Przysłowia wietnamskie a Księga Mądrości Syracha

Abstract

During the last decades, scholars have paid more and more attention to the relationship between the biblical Wisdom tradition and other cultures outside the Ancient Near East. This article represents the first attempt to compare the proverbs of the Viet people in the Far East with the sentences in Wisdom of Sirach, a collection of instructions and maxims in ancient Israel. Such a comparison shows some similarities in content between biblical maxims and Vietnamese folklore sayings, especially in what concerns family relationship and varied aspects of daily life wisdom. The research offers ground for further theological reflections and exploration on the issue of divine inspiration in non-biblical cultures as well as the inculturation of the Bible in a non-Christian environment like Vietnam.