Reversal Of A Motif: “The Land Is Given Into the Hand Of The Wicked.” The Gift of Land In Some Wisdom Texts

Abstract

This chapter considers the use of the motif of the gift of the land in the wisdom texts. The terminology and the overtone of the occurrence of this motif in Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic History can be heard in these texts. The chapter gives a short survey of how Deuteronomi(sti)c texts deal with the gift of the land as a background. Deuteronom(ist)ic texts deal with the Israelites and the gift of the land of Israel. This collective context fades away when the motif of the gift of the land occurs in wisdom texts. The reversal of the well known motif serves to emphasise that God's actions fully deviate from what the "theological" tradition makes people believe. In Job's eyes,God with holds the righteous the land. Keywords: Deuteronomistic History; gift of the land; Israel; motif; wisdom texts