A typology of personified wisdom hymns

Biblical Theology Bulletin, Winter, 2004 by Nozomi Miura

Also, it is notable that personified Wisdom is "life-giving" (Prov 1:33; 3:18; 11:30--the Tree of Life). For humans, whether one finds it or not is a matter of not only wisdom and folly, but life and death. Those who find it gain life (8:35) and are approved by Yahweh (v 35), whereas those who "hate her love death" (v 36). This quasi-dualism seems to go parallel to the dualism delineated in the apocalyptic tradition, although the latter describes this division more explicitly and relates it to judgment. While the life referred to in Proverbs is more this-worldly oriented, the life signified in the apocalyptic tradition is more other-worldly oriented. As Murphy points out, the finding of Wisdom is "made very personal" ("who finds me," v 35) (1996: 137). The gaining of life is further related to the nourishment Wisdom provides for humans: namely, the most basic human needs of eating and drinking: "Come, eat of my bread and drink of my wine I have mixed ... and live and walk in the way of insight" (9:5-6). This again underscores the worldliness of "life."

Ben Sira 24

It is obvious that the author of Ben Sira or Sirach took Proverbs as his model--both in the literary composition and in the personification of Wisdom (Di Lella: 497; Murphy 1996: 71-72; 1995: 226; Perdue 1994: 247-50). The texts in Ben Sira where Wisdom is personified are as follows: 1:1-10; 4:11-19; 6:18-3; 14:20-15:8; 24:1-29; and 51:13-30 (Murphy 1995: 226; Perdue 1994: 248). This cosmological speculation evinces the author's defense of Judaism against strong Hellenization and his resolution of the problem of theodicy, as he insists on "the goodness and order of a world created by means of divine wisdom (Blenkinsopp 1983:164). Among these texts, Ben Sira 24 deserves our close attention. Herein the pre-existence of Wisdom is announced explicitly: "Before the ages, in the beginning, he created me, and for all the ages I shall not cease to be" (24:9). This declaration resonates to the introduction in 1:1-10, in which Wisdom sings of her divine origin (1:1, 4, 9, and 10). Wisdom exists "from eternity" (1:4b), has a divine origin (1: 1, 9: "with him it [sophia] is forever"), and is the revelatory Word of God (1:6, "the root of Wisdom--to whom has it been revealed?"). The theme of this poem is clearly derived from Proverbs 8:22-31. It is only God who comprehends the mystery of Wisdom (1:8). Ben Sira insists, however, that Wisdom is an attribute of Yahweh, a quality of the cosmos, which is bestowed as a free gift upon humans who love Yahweh (Blenkinsopp 1983: 163; Perdue 1994: 247-48). Starting with 24:1, Wisdom proclaims her presence both "in the midst of her own people" (24:1b), namely, among the People of God, and "in the assembly of the Most High" (24:2a). Again, Wisdom is located between people on earth and Yahweh and his host in heaven (cf. Prov 8:30-31). Wisdom coming out of the mouth of God alludes to the Word of God in the Creation Prologue (Gen I:1); thus Wisdom is equated with the Word of God, which also proceeds from the mouth of God (Isa 45:23; 48:3; 55:11). Further, Wisdom that "covered the earth like a mist" (v 3b) intimates the Spirit/breath of God (pneuma), possibly using the imagery of Gen 1:2. Although the allusion to the spirit in Ben Sira is not explicitly articulated; the Wisdom/Spirit motif which is to be elaborated in Wisdom of Solomon can be surely recognized. The underlying imagery is predominantly from Genesis. Wandering through the world, the personified Wisdom searches for a resting place in the world (v 7). This narrative is a combination of the motifs of the creation story and wilderness. In 24:7-12, the motifs of the Sinai covenant, the wilderness, and the tabernacle are interwoven into the creation motifs. In relation to the image of Wisdom dwelling among people, the allusion to wilderness becomes much stronger. This is a beautiful technique of Ben Sira. Underscoring the Jewish tradition and conflating it with the creation motif, Ben Sira links the transcendent realm (the cosmological dimension) to the immanent presence of God among people (the human world).