The appeal to Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) regarding the term qanah (קָנָה) in Proverbs 8:22 to argue that it means "originate" or "create" in the context of Wisdom fails to account for the nuanced meaning of the word and the broader theological context. While qanah can indeed mean "to acquire," "to possess," or in some cases "to create," the precise meaning depends heavily on the context in which it is used. Interpreting qanah as "create" in Proverbs 8:22 is not the only or even the most plausible reading when the verse is considered within its literary and theological framework.
In Proverbs 8:22, Wisdom speaks, saying, "The LORD qanah-ed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old." The use of qanah here has been a subject of debate, but several key considerations favor the interpretation of "possessed" or "brought forth" over "created".
In many instances in the Hebrew Bible, qanah is better translated as "to acquire" or "to possess" rather than "to create." For example, in Genesis 14:19 and 14:22, qanah is used in the phrase "Possessor of heaven and earth" (qoneh shamayim va'aretz). Here, the word does not mean "creator" in the strict sense, as the primary term for "create" in Hebrew is bara (בָּרָא), used in Genesis 1:1 to describe God's creation of the universe. Instead, qanah conveys ownership or possession, emphasizing God's authority and dominion over creation.
The broader context of Proverbs 8 portrays Wisdom as eternal and integral to God's creative work. Proverbs 8:23 says, "From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth existed." This language strongly suggests preexistence rather than being a created entity. The portrayal of Wisdom as preexistent aligns more naturally with the interpretation of qanah as "possessed" or "brought forth" rather than "created."
The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, renders qanah in Proverbs 8:22 as ektise (ἔκτισεν), meaning "created." While this might seem to support the argument that qanah means "create," it is essential to recognize that the Septuagint translators often interpreted Hebrew idioms in ways that accommodated their theological or cultural context. The use of ektise should not be seen as definitive proof that qanah means "create," especially given the Hebrew Bible's own emphasis on Wisdom's eternal and divine qualities.
In the broader biblical and theological context, Wisdom is often personified as an attribute of God, reflecting His eternal nature, insight, and creative power. To interpret qanah as "create" risks reducing Wisdom to a temporal creation rather than an integral aspect of God's nature. This interpretation becomes particularly problematic in light of the New Testament, where Wisdom is closely associated with Christ (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:24). Christ, as divine Wisdom, is uncreated and eternal, fully sharing in the divine essence.
The reference to Psalm 139:13, where qanah is used in the phrase "you formed my inward parts" (kanita kilyotai), highlights a different nuance of the word, related to formation or acquisition. However, even in this context, the term emphasizes God's intimate knowledge and involvement with creation rather than the act of creating from nothing (ex nihilo). This usage does not necessarily support the interpretation of qanah as "create" in Proverbs 8:22.
In conclusion, while qanah can sometimes carry the connotation of creation, the context of Proverbs 8:22 strongly favors the translation "possessed" or "brought forth." This interpretation is consistent with the depiction of Wisdom as eternal and intimately involved in God's creative activity. The argument that qanah must mean "create" in this passage imposes a narrow reading that conflicts with both the immediate literary context and the broader theological witness of Scripture regarding the nature of divine Wisdom.
BDB is a lexicon so they are taking the context into ccount and saying that this us the likely meaning in this case.. the charge that the translators of the septuagint were being biased seems to better apply to you nincs.
The appeal to Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) regarding the term qanah (קָנָה) in Proverbs 8:22 to argue that it means "originate" or "create" in the context of Wisdom fails to account for the nuanced meaning of the word and the broader theological context. While qanah can indeed mean "to acquire," "to possess," or in some cases "to create," the precise meaning depends heavily on the context in which it is used. Interpreting qanah as "create" in Proverbs 8:22 is not the only or even the most plausible reading when the verse is considered within its literary and theological framework.
ReplyDeleteIn Proverbs 8:22, Wisdom speaks, saying, "The LORD qanah-ed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old." The use of qanah here has been a subject of debate, but several key considerations favor the interpretation of "possessed" or "brought forth" over "created".
In many instances in the Hebrew Bible, qanah is better translated as "to acquire" or "to possess" rather than "to create." For example, in Genesis 14:19 and 14:22, qanah is used in the phrase "Possessor of heaven and earth" (qoneh shamayim va'aretz). Here, the word does not mean "creator" in the strict sense, as the primary term for "create" in Hebrew is bara (בָּרָא), used in Genesis 1:1 to describe God's creation of the universe. Instead, qanah conveys ownership or possession, emphasizing God's authority and dominion over creation.
The broader context of Proverbs 8 portrays Wisdom as eternal and integral to God's creative work. Proverbs 8:23 says, "From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth existed." This language strongly suggests preexistence rather than being a created entity. The portrayal of Wisdom as preexistent aligns more naturally with the interpretation of qanah as "possessed" or "brought forth" rather than "created."
The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, renders qanah in Proverbs 8:22 as ektise (ἔκτισεν), meaning "created." While this might seem to support the argument that qanah means "create," it is essential to recognize that the Septuagint translators often interpreted Hebrew idioms in ways that accommodated their theological or cultural context. The use of ektise should not be seen as definitive proof that qanah means "create," especially given the Hebrew Bible's own emphasis on Wisdom's eternal and divine qualities.
In the broader biblical and theological context, Wisdom is often personified as an attribute of God, reflecting His eternal nature, insight, and creative power. To interpret qanah as "create" risks reducing Wisdom to a temporal creation rather than an integral aspect of God's nature. This interpretation becomes particularly problematic in light of the New Testament, where Wisdom is closely associated with Christ (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:24). Christ, as divine Wisdom, is uncreated and eternal, fully sharing in the divine essence.
The reference to Psalm 139:13, where qanah is used in the phrase "you formed my inward parts" (kanita kilyotai), highlights a different nuance of the word, related to formation or acquisition. However, even in this context, the term emphasizes God's intimate knowledge and involvement with creation rather than the act of creating from nothing (ex nihilo). This usage does not necessarily support the interpretation of qanah as "create" in Proverbs 8:22.
In conclusion, while qanah can sometimes carry the connotation of creation, the context of Proverbs 8:22 strongly favors the translation "possessed" or "brought forth." This interpretation is consistent with the depiction of Wisdom as eternal and intimately involved in God's creative activity. The argument that qanah must mean "create" in this passage imposes a narrow reading that conflicts with both the immediate literary context and the broader theological witness of Scripture regarding the nature of divine Wisdom.
BDB is a lexicon so they are taking the context into ccount and saying that this us the likely meaning in this case.. the charge that the translators of the septuagint were being biased seems to better apply to you nincs.
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