Proverbs and Ecclesiastes

These books of so-called wisdom literature keep a low theological profile, attending to the practical and immediate aspects of everyday life. Proverbial sayings are community property, a form of local and regional knowledge treasured in traditional cultures (such as contemporary South Sudan), especially among women. Recognizing the biblical proverbs as short poems—like Japanese senryu—may counter a modern tendency to view them as merely stating the obvious or expressing the social conservatism of the powerful. Rather, they highlight likely consequences in a world that is not fundamentally chaotic, tragic, or absurd; these latter possibilities are explored in Ecclesiastes. Although Qohelet’s central themes are ephemerality and mortality, it calls upon those living in an unpredictable world to take pleasure in daily matters—food, work, relationships—that are gifts from God.