The Jews and Jesus











Book of Wisdom

Chapter 2

The vain reasonings of the wicked: their persecuting the just, especially the Son of God.
[1] For they have said, reasoning with themselves, but not right: The time of our life is short and tedious, and in the end of a man there is no remedy, and no man hath been known to have returned from hell: [2] For we are born of nothing, and after this we shall be as if we had not been: for the breath in our nostrils is smoke: and speech a spark to move our heart, [3] Which being put out, our body shall be ashes, and our spirit shall be poured abroad as soft air, and our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, which is driven away by the beams of the sun, and overpowered with the heat thereof: [4] And our name in time shall be forgotten, and no man shall have any remembrance of our works. [5] For our time is as the passing of a shadow, and there is no going back of our end: for it is fast sealed, and no man returneth. 
[6] Come therefore, and let us enjoy the good things that are present, and let us speedily use the creatures as in youth. [7] Let us fill ourselves with costly wine, and ointments: and let not the flower of the time pass by us. [8] Let us crown ourselves with roses, before they be withered: let no meadow escape our riot. [9] Let none of us go without his part in luxury: let us everywhere leave tokens of joy: for this is our portion, and this our lot. [10] Let us oppress the poor just man, and not spare the widow, nor honour the ancient grey hairs of the aged. 
[11] But let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble, is found to be nothing worth. [12] Let us therefore lie in wait for the just, because he is not for our turn, and he is contrary to our doings, and upbraideth us with transgressions of the law, and divulgeth against us the sins of our way of life. [13] He boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and calleth himself the son of God. [14] He is become a censurer of our thoughts. [15] He is grievous unto us, even to behold: for his life is not like other men's, and his ways are very different. 
[16] We are esteemed by him as triflers, and he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness, and he preferreth the latter end of the just, and glorieth that he hath God for his father. [17] Let us see then if his words be true, and let us prove what shall happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be. [18]For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies. [19] Let us examine him by outrages and tortures, that we may know his meekness and try his patience. [20] Let us condemn him to a most shameful death: for there shall be respect had unto him by his words. 
[21] These things they thought, and were deceived: for their own malice blinded them. [22] And they knew not the secrets of God, nor hoped for the wages of justice, nor esteemed the honour of holy souls. [23] For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him. [24] But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world: [25] And they follow him that are of his side.
Haydock's Commentary

This book is so called, because it treats of the excellence of Wisdom, the means to obtain it, and the happy fruits it produces.  It is written in the person of Solomon, and contains his sentiments.  But is is uncertain who was the writer.  It abounds with instructions and exhortations to kings and magistrates to administer justice in the commonwealth, teaching all kinds of virtues under the general names of justice and wisdom.  It contains also many prophecies of Christ's coming, passion, resurrection, and other Christian mysteries.  The whole may be divided into three parts: In the six first chapters, the author admonishes all superiors to love and exercise justice and wisdom.  In the next three, he teacheth that wisdom proceedeth only from God, and is procured by prayer, and a good life.  In the other ten chapters, he sheweth the excellent effects, and utility of wisdom and justice.  Ch. --- Their authority is surely greater than that of the Jews, (C.) whom Prot. choose to follow.  H. --- Before they attack us, they must, however, answer this prescription.  C. --- S. Iræn. Clem. Alex. Origen, S. Athan. &c. attribute this book to Solomon; and, though S. Jerom and S. Aug. call this in question, they maintain its divine authority.  Sometimes the Fathers abstain from urging it against the Jews, because they reject it, for the same reason as our Saviour proved the immortality of the soul, against the Sadducees, from the books of Moses alone, though other texts might have been adduced.  The Councils of Carthage, 419, Florence, Trent, &c. declare this book canonical, (W.) agreeably to the ancient Fathers.  S. Aug. Præd. xiv. and de Civ. Dei. xvii. 20. &c. --- Philo (S. Jer.) the elder, (W.  M.) one of the Sept. (Geneb.) might compile this work from the sentences of Solomon, preserved by tradition, as Sirach's son did that of Ecclesiasticus; (W.) or it is styled "Solomon's Wisdom," (Sept.  H.) on account of its resembling his works, in like manner as the Second of Kings is called Samuel's, though he wrote none of that book.  W. --- Sixtus (Bib. viii. hær. ix.) and others, maintain, that this was written originally in Heb. and some think by Solomon; being translated by the Sept.  But these go too far.  C. --- The nine first chapters seem, however, to be the production of Solomon, though the latter may have been added by the Greek translator, (Houbigant) who must, therefore, have been divinely inspired.  H. --- The sentiments are very grand, (C.) and contain a prediction of the sufferings of the just one, whence we may infer, that the name of the author was originally in the title, like that of all other prophets.  The arguments which Calmet adduces, to prove that Solomon was not the author of the first part of this work, may easily be refuted.  In the New Testament, that part is frequently quoted, whence we may gather, that it was allowed to be the work of Solomon.  Houbig. præf. p. 176. --- Some style this work Panaretos, as being an exhortation to all virtues.  C. --- All the five sapiential books (Prov. &c.) are cited under the title of Wisdom in the mass-book.  Superiors are here admonished to act with justice, and taught that wisdom is to be obtained by prayer, and by a good life.  C. ix.  Its effect and utility (W.) form the subject of the latter part.  See Apocrypha, vol. i. p. 597.  H.

WISDOM 2

CHAPTER II.

Ver. 1.  Right.  He shews how the wicked brought death into the world, and expresses the sentiments of the epicureans, as in Ecclesiastes.  The six first chapters are a sort of paraphrase of the nine first of Proverbs, in which the attractions of virtue and of pleasure are contrasted, &c.  C. --- Remedy.  Lit. "refreshment."  Sept. "healing." --- Hell, or the grave.  H. --- They reject as fabulous, the accounts of people being raised to life by miracle.  C. --- They suppose that the soul is mortal, and that there is neither reward nor punishment after death.  W.

Ver. 2.  Nothing.  Sept. "by chance."  The epicureans imagined that the first man was produced by the conflux of atoms.  Lucret. i. 5.  C. --- Smoke, or vanishes like it. --- And speech.  Budæus would substitute "a little spark." --- Speech may be used for "thing."  Our life is something like a spark.  M. --- Speech is an effect of the rational soul, as a spark comes from fire.  C.

Ver. 5.  Sealed, like one in the tomb.  Matt. xxvii. 66.  The epicureans were well convinced of the fragility of our nature: but they drew false inferences from it, pretending that we should enjoy ourselves now, as there will be no future life.  This they ought to have proved.  C.

Ver. 6.  Come.  From the disbelief of future rewards and punishments proceeds the epicure's life. W.

Ver. 7.  Time.  Sept. Alex. "of spring."  H. --- Youth is the spring of life.  The voluptuous conclude, from the transitory nature of things, that we should make use of them.  Would it not be more rational to despise them?  C.

Ver. 11.  Worth.  Strange maxims! which few will dare to proclaim, though they act according to them.  C.

Ver. 12.  Just.  Infidels are not content to live in riot: they also persecute the just.  W. --- This passage points out the conduct of the Jews towards our Saviour, in so striking a manner, that Grotius would assert it has been altered by some Christian.  But the Fathers adduce it as a clear prediction (C.) of the Jewish malice.  Matt. xxvii. 41.  Mar. xiv. 53.  W.

Ver. 13.  Knowledge.  The prophets spoke to sinners in the name of God, and many of them lost their lives in the cause.  Christ appeared as a new star, to promote their welfare; yet this only serves to irritate them.  C.  Jo. viii. 16.

Ver. 20.  Words.  Or he shall be punished for what he has said.  Syr. Vat. &c.  Matt. xxvi. 61.  C. --- We shall hence form a judgment of his real merits, (M.) unless this be spoken ironically; as if the just had foolishly flattered himself with the divine protection.  Matt. xxvii. 43.  H.

Ver. 22.  Secrets.  The disbelief of mysteries leads to a dissolute life, and to the persecution of the just.  W. --- The pagans knew not the advantages of suffering, and even the apostles were ignorant of the mystery of the cross, till after the resurrection.  C.

Ver. 24.  Envy.  Lucifer thought that the honour of the hypostatic union (C.) belonged to the angelic, rather than to the human nature; and thus he was guilty of envy, (H.) and strove to become like the most High.  Is. xiv. 14.  S. Bern. ser. xvii. in Cant.  Corn. A. Lap. &c.

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