Now who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
Nathan approached David and said, "There are two men in the city. One is rich and one is poor. The rich man has many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing except for one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It used to share his food and drink from his own cup. It even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
Meanwhile, Zeruiah's son Joab knew that the king's attention was focused on Absalom,
So the woman replied, "Watch this! His head will be thrown to you over the city wall." Then the woman wisely went back to her people. They cut off the head of Bichri's son Sheba and threw it out to Joab, so Joab sounded his battle trumpet and they withdrew from the city. Everybody went back home and Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.
So act consistently with your wisdom, and don't let him die as a peaceful old man.
Right about then, two prostitutes approached the king and requested an audience with him. One woman said, "Your majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. read more. Three days later, this woman also gave birth. We lived alone there. There was nobody else with us in the house. It was just the two of us. This woman's son died overnight because she laid on top of him. She got up in the middle of the night, took my son from me while your servant was asleep, and laid him to her breast after laying her dead son next to me. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son, and he was dead. But when I examined him carefully in the light of day, he turned out not to be my son whom I had borne!" "Not so," claimed the other woman. "The living child is my son, and the dead one is yours." But the first woman said, "Not so! The dead child is your son and the living one is my son." This is what they testified before the king. The king said, "One of them claims, "This living son is mine, and your son is the dead one' and the other claims "No. Your son is the dead one and my son is the living one.' "Somebody get me a sword." So they brought a sword to the king. "Divide the living child in two!" he ordered. "Give half to the one and half to the other." The woman whose child was still alive cried out to the king, because her heart yearned for her son. "Oh no, your majesty!" she said. "Give her the living child. Please don't kill him." But the other woman said, "Cut him in half! That way, he'll belong to neither one of us." The king announced his decision: "Give the living child to the first woman. Don't kill him. She is his mother." When this decision that the king had handed down was announced, everybody in Israel was amazed at the king, because they all saw that God's wisdom was in him, enabling him to administer justice.
Solomon was wiser than any of the eastern leaders and wiser than anyone in Egypt. He was wiser than anyone of his day wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, and wiser than Mahol's sons Calcol and Darda.
The LORD continued giving Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised, and Hiram and Solomon entered into a peace treaty between themselves.
the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, whose father was from Tyre. A bronze worker, he was wise, knowledgeable, and was skilled in all sorts of bronze working. He went to King Solomon and did all of his work.
Solomon imported horses from Egypt and Kue, and the king's buyers procured them at market price from Kue.
"Wisdom may be found in the company of the aged. Understanding comes with longevity.
I thought, experience should speak; abundance of years teaches wisdom.
"The aged aren't always wise, nor do the elderly always understand justice.
"The LORD made me as he began his planning, before his ancient activity commenced. From eternity I was appointed, from the beginning, from before there was land. read more. When there were no ocean depths, I brought them to birth at a time when there were no springs. Before the mountains were shaped, before there were hills, I was bringing them to birth. Even though he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the world's first grains of dust, when he crafted the heavens, I was there when he marked out a circle on the face of the deep, when he made the clouds from above, when the springs of the depths were established, when he set a boundary for the sea so the waters would not exceed his limits, when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was with him, his master craftsman I was his delight daily, continuously rejoicing in his presence, rejoicing in his inhabitable world and taking delight in mankind."
I will sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: "The one I love had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He plowed its land and cleared it of stones. Then he planted it with the choicest vines, built a watchtower in the middle of it, and dug a wine vat in it; He expected it to produce good grapes, but it produced only wild ones." read more. "So now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, won't you please, between me and my vineyard. What more could I do in my vineyard, that I haven't already done? When I expected it to produce good grapes, why did it yield wild ones? "Now, let me tell you, won't you please, what I'm going to do to my vineyard. "I'm going to take away its protective hedge, and it will be devoured; I'll break down its wall, and it will be trampled.
He keeps bragging: "I've done it by the strength of my hand, and by my wisdom, because I'm so clever. I removed the boundaries of nations, and plundered their treasures; like a bull I brought down those who sat on thrones.
"Pay attention! Listen to what I have to say; Pay attention, and hear my speech. Does he who plows for sowing plow all the time? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing his field? read more. When he has leveled its surface, he scatters caraway and sows cumin, doesn't he? He plants wheat in rows, barley in its designated place, and feed for livestock around its borders, doesn't he? His God instructs him regarding the correct way, directing him how to plant. For caraway is not threshed with a sharp sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin. Instead, caraway is winnowed with a stick, and cumin with a rod. It must be ground; one cannot keep threshing it forever. Even if he drives his cart and horses over it, he cannot crush it. This insight also comes from the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, who is distinguished in practical advice and magnificent in sound wisdom."
Who wouldn't fear you, king of the nations? This is what you deserve! Indeed, among all the wise men of the nations, and throughout all their kingdoms, there is no one like you!
The LORD is the one who made the world by his power, who established the earth by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
Then they said, "Come, let's make up a plot against Jeremiah. After all, the priest's instruction, the wise man's counsel, and the prophet's message won't be destroyed. So let's verbally attack him. Pay no attention to anything he says!"
"In those days people will no longer say, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, but the children's teeth have been set on edge.'
Watsons
WISDOM is put for that prudence and discretion which enables a man to perceive that which is fit to be done, according to the circumstances of time, place, persons, manners, and end of doing, Ec 2:13-14. It was this sort of wisdom that Solomon intreated of God with so much earnestness, and which God granted him with such divine liberality, 1Ki 3:9,12,28. It also signifies quickness of invention, and dexterity in the execution of several works, which require not so much strength of body, as industry, and labour of the mind. For example, God told Moses, Ex 31:3, that he had filled Bezaleel and Aholiab with wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge, to invent and perform several sorts of work for completing the tabernacle. It is used for craft, cunning, and stratagem, and that whether good or evil. Thus it is said by Moses, that Pharaoh dealt wisely with the Israelites, when he opposed them in Egypt, Ex 1:10; it is observed of Jonadab; the friend of Ammon, and nephew of David, that he was very wise, that is, very subtle and crafty, 2Sa 13:3; and Job 5:13, says, that God "taketh the wine in their own craftiness." Wisdom means also doctrine, learning, and experience: "With the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days understanding," Job 12:12. It is put for true piety, or the fear of God, which is spiritual wisdom: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply or hearts unto wisdom," Ps 90:12; "The fear of the Lord that is wisdom," Job 27:23. Wisdom is put for the eternal Wisdom, the Word of God. It was by wisdom that God established the heavens, and founded the earth, Pr 3:19. How magnificently does Solomon describe the primeval birth of the eternal Son of God, under the character of Wisdom personified; to which so many references and allusions are to be found in the Old and New Testament! "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth," Pr 8:22-25. The apocryphal book of Wisdom introduces, by a reference to this passage, the following admirable invocation, Wisdom 9:9, 10:
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Come on, let's be careful how we treat them, so that when they grow numerous, if a war breaks out they won't join our enemies, fight against us, and leave our land."
and I've filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of craftsmanship
Meanwhile, Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was the son of David's brother Shimeah. Now Jonadab was a very shrewd man.
So give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, so I can discern between good and evil. Otherwise, how will I be able to govern this great people of yours?"
"Because you asked for this, and you didn't ask for a long life for yourself, and you didn't ask for the lives of your enemies, but instead you've asked for discernment so you can understand how to govern, look how I'm going to do precisely what you asked. I'm giving you a wise and discerning mind, so that there will have been no one like you before you and no one will arise after you like you.
When this decision that the king had handed down was announced, everybody in Israel was amazed at the king, because they all saw that God's wisdom was in him, enabling him to administer justice.
He captures the wise in their own craftiness, bringing a quick end to their cunning advice.
"Wisdom may be found in the company of the aged. Understanding comes with longevity.
but it will clap its hands over him, hissing at him as it lunges toward him."
teach us to keep account of our days so we may develop inner wisdom.
By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, and by understanding he set the heavens in place.
"The LORD made me as he began his planning, before his ancient activity commenced. From eternity I was appointed, from the beginning, from before there was land. read more. When there were no ocean depths, I brought them to birth at a time when there were no springs. Before the mountains were shaped, before there were hills, I was bringing them to birth.
I concluded that wisdom is more useful than foolishness, just as light is more useful than darkness. The wise use their eyes, but the fool walks in darkness. I also perceived that the same outcome affects them all.
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, "Look, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Absolved from every act of sin, is wisdom by her kith and kin."
"That is why I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.
That is why the Wisdom of God said, "I will send them prophets and apostles. They will kill some of them and persecute others,'