INTRODUCTION TO THE
WISDOM BOOKS
Introduction to the Wisdom Books
The Wisdom section of the OT includes: (1) Job; (2) Psalms; (3) Proverbs; (4) Ecclesiastes; and (5) the Song of Solomon. This general type of literature was common to the ancient Near East, but none other than these five were divinely inspired (2 Tim. 3:16, 17) and, therefore, worthy of one’s total confidence in developing a proper worldview.
These OT books portray a wide range of life circumstances from a divine perspective. None are exclusively historical or prophetic in nature, although there can be elements of either one in some contexts. These books are not primarily national in focus, but rather personal. Some are theological in purpose, probing the deeper meaning of life such as Job, Ecclesiastes, and some Psalms; while others expose the more obvious practicalities of life, such as Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, and some Psalms. These contributions concerning wisdom can be summarized as in the following chart.
| Book | Author | Date | Theme | |
| 1. | Job | Anonymous | Unknown | How to view suffering |
| 2. | Psalms | David and others | c. 1410–450 B.C. | How to view the realities of life |
| 3. | Proverbs | Primarily Solomon | c. 971–686 B.C. | How to view wisdom and foolishness in life |
| 4. | Ecclesiastes | Solomon | c. 940–931 B.C. | How to view God’s purpose in life |
| 5. | The Song of Solomon | Solomon | c. 971–965 B.C. | How to view God’s intent in marriage |
Each book is distinguished by its own unique literary development. Job is comprised of a series of historical occurrences/ dialogues in one man’s life. Psalms range from the time of Moses (Ps. 90) to the post-exilic period (Ps. 126) using a poetic/musical form composed by multiple authors. Proverbs develops with a variety of proverbial presentations from long to short. Ecclesiastes explores the themes of “the vanities of life” and “the fear of the LORD” using one man’s highly unusual life as the basis. The Song of Solomon employs highly poetic and figurative language with major and minor speakers.
This literature spans time from the patriarchal period (c. 2200 B.C.) or before to post-exilic days (c. 450 B.C.); however, the greatest emphasis is upon the united kingdom reigns of David and Solomon (c. 1011–931 B.C.). These five books of ancient wisdom contain a wealth of timeless truths that are just as applicable today as when they were originally written (Rom. 15:4).