Wisdom of Solomon
The Wisdom of Solomon is an incredible piece of literature produced by ancient Judaism. Likely penned during the first century BC, alongside other writings,[1] this piece of literature would go on to heavily influence the religious climate of Jesus and His apostles, as well as the early Christian communities.
This paper will be divided into two major sections. First, there will be a brief review of the content of the Wisdom of Solomon, outlining its organization and major themes. Second, there will be a reflection on the influence of the Wisdom of Solomon upon the New Testament Scriptures and the value of studying this writing alongside the rest of the Scriptures.
Content of The Wisdom of Solomon
The Wisdom of Solomon consists of nineteen chapters originally written in the Greek language, although that has been contested by some with very little support.[2] The author remains anonymous but, in some sections, portrays himself as King Solomon.[3]
The book is addressed to “you who judge the earth” (Wis 1:1). Later in the book, the author addresses a similar audience, citing them as kings, judges, those with dominion over multitudes, and princes (Wis 6:1-2, 9). Although the author cites these rulers of the earth as the audience, it is widely held that the primary target of this writing was the Jewish people at risk of assimilating into Greek culture and losing their identity as the people of God.[4]
Scholars generally agree that the book is divided into three main sections: eschatology, wisdom, and history.[5]In chapters 1-6, the paths of the wise and the wicked are contrasted, pointing each path towards its end – glory for the wise and judgment for the wicked. In chapters 7-10, lying at the center of the book, the pseudo-Solomon pictures himself as inviting God’s wisdom (personified as a woman) into his life and thus invites the reader to allow God’s wisdom to shape and guide their lives as well. In chapters 11-19, the history of Israel is recited anew in light of the paths of wisdom and wickedness. This final section presents the story of the Exodus as a test case for the opening admonitions regarding the path of wisdom and the path of godlessness. The author does this by presenting seven contrasts of God’s punishment of the Egyptians and provision for the Israelites throughout the Exodus story.
Bruce Metzger identifies three core goals of this book. The first and primary goal is to rekindle among the Jews a genuine zeal for God and His Law. A largely secondary goal is to provide an apologia calculated to encourage and fortify Jewish faith and practice. A third and potential (although less likely) goal is that there is a secondary audience in mind. This subtle goal is to prove to thoughtful pagans the truth of Judaism and the folly of idolatry.[6]
Value of The Wisdom of Solomon
Jerome identified the Wisdom of Solomon as a book to be read by the Church for edification, but not to establish Church doctrine.[7] Similarly, Athanasius sets forth three categories of writings: canonical books, books to be read, and apocryphal books. He places the Wisdom of Solomon within this middle category of “books to be read.”[8]The position articulated by these men concurs with the position of this paper, namely, that the Wisdom of Solomon is of tremendous value for reading, edification, and biblical study, but should not be regarded as a source for establishing core doctrines nor placed on a level of authority equal with the biblical canon.[9]
Although no New Testament writers specifically quote the Wisdom of Solomon, many of them seem to have been influenced by the concepts within this writing. Jesus, Paul, James, Peter, and more all vividly mirror texts within the Wisdom of Solomon.[10] Perhaps the most prominent of these is Paul in Romans 1:19-32. Paul seems to borrow the thoughts concerning pagan foolishness, idolatry, and accountability to God from the same thoughts expressed in Wisdom chapters 13-15. The author of Hebrews does something similar in Hebrews 1:3, borrowing the depiction of lady wisdom as a reflection of God’s glory (Wis 7:26) and applying that same language to Jesus. Likewise, Peter borrows concepts of suffering and hope from Wisdom 3:3-7 to craft his phrasing of 1 Peter 1:6-7.
There seems to have been a pattern of familiarity, value, and study of the Wisdom of Solomon among the Biblical authors. This pattern seems to validate what Jerome and Athanasius stated about the edificatory use of this literature. David deSilva so wonderfully described the value of studying these apocryphal books when he said,
At this point I would also emphasize, however, that the value of the Old Testament Apocrypha is not merely historical. These texts have not only informed people of faith but also have inspired them throughout the millennia. Many of the ethical ideas taken up by Jesus and his disciples and promoted in the New Testament find their roots here and so are reinforced and strengthened by the reading of them. But even more, these texts add fuel to the fire in the soul sparked and fed by the canon shared by all Christians. The zeal to walk faithfully before God in the face of adversity, the commitment to choose obedience to God over succumbing to the passions or weaknesses of the flesh, the experience of God’s forgiveness and expectation of God’s deliverance – all these are strengthened by these texts, which one can approach with confidence as, at the very least, the best devotional literature to have withstood the test of time.[11]
The value of the Wisdom of Solomon must not be overlooked. It is this literature, among others, which influenced the teaching and faith of Jesus Himself. It is books like this one which fortified the people of God during Jesus’ lifetime and even bolstered the faith of those in the early Church. It is imperative that the Wisdom of Solomon be valued, not as an authority alongside the canon, but as a book to be read for the edification of God’s people through every generation.
Conclusion
The Wisdom of Solomon is a book which contributed much to the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus, the apostles, and the early Christians. It is a book which magnifies a Solomon-like wisdom through the ages, displays the beauty of God’s wisdom for all of the world to take hold of, and recounts the glorious provision of God for His people who choose the way of wisdom. The Wisdom of Solomon ought to serve as an effective tool for the edification of the saints for many years to come.
Footnotes
[1] For a helpful chart with books of the Septuagint and generally accepted dates, see Edmon L. Gallagher, Translation of the Seventy: History, Reception, and Contemporary Use of The Septuagint (Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press, 2021), 44.
[2] Michael A. Knibb provides a helpful rebuttal of the theory of translation into Greek in his introductory remarks to the Wisdom of Solomon in NETS. See Michael A. Knibb, “To The Reader of Wisdom of Salomon,” A New English Translation of the Septuagint (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2007), 697.
[3] The author seems to build chapters 7-9 upon the narrative of 1 Kings 3 and 2 Chronicles 1, portraying himself as the same King Solomon mentioned in those texts. Compare Wisdom 7:8-14 to 1 Kings 3:5-15 for an example of this. The clearest text where the author does this is Wisdom 9:7-8 where he portrays himself as God’s chosen King who was instructed to build God’s temple in Jerusalem.
[4] David A. deSilva, Introducing the Apocrypha: Message, Context, and Significance, 2nd edition, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018), 140-141.
[5] John J. Collins, A Short Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, 3rd edition (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2018), 383.
[6] Bruce M. Metzger, An Introduction to the Apocrypha (New York: Oxford University Press, 1957), 68.
[7] Jerome, Preface to Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs.
[8] Athanasius, Festal Letters, 39.7.
[9] For a concise reading on the place of these writings within the Early Church see, John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry, Scribes & Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got The Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2022), 107-131.
[10] For a brief comparative analysis, see Gallagher, Translation of the Seventy, 71-75.
[11] deSilva, Introducing the Apocrypha, 33.
