Saturday, February 11, 2023

Bible DISCOVERY 25: GOD and WISDOM

 

WISDOM speaks:

Proverbs 8:22

King James Version

22 The Lord possessed me 

in the beginning of his way, 

before his works of old.


A curious verse, this one.

The thing about WISDOM.

She declares:

"The Lord possessed me 

in the beginning of his way"


What did "The Lord possessed me" mean?

I turn to other Bible versions for clarity.


Proverbs 8:22

Amplified Bible

22 “The Lord created and possessed me at the beginning of His way,

Before His works of old [were accomplished].


Proverbs 8:22

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

22 The Lord formed and brought me [Wisdom] forth at the beginning of His way, before His acts of old.


Proverbs 8:22

Common English Bible

22 The Lord created me at the beginning of his way,

    before his deeds long in the past.


Proverbs 8:22

Complete Jewish Bible

22 “Adonai made me as the beginning of his way,

the first of his ancient works.


Proverbs 8:22

Contemporary English Version

22 From the beginning,

    I was with the Lord.[a]

I was there before he began.


Proverbs 8:22

Easy-to-Read Version

22 “The Lord made me in the beginning,

    long before he did anything else.


Proverbs 8:22

Expanded Bible

22 “The Lord ·begot [or acquired; possessed] me ·when he began his work [L at the beginning of his path],

    long before he made anything else.


Proverbs 8:22

GOD’S WORD Translation

Wisdom as Creator

22 “The Lord already possessed me long ago,

when his way began,

before any of his works.


Proverbs 8:22

Good News Translation

22 “The Lord created me first of all,

    the first of his works, long ago.


Proverbs 8:22

Holman Christian Standard Bible

22 “The Lord made[a] me

at the beginning of His creation,[b]

before His works of long ago.


Proverbs 8:22

International Children’s Bible

22 “I, wisdom, was with God when he began his work.

    This was before he made anything else long ago.


Proverbs 8:22

International Standard Version

The Agelessness of Wisdom

22 “The Lord made me as he began his planning,[a]

    before his ancient activity commenced.


Proverbs 8:22

Living Bible

22 The Lord formed me in the beginning, before he created anything else.


Proverbs 8:22-31

The Message

22 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic

    before he did anything else.


Proverbs 8:22

Names of God Bible

Wisdom as Creator

22 “Yahweh already possessed me long ago,

    when his way began,

        before any of his works.


Proverbs 8:22

New American Bible (Revised Edition)

22 [a]“The Lord begot me, the beginning of his works,

    the forerunner of his deeds of long ago;


Proverbs 8:22

New Catholic Bible

By the Side of the God of the Origins[a]

22 “The Lord created me as the firstborn of his ways,

    before the oldest of his works.


Proverbs 8:22

New Century Version

22 “I, wisdom, was with the Lord when he began his work,

    long before he made anything else.


Proverbs 8:22

New International Reader's Version

22 “The Lord created me as the first of his works,

    before his acts of long ago.


Proverbs 8:22

New International Version

22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[a][b]

    before his deeds of old;


Proverbs 8:22

New Life Version

22 “The Lord made me at the beginning of His work, before His first works long ago.


Proverbs 8:22

New Living Translation

22 “The Lord formed me from the beginning,

    before he created anything else.


Proverbs 8:22

Tree of Life Version

Wisdom Before Creation

22 “Adonai brought me forth,

the first of His way,

before His works of old.


Proverbs 8:22

The Voice

22     The Eternal created me; it happened when His work was beginning,

        one of His first acts long ago.


Proverbs 8:22

Wycliffe Bible

22 The Lord wielded me in the beginning of his ways (The Lord created me at the beginning of his ways); before that he made anything, (yea,) at the (very) beginning.


In SUMMARY, "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way" means:

The Lord created and possessed me -- Before His works of old [were accomplished].

The Lord formed and brought me [Wisdom] forth -- before His acts of old

The Lord created me -- before his deeds long in the past

Adonai made me -- the first of his ancient works

I was with the Lord -- I was there before he began

The Lord made me -- long before he did anything else

The Lord ·begot [or acquired; possessed] me -- long before he made anything else

The Lord already possessed me long ago -- before any of his works

The Lord created me -- the first of his works, long ago

The Lord made[a] me -- before His works of long ago

I, wisdom, was with God -- This was before he made anything else long ago.

The Lord made me -- before his ancient activity commenced

The Lord formed me -- before he created anything else

God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic -- before he did anything else

Yahweh already possessed me long ago --  before any of his works

The Lord begot me -- the forerunner of his deeds of long ago

The Lord created me as the firstborn of his ways -- before the oldest of his works

I, wisdom, was with the Lord -- long before he made anything else

The Lord created me as the first of his works -- before his acts of long ago

The Lord brought me forth -- before his deeds of old

The Lord made me at the beginning of His work -- before His first works long ago

The Lord formed me -- before he created anything else

Adonai brought me forth, the first of His way -- before His works of old

The Eternal created me -- one of His first acts long ago

The Lord wielded me -- before that he made anything, (yea,) at the (very) beginning


WISDOM was "set up from everlasting", according to Scripture:

Proverbs 8:23-31

King James Version

23 I was set up from everlasting, 

from the beginning, 

or ever the earth was.

24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; 

when there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains were settled, 

before the hills was I brought forth:

26 While as yet he had not made the earth, 

nor the fields, 

nor the highest part of the dust of the world.

27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: 

when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

28 When he established the clouds above: 

when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

29 When he gave to the sea his decree, 

that the waters should not pass his commandment: 

when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

30 Then I was by him, 

as one brought up with him: 

and I was daily his delight, 

rejoicing always before him;

31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; 

and my delights were with the sons of men.


Related material:

GOD's WISDOM

WISDOM above gold


Image: Clipart Library


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