Old Testament chapter 19, Old Testament chapter 20, Old Testament chapter 19, Old Testament chapter 21, Old Testament chapter 22, Old Testament chapter 23
What unity does the Song of Songs contain?
it is highly repetitious consistent character portrayal common themes
Why is the final cycle of speeches incomplete?
it is missing the final speech of Zophar
What does the seven verse introduction state?
it states the book's purpose
the five basic divisions of the Book of Psalms
1-41 42-72 73-89 98-106 107-150
What did the teacher conclude after considering all of the oppression?
1. those who have died are better off 2. those who are not born yet are even more better off
Does Hebrew poetry rely on meter or rhyme?
meter
does wisdom literature occur in the Old Testament
no
Many Jewish interpreters have taken the Song of Songs as an allegory of what?
of the love between Yahweh and Israel
How many psalms have no authorship?
50
How many psalms begin with "A psalm of David"?
73
Lament psalms bemoan
one's condition state trust in God end with praise
What pattern does psalm contain?
A-B-C-C-B-A
Proverbs 1-9 are basically
parental discourse to children
How has the editor of the Song of Songs arranged the poems?
poems with similar themes were drawn together and arranged by content and catchwords
one of three books known as wisdom literature
Book of Job
What kinds of psalms did David write?
praises, laments, penitential, imprecatory, royal, and messianic psalms
Which poetical does not provide a predominant literary form?
Ecclesiastics
What does the Book of Proverbs contain?
proverbs and wisdom sayings from different authors from different sources compiled in a library of wisdom teachings on how to fear the Lord and shun evil
What was the Israelite's world of experience?
rational perceptions and religion are not differentiated no attempt to separate faith from knowledge fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge/wisdom
Imprecatory psalms call on
God to judge one's enemies
What does not save?
righteousness
What does chapter 5:1-14 warn against?
sexual sin it lists the dire consequences of sexual impurity
a key element of wisdom in human relationships
sexuality the beauty of love within marriage the power of sex presents a danger for wreckage
the Book of Job considers what?
some of the most difficult questions of life including the problem of theodicy
Proverbs in chapters 10-22
specific proverbs for youth, covering a variety of subjects
What does the teacher lament?
that death is inevitable
Messianic psalms describe
the Messiah
theodicy
the attempt to justify God's ways in the world
What is better than the day of birth?
the day of death
"song of songs" means?
the most beautiful of all songs
What did Job do when God finally spoke?
Job acknowledged God's omnipotence & his own ignorance and repented
prologue in Jobe
Job described as blameless and upright he feared God and shunned evil
Who are the sons of Korah?
Korah denotes a man who contended with Aaron for the priesthood God judged Korah and his followers Korah may refer to two or more different families b/c it was a common name
What do the random order of the Proverbs of Solomon reflect?
the random manner in which we deal with the life-issues they address
What is Agur's collection marked by?
the repetition of numerical sayings
What is the way of folly?
the way of life suggested by peers, leading to sin
What does the introduction in the Book of proverbs highlight?
the ways of wisdom and the way of folly
Together with Job and Proverbs, Ecclesiastes balances what?
the wisdom view of life
Song of Songs pays homage to what?
the wonder and majesty of monogamous sexual love when that love is intensely pursued with honor and faithfulness
The individual poems of the Song of Songs share what?
they appear to share a similar structure
How do the Book of Psalms make a special contribution to the Bible?
they provide an understanding of Israelite worship they touch on all aspects of Hebrew life
What is our only goal in life?
to live in relationship with God
taking your deepest concerns to God
usually results in a change of attitude the troubles don't seem so big anymore
general message of the book of Job
wisdom belongs to God resolute faith in him will be vindicated
the books in the canon that are called poetic relate to what?
wisdom literature
What was Job's salvation?
wisdom ultimately belongs to God
theological theme of Job
you reap what you sow doctrine of retribution
lengthy speeches in documents about the problems of justice in the world came from
Mesopotamia
Who is Psalm 90 ascribed to?
Moses
a famous example of an acrostic
Psalm 119
What is the earliest form of Egyptian instructional wisdom?
Ptahhotep fifth dynasty 2450 b.c. it contains 37 maxims it trains the son in human relations to make him a successful official of the state
It is better to take the Song of Songs as what?
a collection of love songs with no particular plot or story line
the last psalm in each collection typically contains what?
a doxology an ascription of praise to the Lord it ties off that part of the Book of Psams
What is stated in 3:1-35 regarding the benefits of wisdom?
a lifetime of serenity and victory trust in the Lord with all your heart in all your ways acknowledge him
the author of the prose prologue assumes
a omniscient point of view (knows everything)
What does the Book of Ecclesiastes reflect?
a time of despair
wisdom literature provides what?
a wonderful example of cross-cultural communication of faith
What is the Song of Songs about?
about awakening love written in two parts, the man's and the woman's and choral responses sprinkled throughout
What did God's people express through their worship?
about the great truths people believed in
According to the teacher, what is meaningless?
achievements wealth companionship rising from poverty
the literary device used in Proverbs 31
acrostic
A wise man will do what?
adorn his father's instruction and mother's teaching
When were the psalms compiled into one volume?
after the Babylonian exile
In what sense are we no better off than the animals?
all breathe the same air, and expect to die one day
Why should we treat the psalms as authentic?
all of the ancient copies of the psalms contain the same headings as the ones we see today
it is more likely that the author of Song of Songs was whom?
an admirer of Solomon's successes and a supporter of the wisdom literature traditions
What do the psalms represent?
an ancient songbook of God's people
the book of Job is
anonymous
In 1:20-33, wisdom is personified as what?
as a woman rejecting her advice is tantamount to hating knowledge and rejecting the fear of Yahweh her invitation is to life and security
How does the teacher view life's activities?
as meaningless religion and wealth fail to add meaning to life
How did Zophar term Job's theological outlook?
as mere babble he said God's punishment was less than what Job's guilt called for
How did Bildad consider Job's first response?
as nothing but wind he said God is just he also said God would not reject a blameless man so, his suffering proves he is guilty of sin he said Job needs to look to God and expect to be returned to his former life
How does Solomon summarize all his pursuits?
as total vanity "chasing after the wind"
While we are alive, what can we do?
be happy and do good
Why are the psalms valuable for counseling?
because the psalms concern every aspect of life many writers of the scriptures went through the same types of struggles
Why did Elihu plea for them to pay close attention?
because wisdom is a gift of God
What is Ugaritic similar to?
biblical Hebrew
Which book has more parallels with the Bible?
book of Proverbs
Penitential Psalms
confess sorrow for sins appeal to God for grace and forgiveness it may be for one person's sins, or many peoples' sins
leviathon
crocodile
What is God's gift to us?
eat, drink, and find satisfaction in our work
Wisdom Psalms
general observations on life especially God and our relationship to him they are self-evident descriptions of the way God has intended life to be
What did Job do when in ruin?
he kept on remaining faithful to God
What did Elihu speak about in his second speech?
he reproached Job for questioning God's justice Job added rebellion to his sin
Why did Job's friends not recognize him?
his suffering was so severe
What is the teacher's conclusion?
humanity is dependent on God fear God, and keep his commandments
Hymns focus on
individual or corporate praise to God
true wisdom
is a relationship with God
What is the most logical conclusion regarding the meaning of the Song of Songs?
two young lovers rejoicing in the splendor of their royal occaison
Ecclesiastes motto
vanity and meaninglessness everything is utterly meaningless work accomplishments are meaningless
What is Job's complaint?
why did he not die at birth this is a fate worse than death
What problem does Job address?
why righteous people sometimes suffer terrible trials
Proverbs intends to present what?
wisdom needed for successful living instruction for living in a relationship with God and His created world
What does Proverbs provide us?
with practical guidelines for living
The Instruction of Amenomope came before what?
200 years before Solomon, around 1200 b.c.
Instruction of Amenemope
30 chapters of instructions for well being closely parallel Old Testament proverbs
What are the closest parallels to the Book of Proverbs?
Egyptian instructional wisdom
What is the typological model of the Song of Songs?
Old Testament events are historical corresponding New Testament parallel is primary in meaning illustrates God's intimate, covenant bond with his people
another example of a hymn of praise
Psalm 136 in corporate worship, a responsive reading it calls for praise to God for His magesty, creative power, saving power, sustaining power, and His faithfulness
What does Ecclesiastes translate from?
Qohelet one leading an assembly or a preacher or a teacher
At the fountainhead of Israel's wisdom traditions stood who?
Solomon
What is the Book of Proverbs?
a collection of short sayings it instructs the reader how to live well
What is the definition of Egyptian instruction?
a collection of wise sayings that helped them lead a successful life.
What kind of picture did Bildad present?
a dreary picture of the wicked he implied the seriousness of Job's sin
the stillborn child is better off than whom?
a person who lives a life of disappointment
How did Zophar approach Job's problems?
a rationalist Job's problems are what can be reasonably expected
What has the teacher witnessed?
a righteous man perishing in his righteousness a wicked man living long in his wickedness
What do Proverbs 1:8-9:18 warn against?
adultery, and dangers of immoral women
With proverbs, heir general quality means you should
always be looking for the underlying principle of the statement
Song of Songs transports the marital relationship back to where?
back to pre-fall Garden of Eden husband and wife enjoy each other with no inhibitions
Why does wisdom not make life meaningful?
because it goes unnoticed
What chapters of the book of Proverbs were probably from non-Israelites?
chapter 30, and part of chapter 31
What does the Book of Ecclesiastes acknowledge?
circumstances of life sometimes makes faith difficult
Why would many of the proverbs be of interest to Hezekiah?
deal with topics of leadership Kings thirst for truth
Messianic Psalms
describe some aspect of the Messiah's person or ministry they describe God's anointed one the Messiah would one day restore Israel and establish everlasting salvation
the most likely date of composition of Job
early eighth century b.c. b/c of literary comparisons b/w Job and Isaiah
What must we enjoy and understand?
enjoy God's wonderful creation understand that everything God has done is intended to lead us to revere and serve Him
What is our only consolation?
enjoyment of our labor
What does the book of Ecclesiastes teach us?
even fame is no guarantee of a meaningful life
What is the Book of Ecclesiastes theme?
everything is meaningless
Zophar suggested that Job's problem was
greed
behemoth
hippopotamus
Who else does the prologue of Job introduce?
his 3 friends Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar all three were motivated by their love & commitment to Job
the first test of a man's character
his choice of a wife his success depends on her character
What does Ecclesiastes demonstrate?
how faith can triumph over doubt
What is arbitrary and unpredictable?
human power
The Song of Songs provides a point of contact between what?
human sexuality and biblical faith
How do we define fearing God?
keeping His commandments
Lament Psalms
lament one's condition usually include statements of lament, statement of trust in God, and affirmation of praise to Him the last psalm type usually contain three elements, not always in the same order 1. bemoan one's condition 2. state trust in God 3. some kind of praise
What does Song of Songs celebrate?
love shared between husband and wife
Who wrote the psalms?
many people contributed to the songs and poems
Are proverbs commands?
no, they are not commands thy are a general principle of life
Are proverbs promises?
no, they are not promises they are statements of general truth they are not hard-and-fast promises
Ecclesiastes is a collection of what?
of a variety of literary types a) poetry b) narrative c) proverbial sayings d) brief meditatons
What do the Proverbs of Solomon cover?
poverty and wealth slander self-discipline work and laziness rash promises discipline in education sickness and grief old age
Solomonic sayings from Hezekiah's collection
scribes in Hezekiah's court copied and compiled this collection they have a short, forceful style Hezekiah's scribes organized certain proverbs into small, topical collections
Mesopotamian discourse wisdom
second type of wisdom literature contain discourses, or lengthy speeches about problems of justice in the world discourses may be soliloquies, dialogues with the deity, or speeches of many participants
What does the Book of Proverbs contain?
seven collections of proverbs from different authors
besides the wisdom literature books, who else uses the wisdom ideas?
several prophets use them in their sermons and Jesus uses them in his teachings
Job was destitute, alone, boils all over his body, but Job did not do what?
sin
What did the Lord's speeches do to Job?
stripped him of his pride and self-sufficiency
What did Zophar conclude?
that Job needs to put his iniquity and wickedness far away
central message of the book of Job
the hymn to wisdom wisdom belongs to God
Those who live in the royal court must learn to live with what?
the inevitable abuse of power
Proverbs are not only human observations
the instructions are also part of God's revelation to Israel and all believers
Why are we placed here?
to have a relationship with God regardless of our circumstances
What does the Book of Song of Songs testify to?
to the mutual complimentary of man and woman it affirms the sanctity of marriage approves of erotic heterosexual love within marriage
What does chapter 4:1-27 contain?
two paths that are taught by the father to his son handed down from generation to generation the contrast of the two paths culminates in: the path of the righteous they walk in the safe light of the day the wicked stumble about in deep darkness
why does it end with the importance of finding an excellent wife?
warned against sexual impurity exalted the role of women personified wisdom as a woman worthy of marriage
2 events of the epilogue
1. Lord reprimanded the three friends for not speaking rightly on God's behalf 2. God restored the fortunes of Job his latter days would be better than his former days
Examples of wisdom psalms
1. Psalm 1 a direct-to the point observation on life blessed are those who avoid sin and delight in God's word they become like trees planted in streams of life giving water they fulfill God's highest purpose for them the wicked find no such favor Psalm 14 David described the fool who said God did not exist living for the Lord is worth it because God will restore the fortunes of the righteous Psalm 73 Asaph wrote that nothing else mattered other than following the Lord faithfully
examples of lament psalms
1. Psalm 3 David wrote it when fleeing his son Absalom Psalm4 and Psalm 6 David expresses anguish to God he asks how long before God delivers him
examples of imprecatory psalms
1. Psalm 35 & 69 David asks God to take his side against those who contended with him he asks the Lord to intervene and judge them he asks for God's judgement to rescue him and his people Psalm 137 a captive asks God to avenge his people the Babylonians mocked them the Edomites turned traitor on them
Why does Psalms have a unique place in the Scriptures?
1. They gave us insight into the Israelite worship the songs sang, the themes, what was dear to their hearts gave us insight the psalms describe the corporate and personal worship certain psalms served the entire body of believers others relate to personal experience 2. they deal with all aspects of Hebrew life God was praised for his special blessings and mighty deeds. forgiveness was asked for their sin sometimes they lamented difficult times or implored God to curse enemies of the faith
What are the 2 general groups of ancient Near East wisdom literature?
1. brief proverbial maxims stating observations about life in general 2. sages of the ancient Near east contain essays grappling with life's most difficult problems the dialogues or monologues are often pessimistic
Why does the similarity b/w Ugaritic help us understand the meaning of the biblical words?
1. certain biblical words can be understood better because they also appear in the Ugaritic language 2. Ugaritic poetry is similar to Hebrew poetry but Ugarit poetry praises their gods and goddesses biblical writers praised only God 3. Ugaritic poetry helps us understand the polytheistic world of the Hebrews texts reveal much about Baal & Asherah
two types of wisdom literature
1. discoursive wisdom found in Job 2. instructional literature found in Proverbs
the 3 types of parallelism in Hebrew poetry
1. synonymous parallelism repetition of the same thought or similar thought 2. antithetic parallelism two lines contrast each other usually "but" is the conjunction b/w the two 3. synthetic parallelism second line usually completes a thought of the first line left incomplete the two lines compliment in a relationship with each other
Theories on the Psalms' arrangement
1. there may be a connection b/w the book arrangement and the five books of the Torah
What does the Book of Psalms contain?
150 songs from Hebrew life and worship dear to peoples hearts it reflects their personal experiences
What does the chapter open with?
Agur's confession that he does not have great wisdom and understanding
Who was Asaph?
David appointed him chief musician Asaph wrote a variety of psalms
What does Psalm 8 reflect?
David's own experience with God its a hymn of praise
classification of the Psalms
German scholar Hermann Gunkel laid the foundation for the study of the psalm classification he stated that psalm writers used certain poetic forms and styles to express similar ideas hymns of praise followed a certain pattern so did community laments, psalms of thanksgiving
In Elihu's third speech, he spoke about
God being unaffected by what goes on on earth God was silent because of the insincerity in Job's requests repentance is the key Job's afflictions and suffering may be the means for deliverance
philosophical quandry
God is all-powerful and all-good then why is evil present in the world
What was the significance of the hippo and crocodile?
God underscored their strength, resilience, indestructibility
The Israelites recognized human sexuality as part of what?
God's wonderful creation
What must we take note of?
God's word contains graphic reminders of our mortality
the Book of Psalms bears witness to what?
Jesus as the son of God sacrifice for sin, our great high priest risen from the dead King of kings Lord of lords
3 books of wisdom literature
Job Proverbs Ecclesiastics & selected Psalms
poetical books
Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs
What was Job's response to his friends stating that he was the cause of his suffering?
Job said it was nonsense and wanted a witness in heaven to mediate for him with God
How did Job respond to Zophar's suggestion that Job was greedy?
Job said the wicked prospered they went to the grave fat and satisfied he said comfort from his three friends was worthless, and false
Who exerted a great influence on the Book of Psalms?
King David
Who aggressively seeks to be found by humankind?
Lady Wisdom
What was the first of God's created order?
Lady Wisdom it stood at His side as He fashioned the universe
the difference between Israelite wisdom literature and that of Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia: it relates to skill in magical practices Israelite : it refers to a fear of God
Why are the wisdom documents of Mesopotamia comparable to Job and Ecclesiastes?
Mesopotamian doctrine accepts the doctrine of retribution
examples of Royal Psalms
Psalm 2 describes haughtiness toward the Lord and his anointed God established a father-son relationship it may be a coronation psalm Israel recited it as she crowned a new king Psalm 45 dedication to the king march victoriously in battle extol the king's righteousness affirm God's anointing of him Psalm 110 the Lord would shatter other kings and extend David's scepter David was ordained a special priest the Lord's presence with David would result in victory
examples of Messianic Psalms
Psalm 2 describes the king as God's anointed one describes the Messiah as God's Son Psalm 16 David affirmed God would never abandon him describes the Messiah as risen and glorified Psalm 22 also a lament psalm begins with words Jesus uttered from the cross "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" David thought God had abandoned him David's psychological and emotional suffering foreshadowed Christ's physical suffering Psalm 45 describes Christ's kingship Psalm 110 denotes Christ's role as Lord of David and our great high priest
examples of Penitential Psalms
Psalm 38 David described his guilt that overwhelmed him his pain never left him David called God his Savior Psalm 51 the most famous penitential psalm dealt with David's sin with Bathseba and the arranged death of her husband Uriah David poured out his repentant heart to God he asked God to forgive him he needed God to cleanse him, and purify his heart
Who are Psams 72 and 127 ascribed to?
Solomon
wise men of Mesopotamia, Canaan, and Egypt are compared to
Solomon
connections between the Book of Ecclesiastes and Solomon
Solomon was the human stimulus for much of the wisdom literature historical connection between both he was the author of some of the wisdom literature
The Book of Proverbs contains sayings from whom?
Solomon, Agur, Lemuel
Who does the opening verse in the Book of Proverbs relate to?
Solomon, the greatest wise man and the catalyst of Old Testament wisdom literature
What is similar to wisdom literature in its didactic function and literary form
Song of Songs
How is the Song of Songs similar to the Books of Psalms and Proverbs?
Song of Songs appears to be preceded by smaller collections of love poetry the Book of Psalms was preceded by smaller collections of praise hymns the Book of Proverbs were preceded by smaller collections of wisdom sayings
What are the only human endeavors with meaning?
Walking in God's ways and obeying His will this is everyone's duty
What is Psalm 150 an example of?
a hymn it commands us to praise the Lord 13 times in six verses praise God in His sanctuary, in the heavens, and praise His power and greatness praise God with instruments and all flesh praise God
What does Qohelet warn against?
a life caught in the pursuit of absurd and empty pleasures that have no lasting value life without God at the center is meaningless
Some scholars have taken the Song of Songs to be what?
a love triangle drama Solomon is trying to seduce a simple beautiful girl away from her shepherd boyfriend others have seen it as a two person drama the shepherd and king are the same person there is no indication it was a drama
What is a proverb?
a succinct and persuasive saying proven true by experience topics include everything in God's universe and how it operates a collection of timeless truths or basic values proven by previous generations
What is the theme of 8:9-9:10?
all share a common destiny the righteous and the wicked the good and the bad the clean and the unclean those who offer sacrifices, and those who do not
acrostics
alphabetic poems first line begins with a, then the next line b, etc
the Book of Psalms represents
an ancient songbook of Israel
the unit 9:11-12:8 in Ecclesiastes begins with what?
an assertion about the uncertainties of life time and chance happen to them all
When is it suggested that the Book of Proverbs was composed?
an early first millenium it implies that Solomon wrote most of the material
What does the Book of Proverbs consolidate?
ancient Israel's truths based on experience offers believers practical advice on holy living
Why have many scholars concluded the Book of Song of Songs is not a single song?
because of a lack of unity it is an anthology of many different poems woven together
Why did Ecclesiastics become associated with the poetical books?
because of its affinities with Hebrew wisdom literature
Why do many find the imprecable psalms troubling?
because of the harsh words ex: destroy Babylonian infants by dashing them against rocks these psalms help us see the human side of Scripture they leave judgement in God's hands only God had the absolute right to judge
Why is it useless to hope for better?
because the future holds no guarantees
Why do the pronouns switch back and forth in the Song of Songs?
because the individual units were originally independent
Near Eastern wisdom literature can be divided into
brief proverbial maxims to teach about life and longer discussions dealing with problems of life
How did Eliphaz open the 3rd cycle?
by identifying specific sins Job committed most by omission
Imprecatory Psalms
call for God's judgement against God's enemies and/or his people's enemies individual or corporate in nature angry content
sayings of the wise men
careful observance to these sayings results in trust in the Lord and a solid foundation in the truth 30 sayings
Babylonian Theodicy
dialogue between sufferer and a friend
What is the teacher's best advice?
eat, drink, and be satisfied with the work during the few days of life God has given
What set the stage for God to burst on the scene?
emphasis on God's omnipotence and justice the need for genuine repentance
What did Bildad say in his brief speech in chapter 25?
emphasized the impossibility of living in righteous life before God
What is the unifying purpose of the collection of the Book of Proverbs?
encourage the reader to live righteously and justly before God
"vanity of vanities" means?
everything is utterly meaningless
What was the most important educational unit in the ancient world?
family
What are the sayings in 1:8-9:18?
fatherly talks they contrast sexual immorality with devotion to wisdom, which involves sexual purity
What is the first and controlling principle of wisdom?
fear of God
When all the trivial layers of life are stripped away, what is left?
fearing God and enjoying life
Royal Psalms
focus on the king as son of David and God's chosen man to rule his people focus on Israel's king sometimes portray him as heir to God's covenant with David
Where does psalm come from?
from the Greek word psalmos it means a song or a hymn
Wisdom psalms provide
general observations about life
retribution
goodness results in prosperity wickedness leads to suffering
What did Eliphaz begin saying in his second speech?
he accused Job of abandoning prayer and the fear of God with his discourses
Job's first reply to his friends
he challenged them to be specific about his guilt Job said God's reproof was out of proportion to his sin
How did Eliphaz approach Job's problems?
he emphasized God's justice and purity he taught that people bring trouble upon themselves
How did Bildad approach Job's problems?
he is a defender of orthodox tradition he appealed to tradition he said if a person pursues wickedness, then do not be surprised by divine punishment
sayings of Lemuel
he learned the proverbs at his mother's knee it warns about royal responsibility do not indulge appetites at the expense of their people specifically, it warns abut drunkenness it leads to neglect of the law and persecution of the oppressed
Job's summarizing speeches
he praised the virtues of wisdom reminisced about his life before the tragic events of the prologue lamented his situation denied guilt of greed, lust, adultery, mistreating slaves, trusting in riches, idolatry, unfair business practices
How did Job respond to Eliphaz's third cycle?
he said he was not innocent but the punishment exceeded his guilt
What do Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs depict?
important aspects of life in ancient Israel that relate to universal experiences
How do the Psalms state God's truth?
in a beautiful style it speaks to our minds and hearts
The wisdom in the Book of Proverbs is rooted in what?
in a personal knowledge of God
Where have archaeologists discovered examples of wisdom literature?
in all parts of the ancient Near East
How is God's image refected?
in our intimate human relationships
the main body of Jobe
in poetry & contains the speeches of Job his advisors and finally God
When did God answer Job?
in the midst of a fierce windstorm
Penitential psalms feature
individual or corporate confession and repentance
major objective of Proverbs
instruction for all
The Book of Proverbs is what type of wisdom literature?
instructional or didactic in nature usually optimistic about life
the main characters of Job
introduced in prose prologue
Why was Job seemingly copied again and again?
it contains very old and late Hebrew terms the main characters may also not have been Israelites no mention of Mosaic law or covenant God seldom referred to as Yahweh
What does Ecclesiastics explore and conclude?
it explores the meaning of life it concludes that only a personal relationship with God life real meaning
What is Qohelet's purpose?
it forms a literary envelope for the whole book all is vanity
What does paragraph 2:1-22 state about wisdom?
it is attainable you must search for it as you search for silver wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are gifts from God they come from the Lord's mouth they are the truths of God's eternal ways
What is the Allegorical model of the Song of Songs?
it relates a hidden meaning it assumes it is also God's intimate relationship with His people it does not accept a historical basis
What type of narrative plot does the Song of Songs have?
its narrative plot is not consistent
ugaritic parallels
language spoken at ancient Ugarit Ugarit prominent in Syria from 1500 to 1200 b.c. an alphabetic script made up of 30 signs
according to Qohelet Life, when is life meaningless?
life without trust in God
What does Psalms provide us?
many songs of Israel invites us to join the ancient voices in singing to God
What is chapter 5:15-23 about?
marital faithfulness is a joy of wisdom sexual delight is God's gift to a married couple faithfulness to one's wife is a source of joy and satisfaction
Sayings of Agur and King Lemuel
may have existed independently before becoming part of the book they may be of Arabian descent supported by the slight textual variant
common characteristics of Hebrew Poetry
meter: certain accent pattern last words of the line often rhyme parallelism: the most important feature of Hebrew poetry at least two parallel lines of verse each compliments the other chiasm successive lines of poetry reverse the order in which parallel themes occur, criss-crossing each other a literary device sometimes applies to larger units of verse
Why is the Book of Psalms divided into five books?
no one really knows why it may reflect tradition
Is there an organizing principle or structure in the Proverbs of Solomon?
no, there is no organizing principle or structure
retribution theology is the theology of what?
of Job and the speakers God eliminated their understanding and application of retribution theology
What does chapter 10 of Ecclesiastes contain?
practical sayings about the futility of human endeavors
What is humanity's method of submitting to God's correction?
prayer
Sayings of Agur emphasizes what the enemy of wisdom is?
pride
David was interested in establishing music for what?
public worship
Eliphaz first cycle of speeches to Job
reminded Job of God's justice & humans inability to live up to God's holy standard he said find comfort in the Lord's chastening to expect a restoration of his lost estate
How do Mesopotamian authors explain the problem of good people having to suffer?
righteous people do not exist the blame is placed on the sufferer
basic characteristics of hymns
some are hymns of praise, either corporate or personal praise
hymns
songs of praise and thanksgiving to God for who he is and what he has done
What do many of David's psalms describe?
specific times in his life Psalm 3: fled from his son Absalom Psalm 51: after Nathan confronted him about Bathsheba Psalm 57: as he hid from Saul in the cave
Ancient Egypt created many examples of instructional wisdom which focused on
successful living
according to Elihu, what did God use to correct mankind?
suffering and chastisement
What did Job conclude in his first cycle of speeches?
that his understanding was not inferior to his three friends
What did Job admit?
that no one can be righteous before God God does things beyond understanding
The presence of Ecclesiastes in the Bible is evidence of what?
that our faith welcomes closer scrutiny
What does Agur's collection illustrate?
that pride is the enemy of wisdom and no friend of God
What does the Book of Ecclesiastes teach us?
that questions or doubts need to be grappled with honestly this leads to stretching our faith and leading us to deeper faith commitments
What was the contents of the Israelite education?
the Book of Proverbs
The 30 sayings of the wise men in the Book of Proverbs have much in common with what?
the Egyptian document known as "Instruction of Amenopope" it has a prologue and 30 chapters of instructions for well-being most scholars believe the Hebrew proverbs were modeled on an Egyptian original the Hebrew text tends to clarify the Egyptian document
What does the Song of Songs signify?
the best of songs
What does the authorship of Ecclesiastes center around?
the book's unique language
What affirms that the variety of times and seasons are set by God?
the catalog of times
In chapter 7:1-27, it is the most powerful unit on what?
the dangers of sexual impurity make careful decisions sexual sin first takes root in the heart
Ancient Near Eastern culture accepted what?
the doctrine of retribution
What is the sure foundation for building one's life?
the fear of God
according to the Book of Proverbs, what is the beginning of knowledge?
the fear of the Lord
monotheistic perspctive
the fear of the lord expressed in genuine faith
Why is it no longer possible to hold to a late, postexile date for the Book of Ecclesiastes?
the grammar and vocabulary do not appear to be postexilic
What does Song of Songs celebrate?
the joy of love in a romantic love poem it focuses on the joy of romantic love
Royal psalms focus on
the king of Israel
Christian scholars have often accepted the Song of Songs as praising what?
the love between Christ and the church
Everyone can relate to what in the Song of Songs?
the need for human love
What does Ecclesiastes teach?
the only hope of enduring the present is to fear and obey God
What is chapter 8:1-36 about?
the pinnacle of the Bible's view of wisdom it contrasts with preceding sections that warn of infidelity wisdom is personified as a woman who is cherished, adored, and honored provides a man with clear choices between wisdom and sin
Ecclesiastes & Song of Songs conclude the Old Testament section of the canon known as?
the poetical books
What creates a literary framework for the poetic speeches of Job?
the prologue and epilogue
Why does Ecclesiastes reflect a time of despair?
the promises of the covenant seem far distant the glories of national Israel forgotten the shining hope of the prophets lost
What does the Book of Proverbs illustrate?
the retribution principle by emphasizing the two ways of living the way of wisdom, or folly way of wisdom is living in a relationship with God way of folly is living without a regard for God or his instruction
In the midst of the desperation what did the poet discover?
the rich truths proclaimed in the other wisdom books of the Old Testament (Job and Proverbs)
the closing paragraphs emphasize what?
the role of the virtuous wife and mother as the one most able to build up a character of wisdom in the family
the Book of Proverbs
the second book of wisdom literature
What comprises the second unit of Job?
the speeches of his 3 friends & Job's reaction to each
Everyone can relate to what in Ecclesiastes?
the struggle of faith
What does the literary form of X of X indicate?
the superlative it intensifies an idea
Why was the teacher despaired of hope?
the teacher considered all the oppression under the sun
What theme does the Book of Proverbs continue?
the theme of contrasting two ways of living life
Proverbs of Solomon
the unit consists of proverbial sayings in poetry of two lines each these are distichs the parallelism is almost always antithetical
After the teacher concludes there is no justice to be had, what does the teacher declare?
there is nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves
the wisdom of finding an excellent wife
these verses are an acrostic the first letter of each line is the next successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet there are 22 lines, one for each of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet
What do the variety of literary types in Ecclesiastes share?
they all share a common theme life, and our preoccupation with temporal things, is meaningless
Why do scholars believe the book of Ecclesiastes have a late date, maybe the third century b.c.?
they believe the book was affected by later Aramaic influences and it has other linguistic peculiarities
Why are the Book of Psalms spiritually helpful to us?
they have experienced the joy, sadness, mourning, forgiveness, and other experiences that touch our lives we can learn from them and apply their truth to our lives
How did the 3 friends go about stating that Job's sin caused his suffering?
they said they had wisdom and stood in ancient tradition
In the Book of Proverbs, whose lives are seen as wise?
those who maintain a relationship with God and adhere to His ways
in the Books of Proverbs, who are fools?
those who reject God's laws and refuse to keep his covenant their life choices are folly
What do Proverbs offer us?
timeless principles expressed in catchy, expressive ways
To obey God is to do what?
to be truly human and reach our greatest potential as part of His creation
What does the Book of Job attempt to do?
to hold all three ideas of the equilateral triangle at the same time God, Job, retribution
Part of the Song of Songs may have been written for what>
to honor one of King Solomon's weddings
What is the Book of Proverb's goal?
to instruct the young to also help those who already have wisdom
even though our understanding is limited, what does the teacher call us to do?
to take action to not stand still
psalm titles may contain musical notatons
to the choir master: maybe people sang them in public worship other musical notations remain a mystery
