This is the second volume of Mary Coloe’s Wisdom commentary on John (First volume: 44a on John 1-10). The author is a professor of New Testament at the University of Divinity in Melbourne, Australian and an authority on John (the bibliography lists 8 works on John). I begin with features I have noted in her commentary:

This commentary does not have the usual “Diverse Voice” of other Wisdom commentaries. But a series of excurses (highlighted in grey) on aspects of feminism: E.g. “Service—or servitude” and the characterization of Judas, Peter and the Beloved Disciple connection with John 13; the Vine and Branche sand Jesus Friends (John 15); the Woman in Labor in John 1610 and Isaiah, Genesis 3:16-18 (woman’s curse); Birthed from the Side of Jesus and John 19:34: on blood and water, the presence of Jesus’ mother related to the Prologue, Nicodemus (birthing): Women Crucified in connection with a painting by Arthur Boyed; comments on the Coptic Gospel of Mary, first Apostle of the Resurrection. Many of these excurses summarize other scholars’ work and provide a rich background for the texts commented on.

Throughout Mary Coloe points to relation of John’s gospel with “Sophia” or Wisdom books: Wisdom, Song, Proverbs. “From the prologue onward, John presents Jesus in the light of Israel’s wisdom traditions” (p.318). She gives compelling evidence that the Wisdom tradition important since Second Temple Judaism, and especially in the last century of the biblical period and as late as 50 CE was available to John’s community. Thus, John 13:1-3, the prologue to Jesus’ ‘Hour’ and Jesus’ love is like Proverbs 9:1: Sophia’s banquet. In John 14 (the second part of the last supper discourse) Jesus “speaks the words of Sophia” (Wisdom 9:9-10). The “figurative language” and images of Sophia relate to Jesus’ house, dwellings, and “friends” (John 15). In John 17 Jesus’ prays for those who come to believe in him, and brings them into friendship with God, as did Woman Wisdom (Wis.7:27).

Mary Coloe also notes important structures, such as for John 13: the Foot washing. She outlines a chiasm involving Jesus’s dialogue with Peter (A), his teaching (B), and the betrayer (C). For John 15:1-17 she notes parallels parts A (vv. 1-2; 3-8) and B (vv.9-11; 12-17).   For John 17 (Jesus’ missionary prayer): she describes a structure based on the function of each section centered on Jesus’ three petitions (vv.9-23). Another important aspect of this commentary is the author’s summaries of historical background. Thus, for John 13: foot washing in NT culture. For John 14, she notes the language (in Greek) of “house” (oikos) and “household (oikia) in relation to the temple (a building) and “dwellings, as well as information on vines and vineyards, and the OT image of Israel as the vineyard of the Lord. To understand this, Coloe notes that in Sirach: “Sophia describes herself as a terebinth and a vine” (418). Especially enlightening is a long discussion, in connection with the arrest of Jesus and the placement of Jesus’ cross “in the middle” of the Garden,” of its relation to the Genesis creation story (2:4b-3:24) and the parallel to Divine Wisdom and the tree of life (Prov. 3:18): an example of the “the creative activity of Wisdom/Sophia is present at Golgotha.” (p.475).

A final note: Coloe’s correction of a translation of Jn 19:27 based on the original Greek (cited in Greek). This text is the Gospel’s climax:  After Jesus says to the disciple: ‘Here is your mother. John concludes: “And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.” Coloe notes that “Home” was added and was not in the original Greek (eis ta idia). As aresult is it misses textual relation to the Prologue: 1:11 “he came to his own.” Jesus’ words on the cross create a “new relationship between himself and the disciple (and all disciples….They become ‘children of God’as the Prologue promised). The divine filiation brought about in this scene brings Jesus’ work and mission to completion.” (p.490)

Overall. Mary Coloe’s Wisdom (feminist) commentary builds on past authors I was familiar with (such as Sandra Schneiders and Raymond Brown), but deepens knowledge of John’s gospel,especially the significance of Sophia and the books of Sirach and Wisdom: the “essential intertext.”