Mary & Wisdom in the Old Testament

Wisdom is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, and we find King Solomon praying to God for wisdom. The Fathers of the Church and the Liturgy have understood “Wisdom” in two primary ways: one interpretation sees it as an allusion to Jesus, the Eternal Word of God Incarnate, the Wisdom of the Father. The other interpretation identifies Wisdom with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. When applying Old Testament texts on Wisdom to Mary, however, we must be cautious not to draw incorrect conclusions about her. The Second Person of the Trinity is God, while Mary is a created being, not divine. By carefully considering this essential distinction, we can draw much light and spiritual nourishment from the Old Testament texts on Wisdom.

Below is a famous passage we can meditate on ponder upon on in relation to Our Lady, keeping in mind the important condition: she is not God.

Solomon Prayed and Wisdom and Riches Came to Him

⁷ Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.

⁸ I preferred her to scepter and throne, And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,

⁹ nor did I liken any priceless gem to her; Because all gold, in view of her, is a bit of sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.

¹⁰ Beyond health and beauty I loved her, And I chose to have her rather than the light, because her radiance never ceases.

¹¹ Yet all good things together came to me with her, and countless riches at her hands;

¹² I rejoiced in them all, because Wisdom is their leader, though I had not known that she is their mother.

Solomon Prays for Help to Speak Worthily of Wisdom

¹³ Sincerely I learned about her, and ungrudgingly do I share— her riches I do not hide away;

¹⁴ For she is an unfailing treasure; those who gain this treasure win the friendship of God, being commended by the gifts that come from her discipline.

¹⁵ Now God grant I speak suitably and value these endowments at their worth: For he is the guide of Wisdom and the director of the wise.

¹⁶ For both we and our words are in his hand, as well as all prudence and knowledge of crafts.

¹⁷ For he gave me sound knowledge of what exists, that I might know the structure of the universe and the force of its elements,

¹⁸The beginning and the end and the midpoint of times, the changes in the sun’s course and the variations of the seasons,

¹⁹ Cycles of years, positions of stars,

²⁰ natures of living things, tempers of beasts, Powers of the winds and thoughts of human beings, uses of plants and virtues of roots—

²¹ Whatever is hidden or plain I learned,

²² for Wisdom, the artisan of all, taught me.

Nature and Incomparable Dignity of Wisdom

For in her is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, Manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, Never harmful, loving the good, keen,

²³ unhampered, beneficent, kindly, Firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing, And pervading all spirits, though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.

²⁴ For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion, and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.

²⁵ For she is a breath of the might of God and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled can enter into her.

²⁶ For she is the reflection of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the power of God, the image of his goodness.

²⁷ Although she is one, she can do all things, and she renews everything while herself perduring; Passing into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets.

²⁸ For God loves nothing so much as the one who dwells with Wisdom.

²⁹ For she is fairer than the sun and surpasses every constellation of the stars. Compared to light, she is found more radiant;

³⁰ though night supplants light, wickedness does not prevail over Wisdom.