WISDOM OF SOLOMON

WISDOM OF SOLOMON
What is wisdom? How does a person gain wisdom?
How important is wisdom?


What Makes WISDOM OF SOLOMON Special?
The Book of Wisdom of Solomon, or Wisdom, provides vivid descriptions of what wisdom is:
• The spirit of Wisdom is intelligent and holy, clear, clean and confident. It penetrates every spirit that is intelligent and pure.
• She is a breath of God’s power, a pure and radiant stream of glory from the Almighty. She is a reflection of eternal light.
• She is unchanging yet She makes everything new.
• Wisdom has given shape to everything that exists.
• Wisdom created humans to rule all creation and govern the world with holiness and righteousness.

The book shows that Wisdom existed and acted in history. Wisdom protected Adam and Noah. Wisdom helped Abraham and rescued Lot. Wisdom protected Jacob. Wisdom led the Israelites out of Egypt and led the Israelites through the Desert.

The book of Wisdom also shows how a person gains wisdom.

Why Was WISDOM OF SOLOMON Written?
The Wisdom of Solomon was written about the middle of the first century B.C. The author is believed to be a member of the Jewish community in Alexandria in Egypt. The Wisdom was written in Greek but it followed the pattern of Hebrew verse. The teachings in this book were placed on the lips of King Solomon in order to emphasize their importance.

The primary purpose for writing this book was to edify the Jews experiencing suffering and oppression. In order to do this, popular religious themes were used: the splendor and worth of divine wisdom; the glorious events of the Exodus; God’s mercy and justice and the folly of idolatry.
Many passages from the Wisdom of Solomon are used by the Church in liturgy.

Key Verses:
Wisdom 6: 12 Wisdom shines bright and never grows dim; those who love her and look for her can easily find her.
Wisdom 6: 17 Wisdom begins when you sincerely want to learn. To desire Wisdom is to love her.