Wisdom

The noun hokmah is derived from the verb hakam, "to be wise" or "to act wisely." All of the ancient near east was interested in being wise; hence, a large body of "wisddom literature" was built up in that part of the world. God gave great wisdom to King Solomon (1 Kings 4:29, 30 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomom's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.) The fountain of his wisdom: He owns it himself. The Lord gives wisdom. He gives the powers of reason, preserves and improves them. The ordinary advances of them are owning to his providence, and sanctification of thtem to his grace, and this extraordinary pitch at which they arrived in Solomon to a special grant of his favor to him in answer to prayer. The greatness of Solomon's wisdom is illustrated by comparison. Chaldea and Egypt were nations famous for learning; thence the Greeks borrowed theirs; but the greatest scholars of these nations came short of Solomon. If nature excels art, much more does grace. The knowledge which God gives by special favour goes beyond that which man gets by his own labour, and he is the author of much of the Old Testament's wisdom literature is inspired by God, and includes Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, as well as other selections from the Old Testament. Biblical wisdom is ethical and spiritual because it is a reflection of the wisdom of a holy God.

Men and women cannot attain to ethical wisdom by themselves. They must first acknowledge the Lord in all their ways, and then He will direct their paths (Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths). We must trust in the Lord with all our hearts; we must believe that he is able to do what he will, wise to do what is best, and good, according to his promise, to do what is best for us, if we love him and serve him. We must onot only in our judgment believe that there is an over-ruling hand of God ordering and disposing of us and all our affairs, but we must solemnly own it, and address ourselves to him accoringly. Bibical wisdom is practical, not theoretical. Hence, the Book of Proverbs is filled with specific details on how to be a wise person. Wise people through the centuries have meditated upon this book and have practiced its precepts. Since there are thirty-one days in many months and thirty-one chapters in this supreme book of everyday wisdom, it is helpful disciipline to read a capter a day until, after yersa of study, one knows the book thoroughly. The creation around us is evidence of God's wisdom since it was by wisdom that He founded the earth (Proverbs 3:19 The Lord by wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding have he established the heavens.) This should make us in love with the wisdom and understanding which God gives, that the Lord by wisdom founded the earth, so that it cannot be removed, nor can ever fail of answering all the ends of its creation, to which it is admirably and unexpectionably fitted.

Daniel and his friends were "skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science" (Daniel 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.) The directions which the king of Babylon gave for the choice of these youths. They must not choose such as were deformed in body, but commely and well-favoured, whose countenances were indexes of ingenuity and good humor. The context suggest more intellectual ability than our usual idea of wisdom. But even the former is from God and can be improved and developed with divine help.

What we might call artistic talent or skill, the Hebrews called hokman: God filled Bezaleel and Aholiah "With wisdom of heart [hokmah], to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer" (Exodus 35:35 Them have he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work) Those of eminent gifts, that are capable of directing others, must not think that these will excuse them in idleness. Many are ingenious enough in cutting out work for other people, and can tell what this man and that man should do, but the burdens they bind on others they themselves will touce with one of their fingers. These will fall under the character of slothful servat ingenious enough in cutting out work for other people, and can tell what this . God also filled Bezaleel 'with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge" (Exodus 31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship) Skill in common arts and employments is the gift of God; from him are derived both the faculty and the improvement of the faculty. Then "cunning works" in metal, wood and jewel cutting are lisited. "The spirit of wisdom" was needed to design and sew the priestly vestments for Aaron and his sons (Exodus 28:3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office). Eminence, even in common arts, is a gift of God, it comes from him, and as there is occasion, it ouoght to be used for him. Militery skill was also called hokmah in Hebrew (Isaiah 10:13 For he said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom: for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitanta like a valiant man:). "This wealth is all gotten by my might and power of my hand." Downright atheism and profaneness, as well as pride aand vanity, are at the bottom of men's attributing their prosperity and success thus to themselves and their own conduct, and raising their own character upon it.

Some people are not wise in the Solomonic sense or even gifted to build, sew, create works of art, or excel in physical combat. But they are clever or shrewd. The woman who threw Sheba's head over the wall to Joab and saved her city was shrewd. (Second Samuel 20:22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, abd cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet to Jerusallem unto the King. Her treaty with the citizens. She went to them in her wisdom (and perhaps she had as much need of it in dealing with them as in dealing with Joab) and persuaded them to cut off Sheba's head, probably by some public order of their government, and it was thrown over the wall to Joab. He knew the traitor's face, and therefore looked no further, intending not that any of his adherents should suffer. The public safety was secured, and he felt no wish to gratify the public revenge. Joab hereupon raised the siege, and marched back to Jerusalem, with the trophies rather of peace than victory.) could well be translated "the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom [hokmah]."

Hebrew, along with Greek, Latin, Frence, German, and many other languages, express gender in its nouns. That is, in learning the language a student has to memorize each word as to whether it is masculine or feminine. Hebrew has no neuter; hence, there is no word for "it" or "its." Thus, a masculine or feminine pronoun is used to express things or concepts, depending on the gender of the noun to which it refers. Hokmah, like many Hebrew nouns expressing such concepts as love, truth, justice, and wickedness, is a feminine noun. For this reason, wisdom is frequently referred to in Proverbs as "she" and "her." In poetry, when an abstrack quality is presented as a person, the tecnique is called personification. Personification is rare in Hebrew.

Lady Wisdom is pictured as building a house, preparing a banquet, teaching in public, and crowning the wise. This personification of Wisdom in Provers is often seen as a foreshadowing of Christ, who is Himself wisdom from God (1Corinthians 1:30 But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:) We are foolish, ignorant and b lind in the things of God, with all our boasted knowledge; and he is made wisdom to us. We are guilty, obnoxious to justice; and he is made righteousness, our great atonement and sacrifice. We are depraved and corrupt; an dhe is made sanctification, the spring of our spiritual life; from him, the head, it is communicated to all the members of his mystical body by his Holy Spirit. We are in bonds, and he is made redemption to us, our Savior and deliverer.