Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Wisdom of Solomon
2. Origin
3. Authorship
3.1 Solomonic Authorship
3.2 The Friends of Solomon
3.3 Philo
3.4 Ben Sira
4. Date
5. Themes
6. The Book of Proverbs
7. Origin
8. Authorship
9. Date
10. Themes
11. The Relation Between Wisdom of Solomon and The Book
of Proverbs
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
What is “wisdom”? We all used to pray to God and ask “God give me
wisdom. Thus, this two books tell us what wisdom is. Furthermore, the author of this
paper is going to deal with the wisdom books that we can found in the Bible and
outside of the Bible. There are Wisdom of Solomon and the Book of Proverbs. The
author is going to discuss base on the books when it came, who is the writer, when it
was written and what is focusing on that book.
1. Wisdom of Solomon
The Wisdom of Solomon is an exhortation to purse Wisdom and thereby to
live the righteous life that issues in immortality.1 The Wisdom of Solomon, also called
the Book of Wisdom, one of the Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical books, which are not
considered canonical by Protestants or Jews but are so reckoned by Roman Catholics
and Orthodox. At first reading the Wisdom of Solomon seems to address a different
world from that of the wisdom books we have examined so far. It threatens kings and
commands them to obey, speaks of the resurrection of the dead, and talks about the
end of the present world and a future judgment. Despite its unique features, however,
Wisdom of Solomon is indisputably an Israelite wisdom book. Therefore, Wisdom of
Solomon belongs securely to the corpus of biblical wisdom books.2
2. Origin
The Wisdom of Solomon is an Apocryphal work about wisdom, its nature,
benefits and role in ancient Israel’s history. Attributed in the work to King Solomon,
it was likely composed by a Jewish author in Egypt between 2nd century BC and the
1st century AD looking to demonstrate the wisdom of Judaism. Influences of the Bible
and early rabbinic traditions as well as Greek philosophy are evident in the work,
which consists of three distinct sections: Chapters 1-6 urge the rules of the earth to
pursue wisdom. In chapters 6-10, King Solomon describes how his life was guided by
wisdom and offers a prayer to obtain wisdom. Chapters 11-19 recount the story of the
Israelites’ redemption from Egypt.3 Therefore, the used of Greek language, the
influence of Greek philosophy and rhetoric, its Jewish audience, and the links with
1
George W.E. Nickelsburg, Jewish Litreature between the Bible and the
Mishnah, 1934, 2nd edn., (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005), 205.
2
Richard J. Clifford, The Wisdom Literature (Nashville: Abingdon Press,
1998), 133-134.
3
Sefaria, “The Wisdom of Solomon,”
https://www.sefaria.org/The_Wisdom_of_Solomon?tab=contents (accessed 11
September 2025).
Philo suggest an origin in Alexandria Egypt.4 Its origin in the diaspora is evident in
the author’s concern with idolatry, justice, and the defense of Jewish faith against
surrounding pagan influences.
3. Authorship
Christians views on the authorship of Wisdom can be set out as follows.
3.1 Solomonic
Solomon was pervasively revered as author, doubts notwithstanding. An early
comment on the Song of Songs, ascribed to Hippolytus by Anastasius of Sinai -
names Proverbs, Wisdom, Ecclesiastes and the Canticle, in order, as the Solomonic
books selected by Hezekiah’s company. Towards the end of the patristic age both
eastern and western opinion could view Wisdom as non-canonical, but genuinely
Solomonic. The same instinct affected Ecclesiasticus, often and early cited as
Solomonic, concluded in Latin by Solomon’s prayer and numbered among ‘the five
books of Solomon’.5
3.2 The Friends of Solomon
The Muratorian Fragment, a late-second-century canonical list of the New
Testament books, lists Wisdom as having been “written by Solomon’s friends in his
honor.” Augustine and Jerome also both affirmed the non-Solomonic authorship of
Wisdom.6 Solomon’s friend Hiram had a sapiential literary legend, and it is possible,
too, that Ecclesiasticus is in mind together with Wisdom, Ben Sira being termed
‘friend’ as an imitator of Solomon. The fragment as it stands then perhaps genuinely
reflects an attempt to unite criticism with tradition.
3.3 Philo
This tradition must go back at least to the third century, and probably further,
for it was known to Jerome from ‘nonnulli scriptorum veterum’. In Jerome’s time it
was therefore probably familiar among Greek-speakers as well as Latin
Christians like Julian of Eclanum. The early readiness of Christians to
identify Philo as the author of this highly revered book has been
plausibly linked, in turn, with the traces of a quasi-hagiographic
4
Oxford Bibliographies, “Wisdom of Solomon-Biblical Studies,”
https://www.oxfordbibligraphies.com/display/document/obo-9780195393361/obo-
9780195393361-0129.xml (accessed 13 September 2010).
5
John Day, Robert P. Gordon and H.G.M. Williamson, eds., Wisdom in
Ancient Israel: Essays in Honour of J. A. Emerton (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1995), 189.
6
David A. deSilva, Introducing the Apocrypha (Michigan: Baker Academic,
2002), 132.
Christian legend of Philo found in Eusebius and elsewhere, perhaps
deriving from the second-century Hegesippus.
3.4 Ben Sira
Ben Sira wrote both Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus, according to
Augustine, following what he took to be a standard view. He
ultimately withdrew this attribution of Wisdom, perhaps so as not to
infringe the book's authority by an opinion deemed doubtful; Julian
of Eclanum in Italy thought that the ascriptions to Ben Sira and Philo
were both uncertain. The attribution to Ben Sira is probably also
reflected in those Greek and Latin texts of the Apostolic Canons
which speak of ‘the Wisdoms of the very learned Sirach’; compare
the place of sisdom; Wisdom just after Ecclesiasticus in one list in
Epiphanius, the Gelasian Decree, Junilius and later Ebedjesu. Jews in
Galilee and the east highly esteemed Ecclesiasticus. Was
Augustine's attribution, perhaps learnt in Italy, shared by Jews in the
west?7
4. Date
The date of composition is somewhat more controversial. Some commen-
tators set the date as early as the second century B.C.E. Others favor the first century
B.C.E., because of the lack of clear allusions to Philo, but then the fact that Philo
shows no acquaintance with Wisdom Solomon becomes problematic. By far the most
probable date is the early Roman period. 8 Hence a first century B.C date is generally
agreed upon, perhaps in the last half of the century. It is reasonable to suppose that the
work originated in Alexandria, a large Jewish center of the Diaspora, which was also
an intellectual pivot of the ancient world.9
The account of the persecution of the righteous and the subsequent divine
judgment in chaps. 2–5 figure prominently in attempts to date the book. In Winston’s
view, this section of the book “could only be called forth by a desperate historical
situation.” He suggests the reign of the Roman emperor Caligula (37–41 A.D.), when
there were riots in Alexandria and the Jews were proclaimed “aliens and
7
Day, Wisdom in Ancient Israel: Essays in Honour of J. A. Emerton, 189-190.
8
John J. Collins, Jewish Wisdom in the Hellenistic Age (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 1997), 178-179.
9
Roland E. Murphy, The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom
Literature, 1990, 2nd edn., (Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1996), 83.
foreigners.”Whether the book can be tied to such specific events remains
questionable, since it never alludes to them explicitly. Moreover, we shall argue that
the account of the persecution of the righteous has the character of a quasi-
philosophical argument about the profitability of justice, rather than of a veiled
historical commentary, and the apocalyptic scene that it evokes was traditional by the
Roman period. It cannot be taken as a reliable guide to the circumstances in which the
book was composed. The book could have been written at any time in the century
from 30 B.C. to 70 A.D.10
5. Themes
Motives fir its production seems most readily discernible in i–x,
which conflict with views expressed elsewhere in the Solomonic
corpus. Wisdom’s attack on the powerful who deny after-life and
divine revelation traverses opinion voiced in Ecclesiastes and in
Ecclesiasticus, but recalls the Psalms of Solomon; the same
disagreement seems to be partly mirrored in the inscriptions, and
can be related to Pharisaic-Sadducaic struggle.
The central themes of the Wisdom of Solomon revolve around
the issues of life, death, and the hope of immortality. The author
challenges those who deny the afterlife and divine revelation, often
contrasting its teaching with the skeptical or hedonistic outlooks
found in Ecclesiastes and Ecclesiasticus. While these earlier writings
sometimes portray life as fleeting and human effort as ultimately
meaningless, Wisdom insists that true understanding comes not
from human prudence but as a gift from God. Immortality,
righteousness, and divine judgment are presented as central truths,
given by God in answer to prayer.
Another major theme is the critique of Gentile practices and
idolatry, especially in chapters 11–19. This anti-gentile polemic
reflects the pressures faced by Jews living in Egypt, while at the
same time offering encouragement to remain faithful. Within the
Jewish community, the book was seen as a prophetic work, placed
alongside Ecclesiasticus and Proverbs as a source of instruction.
10
Collins, Jewish Wisdom in the Hellenistic Age,179.
Christians later received the Wisdom of Solomon with great
respect, valuing it for its teaching on immortality, its prophetic
insights, and its connections with the passion and suffering of Christ.
Despite questions about its authorship and its Greek composition,
the book played an important role in shaping Jewish and Christian
understanding of righteousness, divine justice, and eternal life. 11
6. The Book of Proverbs
It better deserves the name than the apocryphal “Wisdom of Solomon,”
remarkable in its own way as that book undoubtedly is. The early Fathers of the
Church, Clement of Eome, Hegesippus, Irenaeus, Gregory Nazianzen, and others,
style it, “ the wise book,” “ the book of wisdom,” “all-excellent wisdom,” or
"wisdom, mother of all the virtues.” It remains the central and most representative
monument of what the Jews understood by Chokmah, and in it the word and all that it
implies is best studied.12 It is too facile, although quite traditional, to characterize the
Book of Proverbs as a compendium of ethics, of Israelite morality. This view is
strengthened by the optimistic note that sounds frequently in the work: wisdom
prospers, while folly self-destructs. It is quoted freely, and it has received greater
authority than many other book of Holy Writ. The favored approach is to seek out
comparisons or analogies between the human situation and all else. It does not
command so much as it seeks to persuade, to tease the reader into a way of life.13
7. Origin
The book of Proverbs belongs to the third and final division of the TANAK,
known as the Ketubim, the primary witness for the text being the Leningrad Codex,
from the early 11th century A.D. The translation of the book provided by the
Septuagint differs from the original in offering a host of variant and additional
aphorisms as well as in offering a different arrangement for some of the material,
especially the book’s final chapters. Although multiple verses attribute its contents to
King Solomon, an analysis of the book’s literary features makes apparent that it is in
fact a composite document, edited by anonymous Israelite scribal groups in the late
Persian or early Hellenistic period. That being said, some of the individual proverbs
11
Day, Wisdom in Ancient Israel: Essays in Honour of J. A. Emerton, 195-196.
12
W.T. Davison, The Wisdom-Literature of The Old Testament, 1894,
4thedn., (London: Charles H. Kelly, 1912), 120.
13
Murphy, The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature,
15.
preserved in the collection may go back to the time of the first commonwealth, which
came to an end in 587 B.C. Rather than denoting authorship, then, these verses are
best understood as dedicatory formulae acknowledging Solomon as both patron of
sages and paragon of the wise ruler, the latter being consistent with the royal setting
adopted by many of the book’s sayings.14
8. Authorship
The initial verse of the book introduces “the proverbs of Solomon son of
David, king of Israel,” which prompted the early church fathers to conclude that the
entire book was written by Solomon. However, the early Jewish tradition, in the
Babylonian Talmud triacetate Baba Batra 15a, refers to the editing of the book by
“the men of Hezekiah”. Murphy is representation of the predominant view today that
Solomon, despite his reputation for wisdom, should not be considered the author of
the book.15
“For centuries Solomon was the putative author of this book, due to the
venerable tradition about his wisdom (1 Kings 3:10; 5:9–14), and the superscription
of the work (1:1). There is now almost universal agreement that he cannot be
considered the “author.” Within the book are several collections, some of them clearly
ascribed to “authors” other than Solomon. Moreover, there are no available means to
identify any proverbs as “Solomonic.” It seems to be the nature of ancient proverbs
that they lose their “author” as they become popular and perhaps even improved in the
process. While the dating of the book of Proverbs remains uncertain, the most
satisfactory division is preexilic and postexilic.16
9. Date
Establishing the dates of the collections and the concluding poem of the book
as well as the time of its final editing represents an imposing challenge, due to the
lack of specific criteria on which to make concrete judgments. Due to the lack of
precise evidence, it is not surprising to find considerable variation in scholarly dating
of both the collections and the final redaction of the book. According to the view of
Grintz, the three “Solomonic collections” point to the time of the unite monarchy.
Snell argues that, due to the reference to rulers in the superscription's and the
14
Walter T. Wilson, Ancient Wisdom: An Introduction to Sayings Collections
(Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 2022), 181.
15
Daniel J. Estes, Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms (Michigan:
Baker Academic, 2005), 213.
16
Roland E. Murphy, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 22/ Proverbs
(Michigan: Zondervan, 1998), 47.
mentioning of kings in some of the collections, much of Proverbs dates from the
monarchy. Fox has suggested that the references to Solomon are untenable, although
the mentioning of kings may suggest that some of the materials originated during the
First Temple period. He thinks that the final edition of the volume originates in the
Persian or Hellenistic period. Scott argues that one cannot hope to date any of them
with precision, although he, like most scholar, is convinced that the legendary
association with Solomon lacks historical veracity.17
10. Themes
The dominant theme of Proverbs is wisdom in its various aspects. Clifford
explains well, “Wisdom in Proverbs has a threefold dimension: sapiential (a way of
knowing reality), ethical (a way of conducting oneself), and religious (a way of
relating to the divinely designed order or to God)… The corollary to the fullness of
wisdom is that folly is not simply ignorance but perversity and impiety. It condemns
God’s world and takes action against God and God’s creatures. Wisdom is thus a
serious virtue with most serious consequences.” Proverbs examines the whole range
of life in which wisdom and folly are expressed in actions, attitudes and values.18
The themes of wisdom prominently displayed in the collections and poems of
the book of Proverbs include several that form the conceptual and religious
foundation of the ongoing worldview of the sages, while others become the subject of
of critical disputation. At the same time, these salient topics experienced change and
reformulation in view of two factors. First, there were competing groups of sages with
different emphases; second, the conceptual understandings changed in response to
social and historical transformations and alterations occurring in Israel’s and Judah’s
world.19
11. The Relation Between Wisdom of Solomon and The Book
of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs and the Wisdom of Solomon are related
because both place Solomon at the center of Jewish wisdom
tradition. The Book of Proverbs provides the foundation of Israelite
wisdom, focusing on moral conduct and fear of the Lord and the
17
Leo G. Perdue, The Sword and the Stylus: An Introduction to Wisdom in
the Age of Empires (Michigan: William Eerdmans, 2008), 86-87.
18
Estes, Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms, 221.
19
Perdue, The Sword and the Stylus: An Introduction to Wisdom in the Age
of Empires, 107.
Wisdom of Solomon builds upon that tradition in a later Greek-
Jewish setting; expanding wisdom into a cosmic, almost divine
reality that connects Jewish faith with Hellenistic philosophy.
Proverbs gives early Israelite wisdom in practical sayings and the
Wisdom of Solomon expands the theme in a later, more
philosophical way, shaped by Jewish faith and Greek influence. They
are related as earlier and later stages of the wisdom tradition, both
attributed to Solomon for continuity but shaped by very different
historical and cultural contexts. Together, they show how the idea
of “wisdom” developed from Solomon’s time through the later
Jewish world.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the author was discuses on the two wisdom books, which found
in Protestants Bible and Apocrypha. The Wisdom of Solomon and the book of
Proverbs, the author deal with its origins, writers, and the main focus theme of the
books. Interestingly, both of the books are closely relate in author and the message,
while the Wisdom of Solomon and Proverbs are deal all about the Wisdom from God.
Bibliography
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Collins, John J. Jewish Wisdom in the Hellenistic Age. Louisville:
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Davison, W.T. The Wisdom-Literature of The Old Testament, 1894,
4thedn. London: Charles H. Kelly, 1912.
DeSilva, David A. Introducing the Apocrypha. Michigan: Baker
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Day, John. Robert P. Gordon and H.G.M. Williamson., eds. Wisdom in
Ancient Israel: Essays in Honour of J. A. Emerton. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Estes, Daniel J. Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms.
Michigan: Baker Academic, 2005.
Murphy, Roland E. Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 22/ Proverbs.
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Murphy, Roland E. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical
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Nickelsburg, George W.E. Jewish Litreature between the Bible and
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Perdue, Leo G. The Sword and the Stylus: An Introduction to Wisdom
in the Age of Empires. Michigan: William Eerdmans, 2008.
Wilson, Walter T. Ancient Wisdom: An Introduction to Sayings
Collections. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 2022.
Web Page
Oxford Bibliographies. “Wisdom of Solomon-Biblical Studies.”
https://www.oxfordbibligraphies.com/display/document/obo-
9780195393361/obo 9780195393361-0129.xml (accessed 13 September
2010).
Sefaria. “The Wisdom of Solomon.”
https://www.sefaria.org/The_Wisdom_of_Solomon?tab=contents (accessed
11 September 2025).
