WISDOM, BOOK OF

was practical and moral; philosophy was speculative and metaphysical. The interests of 'wisdom' were intensely human. They were concerned with living questions and concrete issues. The problems of the sage were surcharged with emotion; they were the outcome of troubled feelings and perturbed will; only in slight measure were they the product of the intellect. It is not surprising, therefore, that 'wisdom' presents no carefully developed system of thought. The heart knows no logic. 'Wisdom' cares little for a plan of the universe; it leaves all such matters to God. It seeks only to enable men to love and trust God and to walk in His ways.

The Hebrew conception of 'wisdom' developed along two lines. 'Wisdom' had its human and its Divine aspects. In so far as it was human, it devoted itself to the consideration of the great problems of life. It was identified with knowledge of the laws and prin-ciples, observance of which leads to the successful life. These were all summarized in the formula, 'the fear of the Lord.' Later in the history of the idea, this sub-jective experience was externalized and objectified and, under the growing influence of the priestly ritual, 'wisdom' came to be defined as observance of the Mosaic Law (Sir 192»-« 242S).

On its Divine side, 'wisdom' was at first conceived of as an attribute of God which He generously shared with men. Then, as the conception of God grew broader and deeper, large areas of 'wisdom' were marked o£E as inaccessible to man, and known only to God (Job 28) . Still further, 'wisdom' was personified and represented as the companion of God in all His creative activities (Pr 8^-"); and was, at last, imder the influence of Greek thought, personalized, or hypostatized, and made to function as an intermediary between man and God, carrying out His beneficent purposes towards the righteous (Wis 8'- '■ ' 9<- »• "• '» lO'- «)•

Upon the whole, the 'wisdom' element must be considered the noblest expression of the Hebrew spirit. It was in large part the response of Judaism to the influx of Western civilization. It demonstrated irrefutably the vitality of the Hebrew religion. When the forms and institutions in which Hebrew idealism had clothed itself were shattered beyond restoration, 'wisdom' furnished new channels for the expression of the ideal, and kept the passion tor righteousness and truth burning. When Judaism was brought face to face with the Gentile world on every hand, 'wisdom' furnished it with a cosmopolitan message. Nationalistic, particularistic, transitory elements were discarded, and emphasis was laid upon the great fundamental concepts of religion adapted to the needs of all men everywhere. 'Wisdom' thus became of the greatest importance in the preparation for Christianity, the universal religion.

John Meklin Powis Smith.

WISDOM, BOOK OP.— See preceding art. and

APOCHTPHA, § 14.

WISE MEN.— See Maqi; and, for ' the Wise,' Wisdom.

WIST.— See Wit.

WIT. — The vb. 'to wit,' which means 'to know,' Is used in AV in most of its parts. The present tense is / wot, thou wottest, he wot or wotteth, we wot; the past tense, / wist, he vyist, ye wist; the infinitive, 'to wit.' In 2 Co 8' occurs the phrase do to wit. I.e. make to know — we do you to wit of the grace of God.' The subst. 'wit' means in AV 'knowledge'; it occurs only in Ps 107" ' at their wit's end.' ' Witty.'jwhich is found in Pr 8'2, Jth 11«', Wis 8", has the sense of 'knowing,' 'skilful'; and 'wittingly' (Gn 48") is ' linowingly .'

WITCH, WITCHCRAFT.- See Magic Divination AND Sorcery.

WITHERED HAND.— See Medicine, p. 699«.

WITH(E)S in Jg 16' represents a term which probably

WOMAN

means bow-strings of 'green ' gut . The Eng. word means a supple twig from a willow (see also Cord).

WITNESS.— This is the rendering of Heb. 'Bdand 'idah and of the Gr. martys, martyria, and martyred, and com-pounds of this root. The primitive idea of the Heb. root is to repeat, re-assert, and we find the word used in the following connexions: — (1) Witness meaning evidence, testimony, sign (of things): a heap of stones (Gn 31"), the Song of Moses (Dt 31"), Job's disease (Job 168), the stone set up by Joshua at Shechem (Jos 24"). So in the NT the dust on the feet of the disciples was to be a witness against the Jews (Mk 6"). (2) Witness signifying the person who witnesses or can testify or vouch for the parties in debate; e.g. God is witness between Jacob and Laban (Gn 31'°); so Job says, 'My witness is in heaven' (Job 16", cf. also 1 S 12«''-, Jer 29a 42'). In the NT God is caUed on by St. Paul to witness to his truth and the purity of his motives (Ro 1', 2 Co V etc.). Akin to this meaning we have (3) Witness in a legal sense. Thus we find witnesses to an act of conveyancing (Jer 32"'), to a betrothal (Ru 4°), while in all civil and criminal cases there were witnesses to give evidence, and references to false witnesses are frequent (cf. Pr 12" IQs-' 2V 25" etc.). See also Justice (II.), 2; Oaths. In the NT the Apostles frequently appear as witnesses (.martyres) of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Lk 24", Ac 1' 232 31s etc.). The heroes of the faith are called the 'cloud of witnesses' (He 12'), and Jesus Himself is 'the faithful witness (martyr)' in Rev 1' 3'« (cf. 1 Ti 6'3). Cf. also artt. Ark, § 1; Tabernacle, §7 (a).

W. F. BOTD.

WITTY.— See Wit.

WIZARD. — See Magic Divxna'HOn and Sorcery.

WOLF.—

In AV 'wolf' is always tr. of ze'eb (cf. Arab, zeeh ■wolf'), Gn 49", Is 11« GS^, Jer 5«, Ezk 22", Hab 1», Zeph 3'. Cf . also proper name Zeeb, Jg 1^. For 'iyylm (tr. 'wolves' in Is 13^2 RV) and tannlm see Jackal. The NT term is lykos (Mt 7" 10", Lk IC, Jn W\ Ac 20z»).

The wolf of Palestine is a variety of Canis lupus, somewhat lighter in colour and larger than that of N. Europe. It is seldom seen to-day, and never goes in packs, though commonly in couples; it commits its ravages at night, hence the expression 'wolf of the evening' (Jer 5', Zeph 3'); it was one of the greatest terrors of the lonely shepherd (Jn 10'^); persecutors are compared to wolves In Mt 10", Ac 20''.

E. W. G. Masterman.

WOMAN.— 1. In OT CishshSh, 'woman,' 'wife'; neqibSh [Lv 15", Nu 31", Jer ZV\, 'female') woman's position is one of inferiority and subjection to man (Gn 3"); and yet, in keeping with the view that ideally she is his companion and 'help meet' (2'*-"), she never sinks into a mere drudge or plaything. In patriarchal times, Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel stand side by side with their husbands. In the era of the deliverance from Egypt, Miriam is ranked with Moses and Aaron (cf. Mic 6*). In the days of the judges, Deborah is not only a prophetess (wh. see), as other women in Israel were, but is herself a judge (Jg 4'). Under the monarchy, Jezebel in the Northern Kingdom and Athaliah in the Southern, afford illustrations of the political power and influence that a woman might wield. In religious matters, we find women attending the Feasts along with men (1 S l"- etc.), taking part with them in acts of sacrifice (Jg 13™- » etc.), combined with them in the choral service of the Temple (Ezr 2« etc.). And though in the Deut. code woman's position is one of complete subordination, her rights are recognized and safeguarded in a way that prepares the soil for the growth of those higher conceptions which find utterance in Malachi's declaration that divorce is hateful to Jehovah (2"), and in the picture of the virtuous wife

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