This collection of articles confirms Norman Whybray's place as one of of the foremost contributors to scholarship on wisdom literature in the last three decades of the twentieth century. A former President of the Society for Old Testament Study and winner of the British Academy's Burkitt Medal, Whybray wrote extensively on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and his interests extended to Job, Ben Sira and wider areas of concern such as the relationship of wisdom to other Old Testament books and genres. Including a Preface by David Clines and an Introduction by Katharine J. Dell, this collection brings together for the first time all of Norman Whybray's articles in this subject, thus not only inspiring afresh but also providing a useful resource for scholars interested in that enigmatic group of writings that make up the wisdom literature of the Old Testament.

Contents: Foreword: making waves gently: the contribution of Norman Whybray to British Old Testament scholarship, David J.A. Clines; Introduction: an overview of Norman Whybray's wisdom articles, Katharine J. Dell. Introductory Wisdom Articles: Proverbs, book of; Slippery words: IV. Wisdom; Ecclesiastes; wisdom literature. Proverbs: Proverbs VIII 22-31 and its supposed prototypes; Some literary problems in Proverbs I-IX; Yahweh-sayings and their contexts in Proverbs, 10,1-22,16; Poverty, wealth and point of view in Proverbs; Thoughts on the composition of Proverbs 10-29; The structure and composition of Proverbs 22:17-24:22. Ecclesiastes/Qoheleth: Qoheleth the immoralist? (Qoh. 7:16-17); Conservatisme et radicalisme dans Qohelet; The identification and use of quotations in Ecclesiastes; Qoheleth, preacher of joy; Ecclesiastes 1:5-7 and the wonders of nature; 'A time to be born and a time to die'. Some observations on Ecclesiastes 3:2-8. Job: Two Jewish theologies: Job and Ecclesiastes; Wisdom, suffering and the freedom of God in the Book of Job. Ecclesiasticus/Ben Sira: Ben Sira and history. The Social Context of Wisdom: Wisdom literature in the reigns of David and Solomon; The social world of the wisdom writers; The sage in the Israelite royal court. Wisdom in Relation to Prophets and Psalms: Prophecy and wisdom; The wisdom psalms; Psalm 119: profile of a psalmist. Linking up With a Wider Theological Theme: 'Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just?' God's oppression of the innocent in the Old Testament. Index.