The Wisdom Books

The five wisdom books of the Old Testament are distinctly different from each other, but have as a unifying theme a contrast between “the righteous” and “the ungodly,” and not simply between “the wise” and “the fool.” Job is a dialogue that wrestles with why a righteous person suffers. Psalms, the most beloved book of the Old Testament, is a hymnbook. Proverbs contains practical, everyday philosophy. Ecclesiastes is a monologue about the apparent futility of life. And the Song of Solomon is a drama that extols the preciousness of human love.

The Open Your Bible Commentary was written to encourage daily Bible study. Each reading is short, but the content is rich with careful explanation, devotional warmth, and practical relevance. More than 200 daily readings let you explore all five wisdom books in depth.

The Open Your Bible Commentary has four great strengths:

* Accessible – it’s written for the average, thoughtful Christian without assuming a great deal of background, yet it is never superficial.

* Digestible – it’s written so you can read a section or two a day, working your way through an entire book of the Bible in days or weeks.

* Dependable – it’s written by an amazing group of scholars and trusted pastor-teachers.

* Practical – it’s a rich combination of specific application and encouragement to listen to God for guidance.

Commentary for each of the five wisdom books of the Old Testament is introduced by an overview, summary, outline, key themes, and relevance of that book for today.