E — Wisdom Literature

Exhortation to Seek Wisdom (4Q185)

1Large fragments of a Wisdom poem in which a teacher encourages his 'people', his 'sons', the 'Simple', to search for Wisdom have been preserved in Cave 4 (4Q185). The script is believed to be late Hasmonaean, i.e. from the first half of the first century BCE. As is often the case in Wisdom literature, events of the patriarchal and Mosaic past are used for didactic purposes. For the editio princeps, see J. M. Allegro and A. A. Anderson, DJD, V, 85-7. Cf. J. Strugnell, RQ 7 (1970), 269-73. I ... And you, sons of men, woe to you! For he (man) sprouts from his ground like grass, and his grace blossoms like a flower. His [gl]ory blows away and his grass dries up, and the wind carries away its flower ... so that it is found no more ... They shall seek him but shall not find him, and there is no hope (for him); and his days are like a shadow over the ea[rth]. Now pray hearken to me, my people; heed me, O you Simple; become wise through the might of God. Remember His miracles which He did in Egypt, and His marvels in the land of Ham. Let your heart shake because of His fear, II and do His will ... ... your souls according to His good graces, and search for yourself a way towards life, a highway [towards ... ] a remnant for your sons after you. And why have you given up your soul to vanity, ... judgement? Hearken to me, O my sons, and do not rebel against the words

2of YHWH. Do not walk ... [but in the way He established] for Jacob, and in the path which He decreed for Isaac. Is one day not better ... ... His fear, and not to be afflicted (?) by dread and the fowler's net. ... to be set apart from His angels, for there is no darkness, nor gloom ... And you, what do you understand ... before Him evil shall go towards every people. Happy is the man to whom it (Wisdom) has been given thus, ... the evil, nor let the wicked boast, saying: It has not been given me, nor ... [For God gave it] to Israel, and with a good measure He measures it; and He will redeem all His people, and He will put to death those who hate His Wisdom.

3Seek her and find her, grasp her and possess her! With her is length of days and fatness of bone, the joy of the heart and ... Happy is the man who works it ... who does not seek it ... of deceit, nor holds to it with flatteries. As it has belonged to his fathers, so will he inherit it, and hold fast to it with all the strength of his might, and all his immeasurable ... and he shall cause his offspring to inherit it.

4I know how to labour for good ... III ...

5[God inspects] all the chambers of the womb and He tries all its inward parts. [God shapes] the tongue and knows its words. God makes the hand [and understands their deeds (?)] ...