This document analyzes wisdom literature found in biblical and extra-biblical sources. It defines wisdom literature as a genre focusing on practical advice for living based on life experiences. Examples of biblical wisdom include Proverbs and extra-biblical include the Egyptian Amenope and Aramaic Ahiquar. Two unique aspects of biblical wisdom are its presentation of wisdom as an intellectual concept and its grounding of wisdom in knowledge of the God of Israel rather than local deities.

1. Running head: AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !1
An Analysis of Wisdom Literature - Biblical and Extra-Biblical
Robert Sean Emslie
Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning and Leadership: The Bible and the Ancient Near East
August 10, 2015

2. AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !2
An Analysis of Wisdom Literature - Biblical and Extra-Biblical
The current work will be an analysis of Wisdom Literature, with a description of what is
Wisdom Literature, a brief look at examples of Biblical Wisdom Literature and Extra-Biblical
Wisdom Literature from Egypt and Mesopotamia and then will conclude with a look at two
distinctive aspects of Biblical Wisdom Literature in contrast to Extra-Biblical Wisdom Literature.
What is Wisdom Literature?
Wisdom Literature is a genre of literature that focuses on practical advice on living life
and understanding the deeper issues of the universe (JPS Guide, 2008, p.97). Though the
wisdom imparted is practical for daily life there still is a sense that this wisdom is not common
knowledge but wisdom that is transmitted by wise men who share their wisdom based on their
life experience (Neusner, Avery-Peck and Green (Eds.), 2000, Vol. 3, p. 1446). Brettler (2005),
concurred when he stated that, “Experience, both personal and as related by others, plays a
crucial role in wisdom literature” (p. 251). This transmitted wisdom based on life experience is
also grounded in the tradition of the people that transmit it giving it a unique shared experience
and past in which the wisdom is grounded (Wright, 2010, p. 298). Wisdom literature in teaching
style used the act-consequence formula for stressing the teachings (Garrett, 1993. Vol. 14, pp.
54-55). This can be seen in Proverbs 1:32-33:
“The tranquillity of the simple will kill them, And the complacency of dullards
will destroy them. But he who listens to me will dwell in safety, Untroubled by
the terror of misfortune.” (Proverbs 1:32–33, Tanakh).

3. AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !3
As seen above those who choose unwisely face death and destruction but the one who
chooses to follow the path of wisdom will be safe. The above passage also highlighted another
feature of Wisdom Literature that being the short, concise teaching with a clear example of the
consequence of doing or not doing an action (Bennett, 2015, Wisdom Literature).
The genre of Wisdom Literature is unique in that it showed an ongoing discussion of
wisdom that was present throughout the Ancient Near Eastern world and that both in Israel and
outside Israel there was a focus on teachers and students to delve into understanding wisdom and
how to live life based on wise teachings (Garrett, 1993, Vol. 14, p. 54). It can be seen that the
Biblical book of Proverbs shows influence and even borrowing of concepts from earlier Egyptian
Amenope and Aramaic Ahiquar and demonstrates how the earlier Wisdom Literature was
preserved and reshaped for the Israelite experience (JPS Guide, 2008, p. 98). This influence can
be seen clearly in Proverbs 22:17-24:22 that has at the base the Thirty Teachings of Amen-em-
ope (Matthews and Benjamin, 2007, Thirty Teachings of Amen-em-ope). Sarna (2000) put
forward that this reshaping and retransmission of earlier Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom Literature
was an important part of the development of Israel’s monotheistic culture and value system as it
took the literature of their polytheistic counterparts and predecessors and adapted the wisdom
principles and teachings to the monotheistic faith of Israel (p. 18).
Wisdom Literature is unique in the Hebrew Bible as to the individual nature of the
teachings rather that national nature (Bennett, 2015, Wisdom Literature). Rather than being
grounded and focused on what Brettler (2005) called the “Bible’s Theological Triangle”, the
relationship between the God of Israel, the Land of Israel and the People of Israel joined together
by the Covenant between God and Israel, the Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible focuses on

4. AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !4
the individual and gives these books a distinct universal nature, uncommon in the rest of the
Hebrew Bible that is focused on Israel as a nation and the relation of Israel to God in accordance
with the Covenant (p. 231). Though the Wisdom Literature is not focused on the Torah like the
rest of the Hebrew Bible, Mays (1987) noted a connection between the description of Wisdom in
Proverbs 8:1-21 and the description of the Torah in Psalms 19, highlighting that though not as
direct as the other books of the Hebrew Bible that the shared teaching that the core of life is in
Torah is still upheld even in the Wisdom Books (106(1), p. 3). Though like other Wisdom
Books, Ecclesiastes, is focused on the individualized teaching of the Preacher to the Student, the
writer concludes the book that “The sum of the matter, when all is said and done: Revere God
and observe His commandments! For this applies to all mankind.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14, Tanakh).
When it all comes down to the source of wisdom and the teachings of wisdom according to the
writer of Ecclesiastes are to be grounded in revering God and obeying Torah commands (JPS
Guide, 2008, p. 102).
Comparison of Near Eastern Wisdom Literature Texts
Teachings of Ptah-Hotep
If you become a ruler, do what is right.
Stay above reproach.
Be just in your decisions.
Never ignore the law.

5. AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !5
Justice endures.
Justice is as old as creation.
Injustice brings punishment,
Injustice brings all your work to nothing.
Injustice brings success for a moment.
Justice is an enduring inheritance. (Matthews and Benjamin, 2007, Teaching
of Ptah-Hotep).
Proverbs 11:21
Assuredly, the evil man will not escape, But the offspring of the righteous will be
safe. (Tanakh).
The above quotes from Ptah-Hotep and Proverbs share the basic teaching of reward for
doing justly and not doing that which is evil and punishment for doing injustice and evil.
Thirty Teachings of Amen-em-ope, Teaching 2
Do not steal from the poor.
Do not cheat the cripple.
Do not abuse the elderly.
Do not refuse to let the aged speak.

6. AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !6
Do not conspire to defraud anyone yourself.
Do not encourage anyone else's fraud.
Do not sue those who wrong you.
Do not testify against them in court. (Matthew and Benjamin, 2007, Thirty
Teachings of Amen-em-ope).
Proverbs 22:22
Do not rob the wretched because he is wretched; Do not crush the poor man in the
gate; (Tanakh).
The above quotes from Amen-em-ope and Proverbs show the shared teaching against
harming or defrauding the poor and those disadvantaged by old age, disease or physical
disability. The teachings to care for the poor and disadvantaged is also seen in the laws of the
Torah in Deuteronomy 24:17-18 where all the Jewish People were commanded to care for the
poor and those in need (Tigay, 1996, p. 228).

7. AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !7
Ahiqhar
Above all else, control your tongue.
Do not repeat what you have heard.
A human word is a bird.
Once released, it can never be recaptured. (Matthew and Benjamin, 2007,
Teachings of Ahiquar).
Ecclesiastes 10:20
Don’t revile a king even among your intimates. Don’t revile a rich man even in
your bedchamber; For a bird of the air may carry the utterance, And a winged
creature may report the word. (Tanakh)
The above teachings from Ahiquar and Ecclesiastes show the shared teaching that the use
of words is important and that like a bird that flies away, words misspoken can fly away and
spread negativity and as a bird once words are spoken they are no longer under the control of the
speaker and may cause harm.

8. AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !8
Unique Characteristics of Biblical Wisdom Literature
As seen above in the quotations from the Biblical and Extra-Biblical Texts there can be
seen much in common in the teachings of the Wisdom Literature of the Ancient Near East. I
would like to look at two unique characteristics of Biblical Wisdom Literature, specifically
related to Wisdom and the God of Israel.
Fox (1997) has put forward that one of the unique characteristics of Biblical Wisdom
Literature is that Wisdom being understood as a human intellectual power and an entity in itself
especially of note in the Book of Proverbs and not seen in other non-Jewish forms of Ancient
Near Eastern literature, Wisdom is more than just wise actions but also something to be known
intellectually (116(4), p. 613). That Wisdom is more than just doing, but a concept to know can
be seen throughout Proverbs, where Wisdom can be seen as another character in the book along
with the Teacher and the Student.
As seen above the Biblical Wisdom Literature has a distinction of being more
universalistic rather than focused on the specifics of Jewish faith and the Covenant between God
and Israel, seemingly a break from the other books of the Hebrew Bible. Kohler (1918) put
forward that it can be seen that in the Biblical Wisdom Literature that the particular relationship
between God and Israel is being subordinated to God’s role as the Creator and Ruler of the whole
world (p. 60). Whereas the gods of the ancient world were mostly national or local gods it could
be seen that the Biblical Wisdom Literature is a way for the writers to make known the God of
Israel as more than just the God of the Jewish People but also the God of the Cosmos. In Psalms
14:1 we read, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do

9. AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !9
abominable deeds, there is none who does good” (ESV). This verse showed that the opposite of
wisdom, foolishness is rejection of God, specifically a rejection that involves wrong actions
(Grenz, 2000, The Reality of God in an Era of Atheism, Par. 2). The focus then of Biblical
Wisdom Literature is knowing Wisdom and doing Wisdom that is grounded in the knowledge
and following of the God of Israel (Boa, 2001, Longing for God, Par. 2). Though Biblical
Wisdom Literature is focused on practical, everyday issues of life and how to make wise
decisions for life, the starting point for knowing Wisdom in the Biblical Wisdom Literature is in
knowing the God of Israel. This can be seen clearly in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Tanakh). Ellwell and Beitzel
(1988) observed that Wisdom in the Biblical Wisdom Literature has at the core and starting point
the fear of the Lord, the acknowledgment of the God of Israel, that gives a timeless character to
Biblical Wisdom Literature because it is part of the literature of living faith traditions, Judaism
and Christianity (p. 2152).
Conclusion
The current work analyzed what is known as Wisdom Literature, including a description
of what is Wisdom Literature, a brief analysis of examples of Biblical Wisdom Literature and
Extra-Biblical Wisdom Literature from Egypt and Mesopotamia and then concluded with a look
at two distinctive aspects of Biblical Wisdom Literature in contrast to Extra-Biblical Wisdom
Literature.

10. AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !10
References
Bennett, S. J. (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015). Wisdom Literature. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R.
Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The
Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Boa, K. (2001). Conformed to His image: Biblical and practical approaches to spiritual
formation. [Kindle Edition] Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Brettler, M. Z. (2005). How to read the Bible. Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society.
Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Book House.
Fox, M. V. (1997). Ideas of wisdom in Proverbs 1-9. Journal of Biblical literature, 116(4), 613.
Garrett, D. A. (1993). Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 14). Nashville: Broadman &
Holman Publishers.
Grenz, S. J. (2000). Theology for the community of God. [Kindle Edition] Grand Rapids, MI:
Eerdmans.
Jewish Publication Society. (1985). Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures. Philadelphia: Jewish
Publication Society.
JPS Guide: The Jewish Bible. (2008). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.
Kohler, K. (1918). Jewish theology. [Kindle Edition] New York: The Macmillan Company.
Matthew, V. H. and Benjamin, D.C. (2007). Old Testament parallels. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press.
Mays, J. L. (1987). The place of the Torah-Psalm in the Psalter. Journal of Biblical

11. AN ANALYSIS OF WISDOM LITERATURE - BIBLICAL AND EXTRA-BIBLICAL !11
literature, 106(1), 3.
Neusner, J., Avery-Peck, A. J., & Green, W. S. (Eds.). (2000). In The encyclopedia of Judaism
(Vol. 3). Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill.
Sarna, N. M. (2000). Paganism and Biblical Judaism. In Studies in Biblical interpretation.
Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
Tigay, J. H. (1996). Deuteronomy. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
Wright, B. I. (2010). Joining the club: A suggestion about genre in early Jewish texts. Dead Sea
discoveries, 17(3), 289-314. doi:10.1163/156851710X513557