Woman Wisdom, the Feminine Consort of the Divine and the African Theosophical Worldview
DOROTHY BEA AKOTO
Abstract
Wisdom Literature (WL), also referred to as sapiential literature, is an important component of biblical studies (particularly, studies in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible). WL has a direct bearing on human life and addresses issues of human experience and existence. It calls on human beings to acquire deep insight to navigate their existential challenges and other vicissitudes of life. WL does not concern itself with the issues of Torah or Prophecy, which are two major parts of the tripartite Hebrew Bible. As such, though this branch of biblical studies is very important, it has been mostly pushed to the periphery. Due to the peripheral treatment of WL, it is not surprising that its protagonist, Lady/Woman Wisdom (particularly in the Book of Proverbs), has also been slighted and treated as unimportant. It could probably be said that Wisdom has become a “lost” character. This article attempts to rediscover the apparently “lost” protagonist of WL, in the person of Lady/Woman Wisdom. The article uses Proverbs 8 as a case in point to propose that the protagonist of WL (i.e., Lady/Woman Wisdom) should be considered as the feminine consort of the Divine. The article also examines the idea of the feminine consort of the Divine as an integral part of the theosophical worldview embedded in African traditional religions (ATRs) and suggests this worldview is an often untapped resource for Western theological hermeneutics/biblical interpretation.
Introduction
Over the years, Wisdom Literature (WL) has not been given much attention as far as biblical studies is concerned. This has been probably because WL does not address issues related to the Torah or Prophecy, which constitute two of the three major divisions of the Hebrew Bible. Due to this lack of attention to WL, the main character associated with WL, in the person of Lady Wisdom, has also not been given any serious attention. Considering the lack of attention, this article proposes that WL should be taken more seriously and that its protagonist, Lady Wisdom or Woman Wisdom should not be brushed aside as an insignificant, peripheral, nonentity but rather that she should be considered as a very vibrant and active personality, which is not only feminine but is also the consort of the Divine.
Being an Ewe woman from Southeastern Ghana and trained as a biblical scholar, the present author is familiar with some of the tenets of the African theosophical worldview embedded in African traditional religions (ATRs). One such tenet is the belief that the Supreme Being (SB), who is Divine, has a personal feminine companion, whom this author calls the consort of the divine. In light of this belief, the author proposes that the protagonist of WL, who is described vividly in the book of Proverbs, should be considered as the consort of the Divine. To substantiate this proposition, the author addresses the question, “Who or what is Wisdom, the protagonist of Wisdom literature?” The author reviews scholarship focused on studies in WL and uses the Wisdom discourse in Proverbs 8 as a case in point to highlight the proposition that Wisdom is the feminine consort of the Divine. Then, drawing on personal experience and knowledge of ATRs, particularly but not only the Ewe traditions from Southeastern Ghana, and scholarship on African religious cultures, the author presents the source of the discussion of a feminine consort of the Divine. Finally, the author makes observations from the self-presentation of Wisdom in the Wisdom discourse in Proverbs 8 to substantiate the proposition that Wisdom is the feminine consort of the Divine which is a theosophical construction similar to one found in ATRs and consistent with cited examples primarily from Ghana. The article concludes with some suggestions for a way forward in the study of WL.
Who or What Is Wisdom, the Protagonist of Wisdom Literature?
The word “consort” according to the Oxford Dictionary of Languages, is “a wife, husband or companion, in particular the spouse of a reigning monarch.”[1] In spite of the definition of “consort” in the Oxford Dictionary, this essay considers the relationship between the Divine and the consort of the Divine as that of companionship/partnership. Wisdom, in general, in the book of Proverbs, and particularly in the Wisdom discourse of Proverbs 8, is considered a feminine character. As a feminine character this author proposes that Wisdom who is sometimes called Woman Wisdom (WW) and at other times called Lady Wisdom (LW) is the partner/companion (i.e., the consort) of the Divine. This essay uses the two names of Wisdom interchangeably.
To substantiate the proposition that Wisdom is the feminine consort of the Divine, it is appropriate to take a brief look at who or what is Wisdom? Over the years, the question “Who or what is Wisdom (i.e., the protagonist of WL)?” has surged in the minds of researchers and students of WL. This has been so because Wisdom, the protagonist of WL, has appeared to be very elusive. In this part of the article, the author attempts to throw some light on the meaning of Wisdom by engaging some scholars who have done work in WL.
Gerhard von Rad in his work Wisdom in Israel identifies two forms of Wisdom: an earlier form of Wisdom, which was experiential, and a later form of Wisdom, which was theological. For Von Rad, the earlier experiential and later theological forms of Wisdom were both secular and peripheral. As such, von Rad placed Wisdom in the era of the “Solomonic Enlightenment,” when there was a transition from the loose tribal confederacy to statehood.1F[2] Von Rad’s forms of Wisdom above seem to limit Wisdom to the realms of experience and theology without any suggestion that Wisdom could be a being.
Unlike von Rad, whose research into Wisdom in Israel did not provide any hint that Wisdom could be a character, Claudia V. Camp, in Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs, offers some definitions and identifies some of the functions of Wisdom that portray Wisdom as a feminine character. Camp worked through literary, theological, and cultural anthropological sources to make several discoveries about Wisdom, which culminated in the conclusion that Woman Wisdom was:
an elusive figure, sought after by scholars, students, and all questioning walkers on the path of life, ancient and modern. Her shape changes: she is as awesome as a goddess, as playful as a small child, as comfortable as a mother’s arms, as challenging as a prophet, as satisfying as a table laden with food, as mysterious as a lover hidden among the lilies. … She rules in justice and scorns human folly and deceit.[3]
Apart from offering the foregone description of the person and roles of Wisdom, Camp drew a further conclusion that Wisdom is a religious symbol.3F[4] This author agrees with Camp’s description of the multifaceted human characteristics and roles of WW above and considers the descriptions very appropriate for the topic on hand. However, Camp’s further conclusion that Wisdom is a “religious symbol” seems to deprive Wisdom of her personality, which the present author finds problematic.
In addition to presenting Wisdom as a “religious symbol,” Camp’s methodological approaches to the study of WL led her to the conclusion that Wisdom was a feminine character and a literary figure whose image changes often and who plays a variety of roles. The changing images and roles ascribed to WW by Camp include Wisdom as wife, mother, lover, harlot, adulteress, wise woman, sexually aggressive woman, traditional woman, and house-builder, to name a few. With these conclusions, Camp relates her to personified Wisdom4F[5] who was a literary figure, on the one hand, and a religious symbol, on the other. As to the latter, (i.e., a religious symbol), Camp presents Wisdom as a figure in the post-exilic period who affirms that her work is empowered and authenticated by Yahweh.5F[6]
Camp’s work in religious and cultural anthropology, which culminates in the various images and roles of Wisdom, should perhaps be considered a masterpiece. In this light, the present author agrees with Camp that Wisdom is a very elusive feminine character, who appears in a variety of images and performs a variety of roles in Proverbs. However, unlike Camp, this author does not see Wisdom as either a “literary figure” or “religious symbol” but rather as an active and vibrant feminine consort of the Divine. Camp’s discussion suggests that Wisdom is a feminine character. However, it is surprising to this author that Camp did not consider Wisdom as the consort of the Divine, which is the proposition of this article. The lack of this latter idea in Camp’s work constitutes a deficiency, in the opinion of the present author.
In addition to von Rad and Camp, Gale Yee’s work on the theology of creation, asserts that “Woman Wisdom (henceforth WW) does not only personify God’s own Wisdom but also the human Wisdom tradition itself.” In other words, “Divine Wisdom and human knowledge find their unification in the personified WW.” Additionally, for Yee, “Wisdom represents divine immanence in the created world of human beings.”6F[7] Yee’s conclusions and suggestion that Wisdom embodies the very nature of God (i.e., the Divine nature among human beings) in her being, are very appropriate for the thesis of this article. In the present author’s opinion, Wisdom must be considered as the feminine consort of and co-equal of the Divine, whose nature she possessed, beside whom she was like a “master worker” and whose delight she was.7F[8] Daniel J. Treier, more recently than Yee, has asserted that the description of WW as “master worker” probably means she was “God’s agent in creation” or was “serving as an agent in creation.”8F[9] Instead of considering WW as a mere agent in creation, as asserted by Treier, the present author considers the intimate relationship between WW and the Divine as a pointer to her being the consort of the Divine. A co-worker or agent, in this author’s opinion, could not possess the nature of and be the “delight” of the Divine unless the two were in a deeper relationship, as Divine and consort (i.e., as partners, if you will).
Prior to the works of Camp and other scholars engaged here, evidence of a consort of the Divine could already be seen in the late eighth century B.C.E. discoveries of inscriptions in Khirbet el-Qôm, west of Hebron, south of Lachish and in Kuntillet ‘Ajrud in northeastern Sinai, respectively.[10] These discoveries revealed several figurines and drawings on Pithoi, which depicted Yahweh with a feminine Asherah. The discoveries appear to suggest that the Divine had a woman partner (i.e., a consort).
Despite the varieties of descriptions and representations of Wisdom in the works of foregone scholars, the idea of the feminine consort of the Divine can be identified in the work of Judith Hadley. The focus on the cult of Asherah with Pithoi and pictures of figurines, which describe “Yahweh and his Asherah,” in the work of Judith M. Hadley[11] appears to support the proposition of the present author. Even though some scholars suggest that there may be problems with reading inscriptions that came from this period, several such inscriptions have been found also on wall-plaster and storage vessels in the course of excavations made by Ze’ev Meshel to discredit the foregone suggestion that there might be problems with the inscriptions. These discoveries, which depict Yahweh side-by-side with the feminine figure of Asherah, give credence to this article’s proposition that Wisdom is the feminine consort of the Divine.
In further attempts to respond to the question, “Who or what is Wisdom?” this article engages other scholars, who have undertaken studies in WL and provide some clues as to who or what is Wisdom. Christine Yoder has undertaken studies in which she attempts to describe Wisdom. However, unlike Camp, Yoder did not attempt to discover an elusive figure or personality called Wisdom. Yoder, rather, attempts to reconsider the origin(s) of Woman Wisdom in light of the socio-historical (specifically, socio-economic) context in which the sages of Proverbs 1-9 and 31:10-31 crafted the framing units around the book.[12] In order to achieve this aim, Yoder employed linguistic, epigraphic and biblical evidence for dating the chosen units. With this evidence, Yoder seeks to reconstruct the socio-economic world of the activities and perceptions of women in the Persian-period Palestine.12F[13] Yoder’s work differs from Camp’s in that while Camp sees WW as a multitasking feminine character, a literary figure and a religious symbol, Yoder sees Wisdom as a Persian woman of substance, a bride of honor, to be sought and acquired before all other possessions.13F[14]
The works of Camp and Yoder seem to agree that Wisdom is a feminine character. However, as stated earlier in this article, whereas Camp considers Wisdom as a literary figure and religious symbol, Yoder consider Wisdom as a personified woman of substance14F[15] in Palestine in the Persian period. The daring works of Camp, Yee, Yoder, and other feminist scholars—who present the protagonist of WL as a woman who mediates empowerment to the woman human species—must be acknowledged as admirable and highly commendable. Though this author would agree with both Camp and Yoder that Wisdom is a feminine character, the present author does not see Wisdom as a literary figure and religious symbol (Camp) or the personification of a Persian period Palestinian woman of substance (Yoder) in economic terms. The present author, rather, considers WW as the indispensable consort of the Divine. This position appears to be forcefully endorsed by Wisdom’s own self-presentation that her work was empowered and authenticated by Yahweh.[16] A rhetorical question could be asked here with regards to the foregone affirmation. “Why would Yahweh have empowered and authenticated the work of Wisdom if she were not his close confidant, whom this author calls the ‘consort of the Divine’?”
Bernhard Lang is another scholar whose work on Wisdom focuses on the book of Proverbs. According to Lang, Proverbs 1, 8 and 9 are closely related poems that center on the theme of Wisdom but with significant differences. Lang sees the proud self-portrayal of Wisdom in Proverbs 8, as “unique and unparalleled.”16F[17] For Lang, whereas Proverbs 1 focuses on school and classroom teaching contexts, Proverbs 8 pictures a “world of rank and influence, of politics and government” in which the king was dependent on Wisdom for her favors.[18] Lang considers Wisdom as a teacher and also as a goddess, who judged rulers and dwelt in the presence of the creator.18F[19] Though Lang may be correct in the assertions above, this article does not intentionally deal with Proverbs 1 and 9 but discusses only Proverbs 8 as a case in point that WW is the consort of the Divine. In this chapter (i.e., Proverbs 8), Wisdom, who claims to be present at creation, is portrayed as superior to humanity, and this author considers her as the feminine consort of the Divine. Von Rad had earlier represented Wisdom not as a personified character but as experience and theology. Lang also represents Wisdom as a teacher and a goddess, which gave her human characteristics. Even though Lang gives WW some human characteristics, neither von Rad nor Lang considers Wisdom as the consort of the Divine.
Leo G. Perdue, whose work builds on the work of Lang, also focuses on WL. In his studies in WL, Perdue provides several distinctive understandings or characteristics of Wisdom. Perdue suggests that the term “Wisdom” (hokmah), as a body of knowledge with its derivatives, has three general features. Wisdom is a tradition that sets forth understanding of God, of the world and nature, and of humanity and human society.[20] Perdue expands on these understandings of Wisdom by drawing on how Wisdom was understood during the Second Temple period. During this period, according to Perdue, Wisdom was equated with Torah, by which he means Wisdom was connected with laws (i.e., instructions/teachings) that dealt with human behavior and responsibility. These laws entailed social, theological, and ethical features, which were distinct from other traditions, especially, those of priests and prophets. According to Perdue, the knowledge of such laws was acquired through rote memorization, copying of ancient texts and critical engagement, dialogue, and disputation coupled with experience.20F[21]
Furthermore, for Perdue, Wisdom was a discipline (i.e., a curriculum of study and a structured form of behavior) for character formation, accomplished through discourse and action in which longevity and prosperity were equated to the good life. In addition to the above characteristics, Perdue also considers Wisdom as moral discourse and behavior that constructed and legitimated a cosmology that ordered the world, society, and individual existence. The foregone ways in which Perdue understands Wisdom appear to be problematic because they do not portray Wisdom as a unique character but as a discipline of morality for ordering the world and existence in general.21F[22]
Perdue has suggested in his work that there are antonyms of Wisdom. These antonyms include foolishness or being untutored, which are some negative characteristics of Wisdom that must be eschewed. Perdue considers the positive insight and knowledge acquired from Wisdom as necessary for guidance and for life in general, something to be sought after. For him, “Divine Wisdom becomes the teacher who instructs the unlearned so that they might participate in the divine life-giving power of creation.”22F[23] These designations of WW fail to address the author’s claim in this article.
Due to the knowledge and insight obtained through Wisdom, Perdue concludes that all forms of Wisdom should be associated with the royal court or the Ancient Israel monarchy and royal school in which the scribes in the bureaucratic service were educated. This education, which consisted of reading, writing, copying, etc., was for transmitting texts in the kingdom or state.23F[24] The foregone ideas appear to place Perdue alongside with Gerhard von Rad, who saw Wisdom in two dimensions (i.e., as experiential and theological) as mentioned above.24F[25]
Additionally, however, Perdue considers Wisdom as a personified and hypostatized attribute seen in the activities of WW. In this light, Perdue concludes that WW was originally a goddess in Israelite religion.25F[26] This latter picture of WW preceded the development of monotheism and the later understanding of WW as a personified metaphor. Though Perdue’s lengthy discussion on Wisdom initially does not seem to contribute much to what this article proposes, the conclusion that WW was “originally a goddess in Israelite religion” could be a subtle connection, even though, being a “goddess in Israelite religion” does not address the concern of this article (i.e., does not make Wisdom the consort of the Divine).
Furthermore, Perdue’s representation of Wisdom as originally a goddess was inherited from Lang. Perdue suggests that as a goddess, Wisdom would have been the divine patron of the sages26F[27] and the school, and who was praised for the knowledge and life she provided. Perdue refers to her also as the “queen of heaven who chooses and then gives life and counsel to kings of the earth so that they may rule wisely and well.” She also provides them with the gifts of wealth and insight for executing their duties.27F[28] Although Perdue does not make any direct link between Wisdom and the Divine, his assertion that she is the queen of heaven and a divine patron could offer a couple of suggestions. First, it could be a subtle suggestion that as goddess/queen of heaven Wisdom must herself be divine. Secondly, it could be an implicit suggestion that she is the consort of the Divine. Third, if Perdue’s findings above are accurate, and goddess/queen Wisdom was a divine patron of the sages, this article would submit that the authority of WW (e.g., to be the patron of sages, to give them wealth and insight for ruling) which emanated from the Divine, endorse her as the consort of the Divine.
Despite the several descriptions of Wisdom among the scholars discussed above, the proposition of this article appears to be endorsed most by Wisdom’s own discourse in Proverbs 8, which is the case in point here. Before turning to Proverbs 8, the article provides a little background to how the idea of Wisdom as the feminine consort of the Divine emerged.
The Idea: Woman/Lady Wisdom Is the Feminine Consort of the Divine
The idea that WW should be considered as the feminine consort of the Divine did not come out of the blue, but it has had precedents. First and foremost, this idea is prevalent in the theosophical cultural contextual worldview embedded in African traditional religions (ATRs). From the author’s personal experiences in and observations of various African socio-cultural contexts it is evident that in this worldview, the belief that the Divine has a feminine consort is given expression in drawings and carvings and other artifacts, which regularly depict the Supreme Being (as masculine) with a consort (feminine). In accord with these artifacts, there is in African traditional religions a theosophical worldview in which the Supreme Being (SB) is conceived with a feminine consort. For example, the SB and his consort are united in the compound name Ataa-Naa Nyonmo, which means Grandfather-Grandmother God in the Ga language (spoken mainly in Accra). This compound Ga name depicts God/SB as masculine-feminine. The current author deduces from this name that the SB/Divine has a feminine component (i.e., a feminine consort, if you will) embedded in the “Grandmother” used in this name. As “Grandfather-Grandmother,” God/the Divine could, by implication, be considered as family-oriented by being the grandfather and grandmother of grandchildren. These deductions are based on the author’s personal experience and observation of what pertains in the socio-cultural context of the Ga peoples. In addition, Emmanuel Martey asserts that “African feminism stresses the need for male-female complementarity.”[29] This “complementarity,” in the current author’s opinion, is given expression in the theosophical worldview expressed in the Ga name, Ataa-Naa Nyonmo, which is “Grandfather-Grandmother God.”
Among the Asante peoples of Ghana, one of the names given to the female consort of the Divine is Asase Yaa. The name Asase literally means “earth” and Yaa is a name given to a girl (female child) born on Thursday. Yaa is an adjective qualifying “earth” here. As such, the name Asase Yaa suggests that the earth, which this author has referred to as the consort of the SB/Divine among the Asante peoples, is a feminine character. In the cultural context of the Asante peoples, it is also believed that vitality in general (i.e., reproduction in all forms) of human beings, animals, birds, fish of the seas, vegetation, and all living things happens through the copulation/intercourse of the SB/Divine and the feminine consort Asase Yaa. Asase Yaa is the earth goddess who was born on a Thursday. In this cultural contextual worldview, it is further believed that the vitality or fruitfulness of the earth, water bodies (seas, rivers, lakes, etc.) and human beings, and the total wellbeing of the African community depend on the amicable loving union, through the copulation/intercourse, of the SB and the feminine consort Asase Yaa (who is referred to in some African communities also as “Mother Earth”).[30]
Among the Ewe peoples of the Volta Region in Southeastern Ghana, Mother Earth is called Anyigba. This name literally means “a clay bowl/receptacle.” It is believed that this “bowl” is the open feminine receptacle of the vitality of the SB such that when the union of the Anyigba and the SB occurs, there is reproduction. This reproduction takes the form of abundance in life; the seas, rivers, crops, animals, birds, and every living thing comes to life or is invigorated and flourishes. Alongside the other examples, this belief endorses the proposition that the SB has a consort.[31]
The Divine and a Feminine Consort
To substantiate the argument that Wisdom is the feminine consort of the Divine, this author takes a cue from the African background and from the works of several scholars on WL, in general. Taking these as a springboard, the author does not merely acknowledge that the protagonist of WL is feminine but also submits that she is the indispensable and dependable consort of the Divine, without whom the Divine and WL as a whole would be incomplete.
The present author does not intentionally focus on goddess religion, but substantiates the proposition made in this article with findings by other scholars from earlier historical and epigraphic resources. One of the major resources, which has been mentioned above, is Judith Hadley’s discoveries of figurines of “Yahweh and His Asherah”[32] in Kuntillet Ajrud. Hadley’s discoveries bear witness to a view of the relationship between the Divine and a feminine partner, which the current author considers as the consort of the Divine. These findings tally with the proposition of this article that WW is the feminine consort of the Divine.
In further attempt to justify this article’s proposition that WW is the feminine consort of the Divine, the Wisdom discourse of Proverbs 8, in which Wisdom supposedly makes a confident, self-presentation is used as the case in point. To understand this supposed self-presentation by WW in Proverbs 8, several insights could be gained from the works of scholars, who address some of the issues in this discourse. It must be stated here that even though the present author is aware of the existence of two feminine figures in the book of Proverbs (i.e., Woman Wisdom and Woman Folly), this article focuses only on the former, Woman Wisdom, and does not discuss the other, Woman Folly.
The Wisdom Discourse of Proverbs Chapter 8
As stated earlier in this article, the topic under discussion is of great interest to the present author because of the similarity between the idea proposed here and the theosophical worldview embedded in African traditional religions, that the Supreme Being has a feminine consort. As further stated earlier, in this worldview, it is believed that the union between the SB and this consort engenders fertility and the good life. Apart from the foregoing, the Wisdom discourse of Proverbs 8 appears to be a major resource, which throws light on the proposition that WW is the consort of the Divine. This section of the article, therefore, takes a closer look at the discourse in Proverbs 8 by further engaging ideas of Bernard Lang and Leo Perdue.
As indicated, Lang points out that the role of WW was more than that of a teacher and that she was also a goddess who dwelt and ruled in the presence of the Creator God.[33] Lang’s description of Wisdom as a goddess could elicit the question, “Why would WW dwell in the presence of the Divine, be present at creation (i.e., to be a witness of) and be the delight of the Divine if she were not a consort?” For the present author, it seems appropriate to submit that WW is the feminine consort of the Divine, and that it is this relationship that granted her the privilege to dwell and rule in the presence of the “Creator God.”
It is interesting to follow along with Lang, who sees the Wisdom discourse or poem in Proverbs 8 as moving from one arena to another. For example, for Lang, the poem moves from a classroom scene to the city square, to the world of government, and from government to the mythology of creation.30F[34] With this movement in mind, Lang breaks down the poem into various literary forms. He describes the opening verses of the poem as didactic rhetoric, which offers a brief annunciation (vv. 1-3). This is followed by vv. 4-11, in which Wisdom sought permission to recruit students from the streets. Wisdom continued by proclaiming authority over the created order (vv. 12-17) as well as comparing her worth to various precious materials declaring that she was second to none of several precious materials, including gold (vv.18-19).
Lang concludes that this comparison drew the attention of the students to both the priceless treasures of the mind and the instruction of the teacher. Additionally, Lang’s description of WW as a teacher and a goddess in the rhetoric of vv. 12-31 as well as his presentation of WW as a patroness of high-ranking state officials and kings[35] gives her a very special place of authority in relation to the Divine.[36] In the opinion of the present author, with the immensity of the authority wielded by WW, it would not be out of place to say that WW, the consort of the Divine, truly had a kind of authority of “grandeur.” This conclusion is corroborated by the idea that WW attained much skill and wielded great authority over kings, rulers, officials, nobles and all who were responsible for order (vv. 12b, 14-16). These groups of people could be called the children of the Divine. The self-presentation of WW in the Wisdom discourse of Proverbs 8, as presented by Lang elucidates and enhances the proposition that WW is the feminine consort of the Divine.
In his attempt to analyze the Wisdom discourse in Proverbs, Perdue begins with Proverbs 3:13-20. Perdue considers the form of this passage to be a Wisdom poem, which sets forth the theology of creation in three strophes. One of these strophes expresses the joy of one who finds Wisdom. Another strophe portrays Wisdom “in the guise of an ancient Near Eastern (ANE) ‘goddess of life,’”3[37] and the third strophe describes the role of Wisdom in creation. Perdue’s conception of the Wisdom discourse beginning from Proverbs 3:13-20 and the division of the discourse into three strophes may be correct. However, it is his second strophe, which portrays Wisdom as an ANE “goddess of life,” that appears close to addressing the topic of this article. In other words, this description of WW in the second strophe appears to provide this article with some valuable endorsement. Though this author accepts Perdue’s description of WW in this strophe as a goddess, the author thinks it was not enough to consider WW as an ordinary goddess, who was a teacher or divine offspring, but suggests that Perdue should have gone further to describe WW as the consort of the Divine.
The description of Wisdom as WW or LW and the personification of Wisdom as a “goddess of life” probably stemmed from the imagery of the “tree of life”[38] in Genesis 2:9; 3:22, 24. This idea calls to mind the image of the fertility goddess Astarte, Ishtar, Isis or Ma‘at, with the last name in the list signifying truth, justice and world order in ANE religions.[39] The foregoing reference to the fertility goddess and Perdue’s description of Wisdom as the “goddess of life,” coupled with the description of WW in Proverbs 8-9, appear to have been borrowed from the ANE. This idea could be seen in Job 28; Sirach 24; and Wisdom 7-9. In these passages, Wisdom is portrayed as a hypostasis of divine Wisdom and is presented as the Egyptian goddess, Isis, who holds “life” in one hand and “wealth and honor” in the other, as does the Egyptian Ma‘at. These ideas and portrayals of WW do not seem too different from what Mother Earth is in the cultural context and theosophical worldview embedded in ATRs.
After discussing Proverbs 3, Perdue turns his attention to the Wisdom discourse in Proverbs 8. He divides this poem of the self-praise of Wisdom, which he described as an aretalogy[40] into five strophes. These five strophes consist of the Sage’s Introduction of L/WW (vv.1-3); Wisdom’s Call (vv. 4-11); Wisdom’s Providential Rule (vv. 12-21); Wisdom’s Place in Creation (vv. 22-31) and Wisdom’s Instruction of Life (vv. 32-36). Perdue further divides the poem into two parts with vv. 1-11 being a mythological invitation in which human beings are persuaded to listen to WW, the teacher. Here Perdue argues that the scribes or sages of Proverbs used invitation and persuasion techniques to appeal to human imagination. By so doing, Perdue portrays WW not only as a fertility goddess but also as a powerful woman who offered life, riches, and honor to her lovers. Through the above portrayal, WW could be likened to an “intellectual lover” and a “Woman of Worth” (similar to Yoder’s idea of the Persian-period woman of wealth) who attracted young men and sages to disciplined study and moral living (Prov. 3:13-20; 8:1-36 and 31).
WW also is portrayed as the offspring of Yahweh. She is presented metaphorically as a divine teacher, who mediates between human beings and the Creator and is the providential sustainer of the cosmos (vv. 12-21, 22-31). By standing at the city-gates and issuing moral teachings, which the inhabitants of the city should hear and obey,[41] WW is portrayed as actively involved in the daily lives and activities of the people. She has an intimate relationship with the creator and the creation. She can choose kings. She rules. She also gives life, wealth, and honor to those who follow her (vv. 14-22). WW thus appears to wield exceptional authority, which puts her in control of history. Similar ideas can be observed in ATR’s theosophical worldview contexts. In ATRs both the living (i.e., human beings) and living-dead (i.e., ancestors) are closely connected to each other, interact with daily life, and all their activities are overseen by the goodwill of the SB and the feminine consort. Thomas G. Christensen’s conclusion about the view of the Gbaya people of Cameroon sums up the theosophical worldview expressed in ATRs:
[T]he only context, arena or universe of salvation that provides a life-giving experience of wholeness and integrity is relationship in community. This community includes the living, the living-dead and territorial spirits. But it also includes animals, birds, fish, and insects as well as trees, and plants, hills, rocks, and streams.[42]
The above shows that in the Gbaya society, life is a unified whole in which all creation—living and non-living, including humans, animals, trees, and spirits—have their unique parts to play to ensure harmonic co-existence and continuity in the rhythm of life. Together the SB and his consort give rewards for good deeds or punishments for evil deeds. This author considers the united authority of and the relationship between WW and the Creator-God as evidence that she is the consort of the Divine.
The authority wielded by WW can be clearly seen in her invitation to humanity to take her course of truth (vv. 1-12, 32-33), which is “right,” in addition to her discipline, which is more precious than metals and rare coral (vv. 4-11). Her instructions (including commands and prohibitions), which come in the form of an invitational cry, rinnâ, could be likened to the cultic exultation (Jer. 31:7; Job 38:7) or the distressed lament (Lam. 2:19) used internationally. WW offers rewards (i.e., happiness, life, and the favor of God) to those who accept her teachings but brings punishment (i.e., hurt and death) on those who reject them (vv. 34-36). The present author would agree with Perdue, regarding the authority wielded by WW; she appears to possess as much power as the Divine (i.e., as the God of Israel) by her ability to offer rewards and mete out punishments. In the opinion of the present author, only the feminine consort of the Divine would be able to wield such immense authority or possess such great power. Proverbs 8:22-31, the strophe that seems to address the theological theme of the entire discourse, portrays WW as the child of Yahweh, who was present at creation and mediating between heaven and earth (i.e., between God and humanity).
The foregoing has been a partial self-presentation of WW in vv. 22-31. WW was “begotten” when Yahweh began creation. She was present throughout the proceedings of creation. She was at the side of the Divine as an infant, and she was the delight of the Divine creator. With this presentation, she could almost be equated to the Divine Logos (i.e., the incarnate Word of God) in John 1:1-3. The Logos had been present at the beginning of creation and all things were made by and through the Logos. The suggestion that WW could be equated to the Logos could be problematic and must be made cautiously since the subject of the Logos is a Christian Testament idea. Furthermore, unlike WW, who was “begotten” and “fathered” (and mothered) by Yahweh (v. 22), the Logos was creator not created. Despite the above suggestion and caution, the verses from Proverbs 8 appear to endorse the proposition that WW is the feminine consort of the Divine. This proposition is made on the grounds that WW is intimately related to and exhibits the qualities of the Divine.
The final strophe, 8:32-36, serves as protrepsis by WW. In this strophe, WW exhorts her audience to listen to and do her bidding so they might gain happiness, God’s favor, and life. Conversely, if they refuse to do so they would hurt themselves and die. This final strophe recaps the invitation of vv. 4-11, making the entire poem an inclusio. At the same time, the final strophe depicts WW as a goddess or a divinity, who transcends nature.
Other Notable Features of Woman Wisdom in Proverbs 8
In addition to the foregone, there are other features of WW in the Wisdom discourse that are noteworthy. The Divine self-introduction formula, “I am” (v. 12a) is a peculiar designation for YHWH. It is used in several Bible verses outside of Proverbs in relation to the Divine. For example, the formula is used in Exodus 3:6 and 20:2 to confirm that YHWH was the God of the ancestors, who delivered the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage. In Isaiah 44:24, this Divine self-introduction was used to describe YHWH as a sole creator. Apart from the use of this Divine formula for YHWH, the formula is also sometimes, used for kings, who were supposed to be the sons of the gods. A typical example can be seen in Ezekiel 28:2 where the king of Tyre declared that “I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods in the heart of the seas.” The use of the Divine self-introduction formula also is found in the speeches of gods and kings in several places including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Sumeria, to name a few. Considering the foregoing, the use of the Divine formula by WW to introduce herself seems to make her equal to YHWH and, perhaps, also to other authority figures, such as deities and kings. It might be appropriate to draw the conclusion here that since WW introduces herself with the same formula with which the Divine is introduced, she must be the consort of the Divine.
Another idea which could be taken as an endorsement of the proposal that Wisdom is the feminine consort of the Divine may be gleaned from a suggestion that Proverbs 8:30 be read as “Wisdom is an infant/child of the creator”[43] made by Lang, basing his conclusion on use of the Hebrew word ’amon. The present author disagrees with Lang on the grounds that the meaning of this word could be multifarious and could be translated as confidant, little child, and master-worker. In the opinion of the present author, even if Lang’s meaning of the word should be taken as the correct one, a problem arises with the explanation of the apparently very close relationship between WW and the Divine at creation, as seen in passages such as Proverbs 8:27-30 and Wisdom 9:9, which assert that “Wisdom was with you, she knows your works … she understands what is pleasing in your eyes.” The rhetorical questions in Job 38:4-5 seek to know who was present at the beginning and who understood when God laid the earth’s foundations, marked off its dimensions, and stretched a measuring line across it. These questions appear to be answered in Job 38:19, 21. Here God responds to the early questions by stating that “Surely, you know, for you were already born! You have lived many years!” It is not known to whom Job 38:19 and 21 refer. It could be concluded that these verses are references to LW according in view of how she describes herself in Proverbs 8. These verses in Job 38 also could refer to the Divine Logos in John’s Gospel in the New Testament. This conclusion could be based on the fact both LW and the Divine Logos of the New Testament are described as present with the Divine/God from the beginning of creation. Based on the evidence from the above passages, if WW should be taken as the referent in these verses, it might be appropriate to conclude that WW is the consort of the Divine. Furthermore, since WW enjoyed many privileges and had great responsibilities, and was in close partnership with the creator, this author proposes that she is the consort of the Divine.
Personal Observations on Wisdom
Considering the foregoing discussions on WW, this article maintains that she is the feminine consort of the Divine. The intimacy exhibited between WW and the creator from the very beginning of creation appears to be none other than that of the Divine and his consort. Perhaps, in more current language, this relationship could be called the “marriage” of the Divine and his consort (i.e., his wife). WW seems to wield a lot of power and to enjoy certain great privileges, which this author thinks could only be the prerogative of the consort of the Divine. Since WW claimed to know the mind of the Divine, it could be concluded that if anyone else knew the mind of another person so intimately, the two must probably be united and share common ideas.
Even though some scholars may argue that Wisdom’s main purpose in Proverbs was to instruct her hearers to “learn to cope with life,”40F[44] this author disagrees on the grounds that instruction toward “coping with life” is too narrow a description for what WW does in the discourse of Proverbs 8. Her invitation was extended to all and sundry to come and benefit from her instructions (vv. 1-12, 32-36). These instructions are meant to give life, wealth, and honor, which constitute the very existence of all those who heeded her words.
The function performed by WW, as a teacher inviting all and sundry to listen to and heed her instructions in order to live, could be likened to the Shema (Deut. 6:4-25) and other instructions given to the Israelites. They were to obey the commandments, statutes and ordinances given to them by God. The conditions attached to these commandments were that if the Israelites obeyed them, they would live, but if they disobeyed them, they would die. In light of this similarity in instructions with rewards and punishments, respectfully, this article still maintains that Wisdom, here WW, is the feminine consort of the Divine. In her self-appraisal, she is emphatic about the happiness of those who kept her ways, who listened to and did not spurn her instruction. Such persons attained life and obtained favor from the gods by acquiring her. Those who missed her hurt themselves and those who hated her loved death (vv. 32b-36). Perhaps, if she were not the consort of the Divine, she would not have been so self-confident and her instructions would not have been so similar to or would not so closely follow the pattern of the commandments given by the Divine.
Apart from the few passages quoted above, to endorse the claim that “Wisdom is the consort of the Divine,” other passages like Wisdom 9:9 also suggest that WW, apart from being with the Divine at the beginning of creation, was also a creator (Wisdom 8:5-6). The reference made to Wisdom as one who offered riches to her obedient students, calls forth some questions:
“If riches are a desirable possession in life, what is richer than Wisdom, the active cause of all things? … [W]ho more than she is fashioner of what exists? … For she is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty… a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his [God’s] goodness. (Wisdom 8:5-8 and 7:25-26, NRSVCE)
The present author would like to submit that the earlier assertions of scholars and the self-declarations of Wisdom herself also affirm, as Kim Paffenroth puts it, that “Wisdom is the way the LORD entices people to love him.”41F[45] To this author Paffenroth’s use of “entice” seems to have a negative connotation. Perhaps, a better word would be not that the LORD entices people, but rather invites/calls upon people to come to knowledge and life. If this correction is made and “entice” is replaced with “invite/calls upon” then there may be no difference between the Divine’s commandment and what WW does as she, too, invites/calls upon people to love and acquire her to have joy and live (vv. 1-12, 32-36). In this regard, this article continues to maintain that “Wisdom is the feminine consort of the Divine.”
Conclusion and Suggested Way Forward
In the foregoing discussion, several referenced authors suggest that Wisdom is feminine. She appears in a variety of images and performs a variety of roles. These roles include being a literary figure or religious symbol (Camp), a Persian Woman of Substance in the Post-exilic period, a wife, a mother, a lover, etc., (Yoder). She is presented as a Teacher, an Offspring of the divine and an ANE goddess (Lang and Perdue). Despite the various images and roles in which WW has been presented, this article remains focused on theosophical worldview embedded in ATRs and the findings from the excavations of the several figurines, on Pithoi, wall-plaster and other artifacts that depict “Yahweh and his Asherah” at Kuntillet ‘Ajrud in the work of Hadley.
Additionally, the Divine self-introductory formula used by WW, the immense power she wields, that she was “begotten” by and was with the Divine in the beginning and according to Wisdom 9:9, that she is a “fashioner” (i.e., a creator) which appears to make her equal to the Divine, all make it convincing to conclude that “Wisdom is the feminine consort of the Divine.”
The present author agrees with scholars discussed in this essay, who describe Wisdom as a feminine character. In addition to agreeing that WW is feminine, this author’s submission that WW is the feminine consort of the Divine is based on the description of Wisdom in the Apocryphal book of Wisdom as “the active cause of all things.” This latter description of WW appears to be similar to the description of God in classical Greek philosophy as the “unmoved Mover and uncaused Cause,”[46] thus making WW a partner/companion, which this author refers to as the female consort of the Divine.
In conclusion, this author would like to submit that Wisdom (i.e., WW) is the feminine consort (i.e., the wife) of the Divine. The evidence of this conclusion can be linked with not only the findings from excavations but also from the deep rootedness of this idea in the theosophical worldview (belief systems) embedded in ATRs and its prevalence in the African cultural context.
Based on the discussions and the works of the scholars engaged in this article, this author would like to propose a way forward in the study of Wisdom Literature (WL). The submission that Wisdom (WW) is the consort of the Divine could be a gentle challenge to Western/Euro-Americans (i.e., non-Africans) and others who engage in theological hermeneutics/biblical interpretation to consider taking a cue from ATRs and the African theosophical worldview. This cue could be likened to giving heed to the call of Wisdom (W/LW). By listening to and making use of what other worldviews have to offer, non-African interpreters can break more ground in Wisdom studies.
Apart from calling on non-Africans engaged in hermeneutics/biblical interpretation to heed the call of Wisdom, which is to heed African (and other) interpretative voices, it could also be a challenge to those who adhere to ATRs’ theosophical worldviews. They must place more value on the African theosophical worldview by putting it to good use in the study of WL not only in the Bible but also in the study of the Wisdom (i.e., in the form of proverbs and wise sayings) that abounds in African socio-cultural contexts. Mercy Amba Oduyoye, who is honored by this collection, is one of those who opened a way to engage African proverbs and sayings. In effect, African (and other) interpreters must not denigrate but respect and put African theosophical worldviews to more intentional and effective use in biblical interpretation as well as studies in Wisdom in African socio-cultural contexts and elsewhere.
As an Ewe woman, from the Volta Region in Southeastern Ghana, West Africa, trained as a Biblical Scholar, with research interests focusing on Wisdom Literature, African proverbial communications and gender studies, this author would like to conclude with the Ewe proverb, “One does not use the left hand to point the way to one’s place of origin/home-town.” This means people should place great value on and be very proud of what belongs to them. In other words, people must be proud of and not, figuratively, look down upon or be ashamed of their hometowns (literally) or anything that belongs to them.
Additionally, WL and the protagonist of WL, WW, must no longer be denigrated or treated as peripheral but must be intentionally sought after and studied diligently as vital components of Wisdom literary studies. The bold, confident, and unabashed self-presentation of WW, which appears to have endorsed her as the feminine consort of the Divine, based on Proverbs 8, in this author’s opinion, must be emulated and put to practice in Wisdom literary and other studies. The present author has only attempted to scratch the surface by proposing that “Woman Wisdom is the feminine consort of the Divine.” The author, therefore, invites others to continue with the conversation of “Wisdom as the feminine consort of the Divine” and to pursue further studies in Wisdom Literature.
NOTES
Oxford Dictionary of Languages, Languages.oup.com. Accessed February 2022. ↑
Gerhard von Rad, Wisdom in Israel (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Trinity Press International 1972), 307. ↑
Claudia V. Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs, Bible and Literature Series (Sheffield: Sheffield Univ. Press, 1985), 9. ↑
Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine, 227-231. ↑
Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine, 71-147. ↑
Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine,1985, 228. (See also Wisdom’s self-presentation in Proverbs 8:22-31). ↑
Gale Yee, “The Theology of Creation in Proverbs 8:22-31,” in Creation in the Biblical Traditions, The Catholic Biblical Association, Monograph Series 24, eds. Richard J. Clifford and John J. Collins (Washington: Catholic University of America,1992), 90. ↑
See Proverbs 8:30. ↑
Daniel J. Treier, Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible: Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Brazos Press, a Division of Baker Pub. Group, 2011), 47. ↑
John J. Collins, The Bible after Babel: Historical Criticism in a Postmodern Age (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2005), 99-129. ↑
Judith M. Hadley, The Cult of Asherah in Ancient Israel and Judah: Evidence for a Hebrew Goddess (Cambridge: University of Cambridge Oriental Publications 57, 2000). ↑
Christine R. Yoder, Wisdom as a Woman of Substance: A Socio-Economic Reading of Proverbs 1-9 and 31:10-31 (New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2001), 11. ↑
Yoder, Wisdom as a Woman of Substance, 39-48. ↑
Yoder, Wisdom as a Woman of Substance, 101. ↑
Yoder, Wisdom as a Woman of Substance, 101. ↑
Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine, 228. (See also Prov 8:22-31). ↑
Bernhard Lang, Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs: An Israelite Goddess Redefined (New York: The Pilgrim Press, 1986), 55. ↑
Lang, Wisdom and the Book of Proverb, 55, 57. ↑
Lang, Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs, 55. ↑
Leo G. Perdue, Wisdom Literature: A Theological History (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2007), 29. ↑
Perdue, Wisdom Literature, 49-58. ↑
Leo G. Perdue, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching Proverbs (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2012), 147. ↑
Perdue, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, 146. ↑
Perdue, Wisdom Literature, 30. ↑
Von Rad, Wisdom in Israel, 307. ↑
Perdue, Wisdom Literature, 30. ↑
Lang, Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs, 69, 79. ↑
Perdue, Interpretation Proverbs, 146. ↑
Emmanuel Martey, “Women and Culture in Contemporary Africa,” in eds. Protus O. Kemdirim and Mercy A. Oduyoye, Women, Culture and Theological Education (Enugu, Nigeria: WAATI-SNAAP, 1998), 46. ↑
Emmanuel Akyeampong and Pashington Obeng identify Asase as the venerated earth deity. See Emmanuel Akyeampong and Pashington Obeng, “Spirituality, Gender, and Power in Asante History” International Journal of African Historical Studies 28, No. 3 (1995), 486. Variations on an Akan myth about the withdrawal of Nyame deep into the sky account for the separation of Asase and her husband Nyame. ↑
These assertions are taken from the author’s knowledge and experience of Ewe traditions and worldview. ↑
Hadley, The Cult of Asherah in Ancient Israel and Judah, 57. ↑
Lang, Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs, 67-68. ↑
Lang, Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs, 55. ↑
Lang, Wisdom and the Book of Proverb, 56, 57, 60. ↑
Amy Plantinga Pauw, Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2015), 48. Pauw describes the power wielded by WW as, “the grandeur of Woman Wisdom’s authority.” ↑
Perdue, Wisdom Literature, 49. ↑
Roland Murphy, The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1990), ix. ↑
Perdue, Wisdom Literature, 50. ↑
Perdue, Wisdom Literature, 52. ↑
Perdue, Wisdom Literature, 53. ↑
Thomas G. Christensen, An African Tree of Life (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis,1990), 159. ↑
Lang, Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs, 65-66. ↑
Sibley Towner, “Proverbs and Its Successors” in Old Testament Interpretation: Past, Present and Future, Essays in Honor of Gene M. Tucker, eds. Mays James L., David L. Petersen & Kent H. Richards (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), 161. ↑
Kim Paffenroth, In Praise of Wisdom: Literary and Theological Reflections on Faith and Reason (New York: Continuum, 2004), 33-52. ↑
Kai Nelson, Reason and Practice: A Modern Introduction to Philosophy (New York: Harper & Row, 1971), 170-172.
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