Week 22 Proverbs 8
I notice in verse 8 that wisdom isn’t a thing. She’s a person: I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. Wisdom was also referred to as a woman in chapter 1. I check a word book. Wisdom is used about 47 times in Proverbs. Most of the time wisdom is a thing – a quality like smarts or intelligence or knowledgeability. But here she’s a person calling out at the crossroads (in chapter 1 she was shouting in a public square).
Why is wisdom a person here? Who is she?
The woman called Wisdom sounds a lot like the Lord. Her words sound like what he’d say. I re-read chapter 8 and mentally plug in ‘the Lord’ where I see what Wisdom says. It fits most of the time:
…listen to me! For I have excellent things to tell you
…choose my instruction rather than silver
…I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice.
Wisdom’s words are just like the Lord.
But in a couple of places plugging-in ‘the Lord’ doesn’t work:
Wisdom says all who fear the Lord will hate evil
Wisdom says the Lord formed me from the beginning.
Which now sounds like Wisdom and the Lord are distinct.
Saying that Wisdom both is the Lord and isn’t sounds like a logical inconsistency so I’ll try to keep it in mind and think more on it.
Note: quotes from Proverbs 8:8 6 10 20 13 22 (NLT). Also 1:20-33. Added Note: End of Month Reading Report. The year is now 41.6% over. My reading is 47.8% completed.