St. Raphael Parish

Introduction
Francis Bacon: “the genius, the wit and the spirit of a nation are discovered in its proverbs”. The Book of Proverbs is part of the Wisdom literature in the Old Testament, also known as Writings [Ketubim]. These are products of Israel’s sages to provoke thinking, often with a sense of humor. Jeremiah 18:18 speaks of ‘wise man’s counsel’, as taught by prophets, priests, how to conduct life in accordance with Torah [Law of Moses]. Major Wisdom Books are: Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Song of Songs. Proverbs give spiritual and social counseling, so as to face life’s unpredictable events and problems of daily life. Proverbs contain philosophical and theological reflections to address the ways of the human mind and teach practical skills for each vocation in life. Wisdom’s role is to understand the mind of God, to provide counsel on the good that alone can satisfy human mind. God saw creation as good; Proverbs ponder how to experience this goodness in life. God is the source of all wisdom! King Solomon was called the model of wisdom or wise man [hakam in Hebrew] who possessed wisdom [hokmah in Hebrew].

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