Book of Wisdom

• Job (Job job )
• Psalms
• Proverbs (Proverbs )
• Kohelet (Ecclesiastes )
• Canticles
• Wisdom (Catholic and Greek Orthodox)
• Sirach ( Ecclesiasticus ) (Catholic and Greek Orthodox)
• Prayer of Manasseh (Greek Orthodox)

Name after the ÖVBE. Pseudepigrapha the Septuagint are in italics.

The Book of Wisdom or the Wisdom of Solomon (abbreviated Wis, Latin Liber Sapientiae ) is a deuterokanonisches or apocryphal book of the Old Testament, the ( probably in Alexandria ) by around 50 BC in Greek in the Egyptian Diaspora a Greek speaking, Hellenistic Jews dominated was written. The also internal attribution to Solomon (Wis 7.1 to 9.19 ) is thus literary fiction.

From its form it is a typical example of the wisdom literature. Wisdom of Solomon corresponds to the Greek title of the book in the Septuagint ( Σοφια Σολομωντος ), Book of Wisdom, the Latin title in the Vulgate ( Liber Sapientiae ). This title was chosen because he was already convinced that Solomon could not be the author Jerome.

The book was not included in the Jewish canon, but is part of the Septuagint and of Catholics and Orthodox Christians - considered part of the Bible - but not by Protestants.

Many church fathers have appreciated the book and often cited, usually with the introduction of "Wisdom says: ... " This phrase suggests that they also they assumed that the book was not written by Solomon himself.

Content

In content can be in the book of wisdom distinguish three parts:

• From Cape. 1-5 life is recommended in the faith because of the advantages that it brings to the people. The reward for virtue is wisdom, chap. 1; this raises the righteous over the persecutions which godless people who see only the present, earthly reality, bringing high spirits about him, chap. 2 How much luckier than the sinners the righteous in spite of earthly suffering, shows the final fate of both, namely her death and eternal judgment, chap. 3 and 4 Too late the wicked will see their blindness, chap. 5

• In the second part thereof a particular application is made to the government. Because of their great responsibility they face a stricter court, 6, 1-10; therefore they shall seek the wisdom that is characterized in detail, V. 11-27. Example of this endeavor is Salomon, 7, 1-12, where the wisdom revealed Himself so beautifully, V. 13-21; he can therefore also its nature and its effects best to describe, 7, 22 to 8, 20 and are 8, 21-9, 19 prayer as the path on which the wisdom is obtained.

• In the third part Salomon subjects in the revelation of history, from Adam, an in-depth consideration, in which the previous teachings and exhortations are confirmed. In form, this consideration is the continuation of in chap. 9 Prayer contained and is dressed in an address to God. In content it summarizes the story of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Jacob, Joseph, Moses ' eye, chap. 10, then extends to the different fate of Israel and Egypt in the exodus from Egypt, chap. 11, depends on the fate of the Canaanites, chap 12, and on this occasion on the folly of idolatry and reprehensible at all, Chap. 13-15, and then returns to the story of the Israelites in the desert back, chap. 16 It then turns again to the consideration of the plagues of Egypt, first of darkness, chap. 17, during which the Israelites had light Day, 18, 1-9, then the killing of the firstborn, 18, 10-25, last of the passage through the Red Sea and the destruction of the Egyptian army, chap. 19 The result of all of history is the confirmation of what Solomon had raised the recommendation of wisdom: