Understanding Wisdom Literature: Conflict and Dissonance in the Hebrew Text

Israelite wisdom, literature, David Penchansky argues, records the disputes of ancient sages over basic human questions: What is the purpose of life? Is God just? Why do we suffer? Does God even exist? Penchansky sees confl icting answers to these questions in Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Ben Sira, and the Wisdom of Solomon — and does not try to harmonize them. Instead, he fi nds meaning in the very dissonance and contradiction within these texts.

Employing the latest scholarship yet remain...