One especially contentious issue for Matthew's predominantly Jewish-Christian audience is how to relate to Gentiles, who are also followers of Jesus and desire to be incorporated into their community. To address this issue, Matthew appeals to Israel's wisdom tradition, and particularly to the pilgrimage of Woman Wisdom. In this journey, Woman Wisdom is commanded to dwell in Israel. She makes her home there and calls all people to come to her for wisdom and life. Ultimately, Wisdom is rejected by Israel and she returns to God. This thesis proposes that it is this pilgrimage of Woman Wisdom that is an underlying metaphor for Matthew's gospel. Like Wisdom, Jesus arrives in Israel, calls Israel to follow him, and is ultimately rejected. Woman Wisdom's cry to come to her to receive life is echoed in Jesus' call for all to enter the kingdom of God. The inclusion of the Gentiles in the community therefore demonstrates the presence of the kingdom of God.

D. Litt. et Phil. / This dissertation is an exegetical study of the book of Ruth in which there is a clear indication that the concept of יראת יהוה is used in the book to function as a practical illustration of this particular wisdom motif. The investigation is mainly concerned with four text units from the book of Ruth, namely Ruth 1:16-17 (as part of pericope 1 and the unit 1:15-17); 2:12 (as part of pericope 2 and the unit 2:11-13); 3:9 (as part of pericope 3 and the unit 3:9-16a); and 4:11-13 (as part of pericope 4 and the units 4:3- 12 and 4:13).

M.A. / The book of Ecclesiastes forms part of the wisdom genre, of Hebrew literature. It is a notoriously difficult book to interpret. The author, Qoheleth, displays an ideology and theology which is at variance with the rest of the Old Testament, namely protest wisdom. Finding the part Qoheleth plays, within the scope of the wisdom tradition, has troubled interpreters for years. This study, brings Socio-Rhetorics to bear on this problem. Rhetorical theory is used to try and bring about an understanding of how Qoheleth fits into the wisdom tradition. This study tries to show that Qoheleth dialogues with that wisdom tradition in order to develop his own argument. In particular, it shows that he quotes the book of Proverbs. How, Qoheleth, quotes Proverbs, and what he does with those texts, is illustrated in selected textual studies from Ecclesiastes. It was found that Qoheleth sharply criticise especially the simplistic over-evaluation of wisdom within traditional thought.