The Vocabulary of Wisdom in Proverbs 8

The Hebrew word chiyl is often translated as “brought forth” in Proverbs 8:24, but it also means “to be in labor.” This word affects how the vocabulary of Proverbs 8:22–23 is to be interpreted. Chiyl parallels the Hebrew word qanah, which appears in Proverbs 8:22; qanah is often translated “possessed.” The two verbs describe the same action—God brings forth Wisdom—rather than two different but related actions.

The term chiyl is used with God as its subject in two other instances. In Deuteronomy 32:18, Moses accuses the Israelites of forgetting “the God who gave you birth.” In the Psalms, the mountains are “brought forth,” and the earth is formed by God (Psa 90:2). In neither case can it be argued that these objects did not exist prior to these acts. The people of Israel existed, and the earth and world were fashioned from pre-existing materials from Genesis 1:1–3.

This is especially important because the language of Proverbs 8:22–23 is applied to Jesus in John 1. Thus, viewing both qanah and chiyl as describing the action of “bringing forth” also aligns with New Testament Christology, which shows Jesus as the uncreated co-Creator. In either case, both terms describe actions that took place before the creation of world (Prov 8:25).

Michael S. Heiser