Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Missing the point

Therefore, the special emphasis of wisdom is on long life and the ability to avoid dangerous situations. This emphasis is too little recognised in scholarly discussions, maybe because of wisdom’s special connection with the wise and fabulously rich Solomon, and maybe also because of the sociological context of many modern western interpreters, who are probably more interested in prosperity than in survival.—Toward an Interpretation of the Book of Proverbs, page 114

<idle musing>
Bingo! He hit the nail on the head with that last statement. We are so assured of our survival—probably incorrectly so!—that we want prosperity. That pretty much marginalizes Proverbs...
</idle musing>

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