5: Wisdom — Chokmah (OT), Sophia (NT), and Intertestamental Usage

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1. Hebrew Term: Chokmah — חָכְמָה

Pronunciation: khohk-MAH
Meaning: Wisdom; practical skill, insight, and understanding rooted in the fear of the Lord.

Old Testament Usage:

  • Central theme in Wisdom Literature such as Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes.
  • Wisdom is portrayed as a guiding principle for righteous living and fear of God (Proverbs 1:7).
  • Personified as a woman calling people to righteousness (Proverbs 8).

Intertestamental Usage:

  • Jewish writings like the Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach expand on wisdom as divine attribute and mediator of God’s revelation.
  • Wisdom is portrayed as an active force in creation and history, sometimes identified with the Spirit.
  • Emphasis on esoteric knowledge and moral instruction.

New Testament Usage:

  • Sophia is used to describe both divine wisdom and Christ as the embodiment of God’s wisdom.
  • The Apostle Paul contrasts worldly wisdom with the “foolishness” of the cross as God’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:18-31).
  • Wisdom is linked to revelation and ethical living.

Example Verses:

  • Proverbs 1:7 (OT): “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (chokmah).”
  • Wisdom of Solomon 7:25 (ITL): “For she is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty.”
  • 1 Corinthians 1:24 (NT): “Christ the power of God and the wisdom (sophia) of God.”

Comparative Summary:

  • Chokmah in the OT emphasizes wisdom as practical living rooted in reverence for God.
  • Intertestamental literature expands wisdom into a quasi-personified divine agent involved in creation and revelation.
  • Sophia in the NT develops wisdom theology, identifying Christ as divine wisdom and source of spiritual insight.
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