A typology of personified wisdom hymns

The relationship of Wisdom to God the Creator is clearly expressed in 7:25-29. Besides being "breath" (v 25, Wisdom/Spirit), she is "pure emanation" (or "effluence," v 25b) and "a spotless mirror" (v 26b). While the image of "emanation" implies the dynamic function of Wisdom with regard to God (which apparently foreshadows the neo-Platonic concept of "emanation") (Winston: 184-86), the image of "mirror" is more passive. But both indicate a more intimate relationship between Wisdom and God than was described in Ben Sira 24:3. The Wisdom of Solomon presents Wisdom not simply as of divine origin, but as "mirror" and "image" (v 26c) of Yahweh; in this sense, Wisdom is more properly a "reflection" of the Divine Being. Moreover, the image of "reflection of eternal light" (v 26a) and "light" (v 29, 30) reminds us of the Platonic analogy of light and the sun in the explanation of the relationship between the good in the world and the Perfect Good as Idea.

In Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom is portrayed as "the fashioner of all things" and "the fashioner of what exists" (8:6). The author of Wisdom of Solomon interprets 'amon in Proverbs 8:30 as "artisan/architect" or "master-worker" (Murphy 1996:143). Compared with the portrayal in Proverbs and Ben Sira, personified Wisdom here is endowed with a more explicit role in God's creative activity. Alongside the verses mentioned above (7:25-29), her role at the creation is detailed: "She glorifies her noble birth by living with God and the Lord of all loves her" (8:3), "she is an intimate in the knowledge of God, and an associate in his works" (8:4), and "With you is Wisdom, she who knows your works and was present when you made the world. She understands what is pleasing in your sight and what is right according to your commandments" (9:9).

Because of Greek philosophical influence, the author of Wisdom of Solomon succeeded in making a major breakthrough in his portrayal of Wisdom's role in creation. Wisdom has a role, moreover, not only in creation but also all through subsequent salvation history (Wis 10:1-21); the twenty-one predicates in 7:22 affirm her ever active and creative function (Collins 1997: 199-200; Murphy 1995: 228-29; 1996: 143-44).