Metafora drzewa życia w Księdze Przysłów

The Book of Proverbs presents four texts where the tree of life metaphor appears: 3:18; 11:30; 13:12; 15:4. They obviously allude to the heavenly tree, which – according to the description in Genesis – stood in the middle of the Garden of Eden. The motif is also present in tales and beliefs of ancient Near East cultures (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Canaan), which somehow affected its biblical use. The pre-sence of this metaphor in the Book of Proverbs indicates that regaining life that had been lost in the Garden of Eden was identified with gaining the divine gi= of wisdom. The tree of life, i.e. a gi= of a blessed life, means following the paths of wisdom in all its aspects: speech, desires, acts and relationships