A taxonomy of approaches of five representative scholars to the nature of wisdom in the Old Testament in the light of Proverbs 1-9

The nature of wisdom in the Old Testament has been and still continues to be a thorny issue for biblical scholarship. This becomes more acute when the relationship of wisdom to the theology of the Old Testament is raised. It is said that the Wisdom Literature is awkwardly and uneasily related to the dominant theme of the biblical message. A survey of the literature shows that the problem, in the final analysis, is the polarization of creation theology and salvation history.;The main thrust of this study is a taxonomy of the approaches of five representative scholars to the nature of wisdom in the Old Testament. Although each scholar's position on the nature of wisdom is fairly presented, the issue of wisdom's relationship to the theology of the Old Testament--particularly as it has been narrowed down to the question of creation and redemption--is given special attention.;The five representative scholars chosen for the purpose of this study are Joseph Blenkinsopp, James L. Crenshaw, Gerhard von Rad, R. B. Y. Scott, and R. N. Whybray. As far as the structure of this essay is concerned, the introductory material is given in chapter 1. The positions of the various scholars are presented and evaluated in chapters 2 to 6. In the presentation of the view of each scholar his writings in the area of wisdom have been consulted. The main tools for the critical evaluation were book reviews and notes in journals and periodicals.;In addition to the critical evaluations, the prominent views on the nature of wisdom which are common to all five scholars are tested with the help of an exegetical and theological analysis of Proverbs 1-9 (chapter 7). All five scholars underscored the importance of the following topics for a better grasp of the nature of wisdom: knowledge of the will of God, human limits in understanding, the fear of God, and the concepts of personified wisdom and a divinely established order. Finally, a recapitulation of the five scholars' understanding of the relationship of wisdom and the theology of the Old Testament and this researcher's conclusion are given in chapter 8.