We've been connecting so well so far, I can't imagine. . .
OK, What you refer to as a representation of wisdom as a person may in fact be a person described as the quintessence of wisdom.
Wisdom is not an actual person.
thus spake Mega-thustra
With all due respect, show me how that is not simply your opinion
Proverbs 7 and 8 are poetry and should be read as such. Personifications are incredibly common in poetry. Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an animal, or an abstract term--such as truth and nature--is made human. Consider this sonnet from Shakespeare:
O! how shall summer's honey breath hold out
Against the wrackful siege of batt'ring days,
What is Shakespeare talking about? Is Summer an actual person whose breath is as honey? Or, is Summer a season of the year that is made human through prose to give the story a new depth? Shakespeare could've easily said "winter comes, summer cannot prevail" but it would've been bland. As such, Shakespeare made summer as a human and gave it the qualities of goodness to provide a new depth to the story.
The same concept should be applied to Proverbs 7 and 8. Folly is made human with the personification as an adulterous woman to show that men are often enticed to folly. Wisdom is made human with the personification as a righteous woman. Men are enticed to folly but they have second thoughts--righteousness makes itself known by "raising her voice." Those who have second thoughts before commiting a folly and listens to their second thoughts wins favor with God because they listened to their conscience.
Interpreting Proverbs 7 and 8 leads to many problems. First and foremost, it denies the intent of the author because the author intended it to be read as poetry. The author wrote the stories to illustrate a point, not to say that any of the persons or places actually existed. Second, if read literally one must account for the people that are introduced in the story and that creates contradictions within the Bible and with reality. Wisdom in the story says that all the rulers of Earth are able to do their jobs due to Wisdom. I don't think any of the current rulers on Earth talk to a woman in the sky named Wisdom! Then you have the contradiction of who the master craftman was, Wisdom or God. If you read the story literally you are bound to folly in interpreting the Bible. The story meshes with the rest of the Bible and reality much better if it is interpreted as a peice of fiction like it truly is.
Almost missed this because I had turned off updates when you didn't respond right away. The personification you describe changes markedly in verse 22. Even if only by allegory, it shows Jehovah's original purpose was to create life, not inanimate objects, except to facilitate the creation of life.
Verse 22 talks about God's wisdom, basically saying that God's way is one of wisdom and that has been his way before he created the heavens and the earth.
