Introduction to Wisdom

The pursuit of wisdom is central to the concern of the writers of Hebrew wisdom literature, which emphasizes the importance of living a life that is pleasing to God. The fear of the Lord is considered the beginning of wisdom, and it involves a posture of reverence and adoration for God. The wisdom literature also makes a clear distinction between wisdom and knowledge, and it teaches that one can have knowledge without wisdom but not the reverse. The acquisition of wisdom is linked to the knowledge of God, and ignorance breeds foolishness.