Proverbs 8:22

Proverbs 8:22

The Watchtower teaches that Jesus is the first and greatest creation by God.  To support this, one of their proof texts is Proverbs 8:22.  Here is the passage in their own translation, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT):

Jehovah produced me as the beginning of his way, The earliest of his achievements of long ago. 23  From ancient times  I was installed,  From the start, from times earlier than the earth. 24  When there were no deep waters,   I was brought forth,  When there were no springs overflowing with water. 25  Before  the mountains were set in place, Before the hills, I was brought forth, When he had not yet made the earth and its fields Or the first clods of earth’s soil. 27  When he prepared the heavens,  I was there; When he marked out the horizon  on the surface of the waters,  28   When he established  the clouds above, When he founded the fountains of the deep, 29  When he set a decree for the sea That its waters should not pass beyond his order, When he established  the foundations of the earth, 30  Then I was beside him as a master worker. I was the one he was especially fond of  day by day; I rejoiced before him all the time; 31   I rejoiced over his habitable earth, And I was especially fond of the sons of men.  (NWT, 2013)

So, wisdom was brought forth by God. Here is what the Watchtower argues from this passage:

What is recorded concerning the Word in the Scriptures fits remarkably the description given at Proverbs 8:22-31. There wisdom is personified, represented as though able to speak and act. (Pr 8:1) Many professed Christian writers of the early centuries of the Common Era understood this section to refer symbolically to God’s Son in his prehuman state.  (Insight on the Scriptures vol. 2 p. 52, WTBTS, 1988)

There is nothing in this passage of Scripture which implies this is speaking of the Messiah.  In fact, Proverbs 8:1 describes wisdom as female.  So, if this is speaking of the Messiah, the Messiah is female.

Now, Colossians 1:18 does call Jesus the “Wisdom and Power of God,” but to take one word, “wisdom” in this case, from a passage of Scripture and say it applies to another without foundation for that belief is, as we used to say in philosophy class, “Stinkin’ Thinkin'”.  If we could do that, then every time we come across the word “wisdom”, we would need to apply it as the Messiah.   Luke 2:52, for instance, says Jesus increased in wisdom.  That passage just wouldn’t make sense if “wisdom” means “Messiah.”

One more problem: was God ever without His wisdom? If Jesus is the Wisdom of God, then He would have to have existed as long as God has.

So, to sum this up, to say Prov. 8:22-31 speaks of the Messiah is pure speculation.  One would have to prove the claim, and the biblical evidence just isn’t there.