Saturday, June 25, 2011

Proverbs and Wisdom in the ANE

It's often said that the book of proverbs contains proverbs from the ANE outside of Israel or proverbs similar to noncanonical proverbs from the ANE. Fine. There's undoubtedly truth in this. Yet we ought to recall 1 Kgs. 4:29-30. The wisdom given to Solomon was given by the infinitely wise God. And Solomon's wisdom, beginning with the fear of the LORD as it does (Prov. 1:7; 9:10), far outstrips the merely natural wisdom found in even the best of the noncanonical ANE wisdom literature. For the canonical wisdom found in Proverbs is Spirit; but the noncanonical wisdom found in the ANE is flesh. Is there any overlap? Sure. For God's Spirit even animates and illuminates pagans. Yet the distinction between the canonical and noncanonical wisdom literature must be firmly maintained. One is heavenly, the other earthly. One is supernatural, the other natural. One is spiritual, the other carnal.

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