Exegetical study of Proverbs 10:1‐22:16. Proverbs are neither statements of this-worldly cause and effect nor universally applicable doctrines of divine order. Rather, a proverb’s meaning and ‚truth‘ are conditioned by the context. The author delimits sections which the editor(s) of the collection consciously grouped together in their present sequence. He then examines how these literary arrangements both influence the meaning of the individual proverbs and determine their function in context. Indexes of names, passages and subjects are included.

Since 1990 Roland Murphy's Tree of Life has been a standard introduction to the wisdom literature of the Bible. Now The Tree of Life is available in a third edition, complete with a new preface by the author and a special supplement that surveys the latest developments in wisdom research. This superb study thoroughly explores the wisdom writings of the Bible, interpreting this literature in a way that illumines the development of Israel's search for wisdom throughout its tumultuous history. Murphy looks at each wisdom book individually -- Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus, and Wisdom of Solomon -- and adds to them a discussion of wisdom from other parts of the Old Testament. His careful investigations expose the various guises that wisdom adopts -- the "fear of the Lord," moral formation, the universality of human experience, the mysteries of creation, and others.

In this commentary Ernest Lucas takes a unique 'cluster' approach to the book of Proverbs, studying it thematically and showing how it speaks to such issues as character formation, gender relations, wealth and poverty, interpersonal communication, science and religion, and care for the environment.

This volume considers a major shift among Jewish sages during the Second Temple period, as certain authors moved from an earthly focus to a belief in individual immortality. Egyptian instructions and the book of Proverbs are examined for necessary background. The colorful responses of Qoheleth and Ben Sira to an emergent belief in the afterlife are also discussed. 4QInstruction, the largest Wisdom text from the Dead Sea Scrolls corpus, demonstrates this shift to an eschatological understanding. This book considers the diverse reasons for the changes that one finds in 4QInstruction, especially the issue of social context. It will prove useful to those interested in Wisdom literature, the Dead Sea Scrolls, apocalypticism, and the development of beliefs in the afterlife.

This study explores the sophisticated understanding of the formation of the moral self that emerges in the poetry of Proverbs, which many have wrongly dismissed as simplistic. Anne W. Stewart analyzes images and metaphors to illuminate the Book's views on the role of emotions and desires in shaping moral imaginations.

For over 100 years the International Critical Commentary has had a special place amongst works on the Bible. This new volume on James brings together all the relevant aids to exegesis - linguistic, textual, archaeological, historical, literary and theological - to enable the scholar to have a complete knowledge and understanding of this old testament book. Allison incorporates new evidence available in the field and applies new methods of studies. No uniform theological or critical approach to the text is taken.

Expert contributors survey recent developments in the field of Old Testament wisdom literature, examining key themes in Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Ruth, and some Psalms, and in the broader Old Testament narrative from Joshua to Esther. These practical essays consider the importance of studying wisdom literature today and the place of wisdom in biblical theology.