Tags
academic, Biblical Studies, Christ, Christian, Creation, essay, Feminism, feminist, Folly, God, Greek, investigation, Israel, Jesus, Jewish, Judaism, Luke benjamen Kuhns, modern, Mythological, post modern, Proverbs, Relationship between the sexes, study, The Bible, theologian, theological, Theology, University of Manchester, Wisdom
Introduction
I will be taking a look at Proverbs and going over the thematic points of the relationship between the sexes. I will take a close look at what is said about women and their roles in Social life, as mothers, as teachers, as a wife of virtue and what authority they really did or did not have within those roles. I will also take a deep look at Lady Wisdom and what her teaching is and her connection to God; lastly I will look at Lady Wisdom’s evil twin Lady Folly and her roles. We will see how both Wisdom and Folly affect the relationship between the sexes.
Women
- Social roles and Authority
From a historian’s point of view, one cannot deny that fact that women in the patrilineal, patrilocal, and patrimonial society were to some degree second-class citizens.
If we take biblical legal record as a representative of historic reality women had limited to no legitimate authority in the public arena, but it seems they did enjoy a high status in the domestic arena where they were both power and authority.
Women in patriarchal cultures were routinely assigned to rule the private domain of the home, so why was Wisdom imaged as a woman? We would need to look at the association of women and wisdom by looking at the traditional roles of wife and mother.
Women, in biblical literature, were the managers of the private world of home. They are critical to the running of the home and extended family.
Proverbs 31 give us the best glimpse at the role of a wife, “A Capable wife is far more precious than jewels, the heart of her husband trusts in her…she seek wool and flax…she provides food for her whole household…she considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard…She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy…She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue,” v 10-26 (NRSV). It is clear the role of the woman is more than just a woman who stays inside her house all day; she is seen as a diligent worker and speaks wise words to her children. Women, when seen in their ‘proper’ roles within their homes such as wife, mother, daughter, sister they would have been viewed as a ‘flowing water’ a symbol of life in the arid Near East. Prov. 5:15-20 is an example of this, stating, “Drink water from your own cistern, flowing from your own well…Why should you be intoxicated, my son, by another woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?” (NRSV) The mother’s instruction is to see her child live and not be intoxicated by another, her negative counterpart, who is deadly.
- Mother & Teacher
The mothers role is one of teacher and instructor of both sexes; young children and young adult. This is one of the great sources of her power and therefore because of this makes her an authority inside her household.
If women were of little value in the ancient near east it would be useless to mention them. Proverbs 1-9 mentions the mother; it is unlikely she is only brought into the writing to balance out the fathers person, such as Bernard Lang claims. What Lang fails to take into account is that the teacher is fictitious in the same manner as the parents and if the mother was not one of authority mentioning her would not strengthen the content but it would undermine the teacher’s authority. Hence the mother must also be regarded as teacher in the family.
The universal role for women in Israel was motherhood. It provided women with what was essentially their primary source of authority within the community. The divine care for Israel was seen in the female fecundity, and they viewed the deity as actively present in the conception and birth of the child.
Men would have been, and still are, dependent on their wife to give them a legitimate heir to claim the father’s name and estate. Which would have been crucial for them in that day and age.
Proverbs 31 does not specifically mention the mother’s role in teaching though it is mentioned in Proverbs 1:8 and 6:20. Though no examples of “the mother Torah” survive except for the passage in Proverbs, the fact it is mentioned as parallel to the father’s commands show us that women’s authority was held high in this society.
Proverbs 1:8 and 6:20 gives us a clear picture of women’s authority and equality to men in the instruction of the father and education of the mother for their children. Both father and mother are mentioned 12 times in Proverbs, and chapters 1-9 promise that if you listen to both mother and father you will have long life (3:2).
It is clear that the mothers, by example in Proverbs 1:8; 6:20, would have to be regarded as teachers in the family. If the literary function of the mother did not have an equivalent function, her role would have been useless in the story.
If there were no social roles of father and mother as teachers, the core foundation of old age and authority of experience, these proverbs would not have passed through the ages over thousands of years. The fact that it had is indication that the father and mother were both teaching authorities.
Proverbs is a good example of the authority of women in the instructing of their children and their equality to men. It would appear that Proverbs understanding of the male-female relationship sociologically and imaginatively shows an immense degree of equality between men and women.
- A Virtuous Wife
Prov. 31:10-31 gives a very revealing portrait of a capable or virtuous wife. Prov. 18:22 is a blessing to the man who finds a wife, and the type of wife that should be sought is concluded in Prov. 31 as its climax. This significant poem weaves together both mother and wife and balances out the social structure of the book.
Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the Lord,” sets the tone for what is to come for a man in a wife. But what is a good wife because simply finding a wife does not mean she will be good. Proverbs 31:30 says “A woman who fears the Lord.”
Proverbs 11:16, 22; 12.4; 14.1; 19.13; 21.9, 19; 25.24 gives examples of wives who nag, are shameful, and acts foolishly and this is always a possibility and a dreadful one if true. A wife whose sexuality is properly contained brings life to her marriage and family, but a woman who is the opposite or the negative character, aka the adulteress, is what could be considered the evil twin of Woman Wisdom. She would be Woman Stranger.
However, one cannot completely blame the wife if she turns out to be one who nags or acts foolishly. We need to consider why a wife would do so. When wives and mothers are not able or allowed to give orders they typically turn to other methods to make their influence, such as gossip, shaming behavior, untruths, and so on, which is why it is important for husbands to heed their wives counsel.
Clearly in the woman’s role as mother and wife to efficiently manage her home and her legitimate “right to make decision and control her environment” she would fall into a role of a counselor, and this could in turn be an indirect power where she is able to influence her husband in decision-making authority that belongs to him.
Lady Wisdom & Lady Folly
Now let us take a look at Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly. We must Look at them individually to understand their roles and to help better our understanding of the roles of men and women or fathers and mothers. Wisdom is portrayed as a woman, but why? It is widely agreed that, in reading the Old Testament, the religion of most ancient Israelites was polytheistic and pagan; being very similar to other neighbouring people’s cults.
The Israelites worshipped their national God, Yahweh, or YHWH, but they also worshipped a host of gods and goddesses such as Baal, El, and Shemesh, but there is only on goddess, Astarte who was likely to have been called the Queen of the Heaven. In a context of polytheistic culture, it is hard to avoid that Wisdom should or could be understood as another goddess.
However, because of Jewish thought and the development of their monotheistic conviction it was not possible for Wisdom to remain as a divine figure and became solely a poetic figure.
One could conclude that Wisdom’s imagery as a Woman could be based off ancient Israelite polytheism but, nevertheless, Wisdom is portrayed as a woman. Although looking at Wisdom in Proverbs another understanding of Wisdom could be taken. Wisdom is said to exist before the creation of the world (Prov. 8:22-23), She assists the Lord in creation (8:30), and possesses a house and servants.
It clear that the author wants it to be understood that Wisdom is a divine attribute of God, and this personification is to help the readers understand this by this abstract form.
One could see this presentation of Wisdom helpful for more than just a reason for an abstract form of a Godly attribute but it could also help the understanding of the relationship between men and women, especially in regards to teaching their children. Claudia V. Camp points out that the personified Wisdom, whose feminine personification’s functions as a framework for Proverbs chapters 10-30. The Israelite women play key roles and models for the personification of Wisdom.
- Lady Wisdom
Lady Wisdom plays many roles in the book of Proverbs. Through her many facets we see how one attains Wisdom. Wisdom is characterised by scholars such as H. Ringgern, W. Frankenberger, and S. Harris, as a woman preacher of repentance, and even argued as a prophetess. Mckane reckons her a wisdom teacher, but not a prophetess; Whybray Identifies Wisdom as a goddess, but simply a mythological female, her divine status has been supported.
Some of the personifications of Wisdom are for example in 6:22 she is seen as a guide, 7:4 a beloved sister or bride, in 9:1-6 she is a seen as a hostess.
In Prov. 2:1-9 Wisdom is not only portrayed as one of the disclosures of God’s presence in the world, but she is one who sometimes hides and she is a treasure to be searched for and as rare as silver.
In Prov. 2:10-15 Wisdom is seen to have a winsome, attractive, womanly personality. She is someone who is a delight to know, someone who shares her life with us. She is pleasant and when she enters the heart and mind she protects, guards, and saves.
Wisdom is in effect the soul’s true bride, true counsellor, and true hostess. She cries in the streets and will not be silenced, but instead will be heard. She is to be cherished as by a dear friend (7:4), same as like a husband for his wife, ‘Do not forsake her…love her….price her…embrace her,’ (4:6-8; 8:17).
Let us take a look at Wisdom’s origins. According to Proverbs 8:22-26 she was there before creation, in 8:27-31 we see her place in creation, being seen beside “him” or God during the creation process. During various parts Wisdom claims to be created by God, (8:22), and born in (v 24-5).
There is some disputations over the Hebrew translation for Wisdom’s account of being created in 8:22-26; 27-31. The Hebrew word for “create” is (qanah) which can also mean ‘procreated’ and could be a connection to a root meaning ‘to be fashioned in the womb. If that is the case Wisdom is consistently expressing herself as a child of Yahweh.
We see Wisdom’s origin as being created and apart of God, and her priority in the created world. It would be appear to make sense that the mothers and fathers would teach their children, or son in the case of Proverbs, to seek wisdom and to find a wise wife, and to keep away from the “strange woman.”
- Lady Folly
The Strange Woman is referred to as one who is deeply involved in sexual relations outside the marriage bed. She is a temptress, Lady Folly, or the Strange Woman that threatens the youth with her seductive speech (5:3), while her steps lead to death (5:5).
Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly are the two powers caught in an endless battle vying for favour with students. A harlot would be a real danger for students but also serves as an image of a multitude of dangers.
The idea of Lady Wisdom inviting the students to her house and the Harlot at the same time is a common warning and can be found in found in classic Greek literature such as Hercules at the crossroads. Upon Hercules arrival to adulthood he must choose between following virtue and vice.
This is very much similar to the language in Proverbs.
Lady folly is crafty in her speech; she is the perfect negative of Lady Wisdom. “Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call insight your intimate friend, that they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words….With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him,” (7:4-5; 21). Lady Wisdom and Folly embody the social roles both positive and negative, that women filled
Something Lady Folly teaches is that chaos and creativity are closely linked, because she is socially marginal, she is not a safeguard, and could not be trusted in a marriage. However, because of her looseness and freedom she has the opportunity to do and say thing that are not socially acceptable for women to do.
A good reason to why the son in Proverbs is advised to stay away from the Strange Woman is because she paints a picture that is far too attractive. She is, for them, far too independent and too tempting. And the simple fact remain that she is accused often of leading young men to their death.
Conclusion
In conclusion women though they were not normally involved in the legal or political realm such as men, women did have authority within the structure of their homes, which did take them away from the estates as they would have been running the economic side of the family, as well as teaching and training her children. The roles of mother, teacher, and wife were very authoritative. As Proverbs 18:22 states, “He who finds a good wife finds a good thing,” only work as long as the husband respects his wife and does not take or demean her authority, or she could become manipulative to make her mark. We see in Proverbs, both mother and fathers are teaching their child to listen to and seek lady wisdom and to not be deceived by Lady Folly; for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (1:7). The child’s instruction is to seek the knowledge of the Lord and to hear the father instruction and not to reject their mother’s teaching (1:8). When looking at the instructions of the parents to the child, and looking deeper into the woman’s role in ancient near eastern society the relationship between the sexes in Proverbs in many ways show equality between men and women or husband and wife. Wisdom is to be cherished, loved, sought after and embraced. She is both found in the mind of God and to be found in a wife and brings life. Where Lady Folly is deceptive and tricks men and the end result in following her is death.
Further Reading:
Claudia V. Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs, (Sheffield, England, Almond Press, 1985)
Althalya Brenner, A Feminist Companion to Wisdom Literature, (Sheffield, England, Sheffield Academic Press, 1995)
Althalya Brenner & Carole Fontaine, Wisdom and the Psalms: A Feminist Companion to the Bible, (Sheffield, England, Sheffield Academic Press, 1998)
C. Hassell Bullock, An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books, (Chicago, USA, Moody Press, 1988)
Bernhard Lang, Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs: An Israelite Goddess Redefined, (New York, USA, The Pilgrim Press, 1986.)
Bruce K. Waltke, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI, USA, William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company 2004) 83-84.
Waltke, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 83.
David Atkinson, The Message of Proverbs, (Leicester, England, Inter-Varsity Press, 1996)
Derek Kidner, The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job, & Ecclesiastes: An Introduction to Wisdom Literature, (Leicester, England, Inter-Varsity Press, 1985)
John Barton & John Muddiman, The Oxford Bible Commentary, (Oxford, England, Oxford University Press, 2007)
R. Murphy & E. Huwiler, New International Biblical Commentary: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, (Peabody, Massachusetts, USA, Hendricks Publishers, 1999)