Personification of Wisdom and Folly
Excerpt
The second feature of theological wisdom is by far the liveliest theme in Proverbs—that is, the personification of wisdom and folly. This remarkable development in theological reflection arose from frequent talk about limits imposed on human knowledge and ability, as well as from the recognition that men’s and women’s fates lay in their own hands. The silence of heaven was a terrible burden; so was the lack of certainty about the vast accumulation of knowledge. Did it, or did it not, accord with the will of God? In short, frail humans acknowledge a need for contact with the universal Lord, particularly as the idea of exact reward and retribution for good and evil gradually eroded. Personified Wisdom achieved that purpose for these teachers. More
Crenshaw, James L. Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998. Print.
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