---
product_id: 3537286
title: "The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary"
price: "$45.59"
currency: USD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.ec/products/3537286-the-wisdom-books-job-proverbs-and-ecclesiastes-a-translation-commentary
store_origin: EC
region: Ecuador
---

# The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary

**Price:** $45.59
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary
- **How much does it cost?** $45.59 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ec](https://www.desertcart.ec/products/3537286-the-wisdom-books-job-proverbs-and-ecclesiastes-a-translation-commentary)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary [Alter, Robert] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary

Review: Excellent translation with some commentary - Award winning author Robert Alter's many skills include knowing Hebrew, understanding the Bible, and writing well. He translated and commented on many biblical books. He translates and comments upon three "Wisdom Books" in this volume: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Wisdom books are biblical books that emphasize that people should study, understand, and act according to what is wise; thinking and acting by the dictates of reason rather than only observance of God's commands. Each of the three books in this collection approach the subject of wisdom from a different perspective. Job focuses on bad things happening to good people. Proverbs looks at behavior, what is wise behavior and what leads to disaster. Ecclesiastes examines many actions that people engage in that are worthless. Not only Jews, but other cultures also wrote wisdom literature and there are many similarities between the Jewish and non-Jewish books, which Alter explains. The following is an example showing Alter's translation skills: E. Dhorme translates the end of God's explanation to Job in 41:26, "He gazes at every haughty creature, He is king over all wild beasts." Alter writes: "All that is lofty he can see. He is king over all proud beasts." Alter explains that God "introduces a comprehensive overview of the nature of reality that exposes the limits of Job's human perspective." Job focuses on humans and forgets that God is the creator of the entire universe. By focusing only on humans, he does not understand that harm that comes to him may actually be good when one looks at what is occurring to the entire world. A storm can kill a person, but it also cleans the earth.
Review: A New Standard - Dr. Alter has set a new standard for translation of this literature. The Bible is part of our tradition in the West and there have been many translations. Many people prefer King James's version for its poetic value, and measure other translations by it. I am reading this book slowly. I read it chapter by chapter. First I read the text twice slowly. Then I read the text with the footnotes. I have compared chapters of Alter's translation with the translation of the 17th century English scholars. Alter's version is magnificent. He is an accomplished stylist in English and very sensitive to the Hebrew he is conveying to the modern reader. He explains some of his decisions in translating an ancient text. How do you take an old old world and make it available to the modern sensibility? Dr. Alter uses scholarship, writing skills, poetic awareness and a knowledge of great English language writers simultaneously to deliver a modern version of these ancient texts. I found the King James Version rather pale after Alter's intensity. When I want to bathe in the 17th century religious sensibility of England, I find Dr. Donne's Sermons (which are available as free downloads) a better experience. The Bible text is often so fraught with controversy that it's very difficult to read it without intrusions from modern ignorance. Alter produces a translation for modern times, free of religious propaganda. He reclaims a great historic tradition for humanism. I don't mean that the sacred text is not presented in a properly religious light. But it does not represent any religious view but its own in Alter's translation. In no sense is this a translation that supports any modern theological viewpoint.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #48,911 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #34 in Christian Wisdom Literature (Books) #65 in Old Testament Commentaries #948 in Christian Bible Study (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 282 Reviews |

## Images

![The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61C6TRdCFbL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent translation with some commentary
*by I***N on May 19, 2013*

Award winning author Robert Alter's many skills include knowing Hebrew, understanding the Bible, and writing well. He translated and commented on many biblical books. He translates and comments upon three "Wisdom Books" in this volume: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Wisdom books are biblical books that emphasize that people should study, understand, and act according to what is wise; thinking and acting by the dictates of reason rather than only observance of God's commands. Each of the three books in this collection approach the subject of wisdom from a different perspective. Job focuses on bad things happening to good people. Proverbs looks at behavior, what is wise behavior and what leads to disaster. Ecclesiastes examines many actions that people engage in that are worthless. Not only Jews, but other cultures also wrote wisdom literature and there are many similarities between the Jewish and non-Jewish books, which Alter explains. The following is an example showing Alter's translation skills: E. Dhorme translates the end of God's explanation to Job in 41:26, "He gazes at every haughty creature, He is king over all wild beasts." Alter writes: "All that is lofty he can see. He is king over all proud beasts." Alter explains that God "introduces a comprehensive overview of the nature of reality that exposes the limits of Job's human perspective." Job focuses on humans and forgets that God is the creator of the entire universe. By focusing only on humans, he does not understand that harm that comes to him may actually be good when one looks at what is occurring to the entire world. A storm can kill a person, but it also cleans the earth.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A New Standard
*by J***R on January 10, 2011*

Dr. Alter has set a new standard for translation of this literature. The Bible is part of our tradition in the West and there have been many translations. Many people prefer King James's version for its poetic value, and measure other translations by it. I am reading this book slowly. I read it chapter by chapter. First I read the text twice slowly. Then I read the text with the footnotes. I have compared chapters of Alter's translation with the translation of the 17th century English scholars. Alter's version is magnificent. He is an accomplished stylist in English and very sensitive to the Hebrew he is conveying to the modern reader. He explains some of his decisions in translating an ancient text. How do you take an old old world and make it available to the modern sensibility? Dr. Alter uses scholarship, writing skills, poetic awareness and a knowledge of great English language writers simultaneously to deliver a modern version of these ancient texts. I found the King James Version rather pale after Alter's intensity. When I want to bathe in the 17th century religious sensibility of England, I find Dr. Donne's Sermons (which are available as free downloads) a better experience. The Bible text is often so fraught with controversy that it's very difficult to read it without intrusions from modern ignorance. Alter produces a translation for modern times, free of religious propaganda. He reclaims a great historic tradition for humanism. I don't mean that the sacred text is not presented in a properly religious light. But it does not represent any religious view but its own in Alter's translation. In no sense is this a translation that supports any modern theological viewpoint.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A thought-provoking slice of Biblical literature
*by R***S on March 14, 2017*

For all of the issues with applying Biblical teaching in the modern world, there is something refreshing about its Wisdom literature. And, of course, Robert Alter's translations and commentary were a pleasure to read, continually providing me with new ways of looking at particular verses/passages, and also a wealth of background information and plenty of English vocabulary to look up. It's scholarly without being tedious. This particular collection contains Job, Proverbs, and Qohelet (Ecclesiastes). Each of them had their own unique style, but also key similarities. In particular, Job and Qohelet espouse a more nuanced, realistic perspective of how the world works. Proverbs was still as dry and full of platitudes as I remembered, but there was the occasional pearl of wisdom, so to speak. My only issue with the book, the Kindle version, is that there aren't direct links to the notes, so I would have to read the chapter and then read the notes instead of going back and forth. Otherwise, this is a great book worthy of your time and money.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary
- The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary
- The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ec/products/3537286-the-wisdom-books-job-proverbs-and-ecclesiastes-a-translation-commentary](https://www.desertcart.ec/products/3537286-the-wisdom-books-job-proverbs-and-ecclesiastes-a-translation-commentary)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Ecuador*
*Store origin: EC*
*Last updated: 2026-01-24*