Wisdom of Solomon 7:26-8:1

For wisdom is a reflection of eternal light,
a spotless mirror of the working of God,
and an image of his goodness.

Although she is but one, she can do all things,
and while remaining in herself, she renews all things;
in every generation she passes into holy souls
and makes them friends of God, and prophets;
for God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with wisdom.

She is more beautiful than the sun,
and excels every constellation of the stars.

Compared with the light she is found to be superior,
for it is succeeded by the night,
but against wisdom evil does not prevail.

She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other,
and she orders all things well.

WISDOM OF SOLOMON 7:26-8:1

Cp. Proverbs 8:22-35

“The Serious Playfulness of Wisdom”

This translation of Wisdom of Solomon is from the RSV (Revised Standard Version) – where it is found in the Catholic Edition. Not all Christian churches regard this part of ancient scriptures as canonical, although it has been recommended for reading by Christians ever since the earliest days. For churches in the Protestant traditions, Wisdom of Solomon is part of the Apocrypha.

This beautiful Wisdom Hymn was composed in Greek, not Hebrew. However, the author was well-versed in Hebrew style and cadences, even while composing thoughts more typical of Greek philosophy. Herman Melville wrote that Wisdom of Solomon must have been written by “someone to whom both Plato and Moses stood for godfather.” Philosophy and belief stand here side by side. For example, the phrase “although she is but one, she can do all things” has the tone of philosophical discourse on “The One and the Many,” while “remaining in herself, she renews all things” echoes Aristotle’s idea of an “Unmoved Mover.” On the other hand, images like “a spotless mirror of the working of God,” and “she reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other,” are resonant of Hebrew biblical thinking, which is less theoretical and more dynamic.

There are striking similarities between this passage from Wisdom of Solomon and the earlier canonical text of Proverbs 8. The Book of Proverbs was composed in Hebrew, and has all the nuance and depth of the early Wisdom tradition, which eventually blossomed in “sapiential literature” like Wisdom of Solomon, among others. The influence of these works on Christology in the Early Church is profound. There is a significant school of theology that sees Christ as a personification of Divine Wisdom. This has importance in terms of gender inclusivity and the reversal of patriarchal norms of thought, in that Wisdom is a powerfully feminine revelation of divine presence, balancing what is too often a rigid masculine logic in Church theology.

Looking at Proverbs 8, I see interesting reflections that help our understanding of this passage in Wisdom of Solomon.

In Proverbs 8:22-23 we hear personified Wisdom (chokhmah in Hebrew – a feminine noun) speaking of herself, and of her origins in the Divine “before-time”:

Always-Becoming created me as Beginning of the Way,
Most ancient of all divine works, ever.
I am always poured out, over and over until today,
Origin and source, our old Earth’s roots, forever.

The author of Proverbs uses the ineffable and mysterious “Voice of Wonder” (YHWH) – which I have rendered here “Always-Becoming” - to name the Creator of Wisdom. The focus in Proverbs 8 is more on Wisdom herself than on “the LORD” or “God.” Wisdom has a divine voice of her own, and a call and message for humanity. But that call is rooted in Wisdom’s own origins: she is ever created, as humans are, by “The Becoming One” (the verbal meaning of YHWH). “Divine work” in this world, then, is as much the vocation of Wisdom as it is our vocation. So – in a sense – Wisdom is our “Elder Sister” in the shared work of creation.

Most translations (including the RSV) read that Wisdom is “set up” or “established” by the Divine Creator. The Hebrew verb, however, is “poured out [like oil].” This flowing and soothing image is much more fitting for Wisdom than the image of a city or fortress being “established.”

Later in Proverbs 8, we find Wisdom “delighting” and “playing ever” in the presence of the Divine. This playful tone is joyful and transformative, and informs Wisdom’s own invitation to humankind. We are called to the “serious playfulness” of practicing wisdom in a world of ignorance. This vocation brings a profound responsibility, for it is only in Wisdom that ever-renewing life is possible. As we grieve today with the whole human race, for our future and for our planet, in a time of tremendous loss of hope, Wisdom offers a partnership in renewed Joy. In Proverbs 8:35, Wisdom cries:

So find me! Find me! – and find Life!

Bring forth the beautiful delight of All-Becoming!

[Renderings from the Hebrew of Proverbs 8 by Henry Ralph Carse;