Understanding Wisdom Literature: An Introduction to Conflict

Israelite wisdom literature, David Penchansky argues, records ancient sages' disputes over basic life questions: Is God just? Why do we suffer? Does God even exist? What is the purpose of life? Penchansky sees conflicting answers to these questions in Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Ben Sira, and the Wisdom of Solomon - and does not try to harmonize them. Instead, he believes that contradiction - "the most important literary feature of a text" - generates meaning.

Employing the latest scholarship yet remaining accessible to nonspecialists and students, Penchansky uniquely focuses on the "big picture" behind wisdom literature - making it easy for readers to follow and appreciate the texts - without undermining each book's distinctive features. In the process, Penchansky opens up this rich and fertile vein of Israelite thought and demonstrates the renewed relevance of ancient Hebrew wisdom for today.