Proverbs 8

CONTEXT AND STRUCTURE
Proverbs 8 follows Proverbs 7. In chapter 7, Solomon records the speech of Lady Folly, the adulteress, who entices the simple to her house for a night of love-making. In chapter 8, Solomon records the speech of Lady Wisdom, who offers herself as the means to rule, honor, and wealth. The two speeches form a diptych (Waltke), and contrast two paths that are set before the young man, the hero of the romantic drama of Proverbs. Lady Folly offers immediate pleasure, instant gratitifaction on a bed of spices; her speech is smooth, seductive, enticing; but following her leads to poverty, shame, and death. Lady Wisdom’s speech is initially less appealing: She calls the simple to prudence, speaks what is riht and straight and not what is prverted and crooked. But those who follow her receive wealth, honor, power, and ultimately life in the most complete sense. The key contrast of the two paths, the two women, comes in 8:35-36: “he who finds me finds life, and obtains favor from Yahweh. But he who misses me injures himself; all those who hate me love death.”

Chapter 8 is organized in serven sub-speeches:

1. 8:1-5: Lady Wisdom makes public appeal to the simple
2. 8:6-12: Lady Wisdom describes her speech
3. 8:12-16: Lady Wisdom is the Queen enthroned at the side of kings
4. 8:17-21: Lady Wisdom offers wealth and honor
5. 8:22-26: Lady Wisdom is begotten of Yahweh
6. 8:27-31: Lady Wisdom was Yahweh’s foreman in creation
7. 8:32-36: Lady Wisdom offers life

The fact that this speech is organized in seven calls attention to the liunks with the creation week. This is explicit in 8:27-31, but the structure of the passage reinforces the claim that Wisdom is a creative power, or the secret of creation. There are some direct links with the creation account (e.g., the sixth speech climaxes with the creation of man, as does the sixth day).

Finally, this passage has been recognized since the patristic period as a Christologically important passage. The New Testament teaches a “wisdom Christology” in various passages, indicating that Jesus is the fulfillment of this portrait of wisdom (see 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30; Colossians 2:3). The connections beween Proverbs 8 and John 1 are particularly important: Wisdom is “from the beginning” (8:23), as is the Word that is with God; wisdom is the agent of creation (8:27-31), as is the Word (John 1:3); wisdom is “begotten” by Yahweh (8:24), as is the Word (John 1:18). This raises some intriguing questions, particularly about the gender of wisdom. How can the male Jesus be lined with the femininte Wisdom of Proverbs? One aspect of the answer is to recognize Jesus’ relation to the Father is one of submission and obedience; Jesus thus stands in a “feminine” relationship to the Father, who is His Head as the man is head of his wife (1 Corinthians 11:3). More biblical-theologically, the relationship of Adam and Eve, or of King and Queen, is analogous to the relationship of ruler and assistant; Aaron’s sons and the Levites, for instance, are analogous to “Eve” in relation to Aaron, who has ultimate charge of the garden.

One of the key implications of this Christological dimension to wisdom is that Christians seek and find all the things Wisdom offers in Christ. Christians sometimes think that Jesus provides rescue from sin, and perhaps even rescue from responsibility in the world. But that is not what Wisdom promises. Wisdom guides kings in their ruling, and so does Jesus, the Wisdom of God; Wisdom promises heroic valor and courage (v. 14), and so does Jesus, the Wisdm of God. Wisdom promises honor and wealth and full treasuries, and so does Jesus, the Wisdom of God, who also promises persecutions (Matthew 6:33; Mark 10:29-31). Wisdom was Yahweh’s agent to create the word, and through Wisdom, kings establish boundaries and create worlds (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11); and Jesus is the Wisdom of God who equips us to form our worlds after the pattern of God’s Word and to re-form the whole world after the pattern of His kingdom. Jesus as te Wisdom of God does not rescue us from responsibility for the world, but equips us to be kings and queens, nobles and mighty men.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS
There much too much in Proverbs 8 to cover in detail, so I’ll hit some highlights. First, we see again, as we have before, that Wisdom offers herself in public. Wisdom does not hide away in a monastery, but goes to the most public place in an ancient city – the city gates. The gates functioned as lawcourts, places for political campaigning and machination, the centres of commerce. By taking her stand in the city gates, Wisdom is offering guidance in the practicalities of civic life. Wisdom is essential if those entering the city to participate in its life are going to live in justice and peace.

Second, She begins this portion of the speech with an allusion to the Shema (“Hear”), the great Jewish confession of the uniqueness of Yahweh (Deuteronomy 6). Her straight words are words that come from Yahweh, and are more valuable than silver, gold, or jewels. This is a critical point given her setting: She is in the place where men pursue wealth and exchange goods, and she warns that wealth is not the ultimate pursuite. Pursuing wealth will not bring life and health, much less wisdom; but pursuing wisdom will lead to life and wealth. In our consumer society, where we are contantly told to seek goods and luxuries and leisures, wisdom’s words are particularly apt.

Wisdom makes her dwelling with “prudence” or “cunning” (v. 12). This is the Hebrew words used for the serpent in Genesis 3:1, and both there are here the word refers to an ability to achieve one’s goals. Those who are shrewd know the ways of the world and can work the system to get what they desire (14:8, 15). The shrewd shrug off insults (12:16), and have the foresight to know where their actions are going to lead (14:15). They are especially adept at seeing when disaster lies ahead and taking steps to sidestep it (22:3; 27:12). Scripture sometimes describes wicked people as shrewd (cf. 2 Samuel 13:3), but the word does not necessarily have a negative connotation. In fact, as Proverbs 8:12 makes clear, Wisdom and cunning are roommates. Shrewdness can be good or bad, depending on what goals one is pursuing.

This is the point made in the following verse. In verse 13, Wisdom declares that fearing Yahweh involves hating evil. We cannot love and serve God while embracing everything that is opposed to Him. Specifically, wisdom hates pride and arrogance and the pervert5ed mouth. Pride involve thinking more highly of our abilities and wisdom than we have any right to think, and therefore also involves refusing to take direction and instruction from others. The prideful man refuses instruction and correction because he knows what’s good for him and no one can tell him what to do. In Proverbs, pride is a form of folly, and leads to disaster. Wisdom makes a home with the prudent or shrewd, but hates and will abandon the proud.

Knowledge, wisdom, and shrewdness are not successful unless they are combined with valor, courage. And wisdom promises this too. The word for “power” in verse 14 is related to the word for “mighty man” or “hero,” as in David’s “three mighty men” (Heb. gibborim). Our goals and plans face obstacles and opposition, and we need to be quipped with the courage that wisdom gives if we want to achieve what the Lord sets before us.

Verses 12-14 lead to the conclusion in verse 15: Cunning, knowledge of the world, hating evil, courage are all necessary if we are going to reign as kings and establish justice by decrees. As I’ve emphasized in previous studies, Proverbs is addressed to rulers, but “ru

ler” is a broad category that includes most of us. Fathers rule in families, bosses in heir businesses, home-owners over their property, pastors and elders in the church, and so on. If we want to be just and righteous kings, we need to pursue the wisdom that provides these other accompanying virtues.

Finally (though there is a great deal more to say), Lady Wisdom’s claim to being with Yahweh at the beginning, and her participation in creation are connected background to the gifts that wisdom offers. To say that Wisdom was with Yahweh “from the beginning” means that Wisdom is not some human achievement or creation, but proceeds from the depths of God. But this wisdom is communicated to us, so that we can keep in step with God’s own wisdom. And this wisdom which comes from God is the wisdom that creates worlds. By the wisdom that we receive from God, we establish boundaries, pass decrees, lay foundations, and rejoice in the work the Lord gives us to do.