Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?… ‘To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.” vss. 1, 4
Proverbs 8:1-4
Wisdom has been valued from the beginning by every tribe and nation, and the Hebrews were no exception. That wisdom took the shape of proverbs, teachings, and stories that were passed from generation to generation. We can see samples of this wisdom literature in our scriptures in the books of Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes, as well as some of the Psalms. It’s interesting that while those who the teachers of wisdom in the community were probably men, wisdom itself is a feminine word, “Sophia” in the Greek, and women seem to have been the keepers of wisdom. That’s not an entirely foreign notion among us either. While men often have been the public face of wisdom, often serving as leaders and writers of books, the contributions of women cannot be disregarded. As the book of Proverbs puts it in chapter 31, “A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels…She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue”. While such distinctions between males and females have been rightfully critiqued in recent decades, the powerful influence of women cannot be denied. And since the writer of Proverbs described Wisdom as a woman, perhaps it’s time for all of us to start listening to them.
Thought for the Day: Why do men often discount the voices of women?
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