Problem: Some Bible readers believe that this is a reference to Jesus for a number of reasons:
Solution: Argument #1: Wisdom is considered a distinct person in the text. Proverbs 8 describes wisdom as a distinct personal being, using personal pronouns for wisdom (v.12). The text gives wisdom characteristics like “knowledge” (v.12), “hate” (v.13), “understanding” (v.14), “power” (v.14), and “love” (v.17).
Argument #2: Wisdom is pictured as being with God at creation (vv.20-29). Similarly, the NT pictures Jesus as being with God during creation (Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-19).
Argument #3: Wisdom is pictured as a “craftsman” (NIV) or “master workman” (NASB). Likewise, Jesus was a carpenter on Earth (Mt. 13:55; Mk. 6:3).
Argument #4: Wisdom is embodied by Jesus in the NT. The NT identifies Jesus with wisdom itself. Paul writes that Jesus has “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3) and Jesus “became to us wisdom” (1 Cor. 1:30)? Jesus himself claimed that he had “greater” wisdom than Solomon—the author of this book (Mt. 12:42). Referring to himself, Jesus even claimed that “wisdom is vindicated by her deeds (Mt. 11:19).
Does this mean that Proverbs 8 refers to Jesus?
RESPONSE: Jesus is God and contains all wisdom (Col. 2:3). However, this does not mean that “wisdom” in Proverbs 8 refers to Jesus as a distinct person. We will respond to the arguments above one by one:
Argument #1: Wisdom is considered a distinct person in the text. But, this is a case of personification, which is a literary device that we still use today. For instance, Jimi Hendrix wrote, “The Wind cries Mary…” By this, Hendrix surely didn’t mean that the Wind is a personal agent, but rather, this is a literary device used for effect.
Argument #2: Wisdom is pictured as being with God at creation (vv.20-29). However, the NT doesn’t state that Jesus was with God at creation. Rather, he himself was the one who created the universe (Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-19; Isa. 44:24).
Argument #3: Wisdom is pictured as a “craftsman” (NIV) or “master workman” (NASB). However, this parallel doesn’t move much. Jesus had the profession of a carpenter on Earth, but he obviously wasn’t a carpenter in heaven. At most, this shows a loose word association.
Argument #4: Wisdom is embodied by Jesus in the NT. However, note that the context reveals that wisdom was “brought forth” and “birthed” from God. Solomon writes, “The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; 23 I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. 24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth” (Prov. 8:22-24 NIV). In verse 22, the Hebrew word qanah can be rendered either as “create” or as “possess.”[1] However, creation must be in view in light of verse 24, which states God gave “birth” (ḥôlāltî) to wisdom. Historically, deniers of Jesus’ deity (like Arius at the Council of Nicea) appealed to Proverbs 8 to demonstrate that Jesus was a created being (!). Of course, the Bible resolutely affirms the eternality of Jesus (see “Defending the Deity of Christ”). Furthermore, wisdom is called a “she” (Prov. 8:1-3; 9:1). Does this refer to Jesus as well? Obviously not.
In conclusion, this text does not refer to Jesus. This is a personification of wisdom itself. Similarly, the “woman Folly” is a personification of foolishness (Prov. 9:13).
[1] Ross, A. P. Proverbs. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 1991. 946.
