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Wisdom for All





Interpreting the Wisdom Books: An Exegetical Handbook by Edward Custis

Among the many wonderful books on the OT wisdom literature, this fine new book helps the reader interpret, exegete, and apply God’s Word to his people in succinct and helpful way.  The book is laid out nicely with bolded words that emphasize necessary themes in the study of the wisdom books and short chapters that get to the point of the biblical books.  This series of exegetical handbooks is a great treasure for students and pastors because it synthesizes much of the academic work on a biblical book into digestable portions helpful 
for preaching and teaching.

The opening chapter on the wisdom books brings out a helpful grid for understanding wisdom literature.  Custis writes, “Biblical wisdom, in contrast to Israel’s neighbors, reflects “Yahwistic theology” through its regular use of terms like “fear of the Lord,” its affirmation of God’s providence, and its recognition that wisdom ultimately comes from God.” (27)  This is important because wisdom generated from humankind may seem at times like the ideal to be sought, but the biblical writers do not begin there, they start with the divine foundation of wisdom.  Effective knowledge of God puts mankind on the right front with God and with dealing with all of Israel’s trials, temptations, and joys.

Custis offers the reader a fully orbed understanding of Job that helps us understand intense human suffering.  He writes, “They supposed that his words reflected his folly and bad theology, but Job argued that his words were simply cries of pain.  He said that what a person in such a position needs from a friend in pain is not theological arguments but kindness and compassion.” (61)  This insightful statement begs the reader to see Job’s please before God as tinged with pain yet with an honest attempt to deal with calamity and strife in his personal life.

The chapters that follow in the book are chalk full of good interpretive ideas about the wisdom literature and point us not to the wanderings of a fallen nation but to the God who redeems his people from all sin.

 Thanks to Kregel Academic for this work in exchange for an honest review.

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