Texts in Conversation
The Wisdom of Solomon alludes to the Greek Septuagint translation of Proverbs 3, describing wisdom as accessible to those who seek her. The vocabulary shows how Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible were being incorporated into Jewish wisdom texts.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Wisdom of Solomon 6:12
Deuterocanon
10 For those who have kept the things that are holy in holiness will be made holy. Those who have been taught them will find what to say in defense. 11 Therefore set your desire on my words. Long for them, and you will be instructed. 12 Wisdom is radiant and doesn’t fade away; and is easily seen by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. 13 She anticipates those who desire her, making herself known. 14 He who rises up early to seek her won’t have difficulty, for he will find her sitting at his gates.
LXX Proverbs 3:15
Septuagint
13 Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who knows prudence. 14 For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver. 15 And she is more valuable than precious stones: no evil thing shall resist her: she is well known to all that approach her, and no precious thing is equal to her in value. 16 For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory: 16a out of her mouth proceeds righteousness, and she carries law and mercy upon her tongue.
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Notes and References
"... The unit is held together by an inclusion (verse 7: ask ... given, and verse 11: given ... ask). It opens with an exhortation: ask ... be given, search ... find, knock ... be opened. This language is typical of speech about prayer. Compare Jeremiah 29:12-14: call ... hear; search ... find; seek ... find; Isaiah 65:1: sought ... ask ... found ... seek; b. Megillah 12b: 'he knocked at the gates of mercy and they were opened to him.' ... Just as all six sentences of the Lord's Prayer are petitions, so here prayer is understood as asking. It is assumed that disciples appear before God as 'humble receivers from a generous Father.' Is this an affirmation of the efficacy of unrestricted prayer? Or is its meaning more restricted by the context? The latter, I think, in this context. The language is typical of prayers for wisdom. Consider, for example, Proverbs 8:17 - Wisdom says: 'those who seek me diligently find me'; Wisdom of Solomon 6:12 - Wisdom 'is found by those who seek her'; James 1:5 - 'If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.' The language seems to say that those who ask for divine wisdom will be heard and given this treasure ..."
Talbert, Charles H.
Reading the Sermon on the Mount: Character Formation and Decision Making in Matthew 5-7
(p. 134) University of South Carolina Press, 2004
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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