The Wisdom of Jael

Judges 4 and 5 tell the story of Jael. She is in the Bible for a reason.

And that reason is not to give male theologians an opportunity for “mansplaining.”

“Mansplaining” is typically a pejorative word used to cow men into silence. As such, it is a manipulative and cowardly expression. But sometimes men communicate in such a bad way and/or with such bad content that the insult seems justified.

So Tim Keller:

Psalms & Gender

When I wrote my book on Proverbs, I pointed out that the book was framed as advice to a son from a parent–first, from Solomon as father, then ending with the wisdom of a mother (who also represents Wisdom–v. 32). I stressed that, the literary device of a father advising a son, or a king talking to a royal heir, Proverbs was to be read and heeded by everyone.

Thus, I wrote on page X of the preface, that the “intended audience of Proverbs is more than just those who are set to inherit political authority. Proverbs was published as wisdom for everyone.” And again: “Proverbs seems to be Wisdom’s call to everyone to seek to be true sons (and also daughters) of Solomon.” And again: “Young men are in a transitional stage. They are on the cusp of adulthood. Proverbs is especially aimed at them, though everyone can and should profit from the book.”

It is obvious to me that, to the extent that one is concerned about Biblical masculinity, that Proverbs is especially relevant. But the results may surprise some. One would expect a book on masculinity to contrast it with femininity. There is some of that (i.e. Proverbs 11:16) but more attention is paid to the difference between children and adults. Proverbs has far more to say about the authority of mothers over their sons than about the authority of husbands over their wives.

Women Gone Wise 3: More about Eve

This is my third post on Eve as a basis for Solomon’s Lady Wisdom (Proverbs 1-9).

Before I address anything else, I need to point out a mistake I made about Adam. I wrote,

Only her [Eve’s] reactions to subsequent events are mentioned, not Adam’s.

That’s technically true but an artificial division in the story. After God pronounced judgments on them but before God removed them from the Garden, Adam did make what sounds to me like a confession of faith:

The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Genesis 3:20

Women Gone Wise 2: Eve continued

When thinking of Eve as Wisdom, we obviously can’t base this on the fact that she sinned. Some elements of her role in the Fall may be worth looking at, but I think I should save that for later.

The reason Eve might be seen as a prototype for Lady Wisdom in Proverbs is the way she is mentioned after our first parents are driven from the Garden. Only her reactions to subsequent events are mentioned, not Adam’s. When their first child is born, we get Eve’s response, not Adam’s.

Women Gone Wise 1: Eve?

In my book, Solomon Says: Directives for Young Men (Amazon, Kindle), I don’t ask (or answer!) why Solomon portrays Wisdom personified as a female. The main reason I did not ask it is that I had no answer to give that I was confident about.

But Solomon does it without apology or explanation:

Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
Proverbs 1:20–27 {ESV)