Wisdom In The Old Testament Analysis

Of the many words exemplified in the Bible, one word that is constantly being interpreted is “Wisdom.” The origins of Wisdom in the Bible stem from the old testament. As the books of the Bible progress, the word Wisdom takes on many different shapes. Like many words and concepts in the Old Testament (OT), the New testament uses context to provide a clearer explanation of what those terms mean. This paper will incorporate biblical references as well as scholarly commentary to define, identify disputed understanding, and show the development of Wisdom throughout the Bible. The Hebrew translation of wisdom is most commonly defined as “understanding.” However, in Browning’s A Dictionary of the Bible, Wisdom is defined not by a personal skill …show more content…
In the New Testament (NT) readers are now given a divine and direct example of Wisdom. The synoptic gospels through their similar nature all portray Jesus as a wise teacher. The foreshadowing of the evolution of Wisdom in the OT is seen in Jesus’ presence in the New Testament. The form of his Wisdom is often seen in aphorisms, maxims, prohibitions, beatitudes and parables (Sakenfeld). Essentially, the NT explains Wisdom through its personification in Jesus. Going back to Browning’s definition of Wisdom, readers can see the fruition of the the development of Wisdom. His explanation displays the development of Wisdom by defining it as quality of God. The NT places only Jesus as representative of the concept of Wisdom. He is the quality of God in full …show more content…
From its first use the explanation of Wisdom has developed in accordance with the progression of the Bible. At first the meaning was vague described as Understanding. Through the commentary of Doubleday readers learn that Wisdom develops to an experience of understanding. This concept is supported by Sakenfeld who also adds that Wisdom is a mediator between humanity and God. It becomes apparent that Wisdom becomes easier to comprehend throughout the New Testament. It is during the time of Jesus when Wisdom is now directly taught through his words and actions. After the death of Jesus, his Wisdom remains obtainable by accepting him through the church. The development of Wisdom throughout the OT and NT leads one to believe that Wisdom will continue to become more defined and obtainable as time goes on. Conclusively, the development of Wisdom relies heavily on the foreshadowing of its practicality through both the Old and New Testament as it is experienced in modern