Sunday reading: Who is Wisdom?

[Simca]

This is Sunday’s reading, and I was wondering Who or what is ‘Wisdom’?

It’s not Jesus, because Jesus was not a creation. Is it just allegorical?
I’d like to hear ideas. Thanks!

Wisdom speaks her own praises,
in the midst of her people she glories in herself.
She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High,
she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One;

Then the creator of all things instructed me,
and he who created me fixed a place for my tent.
He said, “Pitch your tent in Jacob,
make Israel your inheritance”.
From eternity, in the beginning,
he created me, and for eternity I shall remain.
I ministered before him in the holy tabernacle,
and thus was I established on Zion.
In the beloved city he has given me rest,
and in Jerusalem I wield my authority.
I have taken root in a privileged people,
in the Lord’s property, in his inheritance.

 

[Razanir]

Can you give me verse numbers so I can cross-reference it with other translations? I tried looking on the USCCB’s website, but it gives the readings as from Isaiah for the next few weeks. Which Sunday’s reading is this?

 

[DaveBj]

The writer in anthropomorphizing the philosophical concept of wisdom; it is not actually a person. And wisdom appears as a woman in these writings because both the Hebrew word (hokhma, I think it is; don’t have time to look it up right now) and the Greek word (sophia) are grammatically feminine, and the translators kept the feminine pronouns.

 

[Simca]

Can you give me verse numbers so I can cross-reference it with other translations? I tried looking on the USCCB’s website, but it gives the readings as from Isaiah for the next few weeks. Which Sunday’s reading is this?

Hi,

Sorry, it’s Ecclesiasticus: 24:1-2. 8-12

It’s the reading from Sunday, January 5th

 

[Razanir]

Hi,

Sorry, it’s Ecclesiasticus: 24:1-2. 8-12

It’s the reading from Sunday, January 5th

Ah. I figured out what’s up. That’s the reading for places that do have Epiphany as a Holy Day of Obligation, and would in turn have separate readings for the Second Sunday of Christmas.

But yeah. Wisdom is the anthropomorphization of the concept, and takes feminine pronouns because it was grammatically feminine in Greek and Hebrew.

 

[PJM]

=Simca;11566891]This is Sunday’s reading, and I was wondering Who or what is ‘Wisdom’?

It’s not Jesus, because Jesus was not a creation. Is it just allegorical?
I’d like to hear ideas. Thanks!

Wisdom speaks her own praises,
in the midst of her people she glories in herself.
She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High,
she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One;

Then the creator of all things instructed me,
and he who created me fixed a place for my tent.
He said, “Pitch your tent in Jacob,
make Israel your inheritance”.
From eternity, in the beginning,
he created me, and for eternity I shall remain.
I ministered before him in the holy tabernacle,
and thus was I established on Zion.
In the beloved city he has given me rest,
and in Jerusalem I wield my authority.
I have taken root in a privileged people,
in the Lord’s property, in his inheritance.

I [me] believe it is an allagory HOWEVER;

The question does seem to have an answer: The Holy Spirit
John 14:26 “But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you”

 

[JamesTheJust]

Though she didn’t exist yet, I’ve read in some places that the passages are descriptions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It seems to fit, so that’s what I go with.

 

[ready]

I think that Wisdom in this passage is supposed to be referring to the Blessed Virgin Mary, created Wisdom. Passages in the Scriptures referring to uncreated Wisdom would be referring to God Himself. God bless you.