Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 66:1 (Mar 2023)
Article: Finding Lady Wisdom: The Excellent Woman (אשת חיל) As A Synecdoche For The Order Of Creation And Interpreting Ecclesiastes 7:28
Author: Timothy Little

JETS 66:2 (March 2023) p. 53

Finding Lady Wisdom: The Excellent Woman (אשת חיל) As A Synecdoche For The Order Of Creation And Interpreting Ecclesiastes 7:28

Timothy Little*

^* Timothy Little is Professor of Old Testament at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary, 1900 NW 4th St, Ankeny, IA 50023. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: Intertextual resonance within the wisdom corpus presents Lady Wisdom as a composite character composed of the created order, excellent woman, and female Song of Songs lover. Representing the entire created order, Lady Wisdom functions as a synecdoche for the most important and most difficult component of wisdom—an excellent woman. The man who failed to find the excellent woman failed to find Lady Wisdom. Marriage to Dame Folly would create such a dissonance in his life that he would be unable to live according to wisdom—the order of creation. The composite nature of Lady Wisdom becomes apparent through (1) a lexical and thematic study of Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 1–9, the excellent woman, the wife of one’s youth, and the female lover of the Song of Songs; (2) the composite nature of the antagonist to Lady Wisdom—Dame Folly; (3) the character of Ruth; and (4) Solomon’s women in Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs. In Ecclesiastes 7, Solomon, though wise, failed to find Lady Wisdom because he failed to find the excellent wife. Solomon had a thousand women, but none of them were Lady Wisdom (Eccl 7:28). Intertextual resonance between 1 Kings 11, Ecclesiastes 7, and Song of Songs 8 reveal that Solomon not only was unable to find Lady Wisdom but was metaphorically rejected by her (Song 8:11–12).

Keywords: Lady Wisdom, Solomon, Ruth, Delilah, excellent wife, Proverbs 31, Ecclesiastes 7, wisdom, Dame Folly, Song of Songs 8

Intertextuality concerns resonance that can manifest itself through direct citation, thematic coherence, repetition of similar ideas, and support from other interpreters.1 Textual and thematic links connect Lady Wisdom to the excellent woman, Ruth, and the Song of Songs female lover; other scholars have acknowledged these connections as well. While many intertextual studies connect texts diachronically with one text borrowing another, the connection between these women appears...