Richard P. Belcher Jr. - Finding Favour in the Sight of God: A Theology of Wisdom Literature

AB Anchor Bible

ANE ancient Near East(ern)

ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament , ed. J. B. Pritchard, 3rd ed. with Supplement, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969

BBR Bulletin of Biblical Research

BI Biblical Interpretation

Bib Biblica

BK Bibel und Kirche

BKAT Biblischer Kommentar, Altes Testament

BSac Bibliotheca sacra

BST The Bible Speaks Today

DBSJ Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal

DOTWPW Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry, & Writings , ed. T. Longman III and P. Enns, Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press; Nottingham: Inter-Varsity Press, 2008

EBC Expositors Bible Commentary

esv English Standard Version (2011)

EvQ Evangelical Quarterly

HS Hebrew Studies

HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual

IBS Irish Biblical Studies

ICC International Critical Commentary

Int Interpretation

ITC International Theological Commentary

JBL Journal of Biblical Literature

JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

lxx Septuagint

NAC New American Commentary

nasb New American Standard Bible (1977)

NCBC New Century Bible Commentary

NIB The New Interpreters Bible , ed. L. Keck, 10 vols., Nashville: Abingdon, 2015

NIBC New International Biblical Commentary

NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament

NICOT New International Commentary on the Old Testament

NIDOTTE New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis , ed. W. A. VanGemeren, 5 vols., Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997

NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary

niv New International Version (2011)

NIVAC The NIV Application Commentary

nkjv New King James Version (1982)

ns New Series

NSBT New Studies in Biblical Theology

NT New Testament

NTC New Testament Commentary

OT Old Testament

OTL Old Testament Library

PNTC Pillar New Testament Commentary

PTW Preaching the Word

QR Quarterly Review

rsv Revised Standard Version (1952)

SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series

SJT Scottish Journal of Theology

Syr Syriac

Tg(s) Targum(s); Targumic

Them Themelios

THOTC Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

TJ Trinity Journal

TOTC Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries

TWOT Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament , ed. R. Laird Harris, G. L. Archer Jr and B. K. Waltke, 2 vols., Chicago: Moody, 1980

TynB Tyndale Bulletin

Vg Vulgate

VT Vetus Testamentum

VTSup Supplements to Vetus Testamentum

WBC Word Biblical Commentary

WTJ Westminster Theological Journal

ZTK Zeitschrift fur Theologie und Kirche

Alden, R. L.

Alexander, T. D.

Alter, R.

Andersen, F. I.

Anderson, W. H. U.

Archer Jr, G. L.

Arnold, B. T.

Ash, C.

Atkinson, D.

Bailey, L. R.

Baker, David W.

Baldwin, J. G.

Barrett, C. K.

Bartholomew, C. G.

Barton, G. A.

Belcher Jr, R. P.

Blomberg, C. L.

Boda, M. J.

Bollhagen. J.

Bostrm. L.

Brenner, A.

Brown, W. P.

Bruce. F. F.

Brueggemann, W. A.

Carson, D. A.

Childs, B. S.

Choi, J. H.

Christiansen, E. S.

Ciampa, R. E.

Clarke, R.

Clements, R. E.

Clines, D. J. A.

Cole, S.

Cook, J. A.

Craigie, P. C.

Crenshaw, J. L.

Currid, J. D.

Curtis, J. B.

Davies, J. A.

Day, J.

Delitzsch, F.

Dell, K. J.

Dunn, J. D. G.

Eaton, M. A.

Ebert IV, D. J.

Edwards, J. R.

Eichrodt, W.

Emerson, M. Y.

Enns, P.

Estes, D. J.

Farmer, K. A.

Fee, G. D

Ferguson, S. B.

Fiorenza, E. S.

Firth, D. G.

Fohrer, G.

Fox, M. V.

Frame, J. M.

Fredericks, D. C.

Fretheim, T. E.

Fyall, R. S.

Garland, D. E.

Garrett, D. A.

Geldenhuys, N.

Gladd, B.

Goldberg, L.

Goldingay, J. E.

Gordis, R.

Gordon, R. P.

Green, W. H.

Greenspoon, L. J.

Grogan, G. W.

Guelich, R. A.

Habel, N. C.

Hadley, J. M.

Hamilton Jr, J. M.

Hartley, J. E.

Hayes, J. H.

Hendriksen, W.

Hengstenberg, E. W.

Hermission, H.-J.

Holmstedt, R.

Hopkins, D. D.

House, H. W.

Hubbard, D. A.

Hubbard Jr, R. L.

Isaksson, B.

Jobes, K. H.

Johnston, P. S.

Jones, D. W.

Jones, H. R.

Kaiser Jr, W. C.

Kidner, D.

Kistemaker, S. J.

Kitchen, J. A.

Kitchen, K. A.

Klein, W. W.

Kline, M. G.

Koch, K.

Koh, Y. V.

Konkel, A. H.

Koppel, M. S.

Koptak, P. E.

Kraus, H.-J.

Krger, T.

Kushner, H. S.

Kynes, W.

Ladd, G. E.

Lane, W. L.

Lauha, A.

Levenson, J. D.

Lo, A.

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Longman III, T.

Luc, A.

Lucas, E. C.

McCabe, R.

McDonough, S. M.

McKane, W.

Mays, J. L.

Meek, R. L.

Michel, D.

Moo, D. J.

Murphy, R. E.

Murray, J.

Newell, R. L.

Newsom, C. A.

Oblath, M.

OConnor, M.

ODowd, R. P.

Ogden, G. S.

Pennington, J. T.

Perdue, L. G.

Preuss, H. D.

Provan, I.

Prussner, F.

Rad, G. von

Reventlow, H. G.

Ridderbos, H. N.

Robertson, D. A.

Robertson, O. P.

Rodd, C. S.

Ronan, S.

Rosner, B. S.

Ross, A. P.

Rowley, H. H.

Ruffle, J.

Salyer, G. D.

Schmid, H. H.

Schoors, A.

Schroer, S.

Schultz, R. L.

Schwab, G. M.

Scott, R. B. Y.

Seow, C. L.

Shields, M. A.

Smick, E. B.

Sneed, M. R.

Snodgrass, K.

Spencer, A. B.

Spronk, K.

Steel, A.

Steinmann, A. E.

Stocks, S. P.

Stuart, D.

Talbert, L.

Taussig, H.

VanDrunen, D.

VanGemeren, W. A.

Van Leeuwen, R. C.

Vawter, B.

Waltke, B. K.

Walton, J. H.

Weeks, S.

Wellhausen, J.

Westermann, C.

Whybray, R. N.

Williams, J. G.

Williamson, H. G. M.

Wilson, G. H.

Wilson, L.

Wink, W.

Winston, D.

Witherington III, B.

Wolters, A.

Woodbridge, R. S.

Wright, G. E.

Young, E. J.

Young, I.

Yu, C.

Zimmerli, W.

Zogbo, L.

Wisdom literature is no longer the orphan child it was in the distant past. There has been an explosion in the interest in wisdom, so that now many works are available to explain it. There is every opportunity for people to Get wisdom; get insight (Prov. 4:5), but if one pays close attention to the world of the twenty-first century, it seems apparent that the practical sensibilities that come from wisdom are found in very few places, which means that wisdom literature is needed now more than ever. The book of Proverbs lays the proper foundation for the education of the next generation. It gives parents practical guidelines for helping their children walk the way of wisdom grounded in the fear of the Lord. Of course, Proverbs also helps the wise to increase in learning. The book of Job wrestles with suffering and the sovereignty of God. It reminds us that we are not in control of this world, or even of our own lives, so we must trust in a sovereign God to work out his purposes. The book of Ecclesiastes wrestles with the meaning of life in a world that seems to be falling apart, much like the world in which we live. Each of these books points us backward to the foundational principles of how to live life in a fallen world and forward to the need for Christ and the gospel of good news.

I would like to thank Dr Carson for the opportunity to write on this topic for this series. I have fond memories of eating ribs at a restaurant when he came to teach for Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Charlotte, North Carolina. I would like to thank Philip Duce for his patience in answering my questions along the way and for giving good guidance. Thanks also to Eldo Barkhuizen for his detailed and timely copy-editing of the electronic files. Others have assisted me in this project. It has been a privilege to teach at RTS Charlotte for over twenty years. I would like to thank Dr Ligon Duncan, the Chancellor of RTS, and Dr Mike Kruger, the president of the Charlotte campus, for making RTS a faculty-friendly place to work that encourages teaching and research. I would like to thank Jessica Hudson at the RTS Charlotte library for her help in getting resources, some of them quickly at the last minute. I have had very good teaching assistants over the years, including Mark James, Brittain Brewer and Robert Hertha, who have helped in a variety of ways on this project. Also, Michael Bauer went beyond the call of duty by reading through the manuscript and offering helpful suggestions. I would like to thank Peter Hastie, the principal of Presbyterian Theological College in Melbourne, Australia, for the opportunity to teach this material in August 2016. My family has always been a great source of blessing. Many thanks to my wife, Lu, for her invaluable support: let her works praise her in the gates (Prov. 31:31). Our three daughters are now grown (Nikki, Danielle and Alisha), and each of them is walking the path of wisdom, for which we are so thankful. We are the happy grandparents of five grandchildren, to whom we dedicate this book. Our prayer is that each of you finds wisdom and learns to walk in the path of righteousness