An introduction to the Old Testament poetic books : the wisdom and songs of Israel / C. Hassell Bullock.

5. Proverbs -- Introductory Matters -- Title -- Nature and Purpose of Proverbs -- The Didactic Nature of Proverbs -- The Purpose of Proverbs -- Literary Structure and Growth of the Book -- The Septuagint Order of the Text -- Date and Authorship -- Canonicity -- Poetic Structure of Proverbs -- Hermeneutical Considerations -- Analysis -- Superscription and Introduction (1:1-6) -- Reflections on Wisdom (1:7-9:18) -- Motto (1:7) -- First Discourse (1:8-19) -- Second Discourse (1:20-33) -- Third Discourse (2:1-22) -- Fourth Discourse (3:1-18) -- Fifth Discourse (3:19-26) -- Sixth Discourse (3:27-35) -- Seventh Discourse (4:1-5:6) -- Eighth Discourse (5:7-23) -- Ninth Discourse (6:1-5) -- Tenth Discourse (6:6-11) -- Eleventh Discourse (6:12-19) -- Twelfth Discourse (6:20-35) -- Thirteenth Discourse (7:1-27) -- Fourteenth Discourse (8:1-36) -- Fifteenth Discourse (9:1-18) -- Miscellaneous Proverbs of Solomon (10:1-22:16) -- Words of the Wise (22:17-24:22) -- Further Words of the Wise (22:23-34) -- Miscelleanous Proverbs of Solomon Collected by Hezekiah's Men (25:1-29:27) -- The Words of Agur the Son of Jakeh (30:1-33) -- The Words of Lemuel (31:1-9) -- In Praise of a Virtuous Wife (31:10-31).

6. Ecclesiastes -- Introductory Matters -- Title -- Literary Structure -- Purpose and Meaning -- Purpose -- Meaning -- Authorship, Date, and Provenance -- Authorship -- Date -- Provenance -- Canonicity -- Hermeneutical Considerations -- Expository Comments -- Title (1:1) -- Thesis and Prologue (1:2-11) -- Further Proof of Thesis (1:12-18) -- The Second Test (2:1-11) -- Wisdom and Folly Compared (2:12-17) -- The Only Viable Alternative (2:18-26) -- The Catalogue of Times and Seaons and Its Meaning (3:1-15) -- Injustice (3:16-22; 4:1-3) -- The Futility of Human Effort (4:4-16) -- Advice on Religious Matters (5:1-7) -- The Oppressive Political System (5:8-9) -- Life and Wealth (5:10-6:9) -- Man's Ill-fated Lot (6:10-12) -- Proverbs Conventional and Unconventional (7:1-14) -- The Golden Mean of Temperate Living (7:15-25) -- Qoheleth on Women (7:26-29) -- Obedience to Kings (8:1-9) -- The Failure of Retributive Justice and the Common Fate for All (8:10-9:3) -- The Chief Duty of Man (9:4-12) -- Wisdom Obscured by Folly (9:13-10:1) -- Miscellaneous Proverbs (10:2-11:6) -- Final Advice to Youth and the "Allegory of Old Age" (11:7-12:8) -- Epilogue (12:9-14) -- Fragments of Ecclesiastes from Qumran Cave IV.

7. The Song of Songs -- Hermeneutical Approaches -- The Allegorical Method -- The Typological Method -- The Mythological Method -- The Literal Method -- Introductory Matters -- The Nature and Purpose of the Book -- Literary Structure -- Date, Authorship, and Provenance -- Canonicity of the Song -- Expository Comments -- Superscription (1:1) -- Section 1 (1:2-2:7) -- Section 2 (2:8-3:5) -- Section 3 (3:6-5:1) -- Section 4 (5:2-8:4) -- Section 5 (8:5-14).

IndianaTRODUCTION -- The Poetic Books -- Wisdom in the Old Testament -- Wisdom as Skills and Arts -- Literary Wisdom -- The Addresses of Wisdom -- The Scribe -- Wisdom and the Temple Cult -- Wisdom and the Prophets -- The Poetic Books and Wisdom -- Wisdom in the Ancient Near East -- Hymns -- Proverbs -- Reflective Literature -- Wisdom in the Apocrypha -- Hebrew Poetry.

THE BOOK OF JOB -- The Central Issue -- Introductory Matters -- Purpose -- Date -- Provenance and Authorship -- The Literary Structure -- Prologue-Epilogue and Dialogue -- The Poem on Wisdom -- The Elihu Speeches -- The God Speeches -- Hermeneutical Issues -- The Literary Unity of Job -- Mythology and Job -- The Satan of the Prologue -- Job and the New Testament -- Analysis -- Prologue: The Dilemma Delineated (1:1-2:13) -- Job and His Faith -- The Tragedy -- Job's Disorientation (3) -- The Diaologue: Cycle One (4-14) -- The Method of Argumentation -- Elphaz and Job--Cycle One: First Exchange (4-5/ 6-7) -- Bildad and Job--Cycle One: Second Exchange (8/ 9-10) -- Zophar and Job--Cycle One: Third Exchange (11/ 12-14) -- The Diaologue: Cycle Two (15-21) -- Eliphaz and Job--Cycle Two: First Exchange (15/ 16-17) -- Bildad and Job--Cycle Two: Second Exchange (18/ 19) -- Zophar and Job--Cycle Two: Third Exchange (20/ 21) -- The Diaologue: Cycle Three (22-27) -- Elphaz and Job--Cycle Three: First Exchange (22/ 23-24) -- Bildad and Job--Cycle Three: Second Exchange (25/ 26) -- Zophar's "Lost" Speech -- Job's Resolve Unabated (27) -- Poem on Wisdom (28) -- Job's Closing Monologue (29-31) -- The Elihu Speeches (32-37) -- The God Speeches (38:1-42:6) -- Epilogue (42:7-17) -- A Note on the Targum of Job from Qumran Cave 11 (11QtgJob).

THE PSALMS -- Introductory Matters -- Title -- Numbers of the Psalms -- The Development and Completion of the Psalter -- Old Testament Psalmody -- Growth of the Psalter -- Dating the Process -- Structure of the Book -- Classification of the Psalms -- Titles of the Psalms -- Authorship -- Historical Origin -- Literary Features -- Liturgical Use -- Musical Notations -- Hermeneutical Considerations -- Procedural Principles -- Theological Content -- The Psalms as a Repository of Israel's Faith -- The Praise of God in the Psalms -- God in the Psalms -- Man in the Psalms -- Creation and Redemption in the Psalms -- Some Basic Types for Study -- Hymns -- Penitential Psalms -- Wisdom Psalms -- Messianic Psalms -- Imprecatory Psalms -- "Enthronement" Psalms -- The Use of the Psalms in the Temple, Synangogue, and Church -- The Psalms in the Temple, Synagogue, and Church -- The Psalms in the Temple -- The Psalms in the Synagogue -- The Psalsm in the Church -- The Psalms Scroll of Qumran Cave 11.

THEOLOGY Indiana THE WisconsinSDOM BOOKS -- The Doctrine of God -- God as Creator -- God the Originator of Wisdom -- The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom -- The Doctrine of Man. -- Individualism -- Generic Man -- Emphases and Non-Emphases in Wisdom -- Emphases -- Retributive Justice -- Universalism -- Law -- Non-emphases -- History -- The Cult -- Divine Mercy -- Immortality in Wisdom and the Psalms.

Some of the most potent literature of human history is contained in Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. Therein are the problems of suffering, the conscience marred by sin, the transience of human life, and the passionate love of woman and man--universal themes that cut across the boundaries of time and geogrpahy to include the entire human race. "One might read the Pentateuch and see only a faint shadow of himself reflected there. The historical books may overwhelm him with facts and events. The prophets, by some mere chance, may pass him by with their deep convictions and concerns about their own societies and world. But the poetic books will find him wherever he is."

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