Category:Wisdom Personified (subject)

Wisdom Personified

Eearliest Sources

Book of Ahiqar

< INTRO: Wisdom (Heb. Hochma; Greek Sophia) was a goddess of the Canaanite pantheon. Baal Shamayn took her as his "wife." The universe is the result of this marriage >

Wisdom is of the gods. Indeed she is precious to the gods; her kingdom is forever. She has been established by [Baal] Shamayn; yea, the Holy Lord has exalted her.

Book of Job 28

< INTRO : The God of Israel is the one who "knows" Wisdom. None of the other gods of the Canaanite Pantheon was able to find her, neither the Deep nor the Sea, neither Abaddon nor Death. As the result of their "marriage" the universe was established. >

"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold to be refined. 2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. 3 Miners put an end to darkness, and search out to the farthest bound the ore in gloom and deep darkness. 4 They open shafts in a valley away from human habitation; they are forgotten by travelers, they sway suspended, remote from people. 5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread; but underneath it is turned up as by fire. 6 Its stones are the place of sapphires, and its dust contains gold. 7 "That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it. 8 The proud wild animals have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it. 9 "They put their hand to the flinty rock, and overturn mountains by the roots. 10 They cut out channels in the rocks, and their eyes see every precious thing. 11 The sources of the rivers they probe; hidden things they bring to light. 12 "But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? 13 Mortals do not know the way to it, and it is not found in the land of the living. 14 The Deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the Sea says, 'It is not with me.' 15 It cannot be gotten for gold, and silver cannot be weighed out as its price. 16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. 17 Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. 18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls. 19 The chrysolite of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. 20 "Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? 21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air. 22 Abaddon and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.' 23 "God understands the way to it, and he knows its place. 24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the heavens. 25 When he gave to the wind its weight, and apportioned out the waters by measure; 26 when he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the thunderbolt; 27 then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out. 28 And he said to humankind, 'Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'"

Proverbs 1-9

< INTRO : Wisdom was the instrument (the "beginning") of creation. It happened when God "acquired" Wisdom. >

3:19 -- The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; 20 by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.

8: 22 The LORD acquired (possessed; LXX: created) me as the beginning (reshit) of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth-- 26 when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world's first bits of soil. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.

Second Temple sources

The created Wisdom: Book of Sirach (ch.24)

< NOTE : Here Wisdom is a female angel created by God, who dwells in the highest heavens" but found a dwelling on earth. The Torah of Moses is the embodiment of the eternal Wisdom. >

24 [1] Wisdom praises herself,

and tells of her glory in the midst of her people.

2 In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth,

and in the presence of his hosts she tells of her glory:

3 “I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,

and covered the earth like a mist.

4 I dwelt in the highest heavens,

and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.

5 Alone I compassed the vault of heaven

and traversed the depths of the abyss.

6 Over waves of the sea, over all the earth,

and over every people and nation I have held sway.a

7 Among all these I sought a resting place;

in whose territory should I abide?

8 “Then the Creator of all things gave me a command,

and my Creator chose the place for my tent.

He said, ‘Make your dwelling in Jacob,

and in Israel receive your inheritance.’

9 Before the ages, in the beginning, he created me,

and for all the ages I shall not cease to be.

10 In the holy tent I ministered before him,

and so I was established in Zion.

11 Thus in the beloved city he gave me a resting place,

and in Jerusalem was my domain.

12 I took root in an honored people,

in the portion of the Lord, his heritage.

13 “I grew tall like a cedar in Lebanon,

and like a cypress on the heights of Hermon.

14 I grew tall like a palm tree in En-gedi,b

and like rosebushes in Jericho;

like a fair olive tree in the field,

and like a plane tree beside waterc I grew tall.

15 Like cassia and camel’s thorn I gave forth perfume,

and like choice myrrh I spread my fragrance,

like galbanum, onycha, and stacte,

and like the odor of incense in the tent.

16 Like a terebinth I spread out my branches,

and my branches are glorious and graceful.

17 Like the vine I bud forth delights,

and my blossoms become glorious and abundant fruit.d

19 “Come to me, you who desire me,

and eat your fill of my fruits.

20 For the memory of me is sweeter than honey,

and the possession of me sweeter than the honeycomb.

21 Those who eat of me will hunger for more,

and those who drink of me will thirst for more.

22 Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,

and those who work with me will not sin.”

23 All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God,

the law that Moses commanded us

as an inheritance for the congregations of Jacob.e

25 It overflows, like the Pishon, with wisdom,

and like the Tigris at the time of the first fruits.

26 It runs over, like the Euphrates, with understanding,

and like the Jordan at harvest time.

27 It pours forth instruction like the Nile,f

like the Gihon at the time of vintage.

28 The first man did not know wisdomg fully,

nor will the last one fathom her.

29 For her thoughts are more abundant than the sea,

and her counsel deeper than the great abyss.

30 As for me, I was like a canal from a river,

like a water channel into a garden.

31 I said, “I will water my garden

and drench my flower-beds.”

And lo, my canal became a river,

and my river a sea.

32 I will again make instruction shine forth like the dawn,

and I will make it clear from far away.

33 I will again pour out teaching like prophecy,

and leave it to all future generations.

34 Observe that I have not labored for myself alone,

but for all who seek wisdom.

The Uncreated LOGOS: Philo

LOGOS = Word, Reason, Wisdom

On the Creation of the World (De Opificio Mundi) - (23) And God, not being urged on by any prompter (for who else could there have been to prompt him?) but guided by his own sole will, decided that it was fitting to benefit with unlimited and abundant favours a nature which, without the divine gift, was unable to itself to partake of any good thing; but he benefits it, not according to the greatness of his own graces, for they are illimitable and eternal, but according to the power of that which is benefited to receive his graces. For the capacity of that which is created to receive benefits does not correspond to the natural power of God to confer them; since his powers are infinitely greater, and the thing created being not sufficiently powerful to receive all their greatness would have sunk under it, if he had not measured his bounty, allotting to each, in due proportion, that which was poured upon it. (24) And if any one were to desire to use more undisguised terms, he would not call the world, which is perceptible only to the intellect, any thing else but the LOGOS (Word, Reason, Wisdom) of God, already occupied in the creation of the world; for neither is a city, while only perceptible to the intellect, anything else but the LOGOS of the architect, who is already designing to build one perceptible to the external senses, on the model of that which is so only to the intellect--(25) this is the doctrine of Moses, not mine. Accordingly he, when recording the creation of man, in words which follow, asserts expressly, that he was made in the image of God--and if the image be a part of the image, then manifestly so is the entire form, namely, the whole of this world perceptible by the external senses, which is a greater imitation of the divine image than the human form is. It is manifest also, that the archetypal seal, which we call that world which is perceptible only to the intellect, must itself be the archetypal model, the idea of ideas, the LOGOS of God.

Book of the Parables of Enoch

< NOTES : Apocalyptic Judaism rejects the idea could have found a dwelling on earth, since earth is the place of iniquity. Wisodm is in heaven and is a messianic gift in the world to come. >

42 -- [1] Wisdom found no place where she might dwell;

Then a dwelling-place was assigned her in the heavens.

[2] Wisdom went forth to make her dwelling among the children of men,

And found no dwelling-place:

Wisdom returned to her place,

And took her seat among the angels.

[3] And unrighteousness went forth from her chambers:

Whom she sought not she found,

And dwelt with them,

As rain in a desert

And dew on a thirsty land.

Pauline Tradition

< INTRO: THe Pauline tradition tends to apply to the created Jesus the language of Wisdom

Phil 1:6-10 -- “Jesus… though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on hearth and under the earth…”

1 Cor 8:5-6 -- "Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth--as in fact there many gods and many lords--yet for us there is one God, The Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist"

Hebrews 1:1-4 -- “The Son… is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being… When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs”

Col 1: 15-20 -- He [i.e. Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominations or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things held together. He is the head of the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Gospel of John

< INTRO: JESUS is the incorporeal and uncreated LOGOS, who became flesh and dwelled on earth. Jeus not the Torah is the embodiment of the prexistent and eternal WISDOM. >

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.[b]

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,[c] and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[d] full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,[e] who is close to the Father’s heart,[f] who has made him known.