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Pentecost
Deuterocanonical Wisdom

Wisdom

Also known as: Wisdom of Solomon

Deuterocanonical / AnagignoskomenaFirst century BCGreek

Wisdom speaks of righteousness, immortality, divine wisdom, and the folly of idolatry in polished Greek. It is especially important for Catholic and Orthodox readings of Second Temple wisdom.

Wisdom — manuscript, icon, or classical biblical art from Wikimedia Commons.
Southern France, Toulouse(?), 13th century - Fol. 251 r, Wisdom, historiated initial D, Solomon instructing a soldier - 2008.2.251.a - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif — https://clevelandart.org/art/2008.2.251.a

Why Wisdom Matters

Wisdom speaks of righteousness, immortality, divine wisdom, and the folly of idolatry in polished Greek. It is especially important for Catholic and Orthodox readings of Second Temple wisdom.

The book's central themes include righteousness, immortality, wisdom, and idolatry. Read inside the whole canon, those themes are not isolated topics but part of Scripture's unified witness to God's covenant work and to Christ.

Canonical Reception

Wisdom is received as Scripture in Catholic and Orthodox traditions and is treated differently in most Protestant traditions. Theologos records that reception descriptively so readers can see where the traditions agree and where they differ. In this entry it is marked as recognized in the Roman Catholic canon, Eastern Orthodox canons, Oriental Orthodox canons.

Reading With The Church

A faithful reading of Wisdom asks first what the text says in its own setting, then how its words are received in the full scriptural economy. The goal is not to flatten historical context into later theology, but to hear the book as part of the one biblical canon read by the Church.

Key Passages
  • Wisdom 2:12-20
  • Wisdom 7:22-8:1
  • Wisdom 13:1-9