A Woman Named Wisdom
“Wisdom is justified of all HER children.” Luke 7:35
Who is this woman Jesus calls Wisdom?
We know Wisdom is the Holy Spirit from comparing the following scriptures:
LK 11:49 “For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘ I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute…
In this verse, Jesus identifies the Wisdom of God as the one who sends prophets. Since Jesus is the one speaking here, it is obvious that he isn’t referring to himself.
Paul also identifies the Holy Spirit as the one who speaks through the prophets:
AC 28:25 And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers…
For other references on this point, see 1 Sam. 10:6; Mark 12:36; Acts 1:16; 2 Pet. 1:21.
In 1 Corinthians 2:7, Paul speaks “the wisdom of God,” which he tells us is the Holy Ghost in verse 13.
1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Wisdom is the Holy Spirit
So far, we can see from scripture that Wisdom is the Holy Spirit, Wisdom sends and speaks through prophets, Wisdom is someone other than Jesus, and Jesus refers to Wisdom as feminine.
The Godhead is Revealed at Creation
We know from Genesis that humanity was made in God’s image. Paul likewise tells us that the Godhead reveals their image and power to us through the things that were made at creation. He says understanding this is important in order to comprehend the gospel of righteousness through faith (Ro. 1:16-21).
Ro 1:20 For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
As we read in Genesis:
Ge 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…
Ge 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Adam and Eve were made in the image of God. The Hebrew word translated God here is Elohim. It has the feminine base, “Eloah,” and the masculine plural ending, “im.” Elohim is a plural word, hence the possessive pronoun “our” before “image.”
The only thing at the time of creation that was not good was “for man to be alone.” (Ge. 2:18) Since God is good, (Lk. 18:19), the godhead must be both male and female, or God would be incriminating his own situation.
God identifies himself as a Father, who has a begotten Son, Jesus. This obviously implies a mother, or the language is arbitrary and not relatable.
Hebrew – The Sacred Language
The Hebrew word for Spirit is Ruah, and for Wisdom, Hookma – both feminine. Biblical Hebrew is a gendered language and has in its word-pictures a revelation of the Divine.
Understanding Proverbs
Proverbs reveals Wisdom (the Holy Spirit) as a feminine member of the godhead also!
Pr 3:15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Pr 3:16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
Pr 3:17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Pr 3:18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
Pr 7:4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
Pr 8:1 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
Pr 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
Pr 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
Born Again, She is Your Mother
In the New Testament, Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be “born again” to enter the kingdom of God. He points to the Holy Spirit as a mother, since men cannot bare children, only beget them:
Jn 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
In the New Testament, “Wisdom” is translated in Greek as “Sophia,” another feminine name!
Translators often use the pronoun “He” to refer to the Holy Spirit, as for example in John 15:26. The word translated “He” is the neuter word “ekeinos,” meaning “he, she or it.” The gender of the Holy Spirit in these cases is lost in translation.
Jesus would have used the word “rucha” in Aramaic or “ruah” in Hebrew to refer to the Spirit, thus identifying the Spirit as a female.
Knowing someone’s gender obviously affects the way we relate to and know a person. It is important to know our Mother, Wisdom, in this proper light. She is the Holy Spirit, the One who gives us life.
Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna…
