Sir. xiv. 1, xix. 16, xxv. 8, xxxvii. 18; iii. 5, 6, Sir. v. 13, 14, viii. 3 xxviii. 11; iii. 8, Sir. xxviii. 16-18; iii. 10, Sir. xxviii. 12 (see also context) ; iii. 18, 17, Wisd. vii. 22-24; vy. 4, Sir. iv. 1-6, xxxiv. 22; vy. 7, Sir. vi. 19; π. 16, Sir. iv. 26; v.17, Sir. xlviii. 3 (cf. context). These are very far from being exhaustive, and only two books of the Wisdom literature have been referred to, whereas points of contact are to be found in several others. This knowledge and sympathy with the Wisdom literature suggest a Hellenistic rather than a Pales- tinian Jew.
(ii.) A second literary characteristic, and one which is further indicative of Hebraic colouring (see above), is to be found in the large number of parallelisms which the Epistle contains. This well- known Hebrew literary characteristic appears sometimes more clearly than at others in the Epistle, but a few of the most obvious examples are the following :—
i. 9, 103. Let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate ; And the rich in that he is made low.
1.1.5. Then the lust, having conceived, beareth sin ; And the sin, being full-grown, bringeth forth death. Ee Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above,
Coming down from the Father of lights, With Whom can be no variation, Nor shadow that is cast by turning. i. 19,20. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath ; For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. i, 22. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, Deluding your own selves, iii. 11,12. Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet and bitter water ? Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs ?
See, further, iv. 7, 10, v. 4,5, 9. This, too, is in the style of much of the Wisdom literature, and reminds one often of the Book of Proverbs especially.
(iii.) Lastly, one cannot fail to be struck by the number of words —a large number when the shortness of the Epistle is considered— which are either ἅπ. λεγ. in the New Testament, or very rarely found, outside the Epistle, in the Septuagint or New Testament; this de- notes a knowledge of Greek literature and of the Greek language generally, which is very noticeable ; attention is drawn to such words