Estes Daniel J. - The Message Of Wisdom.

This book is powerful, pastoral and trustworthy, and makes wisdom accessible to contemporary believers. Dan Estes explains the text in a clear and balanced way, and only introduces other scholarly views to clarify what the passage actually means. He has one foot firmly planted in the world of Old Testament wisdom, but the other one is just as firmly grounded in the contemporary world. He rightly sees that wisdom is not simply confined to a few books, but it flows into other parts of the Old Testament (like a recurrent motif woven throughout a symphony), and into the teaching of Jesus and the apostles. Estes teaches wisdom wisely, and this book will make you want to preach a series on wisdom.

Lindsay Wilson , Senior Lecturer in Old Testament, Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia

36 Causton Street, London SW1P 4ST, England

Email: ivp@ivpbooks.com

Website: www.ivpbooks.com

Daniel J. Estes 2020

Study Guide by Ian Macnair Inter-Varsity Press 2020

Daniel J. Estes has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicized edition). Copyright 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. niv is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

First published 2020

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 9781783599820

eBook ISBN: 9781783599837

Set in 9.5/13pt Karmina

Typeset in Great Britain by CRB Associates, Potterhanworth, Lincolnshire

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Ashford Colour Press Ltd, Gosport, Hampshire

eBook by CRB Associates, Potterhanworth, Lincolnshire

Inter-Varsity Press publishes Christian books that are true to the Bible and that communicate the gospel, develop discipleship and strengthen the church for its mission in the world.

IVP originated within the Inter-Varsity Fellowship, now the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, a student movement connecting Christian Unions in universities and colleges throughout Great Britain, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Website: www.uccf.org.uk. That historic association is maintained, and all senior IVP staff and committee members subscribe to the UCCF Basis of Faith.

Christiana Estes Trecker,

with my deep love

The Bible Speaks Today describes three series of expositions, based on the books of the Old and New Testaments, and on Bible themes that run through the whole of Scripture. Each series is characterized by a threefold ideal:

• to expound the biblical text with accuracy
• to relate it to contemporary life, and
• to be readable.

These books are, therefore, not commentaries, for the commentary seeks rather to elucidate the text than to apply it, and tends to be a work rather of reference than of literature. Nor, on the other hand, do they contain the kinds of sermons that attempt to be contemporary and readable without taking Scripture seriously enough. The contributors to The Bible Speaks Today series are all united in their convictions that God still speaks through what he has spoken, and that nothing is more necessary for the life, health and growth of Christians than that they should hear what the Spirit is saying to them through his ancient yet ever modern Word.

alec motyer

john stott

derek tidball

Series editors

In over forty years of ministry in both church and university settings, I have often preached and taught from the wisdom texts of the Bible. The books of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes, as well as many other passages of Scripture that contain similar themes, have instructed me in how to live a godly life, and they have provided wise guidance for my students as they seek to live for the Lord. It is a privilege now to be able to share the biblical message of wisdom with a wider audience in this volume in The Bible Speaks Today series.

I am grateful to Derek Tidball for inviting me to write this book and for serving as my editor, and to Philip Duce, who once again has been so helpful in guiding one of my books to publication. My adult Bible fellowship at Linworth Baptist Church and my students at Cedarville University have been very encouraging to me as they responded eagerly to earlier versions of these expositions. I am deeply thankful for my wife, Carol, for the blessing she has been as we have walked together for over forty-four years on the Lords good path for us. Her love, grace and wisdom have truly given me joy on our journey.

I am pleased to dedicate this work to my daughter, Christiana, whose good heart, keen mind and generous spirit make her so special to all who know her, and especially to me.

daniel j. estes

AB Anchor Bible

ANE Ancient Near East(ern)

AOTC Apollos Old Testament Commentary

AYB Anchor Yale Bible

BAG W. Bauer (trans. and ed.), W. R. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, A GreekEnglish Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957).

BBC J. H. Walton, V. H. Matthews and M. W. Chavalas (eds.), The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2000).

BCOTWP Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms

BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

BST The Bible Speaks Today

DBI L. Ryken, J. C. Wilhoit and T. Longman (eds.), Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1998).

DSB Daily Study Bible

EBC Expositors Bible Commentary

GKC E. Kautzsch (ed.), Geseniuss Hebrew Grammar , trans. A. E. Cowley (Oxford: Clarendon, 1910).

HS Hebrew Studies

Int Interpretation

IRT Issues in Religion and Theology

IVPNTC IVP New Testament Commentary

JESOT Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament

JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series

lxx Septuagint

NAC New American Commentary

nasb New American Standard Bible

NCBC New Century Bible Commentary

NDBT T. D. Alexander, B. S. Rosner, D. A. Carson and G. Goldsworthy (eds.), New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000).

NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament

NICOT New International Commentary on the Old Testament

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

NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary

niv New International Version, Anglicized

NIVAC New International Version Application Commentary

NSBT New Studies in Biblical Theology

NT New Testament

OT Old Testament

OTL Old Testament Library

TDNTA G. Bromiley (ed.), Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985).

TDOT G. J. Botterweck, H. Ringgren and H.-J. Fabry (eds.), Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament , 16 vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 19742018).