Old Testament Wisdom. An Introduction

Written by James L. Crenshaw Reviewed By Lennart Boström

Two books on wisdom literature have recently been published: a revised and enlarged edition of a classic by James Crenshaw and a new work by John Collins. While Crenshaw deals mainly with the Old Testament wisdom books, Collins focuses on the apocryphal wisdom books. This means that the two works complement each other and together supply a thorough treatment of Israelite wisdom literature up to the New Testament era.

When Professor Crenshaw’s book first came out in 1981, interest for the neglected OT wisdom literature had started to grow among scholars, and it has continued unabated. Crenshaw’s book was a milestone in this development. The new edition of Old Testament Wisdom is basically the same as the original. The introduction is updated and somewhat enlarged with respect to research since 1981, and more attention is given to form and structure in the discussion of individual wisdom books. Otherwise changes are mainly typographic Especially welcome is a better system of headings and subheadings. Crenshaw’s book has about fifty pages of general introduction, followed by discussion of the individual OT books. There is also a chapter on wisdom literature in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Crenshaw has added an interesting chapter on ‘Wisdom’s Legacy’, where he discusses the contribution of wisdom to Yahwism in ancient Israel. The emphasis falls on wisdom’s ability to face reality in a new way, described by the term ‘skepticism’. Skepticism involves doubting and challenging but also envisioning a better world that ‘both sharpened critical powers and heightened religious fervor’ (185).

Crenshaw has published numerous articles and books on wisdom literature, and is a prominent expert on this literature. His Old Testament Wisdom is still a suitable textbook, and its comprehensiveness and balanced judgement are its primary strengths.

Professor Collins’ Jewish Wisdom in the Hellenistic Age focuses on the often neglected later period. The introductory chapter is a well-written introduction to the classical wisdom books. Two main parts then follow. The first discusses the books written in Israel and in Hebrew, and the second the books written in the diaspora and in Greek.

The bulk of the first part is devoted to the book of Sirach. Collins continually tries to determine whether ‘new’ traits of this book are due to Hellenistic influences or to developments within Israel’s own tradition. With impressive knowledge of Greek philosophers and religious texts from the intertestamental era, he discusses Ben Sira’s relationship to the law, creation, ethics, theodicy and Israel’s history. The problem is that almost all the particular traits of this book can be seen as developing both from within Israel’s own traditions and under the influence of Hellenism. In certain cases, however, Collins is convinced that Hellenism is influential, for instance when Ben Sira speaks of an inherent duality in creation that explains the existence of good and evil.

Collins’ chapter on wisdom in the Dead Sea scrolls demonstrates his familiarity with these texts, and points out wisdom’s important role in this apocalyptic and eschatological context.

The part dealing with wisdom in the diaspora includes a chapter on ‘The Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides’, but deals mainly with the Wisdom of Solomon. Here the influence of Hellenism is clearer, for instance the belief in the immortality of the soul.

Collins’ book is highly recommended as a complement to books dealing with wisdom in the earlier Israelite era.


Lennart Boström

Örebro, Sweden