Syntetyczne spojrzenie na bogactwo w Starym Testamencie

Abstract

The Old Testament’s teaching on wealth is not an intellectual speculation but a result of observation of the everyday lives of rich and poor people. This is dominated by three fundamental trends. First, from the times of the patriarchs up to the decline of the united kingdom, wealth was considered to have a strictly positive value. That approach underwent modification by the prophet-writers, who regarded affluence as something of subjective value, apparently lower in rank than wisdom, health or love. The Babylonian exile and the resulting shock made the Biblical authors go even further in their assessment of wealth. From that period on, it was perceived as an entirely negative value, seriously detrimental to religious life. That view was shared first and foremost by the Sages and Prophets of the post-exilic period. Therefore, everything points to the evolution of the Old Testament’s teaching on affluence from its glorification, through diminishing its meaning, to a complete rejection of its significance in human life. The present article discusses the teaching.