Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 144

;

120

§ 45.

WISDOM

[Div. II

Here also the knowledge appears in the foreground. He is wise who knows and sees how things must go, and who for this reason is followed by others. With the limited development of Semitic etymology, the Hebrew expression DlDH is less clear, but from the description which the Chokmatic writings give us of this " wisdom," it appears the more convincingly that the Hebrew understood this wisdom to be something entirely different from what we call scientific development, and in this conception thought rather of a by

this superiority

governs the entire swarm.

practical element of

The

practical-intuitive understanding.

derivation of nSH,

which means to cleave to something, would agree very well with this, as an indication of the spirit's sympathy with the object from which this Chokmatic knowledge is born. Phrases which are in common use with us, also, such as, for " You have wisely left it alone," " When the wine instance " He is a wise man" is in the man, wisdom is in the can" " If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask or the Bible-text :

;

:

God"; all agree entirely with The root-idea always appears to

of

this etymological result. be, that

one possesses a

and process of and understands the art of accommodating himself Wisdom has nothing to do, to them in practical life. therefore, with intellectual abstraction, but clings immediately to the reality, proceeds from it and works out an effect upon it. But again, it is not artistic skill, nor what is called talent, for it is not the action which proceeds from the insight but the insight itself which stands in the foreground. Wisdom is the quiet possession of insight which imparts power, and is at the disposal of the subject, even certain natural understanding of the nature things,

when

this subject is not called to action.

Wisdom

distinguished from artistic skill and talent, in that

an universal character.

ment

He who

it

is

also

bears

excels in a certain depart-

of science is not wise, neither

is

he wise

who

excels

Such an one-sided development of skill He who is rather opposed to the root-idea of wisdom.

in a certain trade. is

wise,

is

centralis/ wise,

i.e.

he has a general disposition of

mind which, whatever comes, enables him to have an accu-

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