Q: I’ve got a good one that came up in a small group tonight! In Proverbs (and probably many other places) why is wisdom a woman? It’s obviously referring to Jesus in many ways. But regardless, why female?
In Proverbs 6:1-19, the father warns his son to watch out for the irresponsible, lazy, and wicked. Throughout the text, we learn what pleases and displeases God.
Proverbs 4:10-19 is simple. It’s about choosing the right way. ‘The way’ is a motif throughout Proverbs. Two women are used to illustrate the way of the righteous or the way of the wicked.
Q: You always say we must take the word at its word. We don’t add or take away. You say not to worry about what we “think” it means, but what it does mean. A few weeks ago you mentioned that the Proverbs 31 woman was not really about what a woman should want to be but was about wisdom.
This was a little surprising to me because since I’ve read it as a little girl it seems very cut and dry. It’s a lot less ambiguous than some of the verses and books of the Bible. I never looked at this passage as a burden. I always loved the fact that God took time to show us this amazing reflection of what I believe so many women do and are.
Proverbs 3:13-18 is about something more precious and priceless than anything. It’s not something we grab out of a burning home, but the wisdom in understanding what wisdom is. The parallel is that when we find wisdom, we gain understanding.