Old Testament Week 16: Wisdom & poetry literature Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

1) Introduction. a) Up until now, weve mostly focused on the historical aspects of the Old Testament. Weve looked at the first five books of Moses, which are both history and law, and weve studied the historical accounts of the judges and kings that followed. b) [SLIDE 2] Today we move into a completely different type, or genre, of writing: Wisdom and poetry literature. i) Psalms and the Song of Solomon are examples Hebrew poetry. (1) The Psalms are ancient hymns that contain wisdom or express thanksgiving, praise, supplication, or lament. (2) The Song of Solomon (also known as the Song of Songs or Canticles1) is a love song also in Hebrew poetic structure.2 ii) Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job are all examples of what scholars call wisdom literature. (1) Wisdom literature was written as a guide to living the good life, or the wise life. It includes helpful sayings, tidbits of wisdom, clever ways of teaching concepts or truths, exhortations on the importance of being prudent, honest, hardworking, and so forth. It also served as a guide for passing on what one generation had learned about life to another. c) In this lesson were going to look at how poetry and wisdom literature were written, and how we can better understand the messages they are trying to convey. 2) Poetic literature: the Psalms. a) [SLIDE 3] Meaning of the word psalm. i) The Psalms are a collection of poems originally sung as praises or petitions to Goda hymnal from ancient Israel. ii) The name Psalms derives from the Greek word (psalmoi), songs of praise. iii) The name of the book in Hebrew is ( tehillim), praises.
1 Canticles is a shortened and anglicized word taken from the Latin Vulgate Bibles title of the book, Canticum Canticorum (Song of Songs). 2 The Song of Solomon is an erotic poem about the love of a man (traditionally identified as Solomon himself) with an unnamed female lover. The book was included in the Biblical canon because its romantic themes were traditionally interpreted as an allegory of Gods love for Israel and/or for the Christian Church. The book itself makes no mention of God. Manuscript 2 from Joseph Smiths translation of the Bible contains the marginal note: the Songs [sic] of Solomon are not Inspired writings. (Joseph Smith's New Translation Of The Bible: Original Manuscripts, Kent P. Jackson, Robert J. Matthews, Scott H. Faulring, eds. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004], 785.) It is not clear how authoritative such a note in an unfinished manuscript is, but, because of it, most Latter-day Saints are reluctant to consider the Song of Solomon as inspired. However, one passage in the book is quoted multiple times in the Doctrine and Covenants (fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners; Song of Solomon 6:10 = D&C 5:14; 105:31; and 109:73). In each instance, this quotation is in the context of the Churchs rise from obscurity, using poetic passages from the Song of Solomon about the beauty and wonder that a man feels for his love. The book does contain beautiful phrases and lyrical prose, and is therefore certainly a gem of literature regardless of its status within LDS canon.

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(1) We see the same root in hallelujah () , praise ye the LORD. (a) Six psalms (113118) are specifically designated hallel, or praise psalms. (i) These psalms were sung at Passover and other religious feasts. (ii) If we assume that the Last Supper was a Passover Seder, then when the Gospels say when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives (Mark 14:26; Matthew 26:30), we can be pretty confident that the hymn Jesus and his disciples sang was from the Hallel Psalms. b) [SLIDE 4] Authorship. i) Davids name is specifically attached to 73 of the 150 Psalms.3 (1) The phrase A Psalm of David before these passages in Hebrew is ( leDawid), of David. This does not necessary mean he wrote a particular Psalm; it may also mean it was written for him or about him or in honor of him. (2) 2 Samuel 1:1727 and 22:151 attribute the writing of psalms to David, and he is described as a musician 1 Samuel 16:1623 and 18:10. The scribes at Qumran who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls left a note that David wrote 4,050 Psalms and songs.4 So the tradition, at least, was David was a prolific composer. (3) It would have been impossible for David to have written some Psalms: Psalm 137, for example, is about the experience of captivity in Babylon, 500 years after David lived. (4) Some psalms are accredited to Moses (Psalm 90), Solomon (Psalm 72), Ethan (Psalm 89), Heman (Psalm 88), Asaph (Psalms 50, 7383), and the sons of Korah (Psalms 42, 4449, 8485, 8788). c) [SLIDE 5] Importance of the psalms to early Christians. (1) Of the nearly 800 quotations from or allusions to Old Testament passages in the New Testament, one-sixth of them are from Psalms.5 Only Isaiah is quoted more often in the New Testament. (2) Of the biblical texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls, there were more copies of Psalms, Isaiah, and Deuteronomy than any others, so they seem to have been favorites in general around the time of Christ. d) Use. i) The Levites played a role in providing choirs and musicians to perform the psalms in the temple; they became part of the temple worship. Other psalms are written more for a personal use. ii) Many psalms prophesy of the mission of the Messiah6; others express gratitude for the Creation, for the Lords mercy, forgiveness, and love, for the scriptures, and for the temple.
3 The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) credits him with 85. Psalm 151, a short psalm that is not included in the Masoretic text (MT) of the Bible (the source for the King James Version) but is considered canonical by the Eastern Orthodox Church, also begins with an ascription to David. Of the 73 psalms with his name in the MT, 56 appear in the first two sections (Psalms 141 and 4272). 4 IIQPsa (The Psalms Scroll of Qumran Cave II), column xxvii. 5 Figures from the Blue Letter Bible, Parallel Passages in New Testament Quoted from Old Testament (http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/quotes.cfm). Counting quotations and allusions (excluding possible allusions), there are 799 Old Testament passages used in the New Testament: 142 from Isaiah, 136 from Psalms, 77 from Exodus, and 65 from Deuteronomy.

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e) Parallelism in Hebrew poetry. i) Psalms, Proverbs, and many of the writings of the Old Testament prophets are written in Hebrew poetic verse. ii) Many modern Bible translations show the verse structure. Since our King James Version doesnt do this, we need to be able to recognize the structure ourselves. iii) [SLIDE 6] Parallelism is a literary device by which the poet expresses an idea in one line of verse, and then a second line repeatsor, better yet, reshapesthat idea through nuance, extension, contrast, or another kind of development. The result is an image or thought richer than possible through a single statement. iv) There are many different types of parallelism. Some of the more common types are listed on your handout. v) [SLIDE 7] Here is an excerpt from Psalm 103. (1) Were used to seeing the text like this, with each verse printed as an individual paragraph. (2) [SLIDE 8] But if we rearrange them so according to their poetic verse structure, we can see the parallelisms and better understand the message the psalm is trying to convey:
6

The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

SYNONYMOUS PARALLEL: The Lord is both fair and just. SYNONYMOUS PARALLEL: The Lord faithful deeds were known to both Moses and Israel. SYNONYMOUS PARALLEL: The Lord is compassionate and merciful, and he is also patient and great of loyal love. SYNONYMOUS PARALLEL: The Lord does not always accuse, and he also does not stay angry. SYNONYMOUS PARALLEL: The Lord does not deal with us as our sins deserve, and he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve. EMBLEMATIC PARALLEL: Just as the skies are high above the earth, so does the Lords loyal love tower over his faithful followers. EMBLEMATIC PARALLEL: Just as the sunrise is far from the sunset, so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions.

10

11

12

vi) [SLIDE 9] Among Latter-day Saints, one of the best-known forms of parallelism is introverted parallelism, also known as chiasmus.7 (1) Chiasmus is a parallel literary structure where the second half of the parallel is in reverse order.
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See the appendix on page 13 for a list of psalms that prefigure the life of Christ. The word chiasmus comes from the Greek (chiazo), to shape like the letter X [chi]. http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

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(a) The ideas are presented in an order like A-B-C-C1-B1-A1. (b) [SLIDE 9.1] Sometimes there is a hinge or fulcrum that does not have a parallel, but is the focus of the passage.8 In this case the pattern is A-B-C-DC1-B1-A1, in which D is the fulcrum. (2) Chiasmus can be found in short passages of only a single verse, or in long, complex passages of an entire chapter or more. (3) [SLIDE 10] Psalm 124:7 is an example of a chiasm within a single verse:
a

Our soul is escaped b as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: b1 the snare is broken, a1 and we are escaped.

(4) [SLIDE 11] Psalm 110 is a longer example where the entire psalm is a single chiasm: 9
1

The LORD says to my lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.
2

aJehovah

installs the king.

The LORD sends out from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes.

bThe

king is sent out to conquer.

Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day you lead your forces on the holy mountains. From the womb of the morning, like dew, your youth will come to you.
4

cThe

day of the kings power.

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. The LORD is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.

dThe

Lord makes the king a Melchizedek priest (the fulcrum).

c1The

day of Jehovahs wrath.

b1Jehovah

He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter heads over the wide earth.
7

goes out to conquer.

He will drink from the stream by the path; therefore he will lift up his head. (NRSV)

a1Jehovah

gives honor to the king.

vii) Hebrew parallelismand especially chiasmusappears frequently throughout the Book of Mormon.10
This type of chiastic passage is known as concentricism. This chiasm was identified by Robert L. Alden, professor of Old Testament at Denver Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary, Denver, Colorado. See Alden, Chiastic Psalms (III): A Study in the Mechanics of Semitic Poetry in Psalms 101 150, in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 21/3 (1978), 204 (http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/21/213/21-3-pp199-210_JETS.pdf). For reasons explained in the article, Alden prefers to translate the first half of verse 7 as the Bestower of Succession [i.e., the LORD] set him on his throne, which makes it parallel with verse 1. The honor given to the king is implied by the expression, lift up the head, which is a Hebrew idiom for to give honor (cf. Genesis 40:13; 2 Kings 25:27). 10 The literature on this is vast. LDS scholar John W. Welch was the first to identify chiasmus in the Book of Mormon; see Welch, Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, BYU Studies 10/1 (1969), 6984 (https://byustudies.byu.edu/showtitle.aspx?title=4875). For an easily-accessible introduction to this subject, see Jeff Lindsay, Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon (http://www.jefflindsay.com/chiasmus.shtml).
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(1) Like the poetry in the King James Version of the Bible, we cant see the parallelisms in the Book of Mormon because the verses are in paragraph format.11 (2) [SLIDE 12] Heres just one example from Alma 34:9, which is chiastic:
a

For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; b for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, c or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; d yea, all are hardened; d1 yea, all are fallen and are lost, c1 and must perish b1 except it be through the atonement a1 which it is expedient should be made.12

(3) Longer parallel passages are found throughout the Book of Mormon, including the entire chapter of Alma 36, which is one long chiasm.13 f) With that background on Hebrew poetry, lets look at one psalm in particular. 14 i) [SLIDE 13] Psalm 24 is a temple psalm. It is generally connected with 2 Samuel 6, the occasion when David brought up the Ark of the Covenant to the tent prepared for it on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
1 The earth is the LORDs, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

(1) Where should we put the break between the lines? [SLIDE 14]
[SLIDE 15] 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

(2) Where should we put the break between the lines? [SLIDE 16] (3) These first two verses talk about the Creation. (Imagine that: A temple psalm beginning by talking about the Creation!) (4) The word floods in Hebrew is literally currents, indicating ocean currents or rivers. This refers to the separation of the land from the waters in the creation account of Genesis (Genesis 1:9). ii) [SLIDE 17] Verse 3 asks the same question twice in parallel:
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

(1) The first question is asked in the sense of permission: Who is allowed to ascend?

11 The Book of Mormon text has been printed in formats that allow the reader to see the parallelisms. See Donald W. Parry, Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon: The Complete Text Reformatted (Provo, Utah: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University, 2007) (http://bit.ly/ParryPoeticBofMPDF); Grant Hardy (ed.), The Book of Mormon: A Readers Edition (Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2003). 12 Parallelistic formatting per Parry, Poetic Parallelisms, 31415. 13 See John W. Welch, Charting the Book of Mormon (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1999), chart 132 (http://byustudies.byu.edu/januarybomcharts/charts/132.pdf). 14 I am grateful to Kevin Barney for suggesting many of the ideas in this section.

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(2) Hill is a wimpy translation; ( har) should read mountain here.15 (3) Stand isnt right, either; the verb is go up (which matches the ascend of the previous line). (4) There is a recurring theme in this psalm of going up and lifting up. The mountain is, of course, the mountain of the LORDs house (Isaiah 2:23; Micah 4:2)the temple to be constructed on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. When one goes to Jerusalem and the temple on Mount Zion, one always goes up, even if approaching it from a higher elevation. (5) [SLIDE 18] So the idea conveyed in this verse is:
Who is allowed to ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may go up to his holy dwelling place? (NET)

(6) This verse introduces the idea that there are standards of worthiness one must meet to approach the temple. iii) [SLIDE 19] Verse 4 answers the question posed in verse 3 with a double parallel:
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

(1) The word hands here is not the normal Hebrew word for hand (, yad), but rather the word for palms or hollows of the hands (, kapayim, in the dual form). (a) Part of the imagery here may refer to the ancient Hebrew practice of praying with the hands raised above the head and the palms extended up towards heaven. Also, in Hebrew metaphor the hands allude to ones actions; the heart to ones intentions and motives. (2) Lifted up his soul unto vanity is the King James translation of the Hebrew idiom who does not lift up for emptiness [his] life.16 (a) Lift the life here means to long for or desire strongly. In the context of oath-taking (note the reference to sworn in the final line) emptiness probably refers to speech (cf. Psalm 12:2). So the concept here is not desiring empty, or lying, speech. (3) Sworn deceitfully refers to taking an oath with no intention of keeping the promises made therein. (4) [SLIDE 20] The idea behind this verse is something like:
4 The one whose deeds are blameless, and whose motives are pure; who does not lie, nor make promises with no intention of keeping them. (NET)

Mount Sinai is referred to as a har, and it is certainly not a hill! (See Exodus 18:5; 19:23, 1114, 1618, 20, 23; 20:18; 24:1213, 1518.) Some modern translations (e.g., NET, NIV, HCSB) use mountain of the Lord? here. 16 Many Hebrew manuscripts use the first person pronoun nafshiy (my life), but it makes little sense here. Later medieval Hebrew manuscripts support the ancient versions in reading a third person pronoun his life.
15

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(5) So verse 4 speaks to the importance of cleanliness in act and desire, and the intention to keep the sacred covenant promises made before the Lord in the temple.
[SLIDE 21] 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

(6) Instead of receive the blessing the Hebrew literally says lift up a blessing. This picks up the theme in this psalm of lifting up towards God.
[SLIDE 22] 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

iv) This might be an allusion to a prayer circle:17 (1) The word generation is Hebrew dor, with an o vowel. But early Hebrew has no vowels, only consonants; the vowels were added18 long after Christ, so while this reflects the current understanding of the text, it does not necessarily reflect the original understanding. If we use d-r with a different vowela uwe get dur, or circle. (a) Now, this is purely conjectural. Im not claiming that the verse should read circle; only that its an intriguing possibility. (b) However, to seek the face of God is a Hebrew idiom for prayer, which strengthens the possibility. (2) The word elohe (God of) should probably be inserted before Jacob.19 (3) [SLIDE 23] So this verse could be rendered:
6 This is the circle of them that seek him, that pray to thee, O God of Jacob. Selah.

(4) Selah is likely a musical notation to pause in singing to pray. It occurs 71 times in 39 Psalms. In this case it indicates a slight shift in the focus of the psalm (although the subject remains the temple). v) [SLIDE 24] Next, picture a procession returning the Ark of the Covenant (representing Jehovah) to the temple after a victorious battle. A choir of Levites accompanying the ark sings outside the temple gates requesting admittance:20
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

(1) Note the personificationgates dont really have heads.

17 See Donald W. Parry, Temple Worship and a Possible Reference to a Prayer Circle in Psalm 24, BYU Studies 32/4 (Fall 1992), 5762 (https://byustudies.byu.edu/showtitle.aspx?title=6118). 18 Between the 7th and 10th centuries A.D., the MasoretesJewish scribes based primarily in Tiberias, Israel, and Babyloniacompiled a system of pronunciation and grammatical guides in the form of marks on the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. Their finished workcalled Masoretic Text (MT)is the standard manuscript for modern Jewish and Christian translations of the Bible. 19 This reading is found in the Greek (Septuagint) and Syriac versions of the Old Testament. 20 George Frideric Handel put verses 710 to music to great effect in his classic oratorio Messiah.

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(2) Again we see the concept of lifting up, which, in this case, means to look upward. The idiom lift up the head often means have honor.21 vi) [SLIDE 25] Then a choir inside the gates asks whom it is that requests entry, and the choir outside sings the answer:
8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

vii) [SLIDE 26] The request to enter is then repeated, and the identity of the person wishing to enter is again requested:
9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

(1) The final answer is given: it is yahweh tsabaoththe LORD of armieswho is entering in. g) Other psalms of note:22 i) 15:13. Gossip and other non-temple worthy traits. ii) 19:714. The law of the Lord is perfect, and a protection from sin. iii) 22:119. A messianic psalm: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? iv) 23. (Of course.) v) 51. Davids plea for the Lords forgiveness. vi) 79. Recited at the western wall in the Old City on Friday evening, the 9th of Ab. vii) 100. The Thanksgiving Psalm. viii) 119. An alphabetic acrostic in 22 sections, with each line starting with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in sequence. ix) 121. Comfort in times of distress. x) 122. Go to the house of the Lord and give thanks. xi) 136. The Great Hallel for Sabbath services. 3) [SLIDE 27] Wisdom literature: Proverbs. a) Many groups had wisdom literature: Egyptians, Sumerians, Greeks, Babylonians, Canaanites. But, Jewish wisdom literature is unique in that it insists that God has instilled a moral order in the universe, and that good and evil acts will have predictable consequences in the here-and-now. b) Many of the sayings in the Book of Proverbs are ascribed to Solomon, who was renowned for his wisdom.23 He reportedly composed some 3,000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:32).
See footnote 9. See also Appendix: Psalms that prefigure or were applied to the life and mission of Jesus Christ, page 13. 23 There is a second wisdom book in the Apocrypha, a Greek document called the Wisdom of Jesus Ben-Sirach.
21 22

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i) There are other apocryphal wisdom books in Jewish literature, including the Wisdom of Solomon24 and the Wisdom of Sirach.25 c) Being called wisdom literature, its not too surprising that Proverbs mentions wisdom a lot. And, as Proverbs emphasizes, true wisdom ultimately comes from knowing God and understanding the way he understands (Proverbs 1:17; 3:57). i) [SLIDE 28] In fact, the idea of divine wisdom was so important to ancient Jews that they often perceived it as a feminine counterpart to or reflection of God.26 (1) Wisdom herself even speaks to the reader in some parts of Proverbs (e.g., Proverbs 8:19:18). This female wisdom is portrayed as being the very first thing that existed with God before the creation; she predated the entire physical world (Proverbs 8:2236). d) [SLIDE 29] There are many bits or quotations from Proverbs that we all probably recognize, partly because they are in poetical verse, and so the way in which they say things remains memorable to us:
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1). Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). For as [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).

e) There are, of course, also plenty of other proverbs which arent found in the scriptures, but are also memorable and teach valuable truths that are easy to remember:
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. (cf. Proverbs 17:28.) A stitch in time saves nine. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Spare the rod and spoil the child. (cf. Proverbs 13:24.) Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

f) [SLIDE 30] Proverbial wisdom was also found among the writings of the Nephites; for example::
Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God;

24 The Wisdom of Solomon (often called the Book of Wisdom, or simply Wisdom) was written in Greek in a style patterned on Hebrew verse. It was likely written during the Second Temple period (100 B.C.A.D. 50). It is included in the Roman Catholic deuterocanonical books, and in the Protestant Apocrypha. The NRSV text is available online (http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=39243396). See also Peter Enns, Wisdom of Solomon and Biblical Interpretation in the Second Temple Period, The Way of Wisdom: Essays in Honor of Bruce K. Waltke, J.I. Packer and Sven K. Soderlund, eds. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 212 25 (http://peterennsonline.com/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2007/12/0310227283_enns.pdf). 25 The Book of the All-Virtuous Wisdom of Joshua ben Sira (commonly called the Wisdom of Sirach, Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus) is a collection of ethical teachings written by the Jewish scribe Shimon ben Yeshua ben Eliezer ben Sira of Jerusalem. It was composed between 200 and 175 B.C. It is included in the Roman Catholic deuterocanonical books, and in the Protestant Apocrypha. The NRSV text is available online (http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=39243396). 26 Wisdom was often seen as a feminine divine in the ancient world; the Greek concept of sophia is one example of this. Wisdom appears as a personified woman in the New Testament in Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:35.

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and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.27

4) [SLIDE 31] Wisdom literature: Ecclesiastes. a) Ecclesiastes is everything that Proverbs isnt: Proverbs tends to be optimistic and upbeat, reassuring the righteous that they will prosper and be comfortable, while Ecclesiastes thinks that sort of thing is pointless:
9

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. 10Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. (NRSV Ecclesiastes 2:911.)

b) From this last passage we deduce that the author of Ecclesiastes was a wealthy king. Some think it was Solomon,28 which may mean that Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are two sides of the same problem of mortal life, and were thus meant to balance each other. c) The author of Ecclesiastes continually emphasizes that wisdom isnt really worth all that much, and thatin the writers experiencesome promises of wisdom literature often seem hollow, because those who have wisdom and those who dont both end up dead in the end (Ecclesiastes 2:1517). The author even points out that sometimes wicked people prosper and have long lives, while the righteous suffer and die early (Ecclesiastes 7:1520). d) Its important to remember, though, that the author of Ecclesiastes was speaking about things under the sun,29 that is, the way things appear to mortals during this life. He knows that his gloomy look at things isnt the whole picture, but he also argues strenuously that the Proverbs-point-of-view isnt the whole picture either. e) We could pick both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes apart and merge their ideas, and come away with some more valuable insights to all this. Due to a lack of time we cant do that; but, fortunately, someone has done it for us, and far better than I could, in the Book of Job. 5) [SLIDE 32] Wisdom literature: Job. a) Jobs wisdom is a different kind of wisdom than the other books. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are collections of the short wisdom sayings, while Job is a thorough analysis of the relationship between suffering and divine justice put in a dramatic poetic form. b) The entire book, with exception of three chapters (1, 2, 42), is written in Hebrew poetic verse. c) Difficulties with the background: i) We dont know who the author was.30 ii) We dont exactly where the story takes place.31
Poetic formatting suggested by Hardy, 360. The author identifies himself simply as the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem (Ecclesiastes 1:1). 29 This phrase appears 27 times in Ecclesiastes (1:3, 9, 14; 2, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22; 3:16; 4:1, 3, 7, 15; 5:13, 18; 6:1, 12; 8:9, 15, 17; 9:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 10:5), and makes reference to how things are on earth (which is beneath the sun). 30 Job doesnt appear in any other books, unlike, say, Isaiah, who has his own book and appears in the historical record (2 Kings 1920). 31 The location of the land of Uz (Job 1:1) is not known precisely. Job is described as the greatest of all the men of the east (1:3). His friends all have Edomite names, his friend Eliphaz comes from the Edomite village of Teman, and Lamentations 4:21
27 28

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Old Testament: Wisdom & poetry literature

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iii) We dont know when the story was written.32 iv) These three factors, combined with the fact that the book is made up of long dialogues and monologues, have led many to conclude that Job is a fictional character, not an actual person. In other words, the story was created to express the message behind it.33 (1) Its possible that the events and people in the book do go back to a real situation. However, the long monologues and dialogues in the book were almost certainly developed later and applied to Job.34 d) [SLIDE 33] The message of Job. i) The common belief is that the message of Job is patience.35 But there are no discourses in the book on the subject of patience. ii) [33.1] Rather, the book is about submission to Gods will, acceptance that his acts are always just, and that we, like Job, should be blameless and upright and not accuse God of moral impropriety. e) [SLIDE 34] The setting of Job. i) Job 1:1. It is important to note that Job at the outset met all the criteria for righteousness encouraged in the Book of Proverbs. He feared God, something which Proverbs emphasizes 19 times.36 He was blameless (KJV perfect), upright, and avoided evil. ii) Job 1:612. This is an interesting scene for several reasons: (1) The setting is authentically Hebrew, in that it portrays God sitting at the head of a divine council called the sons of God.37 (2) Satan made an appearance at the council. (a) This is one of only two instances in the Old Testament that describes Satan, an evil spirit who opposes God.38 (b) His name is transliterated directly from Hebrew ( ha-satan), the accuser. (i) This word appears 27 times in the KJV Old Testament, where it almost always refers not to the evil spirit being, but to a human being who is an adversary or withstands good.39
speaks of a daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz, so the best guess is that Job lived in Edom, south of Judah and the Dead Sea. Its quite possible, therefore, that he was not an Israelite. (Not a problem, though: Neither was Ruth.) 32 Portions of the narrative seem to tie Job to the time of Abraham and the patriarchs, yet the style, and even some of the phrases is more like the Psalms and Proverbs of David and Solomons time (compare Job 7:1718 with Psalm 8:4, and Job 28:28 with Proverbs 1:7). Ezekiel 14:14, 20 speaks of Job as a righteous man, alongside Noah and Daniel, so its most likely that Jobs story was written before the Babylonian captivity in the 6th century B.C. If Jobs righteous friend, Elihu, is the same individual mentioned in D&C 84:89, then Jobs story took place about 200 years before Moses (c. 1600 B.C.). 33 Job is mentioned in scripture as an actual person, alongside other figures like Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14, 20; Ezekiel 14:14; James 5:11; D&C 121:10). However, this only proves that those who invoked his name believed he was a historical person. 34 Most of the Book of Job contains discourses that supposedly spoken. But who wrote them down? There was no ancient equivalent of modern shorthand. 35 This probably comes from the passing remark in the New Testament Epistle of James, which mentions the patience of Job (James 5:11). 36 Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 3:7; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:2, 26, 27; 15:16, 33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; 24:21; 29:25; 31:30. 37 See notes to week 1, pages 89 (http://bit.ly/ldsarcot01n). 38 The other is in Zechariah 3. (This excludes references in the Joseph Smith Translation portions canonized in the Book of Moses.) 2014, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

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(c) In the two instances where he does appear, Satan is cast in the role of an accuserwhat we would call today a prosecuting attorneywho stands before the divine council and tries to get blameless men declared guilty. iii) In this case, Satan accused Job of being pious only because God had blessed Job materially. Satan proposed that God test Job to see if he would be true even in the face of losing everything he had. (Job 1:911.) (1) God allowed this, and Job lost everythinghis children, his livestock, and his servants (Job 1:1318). (2) However, instead of expressing anger or questioning God, Job humbled himself by tearing his robe, shaving his head, and throwing himself face-first onto the ground, declaring, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:2022). (a) His humility persevered when God further allowed Satan to afflict Job with leprous ulcers all over his body, even to the point where his own friends didnt recognize him and his wife encouraged him to curse God and die (Job 2:7 13). iv) [SLIDE 35] This begins a long series of monologues and dialogues where Job expressed his misery and his three friends tried to convince him that he did something wrong and incurred Gods wrath (Job 331). (1) Eventually the righteous young man Elihu appeared and upbraided Job for justifying himself rather than God, and his friends for declaring Job guilty (Job 3237; esp. 32:2). (2) Then the Lord himself spoke, reminding Job of Gods awesome power and mans nothingness (Job 3841). (3) Job confessed Gods hand is in all things, after which the Lord restored to Job double what he had lost. Job spent the rest of his life in prosperity, dying at age 140. (Job 42.) f) [SLIDE 36] Reflections on Job. i) More than any other book of scripture, Job confronts the problem of evil. The world is a difficult, painful, and often vicious place; Job attempts to answer the age-old question of why bad things happen to good people.40 ii) This, I believe is the ultimate wisdomthe balance between positive Proverbs and pessimistic Ecclesiastesthat we have to understand that God is good and wants us, his children, to do good, even as we struggle in a world that is full of evil and disappointment.
Other than the references in Job 12 and Zechariah 3:12, see Numbers 22:22, 32; 1 Samuel 29:4; 2 Samuel 19:22; 1 Kings 5:4; 11:14, 23, 25; 1 Chronicles 21:1; and Psalms 109:6, where the KJV translates adversary or withstand. The KJV renders it as Satan in 1 Chronicles 21:1 and Psalm 109:6, but these two references are to an earthly adversary, not a supernatural one. 40 When Bad Things Happen to Good People (New York: Schocken Books, 1981) is the title of a book by Jewish conservative rabbi Harold Kushner, who wrote it in response to his own childs fatal illness. In his wonderfully-written perspective on God, life, and suffering, Kushner came to many of the same conclusions as Job. From a philosophical context, the question of why a good God permits evil to happen is known as theodicy. For an LDS approach to theodicy, see John Cobb, Jr. and Truman G. Madsens entry in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 4:147374 (http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Theodicy), and David L. Paulsens 1999 BYU Devotional address (http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=337).
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2014, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Old Testament: Wisdom & poetry literature

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iii) This is why we can rightly affirm that the fear of the LORDor respect and awe that leads to complete trust in himis the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). 6) [SLIDE 37] Next week: a) The early prophets: Jonah, Amos, Micah, and Hosea.

Appendix: Psalms that prefigure or were applied to the life and mission of Jesus Christ
Psalm 107:2330 69:8 41:9; 55:1214 69:20 22:78 22:16 22:18 22:1 69:21; 22:15 34:20 31:5 16:10 Event in Jesus life Jesus calmed the winds and the waves (Matthew 8:2327). Jesus was not received by his own people (John 1:11; John 7:5). Jesus was betrayed by a friend (John 13:18, John 13:21). Jesus suffered alone in Gethsemane (Mark 14:3241). Jesus was mocked (Matthew 27:3943). Jesus was crucified (Mark 15:25).41 The soldiers gambled for Jesus clothes (Matthew 27:35). Jesus asked the Father why he had forsaken him (Matthew 27:46). Jesus was given vinegar for his thirst (John 19:2830). None of Jesus bones were broken (John 19:3336). Jesus commended his spirit to the Father and died (Luke 23:46). Jesus did not remain the spirit world,42 nor was his body left to rot; he was raised up in the resurrection (Acts 2:3132; 13:3437).

41 I include Psalm 22:16 because it is traditionally associated with the crucifixion. However, the King James rendering of the final phrase of the versethey pierced my hands and my feetis not warranted by the Masoretic text. The word pierced is actually ( kaariy), like a lion, so the translation should be like a lion, my hands and my feet. The psalmist may have envisioned a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws, or a lion biting the hands and feet. However, LDS scholar Shon Hopkin argues that the Dead Sea Scrollsthe earliest known text of Psalmsdoes read pierced at this point. Hopkin, The Psalm 22:16 Controversy: New Evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls, BYU Studies 44/3 (2005), 16172 (https://byustudies.byu.edu/showtitle.aspx?title=6949). 42 The King James translates the Hebrew sheol as hell, which can be misleading to the modern reader. In ancient Israelite cosmology sheol was the realm of the dead, believed to be under the earths surface. Its closest analogy in LDS theology is the spirit world or spirit prison.

2014, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.