Out of Print
The Old Testament books of wisdom and poetry carry themselves differently from those of the Pentateuch, the histories or the prophets. The divine voice does not peal from Sinai, there are no narratives carried along by prophetic interpretation nor are oracles declaimed by a prophet. Here Scripture often speaks in the words of human response to God and God's world.
The hymns, laments and thanksgivings of Israel, the dirge of Lamentations, the questionings of Qohelet, the love poetry of the Song of Songs, the bold drama of Job and the proverbial wisdom of Israel all offer their textures to this great body of biblical literature. Then too there are the finely crafted stories of Ruth and Esther that narrate the silent providence of God in the course of Israelite and Jewish lives.
Coverage of each biblical book includes an introduction to the book itself as well as separate articles on their ancient Near Eastern background and their history of interpretation. Additional articles amply explore the literary dimensions of Hebrew poetry and prose, as well as a wide range of interpretive approaches.
Dictionary of the Old Testament Wisdom and Writings is in the following collections:
