► What Is the Background for the Word? Following the lead of Proverbs 8, Jewish sources often personified God’s Wisdom (e.g., Sir. 1:14–19), usually figuratively but sometimes more literally. Thus, for example, Wisdom praises herself in Sirach 24. Further, she lives with God and God loves her (Wisd. Sol. 8:3), like Jesus in John 1:1–2 and 3:35; she sits by God’s throne (Wisd. Sol. 9:4), like Jesus in Rev 3:21. Other NT writers before John use Wisdom language for Jesus (1 Cor. 1:24, 30; 8:6; 2 Cor.