Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 28:1 (NA 1977)
Article: The Fear Of The Lord As The ‘Principle’ Of Wisdom
Author: Henri A. G. Blocher

TynBul 28:1 (1977) p. 3

The Fear Of The Lord As The ‘Principle’ Of Wisdom

Henri Blocher

The Tyndale Biblical Theology Lecture, 1977*

* Delivered at Tyndale House, Cambridge, on 8th July, 1977.

After decades of comparative neglect, Old Testament wisdom literature has come into vogue. In the “prolegomenon” of a recent symposium, James L. Crenshaw observes, with a smile, that “Wisdom’s shade tree has suddenly become a haven for many, and the excitement of new discovery fills the air”; he hastens to add: “So too, do the excesses of exuberant converts”.1

So long as the recital of God’s saving actions monopolized attention,2 and the idea of general revelation was looked upon with suspicion, wisdom could not receive its share. But a change in theological climate cannot solve all the problems; especially it cannot annul the obvious difference between the teaching of the wise and the main discourse of the Covenant, election, and messianic hope. On the contrary, the difference is all the more evident when Israel’s wisdom is in the lime-light alongside Israel’s faith. In fact, there is a running debate on the relationship of the former to the latter, or on the integration of wisdom in the religion of the Old Testament. Typically, Albert de Pury deals with the relationship between wisdom and revelation as with the relationship between the non-specific and what is claimed to be highly specific.3 Horst D. Preuss has raised a powerful protest against Von Rad’s praise of wisdom, and has made himself the champion of the

TynBul 28:1 (1977) p. 4

view that wisdom remained pagan at heart, essentially alien to true faith in the LORD, under a very superficial “Jahwesierung”.4

The saying “The fear of the LORD is the principle of wisdom” can hardly escape notice as a link between wisdom and a main religious theme. Most scholars agree to consider it as such, whether they see it as the expression of an essential solidarity,5 or as the mark of the first stage in a process of theologization,6 the instrument with which wisdom was definitely “exorcized”,7 or, with Preuss, a vain and deceiving tag, a Gothic porch added to a Romanesque church, which can mask but cannot change its real character.You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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