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The Wisdom Books

Name: The Wisdom Books
ISBN: 9780393340532

Job Proverbs and Ecclesiastes

Robert Alter

WW Norton · Print & ebook · September 20, 2011

Reading lane: Wisdom Literature (Bible)

Old Testament Interpretation Wisdom Literature (Bible)Old Testament: Poetry & Wisdom bible

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At a Glance

Why This Clicks

Wisdom in Tension

Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes bring ancient wisdom into strikingly different poetic registers.

Come here for

Job’s restored ancient rhythms and fierce poetry
Proverbs’ worldly wisdom, sharpened by satire

Expect

A quiet fatalism in Ecclesiastes
Three distinct voices considering moral order

Book Details

Authors: Robert Alter
Publisher: WW Norton
Published: September 20, 2011
Format: Print & ebook
Theme: Wisdom Literature (Bible) · Old Testament Interpretation
Reading lane: Wisdom Literature (Bible)

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Wisdom Literature (Bible)

About This Book

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First time in paperback: “One of the most ambitious literary projects of this or any age.”—Adam Kirsch, New Republic Here in Robert Alter's bold new translation are some of the most magnificent works in world literature. The astounding poetry in the Book of Job is restored to its powerful ancient meanings and rhythms. The creation account in its Voice from the Whirlwind is beautiful and incendiary. By contrast, a serene fatalism suffuses Ecclesiastes with a quiet beauty, and the pithy maxims of Proverbs impart a worldly wisdom that is satirically shrewd. Each of these books addresses the universal wisdom that the righteous thrive and the wicked suffer in a rational moral order; together they are essential to the ancient canon that is the Hebrew Bible.