M.'.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.n ' ¦¦'¦¦'¦¦'¦i.'.i'.i.i i.'.i-'.'-'.i.'.'-'-i.i.i.'.i.i.i.'.i.i."Tm Library of the IPale 2)ivinttip Scbool The Books of Ifranh Cbamberlain porter Winkley Professor of Biblical Theology Mvpiwmni'ivi'.'i'.'M.'i'.'ivn.'ivivi'. ivivivi'.'tvi'. ¦¦I'i I'lii'.Ti-pp SO^IA 2AAOMON THE BOOK OF WISDOM W. J. DEANE Honlron HENRY FROWDE OXEOKD XTNIVEESITY PRESS ¦WABEHOTTSE 7 PATEENOSTBE EOW ^OOIA SAAI2MI2N THE BOOK OF WISDOM THE GREEK TEXT, THE LATIN VULGATE AND THE AUTHORISED ENGLISH VERSION WITH AN INTEODUCTION, CRITICAL APPARATUS AND A COMMENTARY WILLIAM J. DEANE, M.A. OEIBL COLtEOE, OXEOBD ; EECTOR OF ASHEN", ESSEX AT THE CLARENDON PRESS 1881 ^ PREFACE. « s When I turned my attention many years ago to the Book of Wisdom, there was no Commentary in the English language that treated fully of this work, save that of Arnald. This was copious indeed, but cumbersome and often speculative and uncritical. I felt also the want of some better pfiv, Qviitis, rule, so is the man's scale in creation, rational, intelli gent, sensual, so are the bodies which it may succes sively inhabit ; but these changes are merely phenomena of the monad, the one invariable essence. Unsatisfied with the answer to the problem of exist ence given by others, Xenophanes (b. c. 6i6) fixing his gaze on the vast heavens determined that the One is God '. The position which he maintained is found in a couplet of his which has been preserved ^ : Eft 6eos ev t€ Beoicri Kiii avdpamoiin peyitTTOs, ovT€ fie/ias dyrjTvlo'LV 6jj.ouos oilre v6r]p.a. He may be considered the apostle of Monotheism, the teacher, amid the corruptions of the prevalent belief in multitudinous gods, of a faith in one perfect Being, though he could not tell who or what this being was, and looked upon all things as manifestations of this one self-existent, eternal God. His Monotheism was in fact Pantheism. But his speculations opened the way to scepticism, led men to think that nothing could be known as certain. Parmenides" (b.o. 536) followed in his train, affirm ing that the only truth is obtained through reason with^ out the aid of the senses, and that nothing really exists but the One Being. These two distinct doctrines, the latter of which was but little in advance of his pre decessors, compose his system. This was supported by his pupil and friend Zeno of Elea (b. c. 500), the inventor of Dialectics, who, indeed, added nothing new, but contributed a mass of arguments, sophisms, and illustrations, many of which are more ingenious than solid, but which are valuable and interesting as being the earliest instances of that formal logic which plays so important a part in all subsequent discussions. ¦ The immediate precursors of Socrates and his school were the Sophists, but the intermediate tenets of some other philosophers, especially of Democritus and Hera- clitus, the so-called laughing and weeping philosophers, demand a passing notice. The men themselves may be mythical, but there is a germ of truth in all myths, and the story of these two represents doubtless a real step in the progress of inquiry. Heraclitus (b. c. 503) rejected the idea of reason being the sole criterion of truth, and held that the senses rightly educated are never deceived. Error springs from the imperfection of human reason, not from the falsity of the information or ideas derived from sensation. Perfect knowledge dwells with the universal Intelligence, and the more a man admits this into his soul, the more secure is he from error. The principle of all things is Fire, ever changing, moving, living, and out of the strife of contraries pro ducing harmony. Democritus too (b. c. 460) upheld the truth of sensation, but sensation controlled by reflection {biavoia) " ; and he was the first to answer the question of the modus operandi of the senses by the sup- ' Tois dptO/ioiis Svai t^s oxiaias. Aristot. Metaph. i. 6. ap. Lewes, i. p. 28; Grote, Plato, i. pp. 10, ff. (ed. 1865); Mosheim's Cudworth, i. pp. 567, 570, notes. ^ See the point argued against Ritter by Lewes, Hist, of Phil. i. pp. 30, ff. ^ Ti iv flvai (prjai tov ®{6v. Aristot. Metaph. i. 5 ; Mosheim's Cudworth, i. pp. 580, ff. * Xenoph. Colophon. Fragm. iUustr. S. Karsten. ' Mosheim's Cudworth, i. pp. 592, ff. " Lewes, i. p. 98. B 2 THE BOOK OP WISDOM. position, that all things threw off images of themselves which entered the soul through the organs of the body. The primary elements were atoms which were self- ejdstent and possessed of inherent power of motion, from which the universe received its form and laws. The notion of a supreme Being to control these elements is foreign to his system, which is the merest ma terialism ; destiny, to which he attributed the forma tion of things, being a term used to ckke ignorance. Differing somewhat from former philosophers, Anaxa- goras, while holding that all knowledge of phenomena came from the senses, regarded this information as delusive because it did not penetrate to the substance of things, and needed reason to correct it ; and as regards cosmology, he taught that creation and de struction were merely other names for aggregating or decomposing pre-existent atoms, the Arranger being Intelligence, vovs, the Force of the universe, not a moral or divine power, but an all-knowing unmixed and subtle principle '- This principle Empedocles con ceived to be Love, which was opposed by Hate, who however operated only in the lower world, for the one supreme power, which he termed Love, was a sphere above the world, ever calm, rejoicing, and restful. These forces are in some sort identical with good and evil ; and it is the struggle between these powers that causes individual things and beings to come into exist ence. Hate separating the elements which are combined by Love into one all-including sphere. To this period of Greek Philosophy belong the Sophists. The Sophists did not form a school or sect ^. They taught the art of disputation, how best to use language so as to convince and persuade; but they were the natural successors of preceding speculators. Thought is sensation, said one*, 'man is the measure of all things,' human knowledge is relative, truth is sub jective ; therefore a wise man will regard all truth as opinion, and study only how to make what he considers true or expedient acceptable to others. It is easy to see how such sentiments might be perverted to the overthrow of morality, and hence we can understand the reason why Plato and others regarded the Sophists with such repugnance ; but there is little evidence to show that the teachers who had the' name ever pushed their opinions to such dangerous consequences. To contend against these unsatisfactory sceptics an opponent arose who in most respects was a perfect contrast to them. In his abnegation of self, in his contempt for riches and honours, in his denunciation of abuses, in his proud humility, Socrates (B.C. 469) con tradicted their most cherished principles and assaulted their most esteemed practices. No flow of words could persuade him to act contrary to his sober convictions ; no arguments, however speciously propounded, could confuse his sense of right and wrong; no spurious wisdom could withstand his subtle questioning. To make him the model, of a sophist leader, as Aristo phanes has done in his Clouds, is to confound his method with his principles. If his method was, in some sort, sophistical, his object was quite distinct from that of the Sophists; for while they gave up the pursuit of abstract trutli as hopeless, he never ceased his quest for it, showing men how ignorant they were of real knowledge and aiding them in its acquisition. But he founded no school, never set himself up as a teacher, left no system of philosophy behind him. Physics he early surrendered as incapable of satis factory solution ; and he turned his attention to Ethics, and the right method of inquiry. In the latter subject he is properly judged to be the inventor of two im portant processes. Inductive reasoning and Abstract * Lewes, i. pp. 78, 79, 83 ; Maurice, Ment. and Mor. Phil. pt. I. chap. vi. § 3. ^ For the fairest view ofthe Sophists see Grote, Hist of Greece, viii. 463 ; Lewes, pp. 105, ff.; Maurice, Philosophy, pt. I. chap. vi. div. ii. § 1. ' Protagoras, Ritter, pp. 573, ff.; Mosheim's Cudworth, lib. II. cap. iii. PROLEGOMENA. definition 1; by the first of which 'he endeavoured to discover the permanent element which underlies the changing forms of appearances and the varieties of opinion; by the second he fixed the truth which he had thus gained.' It was a great step to force men to free the mind of half-realised concejptions and hazy notions, and to see clearly what a thing is and what it is not. And this is what the method of Socrates aimed at efi'ecting. That it led to the common error of mistaking explanation of words for explanation of things is as true of the ages since Socrates as it was then ^- In his ethical deliveries he seems to have been somewhat inconsistent, maintaining at one time that virtue is knowledge, vice ignorance, and at another that virtue cannot be taught, and yet again that it is a matter of practice and natural disposition'. But he always affirmed that man had within him a faculty that discerned right from wrong; he upheld the su premacy of conscience; he considered that happiness consisted in knowing the truth and acting in accord ance with it. The immortality of the soul, a doctrine so beautifully propounded in his last discourses, rested, in his view, on the beneficence of Divine Providence *. In his own profoundly religious mind that a voice divine {pai/iovdv ti) should seem to utter warnings and advice, is what we might have antecedently expected °. The method of Socrates was followed in a greater or less degree by other philosophers who have been dis tinguished as founders of three Schools, the Cyrenaic terminating in Epicurism, the Cynic combining to form Stoicism, and the Megarian, which contributed an important element to the speculations which in later times found their home at Alexandria "*. But the real successor of Socrates is Plato, his pupil, friend, and biographer. To give an accurate description of Plato's many-sided philosophy would be a difiieult matter in any case; in this present necessarily brief sketch it is impossible. Only a few salient points can here be indicated — opinions rather than a system being enunciated. And even this is only partly feasible, as he so often changes his opinions, refutes at one time that which at another he had maintained, implies doubts where he had previously stated certainties, repudiates the process which he himself often has adopted, that we are seldom sure, when we produce the views set forth in one Dialogue, whether they have not been modified or denied in another. One thing however is well assured, and that is, that in his search for truth he was severely logical. IJniversal proposi tions, abstract terms, were the materials with which he worked, and to discover these was the aim of all his teaching. To attribute to these general notions, or ideas, a substantive existence, to consider them not merely conceptions of the mind, but entities, ¦noume'na of which all individual things were the phenomena '', is simply an explanation of a difficulty for which he was indebted to his imaginative faculty. The soul, in his grand view, was always immortal, and before it became clogged with the body had seen Existence as it is, and had had glimpses, more or less perfect, of those ideas, those great realities, of which material things were the defective copy. Man's knowledge is a reminiscence of the verities seen in the disembodied state: sensation awakens the recollection : it is our business to en courage this memory, to strengthen it, to guide it by reason. So that the teacher's object is not so much to impart new information, as to recall previous impres sions, dim and weak, but still not wholly effaced. This ' ToiJy T eiraicTiicovs \6yovs ical rb opi^eaOai ica06\ov. Arist. Metaph. xiii. 4 ; Diet, of Bible, Art. Philosophy, by Mr. Brooke Foss Westcott. ° Lewes, i. p. 161. ' Compare Xen. Mem. I. ii. 19 ; III. ix. I ; Arist. Eth. Nio. VI. xiii. 3 ; Top. III. i. 4 ; Plato, Meno, xxxvi-xxxix. pp. 96, 97 ; ,s, xl. p, .01. * Xen. Mem. I. iv. = Theages, x. xi. pp. 128, 129; Grote, Plato, i. pp. 433, 434. ° Maurice, chap. vi. § 3. Compare Ueberweg, Hist, of Phil. § 35. Eng. ed. ' Lewes, i. p. 241 ; Ritter, ii. pp. 265, ff.; Grote, Plato, iii. p. 520. THE BOOK OF WISDOM. tendency to seek for the idea of everything led to the con ception of the one Good, that is God ; and though Plato never set himself to oppose the religious belief of his countrymen, it is plain that his speculations pointed to Monotheism. Following up the manifold ideas, he ar rived at the supreme essence of all, the great Intelligence. By this power he supposed the world to have been created, arguing however at one time that God created only tjrpes of individual things from which other things of the same class proceeded ^, and at another that God fashioned Chaos after the model of these types which have an independent and eternal pre-existence ''. But however made, the world was an- animal, and like other animals possessed a soul ', and God, who is all good, rejoiced to see the animated creature, to ttolv C^ov*, and wished it to be all good likewise. Evil however dwells in this phenomenal world, which, being only a copy of the ideal world, must necessarily be imperfect, and which also, being composed of matter which is unintelligent, must be evil, for intelligence alone is good '. At the same time man, being endowed with free will, has his lot in his own hands, and may choose the evil or the good ^- And on this choice depends the future destiny of the soul, which will have to pass into various bodies, undergo various transmigrations, till it return to its best and purest existence ''. A new epoch begins with Aristotle (b.c. 384), who was born about a century before the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek and the formation of the Alexandrian library '. Prom the calm stand-point of strict logic, this philosopher, uninfluenced by imagination, pronounced a judgment upon the specu lations of his predecessors. Plato's doctrine of ideas he unhesitatingly condemned, holding that these ab stractions had no existence separate from their pheno mena, and that error arose not from the falsity of sensuous perceptions, but from wrong interpretation thereof. So in his view the great object of study was to set forth the rules and conditions under which the mind considers and discourses ", the formulas whereby it makes known its judgments. But we cannot dwell on his method and his dialectics. A few words must be said on his ethics and theology, and then we raust pass on to the schools that followed, with which we are more concerned. A less devoutly religious man than Plato, Aristotle seems scarcely to have believed in a personal God, though he uses language that may imply such belief A first Cause is that which he seeks to find, and whose attributes he seeks to establish by logic. And having demonstrated, with more or less success, the unity of this First Principle, he, perhaps in deference to popular opinion, does not further pursue the investigation''. There is no recognition of the perfection of God as the ground-work of morals, as in the Platonic doctrine ; 'the absolute good' is eliminated from his system. The TiKos of mankind is Happiness, and this consists in the proper use pf the highest faculties. Our faculties or energies have each their special excellence and virtue ; the acts of virtue are exercised by voluntary choice, and these separate acts make habits, and habits form character. Now the best habit of the highest part of man's nature, and that which makes his life most divine, is Contemplation. But to attain to this, there is need of restraint, discipline, and education, which forces can only be properly and effectually^ applied in the State. Thus we have seen that the early philosophers specu- • De Rep. X. i. ii. pp. 596, 597 ; and v. vi. pp. 29, 30 ; Grote, Plato, iii. p. 248. ^ Timaeus, xviii. p. 51. ^ Timaeus, vi. p. 30. * Timaeus, x. p. 37. ' Lewes, i. p. 262 ; Ritter, ii. pp. 275, 276. " De Rep. X. xv. p. 619. ' Timaeus, xiv. p. 42 ; Ritter, ii. p. 377. ' Lewps, i. pp. 271, 272. » Aristot. De Anima, III. iii ; Metaph. IV. v. " Maurice, Ment. and Metaph. Phil. pt. I. chap. vi. p. 184, ed. 1834; Lewes, Aristotle, chap. vi. pp. 108, ff; Ueberweg, §48. " In Met. xii. p. 1074, Bekker, Aristotle conceives God to be eternal Thought, and that his thought is life and action. See Maurice, pt. I. chap vi. § 6 ; Mosheim's edition of Cudworth, i. pp. 639, ff. PROLEGOMENA. lated about nature, that Socrates turned their investi gations on man, that Plato, while not wholly neglecting Physics, made this study subordinate to that of Ethics. Aristotle systematized the method of inquiry, and applied it to Physics, Metaphysics, and Ethics, paving the way for that invasion of Scepticism, which, using his instruments, exposed the vanity of philosophy '. The Sceptics, who next come on the stage, took their stand on the uncertainty of all knowledge. What had seemed determined in one a^e had failed to satisfy another : the truth of this philosopher had seemed the vainest error to that. What is the criterion of truth 1 Sensation 1 Reason 1 No. You cannot trust them abso lutely; you cannot prove that they distinguish correctly. There is no criterion of truth : the mystery of exist ence cannot be penetrated ; all we can do is to study ajipearances, to make a science of phenomena. Such a negative doctrine had little real influence ; but in thus denying the certainty of all higher speculations it prepared the way for the coraing Philosophy, which concerned itself with questions of practical morality. Of the Post-Socratic School the Epicureans occupy a foremost place. Their founder Epicurus (b. c. 342) looked upon Philosophy as the Art of Life, the in structress in the method of securing happiness ; and as to happiness, that, he said, is Pleasure— Pleasure regu lated by common sense and experience ; not momentary gratification at the cost of future pain and trouble, but a life-long enjoyment. Now this can only be secured by virtue, and to live happily means really to live in accordance with justice, prudence, and temperance. It is easy to see how such teaching might be perverted, as we know it was, to fostering sensuality on the one side and a hard indifference on the other. Its basis was an enlightened selfishness, free from all high motive ; for there was no supreme Power to make men account for their actions, the gods, if there were gods, being too much wrapped up in their own happiness to interfere with the concerns of mortals '¦'. In startling contrast to the softness of Epicurus, Zeno the Stoic (died B.C. 263) preached a stern, spiritual morality, a life of active virtue — a life in which man realises his true manhood. Virtue is, as Socrates taught, the knowledge of good : knowledge is gained by sensation, and fashioned and utilised by reason, which is the God of the world. This, call it what you will. Reason, Fate, God, is that which gives its form to matter and the law to morals. Man bears within himself his ruling power : he should give free scope to this dominion, crush relentlessly every feeling that wars against it, rise superior to pain and suffering, and encourage that apathetic indifference which is the highest condition of humanity. If there was in this theory much that really tended to lower man's standard and to confuse his view of the object of life, it possessed at least one element which was of vital importance. It put man face to face with his conscience, bared to his sight his responsibility, and taught him to aim at an object higher than mere pleasure '- The New Academy, which evolved itself from Platonic elements, was what in modern times would be called an agnostic system. Beginning with distinctions be tween probable and improbable perceptions, and be tween assent simple, and assent reflective, it ended with denying the possibility of the existence of any satisfactory criterion of truth. Reason and Conception depend on Sensation for their knowledge, and the Senses are defective and convey only subjective effects, not the real nature of things. So neither Reason, Conception, nor Sensation can be the desired criterion. What reraains 1 Nothing but Common Sense, or a system of Probabilities, or utter Scepticism. Some influence in preparation for the coming religion was exerted by these philosophies : either in the way of ' Lewes, i. pp. 334, 335- ^ Lewes, i. pp. 342-348 ; Maurice, pt. I. chap. 6. div. iv. § 2 ; Ueberweg, § 59. Lewes, i. pp. 349-360; Maurice, pp. 241, 242, ed. 1854. THE BOOK OF WISDOM. contrast or by their positive tenets they were in some sort a Praeparatio Evangelica. If on the one hand they had originated and encouraged that scepticism which springs from pride of intellect and the scornful denial of everything beyond and above nature, on the other hand they had fostered the need of something to believe, something which should have authority over the spirit of man and on which he might rest aud be at peace. They had spiritualized to some extent the popular mode of regarding religion, they had restored a certain unity in the conception of the Divine essence, and had given man hopes of redemption from the blind power of nature and an elevation to a secure and higher life ' ; but here they stopped. They offered these as mere speculative opinions. The best of philosophies had yet to learn that humility which a better religion teaches ; and till this was received and acquiesced in, men might argue and criticize and theorize, but they would never arrive at the truth. So that we may still sorrowfully ask. What had been the result of ages of speculation and keenest contro versy? Had the problems been solved which philo sophy had so long and so confidently discussed 1 No ; bafiled and defeated philosophy had almost ceased to prosecute its researches, and was ready to doubt if any adequate reward awaited further investigations. Whence comes this universe of things 1 What is the science of life 1 Is there any rule for virtue 1 Is there any method of happiness ? What and whence is the soul 1 What will its future be ? Is God one or many 1 Is there a God at all 1 Reason had attempted to answer these questions and had failed to afford any certain reply. Another element was needed to give assurance to inquiring minds ; and that element was faith \ 3. It was at Alexandria that Philosophy first came in contact with Revelation. Of its after struggle with Christianity we are not now to speak. Our sketch is limited to the time immediately preceding the Christian era and to the period in which it may have influenced the writers of the New Testament. No place in all the world could be more appropriate than Alexandria for the comparison of the doctrines of various schools. The population of this great city was mixed from the first, and owing to its extensive commerce, its world-famed library, the liberality of its rulers, and the advantages of its situation, it attracted to its shores all that was great and famous, learned and ambitious, in the East and West alike. The civilization of both quarters of the world here met at a common centre, and from this point sent forth an influence that extended through all countries'. It was however only by slow degrees that the rigid and unbending Oriental deigned to examine the tenets of other peoples. And when this investigation took place, the Greek did not absorb the Eastern philosophy, nor the Eastern the Greek ; but from the fusion of the two a new system arose, a combination of revealed truth and speculative opinion, which has received the name of Neo-Platonism, and of which Philo Judaeus was the most eminent supporter, if not the founder. If it was a new phase of opinion among the Jews thus to view with favour the guesses of heathen philosophers, if, based as their religion was on the sure word of Revela tion, the endeavour to amalgamate it with alien specu lations marks a certain change in sentiment ; we must remember that this people had been from the earliest times of their history always ready to introduce foreign superstitions into their religion. They never indeed fell into idolatry after their return from captivity; but short of such apostacy, the contact with other races and the intercourse with people of different faith, had influenced and modified their opinions and prejudices \ The Hebrew dwellers in Alexandria had been for some time gradually severing themselves from connection with their brethren in Palestine. The ¦ Keander, Hist, of Christ. Eelig. i. p. 46 (Bohn's transi.) p. loi ; Neander, Hist, of Christ. Relig. i. pp. 68 ff (Bohn's ' Lewes, i. p. 374 ; Ueberweg, § 62. transi.). ' • ¦ \ ^ Vacherot, Hist. Crit. de I'Ecole d'Alexandrie, vol. i. * See Burton, Bampt. Leet. iii. pp. 70, ff. (ed. 1820) PROLEGOMENA. translation of the Scriptures into Greek raised the barrier of language between the two bodies ', and the separation was further strengthened by the policy of the Palestinians who, after the persecution of Ptolemy Philopator (b.c. 217), threw in their lot with the fortunes of Syria. The erection of a temple at Leonto- polis'' by the Egyptian Jews (b.c 161), laying them open to the charge of schism, widened the breach ; and though these still paid a nominal respect to Jerusalem, its exclusive claims and isolating prejudices had lost their influence with them. And then the atmosphere in which they dwelt, the eclecticism which they saw around them ', the lectures of various philosophers, the restless activity of scholars and teachers, the magni ficent library, produced a powerful effect. The con servatism of the Oriental was not proof against the bold and energetic speculativeness of the Greek. The Hebrew became at first patient and then enamoured of Greek culture ; he searched the best writings of the West with the view of discovering truths that squared with his own divine traditions ; he examined the creeds of the heathen by the light of Revelation, and in Hellenic myths saw the remnants of a higher religion. The sacred books moulded and limited his faith ; they did not restrain his thoughts ; they did not prevent him from interpreting and developing their statements with a freedom which often approached rationalism' As it was with Judaism that the first contact of Eastern and Westem doctrine was concerned, so the medium, the connecting link between the two systems, was Pla- tonism. The teachings of Aristotle and Zeno doubtless had some influence, but the assimilating principle was found in the tenets of Plato. The idealism, sublimity, richness of his philosophy struck a chord in the Hebrew breast that responded harmoniously, and from the union of these elements arose a strain which combined, more or less perfectly, the beauties of both. The writings of this period which have survived (of which the so-called ' Apocrypha' forms an important portion) are few in number, but they show unmistakable traces of Greek culture, and of the spirit of compromise which en larged its own conceptions in order to embrace those of heathendom^. Even in the Septuagint itself traces of this influence appear. Expressions that might have been misunder stood and have conveyed wrong impressions to heathen minds have been softened or altered. Thus, Exod. xxiv. 9-1 1, where it is said that Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy elders, went up to the mountain, and they saw the God of Israel, ' And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand : also they saw God, and did eat and drink ;' the Greek renders : kui ei8ov t6v tottov ov. e ior^Kct 6 &f6s tov 'laparjk . . . Kol tS>v cTriXe/CTtoi' roO 'lapafjX ov di€(j)aivr)CTev ovSe fls' Km aidrja'av iv ra tottoi tov GcoO, Kai ecfia-yov Kai eniov. Here there seems to have been a studied attempt to obviate the plain meaning of the text lest it should give occasion to anthropomorphic ideas of God ^ In the Books of Maccabees it is studiously shown that the Lord interferes in the affairs of the world only through ' The Jews of Palestine observed annually a three days' fast in humiliation for the profanation offered to God's word by this version, the length of the fast being regulated by the duration of the plague of darkness in Egypt. " See Dollinger, The Gentile and Jew, ii. p. 396 (English transi.). ' Alexander the Great built temples to Egyptian divinities as well as to his own Grecian gods. Arr. Exped. Alex. iii. 1. The worship of Serapis, whose temple was one of the wonders of Alexandria, was introduced from Pontus. See Gibbon, Deol. and Fall, chap, xxviii. and references there. S. Aug. De Civ. xviii. 5. ' Vacherot, i. p. 127, and 106, ff. ' Among these writings, besides those in the Greek Bible, may be mentioned the works of Aristobulus, who expounded the. Pentateuch allegorically. Fragments of this production are to be found in Euseb. Praep. Ev. vii. 13, ff.; viii. 9, ff. ; xiii. 12. See Dahne, Judisch-Alexandr. Relig. Philos. ii. pp. 73, ff. Another document of this period is the collection called the Sibylline Books or Oracles. Dahne, pp. 228, ff. ; Gfrorer, Philo, ii. pp. 71, ff. aud 121, ff. These are spoken of further on. * Gfrorer, Philo, ii. pp. 9, ff. The Targums of Onkelos aud Jonathan paraphrase the passage in much the same way as the Septuagint. See Etheridge, pp. 400, 526. Other instances are given by Gfrorer. See too Ginsburg, The Kabbalah, p. 6, note. C 10 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. His ministers and agents. When (2 Mace, iii.) Helio- dorus came to the teraple at Jerusalem to pillage its treasures, the Lord inKpavemv fieyaKr)V eTTolrjo-ev; and though a little after it is said (ver. 30) that 'the Almighty Lord appeared,' the expression is used in reference to an angelic manifestation \ Of philosophic connection is the expression applied to Almighty God, rav SKcov, or &7rdvTa>v, d^n-pocrSefjs in z Macc. xiv. 3g and 3 Macc. ii. 9 ; and not in accordance with the usage of the Old Testament, which speaks (i Kings viii. 27) ofthe heaven of heavens not containing God, but never employs this term derived from Greek philo sophy ^. From the same source are derived the phrases about reason, the mind, etc., in the Fourth Book, e.g. 6 lepos riyefioiv vovs (ii. 23) ; \oyi.(Tp.os avToheairoros (1. l) ; iTadS>v Tvpavvos (xvi. l) ; f) tov Belov 'Koyiirp.ov iradoKpaTeia (xiii. 16) j and the four cardinal virtues (i. 18), which are also named in Wisd. viii. 7'. Of the Greek learning displayed in the Book of Wisdom we have spoken further on, when noting its character and language ; we may here give an in stance or two of the writer's acquaintance with Western Philosophy. The term voepbv applied to the spirit of Wisdom (vii, 2 2) reflects the Stoic's definition of God as jTvevfia voepbv*, the enumeration of the four cardinal virtues (viii. 7), .lustice. Temperance, Prudence, Courage. is quitePlatonic ^. That the world was created e| ap.op- v fiovos avTos airavTa, avrbs 6' oi /3Xor€Tai dvrjT^s iirb aapKbs dirdarjs, TIS yap bs «t8» Qebv, dAA' Sti b Qebs &^vavros iKelvov iavrb Kai irapaSeiiavTos. " De Abrah. 24. (ii. p. 19); De Poster. Cain. 5. (i. p. 229) ; PROLEGOMENA. 13 ferior apprehension of God derived through some mediate existence or existences. This mediator in the first place is the Word (Xo'yoj), the interpreter of God's will, and the God to imperfect beings, as the Lord or true God is God only to wise and perfect men ^ This Logos is described as the image and firstborn_of God '', the archangel and high priest of the world', not the complete representative of the Supreme Being, but His figure and shadow*, the ideal type of human nature, as it were, a celestial Adam °, and God's instrument in the creation of the world. But there is a want of uni formity in Philo's doctrine of the Logos, the descrip tion being sometimes of a personal, sometimes of an impersonal, being ^ He seems to have grasped the idea of a personal mediator, and yet to have shunned to enunciate it on every occasion, as though it were too earthly a conception for his soaring philosophy; and he takes refuge in abstractions whenever, if his terms are precisely weighed, the concrete comes too prominently to the surface. The Logos, in Philo's view, is not the direct organ of communication between the Supreme God and His creatures. This office is discharged by inferior minis ters, angels, and incorporeal existences, who pass be tween heaven and earth, and move in the minds of those who are still imperfect'- But his doctrine of angels is full of inconsistencies, as he calls by this name all the forces of nature, as well as divine powers, and introduces them on all occasions, and under various conditions, to suit his allegorising explanations of Holy Writ. With regard to Creation, the simple cosmogony of the Hebrews was much modified and altered to bring it into harmony with philosophic speculations. In one place Philo says that God, who begat all things,' not only, like the sun, brought to light hidden things, but even created what before had no existence, being not only the architect of the world, but the founder'. At another time he speaks of the impossibility of anything being generated out of nothing ', and assumes an un formed and lifeless mass of matter, brought into shape and order by the spirit of God". But he does not consider creation as a single act, that took place once for all; rather, God never ceases from making; it is His property to be always creating ". Only, His act is limited to willing ; the act of creation is carried out by 48. (i. p. 258) ; Quis rer. diviu. haer. 13 and 14. (i. p. 482). See Art. Philosophy by Professor Mansel in Kitto's Cyclopaedia. ' Leg. Alleg. iii. 73. (i. p. 128) : ovtos ydp [b epp.i]vevs \d70s] ^pwv tSiv dTe\Siv &v eir] Qebs, tSiv Si ao^Siv Kai TeKeiav, & rrpSiTos. ' De Confus. ling. 28. (i. p. 427) : t^s d'CSiov eMvos airov, \6yov TOV lepaiTaTOV' ®eov ydp eiKdiv Xbyos b Tipeu^xiraTos. Ib. Tbv irpoTdiyovov aiiTov \6yov, Tbv dyyeXov irpeiT^VTaTOV, ws dpxdy- ye\ov irokvdivvptov vrrdpxovTa. ' De Somn. i. 37. (i. p. 653) : dpx'epeiis, 6 irpaiTdyovos avToS BeTos Kdyos. * Leg. Aleg. iii. 31. (i. p. 106): OKid @eov b \6yos aiiTov eanv, w Kaffdnep bpydvif irpoaxp^//vx., p- 381, ed. 1620 ; Epiphan. Adv. Haer. i. 10. p. 28, ed. 1682 ; i. 19. p. 39 ; KOTd 'Oaarjvaiv ; Pliny, Hist. Nat. v. 17. See Dr. Ginsburg's Essay, The Essenes: their History and Doctrines, London, 1864; GfrOrer, Philo, ii. pp. 299, ff. ; Dahne, i. pp. 469, ff. ' See Art. Chasidim, in Kitto's Bibl. Cyclop. This derivation is the subject of much dispute. See Lightfoot's Essay. ' The following comparison is based on Dr. Ginsburg's most complete aud interesting Essay, where the whole literature of the subject is fiilly treated, and Dr. J. B. Lightfoot's Essay in his edition of S. Paul's Ep. to Coloss. D 2 20 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. is certainly possible '. And the very existence of this sect, if it was a sect, or of these saintly persons, was doubtless one of those providential preparations for the triumph of the Gospel which the Christian student has at all times loved to trace. But much more has been made of the importance of these religionists than is warranted by their history or the tenets which are attributed to them. The fact is that the Essenes were an insignificant body, and played no prominent part in the national life of the Jews. There is no evidence that any intercourse existed between Essenism and Christianity, and to assume that Christ Himself, John the Baptist, aud James the Lord's brother were members of this sect, as some authors do, is to read into history preconceived views, not to base theories on well-established facts. The coincidences of practice and teaching between the two are only so far connected as all high morality may be said to be derived from one source, or as the special points mentioned may be considered as the growth of the same country, climate, and circumstances. In many of their opinions and customs they directly contravened the Mosaic law, as for instance in their abstention from animal sacrifices ", and no more marked opposition to Christianity could be found than in their persistent denial of the Resurrection of the body. From what has been said we may gather these inferences. The Jewish-Alexandrian philosophy was not the origin of any of the doctrines of the New Testament ; nor was the allegorical method of inter preting certain parts of the historical Scriptures derived from or identical with that employed by Philo and his school. The two allegations to the contrary are based on verbal similitudes, sometimes accidental, sometimes in tentional, but with no affinity in thought. But using the language current at the time as the vehicle of Christian truth, the Apostles explained their meaning intelligibly, suggested the origin of the erroneous speculations then prevalent, and at the same time corrected these mis takes. For it was indeed incumbent on thera to notice the prevailing theories which were to become the parents of future heresies in the Christian Church. It is beyond our design to trace the course of these de clensions from the faith, but we may state briefly the effect of this Judaic-Alexandrian philosophy on one or two points of Christian dogma. The Arian heresy may reasonably be referred to the Logos doctrine of the Alexandrian school. This error gathered into one view all that had hitherto tended to lower the divinity of the Second Person of the Divine Trinity. The Logos, regarded by Philo often aa not personal, sometimes as personal, but not so per se; the denial of any duality of Divine Persons ; the separ ation of the Logos from the divine sphere, His sub ordination to God, and His creation in time ; these and such-like opinions were a preparation for the notion that the Son was a creature begotten not eternally and not consubstantial with the Father. Again, the Sabellian doctrine which substituted three naraes or conceptions of God in place of three Persons, which regarded the Trinity as different modes of the existence of God, had its prefigurement in the dream of Philo concerning the threefold perfections of God. The trinity of Plato, as it is called, the discussions of philo sophers respecting the three great principles of things, with which the schools of Alexandria had familiarised him, led to a theory, which, while it retained the great dogma of Monotheism, embraced the idea of a triad of operations or virtues in the divine nature". Vague and indeterminate as was Philo's conception of this ' That S. John the Baptist belonged to this order is argued from his ascetic life, and from the fact that Christ announced him to be Elias, which would be equivalent to saying that he had arrived at the highest degree among the Essenes. See Dr. Ginsburg's Art. The Essenes, A p. Kitto's Cyclop. ; Gratz, Gesch. d. Jud. iii. p. 217. The same opinion has been held con cerning James, the Lord's brother, and even Christ Himself. See the refutation in Lightfoot. ^ This has been denied by Neauder, Hist, of Christ. Relig. i. p. 67 (Bohn's tr.insl.); but see Lightfoot, p. 134. ' Cudworth, Intell. Syst. ii. 333, note (transi. by Hairison); Philo, De Cherub. 9 (i. p. 143) ; De Abrah. 24 (ii. p. 19) ; De Mut. Nom. 4 (i. p. 582). PROLEGOMENA. 21 trinity, it was the germ of that error which used the term while it destroyed the Christian connotation. And once raore, that Judaizing Platonism, which with certain additions merged into Gnosticism, derived some of its chief elements from these Alexandrian theo- logasters, as Erasmus would have called them. This widely penetrating system, which formed the chief dan ger of early Christianity, was the natural offspring of Oriental mysticism. Gnosticism furnished no essentially new speculations ; it gave a new emphasis to truths already held, it combined them in new relations, but it did not create or invent novel theories and produce an altogether fresh system. Of the elements that con tributed to this philosophy Alexandrian Judaism was one of the most important. If we may trace some of its factors to oriental Pantheism or Parsism, we are con strained to acknowledge the supreme influence of the school of Alexandria, and to look upon this as the raediura by which the tenets of the various religion isms which composed ifr were held together and con solidated. The distinction between the highest God and the Demiurgus, the derivation of evil from an evil principle called matter (vXij), the doctrine of emanation, the representation of the visible world as an image of the world of light, the arbitrary allegorising of Scrijjture, and the notion of a secret doctrine which belonged only to the highest intellects, all these were the direct pro duct of the Jewish-Alexandrian philosophy. To this school also we may trace many of the opinions and much of the method of the early Christian Fathers. In defending and developing Christian doc trines they were necessarily brought face to face with Alexandrian teachers, and were constrained either to accept or oppose their statements. With the writings of Philo Justin Martyr was well acquainted, and he adopts many of the Jew's opinions and uses his lan guage. In his idea of God he is much raore in accord ance with Philo than with the Catholic Creed, con ceiving the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, not as three Persons of one divine substance, but as three Principles of differing rank'. After Philo's exaraple also he endeavours to reconcile the cosmogony of Plato with that of Moses ; and at another time he introduces thoughts concerning the soul from the Stoics and other Greek philosophers ". Ofthe deep influences ofthe Graeco- Jewish philosophy upon the Alexandrian Fathers every student is aware. ' Any one,' say Vacherot ', ' who desires to understand Clement and Origen, must keep in mind the three sources from which they drew their thoughts. Gnosti cism, Philoism, and Platonism.' Clemens Alexandrinus regarded Greek Philosophy as a mere plagiarism from the Jewish Scriptures *. In his Stromata his chief object is to furnish materials for the construction of a Christian philosophy on the basis of faith in revealed religion ; and in carrying out this design he shows how in various particulars the heathens were indebted to Hebrew sources for their wisdom, thus following up the investigation in which Philo had led the way. Nor does he confine himself simply .to the truths which philosophy has to teach : from her he borrows his method of inquiry; he calls to his aid dialectics, geometry, arithmetic and other sciences, to contribute their support to his theological speculations. All, in his view, have their part in this supreme science, which is Knowledge, Gnosis ° ; and the end and object of this is union with God through the Word. In Origen we see the allegorising method of inter preting the Scriptures reduced, as we may say, to a system. This great teacher seems to revel in the ob scurities and dark sayings of the divine oracles. He finds in them subjects worthy of his deepest thought. It was in his opinion an error fraught with much evil to adhere to the external, the carnal part of Scripture ; ' Apol. Prim. p. 51 ; Vacherot, i. p. 230. ^ Apol. Prim. p. 78 ; Cum Tryph. Dial. p. 221. 3 Ib. i. p. 248. * Strom, xi. 1. * Strom, vi. 10; Vacherot, i. p. 251. 22 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. in every portion we should seek hidden and mystic meanings which are the spirit of the Word of God and its veritable substance. The letter leads astray and brings little benefit'. Consistently with this theory he lays comparatively little stress on the historical facts con nected with Christ's life, and seeks to rise to the contem plation of the essence of the Logos, as He is in Himself, using the life and character of the historical Jesus as a symbol of the agency of the Divine Logos, seeing in all Scripture the incarnation of the Word ^. Like Philo, he explained the earthly events narrated in the Bible and the temporary enactments recorded there as sym bolical veils of spiritual mysteries. The outer husk he deeraed to be suitable food for the uninstructed multitude; the higher truths were to be reserved for those who had arrived at the most perfect condition. If there were any persons standing between these two states, for them the allegorical sense was suitable, as best conveying to their capacities moral instruction and edification. There are many other points in which both Origen and Clement exhibited remarkable affinity in doctrine to Philo. In their language concerning God and the Word and the Holy Spirit and the destiny of man they are in close accord with the Jewish writer. They also owed much to Greek Philosophy; in their cosmology, their psychology, their ethics they intro duced the ideas of Stoics and Platonists ; and although, in the case of Origen, these foreign elements were de veloped into formal heresy, yet they were on the whole serviceable to the cause of Christianity, and formed a part of that Providential arrangeraent which prepared the Way for the acceptance and dissemination of the true faith '. These writers and their followers had the high merit of introducing Christianity in the only form in which it would be likely to find acceptance with cultivated and scientific intellects ; and if they exhibited a tendency to merge practice in speculation, to make men think rather than act, still both of these elements are neces sary for all education, and we raust not decry the merits of those who taught the one if they failed sufficiently to supply the other. The oA-gumentum ad Iwminem which they were thus enabled to use was eminently serviceable to thera in conciliating opponents' and in establishing the doctrines which they laboured to disseminate. They could show how philosophers had long been feeling after a Trinity in the Divine nature, how the Word of God had been an object of abundant speculation for many a day. The very terms with which their adversaries were familiar could convey the instruction which they desired to give ; the very dogmas which heathen sages had announced were echoes of re vealed truths ; and those who had set these forth were guided by that Holy Spirit whom Christians adored. Before concluding this brief and necessarily imper fect sketch there is one other result of the Jewish- Alexandrian teaching which we must mention. An earnest pagan, when he turned his attention to the conclusions attained by his most eminent philosophers, and saw how empty, unsatisfactory and barren of issue were their speculations, naturally longed for something better, some completer solutions of the questions by which his mind was agitated. And, look ing around on the varying faiths of the nations, he en deavoured to calm his disquiet and quench his longing by elaborating an eclectic philosophy which should combine in one the best points of heathenism and Oriental religion. In this connection it was impossible to avoid following in the steps of Philo and his school. In attempting to breathe into the expiring heathen dom a new breath of life, a method, which had already more or less successfully glorified and exalted ancient myths and philosophic theories by conceding to them a place in the shrine of revealed religion, was the very element needed to inspire new zeal in behalf of the old rites, and to form the basis of polemical and apologetic ' Orig. in Ep. ad Rom. lib. viii. 8. p. 633 Ben. See Neauder, Hist, of Christ, Relig. ii. p. 257, ff. (Bohn's transi.) Vacherot, i. p. 2^)4, ff. PROLEGOMENA. 23 discussion. Successful opposition to Christianity could only be offered by a spiritualizing of the polytheistic religion which would conceal itsjgrossness and soften the contrast between the popular superstitions and the pure doctrines by which they were being underrained and supplanted. This antagonistic systera is known as the later Neo-Platonism. Its struggles with Christianity and its utter defeat forra an interesting episode in Church history which it is beyond our scope to describe. If then we allow that there is token of iraraediate connection between the Jewish-Alexandrian philosophy and the early Fathers, and if we concede that the at terapt to conciliate philosophy and religion led the way to that new phase of doctrine which was so bitterly hostile to Christianity, we have shown that we dissent heartily and altogether from the opinion that any prominent doctrines of Christianity are derived from any alien sources, and we can see no ground for such opinion but certain verbal sirailarities which are capable of another and more reasonable explanation. II. Title. — Plan. — Contents. The Book which we are about to consider has generally gone by the name of The Wisdom of Solo mon. It is so entitled in the earliest Manuscripts. Thus the Sinaitic Codex calls it 2o(pia 'SaXop.avTos, the Vatican So^ia 'S.aKap.wv, and the Alexandrian 2o^ia 'SokopLcovTos : the early translations have usually given it the like appellation, the Syriac terming it ' The Book of the Great Wisdom of Solomon,' and the Arabic ' The Book of the Wisdom of Solomon, the son of David.' But by raany of the Greek Fathers, and by Western writers since the time of SS. Jerome and Augustine, the name of Solomon has been dropped. Epiphanius and Athanasius cite it under the designation of UavdpeTos 'Salvia, ' All-virtuous Wisdom,' a title also applied to Proverbs and Ecclesiasticus. Clement of Alexandria ' and Origen ^ called it 'H Beta 2o(j)la. The Latin Vulgate prefixes the title ' Liber Sapientiae,' and Augustine' naraes it 'Liber Christianae Sapientiae,' and says it is iraproperly termed Solomon's. That it had no claira to be considered a production of the royal author whose name it bore was generally felt, though some few writers in uncritical times main tained the contrary. Jerome, in his preface to the Books of Solomon, says: 'Fertur et Panaeretos Jesu Filii Sirach liber, et alius pseud-epigraphus, qui Sa pientia Salemonis inscribitur,' intending probably by this epithet to shew merely that in his judgment it was wrongly attributed to King Solomon. Elsewhere he refers to it as 'The Wisdom that is ascribed to Solomon, if any one thinks proper to receive the Book.' Augustine in his Retractations * remarks : ' Salemonis duo hi libri a pluribus adpellantur propter quamdam, sicut existimo, eloquii similitudinem. Nam Salemonis non esse nihil dubitant quique doctiores.' That the ' Strom, iv. i6. p. 515. ^ In Ep. ad Rom. vii. 14. similitudinem, ut Salemonis dicautur, obtinuit consuetude; non ' Ep. 1 30 ; De Doctr. Christ, ii. 8 ; Specul. p. 1 1 2 7, C. D. ; autem esse ipsius, non dubitant doctiores ; eos tamen iu auctori- De Gvitat. Dei, xvii. 20 : ' Alii vero duo, quorum unus Sa- tatem, maxime occideutalis, antiquitus recepit Ecclesia.' pientia, alter Ecclesiasticus dicitur, propter eloquii nonnullam * ii. 4. Cf. Spec, de lib. Sap. 24 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. author assumes the name of Solomon is of course ap parent. Such a use of fiction has been common in all ages without any suspicion of fraud being attached to the writer. Plato and Cicero in their Dialogues in troduce real characters as vehicles for supporting or opposing their own views. If it could be proved that any of the Psalms ascribed to David were written after his time, we might reasonably suppose that they had his name prefixed to them, as being composed in his spirit or in that form of sacred poetry employed by him. So all the Sapiential Books, though some of them were confessedly of much later date, were com monly attributed to Solomon, as being himself the ideal of the personification of Wisdora and the author par exceUence of works on this subject. And when the writer- introduces Solomon himself speaking, this is not done with any intention of leading his readers to be lieve that the work was a genuine production of the Son of David. Written, as we shall see, at a period many centuries removed from the palmy days of Israel, at a place far distant from Jerusalem, in a language and style unfamiliar to the Hebrew king, the Book could never have claimed for itself the authority of that royal name except by a fiction universally understood and allowed. An analogous use of fiction is found in the Books of Tobit and .Tudith, where under circura stances professedly historical, but which in many par ticulars do violence to history, moral and political truths are forcibly enunciated. There is this further reason for the use of the name of Solomon in the title of the Book, namely, that many of the sentiments and much of the language found therein are derived from the genuine works of the royal author, as will be seen in the Commentary. The plan and Contents of the Book have next to be considered. And first we must ask. What is meant by Wisdom (2o(|)ia) of which it treats ? Dismissing from our minds later definitions of the term, and taking our stand on the Old Testament Scriptures, we see that it is used chiefly in two pregnant senses. First, it signi fies that quality, so named, which is an attribute of the Godhead, or the thought of God which has its ex pression in the Logos, the Son; secondly, it denotes the habit of mind infused in angels and men by God Himself, and the rules and dictates of religion and practical godliness. In the latter sense it is equivalent to what is elsewhere called the knowledge of God, a term which includes the high contemplation of glorified saints and angels, as well as the religious culture aud practice of devout men on earth. As to the Divine Wisdom, this originally resides in God. As Job says (xii. 13), 'with Him are Wisdom and strength;' 'God understandeth the ways thereof, and He knoweth its place' (xxviii. 23). And then more definitely in the Book of Proverbs it is said of Wisdom : ' The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way, before his works of old. I was set up frora everlasting, from the beginning or ever the earth was. I was by Him, as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, re joicing always before Him ' (ch. viii). Though we do not here see Wisdom actually distinguished as a Person of the Godhead, yet it is shown as more than a mere abstrac tion or poetical personification; it is shown at least as uncreated and as coeternul with God. Thus much we may gather from the canonical Scriptures of the Old Testament '. In the Book of Ecclesiasticus a further advance is made. 'Wisdom comes frora the Lord and is with Him for ever' (i. i) ; She is indeed said to be ' See Liddon, Bampton Lectures, ii. pp. 89-95, ed. 1867. Christ ' is stated, according to His earthly nature, to be " the firstborn of every creature " ; a pa-ssage which bears out the opinion of S. Athanasius [Orat. II Contr. Arian. 47], that the reference to the creation of Wisdom iu the Book of Proverbs is designed, among other things, to set forth the Incarnation of our Lord, as the head and pattern of humanity. S. Athanasius, following the Septuagint [Kvpios inrtae p.e dpx^tv bSSivaiTov els ipya auToC], and e.'.pressing the Hebrew witli more exactness than is done m our translation, renders Prov. viii. 22, "The Lord created me a beginning of His ways," which is equivalent, he observes, to the assertion that the Father prepared me a body, and Ho created me for man, on behalf of their salvation.' Wilberforce, Incaruat. chap. ii. pp. 24, 25. ed. 1852. The Revised Bible translates, 'The Lord possessed [or, prepai-ed, marg.'] me iu the beginning of His way.' PROLEGOMENA. 25 created, 'created before all things' (i. 4), but she is also said to be 'poured out upon all God's works' (ver. 9), ' and never to fail ' (xxiv. 9), ' but to have her habitation in Jacob, and to take root in the inheritance of the Lord' {ib. 8, and 12). And thus we are led on to the doctrine of the Logos, the expression of the thought of God, and the manifestation of Wisdom among man kind and in all creation. In the Book of Wisdom this idea has become more definite and precise. The nature and sphere and operation of Wisdom are clearly stated. She is the breath of the power of God and a pure in fluence flowing from the glory of the Almighty, the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness. Being One she can do all things, remaining immutable herself she maketh all things new, and in all ages entering into holy souls she maketh them friends of God and prophets. She is privy to the mysteries of God, sits by His throne, loves His works, was present when He formed the world, and gives to men all the virtues which they need in every station and condition of life '- As regards Wisdom in its human aspect we raay say generally that, as used in the Sapiential Books, the term expresses the perfection of knowledge showing itself in action, whether in the case of king or peasant, statesman or artisan, philosopher or unlearned. Its contradictory is Folly (avoia), which signifies all wilful ignorance, sinfulness and carelessness, every act and habit opposed to the love of God and the practice of holiness. Professor Huxley remarks in one of his essays : ' The only medicine for suffering, crime, and all the other woes of mankind, is Wisdom.' And though his notion of wisdom is very different from that of him, who is called ' Pseudo-Solomon,' and involves no principle of divine revelation, yet taken as it standi the statement contains a great truth. The habit of making a right choice, of using aright the knowledge and powers given, is enforced alike by the Jewish teacher and the modern philosopher. That gift of God the Holy Spirit which is called Wisdom directs men to seek God as the end and object of their life and faculties, to give themselves up to His guiding hand, to know and to do His will. The Jew was not a specu lative philosopher; he did not employ his mind on abstruse theories concerning the mutual connection and interdependence of nature and spirit. Abstract investigation had little charm for him. All his views were based on revealed truths ; it was from reflection on past revelations that his literature arose. Thus with him Wisdom embraces what a Greek would call virtue, a habit of choosing the good and excellent way; but it comprises also the notion of a deep knowledge, an appropriation of the history of God's dealings with His people, and a thorough trust in the divine aid which is never refused to the prayer of the faithful. In the Book before us Divine Wisdom is presented under two aspects : sometimes as the Spirit, sometimes as the Word of God, different operations being at tributed to each ¦'- As the Spirit of God, Wisdom fills the world, is the means by which the Divine omni presence is effectuated and expressed, and inspires men to be prophets ; as the Word of God, Wisdom made the world, and is the executor of God's commands both ' Wisd, vii, viii, ix; Vacherot, i. pp. 134, 135; Dahne, pp. 154, ff. ; Gfrorer, Philo, i. pp. 243, ff. ; ii. pp. 216, ff. ' Thus, chap. i. 4-6 : ' Into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter, nor dwell iu the body that is subject to sin. For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and remove from thoughts that are without understanding. Wisdom is a loving spirit.' ' For the Spirit of the Lord filleth the world ; and that which oontaineth all things hath knowledge of the voice,' ver. 7. Com pare also ix. 1 7. Here Wisdom is ideutiiied with the Holy Spirit. In the following passages it assumes the character of the Word : vii. 22, 'Wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me ; ' xviii. 15, ' Thine Almighty word leaped down from heaven out of Thy royal throne, as a fierce man of war . . . and brought Thine unfeigned commandment ; ' ix. I, 2, ' 0 God of my fathers, Who hast made all things with Thy Word, and ordained man through Thy Wisdom.' In Philo also the conception of Wisdom is not consistent or uniform. Some passages expressly identify the Logos and Wisdom; elsewhere Wisdom is represented aa the spouse of God, and again as the mother of the Logos. S 26 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. in the reward and punishment of His creatures. By personifying Wisdora in the former view the author prepares the way in a most remarkable manner for the full doctrine of the Personality of the Holy Ghost, which was not plainly revealed till later times ; and by his personification of the Word he adumbrates the true Christian doctrine expressed by S. John. Human Wisdom is portrayed as that gift of God to men which is the guide and aim of all good conduct in life, and which leads to a happy immortality. This gift contains all virtues, moral, physical, and intellec tual, holy living, manual dexterity, cultivated under- fitanding. In developing this principle the author is in advance of many of the books of the Old Testament in regard to the Providence of God, the immortality of the soul, and the future judgment, thus lighting the way to the full knowledge of Christianity. Inci dentally, or it may be formally, he refutes the per nicious doctrines of Epicureans and materialists ; he shews the superiority of the Hebrew religion to heathen philosophy in its purity and strictness, in its faith in a future life, in its trust in Divine Providence, and tacitly confutes many of those arguments alleged by Pagans both then and afterwards against Hebraism. And, further, as in the inspiration of his genius, and fired by the majesty of his subject, a poet is often led to give utterance to thoughts which have a raeaning and a fulness far beyond anything that he intended, so the author of the Book of Wisdom, if not directly in spired by God as were the writers of the earlier Scrip tures, has exhibited a deep knowledge of divine things, and a forward reach into mysteries still unrevealed. have been guided beyond his own thought to indicate the operations and attributes of the second Person of the Holy Trinity. ' O God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, "Who hast made all things by Thy Word' (ix. i). ' For it was neither herb, nor mollifying plaister that restored them [the people bitten by fiery serpents] to health; but Thy Word, 0 Lord, which healeth all things.' 'That Thy children, 0 Lord, whom Thou lovest, might know that it is not the growing of fruits that nourisheth man ; but that it is Thy Word which pre- serveth them that put their trust in Thee' (xvi. 12, 26). ' WhUe all things were in quiet silence, and night was in the midst of her swift course. Thine Alraighty Word leaped down from heaven out of Thy royal throne, as a fiei'ce man of war in the midst of a land of destruction, ^ and brought Thine unfeigned coraraandraent as a sharp sword' (xviii. 14-16). As regards the second passage here quoted, our Lord Himself has explained the alle gorical iraport of the ' serpent lifted up in the wilder ness.' The last passage has for ages been applied by the Latin Church to the Incarnation, and is interwovea into her offices for Christmas and Epiphany. And once more, that language which the author puts into the mouth of the wicked persecuting the righteous is more true of the mockery heaped upon the Saviour as He hung upon the Cross ' ' He professeth to have the knowledge of God, and he calleth himself the child of God . . . He maketh his boast that God is his Father. Let us see if his words be true : and let us prove what | shall happen in the end of him. For if the just man be the Son of God, He will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies.' ,_ which seem greater than have been elsewhere displayed /~The Book itself may be broadly divided into two parts, beyond the limits of Scripture. Those magnificent en- Ithe first nine chapters treating of Wisdom under its comiuras of Wisdom wherein our Book abounds seem /more speculative aspect, exhorting men to strive after to illustrate and glorify Him Who is the Wisdom of it, and describing its origin, and its moral and intel- God. Nothing can be more appropriate to Christ than the grand personification of this attribute of Deity. In such passages as the following the writer seems to lectual effects ; the last ten chapters being confined to the historical view, showing how Wisdora has dis played its power in the lives of the Fathers and in its :^= -^ Wisd. ii. 13, 16-18 ; S. Matt, xxvii. 42, 43. The words in Ps. xxii. 8, are not so full or so similar. PROLEGOMENA. 27- dealings with the Israelites in connection with Egypt. Herein incidentally are answered many of the heathen cavils against Hebraism ; and that problem which Job found impossible to explain, the difficulties which occur to any one who reflects upon the moral government of the world, is in a measure resolved, and the faith ful believers are comforted with the assurance that although they suffer here and the wicked prosper, yet a day of retribution is at hand, and in another life all shall be adjusted and rectified, — a fact, the truth of which, as regards individuals, may be inferred from God's dealings with nations which have no future, but are rewarded and punished in this world. III. Language and Character. The language and style of the Book are very re markable. Compared with the Septuagint version of the canonical Scriptures, it is seen at once to be no mere translation from the Hebrew, but an original work of high character and of marked peculiarity. S. Jerome was quite justified in the opinion expressed in his Preface to the Books of Solomon : ' Secundus apud Hebraeos nusquam est, quin et ipse stylus Graecam eloquentiam redolet.' It is indeed written in the purest form of Alexandrian Greek, free frora the Hebraisms and ano malies of the Septuagint, and full of passages which combine the richest vocabulary with genuine rhetorical eloquence. The originality of the work is seen in many particulars. We may remark the many unusual compound words and novel and combined expressions with which it abounds ; such are, KaK6p.oxdos (xv. 8) ; xnrepiiaxos (xvi. 17); dtajKlSaiTos (iv. 9); dvairoSto'fids (ii. 5) ; fi8e\5eia (xvi. 3) ; yevemdpxrjs (xiii. 3) ; evbpdveia (xiii. 19) ; vrjmoKTSvos (xi. 7) ; ^paxvTeXr/s (xv. 9). Many expressions in this Book have become, as it were, house hold words among us, others exhibit a remarkable felicity which has given them a general currency. Mediaeval illuminations on the walls of Churches or in devotional manuals show how deeply the heart of the religious had imbibed the notion that 'the souls ofthe righteous are in the hand of God' (iii. i). Ma terialistic and rude as such representations may seem to. modern eyes, they preach a great truth which is clearly set forth in Wisdom. Many a man quotes or hears the words 'a hope full of immortality' (iii. 4) without knowing the source of this noble expression. ' They are Thine, O Lord, Thou Lover of souls,' iecmoTa (j>iK6- ¦\jruxe (xi. 26). Here is an old term with a new and beautiful sense affixed to it, the classical notion of ' loving life too well,' and hence of being cowardly, being elevated into an attribute of Almighty God Who hateth nothing that He hath made. Modern science is fond of talking about Protoplasm and the Protoplast, little imagining that it is indebted to Wisdora for the word' : ' I myself am a mortal man . . . the offspring of him that was first made of the earth,' ¦yijyevovs diroyovos irpa- TOTi\dcTTov (viii. I ; x. i). That saying of our Lord, ' Whoso comraitteth sin is the servant of sin,' and still more that of S. Paul, ' We are debtors not to the flesh' ' Forgetting this, Wilberforce writes (Doctr. of Incamat. chap. iii. p. 49, ed. 1852): 'Wherein did the Protoplast, as Bishop Bull oaUs him, after S. Irenaeus, differ from us all ? ' as though the latter were the originator of the expression in its application to Adam. £ 2 28 THE BOOK OF W^ISDOM. to live after the flesh,' had already been shadowed forth by our author where he speaks of Wisdom not dwell ing in the body pawned, pledged, bound over to sin, Kardxpea dpaprias '. Classical Greek knows a verb pep-^a, pc/povriavl^eTai, Se Toir ptr) diruTTOvcrai auTip, Here are seen the verbal artifice in the words dyoir^- trore, ^rjiTja-aTe, (j)povrjs rd oaia onaBrjO'ovTai (vi. Il); o^j — 6povs (i. io) ; iraiolv — iixiraiypbv — irai- yvtots (xii. 25, 26); dpyd — epya (xiv. 5), are examples of artificial adornment which, though not so frequent in other Greek authors, are not without example in either of the Testaments ^. But it raust be confessed that the straining after such effects sometimes degenerates into turgidity, and seems to be below the dignity of the subject. But while the contrasts are occasionally forced and the treatment is unequal, the general tenour of the work is highly pleasing, rising often into grand eloquence and expressing the noblest thought in the choicest diction. There is another connection in which the language of the Book is most interesting and valuable. Its utility in the study of the New Testament is undoubted. Many phrases that are commonly found in the later Scriptures can be traced to, or are illustrated by their use in, the Book of Wisdom. These are mentioned in the Commentary as they occur, but a few may be noticed here. When the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews would express the co-eternity and consub- stantiality of the Son with the Father, he uses the remarkable terra diraiyaa-pa t^s So^tjs — a phrase which is not found in the Old Testament elsewhere but in Wisdom vii. 26, where Wisdom is called diraiyaa-p.a (jxoTos d'iStov. The expression X'^P'.' ''''' eXeos, familiar to us in the New Testament (e.g. i Tim. i. 2), is used more than once in our Book ' ; so oTjp.ela Kai repara (S. John iv. 48) occurs viii. 8, and x. 16. That mysterious ' See note on vi. 18. ' Cf. 2 Cor. i. 3, 4, where S. Paul accumulates irapoKoKe'iv and its derivatives. For such verbal refinements in Wisdom see Grimm, Einleit., p. 7. For examples of play on words in the New Testament see Phil. iii. 2, 3, /taroTO^^, neptrop.^^ : Gal. v. II, 12, irepiTo/i-^v, diro«6\liovTai : Rom. i. 29, 30, 31, iropvela, irovrjpia ; ) KapBla avTov, which is a quotation from the Septuagint of Isai. xliv. 20 whei-e the variation from the Hebrew is remarkable ^- Now the Septuagint version was begun at least in the time of the earlier Ptolemies about B.C. 280, and was continued at various intervals. When it was concluded is quite uncertain. For our purpose it is enough to fix a date earlier than which Wisdom could not have been written, and this limit we may set at B.C. 200. The secon^limitationis derived, from the fact that thp. BnnTr r^nntains no trace oi distinctively Christian doctrine. The Incarnation, the Atonement, and the Resurrection of the body, find no place in its teaching. It is true that some comment ators ' have satisfied themselves that there are passages which could only have come from a Christian hand, but as these are allowed by them to be interpolations, (though there is no evidence of the fact and the pas sages themselves are in accordance with the rest of the work), we raay leave this opinion out of our considera tion. But in addition to these data, there is another fact to be inferred from the treatise which defines the period during which it could have been composed. Its language in many places points to a time of op pression wholly inappropriate to the era of Solomon. Such, statements as these : ' The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them' (iii. i); 'Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him' (v. i); seem to be the utterances of one who was consoling himself and others under persecu tion and affliction. Hence the author inveighs against unrighteous rulers, and threatens them with heavy ^ Eichhom, Einleit. in d. Apokryph. ; Grotius, Anuot. in libr. Apocryph. ' Other instances of reference to the Septuagint version are found in the following ; vi. 7 ; xi. 4 ; xii. 8 ; xvi. 22 ; xix. 21. ' Noack, Der Ursprung des Christeuthums, i. p. 322, ff. • Kirschbaum, Der Jtid. Alex. p. 52; Grotius, iu Comm. ; Gratz, Gesch. der Jud. iii. p. 495 ; Erasmus, De Ratione Concion. iii. (vol. V. p. 1049). 32 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. judgment (vi. 5, 9) ; speaks of present sufferings and chastisements (xii. 22, 23); and connects these things with the diatribe against idolatry and the deification of man (xiv. etc.). Now under the earlier Ptolemies the Jews in Alex andria enjoyed the utmost peace and prosperity, had all the privileges of Macedonian citizens, were in high favour at court, and exercised their own peculiar wor ship without restraint '. Such too was their condition under the later kings down to the time of the Christian era. The only persecutions which they suffered took place in the reigns of Ptolemy Philopator (b.c. 221- 204), and Ptolemy VII or Physcon (b.c. 170-117). The sufferings of the Jews under the latter are men tioned by Josephus^. They had their rise in the inhuman aud sanguinary temper of the king, and ex tended not merely to the Hebrews, but to all the inhabitants, insomuch that the populace in general fled from the scene of blood, and the city was almost deserted. The only special persecution of the Jews in tbe period of which we are speaking was that which raged under Ptolemy Philopator. This monarch on his return from the defeat of Antiochus (b.c. 217) passed through Jerusalem, and being repulsed in an attempt to penetrate, against the High Priest's remon strances, into the Most Holy Place of the Temple, conceived an implacable hatred for the Jews, and on his return to Egypt revenged himself for his humilia tion by the most atrocious persecutions. It is thought that the highly coloured account in the third Book of Maccabees refers to this occurrence. But be that as it may, without any undue assumption, and leaving un decided the special tribulation to which the writer of Wisdom refers, we may safely date the production of the Book between b. c. 217 and bs;. 145, that is be tween the epoch marked by the religious oppression under Philopator, and that rendered memorable by the enormities of the bloated sensualist Physcon. If we come now to consider the question of the author of the Book, we are at once launched into a controversy which, with our present information, knows no possible settlement. It is easy to find objections to all the writers to whom the work has been attributed : to fix on a more probable name is beyond our power. We can here only very briefly indicate the line which this fruitless inquiry has taken. We have seen already that the name of Solomon was assumed by the author for literary purposes ', but many in old time * and some in later years ° have contended for the Solomonic authorship. However, the language, the style, the development of doctrine, the local colour ing, the quotations from the Septuagint, entirely pre clude the notion of the writer being David's son. And as to the work being a translation from the Hebrew, or (as the critic^ who attributes it to Zerubbabel suggests,) the Chaldee, considerations have already ' Joseph. Ant. xii. i ; Contr. Ap. ii. 4. ' Contr. Ap. ii. 5. See also Athenaeus, iv. p. 184 ; vi. p. 252, ed. Casaub. ; Justin. Hist, xxxviii. 8, 9. ' Thus Eusebius, quoting vi. 24, says: Kai ravra Si wq e( auToD Kiyerai toO irpoainrov (i. e. personifying Solomon) ; Praep. Evang. vii. 12. (xxi. p. 544, Migne). * E.g. Clem. Alex. Strom, vi. 1 1 (p. 786, Pott.), quoting xiv. 2, 3, says : iTrcixa Si ovk dvi'yvwaav Tb irpbs tov SoKopiaivTos elpi]iiivov, S. Cypr. Exh. Mart. xii. ; Orig. Hom. in Jer. viii. (xiii. p. 337, M.) : tpijclv ^ Xoipla ^ iiriyeypapftevTj ^oKopiaivTos. So Holkot in his Commentary. Didymus attributes the book to Solomon, De Trin. ii. 6. (xxxix. p. 536, M.): dis ^oXopSiv \tyef tpelSij Si irdvrmv, ^i. 26; and De Spir. § 54, he refers to vii. 18, 20, as showing that Solomon knew ' violentias spirituum, rapidos ventorum flatus.' De Trin. i. 16, (xxxix. p. 337, M.) : XoKopaiv 7ci<> A^7^ ^ 3f THE BOOK OF WISDOM. of inevitable hell ;' whereas Philo ' attributes it to an eclipse of the sun. The description of the origin of idolatry in Wisdom and in Philo's works could never have been written by the same author, as there are many points discrepant and contradictory '¦*. Such differences might be greatly extended, but enough has been said to show that the opinion which makes PhUo the author of the Book of Wisdom is untenable ; if indeed more proofs of the same were wanting, they might be found in contrasting the ideas of the two authors as to divine Wisdom, which wiU be found to be irreconcileable. The theory ' which assigns the work to Aristobulus, the favourite of Ptolemy Philometor, fails to satisfy for these reasons : the little that is known of his writings is quite different in style and treatment from Wisdom, and at any rate is too insignificant, even if we grant its genuineness, to support the notion; secondly, in his tirae the Jews were in great prosperity, and not suffer ing from the persecutions to which we have seen .illusions in our Book ; and thirdly, being a courtier and a king's favourite minister, Aiistobulus is not likely to have inveighed against kings and tyrants, and to have proffered unpalatable advice. Despairing of finding a single author to whom to at tribute the Book, some writers * have irapugned its unity. That perverse criticism which is always straining after startling effects, and which is never satisfied except it evolve new theories, and on very insufficient grounds up root long-established convictions, has seen in the struc ture of this Book evidence of the handiwork of two or more authors. Solomon and his translators, according to Houbigant, have shared the work between them. Four Jews of varying sentiments, and one of them belonging to Christian times, seem to Bretschneider to have com posed the treatise. Nachtigal finds herein a collection of sentences, or a kind of Psalm in praise of Wisdom, which two sets of Rabbis sung antiphonally at three separate sittings of the sacred company. Eichhom, if he is not quite clear as to the work being the produc tion of two different writers, assures himself that it was composed in a most peculiar fashion, the second pai't (from chap, xi.) being the offspring of the author's younger days, before he had learned to free himself from the shackles of Jewish prejudices and had enlarged his mind by the study of Greek Philosophy, the fii-st portion giving token of riper years and maturer know ledge. For these theories of a plurality of authors there is really no evidence of any weight \ Uncertain as all such subjective criticism must be, it is remark ably ill-placed on this occasion, as we have seen that the Book presents an unity of design and an identity of treatment which imply the work of a single author, and which indeed would be marvellous if it were the pro duction of two or more writers composing at different periods and under different circurastances. A theory started by Noack", attributing the authorship to ApoUos, has recently been raaintained by Professor Plumptre, who in two articles in The Expositor' claims this apostle as the writer of Wisdom and of the Epistle to the Hebrews, the former being the production of the author while unconverted, the latter the fruit of his ma ture Christianity. The hypothesis is attractive, but it rests on no secure basis, there being nothing in its favour except that Apollos was an eloquent Jew of Alexandria and might have wiitten the Book. The argument is sup ported chiefiy by a certain coincidence of phraseology in the two writings ; and it is certain that there are maoy ' Vita Moys. i. 2I. (ii. p. loo) : iaais piv koH fjXlov yevopevrjs e«\el\lteas tuiv iv effei TeXeioripas. Ginsburg, ap. Kitto's Cyclop., Art. Wisdom of Solomon. ' Comp. Wisd. xii. xiii. and Philo, De Monarch, i. 1-3. (ii. pp. Z12-216). '^ Lutterbeok, Die Neutest. Lehrbegr. i. 407, ff. ' Houbigant, Proleg. in Not. Crit. i. pp. ccxvi, ocxxi; Eichhom, Einleit. iu d. Apokr. p. 142, ff. ; Bretschneider, De Ubr. Sap. parte priore ; Nachtigal, Das Buch Weisheit. ° The refutation of these dreamiugs seriatim may be seen in Grimm, Einleit. See also Migne, Script. Sacr. Curs. Compl. Prolegom. in libr. Sap.; Dahne, ii. p. 154, ff. ° Der Ursprung des Christenth. i. p, 222. ' Vol. i. pp. 329, ff. and 409, ff. PROLEGOMENA. 35 words and expressions common to both. But this cor respondence may prove nothing more than the fact that the Christian author was acquainted with the Alex andrian work, or that they both drew from some com mon source. To any unprejudiced mind the contrast between the two is most marked ; the difference of style is too great to be reasonably attributed to different phases of the same intellect. There is nothing in Wisdom like the continuous interweaving of Old Testa ment Scriptures which is found in the Epistle ; there is no exhibition in the Epistle of the acquaintance with pagan learning which is so prominent a feature of the earlier work. The resemblances in language may be paralleled frora Philo, and might be equally well used to support his claim to the authorship of either. For those who hold the Pauline origin of the Epistle to the Hebrews, no other argument is needed to discredit this theory; for those who leave the question about the Epistle doubtful, it is enough to say that the date of Apollos does not coincide with what we have shown to be the probable date of our Book, that we know abso lutely nothing of that apostle's writings, that the verbal similarities are capable of another explanation, and that the scope and objects of the two writings are wholly different. The authorship of the Book of Wisdom is a problem which will never be solved ; and we may be well con tent to let it rest. The name of the writer could add little to the importance of the work ; and we may believe that he, like the author of Be imitatione Christi, would pray : ' Da mihi omnibus mori quae in mundo sunt, et propter Te amare couterani, et nesciri in hoc saeculo.' V. History, authority, and relation to the Canou of Scripture. We must now speak of the history of the Book, of its recognition as inspired, and its relegation to those which are called the Apocryphal writings. It seems to be quoted by no pre-christian writer '. Neither Philo nor Josephus notice or refer to it. There is however, as we have already hinted ^, evidence to show that some of the authors of the New Testament were acquainted with, if they did not quote, its language. Allusions to its phraseology are frequent in S. Paul's Epistles. That noble passage in the fifth chapter of Wisdom seems to be the groundwork of the grand description of the Christian's armour in Ephesians (vi. 13-17). 'He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armour,' \r)^eTai iravovKiav : ' Take unto you the whole armour of God,' dvaXa^ere rrjv iravoirXiav tov Qeov. ' He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate,' ivBva-erat dapaxa hiKaioavvtfv : ' Having on the breastplate of righteous ness,' ivhvrrdpevoi tov 6wpaKa rrjs biKaiorrvvrjs. ' And true judgment instead of a helmet. He shall take holiness for an invincible shield :' ' above all taking the shield of faith . . . and take the helmet of salvation.' The passage too about the potter in Rom. ix. is an echo ' Vacherot (Hist, de I'-fecole d' Alexandr. i. p. 134) says that Wisdom is quoted by Aristobulus, but I have not been able to identify the passage. The author has probably misappropriated a citation from Clemens, which occurs in Eusebius, immediately contiguous to a passage from Aristobulus. ' Prolegom. § iii. A copious list of supposed citations or references is given in Grinmi, Einleit. p. 36, note 2. See also an article by Bleek, in Theol. Stud, und Krit. 1853, pp. 339, ff, F 2 36 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. of a similar sentiment in Wisd. xv. ' Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour ?' says St. Paul. 'The potter tempering soft earth,' we find in Wisdom, 'fashioneth every vessel with much labour for our service ; yea, of the same clay he maketh both the vessels that serve for clean uses and likewise all such as serve to the contrary ; but what is the use of either sort, the potter himself is the judge.' We have already spoken of the remarkable expression diravyaapa applied (Heb. i. 3) to the divine Son, being the 'brightness of the Father's gloiy and the express image (xapaxr^p) of His Person,' which is found nor where else in Scripture but in the description of W^isdom (chap. vii. 26), 'She is the brightness (dirav- yaa-pa) of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness.' The similarity here is too close to be accidental. Desiring to indicate the consubstantiality and co- equality of the Son with the Father, the writer was guided to use the language with which he was familiar in the Book of Wisdom, and which has now been formulated in the Nicene Creed, Qebs ix ecoC, (pS>s ix iTmv els perd- voiav. The passage Rom. ix. 22, 23 has many striking parallelisms with Wisd. vii. 22-24; and these coinci dences of thought and expression might be largely tnultiplied ' ; but enough has been said to show that there is great probability that some of the New Testa ment writers were well acquainted with our Book. The first direct quotation with which we are ac quainted (though in this case the writer himself doeS not name the author whose words he cites), is found in Clemens Rom. Ep. I. ad Cor. xxvii. 5, where we read : tIs ipel avTm' ti iirolr/a-as ; § Tis dtTtonJo'erat ra Kpdrei t^s la-xvos avTov ; Now although the words n's ipel air^' n iiroirja-as are found in Job xi. 12, the second question TIS avTioTrio-eTai occurs nowhere but '\\'isd. xi. 22 and xii. 1 2 ; and Clement, quoting from memory, has mingled the two passages together * That Irenaeus made use of the Book is testified by Eusebius (Hist. v. 8), who tells us that he cited certain passages therefi^om, viz. : Spams Qeov TrepinoirjTiKi) drpBapaias, which does not OCCUr, and d(j)dapa-ia be iyyvs eivai jroiei etoO, which is found in Wisd. vi. 20^. He also adds (v. 26) that he has seen another work of Irenaeus, fii^Xlov ti bidXe^eav 8ta0opmi», in which are inserted quotations from the Epistle to the Hebrews and rrjs Xeyopevris So(/)iai 2oXo/i£vTOi. From the time of Clemens Alexandrinus it is cited continually hy the Fathers, often under Solomon's name, and often as inspired. With Clemens Alexandrinus * it is usually * See Bleek, uii sitpr. p. 340, ff. ^ Rom. i. 20 : ipaTaidiBrjaav ev toTs SiaKoyiffpoTs avraiv. Wisd. xiii. I ; pdratoi ydp irdyres dvBpanroi k.t.X. ^ Compare also i Cor. vi. 2 with Wisd. iii. 8 ; 2 Cor. v. 4 with Wisd. ix. 15 ; S. John xvii. 3 with Wisd. xv. i, 3 ; S. Matt. xiii. 43 with Wisd. iii. 7 ; Rev. ii. 10 with Wisd. v. 16. ¦^isd. xi. 22 : Kpdrei Ppaxlovos aov tis aVriffTijireTai ; xii. 12 1 tIs ydp epei, tI eirolijaas, fj ris dvTtaT^aerai, tS Kplparl aov. Grunm. Einleit. p. 36. " This passage is found iu benaeus' work. Adv. Haer. iv. 38,3- » Strom, iv. 16, p. 609 Pott.; v. p. 699; vi. p. 795. PROLEGOMENA, 37 balled 77 Bela o-oc^m ; S. Athanasius calls it ^ ^orjiia, but cites it as Scripture ^ ; thus too Eusebius ^, after tran scribing the passage vii. 22 — viii. i, ends with the words Tavra pev 17 Tpacfirj. S. Cyprian ' introduces Wisd. V. 1-9 with the words : ' Secundum Scripturae sanctae fidem.' S. Augustine' too on some occasions classes it with Scripture. The high regard in which it was held may be inferred from the frequent use made of it by Origen, Didymus, Ephraem Syrus, Hippolytus Ro- manus, Chrysostom ^ and other Fathers, who appeal to it in proof of doctrine as to the rest of the Bible. For ihose writers who knew the Word of God only as pre sented to them in the Greek language, it was natural tb accord to the Book of Wisdom this high position. If we may judge from the Manuscripts that have come down to us, it would be impossible for anyone, looking merely to the Septuagint version and its allied works, to distinguish any of the Books in the collection as of less authority than others. There is nothing whatever to raark off the canonical writings from what have been tailed the deutero-canonical. They are all presented as of equal standing and authority, and if we must make distinctions between them, and place some on a higher platform than others, this, separation must be ; made on grounds which are not afforded by the ar rangement of the various documents themselves. The place which the Book of Wisdom occupies in tbe MSS. which contain it is not in all cases identical, but in none is it relegated to a position apart from the universally allowed canonical Books. In the Sinaitic and Alexandrian Codices it stands between the Song of Solomon and Ecclesiasticus, in the Vatican MS. Job stands next before it ; and it must be observed that Isaiah and the other prophets are arranged after these, the Sapiential Books holding an intermediate position between the Historical and the Prophetical. The copies of the Greek Scriptures in use among the Jews at the time of our Lord contained the Books thus arranged without any distinctive mark ; and, as far as we know, neither Christ nor His Apostles, in citing the Septuagint (which they continually do)'', ever gave any warning against what we call the Apocryphal writings, many of which formed an integral part of the volume. That the Book of Wisdom was not included among the twenty-two volumes of the Hebrew canon is ob vious '. Its langrnfltffi alnup! wnnlH render its admission impossible. The first public recognition of its claims is said to have been made by a canon of the Council I of Carthage, a.d. 397, though the same canon had ' already appeared in a provincial Council at Hippo four years previously*. This verdict is not confirmed by I the Apostolic Canons, which place Ecclesiasticus in a secondary rank, but omit all mention of Wisdom. Very few of the private catalogues of Scripture class , our Book with the canonical writings. S. Augustine " ! includes it in his list, but seems elsewhere to speak some- ; what apologetically thus : ' Liber Sapientiae, qui tanta numerositate annorum legi meruit in Ecclesia Christi :' I it is also found in the catalogues of Innocentius '", ' S. Athan. Apol. de Fuga, 19. (p. 262 Ben.) : uis eTirev fj So^ia, quoting Wisd. iii. 5, 6 ; Contr. Gent. 11. (p. 9) he intro duces Wisd. xiv. 12-21 with ^ Vpafi Xeyovaa, But in the Fest. Ep. 39, he excludes it from the Canou. ' Praep. Ev. vii. I2. (p. 322 Ben.) and xi. 14. (p. 532). " Ad Demetr. p. 224 (ed. Paris, 1726) ; so, quoting Wisd. iii. 4-8, he calls it ' Scriptura divina,' Ep. 81. ' De Civit. Dei, xi. 10, l, he quotes ' Spiritus sapientiae mul tiplex ' (Wisd. vii. 2 2), as being ' in Scriptura sacra.' See also in Ps. Ivii. I. ^ Numerous quotations will be found in the Commentary. To have inserted half that I have collected would have indeed enriched my notes, but at the same time would have sweUed their dimensions unreasonably. « See Grinfield, Nov. Test. ed. HeUeu. ' Joseph. Contr. Ap. i. 8; Euseb. Hist. Eccl. iv. 26. ' Cosin, Hist, of Canon, § 82 ; Smith's Bible Diet., Art. Canon ; Labb. Cone. iii. p. 891, wherein are enumerated as canonical ' Salomonis libri quinque.' Hefele, Hist, of Counc. ii. p. 400 (Clarke). ^ De Doctr. Christ, ii. 8. CompareDePraedest. i. 27. (x.p.807). '" Ep. ad Exsup. ap. Galland. viii. pp. 56, ff. 38 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. Cassiodorus^ and Isidoinis". But individual writers continued to deny its claims to canonicity, while they maintained its importance and utility in moral teach ing. Thus S. Jerome'', after naming the twenty-two Books of the Hebrew Canon, proceeds : ' Hic prologus, Scripturarum quasi galeatum principium, omnibus libris quos de Hebi-aeo vertimus in Latinum, convenire potest, ut scire valeamus, quidquid extra hos est, inter apocrypha esse ponendum. Igitur Sapientia, quae vulgo Salomonis inscribitur, et Jesu filii Sirach liber, et Judith, et Tobias, et Pastor *, non sunt in Canone.' And of the two Sapiential Books he says ° : ' Sic et haec duo volumina legat [Ecclesia] ad aedificationem plebis, non ad auctoritatem ecclesiasticorum dogmatum confirmandam.' Similar sentiments are to be found in various authors down to the time of the Council of Trent, which put an end to all differences of opinion among the members of the Roman Catholic Church by decreeing the canonicity of this Book". This hasty and uncritical enactment ordered all the Books of which a list was given, including Wisdom, to be received ' pari pietatis affectu,' on pain of incurring anathema. The early Greek Church was naturally influenced by the use of the Septuagint version in its reception of the Book of Wisdom. But later the Confession of Cyril Lucar ^ confirmed the Catalogue of the Council of Laodicea *, held between A. d. 343 and 381, in which our Book is wanting '. The same verdict is given in the Confession of Metrophanes Critopulus, the friend of Lucar, who enumerates the twenty-two books of the Hebrew Canon, and then adds : to Xoiird be /3i^Xm, anep Tives ^ovXovTai avyKaraXeyeiv t^ dyia ypafflij oiov . . . ^oiplav TOV SoXopMVTOs . . . dirofiXrjTovs p.ev ovx yyovpeBa' ttoXXo ydp TjOiKa, irXeiarov iiraivov a^ia, ipurepiexerai ravrais. as KavovtKas be Kai aWevriKos ovbeiroT direbe^aro rj tov Xpiarov iKKXriaia . . . Aid ovbe to boypara ^pSiv ireipS>p.e6a « TouTfflii irapaoT^aai^". The Orthodox Confession, which was put forth with authority a. D. 1643, merely refei-s the Canon to the decision of Oecumenical synods, but does not name the volumes which compose it". On the other hand, the Synod of Jerusalem, a.d. 1672, intro duced Wisdom and the other deutero-canonical Books to a place in Holy Scripture, and, following the lead of the Patriarch Dositheus, inveighed strongly against the Confession of C^tII Lucar which was of no authority in the Oriental Church. Having endorsed the Laodi cean Canon of Scripture, the Council says : rai irpbs Tovrois direp davveras Kai dpaBSis elr' ovv iBeXoKOKOvpyas diroKpv^a KaTtovopjiae [o KupiXXoi]" Trp> Soris yvrjawv j3ij3Xi(o» Kai raira yvi)aia tt)s yparfirjs pepj] Kplvopev '', In the Longer Catechism of the Russian Church, which gives the Catalogue of the Old Testament according to the Hebrew Canon, the question is asked, ^Vhy are not the Books of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus mentioned in this list 1 The answer is : Athanasius says, that they have been appointed by the Fathers to be read by proselytes who are preparing for admission into the Church, but they are excluded from the catalogue because they do not exist in the Hebrew ". The pre sent vie"\rMf the lebt ufthe Gl'eeFDhurch is in accord ance with the verdict of the Synod of Jerusalem. From the time of the Reformation Protestant Churches have always, following the example of ' De Instit. Div. Litt. xiv. ° De Orig. vi. i . ' Prol. Galeat. in Ubr. Reg. See Bleek, Theol. Stud. u. Krit. 1853, pp. 270, ff. * The Shepherd of Hermas is meant. This is found at the end of the Codex Sinaiticus. ° Praef. in libr. Salom.; Orig. irepl 'Apx. iv. 33, says: 'Qui utique liber nou ab omnibus in auctoritate habetur ' (p. 1 93 Ben.). « Concil. Trid. Sess. iv. ; Sarpi, p. 139, ff. (ed. 1655). ' Kimmel, Mouum. Fid. Eccles. Orient. P. Ixxxviii ; Bleek, uU supr. p. 277. ' Kimmel, ib. i. p. 42. ' Hefele, Hist, of Counc. ii. p. 323 (Clarke). " Kimmel, ii. pp. 105, 106. " Kimmel, i. p. 159, and Pioleg. p. Iv; Blaokmore, Doctr. of Russ. Ch, pp. xvi, ff. " Kimmel, ii p. 467 ; Jligne, Diet, des Cone. '' Blackmore, Doctr. of Russ. Church, pp. 38, 39. PROLEGOMENA. 39 Luther^, separated the so-called Apocryphal Books from the rest of the Scripture. The verdict of the Anglican Church is found in her Sixth Article ; at the same time, with an inconsistency occasioned doubtless by the general use of the Latin Vulgate, she continually in her authorised Homilies quotes Wisdom as Scrip ture. Thus in the Homily Of Obedience, pt. i. ^, she introduces a citation with the words, ' the infallible and undeceivable word of God ;' and in another place, ' as the word of God testifieth '.' With regard to the position and authority of the Book of Wisdom we may sum up our opinion in the following terms. Written anterior to Christianity, it is entirely in accordance with the mind of the Spirit as expressed in the Canonical Scriptures : raany co incidences of thought and expression, designed or un designed, exist between it and the writings of the New Covenant : it exhibits views and doctrines in advance of those found in the Old Testament: it shows in a marked manner the effect of the union of Jewish and Greek ideas, and in many respects anticipates the dogmas and the language which Christianity introduced. And further, it has been commonly quoted as Scripture by some Fathers and Councils, and is considered in this light by the Eastern and Roman Churches. On the other hand, it is certain that Wisdom was never in cluded in the Hebrew Canon, was distinctly repudiated by many early writers, is wanting in evidence of general reception, and is rejected by the Anglican and all reformed Churches as inspired. We therefore regard as probable and safe the dictum of the Sixth Article, at the same time acknowledging that the absence of sufficient proof of canonicity, and not any internal marks of error or inferiority, is the chief ground for assigning to this work a lower place than the other writings of the Old Testament. Whether we consider its high tone, its moral and religious teaching, its devotional spirit, its polished diction, and its perfect accordance with the word of God*, or whether we regard it as supplementary to the Old Testament, as filling a gap in the intellectual and religious history of God's people, as bridging over a space which would otherwise be left unoccupied, it is worthy of all respect, and claims an honour and a reverence which, with perhaps the exception of Ecclesiasticus, no other book, exterior to those universally acknowledged as divine Scripture, can be said to possess. VI. The Text. The authorities for the Text of the Book of Wisdom are chiefly the following Uncial Manuscripts. 1. The Codex Sinaiticug (S), discovered by Tischen dorf at the Monastery on Mount Sinai in 1844 and 1859, written, as he supposes, (though others have seen reason to doubt this opinion,) in the middle of the fourth century, now in the possession of the Emperor of Russia, and of which a facsimile edition was published in 1862. ^ Luther, iu his translation of 'The Apocrypha,' assigned an inferior position to these Books. See Credner, Gesch. d. Kan. pp. 291, ff. ' P. 97. ed, Oxf. 1844. " Peril of Idolatry, pt. iii. p. 220; comp. p. 216 and pt. i. p. 164. • The charges of Platonism, heathenism, and false teaching, brought against the Book by various writers, are noticed in the Commentary on the various passages referred to- 40 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. It contains the whole of Wisdom, but has not been used by Tischendorf, except in a chapter or two, in his own latest edition of the Septuagint. Since his death an edition (the sixth) has been published (1880) containing a collation of S and V by E. Nestle. The corrections in the MS. are in my edition noted S^ and S^. 2. The Codex Alexandrinus (A), written about the middle of the fifth century, presented to King Charles I iu 1628 by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, and now preserved in the British Museum. It contains the whole of the Book of Wisdom. A facsimile edition was published by Baber, Lend. 1816-1828. The various readings of this MS. are very accurately given by Tischendorf It forms the foundation of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge edition of the LxX, ed. Field, though the learned editor has in some instances admitted doubtful corrections of the text, even where the reading of the original was quite intelligible. As above, A^ and A^ denote corrections in the MS. by first or second hand. So in V beloW. 3. The Codex Vaticanus (V), the most valuable of all the MSS. for antiquity and accuracy, now in the Vatican Library, written about the middle of the fourth century. It contains the whole of our Book. It was published, but very incorrectly, by Cardinal Mai in 1857 ; and has now been re-edited with great care by Vercellone and Cozza (Romae, 1868-1874), the types used in the magnificent facsimile of the Sinaitic Codex being employed. Tischendorfs last edition of the Septuagint gives a fairly accurate reprint of this text. 4. The Codex Ephraem rescriptus (C). This is a MS. of certain portions of the text over which a work of S. Ephraem had been written. The original has been restored by a chemical process. Its date is prob ably the middle of the fifth century, and it contains the following portions of Wisdom: viii. 5 — xii. 10; xiv. 19 — xvii. 18 ; xviii. 24 — xix. 22. Its readings are noted by Tischendorf. 5. Codex Venetus Marcianus (Ven.). This is a MS. of the eighth or ninth century in the library of S. Mark at Venice. It was collated for Holmes and Parsons' edition of the Lxx, and numbered by them (23) on the erroneous supposition that it was written in cursive chai'acters. Its readings in the majority of instances support the Vatican. The cursive MSS. which contain the Book of Wisdom collated by Holmes and Parsons are of later age and much inferior authority. They are numbered 55, 68, 106, 155, 157, 248, 2g3, 2g4, 261, 296. The best of these is 68. The Complutensian edition chiefly follows 248. Besides the above, a pai'tial collation of some Paris MSS. was published by I. C. Thilo in his Specimen exercitation. critic, in Sapient. SaL Halis, 1825. These are numbered A, Aa, B, C, D, E, F, H, I ; they are of little critical value. The two first editions of the Lxx have a peculiar interest though founded on inferior MSS. They ai'e the Complutensian Polyglot of Cardinal Ximenes, 15 17, and the Aldine, 151 8. The former seems to have been the text generally used by the ti'anslators of the English Version. A valuable assistance to the criticism of our Book has been put forth by F. H. Reusch, Observationes Criticae in Librum Sapientiae. Friburgi in Brisgovia, 1861. In this little work (which he designed as a companion volume to his edition of the Greek and Latin texts), he not only gives a selection of various readings, but a copious account of the passages quoted by the Fathers and early writers, which are of manifest utility in the confirmation and correction of the text. The best edition of the text is that by 0. F. Fritzsche, Libri Apocryphi Veteris Testamenti Graece. Lipsiae, 1871. This text is an original one, formed from a careful review of all attainable sources, the various readings being accurately given with a fuluess to be found in no other edition of these Books. The edition by Apel (Libri Vet. Test. Apocryphi Graece. Accurate recognitos brevique diversarum lectionum delectu instructos, ed, H. E. Apel. Lipsiae, 1838) is of little critical value. The groundwork of the present edition is the Vatican MS. as edited by Vercellone and Cozza, from which I PROLEGOMENA. 41 have departed in very few instances, which are duly noted. The stichometrical arrangement of the text is from the Alexandrian MS. The critical apparatus con tains the variations of the uncial MSS. : those of the cursive, given by Holmes and Parsons, and partially reprinted by Fritzsche, as of less importance, I have not thought it necessary to exhibit in their entirety. The references to the Septuagint are to Tischendorfs last edition. This is mentioned as in some Books the chapters and verses are differently numbered. The references to the Old Testament are chiefly to the Greek text. In quoting from Philo I have added in brackets the volume and page of Mangey's edition. In the references to the Fathers, where any difficulty was likely to arise, I have generally given the volume and page of the Benedictine editions. The editions of other writers used are mentioned as they occur. VII. Versions, Editions, and Commentaries. Of the Versions, the Latin contained in the Vulgate is the most important for antiquity and literalness. It is really the old Italic rendering of the second or third century, and was left untouched by S. Jerome when he re-edited the rest of the Bible. In his Preface to the Books of Solomon he says : ' In eo libro, qui a pleris- que Sapientia Salomonis inscribitur . . . calamo tem- peravi, tantummodo canonicas Scripturas vobis emen- dare desiderans.' Although this version has been authorized by the Council of Trent, and declared to be the very Word of God, impartial criticism will detect in it many errors arising from misunderstanding of the original, and many obscurities of expression which only tend to ' darken knowledge.' There are also some ad ditions to the text which are plainly not sanctioned by the original. But, with due allowance for these defects, it probably represents the reading of MSS. earlier than any that have come down to us, and in this respect, at any rate, is of great critical value, while its language is interesting as presenting provincialisms and phrases which point to an African origin. These are noted in the commentary as they occur. In their elucidation rauch use has been made of a work by H. Ronsch, Itala und Vulgata. Marburg, 1875. Other versions are the Syriac and Arabic, given in Walton's Polyglot, and the Armenian. The former (Peschito) has been republished by Lagarde. (Libri Veteris Testamenti Apocryphi e recognitione P. Ant. de Lagarde. Lips., 1861.) It is too free and paraphrastic to be of much critical use, but it often supplies a traditional rendering which is serviceable in the exe gesis of the text. Much the sarae account may be given of the Arabic, which however seems not to be older than the seventh century. The Armenian Ver sion is of higher antiquity and of much greater ac curacy. So close is it to the original that it is easy to see what reading the translator has followed. The variations are noted by Reusch in his Observ. Crit. The Book of Wisdom in Armenian, Greek, and Latin was published by the Mechitarists in 1827. (Reusch), 42 THE BOOK OP WISDOM. COMMENTARIES. The following is a fairly complete Hst of the chief Commentaries on the Book of Wisdom, wherein Germany, as usual, is very copious, and England, till quite lately, has contributed scarcely anything. In early times we have these : Rabanus Maurus : Commentariorum in Libr. Sap. libri tres. Migne, Patrol. Lat. cix. Walafrid Strabo: Glossa Ordinaria. Migne, 113, 114. Anselm, Episc. Laudunensis : Glossa in ter linearis. Basil., 1502, etc. Matthaeus Cantacuzenus : Scholia in Libr. Sap. Migne, Patrol. Graec. clii. The fragments are given in Tom. c. pp. 395, 411, 418, 447, 489. Bonaventura : Expositio in Libr. Sap. Opp. vol. i. Roraae, 1588; Venetiis, 1574. Hugo a Sancto Caro : Postillae, sive breves coramentar. in univ. Bibl. Basil. 1487, 1504; Lugd. 1669. Nicolas Lyranus : PostiUae in univ. Bibl. Romae, 1471-1472. Robert Holkot (ti34o), an English Dorainican: In Libr. Sap. Praelectiones ccxiii. pub. in 1481, 1511, 1586, 1689. Since the Reformation, among Roman Catholics, the following are the chief Commentaries : Dionysius Carthusianus : In quisque Libr. Sapient. Salom., Paris, 1548. P. Nannius : Sap. Salomonis una cum Scholiis, Petro Nannio interprete. Bas. 1552. Corn. Jansen, Bishop of Ghent : Adnotationes in Libr. Sap. Sol. Duac. 1577, 1660. Paraphrasis in omnes Psalmos David, etc. ac in Sapientiam Notae. Antv. 161 4. This Comm. is given in Migne's Script. Sacr. Curs. Compl. Tom. xvii. Hier. Osorius : Paraphrasis in Salomonis Sapientiam. Boulogn. 1,1577. Joann. Lorinus: Commentar. in Sap. Lugd. 1607, 1624. De Castro: Comm. in. Sap. Sal. Lugd. 1613. Corn, a Lapide : Commentar. in Libr. Sap. Antv. 1638. Often reprinted. Joh. Maldonatus : Comm. in Sap. Sal. Paris. 1643. Pet. Gorsius : Explicatio in Lib. Sapientiae. Par. 1655- Joh. Menochius : Brevis Explicatio sensus literalis to- tius Scripturae. Ant. 1678. De Sacy: La Sainte Bible. Par. 1692. (Vol. 14 con tains a commentary on Wisdom.) Augustin Calmet : Commentaire litteral. Par. 1724. Jac. Tirinus : Comment, in S. Scripturam, in the Biblia Magna of De la Haye, where are also the notes of Estius, Sa, and others. Duguet et d'Asfeld : Explication du livre de la Sa- gesse. Paris, 1755. Weitenauer: Job, Psalm., Salom., Siracides . . . explic. 1768. F. W. Smets : Sapientia Vulg. edit. Vers. Belgica notis Grammat. etc. Antv. et Amst. 1749. Du Hamel : Salomonis Libri tres . . . item Liber Sap. et Ecclesiasticus. Par. 1703. C. F. Houbigant : Notae criticae in univ. Vet. Test. libros, etc. Franoof. 1777. Fr. Boaretti : II Libro della Sapienza recato ... con analisi, annotazioni, etc. Venezia, 1792. T. A. Dereser : Die Spriichworter . . . das Buch der Weisheit . . . iibersetzt und erklart. Frankf 1825. J. A. Schmid : Das Buch der W^eisheit iibersetzt und erklart. Wien, 1858, 1865. C. Gutberlet : Das Buch der Weisheit ubersetzt und erklart. Munster, 1874. This forms part of the new edition of the Old Testament by Roman CathoUc ex positors, under the title : Die heiligen Schriften des alten Testamentes nach katholischen Prinzipien iibersetzt und erklart von einem Verein befreundeter Fachgenossen. PROLEGOMENA. 43 Anglican : R. Arnald : A critical commentary upon the Apocryphal Books, 1 744-1 752. It is usually printed with the Commentaries of Patrick, Lowth, and Whitby. J. H. Blunt : The Annotated Bible, vol. ii. Apocrypha. London, 1879. The Wisdom of Solomon, edited for the Society for . Promoting Christian Knowledge, by the Rev. W. R. Churton, B.D. 1886. Protestant : Critici Sacri. Amst. 1698-1732. Of this ed. vol. v. contains the notes on 'Libri Apocryphi.' Herein are comprised the Annotations of Grotius. Conr. Pellicanus : In Libros quos vocant Apooryphos vel potius Ecclesiasticos . . . commentarii. Tiguri, 1572. Nie. Selueccerus : Lib. Sap. ad tyrannos, etc. Lips.1568. Vict. Strigel : Sapientia Sirach . . . Sapientia. Francof et Lips. 1 69 1. J. G. Hasse : Salomos Weisheit, neu iibersetzt mit Anmerkungen und Untersuchungen. Jena, 1785. Brochmannus : Comm. in iv. capp. Sapientiae. Hafn. 1656. Wilh. Petersen : Petachia, od. schriftmassige Erk- larung der Welsh. Sal. Bildingen, 1727. Gottfr. Schuband : Das Buch der Welsh. Sal. Magdeb. 1733- J. A. Steinmetz: Das Buch der Welsh. Magd. und Leipz. 1747. J. F. Kleuker : Salom. Denkwtirdigkeiten, A Is An- hang : Das Buch der Welsh, etc. Riga, 1785. Jac. Wallenius : Salomos Vishet. Greifswald, 1786. Annotationes philologico-criticae in Libr. qui inscri bitur 2o(t>ia ^aXaipav. Gryphisw. 1 786. J. C. C. Nachtigal : Das Buch der Welsh. Halle, 1799. K. G. Kelle : Die heiligen Schriften in ihrer Urgestalt. i. Band. Salom. Schriften. Freib. 1815. A. L. C. Heydenreich : Uebersetzung und Erlauterung des Buches der Welsh., in Tzschirner's MemorabiUen. W. F. Engelbreth : Librum Sap. Sal. interpretandi specimina. Hafniae, 1816. J. Schulthess : Exegetisch. theolog. Forschungen. Ziirich, 1820. J. P. Bauermeister : Comraent. in Sap. Sal. Gotting. 1828. 0. L. W. Grimm : Commentar iiber das Buch der Welsh. Leipz. 1837. Fritzsche und Grimm : Kurzgefasstes exegetisches Handbuch zu den Apocryphen des Alt. Test. Leipz. 1851-1860. vi. Lieferung: Das Buch der Welsh. erklart von C. L. W. Grimm. Edwin Cone Bissell, D.D. : The Apocrypha of the Old Testament, with Historical Introductions, a Revised Translation, and Notes, Critical and Explanatory. Edinburgh, 1880. Though not a Commentary, here must be added, Clavis Librorum Veteris Testamenti Apocryphorum Philo- logica, Auctore Christ. 'Abrah. Wahl. Lijisiae, 1853, G 2 THE GEEEK TEXT AND CEITICAL APPAEATtIS, WITH THE ANGLICAN YEESION AND THE LATIN VULGATE. LIBER SAPIENTIAE. CAPUT I. I DiLiGiTE justitiam, qui judica- tis terram. Sentite de Domino in bonitate, et in simplicitate 2 cordis quaerite ilium; quoniam invenitur ab his, qui non ten- tant ilium, apparet autem eis qui fidem habent in ilium. 3 Perversae enim cogitationes se- parant a Deo ; probata autem 4 virtus corripit insipientes. Quo niam in malevolam animam non introibit sapientia, nee habita- bit in corpore subdito peccatis. 6 Spiritus enim sanctus disciplinae effugiet fictum, et auferet se a cogitationibus quae sunt sine in- 20$IA 2AAQMI2N. KE*AAAION A'. I 'AFAnHSATE bt.Kaio(HJvrjv ol KpCvovTes TTjv yrjv, (ppovrjo-aTe wept toS Kvpiov kv ayaOoTTjTi, Koi ev a^nXoTrjri KapbCas C^t-tj" crare avrov 2 OTL iVpicTKiral. TOlS jXT] -wsipd- Covaiv avTOV, efxcfiavC^iTai 6e rots fxr] awt- a-roCcrii' avrio. 3 (tkoXloI yap Aoytirjiiot x'^'P'ToU" (TLV UTTO @€0V, boKiiJ.a^oiJ.ivq re f] b'vvap.is eAey- Xet Toiis aia 'SaXoipav V. S. ^o\ojj,avTos A. 2. SaXopaivros S. I. 2. prj amarovaiv avrif S. V. paj irtarevovatv a. A. TOIS iriBTevovaiv 261 et fors. Vulg. Syr. 3. re V. A. Se S. 4. a/ioprias Onmes Codd. apaprtais Eus. in Ps. 159; Ath. ii. 42. 378, Vulg. Syr. 5. woiSfiaj V. Si Ven. Vulg. Syr. Ar. ia, Kai o«K adti^aicrei )8A.dp&v avrov jxaprvs 6 ©eos, KOI T^s KaphCas ai/Tov eTtiaKonos oAtjOtjs, Koi Trjs yA-WfroTys dKOvarrjS' 7 OTi TTveviia KvpCov TTeTiX.ijpwKe rTJf oiKOViJievrjv, Koi TO (Tvvixpv TO, -navra yvwaiv ixet. (pcai^fji. 8 6ta roSro a-vTov' 10 ort o5s ^TjAcocrecos aKpoarai to. ¦ndvTa, KOt Spoils yoyyva-n&v o'iiK airo- KpvTiTerai. II v, Kai OVK eanv Xaais ev reXevrfj dvOpta^KOV, KoX OVK eyvdaOj) 6 dvaXvaas e^ abov. 12 soul. Seek not death in the error of your life : and pull not upon yourselves destruction with the works of your hands. 13 For God raade not death : nei ther hath he pleasure in the 14 destruction of the living. For he created all things, that they might have their being : and the generations of the world were healthful ; and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor the kingdom of death upon 15 the earth : (For righteousness is 16 immortal :) But ungodly men with their works and words called it to them : for when they thought to have it their friend, they consumed to nought, and made a covenant with it, because they are worthy to take part with it. CBfAPTER II. I For the ungodly said, reasoning with themselves, but not aright. Our life is short and tedious, and in the death of a man there is no remedy : neither was there any raan known to have returned from the grave. 12. fp^oisS. V. ev epyois A. Vulg. 13. ev airaKeia S. Y . al. eir ayyeKeiq A.. fy aTTftjAfiij Aid. Orig. iii. 137. li. ov yap eKTiaev eis yap eis to eivai S'. ovre aSov V, S. pvSe a A. Compl. em yijs V. S. em ttjs yrjs A. 15. 5i«. yap A.V. S. al. 5i«. Be 248. Compl. 16. \0y015 S A. V. Ao^kt/^ois 248. II.I. er eauT. A. S. V. Ven. Aid. Compl. 48 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. In. z- 2 For we are born at all adven ture : and we shall be hereafter as though we had never been : for the breath in our nostrils is as smoke, and a little spark in the moving of our heart : 3 Which being extinguished, our body shall be turned into ashes, and our spirit shaU vanish as Or, moist. 4 the soft ' air. And our name shall be forgotten in time, and no man shall have our works in remembrance, and our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, that is driven away with the beams of the sun, and overcome '¦' with the heat thereof. 5 For our time is a very shadow that passeth away ; and after our end there is no returning : for it ^ is fast sealed, so that no 6 man cometh again. Come on therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are present : and let us speedily* use the crea- 7 tures like as in youth. Let us fill ourselves with costly wine 2 Or, op. 3 Or, he. t Or, eafTiestli/. 2 ort avToaxebiois eyevvr\6ri\iev, Kai p-era tovto ea6p.eOa ais ovx 'inrdp^avTes' OTL Ka-KVOS fj ITVOTj ev pLalv rjpQiv, KOLL 6 Xoyos aiTLvOrip h KivrjaeL KapbCas ¦qp.&v, 3 ov a^eadevros ri^pa dwo/3^eXr]s, Kai IBS ofitxAij 8tao"Ke8acr5ij- aerai, Sicox^f'*'''* '^'"'0 aKTivonv i]X[ov Kai VTTO depnoTqTos avrov y3a- pvi'^eTcra. 5 aKias yap iiapobos o Kaipos ¦rjjji&v, KOL OVK ioTLV d.vaTTobLaiJ.bs Trjs TeAevr^s fip.&v, OTL KareatppayiaOr], /cat ovSets dyaoTpe'(|)ei. 6 SeCre ovv kol drroXa'vacojxev tSv ovtwv dyaO&v, KOL ¦)(j)r]at!>p,eda ttj KriaeL us veorrjTL airovbalois. 7 oXvov TToXvTeXovs xai pvpcov TiXrjad&p.ev, 2 Quia ex mhilo nati sumus, et post hoc eriraus tanquam non fuerimus ; quoniam fumus flatus est in naribus nostris, et sermo scintilla ad commovendum cor 3 nostrum ; qua extincta, cinis erit corpus nostrum, et spiritus diffundetur tanquam mollis afir, et transibit vita nostra tanquam vestigium nubis, et sicut nebula dissolvetur, quae fugata est a radiis solis, et a calore illius 4 aggravata ; et nomen nosti'um oblivionem accipiet per tempus, et nemo meraoriam habebit ope- 5 rum nostrorum. Umbrae enini transitus est tempus nostrum, et non est reversio finis nostri; quoniam consignata est, et nemo 6 revertitur. Venite ergo, et fruamur bonis quae sunt, et utamur creatura tanquam in 7 juventute celeriter. Vino pre- tioso et unguentis nos in 2. cos oux Vulgo. MS prj 157. virap^avres Vulgo. virapxovTes S*. Kairvos 17 irvoij ij A. V. al. Kairvos ev piaiv i) irvorj ijitw S. Ij irvorj ev p. ^^. 0A070S Vulgo. oXjyos Compl. C. Par. 3. a$ea8evrosY. afievaSevros A. aPevBevrosS. SiaxoSrjaeTaiY.S. SiaxyvBijaerai A. SiaXuSTjffeTot 55. 248. 254. i. pvijpovevaet Y . A. nl. pvijpovevei S. jtvrjpovevaei S^. iropeX. Vulgo. iropevaerat 106. 261. PapwBeiaa Vulgo. papavBeiaa 106. 5. xaipos A'. S. V. Compl. Aid. Vulg. ;3ios V. Vulgo. orat. A. V. al. avTarroSiapos S. 6. oui' Kai, A. om. Kai, veorrjTi V. Veil. reoTi/Tos A. S. yeoTi^Tet S^ ev ceonjri Compl al. Athan. ad Matt. ii. 8. -n. 1 5.] THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 49 mus ; et non praetereat nos flos 8 temporis. Coronemus nos rosis, antequam marcescant; nullum pratuni sit quod non pertrans- 9 eat luxuria nostra. Nemo nos trum exsors sit luxuriae nos trae; ubique relinquamus signa laetitiae ; quoniam haec est pars 10 nostra, et haec est sors. Op- primamus pauperem justum, et non parcamus viduae, nee vete ran! revereamur canos multi II temporis. Sit autem fortitude nostra lex justitiae ; quod enira infirmum est inutile invenitur. 12 Circumveniamus ergo justum, quoniam inutilis est nobis, et contrarius est operibus nostris, et improperat nobis peccata legis, et dififamat in nos peccata 13 disciplinae nostrae. Promittit se scientiam Dei habere, et 14 filium Dei se nominat. Factus est nobis in traductionem cogi- 15 tationum nostrarum. Gravis est nobis etiam ad videndum. Kat /ir) ¦jTapobevadTo) fjpds dv- 60s eapos. 8 are'ij/dp.eda pobcav KaXv^L trplv rj pi.apavdrjvaL' 9 jxrjbels ¦fjp&v dpoipos eana rfjs rjjierepas ayepca\Cas, ¦navra'xrj KaraXLTruijxev o^jjl- /3oAa r?;s evt^poavvrjs, Stl aijTTj fj /xepts fjjxQiv kol 6 KXrjpOS OVTOS. 10 KaTabwaarevaodixev rtevrjTa 8t- Katoz', p.r) (fieLat&jjLeOa ¦)(ripas, /i?j6e ¦npea^vTov evTpa'n&jiev TToAtds TToAvxpoi'fovs. II eoTco 8e fip,&v fj toxvs vopos TJjs biKaLoaiJVTjs, TO yap daOeves dxprjorov eAe'yxerat. 12 evebpevaoojiev rbv biKaiov, on SvcrxpJjoTos fjjXLV ean, Kai ivavTLOTjraL rots e'pyots fjjX&V, Kai oveibi^ei fjp.LV d/naprrj/xaTa vopov, Kai iTTti^rj/xi^et fjpiv ap,apT-fj- p.aTa iraLbetas fjp&v. 13 ewayye'AAerat yv&aiv ^X^'^ @eov, Kai iratSa Kvpiov eavrbv ovo- /[yidfet. 14 eyevero fjpXv els eXey^ov ev- voL&v fjpmv. 15 ^ap'vs eaTLV fjp.lv Kai pXeiro- jJievos, and ointmeiits : and let no flower of the spring pass by 8 us : Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds, before they be 9 withered : Let none of us go without his part of our ¦^ volup- 1 Oi- joiuty. tuousness : let us leave tokens of our joyfulness in every place : for this is our portion, and our 10 lot is this. Let us oppress the poor righteous man, let us not spare the widow, nor reverence the ancient grey hairs of the II aged. Let our strength be the law of justice : for that which is feeble is found to be nothing 12 worth. Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous ; be cause he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings : he upbraideth us with our offending the law, and ob- jeoteth to our infamy the trans- 13 gressings of our education. He professeth to have the know ledge of God : and he calleth himself the child of the Lord. 14 He was made to reprove our 15 thoughts. He is grievous unto us even to behold: for his life 1.flpS.s. pe^.sedcQV.^ijpas eapos A. 55. 106. 157. 261. 296. Arm. Vulg. aeposV.S.al. 9. 'earoi. effTe S. KaraKiir. S.V. KaraKeiirapev X. outosS.V, ripav K. 10. 7rpe addit.) ra apapr. vop. S. irapairrapara 2^S. iratSeiasY. iraiSias S. A. H 50 THE BOOK OP WISDOM. [ii. i6- is not like other men's, his i6 ways are of another fashion. We are esteemed of him as counter- « oi,juts4 feits': he abstaineth from our coin. ways as fi'om filth in ess : he pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed, and maketh his boast that God is his father. 1 7 Let us see if his words be true : and let us prove what shall happen in the end of hira. i8 For if the just raan be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him from the hand of 19 his enemies. Let us examine him with despitefulness and tor ture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his pa- 30 tience. Let us condemn him with a shameful death : for by his own saying he shall be re- 21 spected. Such things they did imagine, and were deceived : for their own wickedness hath 22 blinded them. As for the mys- steries of God, they knew them not : neither hoped they for the wages of righteousness, nor dis- a Gr. pre- cemcd ^ a reward for blameless ferred, or. ri^'rd? "" 23 souls. For God created man to ort dvopoLos rots dAAots d 13 LOS a-vTov, Kai e^XXaypevai al rpC^oL avTOV. 16 eis KL^brjXov eKoyLa6rjp.ev avr^, KOL diiexeTai rav obav fjp&v COS 0770 aKaOapaL&v' pLaKapCCei eaxara biKaioiv, Kai aXa^oveverai naTepa Q>e6v. 17 1;8cojotez' et ot Adyot avrov dAijflets, Kat ireLpdaaip.ev to, ev eKJSdaeL avrov. 18 et ¦ydp eanv 6 StKatos vtds &eov, diTtAiji/ferat a-iirov KOL pvaeraL a'vrbv Ik xeipos dvdeoTrjKOTQiv. 19 v^pet Kat ^aadv(^ iTdaoip.ev a'tirbv, tva yvapev rfjv ewtetKetai' avrov Kat boKipdaoipev rfjv dve$L- KaKLav avrov. 20 davdra dax/jpovi KarabLKdau)- pev avTov' iarai ydp a-vrov eTrttrKoir^ eK Adyoji; avrov. 21 Tavra eXoyiaavro, Kai e'TrXavrj- drjaav' direrv^Atocre ydp avrovs fj Ka- Kta avrSiV 22 Kat OVK eyvoiaav p.vaTrjpLa 0eov, ov8e p,ia6bv fjXnLaav baiorrjros, ovb\ eKpLvav yepas yjrux&v dpdpaiv. 23 on 6 ©eds eKnae rbv dvOpu^nov ew' d^Oapaiq, quoniam dissimiUs est aliis vita iUius, et immutatae sunt viae 16 ejus. Tanquam nugaces aesti- mati sumus ab Ulo ; et abstinet se a viis nostris tanquam ah immunditiis, et praefert novis sima justorum, et gloriatur pat- 17 rem se habere Deum. Tidea- mus ergo si sermones illius veri sint, et tentemus quae ventura sunt illi, et sciemus quae erunt iS novissima illius. Si enim est verus filius Dei, suscipiet ilium, et liberabit eum de manibus 19 contrariorum. Contumelia et tormento interrogemus eum, ut sciamus reverentiam ejus, et probemus patientiam illius. 20 Morte turpissima condemnemus eum ; erit enim ei respectus ex sermonibus illius. 21 Haec cogitaverunt, et errave- nmt ; excaecavit enim iUos ma- 22 htia eorum. Et nescierunt sa cramenta Dei, neque mercedem speraverunt justitiae, nee judi- caverunt honorem animarum 23 sanctarura. Quoniam Deus crea- 16. eAo7itrei;/iev V. A. S^ eyevijBijpev S. oSoov S. A. V. epTtov Ven. eff^aTa. epya raiv S. 155. 17. Kai eiSaipevS.' 18. avTi\ij[/,eTai Y. aX. oKTiXij/i^eTCU S. A. 19. Som/i. A. S. Si/cacroi/tei' V. Veroell. 68. Aid. 21. eAo7((ra>'TO V. A. eX.07i(rfli;ffai' S. (e\oyi(Ta>'roS^)addunt 55. 106. 261. al. 01 ai^poyes. airerv(p\. A.Y. eTu^Xwo'ei' S. Orig. ii. 712. 22. eKpeifovV. \pvxaiv. fvxav S. -III. 7.] THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 51 vit hominem inexterminabilem, et ad imaginem similitudinis 24 suae fecit ilium. Invidia autem diaboli mors introivit in orbem 25 terrarum; imitantur autem il ium qui sunt ex parte illius. CAPUT III. I Justorum autem animae in manu Dei sunt, et non tanget 2 illos torraentum mortis. Visi sunt oculis insipientium mori, et aestimata est afilictio exitus 3 illorum ; et quod a nobis est iter, exterminium ; illi autem 4 sunt in pace. Et si coram hominibus tormenta passi sunt, spes illorum imraortalitate plena 6 est. In paucis vexati, in multis bene disponentur, quoniam Deus tentavit eos, et invenit illos 6 dignos se. Tanquam aurum in fornace probavit illos, et quasi holocausti hostiam accepit illos, et in tempore erit respectus 7 illorum. Fulgebunt justi, et tanquam scintillae in arundi- Kat elKOva ttjs Ibias IbLorrjTos erroLrjaev a-vrov' 24 (j)d6via be 8ta/3dAov ddvaros elafjXOev els rbv Koapov, ¦neLpd^ovai bi avrbv ol rfjs eKelvov peplbos ovres. KE4>AAA10N F'. I AtKattoy 8e xj/v^al ev X^ 'P' &eov, Kai ov pfj a^TjTaL avrSiV ^d- aavos. 2 ebo^av ev otfidaXpo'Ls a(pp6v(i)v reOvdvaL, Kai eXoyCaOrj KdKcocrts fj ^^obos a^vT&v, 3 Kat fj dcj)' fjpQiv ¦nopeia avv- TpLppa' ol bi elaiv ev elp-fjvp. 4 Kat yap ev di/ret dvdpdrrcov eav KoXaaO&aLv, fj eATTts avT&v dOavaalas ¦JlXiqprjS' 5 Kai oXlya iraLbevdevres peydXa evepyerrjOrjaovTaL, on b ©eds eneLpaaev avrovs, Kai evpev avrovs d^iovs eavrov. 6 us 'x^pvaov ev xoivevrrjpiia ebo- Kipaaev avrovs, Kai MS oXoKdprroipa OvaCas rrpoaebe^aro avrovs. 7 Kat ev Kaipu eTrto-KOTT^s avrOiv dvaXdp-^ovaLv, Kai G)s ariLvdijpes ev KaXdp^rj bLabpapovvraL. be immortal, and raade him to be an iraage of his own eternity. 24 Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world : and they that do hold of his side do find it. CHAPTER III. I But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch 2 them. In the sight of the un wise they seemed to die : and their departure is taken for 3 misery, And their going from us to be utter destruction : but 4 they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full 5 of immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded ^ : for God > Or, bene fited. proved them, and found them 6 worthy ^ for himself As gold ' Oi , meet. in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a 7 burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. 23. tStoTijTos Y. A. S. Ven. Aid. Compl. oiSiotijtos Field. 248. 253. E. P. G. H. Par. Ath, i.41. Method. 788. Niceph. ii. 200. Epiph. 543. 557. o/ioiot7;to$ 106. 261. Aa. B. Par. Vulg. Syr. III. 2. eSo^av yap S''. a^pbvav. avBpaiiraiv Yen. 3. rj aLav ydp Kai rraibelav 6 e^ov6ev&v raXaCrKopos, Kat Kevfj fj lAwis avr&v, Kai ol KOTTOL dvOVrjTOL, KOL dx_pTjaTa ra epya avr&v. 12 at yviiatKes avroiz' d^poves, Kai TTOvrjpd rd TeKva avrSiV 13 eirtKardparos fj yiveais avr&v. OTL paKapCa arelpa fj dpCavTos, ¦fjTLS OVK lyzJO) Kolrriv ev ¦Ka- paTTrdpan, l^et KapTTov Iv eTTLaKOTTrj i/fvxwi'" 14 Kat eviioCxos, 6 jxt) epyaadpevos ev X^'P' dvoprjpa, prjbe evOvprjOels Kara tov Kv piov movrjpd' ^Tjaerai yap a-vna rijs nia- recos xdpLS eKXeKrfj 8 neto discurrent. Judioabunt nationes, et dominabuntur po- pulis, et regnabit Dominus illo- 9 rum in pei"petuum. Qui confi- dunt in illo intelligent veri tatem, et fideles in dilectione " acquiescent illi ; quoniam do- nura et pax est electis ejus. 10 Impii autem secundum quae cogitaverunt correptionem ha- bebunt, qui neglexerunt justum, II et a Domino recesserunt. Sa pientiam enim et disciplinam qui abjicit, infelix est ; et vacua est spes illorum, et la bores sine fructu, et inutilia 12 opera eorum. Mulieres eorum insensatae sunt, et nequissimi 13 filii eorum. Maledicta creature eorum, quoniam feUx est steri- lis et incoinquinata, quae nes- civit thorum in delicto ; ha bebit fructum in respectione -^ 14 animarum sanctarura. Et spado, qui non operatus est per manus suas iniquitatem, nee cogitavit J adversus Deum nequissima; 9. eir' auT^. eiri Kupiou Ven. X°P'' '"" eKeos tois e«\eKTOis auTou V. Vulg. al. x"?- '"" '^- ^ tois exA.. auTOu Kai eviTKomj ev TOIS offiois auTou A. Ven. e\eos r. oaiois avr. Kai emaKomj ev t. ewA. auTou S. ev t. oo-iois Aid. Compl. Ita Syr. Arm. Ar. 10. KaBa ed. rom. eiririplav. aripiav 2^8. 11. o-0(^ia>' 5e S. 7ap S^ iraiSeiavY. jraiSiovA. S. KOiroi ouroji' avaarTTOi S. 12. ai yw. A. V. Kai ai S. 13. yewvijaeis S. i] ante apiavr. om. S. tpvxaiv avrcov A. 14. b p,fj. o om. S. ev x«f S. V. A. ev xepaiv Ven. -IV. 3.J THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 53 dabitur enim illi fidei donum electura, et sors in teraplo Dei 15 acceptissiraa. Bonorum enira laborum gloriosus est fructus, et quae non concidat radix sa- 16 pientiae. Filii autem adulte- rorum in inconsummatione erunt, et ab iniquo thoro semen 17 exterrainabitur. Et si quidem longae vitae erunt, in nihilum computabuntur, et sine honore erit novissima senectus illorum. 18 Et si celerius defuncti fuerint, non habebunt spera, nee in die 19 agnitionis allocutionem. Na- tionis enim iniquae dirae sunt consummationes. CAPUT IV. I 0 quam pulchra est casta generatio cum claritate ! im mortalis est enim memoria il lius, quoniam et apud Deum nota est et apud homines. 2 Cum praesens est, imitantur illam, et desiderant eam cum se eduxerit ; et in perpetuum co- ronata triumphat incoinquina- torum certaminum praemium 3 vincens. Multigena autem im- piorura multitudo non erit utilis. Kat KXfjpos ev vaia Kvpiov 6v- prjpearepos. 15 dyaO&v yap irovcav KapTrds evKAerjs, Kat abLd-nraiTos fj pi(a rijs (fipovT^aeuts. 16 reKi'aSep.otxoJi'dre'Aeo-ra eo-rat, Kai eK -napavopov koitjjs arrep- pa dt^avLaO'TjaeTaL. 17 edz' re yap paKp6j3LOL yevaivraL, els o-idev XoyLaOifiaovraL, Kai drLpov err kaydruiv rd yTjpas avT&v. 18 kdv re o^eujs reXevT-rjaaiaLV, ovx ^iovaiv iX-niba, ov8e ev ¦fjpepq btayvdaeuis irapap-vOiov. 19 yez'eds ydp d8^K0v x'^^f'd 'rd reArj. KE4>AAAI0N A'. I Kpeiaaoiv dreKvia pera dperrjs' ddavaaia ydp eanv ev pvfjpTfj avrrjs, [on Kat irapd 0e<3 yLvdaKerai Kai napa dvdpanroLs. 2 TTapovadv Te ptpovvrai avrrjV, Kol TToOovaiv dneXOovaav Kai ev T(o al&vL arec^yavrj^o- povaa ¦nopireveL, rbv T&v dpLavToov dOXcuv dymva VLKTjaaaa. 3 TToAvyoi'Oj' 8e dae^av rrXfjOos ov y^p-qaipeijaei. in ^ the temple of the Lord ' or, among the people. more acceptable to his mind. 15 For glorious is the fruit of good labours : and the root of wis- 16 dom shall never fall away. As for the children of adulterers, they shall not come ^ to their « Or, be partakers perfection, and the seed of a,n "/hoii/ thirtgs. unrighteous bed shall be rooted 17 out. For though they live long, yet shall they be nothing re garded : and their last age shall 1 8 be without honour. Or, if they die quickly, they have no hope, neither comfort in the day of 19 trial ^ For horrible is the end ' Or, . hearing. of the unrighteous generation. CHAPTER IV. I Better it is to have no chil dren, and to have virtue : for the memorial thereof is im mortal : because it is known ** °"'> "?• proved. with God, and with men. 2 When it is present, men take example at it ; and when it is gone, they desire it : it weareth a crown, and triumpheth for ever, having gotten the vic tory, striving for undefiled re- 3 wards. But the multiplying 14. SvpijSearepos Ven. 253. 15. o KapirosY^. 17. eis ouScc Compl. 55. 106. 254. 261. 18. S. ita : (eav re yap ofeus reXevTijaovaiv) eis ovBev KoyiaBijaovrai {Kai aripov eir eaxaraiv to yijpas avraiv) eav re y'dp of ecus reXevrrjaovaiv ovx e(ovaiv eXmSa. oux ex"""'"' ^- ^^- X"^^'"^- irovijpa 106. 261. ^ IV. 1. Kpeiaaoiv yap S, yapom.8''. 2. ^i/jouvtoi S. "v . Ven. Vulg. Syr. Ar. Arm. np^aiv A. Method. 676. Tro/tireiJei. MS, A : iroireprrei. ? arroirepirei Tisch. 54 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [iv. 4- brood of the ungodly shall not thrive, nor take deep rooting from bastard slips, nor lay any 4 fast foundation. For though they flourish in branches for a tirae ; yet standing not fast, they shall be shaken with the wind, and through the force of winds they shall be rooted 5 out. The iraperfect branches shall be broken off, their fruit unprofitable, not ripe to eat, 6 yea, meet for nothing. For children begotten of unlawful > Gr. tieeps. bods ' are witnesses of wicked ness against their parents in 7 their trial. But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest. 8 For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by 9 number of years. But wisdom is the grey hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age. 10 He pleased God, and was be loved of him : so that living among sinners he was trans ii lated. Yea, speedily was he taken away, lest that wicked ness should alter his under standing, or deceit beguile his Kai eK v66oav poaxevfJ-aTOiv ov bdaei pi^av els ^dOos, ovbe da(j)aXfj jSdaiv ebpdaei. 4 K&v ydp ev kAoSois irpds Kaipbv avaddXp, eirto-^oASs jSe/SijKora viro dve- pov aaXevO^TjaeraL, Kai vird j3tas dvepcuv eKptfto- 07J o-eraf 5 -nepLKXaaO-qaovTai KAS^es dre- AeoTot, Kat d Kapirbs avraiv axprjaros, dcopos ets PpwaLV, Kat ets ovflev eTTiTTjSeios. 6 eK ydp avojuov vnvoiv reKva ¦yevvdtpeva pdprvpes etcrt ¦jTovrjpias Kara yoveonv ev e^eraap^ avrZv. 7 AIkulos be eav ipOaajj TeXevrrjaaL, kv dvaira-vaeL earai. 8 yijpas ydp ripiov ov rd iroAv- Xpo'vtoi;, ov6e dpiOpa er&v peperprjTai' 9 iroAid 8e eoTti» (ppovrjais dv- OpdlTOLS, Kai fjXiKLa yrjpias ^los dKTjAi- 8coros. ro evdpecrros ©em yevopevos ijya- •n-fjdrj, KOL ^&v pera^i) dp.apTOiX&v pereriOrj' II fjprrdyrj, prj fj KaKia aXXd^fj avveaLV avrov, rj boXos dnarrja-Tj ¦v/fvxV' o.vtov. et spuria vitulamina non da- bunt radices altas, nee stabile 4 firmamentum coUocabunt. Et si in ramis in tempore germi- naverint, infirmiter posita, a vento commovebuntur, et a ni- mietate ventorum eradicabuntur. 5 Confringentur enim rami incon- summati ; et fructus illorum inutiles et acerbi ad mandu- candum, et ad nihilum apti. 6 Ex iniquis enim somnis filii qui nascuntur testes sunt neqnitiae adversus parentes in interro- gatione sua. 7 Justus autem si morte prae- occupatus fuerit, in refrigerio 8 erit. Senectus enim venerahilis est non diuturna, neque anno rum numero computata; cam 9 autem sunt sensus hominis, et aetas senectutis vita immaculata. IO Placens Deo factus est dilectus, et vivens inter peccatores trans- n latus est. Raptus est, ne ma- litia mutaret intellectum ejus, aut ne fictio deciperet animam 3. ^oxeu/iOTcoi' S. poax- S'. 4. Kdv ydp. Kai yap S'. Kav S". Pe$ijK6ra. fiePioiKora S. PePtjKora S\ 5. avran KXoives S. io6. 253. 261. auT. S. corr. improb. oTeXefTTOi V. S. areXeararoi A. 9. dvBpunrois. ev avBp. S". 10. T() BeipS.Y. om. TO) A. Ven. V. yevop.B.Yen. 11. prj ij Kama S. Compl. pijKaK.Y.A. wpiv 1; ko*. Ven. Theod. iv. 123?. ouTou post avveaiv om. S. add. S'. diraTi^iri;. oiroTi^irei S. -IV. I 9-] THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 55 12 illius. Fascinatio enim nuga- citatis obscurat bona, et incon- stantia concupiscentiae trans- vertit sensum sine malitia. 13 Consummatus in brevi explevit 14 tempera multa ; placita enim erat Deo anima illius; propter hoc properavit educere ilium de medio iniquitatum. Populi autem videntes et non intelli- gentes, nee ponentes in prae- 15 cordiis talia, quoniam gratia Dei, et misericordia est in sanc- tos ejus, et respectus in electos 16 illius. Condemnat autem Jus tus mortuus vivos impios, et juventus celerius consummata 17 longam vitam injusti. Videbunt enim finem sapientis, et non intelligent quid cogitaverit de illo Deus, et quare munierit 18 ilium Dominus. Videbunt, et contemnent eum ; illos autem Dominus irridebit; et erunt post haec decidentes sine ho nore, et in contumelia inter 19 mortuos in perpetuum ; quo niam disrumpet illos inflates 12 {paaKavia ydp (pavXorrjros dpavpoL rd KaAd, Kai pepl3aapbs e-nLdvpias pe- raXXe'ueL vovv &KaKOV.) 13 reXeunOels ev dXiyi^ enX-fjpatae XpoVovs paKpavs. 14 dpearfj yap fjv Kvpita fj i/^vx?) avrov" Bid To£iro iairevaev eK peaov ¦Kovrjptas. IS 01 8e Xaol Ibovres Kai pfj vorj- aavTes, prjbe Oevres knl bLavoiq rb TOLOVTO, on X'^P'^ '^"¦'^ eAeos ev rots eKAeKTOts avrov, Kai eryLaKOTrfj ev rois do-tois avrov. 16 KaraKpLvel be 8iKatos Kaponv TOVS ^Sivras daejSeis, Kttl veorrjs reXeadeiaa Ta)(ecas ¦noXveres y^pas dbiKov. 17 o\jfovraL ydp reXevrfjv ao(pov, Kai ov vo-qaovaL ri e^ovXev- aaro Trepl a-iirov, Kai els TL ¦fja^aXiaaro avrbv 6 Kvpios. 18 oyfrovraL Kai e^ovBevrjaovaiv, avrovs be b Kvptos eKyeAdcreraf Kat eaovraL perd rovro ets TTT&pa drLpov, Kai ets v^pLV ev veKpols bi al&vos. 19 OTL p'jfei ovroi/s d(f>(l>eXrjaev fjpds fj ¦vneprj- (fiavia ; Kai ri irAovros pera dXa(^oveias avp^e^XrjTai fjplv ; 9 naprjXdev eKelva -ndvTa is (TKtd Kai MS dyyeXia Ttaparpe- Xovaa' 10 ws vavs biepxopevri Kvpaivo- pevov vbwp, rjs bia^darjs ovk earLV Ixvos e'vpelv, ovb'k drpanbv rponios avrrjS ev KvpaaiV 11 fj a>s dpviov bLartrdvros depa o'vO^v e'vpiaKeraL reKp'fjpLov TTopeias, nXrjyfj be rapa&v paarL^o- pevov TTvevpa Kovfpov Kai axL^dpevov j3Lq poiCov KLvovpevwv irrep'vyuiv Siw- be'vdrj. among the children of God, and his lot is araong the saints ! 6 Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of right- 7 eousness rose not upon us. We wearied ourselves ^ in the way i Or, filled ourselves, of wickedness and destruction : o'. «>•- felted. yea, we have gone through de serts, where there lay no way : but as for the way of the Lord, 8 we have not known it. WTiat hath pride profited us ? or what good hath riches with our vaunt- 9 ing brought us % All those things are passed away like a shadow, and as a post that 10 hasted by ; And as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water, which when it is gone by, the trace thereof cannot be found, neither the pathway of II the keel in the waves; Or as when a bird hath flown '' through a Or,jiieth. the air, there is no token of her way to be found, but the light air being beaten with the stroke of her wings, and parted with the violent noise and raotion 6. eXap^ev V. A. eireXapjpev S. Ven. Ephr. ijpiv Kai Y. S. ev rjptv Kai A. ijXios rijs SiKaioavvtjs Ven. Compl. Arm. 7. SmSevaapevS.Y. aSevaapev A. eyvaipev Y. A. eireyvaipev S. 8. virepriaviaijpav Yen. 2^,^. KairiY.S. ij ri A. Vulg. a\afoi/fa$ A. S. avv0eeXi]Tai S. 10. ij <«s S^ Tpoirtos V. Tpoirias S. rpoirews S^ A. Tp0aiv Y'. 11. Sitirrai'Tos V. Ephr. SfairTOi'Tos A. S. V^ Compl. Aid. iropei'os. irovrjpias S. iropios S^ paari^. rapaaiv Y\ iv ainv- avrov S. Ephr. ev avrip S". 58 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [v. 12- of them, is passed through, and therein afterwards no sign where 12 she went is to be found ; Or like as when an arrow is shot at a mark, it parteth the aii", which immediately coraeth toge ther again, so that a man can not know where it went through : 13 Even so we in like manner, as soon as we were born, began to draw to our end, and had no sign of virtue to shew ; but were consumed in our own 14 wickedness. For the hope of 'Gr.wwfe. the ungodly is like dust' that is blown away with the wind; like a thin froth that is driven away with the storm; like as ' Or, chaff. the smoke '¦' which is dispersed here and there with a tempest, and passeth away as the re membrance of a guest that tar- 15 rieth but a day. But the right eous live for evermore ; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with 16 the most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious king- ' Or, dom ", and a beautiful crown less the from the Lord's hand : for with taken im- his right hand shall he cover a'Stae.^2.'" them, and with his arm shall ''¦ 17 he protect them. He shall take to him his jealousy for complete KOI perd TOVTO ovx evpeOrj arj- peiov eirt^do-ea)s ev avru* 12 fj m /3e'Aovs pXrjOevros ^irt O-KOTTOl' rprjOels 6 dfjp ev6ia>s els eav rbv dveXvOrj, &)S dyvofjaai ttjj' biobov avrov" 13 ovrcos Kai fj pels yevvrjBevres e^eXinopev' Kat dperfjs pev arjpelov ovbev eaxppev Set^at, ei; 8e rjj KaKi'a fjpZv KareSa- ¦navTjOrjpev. 14 on eX-irls dae^ovs &)s ^paxiovL vwepacnnet avrdii'. 17 ATji/ferat iravo'nXLav rbv f^Aov ovrov. transvolavit., et post hoc nullum siguum invenitur itineris illius ; 12 aut tanquam sagitta emissa in locum destinatum, divisus aer continuo in se reclusus est, ut 13 ignoretur transitus illius ; sic et nos nati continuo desivimus esse ; et virtutis quidem nul lum signum valuimus ostendere, in malignitate autem nostra 14 consumti sumus. Tafia dixerunt in inferno hi, qui peccaverunt; 15 [14] quoniam spes impii tanquam lanugo est, quae a vento toUi- tur; et tanquam spuma gracilis, quae a procella dispergitur ; et tanquam fumus, qui a vento diffusus est; et tanquam me moria hospitis unius diei prae- tereuntis. 16 [i,:;] Justi autem in perpetuum vivent, et apud Dominum est merces eorum, et cogitatio illo- 17 rum apud Altissimum. [16] Ideo accipient regnum decoris, et diadema specie! de manu Do mini ; quoniam dextera sua teget eos, et brachio sancto suo 18 defendet Ulos. [17] Accipiet ar- 12. aveXvaev Ven. ti;i' oSoy S. StoSoy S^. 13. yevijBevres V. e^eXiiropev S. V. e^eXeiiropev A. Compl. 14. x""' Apel. al. xvovs S. A. V. Ven. Compl. Aid. Vulg. vaxvrj V. A. S. axvij 157. F. G. Par. Vulg. Syr. apaxvtj Ven. Siexiiftj. SieKvBjj 248. Compl. ais pveiav S. 17 a?s /iveia S". ij Kai us pveia 248 Compl. povotjpipov. povijpepov S. napaiSevae Y. A. SioiSeuo'ei' S. 15. (ppovrls. cfpovTijiTfs 248. Compl. 16. Xijp'povTai S. A. Itavv. 17. 1^ Xrjpi//eTai. Seftj Kupioii S. rji S. avrov 106. Compl. virepaairiaei avrov S. imp. S^ 17. to fij\os S. imp. S'. -VI. I.j THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 59 maturam zelus illius, et armabit creaturam ad ultionem inimi- 19 eorum. [18] Induct pro thorace justitiam, et accipiet pro galea 20 judicium certum : [19] sumet scu tum inexpugnabile, aequitatem ; 2 1 [20] acuet autem duram irara in lanceam, et pugnabit eum illo orbis terrarum contra insen- 22 satos. [21] Ibunt directe emis- siones fulgurum, et tanquam a bene curvato arcu nubium exter- minabuntur, et ad certum locum 23 insilient. [22] Et a petrosa ira plenae mittentur grandines ; excandescet in illos aqua raaris, et flumina concurrent duriter. 24 [23] Contra illos stabit spiritus virtutis, et tanquam turbo venti dividet illos; et ad eremum perducet omnem terram ini- quitas illorum, et malignitas evertet sedes potentium. CAPUT VI. I Melior est sapientia quam vires, et vir prudens quam fortis. 2 [1] Audite ergo, reges, et intelli- gite ; discite, judices finium ter- Kat orrXoTTOLTjaeL rfjV KrlaLV els dpvvav e^dp&V 18 evbvaerai OdipaKa biKaLoavvrjv, KOL nepLQ'TjaeraL Kopvda Kpiaiv dvVTIOKpLTOV 19 ArjT/^erat aairiba dKarapd^rirov OaLOTTjTa, 20 o^vvel be dnoropov dpyfjv els popcfiaiav, avveKnoXeprjaeL be avr^ b Koa- pos errl rovs -napdcfipovas. 21 TTopevaovraL evcrroxoi ;3oAi'8es darpaTTCov, Kai (OS drrb evK'VKXov ro^ov r&v ve(j)&v errl aKonbv dXovvraL' 22 Kat eK TTerpojioXov Qvpov ttAtj- pets pLtfi-TjaovraL xdAafaf dyavaKT-qaei Kar avr&v Hbap OaXdaarjs, TTorapol be ovyKX-uaovaLV drro- ropoos' 23 avnanqaerai avrots TTvevpa bvvdpeais, Kai b)s AaiAai/f eKXiKprjaeL av- TOVS" Kai eprjpcoaeL rtdaav rrjy y^v dvopia, Kai fj KaKorrpayia ¦JTeptrpi'^j/eL dpovovs bvvaar&v. KE$AAAION r'. I 'AKOVo-are ovv, /SacriAets, Kai o-vj;ere, pddere, bLKaaral Trepdruiv yfjs' armour, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of 18 his enemies. He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of 19 an helmet. He shall take holi ness '¦ for an invincible shield. ' •^f,' equity. 20 His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and- the world shall fight with him against the un- 2t wise. Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds, as from a well drawn bow, shall they fly 22 to the mark. And hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone bow, and the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the floods 23 shall cruelly drown them. Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, and like a storni shall blow them away : thus iniquity shall lay waste the whole earth, and ill dealing shall overthrow the thrones of the miglity. CHAPTER VI. I Hear therefore, 0 ye kings,, and understand ; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. 20. avviroXeprjaei S. irXijprjs S. irorapol Se. 17. birXoirot^aei. oSoirotijaei S. imp. S^. 18. SiKaioawijS S. Ven. al. *ai irepiBrjaerai Se Ven. 8e ante out. om. A. al. 21. evarpofoi 253. verpaiv. ve(peXoiv S. 22. Kai Ik. Kai om. S. iroT. Te S. avyKXvaovaiv S. V. avyKXvovaiv A. avyKKeiaovaiv 106. 157. 261. 23. exKippijaei A. XiK/xrjaei 296 VI. 1. fiaatXevs S. PaatXeis S". I 2 60 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [vi. 2- 2 Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of 3 nations. For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search 4 out your counsels. Because, being ministers of his kingdom, ye have not judged ai-ight, nor kept the law, nor walked after 5 the counsel of God ; Horribly and speedily shall he come upon you : for a sharp judgment shall be to them that be in high 6 places. For mercy wUl soon pardon the meanest : but mighty men shall be mightily tormented. 7 For he which is Lord over all shall fear no man's person, neither shall he stand in awe of any man's greatness : for he hath made the small and great, 8 and careth for all alike. But a sore trial shall corae upon the 9 mighty. Unto you therefore, O kings, do I speak, that ye may learn wisdom, and not fall away. 2 evoiriaaaOe, ol Kparovvres ttAtj- Oovs, Kai yeyavpoopevoL eiri dxAois edv&v' 3 ort kboOrj Trapa tov Kvpiov fj KparrjaLS vptv, KOL fj bvvaareia irapa 'T-^iarov, ds e^erdcrei ¦vp&v rd ipya, Kat rds ^ovAds 8tepevi'7ja-ei. 4 on ¦vnrjperaL ovres rfjs av rov jSaaiXeias ovk eKpivare 6p9&s, ov8^ ecfivXd^are vopov, ov8e Kard r^i; ^ovXfjv rov ©eov eTfopevdrjre. 6 (j)pLKT&s Kai raxe'cos eTTtcrnj- aeraL ¦vpiv, Stl Kpiais drroropos ev rois ¦vTtepexpvaLv yiveraL. 6 d ydp ^AdxtoTos ovyyj'axrrds eoTii' eAe'ovs, bvvarol 8^ 8vj;aro3s eraaOrj- aovrai. 7 ov ydp VTrotrreAeirat TrpdcrcoTTOi' d TTavroJV Aea'rrorrjs, ov6e evrpan'TjaeraL peyedos' on pLKpbv Kai peyav avrds erroirjaev, opoicus re rrpovoeL Trepi rrdvrciiv 8 rots 6e Kparatois la^vpd e(j>i- araraL ^pevva. 9 Trpds vjuas o5i», S rvpavvoi, ol XoyoL pov, tva pdOrjTe aoiav koI /j,^ irapaTT^o-jjre. 3 rae. [2] Praebete aures vos, qui continetis multitudines, et place- tis vobis in turbis nationum : 4 [3] quoniam data est a Domino potestas vobis, et virtus ab Al- tissimo, qui interrogabit opera vestra, et cogitationes scruta- 5 bitur ; [4] quoniam cura essetis ministri regni illius, non recte judicastis, nee custodistis legem justitiae, neque secundum volun- 6 tatem Dei ambulastis. [5] Hor- rende et cito apparebit vobis; quoniam judicium durissinuim 7 his qui praesunt fiet. [6] Exi- guo enim conceditur misericor dia ; potentes autem potenter S tormenta patientur. [7] Non enim subtrahet personam cujus- quam Deus, nee verebitur magnitudinera cujusquam, quo niam pusillum et magnum ipse fecit, et aequaliter cura est illi 9 de omnibus. [8] Fortioribus autem fortior instat cruciatio. 10 [9] Ad vos ergo, reges, sunt hi sermones mei, ut discatis sapien- 2. eiri ox^ous S. 3. tou om. A. al. Compl. vpiv A. V. S. Ven. vpoiv 106. 155. ijpeiv 261. tou vij/iar. Ven. 253. 4. Siepeui'i/ffei A. t(epavvi]aei S. e^epevvrjaei S'. Siepavvijaei Y , 5. emarijaerai v/mv oXeBpos Yen. bI. 6. avyyvoiarosY, avyvaaTos A. S". euTvoxTTOS S. eiTTii' om. 55. 254. 296. eXeou A. 7. piyav. peya 106. 155. 296. irpovoet A. V. Ven, irporoefToi S. Compl. al. 8. eirftTTOTOf V. epaui'O V. epeuFO V. -VI. i8.] THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 61 II tiam, et non excidatis. [lo] Qui enim custodierint justa juste, justificabuntur ; et qui didi- cerint ista, invenient quid re- 12 spondeant. [ii] Concupiscite ergo sermones meos,diligite illos, et habebitis disciplinam. 13 [12] Clara est, et quae nunquam marcescit, sapientia ; et facile videtur ab his qui diligunt eam, et invenitur ab his qui quae- 14 runt illam. [isJPraeoccupatqui se concupiscunt, ut illis se prior 15 ostendat. [14] Qui de luce vigi- laverit ad illam non laborabit ; assidentem enim illam foribus 16 suis inveniet. [15] Cogitare ergo de ilia sensus est consummatus ; et qui vigilaverit propter illam 17 cito securus erit. [16] Quoniam dignos se ipsa circuit quaerens, et in viis ostendit se illis hilariter, et in omni providentia occurrit 18 Ulis. [17] Initium enim illius verissima est disciplinae con- 19 cupiscentia. [18] Cura ergo dis ciplinae, dilectio est ; et dilectio custodia legum illius est ; custo- ditio autem legum consummatio 10 ot ydp (pvXd^avres dcrtcos rd S(7ta oaLiadiijaovraL, Kai ol bLba^devres avrd evp?)- crovcrii' drroXoyiav. II errLOvpTfjaare ovv r&v Xoyoiv pov, noO^aare Kai naLbevd-fjaeaOe. 12 AapTTpd Kai dpdpavTos eanv fj aocjiia, Kai evxepius OeoipelTaL ¦vnb r&v dyandvrutv avrfjv, Kai e'vpiaKeraL VTrd r&v frj- Toijvroav avr^rjv' 13 (fiddveL rovs e-KiOvpovvTas rrpo- yvmaOfjvaL. 14 d opdpiaas err' avrfjV ov Komdaei, irdpebpov ydp e^iip^qaeL r&v ¦KvX&v avrov. 15 TO ydp evdvprjOfjvaL vepl avrfjs (j)pov^aecos reAeioVr/s, Kai d dypvTTZ'Tjcras 8t' avr^z; rax^cos dpepipvos iaraC 16 dn rovs d^iovs avTrjs aiirrj irepiepxerat f»jroi3o-a, Kai ev rais rpi)3ots (fiavrd^eruL avTOLs evpev&s, Kai ev irdarj enLVoiq drravrq avrots. 17 dpxfj ydp avTTjs fj dXrjOeardrrj ¦naibeias emdvpia, 18 (ppovrls be iraLbeias dydrrrj, dydnr] be r-fjprjais vopcov avrfjs, TTpoaoxfj bi vopcov ^e^aionais dcfidapaias, 10 For they that keep holiness holily shall be judged holy ' : ' Or, justified. and they that have learned such things shall find what to II answer''' Wherefore set your^ Or, a d^ence. affection upon my words ; de sire them, and ye shall be in- 12 structed. Wisdom is glorious, and never fadeth away : yea, she is easily seen of them that love her, and found of such as 13 seek her. She preventeth them that desire her, in making her self first known unto them. 14 Whoso seeketh her early shall have no great travail : for he shall find her sitting at his 15 doors. To think therefore upon her is perfection of wisdom : and whoso watcheth for her shall quickly be without care. 16 For she goeth about seeking such as are worthy of her, sheweth herself favourably unto them in the ways, and meeteth 17 them in every thought. For the very true beginning of her is the desire of discipline ' ; and 3 or, the care of discipline is love; 18 And love is the keeping of her laws ; and the giving heed unto her laws is the assurance of in- 10. vXt^ovTesY. ra oaia oaim a. 106. 261. 12. Xapirpa yap Yen. 255. 13. eiriBvp. avrijv S. i^c,. 261. avrijs 106. irpo TOU yvaiaBijvai 106. 261. 14. eir' outijj' S. V. irpos avr. A. al. Compl. irvXaiv. irXovraiv S. imp. S^ 15. irepi avrijs ivB. S. 16. auTi; om. S. 253. (jiavr. avrovs Ven. al. oirai'Ta S. A. Ven. al. Compl. viravra V. Clem. AX. iraiS. dydirtj. iraiS, emOvjua ayairij 8. atpBapaia S. imp. S^ 18. 62 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [vi. 19- 19 corruption ; And iucorruption maketh us near unto God : 20 Therefore the desire of wisdom 21 bringeth to a kingdom. If your delight be then in thrones and sceptres, O ye kings of the people, honour wisdom, that ye 22 may reign for evermore. As for wisdom, what she is, and how she came up, I will tell you, and will not hide mysteries from you : but will seek her out from the beginning of her na tivity, and bring the knowledge of her into light, and will not 23 pass over the truth. Neither will I go with consuming envy ; for such a man shall have no 24 fellowship with wisdom. But the raultitude of the wise is the welfare of the world : and a wise king is the upholding of 25 the people. Receive therefore instruction through my words, and it shall do you good. CHAPTER VII. I I myself also am a mortal man, like to all, and the offspring of him that was first made of the 19 d, OTL OVTOS ov KOLVoifvrjaeL aocpiq. 24 itAtj^os 8e aoAAAION Z'. I EJp,i pkv Kayb) Ovtjtos avOpioTTOs, taos d^KaaLV, Kai yrjyevovs diroyovos wpcoro- irXdarov. 20 incorruptionis est ; [19] incor- ruptio autem facit esse proxi- 21 mum Deo. [20] Concupiscentia itaque sapientiae deducit ad reg- 22 num perpetuum. [21] Si ergo delectamini sedibus et sceptris, 0 reges populi, diligite sapien-' tiam, ut in perpetuum regnetis. 23 Diligite lumen sapientiae, omnes 24 quipraeestis populis. [22] Quid est autem sapientia, et quemad modum facta sit referam, et non abscondam a vobis sacra menta Dei; sed ab initio nati- vitatis investigabo, et poham in lucem scientiam illius, et non 25 praeteribo veritatem. [2 3] Neque cum invidia tabescente iter ha- bebo, quoniam talis homo non erit 26 particeps sapientiae. [24] Mul titudo autem sapientium sanitas est orbis terrarum ; et rex sa piens stabilimentum populi est. 27 [25] Ergo accipite disciplinam per sermones meos, et proderit vobis. CAPUT vn. I Sum quidem et ego mortalis homo, similis omnibus, et ex genere terreni illius qui prior factus est ; et in ventre matris 20. emBv/ua yap aaoipias A. eiriBvpia y apa (Tobias Field. emBvpias yap avaipei em 0aa. S. eiriBvpia yap aoipias avayei S". 70/) 106. 155. al. 21. ou rvpavvoi Ven. al. 22. tis Se S. imp. cor. e7ei'eT0 ei* avBpwirots 248. 23. ouTe pij D. Par. ouSe pij B. Par, 106. 261. Koivaivijaei V. S. Koivoivei A. Ven. 55. 157. VII. 1. avBpmtos om. S. V. airoyovov S, airo70TOs S'. -VII. 10.] THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 63 2 figuratus sum caro, decem men- sium tempore coagulatus sum in sanguine, ex semine hominis, et delectamento somni conve- 3 niente. Et ego natus accepi communem aerem, et in simi liter factam decidi terram, et primam vocem similem omnibus 4 emisi plorans. In involumentis nutritus suin, et curis magnis. 5 Nemo enim ex regibus aliud 6 habuit nativitatis initium. Unus ergo introitus est omnibus ad 1 vitam, et similis exitus. Propter hoc optavi, et datus est mihi sensus ; et invocavi, et venit 8 in me spiritus sapientiae ; et praeposui illam regnis et sedi bus, et divitias nihil esse duxi 9 in comparatione illius ; nee com- paravi illi lapidem pretiosum, quoniam omne aurura in com paratione illius arena est exi- gua, et tanquam lutum aesti- mabitur argentura in conspectu 10 illius. Super salutem et spe- ciem dilexi illam, et proposui 2 Kai ev KOLXiq prjrpbs eyX-vcprjv adp^ beKaprjviai(p xpdvoi, rrayels kv a'lpan eK anipparos dvbpbs Kai fjbovfjs Tjrrvd) avveXOo-uarjs. 3 Kai eyu> be yevopevos earraaa rbv KOLvbv depa, Kai errl rfjV bpoLonaOfj Kare- rreaov yfjv, TTp&rrjv rpctivfjv TrjV bpoiav ¦ndaiv Xaa KXaicav. 4 ez^ airapydvoLS dverpdcjirjv Kai iv (ppovriaiv. 5 ov8eis ydp /3acrtAevs eripav eaxe yeveaeoas dpx'fjV 6 p,ta 8e ndvruiv efco8os els tov jSiov, e^obos re tarj. 7 Aid toiJto Tj'V^dprjv, Kai cppo- I'Tjo-ts ebodrj poL' e-KeKaXeadprjv, Kai ^Xde poi TTvevpa ao(f)ias. 8 npoeKpiva avrfjv aKifj^nrpcov Kai dpovcov, Kai ttXovtov ovbev fjyrjadprjv ev avyKpiaeL avrfjs' 9 ov8e &poiuiaa a'vrfj Xidov dri- prjTov, OTL 6 iras XP^^'O* ^^ di/ret avr^s '^dppos oXiyrj, Kai ais TTJjAds AoyKr^iyo-erai dpyvpos evavriov avr^s. IO VTTep ¦vyieLav Kai evpop(piav ¦Tjyd'nrjaa avrfjv, Kai TrpoeiXoprjv a'vrfjv dvrl (fxarbs exeiv, 2 earth. And in my mother's womb was fashioned to be flesh in the time of ten months, being compacted in blood, of the seed of man, and the pleasure that 3 came with sleep. And when I was born, I drew in the com mon air, and fell upon the earth, which is of like nature, and the first voice which I uttered was 4 crying, as all others do. I was nursed in swaddling clothes, 5 and that with cares. For there is no king that had any other 6 beginning of birth. For all men have one entrance into life, 7 and the like going out. Where fore I prayed, and understand ing was given me : I called w;;ow God, and the spirit of 8 wisdom came to me. I pre ferred her before sceptres and thi-ones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her. 9 Neither compared I unto her any precious stone', because i Gr. s(one all gold in respect of her is asmabieprice. a little sand, and silver shall be counted as clay before her. 10 I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her 2. virvcu V. A. virvov S. Ven. 3. koivov ijpiv aepa Compl. 248. Kareireaa S. Compl. 248. laa V. A. al. ijKa Compl. Field. opoiav airaai KXaioiv S. om. laa. Ita F. Par. 4. averpaijrrjv Y. S. avearpaiprjv A. 157. Kai ippovr. A. 8. Kai ev 'pp. V. 5. PaaiXevs V. S. fiaatXeaiv A. 6. ^'ov V. A. Koapov S. eiay S. 7. ev^aprjv Y. 9. auTjj V. 8. al, fvrijv A. ais fappos Ven. S^ 10. uyiai' 8. irpoeiXoprjv V. S. irpoeiXapijv A. Ven. Compl. 64 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [vn. II- 1 Gr. tcilh- out guile. 2 Gr. vnOi- out envy. 'Or, enter friendship with God. ? Or, God grant. 5 Or, are to be spoken 0/, instead of light : for the light that cometh from her never II goeth out. All good things together came to me with her, and innumerable riches in her 12 hands. And I rejoiced in them all, because wisdora goeth be fore them: and I knew not that she was the mother of 13 them. I learned diligently^ and do communicate her libe rally ' : I do not hide her riches. 14 For she is a treasure unto men that never faileth : which they that use become the friends of God ', being commended for the gifts that come from learning. 15 God hath granted* me to speak as I would, and to conceive as is meet for the things that are given me ^ : because it is he that leadeth unto wisdom, 16 and directeth the wise. For in his hand are both we and our words ; all wisdom also, and knowledge of workmanship. 17 For he hath given me certain knowledge of the things that are, namely, to know how the world was made, and the opera- on dKoiprjTov rb eK tovtjjs eyyos. II 'HA9e 8e' poi ra. dyaOd bpov iravra per' avT^s, Kai dvapiOprjTOs irAovros ev Xepalv avTrjs. 12 evfppdvOrj^v be eiri -irdaLV, otl avr&v fiyevrai aos re perabibtapi, rbv ¦nXovrov avr^s ovk aTTO- Kpvirro/Ltat. 14 dveKXnrfjS ydp Orjaavpos eaTLV dvOpdiroLS, bv ol -xprjadpevoL irpos ©eov eoreiAaiTo (pLXiav, bid rds Ik TraiSe^as boDpeas avaraOivres. 15 'Epol bi 8(077 d ©eds elrreZv Kara yvdtprjv, Kai evdvprjdfjvaL d^icos r&v bebopevaiv' OTL avrbs Kat rijs ao^ias obrjyos ean Kat r&v aocp&v biopOtarrjs. 16 ev ydp x^'P' avroi; Kai ^jixets Kai 01 Adyoi ^p&v, irdad re ippovrjais Kai Ipya- retSi' emar-qprj. 17 avrds ydp poi l8ft)Ke r&v ovrcov yv&aiv d\jfevbfj, elbivaL avaraaLV Koapov Kat evipyeLav aroixeioav, pro luce habere illam, quoniam iiiextinguibile est lumen illius. II Venerunt autem mihi omnia bona pariter cum ilia, et innu- merabilis honestas per manus 12 illius; et laetatus sum in om nibus, quoniam antecedebat me ista sapientia, et ignorabam quoniam horum omnium mater 13 est. Quam sine fictione didici, et sine invidia communico, et honestatem illius non abscondo. 14 Infinitus enim thesaurus est homihibus ; quo qui usi sunt, participes facti sunt amicitiae Dei, propter disciplinae dona 15 commendati. Mihi autem dedit Deus dicere ex sententia, et praesumere digna horum quae mihi dantur, quoniam ipse sa pientiae dux est, et sapientium 16 emendator. In manu enim il lius, et nos, et sermones nostri, et omnis sapientia, et operum 17 scientia, et disciplina. Ipse enim dedit mihi horum quae sunt scientiam veram, ut sciam dispositionem orbis terrarum. 11. ev xepaiv V. A. Ven. ei' xfipi 8. ev tois xepciv Y^. 12. evippavBrjV Y. S. ijvippavBrjV A. em iravraiv V. al. nn iraaiv A. S. Compl. ijyvoaiv S". yeveriv A. yeverijv 261 B. Par. yeveaiv V. S. Ven. 14. eanv Bijaavpos S. ov V. A. S. (f> Ven. 253. H. Par. xP^aapevoi Y. S. Ven. Krijaapevoi A. S'. vol. scrib. vid. Ita al. fru(rTae^i'Tes Vulgo. ou araBetres 106.261. 15. Sipij. SeScu/fei' Compl. Aid. Arab. Vulg. Tcur SeSo/ievoiv V. 68. al. t. SiSo/feriui' 253. Compl. Vulg.T. \€7opei'«» A. S. Ven. al. Syr. Arab. Arm. 16. ep70Tftui' S. -vn. 25.] THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 65 18 et viitutes elementorum, initium, et consummationem, et medie- tatem temporum, vicissitudinum perrautationes, et commutationes 19 temporum, anni cursus, et stel- 20 larum dispositiones, naturas animalium, et iras bestiarura, vim ventorum, et cogitationes hominum, differentias virgulto- 21 rum, et virtutes radicum. Et quaecunque sunt absconsa et im- provisa didici; [22] omnium enim artifex docuit me sapientia. 22 Est enim in ilia spiritus intel ligentiae, sanctus, unicus, multi plex, Bubtilis, disertus, raobilis, incoinquinatus, certus, suavis, amans bonum, acutus, quem nihil 23 vetat, benefaciens, humanus, benignus, stabilis, certus, se curus, omnem habens virtutem, omnia prospiciens, et qui capiat omnes spiritus, intelligibilis, 24 mundus, subtilis. Omnibus enim mobilibus mobilior est sa pientia; attingit autem ubique 25 propter suam munditiam. Va por est enim virtutis Dei, et emanatio quaedam est claritatis 18 dpxfjv Kai re'Aos Kai peaorrjra Xpdvcov, Tpon&v dAAayds Kai pera^o- Ads Kaip&v, 19 ivLavT&v ki/kAovs Kai aarpaiv Beaeis, 20 (p'vaeLS ^(aoiv Kai dvpoiis drjpicnv, Trvevpdrcnv l3ias Kai 6taAoyt(r- povs dvdpiirraiv, bLa(f>opds ' S. 23. irocTeirio-Koiroi' A. S^ al. voepov 261. Koflapoi' 106. KoJBapairarov 261. AeirTOTOToi' 106. 261. Cf. Vulg. 24. KaBapiorijra 8. Ven. 261. Aid. < autem eras. S^. 25. airopoia S. (imp. 8".) fiXiKpivijs V. S. iXiicptveias A. 66 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [vii. 26- S Or, profitably. ' Or, to marnt her to myse^. of the Almighty : therefore can no defiled thing fall into her. 36 For she is the brightness of the everlasting Ught, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness. 27 And being but one, she can do all things : and remaining in herself, she maketh^ all things new : and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and pro- 28 phets. For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with 29 wisdora. For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of stars : being compared with the light, 30 she is found before it. For after this cometh night : but vice shall not prevail against wisdom. CHAPTER Vni. I Wisdoin reacheth from one end to another mightily : and sweetly- doth she order all 2 things. I loved her, and sought h£r out from my youth, I de sired to make her my spouse", and I was a lover of her beauty. 6id TOVTO ovbiv pepiappevov els avrfjv Trape/xirtTrrei. 26 diravyaapa ydp ean (pwros d'ibiov, KOL eaoirrpov aKijAtStoroi; r^s rov Qeov evepyeias, Kai etKuj; r^s dyaOorrjros avrov. 27 pia be ovaa rrdvra 8d2'arat, Kai pevovaa ev a^vrfj ra rravra KaiviQeL, Kai Kara yeveds eis >/aixas oaias pera^aivovaa (fiiXovs Qeov Kai ¦jrpocfujras KaraaKevd^eL. 28 ovOev ydp dyarrq 6 ©eds et jii^ Tdi; ao(jiiq. avvoiKOVvra. 29 loTi ydp avrrj evirpewecrrepa rjA^ov, Kai ¦inrep rrdaav aarpoiv Oeaiv, (poorl ovyKpLvopevT] evpiaKerai irporepa' 30 TOVTO pev ydp StaSexfat vv$, ao(fiias bi ovk diTitrxvet KaKta. KEpoaivrjv re Kai Ven. ai'Spioc A. 8. C. 8. iroXvireipav A. eiKa^eiv Y. C. 55. al. Arm. eiwofei A. S^ Ven. Vulg. Compl. 9, ayayeaBai om. C. 07. epavriji 106. 248. Compl. K 2 68 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [viii. 10- good things, and a comfort in 10 cares and grief For her sake I shall have estimation among the multitude, and ho nour with the elders, though II I be young. I shall be found of a quick conceit in judgment, and shall be admired in the 12 sight of great men. When I hold my tongue, they shall bide my leisure, and when I speak, they shall give good ear unto me : if I talk much, they shall lay their hands upon their mouth. 13 Moreover by the means of her I shall obtain iraraortality, and leave behind me an everlasting memorial to them that come 14 after me. I shall set ' the peo ple in order, and the nations 15 shall be subject unto me. Hor rible tyrants shall be afraid, when they do but hear of me ; » Or, ap. I shall be found ^ good among the multitude, and valiant in 16 war. After I am come into 8 Or, Being mine house ', I will repose my self with her : for her conver sation hath no bitterness ; and to live with her hath no sorrow, 17 but mirth and joy. Now when I considered these things in myself, and pondered them in my heart, how that to be allied unto wisdom is immortality ; 18 And great pleasure it is to have >0r, govern. entered into mine house. Kat irapaiveais ^povribatv KOt X'uirrjs. 10 1^0) 8t^ avr^i/ 8d^av iv dxAots, Kai npfjv irapa irpea^vrepois 6 i/eos. II d^vs evpeO-fjaopaL iv Kpiaei, Kai ev oyfrei bvvaar&v Qavpa- aO^qaopai. 12 crtySzTa pe irepipevovai, Kai (pOeyyopevta irpoae^ovai, Kai XaXovvros iirl irXe'iov X^ V** ^7ri57j(rov(rti' eiri aropa av r&v. 13 e^o) 8t' a^vrfjv ddavaaiav, Kai pvfjprjv aldvLov tols per ipi diroXei\jro!>. 14 bLOLKTjaco Aaovs, Kai edvrj ¦{iiro- rayrjaerai poi. 15 (po^rjO-qaovrai pe aKo-vaavres TVpaVVOL v rjXdov ets a&pa dpiavrov. 21 Tvovs be Sn ovk dAAcos eaopai iyKparfjs, iav pfj 6 ©eds b&, (Kai tovto 6' ^v (ppovqaews rd elbevai rivos fj X'^P'^j) ivervxovTio Kvpif, Kai ibeifjOrjv a-vrov, Kai etirov i^ SXrjs ttjs Kapbias pov KEAAAION ©'. I ©e^ irarepiov Kai Kvpte rov eAe'ovs, d iroLTjaas rd irdvra iv Xoytf aov, 2 Kai rfj ao(j}iq aov KaraaKevd- aas avOpcoirov, tva beairoC'Ti r&v ¦virb aov yevo- pevcov KTiapdroov, her friendship ; and in the works of her hands are infinite riches ; and in the exercise of conference with her, prudence; and in talking with her, a good report'; I went about seeking' or,/a»>e. 19 how to take her to me''- For 2 Or, marry . . her. I was a witty child, and had 20 a good spirit. Yea rather, being good, I came into a body un- 21 defiled. Nevertheless, when I perceived that I could not other wise obtain her, except God gave her me ; and that was a point of wisdom also to know whose gift she was ; I prayed ' ' Or, went. unto the Lord, and besought him, and with my whole heart I said. CHAPTEE IX. I 0 God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, who hast made all 2 things with thy word. And ordained raan through thy wis dom, that he should have do minion over the creatures which 18. TTOvois ep7£ui' xetpoii' Ven. 353. irAouTOs. Tep^is 8. imp. cor. dveKXiirqs. aveAAfinjs 106. 157. avyyvpvaaiq A.Y. avvyvpv.S. ev yvpvaaiifC. i^"]. 0/41X10106.157. evxXeia. evxXeijsA.Q. XdPai. 0707018. eis e/iouT(5i'. irpos e/:«. 106. 157. 260- Compl. 19. TS. Se 55. 106. 261. 21. ovk aXXais. ov KaXais A. G. rovro. to C. S'^v. 6ij C. S. (sed Se 8^) ippovrjaeais eanv C. v irdpebpov aocfiiav, Kai p-fj pe diroboKipdarjs eK iraiboov aov. 5 ort ey&) 8ovAos crds Kai vtds TTJS iraLbiaKrjs aov, dv&puiiros dadevfjs Kai oXiyo- XpdvLOs Kai iXdaacov iv avveaei Kpi- o-ecos Kat vopaiv. 6 Khv ydp rts J? reAetos iv viols dvOpdirwv, rfjs dirb aov aocpias airovarjs els ovbiv XoyLaO-fjaerai. 1 av p,e irpoeiXto /SacriAea Aaov aov Kai biKaarfjv vl&v aov Kai dvyarepaiv. 8 etwas oiKo8o/.i-^(7at vabv ev opei ayiif aov, Kai iv TToAet KaTafJKev a^vrbv, ^tos ^veyKev avr(3 aKTJirrpa /SacriAetas Kai i^ovaiav rvpavvo^vraiv av roii* i/fevSeis re ebei^e rovs paiprj- aapevovs avrbv, Kai ibonKev avr(j) bo^av otco- VLOV. 15 avTTj Aadi' Saiov Kai aireppa dpepirrov ippvaaro i^ eB- vovs OXiPovrcov. 16 elafjXOev ets ¦\frvxfjv Oepdirovros Kvpiov, Kai dvreoTTj ^aaiXevai <})0- /3epoTs ev repaai Kai arj- peiois. 17 dire8a)Kei» do-^ots piaObv Koiroov avr&v, oibrjyrjaev avrovs iv 6b<2 Oav- paarfj, Kol iyivero avrols els aKiirqv fjpipas Kai eJs (pXoya aarpaiv rfjv VVKTa. 18 bie^ijSaaev avrovs OdXaaaav epvOpdv, illi ut vinceret, et sciret quo niam omnium potentior est 13 sapientia. Haec venditum jus tum non dereliquit, sed a pec catoribus liberavit eum; des- cenditque cum illo in foveam, 14 et in vinculis non dereliquit ilium, donee afferret illi scep- trum regni, et potentiam ad versus eos qui eum deprimebant; et mendaces ostendit qui ma- culaverunt ilium, et dedit illi 15 claritatem aeternam. Haec populum justum et semen sine querela liberavit a nationibus 16 quae ilium deprimebant. In- travit in animam servi Dei, et stetit contra reges horrendos in 17 portentis et signis. Et reddi dit justis mercedem laborum suorum, et deduxit illos in via mirabili, et fuit illis in yela- mento diei, et in luce stellarum 18 per noctem ; transtulit illos per 12. irovTius S. irai'TOPi' S'. ij evaeffeia A. al. Compl. 13. e7KaTeXenrei' A. 248. Compl. epvaaro S. C. 14. irw- Kareffij S. paaiKeaiv 261. rvpavv. avrov Yen. G. aX. S'. 16. avrearij. aveanj $aaiXevs S. ' Sed post v. 19, ubi hic vs., ut scriba ipse punotis indicavit, errore repetitus est, recte legitur oyTeiTTij /3o(ri\euo-iv.' Fritzsche. la^xvpois k. 'rjrov ayiov. 2 6tci)8eva-ai^ Iprjpov doiKrjTOv, Kai ev dySdrots eirrj^av aKrjvds. 3 dvriarrjaav iroXepioLs, Kai ex- Bpovs ¦fjpvvavro. 4 ebiyj/Tjaav Kai eireKaXeaavro ae, Kai iboOrj avrols iK irerpas aKporopov vboup, KOL iapa bi^Tjs eK XiOov ctkA?]- pov. 5 At' &v yap iKoXdadrjaav ol exBpol avT&v, 8 id To-vraiv avroi diropoi;i;res evepyer'fjOrjaav. sea, and led thera through much 19 water : But she drowned their enemies, and cast them up out of the bottom of the deep. 20 Therefore the righteous spoiled the ungodly, and praised thy holy name, 6 Lord, and mag nified with one accord thine hand, that fought for them. 21 For wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of them that cannot speak eloquent. CHAPTER XL I She prospered their works in the hand of the holy prophet. 2 They went through the wilder ness that was not inhabited, and pitched tents in places where 3 there lay no way. They stood against their enemies, and were avenged of their adversaries. 4 When they were thirsty, they called upon thee, and water was given them out of the flinty rock, and their thirst was quenched out of the hard stone. 5 For by what things their ene mies were punished, by the same they in their need were 18. Sio vSar. 8. 19. exBpovs avrov G. KareKXvaav A. Kareiravaev 8. Sie$i0aaev C. eiaijXBev (v. 16) usque ad aijpiois repetivit 8'. et uncis inclusit. XI. 1. EuoSaxrei' A. S. C. V^. ourou A. eorum Vulg. irpoiprjraiv ayiaiv A. exB. V. 5. 7ap om. 106. 261. PdB. d0vaa. Bap0ovs sine a0vaa. 8. dve0paaev. 20. tijv Se C. x^'/""' ^- ^- ^1. ijvoi^ev 8. 3. exBp. ijpvvavTo S. A. C. Ven. V. al. ijpvv. 76 THE BOOK OF "WISDOM. [xi. 6- 6 benefited. For instead of a fountain of a pei petual running river troubled with 7 foul blood. For a manifest re proof of that commandment, whereby the infants were slain, thou gavest unto them abund ance of water by a means which 8 they hoped not for : Declaring by that thirst then how thou hadst punished their adver- 9 saries. For when they were tried, albeit but in mercy chas tised, they knew how the un godly were judged in wrath and tormented, thirsting in another 10 manner than the just. For tliese thou didst admonish and try, as a father : but the other, as a severe king, thou didst II condemn and punish. Whether they were absent or present, 12 they were vexed alike. For a double grief came upon them, and a groaning for the remem- 13 brance of things past. For when they heard by their own punishments the other to be benefited, they had some feel- 14 ing ' of the Lord. For whom they rejected with scorn, when he was long before thrown out at the casting forth of the in fants, him in the end, when they saw what came to pass. 6 dvrl piv irrjyfjs devdov irora- pov atpan Xvdp&bei rapa- X^e'iTos, 7 eis lAeyxoi' vrjirioKTOvov bia- rdyparos, eboiKas avrots 8a\/ftAes vboip dveXiriaTOiis' S 8et^as 8id rov Tore bi'^ovs ir&s rovs ¦virevavriovs eKO- Aao"as. 9 Sre ydp eireipdaOrjaav, Kaiirep ev iXiei iraLbevopevoi, eyviaaav ir&s ev dpyfj Kpivo- pevoi dae^eis e^aaavi- ^ovro. 10 rovrovs piv yap is irarfjp vov- 6er&v iboKipaaas, iKeivovs bi ws dTToVoju.os /3ao-i- Aevs KarabiKdCoov e^^qraaas. II Kai dirovres bk Kai rrapovres opoiois irpvxovro. 12 8tTrA^ ydp avrovs eAa/3e Avtttj, Kai crrerayp.ds pv/jpoov r&v irapeXOovrutv. 13 ore ydp ijKovaav 8td r&v Ibiaiv KoXdaeiiiv e'vepyerovpevovs avrovs, fjadovro rod Kvpiov. 14 bv ydp ev eKQeaeL irdkaL pt- (fievra direlirov xAevd^bi'res, eiri re'Aet r&v iKJ^daecav ida'v- paaav, ovx d/xoia diKa^ots 8t\/r^o-ayres. 7 cum illis actum est. [fi] Nam pro fonte quidem sempiterni fluminis, humanum sanguinem S dedisti injustis. [7] Qui cum minuerentur in traductione in fantium occisorura, dedisti illis abundantem aquam insperate, 9 [s] ostendens per sitim, quae tunc fuit, quemadmodum tuos exalta- res, et adversaries illos necares. 10 [9] Cum enim ten tati sunt, et qui dem cura misericordia discipli nam accipientes, scierunt quem admodum cum ira judicati impii II tormenta paterentur ; [10] hos quidem tanquam pater monens probasti; illos autem tanquam durus rex interrogans condem- 12 nasti. [i 1] Absenteseniin et prae- sentes similiter torquebantur. 13 [12] Duplex enira illos acceperat taediura, etgemitus cura memoria 14 praeteritorum. [13] Cum enim audirent per sua tormenta bene secum agi, commemorati sunt Dominum, admirantes in finem 15 exitus. [14] Quem enim in ex- positione prava projectum deri- serunt, in finem eventus mirati sunt, non similiter justis si- 6. OJI' avn pev Ven. aevaov A. S. V. aevvaov Y', al. rapaxBevros S. A. A. F. G. Par. ropax^ei'Tes V. al. XvBpai Siorn- paxBevresYen. 7. eXeyxov. eiraivov 106.261. Sa^tiXes om. io6. 261. Sa^eiAes S. S.KoKaaasS. eKoXaaas S. cot. eKaXeaasC. 9. ef opTjj A. V. per opyrjs 8. C. Ven. 106. 253. 261. Vulg. 12. pvijpaiv raiv irapeXBovaoiv V. C. 68. 253. Arm. pviipij rom irape\Bovra>v 296. B. Par. pvijpaiv raiv irapeXBovroiv A. S. Ven. al. Compl. irapeXrjXvBoroiv 55. 254. A. Par. 13. evepyerov- pevovs V. 68. al. evepyeTijpevovs 8. A. C. 55. Tou Kvpiov. aov Kvpie Ven. 253. S''. 14. rov yap V. S. ov yap A. al. Compl. exfieireiS. A. ex^eo'i C. iroA.ii'Ven. ira^ai impv. S*. piipevra iraXai avBpoiirov aneiirovres exXeva^ov G. oireiirai' S'. eflau/fafoi' A. TOIS SiK(uos S. Sii/njaavres. tlnjcfiiaavTes I06. 261. -XI. 20.] THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 77 i6 tientes. [15] Pro cogitationibus autem insensatis iniquitatis illo rum, quod quidam errantes cole- bant mutos serpentes, et bestias supervacuas, immisisti illis mul- titudinemmiitorura animalium in 17 vindiclam : [16] ut scirent, quia per quae peccat quis, per haec et 18 torquetur. [17] Non enim im- possibilis erat omnipotens manus tua, quae creavit orbem terra rum ex materia invisa, immittere illis multitudinem ursorum, aut 19 audaces leones, [18] aut novi ge neris ira plenas ignotas bestias, aut vaporem ignium spirantes, aut fumi odorem proferentes, aut horrendas ab oculis scintillas 20 emittentes; [19] quarum non so lum laesura poterat illos extermi- nare, sed et aspectus per timorem 21 occidere. [20] Sed et sine his uno spiritu poterant occidi, per- secutionem passi ab ipsis factis suis, et dispersi per spiritum virtutis tuae; sed omnia in mensura, et numero, et pon- 15 avTL bi Xoyiap&v davveroiv abLKias avr&v, ev ois irXavrjQevres eOp^rjaKevov dXoya epirerd kol KvdbaXa evreA^, ^iraTreVretAas avroTs irXfjdos dXoycDV ((61DV els iKbiKrjaiv, 16 tva yv&aLV, Sn 8t' &v rts dpaprdveL, bLa tovtmv Kai KoXd^eraL, 17 ov ydp ^Tro'pet fj iravrobvvapos aov x^lp Kai Kriaaaa rbv Koapov i^ apoprfiov vXrjs iirLirep\lraL avrols irXfjOos dp- Kinv, fj dpaaels Xeovras, 18 fj veoKriarovs Ovpov irX-fjptLS Ofjpas dyvooarovs, ijTOL irvprrvSov (fiva&vras daOpa, ij ^popov XLKpcupevovs Kair- vov, rj beLvovs air dppdruiv aniv- dfjpas darpdrrrovras, 19 &v ov povov fj l3Xdj3rj jjSwaro avveKTpl'^aL avrovs, dAAd Kai fj 6-^is iK). eiroirotTTeiAai 106. 261. 16. /toi «o\afeTai S. Ven. 2f;3. Athan. 17. Kai Kriaaaa. ij Kai kt, Ven. S'. ij «t. 106. 261. ij irXijBos A. 296. 18. veoKriarovs V. Ven. S. Arm. veoKriarov A. C. al. Compl. Bvpovs irXijpijs S. Bpaavyvaiarovs 8. Brjpas ayvaiarovs &. irvpirveov S. 296. irvpippopov 106. irvpcfipopaiv 261. oire/taTO 261. iSpo/ious V. 68 157. 248. iSpo^pi' A. C. S. Ven. al. Compl. Vulg. Arm. Ppaipaiv 106. 261. AiK/iw/.iei'ous V. A. 8. A.fK/ia^ei'ou 248. Compl. mvBrjpas S. amvB. S''. 19. ^Si^toto. eSuy. S. A. o-uye/trpn^ai V. 8. Ven. al. e/CTpiiJ-ai A. C. S^ al. eKrpetpai 106. 261. 20. ev evi irv. G. 253. 81/tijs om. S. add. cor. aov om. C. «oi araSpup om. C. 261. 78 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xi. 21- J Or. iittk Keight. 2 1 For thou canst shew thy great strength at all times when thou wilt; and who may withstand 22 the power of thine arm ? For the whole world before thee is as a little grain ^ of the balance, yea, as a drop of the morning dew that faUeth down upon the 23 earth. But thou hast mercy upon all ; for thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men, because they should 24 amend. For thou lovest all the things that are, and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made : for never wouldest thou have made any thing, if thou hadst 35 hated it. And how could any thing have endured, if it had not been thy wiU ? or been preserved, if not called by 26 thee ] But thou sparest all : for they are thine, 0 Lord, thou lover of souls. CHAPTER xn. I For thine incorruptible Spirit 2 is in all things. Therefore chastenest thou them by little and little that offend, and warnest them by putting them in remembrance wherein they 21 rd ydp peydXais J(rx''f"' ""O' irdpeanv iravrore, Kai Kpdrei fipaxiovos aov rts dvnanjaerai ; 22 Sn (BS poTr^ Ik ¦irAo(rrtyyft)j; oAos d Koapos evavriov aov, Kai ft)s pavis bpoaov opOpLvij KareXdovaa iirl 'yfjV' 23 lAeets 8^ Trdi'ras, Stl irdvra b'vvaaai, Kai irapopas dpaprrjpaTa av- Optaircov els peravoiav. 24 dyairqs ydp rd ovra iravra, Kai o'vbiv jSbeXvaarj &v iiroirj- aas, o-vbi ydp hv pia&v rt Kare aKevaaas. 25 ir&s bi ep,eLvev av n el pfj ah ¦qdeXrjaas ', fj rb pfj KXrjdiv -virb aov 8ie- TTjpijdrj; 26 (fieibrj bi irdvTcov, on crd ian, Aearrora (^tAdx/ruxf- KE'I'AAAION IB'. I Td ydp a(f>9apr6v aov nvevjotd ianv iv irdai. 2 Aid rovs irapaTTtTrroj'ras Kar oXiyov iXeyxeLS, Kai iv ots dpaprdvovaLV viro- pLpvqaKcuv vovOerels, 22 dere disposuisti. [21] Multum enim valere, tibi soli super- erat semper; et virtuti brachii 23 tui quis resistetl [22] Quoniam tanquam momentum staterae, sic est ante te orbis terrarum, et tanquam gutta roris ante- lucani quae descendit in terram. 24 [23] Sed misereris omnium, quia omnia potes, et dissimulas pec cata hominum propter poeniten- 25 tiam. [24] Diligis enim omnia quae sunt, et nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti ; nee enim odiens aliquid constituisti, aut fecisti. 26 [25] Quomodo autem posset ali quid perraanere, nisi tu voluis- ses 1 aut quod a te vocatum non 2 - esset conservaretur 1 [a6] Parois autem omnibus, quoniam tua sunt, Domine, qui amas animas. CAPUT XII. 1 O quam bonus et suavis est, Domine, Spiritus tuus in om nibus ! 2 Ideoque eos qui exerrant partibus corripis, et de quibua peccant admones et alloqueris, 21. ' 8. Karev»vriov G. opBivriC, opBpivijs 65. 264. Vulg. em 71JI' V. S. A. eiri rrjV yijv 157. 248. 296. Compl. eiri 71JS C. S^. 106. a6l. 24. koi ouSera A. 25. inus 7ap C. epeivev V. A. Ven. al. Siepeivev S. C. al. tis C. KXijBtjvai C. »rfJKas, tva avrovs KaralBpaxv i^oXe- Opevaoaaiv' 9 ouK dSwarcSy iv "irapard^ei dael^els biKaiois ¦inroxeipiovs bovvai, rj OrjpioLS beivols, rj Adyu aTTO- rdju.6> v^' 111 iKTpl^aL' 10 Kpivwv bi Karajipaxy ibibovs Toirov peravoias. have offended, that leaving their wickedness they may believe on 3 thee, 0 Lord. For it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our fathers both those old ' i Or, inhabitants of thy holy land, 4 Whom thou hatedst for doing raost odious works of witch crafts ^, and wicked sacrifices ; ^ Or, sorceries. 6 And also those merciless mur derers of children, and devourers of man's flesh, and the feasts of 6 blood. With their priests out of the midst of their idolatrous crew, and the parents, that killed with their own hands 7 souls destitute of help : That the land, which thou esteeraedst above all other, might receive a worthy colony ' of God's ^ Or, new 8 children. Nevertheless even tance. those thou sparedst as raen, and didst send wasps, fore runners of thine host, to de stroy them by little and little. 9 Not that thou wast unable to bring the ungodly under the hand of the righteous in battle, or to destroy them at once with cruel beasts, or with one rough IO word : But executing thy judg ments upon them by little and little, thou gavest them place of repentance, not being igno- 2. iriarevaaiaiv om. 8. add. S. cor. iriarevaaipev A. avrov eiri ae S. ourou S^. impr. 3. iraAoi S. io6. 4. i^ap- paiciaiv S. eiXovTa KoXa- aBfjvai KarabiKdaai dXXorpLov fjyo^upevos rfjs afjs bvvdpeais. 16 fj ydp laxvs aov biKaioavvrjs a'PX'J. Kai rd irdvraiv ae beairo^eLV irdvTcov (fieibeaOai iroiel. ignorans quoniam nequam est natio eorum, et naturalis malitia ipsorum, et quoniam non poterat mutari cogitatio illorum in per il petuum. Semen enim erat ma- ledictum ab initio ; nee timens aliquem, veniam dabas peccatis 12 illorum. Quis enim dicet tibi: Quid fecisti? aut quis stabit contra judicium tuum ? aut quis in conspectu tuo veniet vindex iniquorum hominum 1 aut quis tibi imputabit, si perierint na- 13 tiones quas tu fecisti ? Non enim est alius Deus quam tu, cui cura est de omnibus, ut os- tendas quoniam non injusteju- 14 difcas judicium. Neque rex neque tyrannus in conspectu tuo inquireiit de his quos per- 15 didisti. Cum ergo sis Justus, juste omnia disponis; ipsum quoque qui non debet punlri condemnare exterum aestimas 16 a tua virtute. Virtus enim tua justitiae initium est, et ob boo quod omnium Dominus ea, 10. oTi ante ou om. S. addit S. oor. 11. KeKarijpapevov 8. 12. eXevaerat aoi S. Ven. 13. Sifijs S. et S*. Sifij S . 14. ouTe 7ap 106. 261. Sui'ijo'oi'Tai io6. 261. iKdXaaas. oircuAeiras Reusch. Vulg (?). e/co\a(ras 8. A. V. Ven. Compl. Aid. al. Arm. Ar. 15. to irai'Ta Sixaiais 8. ijyovpevov 8. ijyovpevos S'. 16. i- Xdvdpaiirov' Koi eveXiribas iiroirjaas tovs viovs aov, on bibois iirl dpaprrjpaai pe- rdvoiav. io et ydp ixBpovs iraiboov aov Kai ocpeiXopevovs davdrif perd roaavrrjs iripdprjaas irpoaoxfjs Kai bieaeois, 80VS xpovovs Kai roirov 81' Siv diraXXay&ai rfjs KaKias' 21 perd iroarjs dKpi^eias eKpivas rovs vtovs aov, Siv rois irarpdaiv SpKOVs koi avv9-fjKas eboiKas dyad&v vrroayeaeinv ; 22 fjpds ovv iraibe'vaiv, rovs ix- dpovs fjp&v iv pvpLorrjTL paanyois, 17 gracious unto all. For when men will not believe tliat thou art of a full ' power, thou shew- 1 or, per. feet. est thy strength, and among them that know it thou makest 18 their boldness manifest. But thou, mastering thy power, judgest with equity, and orderest us with great favour : for thou mayest use power when thou 19 wilt. But by such works hast thou taught thy people that the just man should be merciful, and hast made thy children to be of a good hope that thou givest 20 repentance for sins. For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy children, and the con demned to death, with such de liberation, giving them time and place, whereby they might be delivered from their malice : 21 With how great circumspection didst thou judge thine own sons, unto whose fathers thou hast sworn, and made covenants of 22 good promises 1 Therefore, whereas thou dost chasten us, thou scourgest our enemies a thousand times more, to the intent that, when we judge, we 17. iirxi"' (cor. «rxus) yap ei'Sei/o'uo'o S. evSei/o'utrai 8^ o oiriiTT. 55. 106. 254. oti dirtirT. A. ei' tois ou/c eiSoo'i A. Vulg. Arm. (Te eiSoirii' S. eiSoirj irou 55. 254. flopo'os 248. Compl. o^ou to /cpoTOs S^ e^eA.e7xeTai S. e^eXeyxeis S''. 18. Se om.Ven. al. 19. Sei TOV om. S. add. S'^ SiSois V. A. 68. Aid. SiSois edd. 20. enpaipijaas V. 8. Ven. al. eripaiprjaai A. 55. io6. al. Compl. KOI Seijaeais vulgo leet. om. A. al. Compl. Vulg. Kai Sieaeais S. Kai Sieaaiaas 296. C. D. H. Par. Arm. Sous ourois Ven. xpovoy Kai Torrov A. 55. 106. al. Vulg. Syr. . xP^vov xai Tpoirov 248. Compl. toitoi' Kai xpovovYen. 21. ^eTii irdcrijs. /toi pera iraaijs 8". Kpiveis Yen. vrroaxrjs S. viroaxeBeaiv 8". 22. ev ^upioTij(ri 106. 261. U 82 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. ^.xii. 23- should carefully think of thy goodness, and when we our selves are judged, we should 23 look for mercy. Wherefore, whereas men have lived dis solutely and unrighteously, thou hast tormented them with their ' Or, 24 own abominations ^ For they abominable j* * .tl „ idols. went astray very tar in tne ways of error, and held them for gods, which even among the beasts of their enemies were despised, being deceived, as children of no underatanding. 25 Therefore unto them, as to children without the use of reason, thou didst send a judg- 26 ment to mock them. But they that would not be reformed by that correction, wherein he dallied with them, shall feel a 27 judgment worthy of God. For, look, for what things they grudged, when they were punished, that is, for them whom they thought to be gods ; [now] being punished in them, when they saw it, they acknow ledged him to be the true God, whom before they denied to know ; and therefore came ex treme damnation upon them. CHAPTER XIII. 1 Surely vain are all men by na ture, who are isjnorant of God, ti'ii aov rfjv dyaBoTTjra pepip- v&pev Kpivovres, KpivopevoL bi irpoaboK&pev eAeos. :3 SOev Kai rovs iv dtppoavvrj f&JTjs l3L(aaavTas dbiKOvs bid T&v Ibicov i^aadviaas j38eAvy/xdrcor. 24 Kai ydp T&v irXdvijs ob&v paK- porepov iirXavijdijaav, deovs ¦viroXapjSdrovTes rd Kai ev ((OOLS r&v ixdp&v dnpa, vrjiriciiv biKTjv dtppovaiv -^ev- aOevres. -'5 8 id rovro d)S iraialv dXoyi- arois rfjv Kpiaiv ets epiraiy- pbv eirep-yjras' 26 oi 6e Tratyi'iots eirtnp.jj(reft)S (U,T) vovderrjOevres d£iav ©eov Kpiaiv ireipaaovair. 27 i(j) ois ydp avroi irdaxovres fjyavdKTOvv, iirl rovroLS ofis eboKovv deovs, iv avroTs KoXa^opevoi, Ibovres bv irdXai i)pvovvTo el bevai, Qebv eiriyvuiaav dXrj- bib Kai rb reppa rfjs Kara8tK7js iir' a-VTOvs eirfjXdev. KEa>A.VAION IP'. I Mdraiot piv ydp irdi>res dv- OpoiiroL (pvaei, ols irapfjv Qeov dyvioaia, bonitatem tuam cogitemus judi- cantes, et cum de nobis judi- oatur, speremus niisericordiam 23 tuam. Unde et illis, qui in vita sua insensate et injuste vixerunt, per haec quae colue- runt dedisti summa tormenta. 24 Etenim in erroris via diutius erraverunt, deos aestimantes haec quae in animalibus sunt supervacua, infantium iuseusa- 25 toruni more vlventes. Propter hoc tanquam pueris insensatis judicium in derisum dedisti. 26 Qui autem ludlbrils et incre- pationibus non sunt correcti, dignum Dei judicium experti 27 sunt. In quibus enim patientes indignabantur, per haec quos putabant deos, in ipsis cum ex- termiuarentur videntes, ilium, quem olim negabaut se nosse, verum Deum agnoverunt ; prop ter quod et finis coiidemnatloiiis eorum venit super illos. CAPUT XIII. I Vani autem sunt omnes ho mines, iu quibus non subest scientia Dei; et de his quae 2'2. eXeof Ven. 23. aippoavvais S. ftuijs om. Ven. oSi/cous S. V. 55. 68. Ar. aSixais A. 8'. Ven. al. Vulg. Syr. Arm. Compl. 25. ipiraiypuv. evireypov 8. 26. rre7i'iois S. Kpiaiv Beov S. 27. ofis. ow 8. ois (248. 261) eSo/touv fleois (261) /coXofoperai ev ouTois 106. iSovTes Se S. eiSevai om. 8. ii;7. iir' auTous. eir'aurofS. eiravraivS^. ijXflei/ Ven. XIII. 1. paToioi 7ap iravTes ipvat avBp, S. -XIII. 7.] THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 83 videntur bona, non potuerunt intelligere eum qui est, neque operibus attendentes agnoverunt 2 quis esset artifex ; sed aut ig nem, aut spiritum, aut citatum aerem, aut gyrum stellarum, aut nimiam aquam, aut solem et lunam, rectores orbis terrarum 3 deos putaverunt. Quorum si specie delectati, deos putave runt, sciant quanto his Domi- nator eorum speciosior est ; speciei enim generator haec 4 omnia constituit. Aut si vir tutem et opera eorum mirati sunt, intelligant ab illis quo niam qui haec fecit, fortior est 5 ilHs ; a magnitudine enim spe ciei et creaturae cognoscibiliter poterit creator horum videri. 6 Sed tamen adhuc in his minor est querela; et hi enim for tasse errant, Deum quaerentes, 7 et volentes invenire. Etenim cum in operibus illius conver- Kai eK r&v opcopevoiv dya6&v ovk taxvaav elbevai rbv Svra, oiire Tols epyois irpoaaxdvres iireyvoiaav rbv rexvirrjV 2 dAA' TJ TTvp, fj irvevpa, fj ra- Xivbv depa, 17 kvkAoi; darpoiv, fj jSiaiov iibaip, t; (poiarfjpas ovpavov irpvrdveis Koapov Oeovs ivopiaav. 3 Siv el piv rfj KaXXovfj repiro- pevoi Tavra Oeoi/s vireXdp- Pavov, yv&ruiaav iroaia to'vtcov 6 Aea irorrjs iarl jSeXrioiv' b ydp TOV KdXXovs yeveaidpxrjS eKTiaev avrd' 4 el bi b'vvapiv Kai evepyeiav eKirXayevres, vorjadrwaav air avr&v iroaio 6 KaraaKevdaas avrd bvva- T&repos eanv. 5 eK ydp peyedovs Kai KaXXovfjs KTiapdrcav dvaXoycos 6 yeveaiovpybs av r&v Oeonpelrai. 6 dAA' dp,cos iirl rovrois earl pepyjris oXiyrj, Kai yap avroi rdxa irXav&vrai Qebv 0iTovvres Kai BeXovres evpelv. 7 ev ydp rois epyois avrov dva- arpe(p6pevoi biepevv&ai, and could not out of the good things that are seen know him that is : neither by considering the works did they acknowledge 2 the workmaster ; But deemed either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the violent water, or the lights of heaven, to be the gods 3 which govern the world. With whose beauty if they being de lighted took them to be gods; let them know how much better the Lord of them is : for the first author of beauty hath 4 created them. But if they were astonished at their power and virtue, let them understand by them, how much mightier he is 5 that made them. For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures proportionably the 6 maker of them is seen. But yet for this they are the less to be blamed : for they peradven- ture err, seeking God, and de- 7 sirous to find him. For being conversant in his works they 1 . e/t TojvSe Ven. eve/ca toiv 106. ouSeS. OTeVen. irpoo'xovTesV. 55.68. 253. irpoirexovTes A. S. Ven. al. Compl. e7vaio-avS. 2. ij Kai irvevpa 248. aarepaiv S^. 3. Beovs V. 55. 68. Vulg. Toura Beovs A. Ven. al Compl. Syr. Arm. Ar. ravB sine fieous S. Tou9 S^. Beovs vrreXapPavov eivai 253. uireA. S. eivai Ven. 0eXreiov 8. fieXreiaiv 8^. KaXXovs. Koapov 8^. i. Se om. S. eis Se 8^. tijv Suv. 106. Svvapei leai evepyeiifY.Yen. 68. Compl. Aid. Svvapiv k. evepyeiav 8. A.V. Mai. xai eKirX. 8. Kai 8. cor. impr. iroaqi paXXov 55. 254. 5. KaXXovtjs Kai Knap. 8. Ven. al. Compl. Aid. Vulg. Kai KaXXovijS 8^. 55. 248. al. Compl. Aie7eeous /coMovijs /(Ti(r^Tfl/v V. A. 68. 157. Syr. 6. liri. en A. /^e^is effTiv A. 157. al. Compl. 7. Siepauvcuffiv S. V. Siepeuvmcri S'. M 2 84 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xiii. 8- L Or, .<*¦*. search •¦ him. diligently, and be lieve their sight : because the things are beautiful that are 8 seen. Howbeit neither are they 9 to be pardoned. For if they were able to know so much, that they could aim at the world ; how did they not sooner find out the Lord thereof? IO But miserable are they, and in dead things is their hope, who called them gods, which are the works of men's hands, gold and silver, to shew art in, and re- serabliuices of beasts, or a stone good for nothing, the work of 1 1 an ancient hand. Now a car- JOr.iimixr. peutcr " that felleth timber, wrighL after he hath sawn down a tree meet for the purpose, and taken off all the bark skilfully round about, and hath wrought it handsomely, and made a vessel thereof fit for the service of 1 2 man's Hfe ; And after spending sor, c/iijw. the refuse " of his work to dress his meat, hath filled himself; 13 And taking the very refuse among those which served to no use, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, hath carved it diligently, when he had nothing else to do, and Kai -ei^oirai rfj o\jrei, on KaAd rd jiXeiropeva. S rrdXiv be ovb' avroi avyyvoiaToi. 9 et ydp roo-ofror laxvaar ei- 8e'j'at, tva b-vvoiVTai aroxdaaaBai rbv al&va, rbv ro'VTOiv AeairoTrjv ir&s ra- Xioji ovx f^po^ S 10 TaAatiTcopot 8^ Kai ev veKpots oi eATTiSes avr&v, otnves eKoXeaav Beoiis ipya Xeip&v dvBpcinroiv, Xpvabr Kai dp-yvpov rexvrjS ippeXenjpa Kai d7retKd(r^ara t'cdcor, ^ XiBov axprjOTOv x^i-P^^ epyov dpxaias. n el bi Kai ns vXoropos reKruiv evKivrjTov (fivrbv iKirpiaas, irepie^vaev evpaB&s irdvra rbv (pXoiov avrov, Kai rexvrjadpevos eiirpeir&s KareaKevaae 'xpijaipov aKevos els virrjpeaiav (fnijs, 12 rd 8e d^nofiX-qpara rfjs ipya- aias els eroipaaiav rpotpfjs dvaXd- aas ererrXijaOrj, 13 rd 6e e^ a^vr&v diro^Xrjpa els oi/Biv ei)(prjaTov, ^¦vXov aKoXibv Kai o^ois avp- irecjivKos, XajSoiv eyXv^ev ev eiripeXeiq dpyias a^urov, sentur inquinmt, et persuasum habent quoniam bona sunt quae S videntur. Iterum autem nee 9 his debet ignosci. Si enim tan tum potuerunt scire, ut pos sent aestimare saeculum, quo modo hujus Dominum non faci- lius invenerunt ? 10 Infelices autem sunt, et inter mortuos spes illorum est, qui appellaverunt deos opera ma- fiuum hominum, aurum et ar gentura, artis invention em, et si- militudines aninitdium, aut lapi dem inutilem opus manus auti- 1 1 quae. Aut si qiiis artifex faber de sylva lignum rectum seouerit, et hujus docte eradat omnem corticem, et arte sua usus, dili genter fabricet •vas utile in con- 12 versationera vitae ; reliquiis autem ejus operis ad praepara- 13 tionem escae abutatur; et reli- quum horum quod ad nullos usus facit, lignum curvum et vorticibus plenum, sculpat dili genter per vacuitatem suam, et 8. o-uv7vojAAAI0N IA'. I nAovii ns irdXiv areXXopevos Kai aypia peXXwv 8to8eveti' KVjuara, TOV (pepovTos avrdii irXoiov aaBporepov ^vXov eiri/3oarat. 2 iKelvo piv ydp ope^is iropia- p&v eirevorjae, rexi'irijs 8^ ao^iq Kare- aKevaaev. 3^8^ afj, ndrep, biaKv^epvq irpovoia, Sn ebcoKas Kai ev BaXdaa-p obbv Kai ev Kvpaai rpi^ov dacpaXfj, 4 8etKz;vs Sn b^vvaaai eK iravrbs ad^eiv, tva Kdv dvev rexvrjs ns iiri^fj. 5 9eAets 8^ fxij dpyd eu'at rd r^s aoipias aov epya' bid rovro Kai iXaxiarw ^tjXw iriarevovaiv dvBponiroi \/fv- Xds, Kai 8ieA9di;res KXvbaiva axebia bieaddrjaav. 6 Kat dpx?;s ydp diroXXvpivoiv vireprjtpdvuiv yiydvrtav, fj iXirls TOV Koapov iirl axebias Karacjivyovaa eventu, petit ab eo, qui in omni bus est inutilis. CAPUT XIV. 1 Iterum alius navigare cogitans, et per feros fluctus iter facere incipiens, ligno portante se, 2 fragilius lignum invocat. Illud enim cupiditas acquirendi ex- cogitavit, et artifex sapientia 3 fabricavit sua. Tua autem. Pater, providentia gubernat ; quoniam dedisti et in mari viam, et inter fluctus semitam 4 firmissimam, ostendens quoniam potens es ex omnibus salvare, etiara si sine arte aliquis adeat 5 mare. Sed ut non essent vacua sapientiae tuae opera, propter hoc etiam et exiguo ligno cre dunt homines animas suas, et transeuntes mare per ratem li- 6 berati sunt. Sed et ab initio cum perirent superbi gigantes, spes orbis terrarum ad ratem 19. TO aSpoves 8. euSp. aiTefToi. oSpoviav eni/caAeiToi S. aiTeiTai S''. XIV. 1. SioSeueiv /leAAo/v Ven. irXoiou V. S. Ven. al. £u\ou A. 157. Ar. Vulg. em^oa Ven. 253. 2. eirev9ij(re Ven. TexviTis Se aoipia A. S.V. al. Compl. TexviTijs edd. Ven. Vulg. Syr. Ar. Arm. 3. Sio/cui8epvaToi 106. 261. 4. e/t itovtos Suvoo-oi 8. e* irovTo/v A. Vulg. iva om.Ven. 253. S'. Kov V. S Ven. al. /tai A. 55. 106. al. 5. tijs uijs iroc^ias 253. oou om. S. Ven. 253. ev eXox. Ven. 106. 157. kXvSoivos Yen. 55-354. 6. /tai om.Ven. 106. 261. '5.J THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 87 confugiens, remisit saeculo semen nativitatis, quae manu tua erat 7 gubernata. Benedictum est enim lignum, per quod fit jus- 8 titia. Per manus autem quod fit idolum, maledictum est et ipsum, et qui fecit illud ; quia ille quidem operatus est, illud autem cum esset fragile, deus 9 cognominatus est. Similiter autem odio sunt Deo irapius et 10 impietas ejus. Etenim quod factum est cum illo qui fecit II tormenta patietur. Propter hoc et in idolis nationum non erit respectus, quoniam creaturae Dei in odium factae sunt, et in tentationem animabus hominum, et in muscipulam pedibus in- 12 sipientium. Initium enim for nicationis est exquisitio idolo- rum ; et adinventio illorum cor- 13 ruptio vitae est ; neque enim erant ab initio, neque erunt in 14 perpetuum. Supervacuitas enim hominum haec advenit in or bem terrarum ; et ideo brevis illorum finis est inventus. IS Acerbo enim luctu dolens pater cito sibi rapti filii fecit imagi nem; et ilium, qui tunc quasi oireAiirey al&vi airippa yeve- aeuis rfj afj Kv^epvrjdelaa Xiipi. 7 evXoyrjTai yap ^'vXov 81' ov yiverai biKaioavvrj. 8 rd x^'P"'"'''^'?'''''!' de eirtKard- parov avrb, Kai b ironjcrcts avrd, on d piv elpyd^ero, rb bi (jiBaprbv 6ebs oivopdaBrj. 9 ezi taai ydp piarjra 0e(o Kai d daejS&v Kai fj daijSeia avrov' 10 Kai ydp rd irpaxBiv avv r& bpdaavn KoXaadrjaerai. II 8id TOVTO Kai ei" ei8coAois idv&v eiriaKOirfj earai, Stl ev Kriapari Qeov ets /38^- Avyfxa iyevrjBrjaav Kai eis aKdvbaXa ¦^jrvxals dv- Bpcaircov Kai eis irdyi8a iroalv dippovtov. 12 'Apxfj yap iropveias iirivoia elbdiXuiv, efjpeais bi avr&v ipBopd C'^fjs. 13 ovre ydp -qv dir' dpxfjs, aire els rbv al&va earai. 14 Kevobo^iq ydp dvBpdiraiv elafjX- Bev eis rbv Koapov, Kai bid rovTO avvropov avr&v re'Aos iirevorjBrj. 15 ddptf ydp irevBei rpvxdpevos irarfjp TOV raxe'ojs d(}iaipeBevros reK vov elKOva iroirjaas, hand escaped in a weak vessel, and left to all ages a seed of 7 generation. For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness 8 cometh. But that which is made with hands is cursed, as well it, as he that made it : he, because he made it ; and it, because, being corrupt- 9 ible, it was called god. For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God. 10 For that which is made shall be punished together with him II that made it. Therefore even upon ' the idols of the Gentiles ' or, to, or, shall there be a visitation : be cause in the creature of God they are become an abomination, and stumblingblocks ^ to the ^ Gr. souls of men, and a snare ' to 12 the feet of the unwise. For the devising of idols was the be ginning of spiritual fornication, and the invention of thera the 13 corruption of life. For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be for ever. 14 For by the vainglory of men they entered into the worhl, and therefore shall they come 15 shortly to an end. For a father afflicted with untimely mourn ing, when he hath made an image of his child soon taken away, now honoured him as a scandals.3 Or, trap. 6. aireXiirevY. vweXiirevS. aireXeiirev A. KareXeiirev 2g6. icareXiirev 261. rai aiaiviS.Y. TO/impr.V^. 7. euXo7eiTai 248. evXoyijpevov 106. 261. ev S'lKaioa. S. ev S. oor. impr. 8. to Se xe'P- S. 157. 248. Compl. oti o pevY. A. al. Kai o pev 8. eipya^ero V. ijpya^ero A. S. 253. eipyaaaro 55. 254. 11. Kai iv. Kai om. S. ev om. I06. 261. 296. Knapaaiv Ven. ff/covSaXov 261. iroff. ovffpiuirtuv a^p. 106. 261. 12. 7ap om. 261. Compl. eupecreis V. auToi S. 13. etTTOi. j^evei 157. 14. /tevoS. 7dp. Kev. Se Ven. 8''. avBp. Bavaros eiaijXBev 8. Bavaros 8. cor. impr. eis Koapov Y. 68. eis tov k. A. 8. Ven. al. Compl. avraiv to TeXot A. 55. 157. al. Compl. to TeXos auT<«v 106. 296. to om. V. 8. Ven. 68. 253. Athan. 88 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xiv. i6- 1 Gr. Ill time. 2 Or, tyrant. = Or, in sigh!. god, which was then a dead man, and delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and 1 6 sacrifices. Thus in process of time ' an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law, and graven images were worshipped by the commandments of kings ''. 17 Whom men could not honour in presence ', because they dwelt far ofi', they took the counterfeit of his visage from far, and made an express image of a king whom they honoured, to the end that by this their forward ness they might flatter him that was absent, as if he were pre- 18 sent. Also the singular dili gence of the artificer did help to set forward the ignorant 19 to more superstition. For be, peradventure willing to please one in authority, forced all his skill to make the resemblance *GT.tothe 20 of the best fashion*. And so belter. the multitude, allured by the grace of the work, took him now for a god, which a little before was but honoured as a 21 man. And this was an occa sion to deceive the world : for rdi; rdre veKpbv dvBpoiirov vvv (as ^edz; iriprjae, Kai irapeboiKe rots viroxetpiots pvar/jpia Kai reAeras. 16 eira iv XP^'^? xpo.'rvvBev rd daejSis eBos us vopos etjiv- XdxBrj, Kai rvpdvvoiv iirirayals iBprj- aKevero rd yXvirrd' 17 o^s iv o\{feL /x^ bvvdpevoi rtp.ai' avBpooiroi bid rd paKpdv olKelv, rfjv iroppaiBev o^^iv dvarviro)- adpevoi, ep(j)avfj eiKova rov nptiipivov (iaaiXeais eiroirjaav, tva rbv dirovra &s irapovra KoAaKevoKFt 8td rfjs airov- bfjs. 18 ets iirtraaiv bi BprjaKeias Kai rovs dyz^oowras ^ rov rexi'trov irpoerpe'^aTO ^iXoripia. 19 6 piv ydp rdxa ru Kparoviin jBovXopevos dpeaai e^e^idaaro rfj rexvrj rfjv opoio- rrjra eiri rd KaAAioi'" 20 rd 8e itAtj^os i(j)eXK6pevov bid TO evxo-pL rfjs ipyaaias rbv irpb oXiyov nprjBevra dv- Bponrrov vvv ae^aapa iXoyi- aavro. 21 Kai rovro iyevero riS /3t&) els evebpov, homo mortuus fuerat, nunc tan quam deum colere coepit, et constituit inter servos suos sa- 16 era et sacrificia. Deinde inter- veniente tempore, convalescente iniqua consuetudine, hic error tanquam lex custoditus est, et tj'rannorum imperio colebantur 17 figmenta. Et hos quos in pa- lam homines honorare non pote rant propter hoc quod longe essent, e longinquo figura eo rum nllata, evideutem imaginem regis quem honorare volebant fecerunt, ut ilium qui aberat tanquam praesentem colerent iS sua solllcitudine. Provexit au tem ad horum culturam et hos qui ignorabant artificis eximia 19 diligentia. Ille enim, volens placcre illi qui se assumpsit, elaboravit arte sua ut similitu dinem in melius figuraret. 20 Jlultitudo autem hominum ab- ducta per speciem operis, eum, qui ante tempus tanquam homo lionoi-atus fuerat, nunc deum 21 aestimaverunt. Et haec fuit vitiie humanae deceptio, quo- 15. TOV TOTe V. S. Ven. al. t. iroTe A. 296. 16. KpaTrjSev 106. Aid. Compl. eflvos S. (v erasum) vopov 8. voposS, iipvXdxBij. aivopaaBij 106. 261. eflpijff/ceuovTo 106. 261. 17. Tuiroi ovoTUiroio'apevoi Ven. 253, Tvrraiaapevoi 254. TeTijiiJpevov 157, Athan. tov oir. ais irap. V. A. al. ois irap. tov air. S. Ven. al. «o\a/teutuo'i V. S. Ven. al. KoXaxevaaiaiv A. 55. 106. al. tijs airouSijs S.V. Ven. al. Ath. tijs om. A. 55. 106. al. 18. pera rovro ij rov 253. 19. Tip Kpar. V. Mai. rrp om. S. A. C. V. Vercell 253. al. Aid. ti; om. 253. 20. iipeXKdpevov. e^epxopevov 106. 261. euxapi V. 8. al. euxopis A. C. eis (re/Saffpo 55. 254. ae^aapiov 261. 21. eis eveSpa S. eveSpov S^ -XIV. 28.] THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 89 niam aut affectui aut regibus deservientes homines, incom - municabile nomen lapidibus et 22 lignis imposuerunt. Et non suifecerat errasse eos circa Dei scientiam ; sed et in magno vi- ventes inscientiae bello, tot et tam magna mala pacem appel- 23 lant. Aut enim filios suos sa- crificantes, aut obscura sacrificia facientes, aut insaniae plenas 24 vigilias habentes, neque vitam, neque nuptias mundas jam cus- todiunt; sed alius alium per invidiam occidit aut adulterans 25 contristat ; et omnia commista sunt, sanguis, homicidium, fur- tum et fictio, corruptio et in- fidelitas, turbatio et perjurium, 26 tumultus bonorum, Dei imme- moratio, animarum inquinatio, nativitatis immutatio, nuptiarum inconstantia, inordinatio moe- 27 chiae et impudicitiae. Infando- rum enim idolorum cultura omnis mali causa est, et initium, et finis. 28 Aut enim dum laetantur, in- saniunt, aut certe vaticinantur on rj avpcjiopq 7) rvpavvibi bovXevaavres dvBpcurroi rb dKOivdvrjTov ovopa XiBois Kai ^vAots irepieBeaav. 22 etr' OVK fjpKeae rb irXavdaBai irepl rrjv rov Qeov yv&aiv, aXXa Kai ev peydXto ^&vTes dyvoias iroXipta ra roaavra KaKa elpiqvrjv irpoa- ayopeTuovaiv. 23 ^ ydp reKVO^ovovs reXerds, fj Kpv^ta pvar-rjpia, rj ippavels i^dXXaiv Beap&v Kbipovs dyovres, 24 ovre /3tovs ovre ydpovs KaBa- povs en ipvXdaaovaiv, erepos 8' erepov fj Xox&v avai pei, rj voBe'vuiv dbvvq. 25 irdvra 8' iiripl^ exei alpa Kai (fiovos, KXoirfj Kai 8o'Aos, (fiBopd, diriaria, rdpaxos, iiriopKia, 26 Bopv^os dyaBbiv, xdptros d- pvrjaria, i^rvx&v piaapbs, yeveaecas ivtxX- Xayfj, ydpcov dra^ia, poixeia Kai daeXyeia. 21 fj ydp T&v dvcovvpcov elbtoXaiv BprjaKeia iravrbs dpxfj KaKOv Kai alria Kai irepas iariv. 28 TJ ydp e'vcfipaivopevoi pep-qva- aiv, 7] irpoiprjTe^vovai ¦yjrevbfj, men, serving either calamity or tyranny, did ascribe unto stones and stocks the incommunicable 22 naraed Moreover this was not iOr,o/Ood. enough for them, that they erred in the knowledge of God ; but whereas they lived in the great war of ignorance, those so great 23 plagues called they peace. For whilst they slew their children in sacrifices, or used secret cere monies, or raade revellings of 24 strange rites ; They kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled : but either one slew another traitorously, or grieved 25 him by adultery. So that there reigned in all men without ex ception^ blood, manslaughter, 2 Or, confiaed'y. theft, and dissimulation, cor ruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, 26 perjury. Disquieting of good men, forgetfulness of good turns, defiling of souls, changing of kind ', disorder in marriages, ' Or, sex. adultery, and shameless un- 27 cleanness. For the worshipping of idols not to be named * is the * Gr. nameless. beginning, the cause, and the 28 end, of all evil. For either they are mad when they be merry, 21. irepieBeaavY. A. 8. rrepieBrjKav 8'. C. 106. 157. 248. Compl. 22. ijpKeae to Y. ijpKeaev irXavaaBai S. ijpKfaev avrois A. a see. man. 106. 261. ijpKeaBijaav Yen. peyaXrp Y .Y en. ev ^670X01 A. C. 157. al. Compl. S'. peyaXws8. 24. en KaBa- povs 248. Compl. Xoxeuaiv S''. 25. iravTos Ven. 253. irovro S. A.V. C. 55. al. Compl. Vulg. Syr. Ar. Arm. empi(iv S. 296. empi^iav 8'. exei om. 248. S'. amareias G. rapaxq Ven. 254. Topoxos S. A. V. C. 55. al. Compl. Aid. etpiopKiif G. 26. apvijaia S. V. 68. al. apvrjaria A. C. S^ Ven. al. Compl. potxeiai Kai aaeXyeiai 296. 27. BptjaKia A. N 90 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xiv. 29- or prophesy lies, or live unjustly, or else lightly forswear them- 29 selves. For insomuch as their trust is in idols, which have no life ; though they swear falsely, yet they look not to be hurt. 30 Howbeit for both causes shall they be justly punished: both because they thought not well of God, giving heed ^ unto idols, and also unjustly swore in de- 31 ceit, despising holiness. For it is not the power of them by whom they sware : but it is the just vengeance of sinners, that punisheth always the offence of the ungodly. CHAPTEE, XV. I But thou, 0 God, art gracious and true, longsuffering, and in 2 mercy ordering all things. For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy power : but we will not sin, knowing that we are counted 3 thine. For to know thee is perfect righteousness : yea, to know thy power is the root of f) C^aiv dbiKtos, ^ eiriopKOU(ri raxetos. 29 d\/fvxois ydp irenoiBoTes et8povi els Spe^iv epxerai, irodel re veKpds elKovos elbos dirvovv. 6 KaKcoz; ipaaral d^ioi re roiov- rcoi' eAiTtScoi', Kat ot bp&vres Kai -oi iroBovvres Kai ol aejBopevoi. 7 Kai ydp Kepapeiis diraXfjv yfjv BXi^uiv iiripoxBov, irXdaaei irpbs virrjpeaiav fjp&v "iv eKaarov, dAA Ik rov avrov irrjXov dve- irXdaaro rd re r&v KaBap&v epyoiv bovXa aKevTj, rd re evavria, irdvB' opoioas' rovronv bi eKarepov ris eKdarov iarlv fj XPWi-^' KpirfjS b irrjXovpyos. 8 Kai KaKopoxBos Bebv pdraiov iK rod a'lirov irXdaaei irrjXov, OS irpd pLKpov iK yfjs yevvrjBels per' oXiyov iropeverai i^ fjs iX^TjipBrj, rb rfjs yjrvxfjs dirairrjBeis XP^°^- 9 dAA' ianv avru (ppovrls ovx Sn peXXei Kdpveiv, 4 immortality. For neither did the mischievous invention of men deceive us, nor an image spotted with divers colours, the 5 painter's fruitless labour; The sight whereof enticeth fools to lust after it ', and so they desire ' Or, the form of a dead image, that reproach (o 6 hath no breath. Both they that make them, they that desire them, and they that worship them, are lovers of evil things, and are worthy to have such 7 things to trust upon. For the potter, tempering soft earth, fashioneth every vessel with much labour for our service : yea, of the same clay he maketh both the vessels that serve for clean uses, and likewise also all such as serve to the contrary : but what is the use of either sort, the potter himself is the judge. 8 And employing his labours lewdly, he maketh a vain god of the same clay, even he which a little before was made of earth himself, and within a little while after returneth to the same, out of the which he was taken, when his life which was lent him shall be 9 demanded. Notwithstanding his care is, not that he shall 4. ouSe 7ap io6. 261. oure ax. 157. 248. Aid. al. aKioypatp. 8^. 296. Aid. airivaiBev S. Ven. aniXaiBev 8^. et caet. SiijX- \a7pevoi S. SiijXAa7pevois S^ et caet. 5. wv ij S''. 55. 254. a((>povi S. A. (?) 55. 106. al. Vulg. a^pomvV. C.Ven. S^ al. dpefiv S. A. C. Ven. Compl. al. Vulg. Syr. Arm. Ar. oveiSos V. iroSerTe. iroSeiToi C. Ven. a7vouvA. 7. e/tfiXiySiuv 157. evom.V. Ven. add. S. A. C. al. Compl. eKaaros Ven. iravra A. S. C. om. to Te evavria iravB' op. e/tarepou V. A. e/to- repouv C. e/toTepa/v 253. erepa/v 8. 106. erepou S^. Ven. Aid. ij xP- S. om. ij. 8. 0 /ta/t"/j. 157. irXatrffei e/t tou outou A. 7evi;fleis C. V. iropevaerai 55. I57. al. Compl. eXijpipBr] A. S. C. 92 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xv. 10- ' Ot, be jiave much labour ', nor that his »ic*,or, die. life is short : but striveth to excel goldsmiths and silver smiths, and endeavoureth to do like the workers in brass, and counteth it his glory to make lo counterfeit things. His heart is ashes, his hope is more vile than earth, and his life of less 1 1 value than clay : Forasmuch as he knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul, and breathed in a 12 living spirit. But they counted » Gr. life. our life a pastime, and our time '•' here a market for gain : for, say they, we must be getting every way, though it be by evil raeans. 5 Or. So. 13 For' this man, that of earthly matter maketh brittle vessels and graven images, knoweth himself 14 to ofiend above all others. And all the enemies of thy people, that hold them in subjection, are most foolish, and are more ov8' Sn ^paxvreXfj ^iov exei, dAA' dvrepeiberai fxei' XP'"^' ovpyols KOL dpyvpoxdoLS, XoAKOirAdoras re pipelrai, Kai bo^av fjyelrai Sn Ki^brjXa irXdaaei. 10 o-iro8ds fj Kapbia avrov, Kai yfjs evreAeore'pa fj iXirls avTod, irqXov re driporepos 6 /3tos avrov" II Sn fjyvorjae rbv irXaaavra av rbv, Kai rbv ipirvevaavra avno 'yjrvxfj^ ivepyovaav, Kai iprpvcrfjaavra irvevpa (01- TIKOV 12 dAA' iXoyiaavro iraiyviov elvai rfjv fo)?]!' fjp&v Kai rbv ^iov iravrjyvpiapbv iiriKepbfj' belv ydp (prjaiv SBev bfj Kav iK KaKOv iropiCeiv. 13 ovros ydp irapd iravras olbev Sn dpaprdvei, TjXrjs yeu8ous evBpavara aKevq Kai yXvirrd brjpiovpy&v. 14 irdjires 6 d(j)poveaTaToi Kai rdXaves ¦inrep ¦^vxvv i'j;- IT^OV, ot exBpol rov Xaov aov Kora- 8vi'aoTevo-aures a^vrov' turus est., nee quoniam brevis illi vita est, sed concertatur auri- ficibus et argentariis ; sed et aerarios imitatur, et gloriam praefert, quoniam res superva- 10 cuas fingit. Cinis est enim cor ejus, et terra supervacua spes illius, et luto vilior vita ejus; II quoniam ignoravit qui se finxit, et qui inspiravit illi animam quae operatur, et qui insufflavit ei 1 2 spiritum vitalem. Sed et aesti maverunt lusum esse vitam nos tram, et conversationem vitae compositam ad lucrum, et opor- tere undecunque etiara ex malo 13 acquirere. Hic enim scit se super omnes delinquere, qiu ex terrae materia fragilia vasa et 14 sculptilia fingit. Omnes enim iutipientes, et infelices supra modum animae superbi, sunt inimici populi tui, et impe- 9. xpvaovpyoTs. ap'yvpovpyoisYen. irXdaaei. irpoirffei C. 157. 10. /topS. ouraiv 157. 248. euTepo 8. euTeXeirrepa S'. eXir. auTOJV 157. 248. Compl. H. i;7voei 261. irXoaovTo 8. V. Ven. al. Vulg. Syr. Arm. iroiijffavTo A. C. 55. al. Ar. eis (!i/Xijv C. 55. al. evipvaijaavTa 8. avrai wvevpaYen. 8^. G'^. 106 261. 1 2. oAXa A. eXo7iffovTO V. S. A. C. Ven. Vulg. Syr. Arm. Ar. eXo7iffaTo V^. S^ 106. al. i/)ij<""- nor mollifying plaister, that re stored them to health : but thy word, 0 Lord, which healeth 6. erapaxBv 8\ erapaxBijlav 8\ avp0ovXov 8. A. Ven. Aid. avpjioXov V. Fr. Field. vo^iov A. 248. 296. e(fidvLae, rfj bi TOV irpoa(j)epopevov iiri- Bvpiq ¦virrjper&v, irpbs S TIS ejSovAero perekip- vdro. 22 x'.'^v bi Kai KpvaraXXos ¦viri- peive irvp Kai ovk er^Kero, tva yv&aiv on rovs r&v ix- Bp&v Kapirovs KaTe(pBeipe irvp (pXeyopevov, iv rfj xaAdfrj Kai iv rois veroTs Stao^rpdirroj;, 23 rovro 8e irdXiv, tva rpa^&ai biKaioL, Kol Trjs Ibias iiriXeXfjaBaL bv vdpecos. 24 ^ ydp Kriais aoL ru iroirjaavn ¦virrjperovaa iirireiveTai els KoXaaiv Kara T&v dbiKonv, KOL dvierai ets evepyeaiav virip r&v els ai ireiroiBoroov. the power of fire, that it might destroy the fruits of an unjust 20 land. Instead whereof thou feddest thine own people with angels' food, and didst send tbem from heaven bread pre pared without their labour, able to content every man's delight, and agreeing to every taste. 21 For thy sustenance^ declared 'Or, manna. thy sweetness unto thy children, and serving to the appetite of the eater, tempered itself^ to^ Or, was tempered. 22 every man's liking. But snow and ice endured the fire, and melted not, that they might know that fire burning in the hail, and sparkling in the rain, did destroy the fruits of the 23 enemies. But this again did even forget his own strength, that the righteous might be 24 nourished. For the creature that serveth thee, who art the Maker, iucreaseth his strength against the unrighteous for their punishment, and abateth his strength for the benefit of such as put their trust in thee. 19. yevTjpara G. V. SiaipBeipij V. 68. al. xaraipBeiprj A. 8. Ven. 55. al. KaratpBapei G. KaraipBapij 254. 20. oprov air' oupovou irapeo'xes ouTois A. S. C. (?) 55. 106. al. A. B. E. H. Par. apTov ef Ven. irapiaxes. eireji^tasV. 248. Compl. o/to- irioTo/s V. 8. C. Ven. a/toiriao'Tais A. 106. al. irpos irocav ijS. 248. Compl. iaxvovaavYen.io6f irpos ante iraa, app. om.. 106. 261. Kai ante irpos om. 15^. appoviav 8. 21. irou om. C. 55. outou 248. irpos re/t. 7XU. S. Ven. 5 1 . al. eveif avifev S. A. eveipaviaev Ven. 155. irpos r. everji. yX. A. 155. al. Compl. eiri9. emiroBaiv Kai virrjp. 155. pereKpivaro 8^. 22. virepeve A. 7viupevS'. Pro exSpoiv eflvan/ A. (^Xe7ov 8. Ven. 155. al. ev toi's. fevois S^ 23. Se iroXiv A. C. 106. al. Se om. S. iroXiv 6' V. Ven. al. eiriXeXijcrfloi V. Ven, 68. 261. eiriXeXijo'Tat A. S. 0. 55. al. Compl. 24. iroirjaavn to itovto 248. Compl. iroiijiravTi auTov C. eis ire V. Ven. 68. 296. em troi A. 8. C. 55. al. Compl. eiri (re 155. 284. 261. O 98 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xvi. 25- 25 Therefore even then was it al- iOi.Uiings. tered into all fashions', and was obedient to thy gi-ace, that nourisheth all things, according to the desire of them that had 2 Or, 0/ 26 need ^ : That thy children, 0 prayed. Lord, whom thou lovest, might know, that it is not the growing of fruits that nourisheth man : but that it is thy word, which preserveth them that put their 27 trust in thee. For that which was not destroyed of the fire, being warmed with a little sun- 28 beam, soon melted away : That it might be known, that we must prevent the sun to give thee thanks, and at the day- 29 spring pray unto thee. For the hope of the unthankful shall melt away as the winter's hoar frost, and shall run away as un profitable water. CHAPTER xvn. I For great are thy judgments, and cannot be expressed : there- s Or, souls fore unnurtured souls ' have that will not be re- ybrmed. 25 8td rovro Kai tots ets iravra peroiXXevopivri TTJ iravTOTpo^to aov boipeq ¦inrrj- peret irpos rfjv T&v beopevtov BeXrj- aiv, 26 tva pdBaiaiv ol vloi aov, ovs I7ydirr;(ras, Kvpie, on ovx at yeveaeis r&v Kapir&v rpetpovaiv dvOponirov, dAAd rb pfjpd aov rovs o^oi 1710"- revoiiras biaTrjpel. 27 rb ydp ¦virb irvpds p.^ (pBeipo- pevov dirX&s ¦virb jSpaxeias dKrlvos fjXiov Beppaivopevov i^nj- Kero, 28 Sirias yvtaarbv rJ on 8et (pBd- veiv rbv fjXiov iir evxapi(r- riav aov, Kai irpbs dvaroXfjv (ptorbs iv- Tvyxdveiv aoi. 29 dxapiarov ydp iXirls ws X^'" pepios irdxvrj raK^fjaerai, Kai pvqaerai &>s vdojp dxp'rja- TOV. KEAAAI0N IZ'. I MeydAat ydp aov al Kpiaets Kai bvabirjyrjTOL' bid TOVTO diraibevroi, i/ruxai eirAaiiijflrjo-az;. 25 confidunt. Propter hoc et tunc in omnia transfigurata omnium nutrici gratiae tuae deserviebat, ad voluntatem eorum qui a te 26 desiderabant ; ut scu-ent filii tui quos dilexisti, Domine, quo niam non nativitatis fructus pascunt homines, sed sermo tuus hos qui in te crediderint 27 conservat. Quod enim ab igne non poterat exterminari, statim ab exiguo radio solis calefactum 28 tabescebat; ut no tum omnibus esset quoniam oportet praeve- nire solem ad benedictionem tuam, et ad ortum lucis te 29 adorare. Ingrati enim spas tanquam hibernalis glacies ta- bescet, et disperiet tanquam aqua supervacua. CAPUT XVII. I Magna sunt enim judicia tua, Domine, et inenarrabilia verba tua : propter hoc indisciplinatae 25. eis irovTo om. 8. neToXXeuo/ievij ij 71J 253. 71J 106. Sa/poio S. Seo/teva/v ffou Ven. 55. S'. Vulg. Syr. 2S. paBovaivG. yeveaeis TOIV avBpoiaaiv A. e/tTpeipouiriv 157. tov ovflpa/irov Ven. 106. 261. S''. iriOTeuffovTOS Ven. 253. Vulg. 27- /*i/ <""'• "• Siaeeipojnevov S. 28. yvaiarov ijv Y. SitupBaviv 8. Sei (pBaveiv S'. i^flovveiv A. C. evxapiaria lo6. 261. "P" avoToXijs TOU ^oiros S'. 29. axapiarrav 155. cuo'irep 106. 261. x^'M^f""/ S. x'pepivij A. xeipepios S'. V. XVIL 1. Oi Kpiais 8. -xvn. 7.J THE BOOK OF WISDOM. 99 2 animae erraverunt. Dum enim persuasum habent iniqui posse dominari nationi sanctae, vin culis tenebrarum et longae noc- tis compediti, inclusi sub tectis, fugitivi perpetuae providentiae 3 jacuerunt. Et dum putant se latere in obscuris peccatis, tene- broso oblivionis velamento dis persi sunt, paventes horrende, et cura admiratione niraia per- 4 turbati. Neque enira quae con- tinebat illos spelunca sine ti more custodiebat, quoniam soni tus descendens perturbabat il los, et personae tristes illis appa- rentes pavorem illis praestabant. 5 Et ignis quidem nulla vis poterat illis lumen praebere, nee side- rum limpidae flaramae illuminare poterant illam noctem horren- 6 dam. Apparebat autem illis subitaneus ignis, timore plenus ; et timore perculsi illius quae non videbatur faciei aestimabant deteriora esse quae videbantur ; 7 et magicae artis appositi erant 2 ¦6ireiXrj(p6res ydp Karabvvaar- e^veiv iBvos dyiov dvopoi, beapioL aKOTovs Kai paKpds irebfjrai vvKrbs, KaraKXeiaBevres 6p6(pois, AAAION IH'. I Tots 6^ oaiois aav peyKrrov TJH (p&s, &v (pcovfjv piv dKOvovres, pop- (pijv bi ovx bp&vres, S TL fiei> ovv KdKelvoi iireirdv- Beiaav, ipaKdpi^ov, 2 on 8^ ov /3Adirrov(rt irpoTjSi- KrjpevoL, evxapiarovai, Kai TOV bievexBfjvai x^P'-" ibeovro. 3 dvB' S)v irvpitpXeyfj arvXov, bbijybv piv dyvdxrrov bboiiro pias, fjXiov bi d^Xa^fj tpiXoripov ^evireias irapiaxes. 4 a^ioi piv ydp ^Keirot areprj- Bfjvai (ponrbs Kai (pvXaKi- aBfjiiai iv aKorei, oi KaraKAef(rrovs (pvXd^avres rovs vtovs crov, 8i' &v -qpeXXe rd a(p6apTov vopov (p&s T<^ al&vi aBai. 20 [21] Solis autem illis superposita ei"at gravis nox, imago tenebra rum, quae superventura illis erat. Ipsi ergo sibi erant gra- viores tenebris. CAPUT XVIII. I Sanctis autem tuis maxima erat lux, et horura quidem vo cem audiebant, sed figuram non videbant. Et quia non et ipsi eadem passi erant, magnitica- 2 bant te ; et qui ante laesi eraut, quia non laedebantur, gratias agebant ; et ut esset differentia 3 donum petebant. Propter quod ignis ardentem columnam du- cem habuerunt ignotae viae, et solem sine laesura boni hos- 4 pitii praestitisti. Digni qui dem illi carere luce, et pati car cerem tenebrarum, qui iuclusos custodiebant filios tuos per quos incipiebat incorruptum legis 21. eireroTO A. V. 68. 106. Aid. eire/teiro S. eireTero/tTO 254. eSeSoro Ven. ouTots. outou S. outous S". XVIIT. 1. IJV (fiaivijv S'. pev om. V. opa/VTes erpuxovTO 106. 261. ouvV. S. al. Syr. Ar. Arm. Aid. ou A. 254. Compl. Vulg. 7op Ven, 2. /SXoo'rouo'iv 8. 0Xeirovaiv S'. euxapio'Touo'i V. S. 68. ijuxopiffTouv A. Ven. oaet. eS^ovTo. eSexovTo Ven. oSaivraiv S. eSeovro S'. 8. oSij7a>j; i^erdpa^av ovroiis. II tus ploratorum infantium. Si- mili autem poena servus cum domino afflictus est, et popuhu-is I a homo regi similia passus. Si militer ergo omnes, uno nomine mortis, mortuos habebant innu- mei-abiles. Nee enim ad se- peliendum vivi sufSciebant, quo niam uno momento, quae erot praeclarior natio illorum exter- 13 minata est. De omnibus enim non credentes, propter venefioia ; tuno vero prim'unv cUlri fuit exterminium primogenitorum, spoponderunt populum Dei esse. 14 Cura enim quietum silentium contineret omnia, et nox in suo cursu medium iter haberet, 15 omnipotens sermo tuus de caelo a regalibus sedibus, durus de- bellator in mediam exterminii 16 terram pi-osilivit, gladius acutus iiisimulatum imperium tuum portans, et stans replevit omnia morte, et usque ad caelum at- 17 tingebat stans in tei-ra. Tuno continuo visus somniorum ma lorum turbaveruut illos, et ti ll. j8aoiXeia S. jSooiXei S". 12. Se om. S. add. S°. 70P om. 106. a6i. ^oirijv. oipav 106. a6i. »j om, S 106. a6i. add.S'. SieipBapij V. al. Ap. SietpBapro 8. A. 55. al. pl. 13. Xaov Beov Ven. 14. ev om. 106. a4S. a6l. peaovaijs 106. a6l. peaaCovaijS ra iravra V. 16. eiriTa7ijv V. S. al. uiroTa7ijv A. al. e|8ejSij«ei io6. eiri om. S. Ven. add. S". 17. S"'*' V. Ven. al. Seiva/v A. 8. 55. al. Compl. Vulg. Syr. Ar. Arm. erapa(av 155. 254. -XVIII. 23.] THE BOOK OP WISDOM. 105 mores supervenerunt insperati. 18 Et alius alibi projectus semi- vivus, propter quam raoriebatur causam demonstrabat mortis. 19 Visiones enim quae illos turba veruut haec praemonebant, ne inscii quare mala patiebantur ao perirent. Tetigit autem tunc et justos tentatio mortis, et commotio in eremo facta est multitudinis ; sed non diu per- 21 mansitira tua. Properans enim homo sine querela deprecari pro populis, proferens servitutis suae scutum, orationem et per incensura deprecationem alle- gans, restitit irae, et finem im- posuit necessitati, ostendens quoniam tuus est famulus. 22 Vicit autem turbas, non in virtute corporis, nee armaturae potentia ; sed verbo ilium qui se vexabat subjecit, juramenta parentum, et testamentum com- 23 memorans. Cum enim jam acer- vatim cecidissent super alter utrum mortui, interstitit, et amputavit impetum, et divisit illam quae ad vivos ducebat (pojSoi bi iirearrjaav dboKijroi' 18 Kai dAAos dAAax^ pKpels fjpi- BvrjTos, bC rjv 'iBvrjaKev alriav ive(pd- viCev, 19 oi ydp Sveipoi Bopv^-fjaavres avrovs roriro irpoepiqvvaav, tva pfj dyvoovvres 8t' b KaK&s irdaxovaiv diro'Acoi/rat. 20 ^^/faro 8e Kai biKaiaiv irelpa Bavdrov, Kol Bpavais iv ip'qptf iyevero irX'qBovs' dAA' OVK eiri iroAv Epeivev fj dpyfj. 21 aire'uaas ydp dvfjp dpepirros irpoepdxrjae' TO rfjs Ibias Xeirovpyias SirXov, irpoaevxjjv kol Bvpidparos e£t- Xaapbv Kopiaas, avrearrj tQ Bvptf, Kai irlpas iireBrjKe rfj avp(popq, beiKviis on ads ian Bepdirtov. 22 iviKijae bi rbv oxXov OVK laxyi TOV ataparos, ovx oirXoiv ivepyeiq, dXXd Xoyto rbv KoXd^ovra vire- ra^ey, opKOVs irarepoov Kai biaBrjKas viropvfjaas, 23 aooprjbbv ydp rjbrj ireirrtuKoruiv iir" dXX^TjXcov veKp&v, pera^v ards dveKO-\pe rfjV dpyfjv, Kai bieaxtce rijj; irpds rovs (&vras bbov. and terrors came upon them un- 18 looked for. And one thrown here, and another there, half dead, shewed the cause of his 19 death. For the dreams that troubled them did foreshew this, lest they should perish, and not know why they were 20 afflicted. Yea, the tasting of death touched the righteous also, and there was a destruc tion of the multitude in the wilderness : but the wrath en- 21 dured not long. For then the blameless man made haste, and stood forth to defend them ; and bringing the shield of his proper ministry, even prayer, and the propitiation of incense, set hiraself against the wrath, and so brought the calamity to an end, declaring that he was 22 thy servant. So he overcame the destroyer, not with strength of body, nor force of arms, but with a word subdued he him that punished, alleging the oaths and covenants made with the 23 fathers. For when the dead were now fallen down by heaps one upon another, standing be tween, he stayed the wrath, and parted^ the way to the living. iOr,cu(ojr. 17. Kai <(,o0oi Se 155. eireireirov 157. airposSoKnroi 157. 18. pi^flis A. ijpiBavrjs 157. 296. eBvrjaKov A. 8. 55. al. eSvi/ff/tev V. Ven. S". al. eve^ovifev V. S. Ven. al. evei'os ^laiov, 8 St' ov irdv eBvos bifjXBov ot rfj afj aKeira^opevoL x^'pij Beuip-Tjaavres Bavpaara ripara. 9 d)s ydp tirirot ivepi^Brjaav, Kai &)S dpvol bieaKiprrjaav, alvovvres ae, Kvpte, rbv pvo- pevov avrovs. 10 ipepvrjVTO ydp en r&v iv rfj irapoiKiq avr&v, ir&s dvrl piv yeveaeoos ^dcov i^'fjyayev fj yfj aKvlira, dvrl bi ivvbpcov i^rjpe'v^aro b irorapbs irXfjBos ^arpdxi>>v. they might fulfil the punish ment which was wanting to their 5 torments : And that thy people might pass a wonderful way: but they might find a strange 6 death. For the whole creature in his proper kind was fashioned again anew, serving the peculiar commandments that were given unto them, that thy children might be kept without hurt : >] As namel'y, a cloud shadowing the camp; and where water stood before, dry land appeared ; and' out of the Red sea a way without imjiediment ; and out of the violent stream a green 8 field : Wherethrough all 'the people went that were defended with thy hand, Seeing thy mar- 9 vellous strange wonders. For they went at large like horses, and leaped like lambs, praising thee, 0 Lord, who hadst de- 10 livered them. For they were yet mindful of the things that were done while they sojourned in the strange land, how the ground brought forth flies '¦ in- 1 or, Uce. stead of cattle, and how the river cast up a multitude of 4. Xiirouirav S. irposavairXijpai(ra/iri A. C. 155. irpoavairXijpoKra/o'i V. Ven. al. irposovoirXijpaiirouo'iv 8. 5. ireipairij S. V*. 6. Post 7evei add. 8^. toxi (?Taxei vel ra^ei). avervirovro 55. 248. 254. Compl. Vulg. iSiois V. C. Ven. al. Ar. oois A. 8. 106. al. Vulg. Syr. Arm. uiroTa7ais 106. 261. 0/8X018015261. 7. rrj ttjv it. ama^ovarj A. e/t Se tou Ven. e/t 7ap S^ ovoSoiris 261. efieaipeiToS. eSeaipiroA. eSea/pijSij V. S". al. «ai ef epu9p. 248. S'. Compl. Vulg. iroiSiovS. 8. iroveflvi V. Ven. 8^ al. noveflvei (sic) V. irov e9vos A. 8. C. 55. al. Compl. Aid. Vulg. Syr. Ar. repara. irpaypara 106. 9. Sieve pijBijOav 106. a6l. puopevovV. S. Ven. al. pvo-a/ievov A. C. 55. al. Aid. Vulg. Arm. IQ.pevom.G. yeveaeais. x^pcctcv liS- A.'Pax. ij -yfj. ij om. C. ff/tviiroV. C. 68.al. Arm. o/tvi^os A.Ven. 106. 261. Aid, Vulg. 8^ o'/tviifaS. 55. I57.al. evuSpoiv V. S. al. avvSpaiv A. 0arpaxovs 8. irXijBos suppl. in marg. fiarpaxaiv 8'. P 2 108 THE BOOK OF "WISDOM. [xix. ii ii firogs instead of fishes. But afterwards they saw a new gene ration of fowls, when, being led with their appetite, they asked 12 delicate meats. For quails came up imto them from the sea for ' Or, 1, their contentment*. Andpunish- coj^fiirt. ments came upon the siimers not without former signs by the force of thunders : for they suffered justly according to their own wickedness, insomuch as they used a more hard and hate ful behaviour toward strangers. 14 For the Sod^ymites did not re ceive those, whom they knew not when they came : but these brought friends into bondage, that had well deserved erf them. 15 And not only so, but perad ven ture some respect shall be had of those, because they used 16 strangers not friendly : But these very grievously afflicted them, whom they had received with feastings, and were already made partakers of the same 17 laws with them. Therefore even with blindness were these stricken, as those were at the doors of the righteous man : when, being compassed about with horrible great darkness. II i^' ¦varepia bi etbov Kai veav yeveaiv opveaiv, ore e-i6vpiq 77poa\fl«Tes jjn;- aavTO ebeapiaTa rpv(p^s. 13 eis ydp irapap-vBiav dve^jj av rols dirb BaXdacrqs oprv- yopfjTpa. 13 Kai ai rijiitopiai rois dpap- TOiXols i'rrfjXBov OVK avev t&v irpoyeyovoroiv TeKpijpiaiv TTJ piq r&v Ke- pavv&V biKaitos ydp iiraaxov rats i8iais avrSj; irovrjpiais' Kai ydp x'*^^'''''^''^'?"'' M'"""" ^eviav ei7enjSev(raj/* 14 Ot piv ydp TOVS dyvoovvras ovk edexoiTo irapovras, ovToi bi evepyeras pevovs ibov- XOVVTO. 15 Kai ovfxdvoji, dAA'^^ris liTio-KOir^ et('rsuit of Wisdom, in which pursuit the condition is puritif in thought, 6-11 and in ijuord. 1. AiKaio(rui/Y)v, ' righteousness,' not merely justice between man and man, but moral uprightness, which is equivalent to Wisdom in its full theoretical and practical meaning. Comp. 2 Sam. xxiii. 2, 3. Ot KpivovTEs Tr|v yVi *'• ^' kings and princes (cp. vi. 1,4; ix. 7) ; for, as Grimm quotes, Kplveiv to Spxetv eXeyov oi iraXaioi, Artemid. ii. 12, p. 56, ed. Aid. In Ecclus. X. I, 2, the words Kpirfjs and yyepav are inter changed as synonyraous; and Solomon's prayer, 1 Kings iii. 9, is that he may judge {icpiveiv) the people righteously. Comp. Exod. ii. 14; i Sam. viii. 20; Ep. Jer. 14 {13 Tisch.). In the Oriental point of view judgment ap pertains to the office of ruler. ?poviqiraTe irepi t. K. Iv dyaSijTrjTi. A Lap. : ' Sen tite et sapite de Deo, quod ipse sit probissimus, hones- tissimus, sanctissimus, justissimus.' But this spoils the parallelism with dirXijTijn, which belongs to the verb fi|T^o-orc. 'Ev ayaBorrjTi is = dyaBais, ' think of the Lord with sincerity.' See on dyadaavvij, the word in N. T., Trench, Syn. of N. T., Ser. II. § xiii. 'Ev dTrX(5TT|Ti KapSias, ' in singleness of heart,' witb pure intention, a Hebraistic expression, i Chron. xxix. 1 7 ; Eph. vi. 5. The opposite vice is duplicity. Comp. S. Matt. vi. 22. In Acts ii. 46 we find e'v a(peX6njTi Kapdias. With this verse comp. Ps, ii. 10 ff ZT)Tii(TaTe. The expression fijreiv tov 'Kvpiov is comraon, e.g. Dent. iv. 29 ; Isai. Iv. 6; Hebr. xi. 6 ; Philo, De Mon. 5 (ii. p. 217, Mang.) ; ovSev Speivov roC fijreiv TOV dXijB^ Qeov. The first verse contains the sub ject of the whole Book, to recommend righteousness, which is Wisdom, to all men, and specially to princes and governors. 2. The parallelism is to be reraarked : evpiaKerai answers to fijrijtraTc, ep^avl^erai to (ppovfjaare, prj rreipd- fouert and pfj diriarovai to ev dirXd'pjTi KapSias and e'v dya- Bdrrjn. Gutb. Comp. 2 Chron. xv. 2, and Proleg. p. 28. riEipci^ouiriv, ' tempt ' God by doubting His power, justice, and love, and by trusting in themselves. S. Matt. iv. 7. Comp. Deut. vi. 16; Acts v. 9 ; i Cor. x. 9. A. reads tois pfj in(rre-vov(Tiv for Toiy pfj dmarovaiv, in which case eptpaviCerai would imply, ' showeth Himself in hostile fashion.' But the reading of the text has highest authority. The Vulg. seems to have read tois 112 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. Li. 3- marevovaiv, ' eis qui fidem habent in ilium ;' unless the translatora expressed the phrase pfj dirioTeXv by ' fidem habere;' Eeusch. Origen, Exc. in Ps. xiii. (vol. xvii. p. 1 08, Migne) quotes rois pfj dirurrovaiv aiir^ ; also Schol. in Luc. i. 14 (xvii. p. 317, Migne) ; and so S. Jer. iv. 649, vi. 853. Didym. in Ps. is. 11 (xxxix. p. 1193, Mig'ue) : iraplararai 6 rporros iis Sei fijreiv tov Geov, eK rmv ev rfj 2o(piaviJeTai, ' manifests himself,' as S. John xiv. 21, 22. 'Apparet his qui non sunt ei increduli.' Hieron. in Isai. Iv (iv. p. 649). 3. XkoXioI, ' perverse,' opp. to ' simple ; ' Deut. xxxii. 5 ; Acts ii. 40 ; Phil. ii. r 5. Such thoughts separate from God as leading to sin. AoKifia^ofiEVT) T6, K. t. X., ' Hls (God's) power when tried,' tried by men's unbelief Tirin. : ' potentia Dei tentata et lacessita impiorum diffidentia et infidelltate.' Ps. xciv. 9. Sept. Comp. ch. ii. 17. 19 ; 2 Cor. xiii, 5 ; Hebr. iii. 9, where SoKipd^. is found in connection with Treiprifeiv. The many similar expressions in Wisd. and Hebr. have often been noticed. See Prolegom. pp. 29, 34. 'EX^YX^i, ' convicts,' convinces the fools of folly by punishing their unbelief ToOs £<|ipoms. ' Fool,' in the Sapiential Books, means a godless, impious man, a sinner. Folly is the opposite of Wisdom ; it is the work of the devil, as wisdom is the efi'ect of the grace of God. Prov. ii. 6 and xxiv. 9: 'Tlie Lord giveth wisdom; but the thought of foolishness is sin.' Comp. Prov. x. 2 1 ; ' Fools die for want of wisdom.' The wicked woman is the personification of folly (ix. 13 flf.), and the dead are in her house and her guests in the depths of hell. Thus dtppoa-vvrj, Judg. XX. 6 (Al. Codex), plainly means gross wickedness, and arppav, 2 Sam. xiii. 13, is an evil man. And thus throughout the Book of Proverbs. Comp. Prov. i. 22 ; xiii. 19, 20; xix. i ; Eccles. vii. 25, 26. So S. Paul, Rom. i. 30, uses do-uveTor, of moral degra dation. Comp. Ps. xiii, i ff. ; 2 Macc, iv. 6 ; xv. 33. 4. 'Oti gives the reason why perverse thoughts separate from God, and shows in what the punishment of fools consists. S. Bas. Mag. Hom. in Prov. 4 (xxxi. 393, Migne) : Kadalpei nporepov 6«A tov fiet'ou (Pdfiov rds yjnixds rav peXXovriov rfj aoipi^ irpoaopiXeJv. Koit(5T€xi'os, ' using evil arts,' ' artful,' xv. 4 ; Hom. II. XV. 1 4 : icaic(jTex>'<'S &dXos. Ioi(x, here first mentioned, includes the know ledge of things divine and human, and the practice of godliness, and is identical with the 'holy Spirit of discipline,' verse 5. As personified by Solomon and our author (Pi-ov. i. 20 ; Wisd. vii. 27, and elsewhere) it becomes applicable sometimes to the Son of God and sometimes to the Holy Spirit. As defined by the Stoics So(pia is eniarfjprj Selav Ka\ dvBpitmivaiv Kai tSiv tov- Twv niTitiv. So Cicer. De Offic. ii. 2, § 5 ; Philo, Congr, erud. grat. 14 (i. p. 530). Sotpla, (ppdvijats, and criveais are in Aristot. (Eth. Nie. vi. 6, 7) the three intellectual virtues (I'iinvoijTi/cai dperni). See Dr. J. B. Lightfoot on Ep. to Col. i. 9. KaTcixpE(d d^apxias, a happy expression, not found elsewhere in Scripture. It means, ' pledged, pawned to sin.' A Lap. : 'peccato obnoxio [corpore], oppignorato, et velut aere pecca ti obaerato et obstricto.' Comp. S. John viii. 34 ; Bom. vii. 1 4. Some Fathers read dpapriaK ; but Didym. De Trin. ii. 20 (xxxix. 740, Migne) has dpap rias. So Orig. Contr. Cels. iii. 60. Pseudo-Ath. De Pass. Dom. 4 (ii. p. 82 Ben.) : Syiov ydp Uvevpa naibeias . . . davverav, Kai ov KaTotKijaei ev ardipari Kardxpei^ dpapriaK. Comp. S. James iii. 1 5. ' Soul and body,' in Old Testa ment use, raake up the whole man. 2 Macc. vii. 37, Christianity added a new element, spirit, i Thess, v, 23. Some have deduced from this passage that the author saw in the body the source of all moral evil ; but the words do not speak of the original creation, and we are taught elsewhere that holiness is necessary for the knowledge of the Lord. Ps, exi, 10; Jer. iv. 14; and comp, Wisd. i. 14; viii, 20. 5, 'Ayiov riveufio, without the article, as a Proper Narae. So S. Matt. i. 18, 20; S. John xx. 22; Acts ii. 4. The expression rd llveCpia rh Ayiov occurs in Isai, -I, 7.] COMMENTARY, 113 Ixiii, II ; TO Uvevpa ro dyiov avrov, Ib. V. IO. So Wisd. ix. 17 : TO ayiijv (TOV Uvevpa. Ps. 1. I3 : to Uvevpa to dyiov aov. Thus the way was prepared for the later use. At this time the Jews had scarcely realised the distinct Personality of the Holy Ghost, though there are intimations of the truth in the Old Testament, as in the Psalm just quoted, and Gen, i. 2 : ' The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters,' where, while the Targum of Onkelos translates : ' a wind from before the Lord blew upon the face of the waters,' the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases : ' the Spirit of mercies from be fore the Lord breathed upon the face of the waters.' Etheridge, The Targums, etc., vol. i. pp. 33, 157. Comp. Isai. xlviii. 16 : 'The Lord God and His Spirit hath sent me.' See on ver. 6. riaiSEia; {aotpias, the reading of A, was probably introduced from ver. 6) belongs to irvevpa, not to 8o'Xov, as some take it. ' The Holy Spirit of (= which teaches) discipline, instruction, education.' ' Sanctus enira quum sit spiritus ad moi-um humanorum conformationem spectans;' Wahl. Clav. in voc. Comp. Isai. xi. 2. Didym. De Trin. ii. 3 (xxxix. 468, Migne) : irvevpa iraiSelas, tout' co-ti, ao(pias. 'H ydp So(pia Xeyei, irvevpa irai&eias (pev^erai So'Xov. A(>Xov. Vulg.: ' fictum ' = fictionem, which occurs iv. II ; xiv. 25. It is not found elsewhere in Vulg. 'EXEYx6Tiia. The reading ao(pias was probably derived from the previous verse, where A gives dy. irvevpa (ro(pias. 'AOaiiaei, ' will let go unpunished,' ' absolve.' The verb does not occur in classical Greek. Comp. Ecclus. xi. 10; xvi. II. BX(ia'(|>T||ji,ov, 'a blasphemer of God.' This word and those akin to it are in Scriptural use restricted commonly to this one sense, as in modern languages. XeiXc'cov = prjpdrav. Isai. xxix. 13. TiSv ve^p&v auT. There is an inverted climax here : God is a witness of a man's reins (his inmost feelings), much more of his heart (his thoughts un expressed), still more of his tongue (his spoken words). I Chr. xxviii. 9 ; Hebr. iv. 12 ; Rev. ii. 23. 'EiTi(rKo-iros, applied to God, Job xx. 29; 1 Pet. ii. 25. Clem. Rom. Ep. ad Cor. Iix. 3 : tov irovror irveu- paros KTiarrjv /cai eirltrKoirov. 7. "On, the proof that God knows all things and that no one can escape Hira. Prov. xv. 3 ; Ps. vii. 9. rivEUfia K. without the article, as vers. 5, 6 ; Judg. iii. 10. riEirXiipuKE, 'hath filled and doth fill,'=completam tenet rerum universitatem. Otto in Act. Mart. Just. 3. The reading of A, eirXfjpmaev, is not supported by the Fathers who quote the passage. See below. Comp. Jer. xxiii. 24. Grimm compares Philo, Leg. Alleg. iii. 2 : ' God has filled {ireirXfjpaiKev) everything and has penetrated everything, and has left no one of all His works empty or deserted.' So De Conf. Ling. 27. S. Cyr. Al. De Recta Fide ad Pulcher. : airos o Smr/jp irepireiv etpaaKe irpos ijpds tov Jlap&KXrjrov, Rairoi irXijpovvros TO iravra rov dyiov Qvevparos' Uvevpa ydp Kvpiov, (prjol, TreirXfjpioKe rfjV diKovpevrjV, p. 1 37 Aub. To iruve'xov, Vulg. : ' Hoc quod continet,' not re ferring the words grammatically to ' Spiritus Domini,' just preceding, with which they are plainly connected. ' That which containeth all things' (Eng.), i.e. holds all together, keeps from falling asunder. So Xen. Mem, Q 114 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. Li.8- iv. 3. 13 : 6 TOV oXov Koapov mivrdrrav re icai mjvexoiv. Philo, Vit. Mos. iii. 3 1 : ' The Creator of the universe, the Father of the world. Who holds together {ovvexav) earth and heaven.' There is nothing in the text about the ' anima mundi' of Plato. The writer speaks merely of the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God, even as the Psalmist, Ps. cxxxix, and Zech. iv. 10. Comp. Eph. i. 23. The use of avvexcipp.aKov oX^6pou, ' medicamentum exterminii.' Vulg. 'oXeBpov is added because (pdppaKov is used in a bad or good sense. Comp. Ecclus. vi. 1 6 : <^iXoj TrioTor (pdppaKov iia^s. A Lap. thinks that the author means to assert that though noxious animals and plants were created at first, yet that they had no power to injure man before he fell. But the wording, ' there is in them no poison of destruction,' points rather to the nature of things generally, and implies that there is no destruc tive agency in nature, this clause being parallel to the one immediately preceding. The Vulg. word ' exter minium' occurs iii. 3; xviii. 13, 15, and in ecclesias tical Latin. So Tertull. Adv. Jud. viii : ' exterminii civitatis Jerusalem.' S. Aug. Conf ii. 4. 'AiSou paaiXeiov. ' Nor is the kingdom of death upon the earth.' BairiXeiov and plur. /Sno-tXeia raean in classical Greek ' a royal palace.' So S. Luke vii. 25. But it seems here to be = fiaa-iXeia, aud in ch. v. 16, and I Kings xiv. 8 (Cod. Alex.). Calmet however and some others retain the usual meaning of 'court' or 'palace.' ' Le roi des enfers n' avoit pas son paliiis sur la terre.' Hades is personified as king of death, Hos. xiii. 1 4 ; Isai. v. 1 4 ; Bom. v. 14; Rev. yi. 8 ; XX. 14. Some comraentators (see Burton, Bampt. Leet. note 30) find Platonism in vers. 13-15, but the author says no more than is warranted by Old Testa ment Scriptures, and he explains how death was introduced, ii. 24. 15. This verse is placed in a parenthesis in the English Version, but this is unnecessary. ' Righteous ness ' (as in ver. i = Wisdom) leads to immortahty. The Vulg. lias 'justitia enim perpetua est et immor talis,' where the Greek has nothing to represent ' per petua.' The Sixt. ed. adds : ' injustitia autem mortis acquisitio est,' which is received by Fritzsche and Grimra. This is probably a gloss added by one who wished to complete the parallelism and to give aurov in ver. 16 soraething to refer to. It has uo authority from any Greek MS., and is found in very few Latin MSS. of weight. For the sentiraent comp. Prov, iii. 18 ; ^uXov fwijs ecrri (n ao(pia) irdai rois dvrexopevois avrijs. 16. This verse repeats the thought of ver, 12 with an emphatic irony. There is a fine climax here ; men's frantic love for their own destruction is exhibited in a terrible picture. First, they call death to them like an honoured guest with inviting gestures (x^pc'") ^^*^ words, they are, as it were, love-sick and faint (frdini- aav) with desire of death, and then to keep it always with them they make with it a covenant of truth and love, Gutb. See quotation from Hiiicmar in note on ver. 12. ' Called it to them.' Eng. 'It' is wrongly itahcised as it represents auTov, i. e. Bdvarov, which is understood ' from dBdvaros, ver. 15. Vulg.: 'accersierunt,' from accersio=arcesso, with the change of one s into r, both -II, I.J COMMENTAEY. 117 verbs being causatives frora accedo, Comp, Acts x, g, 32, Vulg. So we find linio for lino, Ezek. xiii. ig. 'EriiKijcrov, ' they were consumed, they pined away for love,' Vulg. : ' defluxerunt.' Eng. : ' They con sumed to nought.' But if they perished, how could they be said to make a covenant with death ? Arnald, seeing this difficulty, wishes to transpose the clauses ; but this is unnecessary if we take erdK. as above. The ' making a covenant with death ' is from Isai. xxviii. 15, 1 8, (comp. Ecclus. xiv. 12.) There is a close con nection between this book and the Greek version of Isaiah. 'Ekeivou [jiEpiSbs, as in ii. 25, where see note. If e'xeivou refers to a different object from avrbv, it is best to refer it to dSov, v. 14. Cp. 2 Macc. i. 26. Additional note on v. 13. Our author's teaching on the subject of death and judgment has been thus epitomised by Grimm and others, (i.) God is not the author of death, but gave their being to all things, and willed man to be immortal, ii. 23. (ii.) The envy of Satan brought death into the world, ii. 24. (iii.) But through virtue and wisdom men obtain immortality, i. 15; ii. 22 ; vi. 18; viii. 17; xv. 3, and a blessed life with God in heaven, iii. i if.; iv. 2, 7, 10 ff ; v, 2 ig ; vi. 19. Only the ungodly raeet with the punish ment of Bavaros, i. 12, 16; ii. 24 ; they have no hope, iii. 11, 18; V. 14; XV. 6, 10; darkness will cover them, xvii. 2 1 ; their souls shall perish, in that they will be in torment, and deprived of the comfort of God's presence, i. 11; iv. 19; but they will have knowledge of the blessedness of the righteous and be conscious of what they have lost when it is too late, V. I ff The author assumes that judgment follows immediately upon death, and that sinners are not annihilated, but suffer the second death (Rev. ii. 11 ; xxi. 8), i. e. positively, pain and consciousness of guilt, negatively, the loss of blessedness. There is no trace in the Book of the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. The souls of the righteous are in heaven, the souls of the evil in hell ; the body perishes like all other raaterial substances ; and there is no return for it. CHAPTER II. II. 1-20. The reasoning of the materialist or sen sualist. 1-5. ffis view of life. This is one of the finest passages in the Book, full of a kind of evil grandeur rhythmically expressed. Comp. I Cor. XV. 32 : 'Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die.' Isai. xxii. 13; Ivi. 12. Hor. Sat. II. vi, 93 fi", 1, Etirov ydp, sc. oi dae^els, i. 1 6, This is the reason why ' they are worthy to take part with death :' their own thoughts and words prove it, 'Ev lauTois (for which reading there is most au thority : thus Vulg. : ' cogitantes apud se,') must be taken with Xoyitrdjx. 'reasoning one with another' =dXX^- Xotf, as V. 3, I Macc. x, 71. AuTTTipiSs, Vulg. : ' cum taedio.' Eng. ' tedious,' used in the sense of ' painful,' like Jacob's words : ' Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been.' Gen. xlvii. 9. Comp. Job xiv. i ; Eccles. ii. 23. 'Ev teX. dv6p., ' in the death of man,' when death comes, ' there is no remedy,' i'oo-is, Vulg. : ' refrigerium,' MS. Corb. 2 : ' sanatio.' Schleusner conjectures that the Vulg. translator read I'avo-is from lalvopai ; but the word is unknown. ' Refrigerium ' is found iv. 7 ; Isai. xxviii. 12 ; Acts iii. 20, and in the Latin Fathers, e. g. Tertull. Apol. 39 med. ; Fug. 12. p. 194. Idol. 13 : ' Lazarus apud inferos in sinu Abrahae refrigerium consecutus.' Pseudo-Ambr. Serm. 19 (p. gig B). 'AvaXuaas, ' reversus,' Vulg. : ' having returned,' as I Esdr. iii. 3. Tob. ii. 9 : dveXvaa Bd^^as, ' I returned home after burying.' So S. Luke xii. 36. Comp. the 118 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [it. 2- Latin solve, to loose from moorings, hence, to depart. '0 dvoXvo-as may also be taken as = a redeemer, saviour, liberator. But comp. ch. xvi. 14 ; Eccles. viii. 8. 2. AuToo^x^^^^Sj usually auroo-xeSAv, off-hand, at hap- hazai^d. Vulg. : ' ex uihilo,' which misrepresents the meaning. Eng. : ' at all adventure.' Comp. Lev. xxvi. 21, marg. Thus Shakspeare, Com. of Errors, ii. 2 : 'I'll say as tliey say, and pers^ver so, And in tliis wish at all adventures go.' Grimm quotes Lactant. Instt. II. i. a : ' Homines . . . ne se, ut quidam philosophi faciunt, tantopere despi- ciant, neve se infirmos et supervacuos et frusti^a omnino natos putent, quae opinio plerosque ad vitia corapellit.' Comp. Cicero, Tusc. i. 49 : ' Non temere uec fortuito sati et crenti sumus,' et caet. METd TOUTO, ' afterwards,' when this life is over. Oux is closely joined with vrtdp^., so the correction pfj is unnecessary. Obad. 16 : icai eo-ovrat KaBdis oiix irrdpxovres, 'O Xoyos. Eng. : ' a little sparic .' The Eng. ver sion here, as usually, follows the Compl. which reads oXi'yoj amvSijp. Vulg. : ' sermo scintilla ad comraoven- dum cor nostrum.' Gutb. understands by 'sermo' Xdyor e'vSidfleTos= thought. The meaning is, our thought is a spark which arises at the beating of the heart. This is like the notion of our modern materialists, who see in the movements of the mind only certain molecu lar, chemical, or electrical, changes and nothing beyond. Ancient philosophers have similar speculations. Thus Heraclitus deemed that Fire was the dpxfj, the principle, the moving povver of all things ; and if we may believe Cicero (Tusc. Disp. i. 9), Zeno considered that the ' animus ' itself was fire. (See Wolfs note, 1, c, § 1 9.) ¦ Aliis,' says Cicero, ' cor ipsum animus videtur, e.v quo excordes, vecordes, concordesque vocantur.' See Prolegom. § I. 2. Isidor, Pelus, Ep. iv. 146, refers to this passage : 01 ydp dae^els airivBijpa voplaavres eivai tijv ^vxfjv, oJ diToa^eaBfvTos, iis etpaaav, Te. "On auTi). To enjoy life while it lasts : we have nothing else to do, nothing more to expect. Grimm. 10-20. Second result of tlie materialist's vieiv: op pression of the weak and the righteous. 10. KaraSuvaoT. ' Let us tyrannize over, oppress ;' Ezek. xviii. 12; Acts x. 38; S. James ii. 6. Comp. the advice of KaKta to Hercules in the story of Pro- dicus, Xenoph. Mem. II. i. ag : ois &v ol SXXoi ipyd^covrai, rovrois av XPhcTIi ovSevos direxdpevos oBev &v Svvarbv jj n KepSavat' iravraxoBev ydp oitpeXelaBai rois epol ^vvovaiv e^ov- aiav eycDyc irapex SiaKeipevos d SiKaios paanyaiaeTai , irrpe^Xdiaercu, SeSfjaerai, eKKavBfjaerai ro) 6(p6ciXpii, TeXevroiV TrdvTo iccucd iraBav dvatrxtvSvXevBfjaeraf xal yvaiaerai, on OUK eivai SUatov, dXXd Soiceiv Set eBeXeiv. Hippol. Bom. Demonstr. Adv. Jud. pp. 66, 67, (ed. Lagarde) : (pe'pat Sfj e's peaov Kai rfjv irpo(prjTeiav SdXopaiv, rijv Xeyovaav nepl Xpurrov, to rpbs 'lovSalovs aatpSis Kai dpiSrjXais Sia-yycXXou- aav, ov pdvov rd utard tov irapovra Kaipbv, dXXd to icard rbv peXXovra aiSiva avrols avpfiaiveiv Std r^v auddSeiav icai rdXpav, ^v eiroirjaav dpxrjya rfjs fa^s. Xeyei ydp d irpotpfjTijs, ov SieXoylaavro oi dae^els, irepl Xpiarov eiirdvres, opBas eveSpev- (Ttopev . . . eaxara StKaiaiv. Kai irdXiv oKovaov, Zi louSaie. ouSeis e'lc rav SiKaltov rj rrpotpijrSiv eKdXeaev eavrbv vlbv Qeov, Xeyei ouv avBis iis eK irpoadiirov 'IouSaia)v 6 SoXo/xoiv Trepi tou- Tou TOO Siicaiou, OS e'lTTiv d Xpiarbs, on eyevero ^;aiv eis eXeyxov . . . eK Xo'yiBv auTou. So S. Cypr. Testim. lib. ii. 14. These words are used in Hegesippus' account of the martyi'dom of S. James the Just. Ap. Eouth, Eel. Sacr. vol. i. p. i9g, quoted from Euseb. Hist. ii. 23. Au(TxpT|(rros, Vulg. : ' inutilis.' Eng. : ' not for our tui"n,' i. e. not for our convenience, not to our purpose. Thus Shakspeare : ' My daughter Catharine is not for your turn,' Taming of the Shrew, ii. i. So Christ fjTipdadij Kai OVK eXoyiaSrj, Isai. Iiii. 3. 'OvEiSi^Ei ¦q. dfiapT. vdpov. ' Casts in our teeth offences against the law.' Ndjios without the article means ' The Mosaic law ' (see Winer, Gr. § 1 9). Hence the sensualists in this chapter must be regarded as renegade Jews, who with Greek culture had adopted Greek vices. See Gutberl. Einleit. §§ 3, 4 ; Neauder, Hist, of Chr. Rel. i. p. 70 (Bohn). Thus Philo, Vit. Mos. i. 6 (II. p. 8g) : vdpovs irapafiaivovat Kaff ofis eyevvfj- Bijaav Kai erpdtprjaav, ijSrj Se irdrpia, ots pep\j/ts oiSepia irpda- eari SiKaia, Ktvovaiv e'/cSeSiijrijpe'voi, icai Sid tijv tuv irapdvraiv diroSoxfjV, ovSevbs en rav dpxaloiv pvfjprjv Xap^dvovatv. Comp. De Conf Ling. 2 (I. p. 4og). See note on iv. i g. Vulg. : ' improperat nobis,' ' casts as a reproach.' So Eom. XV. 3 : ' impi-operia improperantium.' This is a rare post-Aug. word formed fi-om ' in,' ' probrum.' It is found in some MSS. of Plautus, Rud. Ill, iv. 28 ; but others read 'opprobas.' See on v, 3, Comp, Ecclus, viii. 6; S. Matt, xxvii. 44, Vulg. 'EirKJiTiixi^Ei r)p.iv, Vulg. : ' diffamat in nos.' Eng. : ' objecteth to our infamy.' Or simply, ' utters, asserts against us.' 'Afiapx. iraiSEi'as »ip.wv. ' Offences against our reli gious training.' There is continual confusion in MSS. between TrmSm and iraiSeia. 13. 'EirayY^X. 'professes.' i Tim. ii. 10; vi. 21. So Christ claimed ' to know' God. Matt. xi. 27 ; John vi. 46. In the text the knowledge of God means the knowledge of His will and requirements, what He re wards and what He punishes. riaiSa Kupiou. This expression seems here to mean 'child of the Lord,' as it is said ver. 16, 'he maketh his boast that God is his father,' aud ver. 1 8, ' if the just man be the Son of God,' though in the latter passage the term is ©eou uiis not n-ots. But the two expressions are used interchangeably in this Book, corap. ix. 4, 7 ; xii. 19, 20. Our Saviour is called tov jraiSa airoC (eeov) 'lijo-ouv. Acts iii. 13, where the word probably means 'servant,' »rais not being used to express the eternal generation of the Sou. It is applied in this sense to Christ, Is. xiii. i, while, xlviii 20, SouXos is used in the same connection. So xlix. 3 : SoIXiit pov ei av, 'lapafjX, and ver. 6 : pe-jia aoi ean rov KXrjBrjvai ae ira'iSd jiou. Of Christ it is said, S. Matt, xxvii. 43 : elire ydp 'On eeoii elpi vlds. S. John xix. 7. The Syriac of the text is translated : ' He says, I am the Son of God.' In all this passage the Fathers have generally seen a prophecy of the Passion of Christ; and there are some wonderful coincidences of thought and language between it and the Gospel. Comp. here S. Mutt, xxvii. 43 ; S. John xix. 7. But the similarity may be owing partly to the 0. T. quotations embodied in the text, partly to the recurrence of each typical form of reproach in the Passion of Christ. See Is. Williams, -II. 19.] COMMENTARY. 121 The Passion, p. 226, (ed. 1870). Comp. the quotations in note on ver. 1 2. S. Aug. De Civit. xvii. 20 : 'Quorum [librorum] in uno, qui appellatur Sapientia Salomonis, passio Christi apertissime prophetatur. Impii quippe interfectores ejus coramemorantur dicentes : " Circum veniamus justum," ' etc. Comp. also Cont. Faust, xii. in Ps. xlviii. Enarr. ; Serm. i. 1 1 ; Ep. cxl. 20. 14. 'Ey^vETo : he tended to expose our views to public reproach, by forcing comparisons with his own. So Vulg. : ' factus est nobis in traductionem cogitatio- num nostrarum.' Corap. S. John iii. 20 ; vii. 7. Mr. Churton paraphrases : ' the effect of his words is to rebuke our inward thoughts and purposes.' 'Traductio,' blame, reproof See on ch. iv. 20, and comp. xi. 7 ; xviii. g, Vulg. 15. Kai pX£ir(5|xEvos, ' even when merely seen,' i. e. the mere sight of him is annoying. Prov. xxi. ig: Satos OKdOapros irapd KoKovpyois. Comp. I Kings xxi, 20 ; Isai. Iiii. 3 ; S. Matt. viii. 34 ; S. John xv. 19. Tois aXXois = Tffl ((Siai) rav aXXav, like Homer's leopoi Xapireaaiv dpolai, II, xvii, gi. So ch. vii. 3 : (paivfjv opoiav iraaiv, where see note. ¦E|r)XXaY|JiE'vai, 'immutatae,' Vulg. 'strange, un usual ;' Aristot. Poet. xxi. 20 : dirav dvopd eanv § Kvpiov . , , rj e^rfXXaypevov. Tpi^oi, as dSos ver. 16 and in N. T., 'path of life,' religious views. Comp. Acts xix. 9 ; xxiv. 1 4. 16. Eis kiPSkjXov. 'We were reckoned by hira as dross, impure.' The Eng. translation 'counterfeits' (which indeed is the usual meaning of the word) conveys a wrong impression, as the persons mentioned would probably not take the trouble to assume the mask of religion. The parallel member ms drrd aKaBapatwv sup ports this view. The Vulg. ' tanquam nugaces ' seems weak, though Gloss. Philox. gives: f nugas croTrpos.' The word ' nugax ' does not occur again in the Vulg. It is found in S. Ambr. Ep. g8, when he is quoting 2 Sam. vi. 22: 'ero nugax ante oculos tuos,' where Vulg. gives 'humilis' (p. 1099 Ben.). MaKapi^Ei, ' praefert,' Vulg. ; rather, ' calls blessed the end of the just,' "Eaxara, ' the death,' as Ecclus. i, 13 ; vii, 36; li, 14. Comp. Numb, xxiii. 10 (Heb.) ; Eev. xiv. 13. In Job xiii. 12 rd eaxara means the latter part of life. 'AXa^ovEtiETai, ' maketh his boast,' a fine expression. Comp. ver. 13. This is the complaint made against Christ, John v. 18. 17. ' If his words be true,' viz. that he is a child of God. Comp. Ps. xxii. 7, 8 ; Matt, xxvii. 4 1 ff. Td iv £K|3d(r£i auTou, ' quae in exitu ejus eventura sunt,' Grimm; i.e. whether his end is blessed, ver. 16. The sensualist himself thinks of no life beyond this 'end.' The Vulg. adds : ' et sciemus quae erunt novis- siraa illius.' Gutberlet deems this to be merely an expansion of the idea contained in the Greek; but it is more probably another version of the same which has crept into the text. It is not found in S. Cypr. Test. Adv. Jud. ii. 14, where this passage is cited; but it occurs in S. Aug. De Civ. Dei, xvii. 20. "EicjSao-is in the sense of ' end ' or ' issue ' is of late Greek. Polybius has Trepi Tijv eK^aaiv rfjv e'/c toC $iXi'irn"ou iroXepov, Hist. iii. 7. 2. Comp. Wisd. viii. 8; xi. 14; Heb. xiii. 7. 18. Sorae see in this verse an interpolation by a Christian hand, owing to its marvellous similarity to the taunts levelled at the Saviour, S. Matt, xxvii. 43. But see On ver. 13, and comp. Ps. xxii. 8, 9. So Euseb. Hist. Eccles. v. i, tells of the treatment of martyrs by their persecutors who derided them in similar terms : iroii d Qebs avraiv, icai Ti avrovs &vrjaev rj BprjaKeia, fjv koi irpb rfjs eavrmv etXovro ^vx^s; . . . vvv iSoipev el dvaarfjaovTai, icai ei Svvarai ^orjdrjaai avrols d Qebs avrSiv, Kai e^eXeaBai e'x t£v p^eipwv fjpSiv. 'O SiKaios, Vulg. : ' Si enim est verus filius Dei,' where ' verus' is the translation of d SIkoios. 19. 'ETdo-cofiEv, ' let us test.' Acts xxii. 24. See on vi. 7. Comp. Jer. xi. 19. 'EiriEiKEiav, ' meekness, goodness,' opp. to u/Spei, as dve^iKaKiav is to ^aadva. Acts xxiv. 4. Vulg.: 'reve rentiam ejus,' as Heb. v. 7 : ' exauditus pro sua reve rentia.' Gutb. See on xii. 18. 'AvE^iKaKiav, 'patience, forbearance.' 2 Tim. ii. 24 : dve^iKOKov. Comp. Is. Iiii. 7. s, 122 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [II. 20- 20. KaTa8iK(i(ni)(i£i', as Jas. v. 6 : (careSucdo^are, etpovev- aare rbv Si'/caiov. Grimm. 'EiriirKOTr^ is used in a good or bad sense. Comp. iii. 7, and siv. ii. Here it means 'regard, respect,' (xix. 14), with an ironical turn, ' God is sure to regard him.' Comp. Gen. xxxvii. 20; Jer. xi. 19; xviii. 18. 'Ek Xdyuv a. ' ex sermonibus illius.' Vulg. ' according to his words,' as he boasts, vers. 16, 18. The Greek wiU hardly bear Mr. Churton's paraphrase : ' there shaU be an inquiry into the truth of his words.' 21-24. S'uch ¦views spring from vAlfwl ignorance of the purpose of God who created man to he immortal, but death came into the world toith sin hy reason qf the deviVs envy. 2L 'EXoyicr. koI ettX., like ver. I : eiirov eaurots Xoyio-d- pevoi OVK dpeSis. This is one of the passages supposed (by Graetz and others) to have been introduced by a Christian copyist. The supposition is quite gi-atuitous, and unsupported by any evidence. 'Air£TU(t)X(u(rE, Aristot. Eth. Nie. VI. v. 6 : ean ydp fj KOKia (pBapriK^ dpxfjs. S. Athan. Hist. Arian. 71 (i. p. 386 Ben.) : ervtpXiaae youv avraiv ev rovrois rfjV Stdvotav ^ KoKia. S. Ephr.'s translator (de Humil. 94) reads dn-eru(^X(»o-e». Comp. Eph. iv. 18. 22. MucmQpia 0. ' Sacramenta Dei,' Vulg. See on vi. 22. 'The secret counsel of God' with regard to the trials of the just, and the reward that awaits them in the future life. Comp. iv. 17. For a similar use of the word in the N. T. see Rom. xvi. 2g ; Col. i. 26 ; Eph. i. 9. OuSe £Kp. Y^pas, SC. elvai, ' nor judged that there is a reward.' 'A|j.(i|ji(ijv. Eev. xiv. g. 23. 'Eir d(|idap(ria, ' with a view to incorruption,' 'to be immortal' (corap. vi. 18, 19; 4 Macc. ix. 22, 23 ; I Cor. XV. go, g3, g4), referring to the eternal life beyond the grave, as ddvaros in the next verse denotes rather the second death than physical death. Gutb. ' Hominem inexterminabilem,' Vulg. This adjective is very uncommon. It is mentioned as occurring iu Claud. Maniert. De Stat. Anira. ii. 3. See note on X. 4. 'l8idTt)Tos, ' proprietatis.' ' His own peculiar na- tui-e, being ;' ' q. d. Homo est imago Divinae naturae, quae Deo est propria ; vel, Homo est imago divinarum proprietatum, attributorum et dotura, quae Deo sunt propria,' A. Lap. Comp. Gen. i. 26, 27 ; ii. 7 ; v. i ; Ecclus. xvii. 3 ; i Cor. xi. 7. Col. iii. 10 : icar' ehdva rov KTiaavTos avrov. See 2 Pet. i. 4, which, however, refers to the Incarnation of Christ, and the Christian's saci-a- mental incorporation with Him. The reading I'SuJnjTos has the greatest weight of authority. The Eng. trans lators read dlSiiJTTjTos, which has some patristic, but little MS. authority. Thus S. Method. De Eesur. xi. (xviii. p. 280, Migne) : eicno-e tov avBpaiirov 6 Qebs eiri dtpBapaia, Kai etico'va Tfjs iSias dtSwiTijros eiroiijaev aurdv. OVK Spa diToXXuTOi rb aapa' d ydp avBpamos e'lc x/tij^^s icai adiparos. And Atlianas. Cont. Apoll. i. 7 (i. p. 927, Ben.) : on eKnaev 6 Qebs rbv dvBpamov eiri d(P6apai^, Kai eiKova rfjs tSi'as diSii/TijTos iiroirjaev avrbv . . . Koapov ; and ib. (p. 934) ¦ "ri d(pBap(ria Kai elKovi t^s iSi'as difSidnjros, iiroirjaev avrbv (piaiv dvapdprrjrov, icoi BeXrjaiv avTe^oiaiov' (PBdva , . , Koapov, evpapevov rijs irapa^daetos tijv e'jri'voiav. The Vulg. and Syr. read dpoioVijTos, whicli seems to have reached the text from the gloss of some scribe who wished to raake the wording conform to Gen. i. 26 : iroi^atopev SvBptoTrov Kar eiKova ^perepop Kai Kaff dpoltoatv. Clem. Alex. Strom, vi. 12, reads JSionjros. Thus : OVK eyvaaav pvarfjpia OeoC" on 6 9eos eicnae tov avBpaiirov iirl dtpBapaitf, icai eiiciiva r^s iSias iSwirijTos eiroiij- crev auToV. P. 788, Pott. Epiphan. ap. Hieron. i. agi ; ' imaginem suae proprietatis dedit ei.' 24. ' Through envy of the devil carae death into the world.' The serpent is here identified with the Devil and Satan, a very remarkable development of O. T. teaching; anticipating the Christian revelation of the existence and personality of the great evil spirit. See Rev. xii. 9 ; xx. 2 ; S. John viii, 44, Philo allegorizes the whole story of the fall, making the ser pent the symbol of pleasure, De Mund, Opif g6 (I. p. 38), Orig. iu Joan, tom, xx. 22 (i. p. 343 Ben.); -III. 2. J COMMENTARY. 123 ourw (pBovai Bdvaros elarjXBev els rbv Koapov, del ev ois idv evpji ^aaiv dvBpanroKrovovvTos (l^ta^dXov), ecus &v irdvriov rSiv exBpSiv viroreBevnov rots iroal rov viov rov Qeov, eaxaros ixBpbs avrov Bdvaros KarapyrjBij. So ih. t. xxii. (p. 407). That the serpent who seduced our first parents is the same as Satan is stated in the Kabbalah and Talmud. See Ginsburg, The Kabbalah, p. 29. Aia^iSXcu, without the article, as i Chr. xxi. i ; Acts xiii. 10; I Pet. v. 8. The word Sid^oXos means, 'one who sets at variance,' then 'a slanderer;' and it is used throughout the Sept. as the translation of the Hebrew Satan. For the O. T. idea of the Devil's envy, see Job i. 9-ir, etc., and Isai. xiv. 13. Josephus, Ant. I. i. 4, speaks thus of the serpent's envy : d dtpis aw- Siairapevos ra Se 'ASdpco Kai rfj yvvaiKi (pBovepas ei^ev e'(/)* OIS auTous evSaipovfjaeiv aero ireireiapevovs rois toO eeoO irapayyeXpaat. S. Bernard makes the following suggestion as to the cause of this envy : ' Potuit con- tingere (si tamen incredibile non putetur), plenum sapientia et perfectum decore, homines praescire po- tuisse futuros, etiam et profecturos in pari gloria. Sed si praescivit, in Dei verbo absque dubio vidit, et in livore suo invidit, et molitus est habere subjectos, socios dedignatus. Infirraiores sunt, inquit, inferiores- que batura: non decet esse concives, nee aequales in gloria.' In Cant. Sermo xvii (p. 27g8 A.). Odvaros £i(rY)X9Ev eis t. Koapov. Comp. Rom. v. 12. Bdvaros is the death of the soul. See on ver. 23. Kdapov is not the universe, but the world of men, as 2 John 7. The devil is called ' him that hath the power of death,' Hebr. ii. 14. riEipd^oucri Se auT(5v. Vulg. : ' imitantur autem ilium,' i. e. diabolum. Eng. : ' do find it,' i. e. death. Rather, ' they who are his (eKelvov, the devil's) portion, who have given themselves over unto him, tempt, court it,' (aurov, death). Comp. Rom. vi. 23 : 'The wages of sin is death.' See also the ending of chap. i. with which this is parallel. Ttjs ekeivou |j,£p. Comp. I John iii. 1 2 : Kd'iv «« ToO irovrjpov fjv. CHAPTER III. ni.-V. Contrast hetween tlie godly and the evil. III. 1-9. How the godly are rewarded for their suf ferings. 1. 'Ev x^ipi 0£ou. ' Hoc est, habitant in adjutorio altissimi, et in protectione Dei caeli coramorantur.' S. Aug. Enarr. in Ps. Ixxxvii. g. The souls of de parted saints are under God's special protection. For Xeipi e, comp, Deut, xxxiii. 3, and Isai. li. 16, and see I Pet. iv. 19. The words AiKaitov . . . eeoC are found in Const. Apost. 1. vi. cap. 30. Pseudo-Clem. Bora. Ep. TL. ad Cor. xvii. 7 ; 01 Se Si/catot evirpayfjaavres Kai viro- pelvavres rds ^aadvovs Kai pj,ir!jaavres rds ijSviraBeiasrrjs ¦fpvx'js, OTov Bedaavrai tous daroxfiaavras (cai dpvtjaapevovs did rav Xiiyoov ^ Std tSv epyiov rbv 'irjaovv, Sirous KoXd^ovrai detvals /Socrdvots TTupi aa^eano, eaovrai Sd^av SiSdvres ra Qe^ airav Xeyovres, on earai iXirls ra SeSovXevKori Qea i^ oXijs KapSias, Clera. Alex. Strom, iv. 1 1 quotes StKalav . . . ^daavos. He then adduces, apparently from memory. Plat. Apol. Socr. 18; ipie piv ydp 'Avvrds re Kai MeXiros diroKrelveiev (ievr' dv, jSXdi/'eie S' dv ouS" ottibo'tiouv" ou ydp oipai Bepirbv eivai rb apeivov irpbs toD x^tpovos pXdirreaBai. Comp. S. Luke xxiii. 46 ; Rev. xx. 4. Bcicravos- Vulg. : ' torraentum mortis.' Some MSS. give ' tormentura malitiae,' and S. Aug. Serm. cccvi. I, notes that 'malitia' here means 'poena.' The meaning is 'torment after death,' as S. Luke xvi. 23, 28. 2. 'E8o|av . . - TeQv&vai. ' They seemed to be dead.' The author of the Ep. ad Diognet. x. 7 speaks of good men despising toC SokoCvtos ivBdSe Bavdrov. E 2 124 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. Lui. 3- 'Ev d(|)9aXfiois=in the judgment ; as ix. 9 ; Ecclus. viii. 16 ; X. 20. 'EfoSos, ' departure '= death, as vii. 6. Ecclus. xxxviii. 23; S. Luke ix. 31 ; 2 Pei i. rg. 3. riopEio, as S. Luke xxii. 22:0 vibs rov dvdpwrov jTopeverai. So to Abraham God said. Gen. xv. i g : |/ouaiv, according to the idea in Dan. xii. 3 : ' They shall shine {eKXdpypovai) as the brightness of the firmament, and ... as the stars for ever and ever ;' and in S. Matt. xiii. 43. 4 Esdr. vii. gg : ' super Stellas fulgebunt facies eorum.' In Eclog. ex Script, Proph. xii. appended to the works of Clem. Alex, (p, 1000, Pott,) we have : d SiWos as airivBfjp Sid KoXdprjS eKXdpirei Kai Kpivel eBvrj. AiaSpufiouvrai. Explica icai eaovrai ous airivBfjpes iv icaXdpij SiaSpoftouo-ai. Wahl. The passage refers to the exceeding swiftness and brightness of the disembodied spirit. S. Thoraas Aquinas refers to this passage to prove the agility of the glorified body ; but there is no trace of the doctrine of the resurrection of the body in this book. In Symb. Apost. Expos, xxxviii. Blunt thinks the idea to be, that the martyrdom of the saints would raise a flame in the ' stubble ' of heathendom, by which it would be consumed. But this thought is alien from the whole tenour of the passage. Churton, referring the scene to this life, paraphrases : ' when the fire of God's wrath shall con sume the ungodly as stubble, they shall be as the sparks which fly upward (Job v. 7), or like the torch of fire in the sheaf of corn (Zech. xii. 16), witnesses to the justice of God, and to the guilt of His enemies.' Cp. Mal. iv. I. 8. ' They shall judge nations, and have dominion over peoples.' So in Dan. vii. 22 it is said : ' Judg ment was given to the saints of the Most High ; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.' And in the N. T. the saints are to be assessors with Christ at the final judgment. Matt. xix. 28 ; i Cor. vi. 2 ; Eev. xx. 4. Comp. Ecclus. iv. ig. AiTwv. ' Eegnabit Dominus illorum.' Vulg. Aut5v is best governed by ^aasXeiaei, ' The Lord shall be their King,' He whose service is perfect freedom. For ' Deo servire regnare est.' Gutb. In the Vulg. version ' illorum ' is probably governed by ' regnavit,' as I Macc. xii. 39 : ' et cum cogitasset Tryphon regnare Asiae.' This construction is also found in classical authors, e. g. Hor. Carm. III. xxx. 1 2. There is no trace in this passage of a personal Messiah. Eis TOUS atflvos. ' In perpetuum.' Vulg. See on iv. 2. 9. Ot TTEiToiOdTEs, 'they who have trusted and still do trust in Him,' the same as 01 irtaroi. 'AX;^9Eiav, 'shall understand truth,' shall possess the knowledge of divine things. S. John vii. 17. 'Ev &ydwD is best taken, as Eng. marg., with irpoapevovaiv, ' His faithful shall abide with Him in love.' S. John xv. 9; Acts xi. 23. Xcipis Kai eXeos, as i Tim. i. 2. The clause occurs again iv. ig, and there is much variety in MSS. re specting the wording and arrangement. The Vulg. and Vat. omit icai imaKorrfj iv rots oaiois avrov : but the authority of the Sinaitic, Alexandrian, and Venetian MSS., and all the versions except the Latin, seems to be conclusive of its genuineness. See on iv. i g. 'Emo-Koirr|, ' care, regard.' 'EkXektoIs. Corap, Esth, viii. 40 (xvi, 21); Tob. viii, ig ; S, Matt, xxiv, 2 a. 126 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [ill. 10- 10-IV. 6. Contrast of tlie gogd and evil, specially in their families. 10. Ka9' d EXoyio-. ' Secundum quae cogitaverunt.' Vulg. The allusion is to their language in chap. ii. 'E-iriTifiiov, ' correptionem,' ' punishment.' In classi cal Greek imripiov is used for 'penalty,' irrirlprjais, (xii. 26) for 'punishment,' never iirmpia, which means ' citizenship.' It is used once for ' punishment ' in the Ni T., 2 Cor. ii. 6. For the pimishment of ' fools ' in the moral sense see Prov. i. 29-31. Tou SiKaiou, probably neuter = ' justice.' 'Jus titiam -yiolarunt.' A. Lap. So S. Aug. Spec, quoting this passage, ' Qui neglexerunt justitiam.' That this is right the parallelism with aotplav i^ovBevav seems to show. We have to Si'icaiov used 2 Macc. iv. 34 ; x. 12. 11. AutGv, referring to the collective term d e'fou- Bevaiv. 12. According to the Hebrew notion barrenness was the greatest misfortune to a woman, aud a numerous progeny the greatest blessing. See Gen. xxx. 33 ; Isai. iv. I ; S. Luke i. 2g. The author takes another view. Comp. Ecclus. xvi. i, 2. "AijjpovEs, ' insensatae.' Vulg. ' Light, or un chaste.' Eng. marg. Folly being= wickedness in the Sapiential Books (see on i. 3), dtppoves here means ' evil, godless.' The Vulg. word ' insensatus ' is not classical. It is found often in the Vulg. Thus, Wisd. V. 4, 21 ] xi. 16 ; xii. 24 ; xv. g ; Gal. iii. i. And it fre quently occurs in ecclesiastical writers, e. g. S. Iren. Haer. ii. 30. 8. (p. 163, Ben.): 'Deus qui omnia fecit solus omnipotens . . . et sensibilia et insensata.' Hieron. in Gal. c. iii. p. 416 : ' post peccatum compa- ratus est peccatoribus insensatis.' S. Aug. De Gen. ad lit. iii. c. 12. 19. In Ps. xlviii. Enarr. Serm. ii. fin. (iv. p. 443, Ben.). Tertull. De praescr. Haer. 27. See note on xvii. i. 'Their children wicked.' As Ezek. xvi. 44; Ecclus. xvi. I, 2 ; xU. g ; 2 Esdr. ix. 17. 13. 'EmKardpaTos, ' doubly accursed,' xiv. 8 ; Gal. iii. 10, 13. In Tobit xiii. 12 it is opposed to euXo- yijpe'vos. Teveitis, 'offspring,' as xviii. 12. Vulg. =' crea tura,' in the same sense. "On, which Arn. regards as pleonastical, gives a further illustration of the author's position, that the happiness of the ungodly is false and baseless. It was promised by the Mosaic law that the righteous should be blessed ¦with children, and that the wicked should be childless. (Comp. Ps. cxxviii. 3 ; Ex. xxiii. 26 ; Deut. vii. 14; Lev. xx. 20, 21; Hos. ix. 14.) But the unfruitful wife, being chaste and pure, is happier now than the evU mother of children, and shall be highly blessed hereafter. The same is true of the eunuch to whom by the Law (Deut. xxiii. i) some imperfection attached. This passage is supposed by Graetz to be an interpolation by a Christian writer who desu'ed to teach high ascetic doctrine. But it really teaches no special view of celibacy, but merely shows that to be childless is better than to have ungodly children, and that a blessing awaits the continent. STEipa. ' A barren wife.' Some think the author is referring to mixed marriages, as in Ezra ix, x ; others see a reference to the celibacy practised by the Therapeutae, and thus described by Philo, De Vita Contempl. § 8 (II. p. 482): 2i/veoTt5vTat icai yuvatices, Siv irXelarai yijpaiai irapBevoi rvyxdvovai r^v dyveiav, ovk dvdyicj, Kaddirep eviat rav irap' 'EXXijmv iepeiSiv, SiafpvXd^aatu pdXXov IJ lead' eKovatov yvapijv, Std Se f^Xov icai ttoBov aotplas, 3 avp^iovv airovSd^ovat, rSiV irepl aSipa fjSovSiv ^Xdyijo'av, ou Bvrjrmv e'/cydvtov, dXX' ddavdraiv dpexBelaal, a pdvij nKreiv dtp' eauT^s Ota te ecttiv fj BeocpiXfjs ¦'jrvxfj, aireipavros els ounjv aKrlvas voijrds tou irarpbs, ais Svvrjaerai Betopeiv to aotpias Sdypara. The passage in the text seems to be intended to console the childless. 'H djxiavTos, ' incoinquinata,' Vulg. A late Latin word found four times in this Book (iv. 2 ; vii. 2 2 ; viii. 20), and nowhere else in Vulg. Comp. Heb. vii. 24 ; xiii. 4. "Htis, 'such an one as,' defining more exactly v dpiavTos. KoiTr|v Iv irapairT. ' concubitum cum peccato con- junctum.' Wahl. Comp. ver. 16: Trapavdjiou noi'njs, ~m. I 8.1 COMMENTAEY. 127 and iv. 6. Num. xxxi. l8 : ^tis ovk eyva Kolnjv apaevos. For jrapdn-TiBpa COmp. X. I . Kapirdv, recompence better than the fruit of the womb (Ps. cxxvii. 3). 'E-irwrKoirji \|(ux. See on ver. 7. Vulg. : ' In re spectione aniraarura sanctarura.' MS. Egert. and others omit ' sanctarura.' Possibly the translators read dyiav instead of ourSv, which A. gives. S. Jer. in Isai. g6, (col. 410 a,) has ' in visitatione animarum.' ' Eespectio ' is a late word, occurring nowhere else in Vulg. See on vi. 18. The 'visitation of souls' is the judgment, when all anomalies shall be righted. 14. Kai Euvouxos, se. paKdpios ian. Euvoup^os doubt less in the first two senses mentioned by our Lord, Matt. xix. 12. See Is. Ivi. 4, g. Vulg.: ' spado ' = airdSav. So Ecclus. xxx. 21. 'Epyaa. . . . Eveup,.=in deed or thought, — parall. with fj dpiavTOS. Tijs TTiirr. X'^P'^^ ^'^^- 'The special gift of faith.' Eng. But the words must refer to the future life, as ' the visitation of souls,' ver. 1 3, and the ' inherit ance ' {kXijpos) below. So Arn. translates, ' some special gift or reward shall be given him for his faithfulness ;' and the Syr. : ' Dabitur ei pro ipsius gratia et fidelitate haereditas desiderii.' Holkot and Lorinus refer the words to the ' aureola virginum.' Gutb. takes thera as denoting the eternal reward in store for the con tinent. So we raay best render, 'a choice reward of his faithfulness.' x"/"* ^^^ piaBbs are interchanged. Matt. V. 46 ; Luke vi. 32. KXijpos. In Isai. Ivi. 4, g : 'a place and a narae,' which they may have lost upon earth by having no children. Comp. Numb, xxvii. 4. 'Ev vau K., ' in heaven,' as Ps. x. 4 ; Bar. ii. 16 ; Rev. vii. ig. 'He shall have a place in the eternal temple,' with special reference to his exclusion from the Jewish sanctuary. Deut. xxiii. r. For ' in the temple,' the Eng. marg. gives ' among the people,' reading iv Xom, for which there is no authority. This clause shows that in the opinion of the writer heaven is to be the dwelling-place of righteous souls, Comp. Tob. iii. 6. Ou(x»)p^aTEpos, ' more acceptable than aught else.' Vulg. : ' acceptissiraa.' This passage is quoted by Clem. Alex. Strom, vi. 14 (p. 797, Pott). 15. rdp, proof of the blessedness of the two classes mentioned above. 'For the reward (as ver. 13) of' good works is glorious.' Ttjs (jspovrjcTEus, gen. epexeget. 'The root (from which such fruit springs) which is wisdom.' Ecclus. i. 6. No dry tree is the childless righteous man, but a fruitful tree that faUeth not away (dSidn-ToiTos). See Ps. cxii. 6, 7. 16. The writer carries on the thought in ver. 13, ' their offspring is cursed,' taking adultery as a typical characteristic of the ungodly. 'kreXeara, Eo-rai, ' shall not come to perfection.' ' Neque in hac vita ad gloriam, neque in altera ad felicitatem perveniunt.' Bauerm. ap. Wahl. Corap. iv. 4, g. S. Method. Conv. dec. Virg. iii. (xviii. p. ga, Migne) : re'/cva poixav dreXeaipdprjTa. The Vulg. word ' inconsumraatio ' is found nowhere else in that version (' inconsumraatus,' iv. g), but occurs in Tertull. Adv. Val. X : ' inconsummatio generationis.' The marg. rendering of Eng., ' be partakers of holy things,' regards the other meaning of dreX., ' uninitiated,' and the restriction in Deut. xxiii. 2 : 'a bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.' But this sense seems less suitable in the present con nection. 'Ek irapav. koit. (rir^pfia. See on ver. 13. 'A(()avi(T0ii(T£Tai, ' shall come to nothing.' So David's child by Bathsheba died. 2 Sara. xii. 14. 17. MaKpdp. Y^viovrai, sc. to re'icva. Constructio ad sensura. 'Ett' iax&Toiv. ' At last,' as Prov. xxv. 8. Vulg. : ' novissima senectus,' whence Eng., ' their last age.' See iv. 8. 18. 'OIe'us, ' quickly,' i. e. early. Vulg. : ' celerius.' Comp. xvi. 1 1 ; Ecclus. xii. 4. 'EXiriSa. They shall have no hope of acceptance with God. Aiayvt^cTEbis, ' trial,' Eng. or, ' decision,' when the 128 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [HI. 19- cause is decided, for which the regular law term is SioyiyvoKrico). Comp. Acts xxv. 21. Vulg. : 'agniti onis,' which seems to be a mistranslation, unless it be equivalent to the revelation of the secrets of all hearts.* Eom. ii. 1 6. Corap. Mal. iii. 18. napa)iu9iov. Phil. ii. I. Vulg. : ' allocutionem, which is a late word for ' comfort,' found in this sense in Catull. Carm. xxxviii. g : ' Qua solatus es allocu tione.' Senec. Cons, ad Helv. c. i ; ' Quid quod novis verbis, nee ex vulgari et quotidiana sumtis allocutione, opus erat homini ad consolandos suos, ex ipso rogo caput allevanti . . .' See on viii. 9. 19. TeveSs Y^P- ^- MS'tt. xvi. 4. This sums up the preceding statements, which are enforced in the fol lowing chapter, iv. 1-6. See Ps. Ixxiii. 17-20; Phil. iii. 19. Vulg: ' nationis,'= breed, stock. The whole paragraph is an amplification of the truth that God visits the sins of parents upon children. Deut. v. 9 ; Ex. xxxiv. 7 ; 2 Kings xxiv. 3, 4. See a different view Ezek. xviii. 19, ao. CHAPTEE IV. 1. The Vulg. here (as in xii. i) introduces an ex clamation not warranted by the original : ' 0 quam pulchra est casta generatio cum claritate.' ' Casta ' seems to be the translation of per' dperijs ; but it does not appear whence the words ' cum claritate' were de rived, unless from a double translation of per dper^s. Brev. Moz. 208 has : ' Melior enim est generatio cum claritate.' Pseudo-Cypr. p. 866, Migne: 'Melius est sine filiis cum claritate.' 'AxEKvia refers to the cases of trre'tpa and euvou;^os mentioned in chap. iii. Blunt thinks that the author is referring to mixed marriages. But see on iii. 13. 'ApETi)s, ' moral excellence.' Gutb. would confine the sense here to chastity, but it may well be taken generally. In ver. 2 the sense is more liraited. Comp. Ecclus. xvi. 3. On the view of marriage entertained by the Therapeutae (which sect some suppose our author to have favoured) see Philo, De Vit. Cont. 8. Comp. notes iii. 13 and x. 9. 'Ev pLvi^p,ir) auTTJs, ' the remembrance of it,' i. e. of dreKvia per dperfjs. Vulg. : ' immortalis est memoria illius.' See on viii. 13. riviiaKEToi, ' is known, marked, recognised.' Comp. Nah. i. 7 ; S. Matt. vii. 23 ; 2 Tim. ii. 19. S. Method. Conv. dec. Virg. iii (xviii. p. 44, Migne) : e'v r,^ jrava- pero) Sotpia, yvpvSis rjSij tous aKpoards ets iyKpdreiav e universe. As the duration of each atiiv is practically -IV. 6.] COMMENTAEY. 129 unknown, the word has come to be used of prolonged indefinite existence, and hence for that which is per petual and endless, i Tim. vi. 19. See notes on xiii. 9 ; xviii. 4. lTE(tiani](t>opou(Ta. Crowns of rejoicing (ch. ii. 8 ; Lam. V. 16; Ecclus. i. 11) were used among the Jews at festivals, etc. ; but the idea of a crown of victory Avas imported later from Greece. Thus 4 Macc. xvii. 15 : Beoae^eia ifiKa, rovs eavrijs dBXrjrds arerpavovaa, Comp. 4 Esdr. ii. 43 ; i Cor. ix. ag ; Rev. ii. 10. Tov T. djiitivT. ' Having conquered in the struggle of (consisting in) undefiled contests.' *Ay£va viicav, like 'OXvpiria viKav, ' to conquer in the games.' Comp. 2 Tim. iv. 7- "ABXiav from dBXos. KXrjpovopia dplavros occurs I Pet. i. 4. The Vulgate renders : ' incoinqui- natorum certaminum praemium vincens,' where Eeusch thinks that ' proelium ' ought to be read. Philo, Congr. Erud. Grat. 29 (I. p. g43) : rbv dySiva tou ^iou SifjSXriaav dSid^opov icai o^tijtov (pvXd^avres. 3-6. The idea started in iii. 1 6 (' children of adul terers shall not come to perfection') is here enforced. 3. Xpr]o^tp,EiJirEi, ' shall be useful.' A late Greek word. Ecclus. xiii. 4 ; Died. Sic. i. 81. 'Ek vodiav potrx'^vpdriiiv, SC. yiyvdpevov irXrjBos, ' being from bastard slips, i. e. whereas this brood springs from illegitimate sources.' Vulg. : ' spuria vitulamina,' a rendering censured by S. Aug. Doctr. Christ, ii. 1 2 : 'Quoniam p.£axos Graece vitulus dicitur, poaxeipara quidam non intellexerunt esse plantationes, et vitula mina interpretati sunt.' Gutb. thinks it possible that the translator used ' vitulamina ' in the sense of ' suckers,' on the analogy of pdaxos, which raeans primarily ' a young shoot ;' or else that the word raay be connected with ' vitis,' as Ducange gives : ' vitulamen, planta Ula infructuosa, quae nascitur a radice vitis.' The word is used by S. Ambrose, Ep. xxvii : ' Quid Theclam, quid Agnen, quid Pelagiam loquar, quae tanquam nobilia vitulamina pullulantes ad raortera quasi ad immortalitatem festinaverunt ?' (p. 1006, Ben.) Ou8e . . . ISpdirEi, ' nor lay a secure foundation.' Cf Col. ii. 7. 4. npos Kaipov dvaOiiXi], so. poaxeipara. We see from the word ^e^rjKora that the subject can no longer be irXijBos. ' For even if they flourish in branches for a time.' Upbs Kaipbv, as i Cor. vii. g, in the sense of the adj. irpdaKaipos, lasting only a short time. Matt. xiii. 21. 'EirKTijiaXois PePrjKdTa, ' standing not fast,' Eng. ' Infirmiter posita,' Vulg., where we may note the late form of the adverb for ' infirme.' See on xiii. g. Be^ijKcis in the sense of ' standing ' is found in the phrase dcr^aXe'ias 0e/3/jKa)s, ' standing steady.' Archil. g2. So eu /3e/3ij/col)s, Soph. El. 979; Herod, vii. 164. Others translate the word here, ' ascendentia,' ' succrescentia,' ' as they have grown insecurely.' The meaning, how ever, is much the same whichever way it is taken. Comp. Ps. xcii. 7 ; S. Matt. vii. 27. The Sin. MS. reads ^e^iuiKora, which is probably an alteration. 'Yird Pias, ' a nimietate,' Vulg. ' Nimietas ' is a post-classical word found in late authors, and does not occur again in Vulg. Thus. Colum. vi. 24 : ' Na- turalia congruunt desideria, quoniam nimietate vemi pabuli pecudes exhilaratae lasciviunt,' Pallad. vii. 7 : ' Sanguinis nimietatem prohibet.' Corap. Hieron. Ep. Ixii. I : Tert. Adv. Hermog. xliii. ; Eutrop. Brev. x. 9. See note on vii. g. 5. KXuves, ' branches,' = children. Comp. Rom. xi. r 7. 'AteXeotoi, ' immature.' Vulg. : ' inconsummati,' a very uncommon word, which occurs in Ammian. xxi. 10; xxxi. 14. Kapirds auTuv, the works of the unrighteous. S. Matt. vii. 16, 20. "Axp'tioTos, sc. ian. Profitless for the master's service. Comp. Ps. xxxvii. 3g, 36; S. Matt. iii. 10. 6. rdp introduces an illustration of the temporal and eternal misery of the children of the ungodly who follow their parents' example. See Ecclus. xxiii. ag, a6 ; xii. 6, 7. "Y-irvtov, ' concubitus,' an euphemism, as vii. 2 ; Hom. Od. xi. 24g. 'Ev eieraapa auruv, ' in their trial,' i. e. the judg ment of parents and children. 130 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [IV. 7- 'E|£T. = ijpepa SiayvtDireoir, iii. 1 8. S. Method. Conv. dec. Virg. vi (xviii. p. g7, Migne) gives ev i^er. iriBavSiv Xdyaiv. 7-20. CoiitraM ofthe good and evil as regards length oflfe. 7-15. These verses occur in the Mozarab. Missal, p. ao, ed. Leslie (Ixxxv. p. 144, Migne). 7. 'Edv (Jiedtrji TEXEu-rijirai, 'Si raorte praeoccupatus fuerit.' Vulg. ' If he die preraatm-ely.' Comp. Isa. Ivii. I ; Wisd. xvi. 28 ; S. Matt. xvii. ag. (pBdveiv ¦with inf instead of part, as in Eurip. Med. 11 69. So in ch. vi. 13 : epBdvei irpoyvaiaBrjvai. 'Ava-irauiTEi, ' rest, peace,' iii. 3. Vulg. : ' reft^ige- riura,' which in the Ital. is the translation of dvdipv^is, or dva'^vxri; Ps. Ixv. la; Acts ii. ao. But no such reading is found here. See on ii. i . The Syr. adds : 'Sive in longitudine dierum moriatur, in honore in- venietur.' No extant Gr. MS. authorizes this inter polation, which indeed is inconsistent with the follow ing verse. S. Ephr. quotes from ver. 7 to ver. 17, 1. pp. a4i, a42. 8. Comp. PhUo. De Abr. § 46 (II. p. 39) : d dXijfleia TTpeo-jSuTepos, ouk e'v pfjKei xpdvov, dXX' e'v iiraiver^ /Sio) Beio- peiTot. So, speaking of the Therapeutae, he says, De Vita Contempl. § 8 (II. p. 481): jrpeo-jSuTepous oi tous iroXucrets icai TroXaious vopi^ovaiv, dXX' en KopiSfj veovs iralSas, edv di^e t^s irpoaipeaeas ipaaBaaiv, dXXd rovs e'lc irpiirrjs fjXiKias ivrjPrjaavras Kai ivaKpdaavras ra BewprjTiKa pepei (piXoaorpias, o Sfj icdXXtorov icai BeidraTov ian. 0. ?pdvrjais and Pios &Kr\\. are the subjects. ' Judg ment, sound sense, is gray hair.' ' Cani sunt sensus hominis.' Vulg., q. d. 'Cani capilli, puta canities hominis aestimatur et censetur esse non coma cana, sed ipse sensus et prudentia.' A Lap. Comp. Cic. De Senect. xviii. 6a : ' Non cani, non rugae repente aucto ritatem arripere possunt; sed honeste acta superior aetas fructus capit auctoritatis extremes.' Pseudo-Bas. in Isai. iii. (p. 4gi, Ben.) : jrXeiov ydp t» ovn els irpea- jSuTepou avaraaiv rfjs iv Bpi^l XevKonjros, rb iv (ppovrjaei rrpea^vriKQv. Thus S. Ambrose, Ep. xvi : ' Ipsa est, vere senectus ilia venerahilis, quae non canis, sed meritis albescit; ea est enim reverenda canities, quae est canities animae, in canis cogitationibus et operibus effulgens.' (P. 86g, Ben.) "HXiKia ynP"S) '^^® *g® "f greyness,' hoary age. ' Mature old age.' Arn. 'AKif)Xi8(aTos. ' Immaculata.' Vulg. ' Immacu- latus ' is a post-classical word, found in Vulg. Ps. xvii. 24 ; I Pet. i. 19 ; Lucan. Phars. ii. 736. 10. The author cites Enoch as an example that the removal of the righteous is a raark of God's love. That Enoch is meant seems to be proved by the com parison with Gen. v. 34 : euijpeorijo-ev 'Eviix ra Qea, Kai ovx ijvpiaKero, Sidrt pereBijKev avrbv d Qeds. So Ecclus. xliv. 16 : ''Eviix evrjpeanjtre Kupio), icoi perereBrj. See also Ecclus. xlix. 14 ; Heb. xi. g. Clem. Rom. i ad Cor. ix. 3 : Xd^topev 'Evux, os ev UTraicog Si'icaios evpeBels perereBrj, icai ovx evpeBrj avrov Bdvaros. Comp. the promise to Josiah, a Kings xxii. ao. ©E(5. The TU before eeiS has been expunged in V. It is added by the translator of S. Ephr. i. p. 241, ed. Assem. rEv(5|ji£vos, ' ha'ving become (proved hiraself by life and conduct) well pleasing to God.' Prov. xiv. 18. MeteteSt], ' he was translated,' taken to the unseen world without dying, being thus rewarded as the first example of eminent piety. In Ecclus. xliv. 16, Vulg. renders the word, ' ti-anslatus est in paradisum.' Mere- Tc'^ij is applied to Enoch, Heb. xi. g, and he is said evrjpetmjKevai tm Geoi. 11. 'HpiTciyri. The ist aor. is usual in Attic. ' Rap tus est.' Vulg. 'ApTrdfoo is used of the miraculous disappearance of Philip, Acts viii. 39, and of the rap ture of S. Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 2. Comp. i Th. iv. 17. For the sentiment comp. Isai. Ivii. i. Thus Hom, Od. XV, 2 go, of the early death of Cleitus : dXX' ij rot KXeiTOV xP^'''°^P°'"'^ rjpiraaev 'Hobs ko'XXeos eiveica 010, iv' ddavdroto'i fieTei'ij. ZuvEiriv, ' understanding ' of divine things, ' in sight' into truth. AdXos. 'Fictio,' Vulg. See on xiv, a g. It means -IV. 13-] COMMENTAEY. 131 the crafts and wiles which the wicked use to pervert the good. God knows not only the absolute future, but also the conditional future; and foreseeing that under certain circumstances a good man would fall away, He removes him before the occasion arises. S. Augustine's view is different : ' Dictum est secun dum pericula vitae hujus, non secundum praescientiam Dei, qui hoc praescivit quod futurum erat, non quod futurum non erat : id est, quod ei mortem immaturam fuerat largiturus ut tentationum subtraheretur incerto, non quod peccaturus est, qui mansurus in tentatione non esset.' De Praedest. 36 (x. p. 807, Ben.). In an other place he argues from this passage that God does not punish men for sins foreseen, but not actually committed. ' Quod si qui baptizatus hinc raptus est apostata erat futurus, si viveret ; nullumne illi bene- ficium putabimus esse coUatum, quod " raptus est ne malitia mutaret intellectum ejus;" et propter Dei prae scientiam, non sicut fidele membrum Christi, sed sicut apostatam judicandum esse censebimus V De Anima, i- § 15 (x- 345, Ben.). 'AiraTi^CTTi, Gen. iii. 13 : d oi^is fjirdrrjae pe. James i. 26 : djroTfflv KopSiav avrov. 12. BaiTKavia (|)auXdTT)TOs. ' The fascination, witchery, of wickedness.' Gal. iii. i : n's upas i^daKavev ; Boo-- Kalva is the Latin ' fascino,' and is often applied in Sept. to the effect of the eye, e. g. Deut. xxviii. g4 ; Ecclus. xiv. 8. ' Fascinatio nugacitatis.' Vulg. ' For 'fascinatio' see note on vi. 18. ' Nugacitas ' is a late word, which A. Lap. explains as ' malitia nugax, h. e. nugis suis illiciens.' It is found nowhere else in Vulg., but occurs S. Aug. Ep. 67 : ' Omnis ab eo deleta est nugacitas.' And De Music. 6. See note on vii. g. 'PEjiPairfids, an uncomraon word, formed from pep0dfo)=pe'p/3opai, ' to reel, to be giddy or unsteady.' 'Pep^. iiriBvp. , ' the giddiness, intoxication of (caused by) passion,' The Eng. 'Wandering of concupiscence,' misses the point, as does the Vulg., ' inconstantia con cupiscentiae.' Prov. vii. 1 2 : xP"""" y"P ''''¦va e^co pep- Perai (^ jriipiij). See Prolegom. p. 28. 'PepSopai is used in the Sibylline verses of persons who stray away from the true God after other objects of worship. Thus : /SpoToi iraiaaaBe pdraioi pep^dpevoi aKoriij, Kai dtpe-yyeX vvKrl peXaiVfj. Theoph. ad Autol. ii. 36. See Gfrorer, Philo, ii. pp. 122, 123. Jer. Taylor: 'Sensual pleasure is a great abuse in the spirit of a man, being a kind of fascination or witchcraft, blinding the understand ing, and enslaving the will. ... A longing after sen sual pleasures is a dissolution of the spirit of a man, and makes it loose, soft, and wandering ; unapt for noble, wise, or spiritual employments; because the principles upon which pleasure is chosen and pursued are sottish, weak, and unlearned, such as prefer the body before the soul, the appetite before reason, sense before the spirit, the pleasures of a short abode before the pleasures of eternity.' Holy Living, chap. ii. § i. METaXXEuei. This verb in class. Greek means ' to mine,' or ' to get by mining,' and later ' to explore.' A Lap., trying to adhere to the usual signification, takes it to mean here, ' mines out, digs out, all prudence, innocence,' etc. But this will not suit xvi. 2g, where it recurs. The Vulg. renders, ' transvertit,' as if=: peraXXoioT. Eng. : ' doth undermine.' Grimm thinks that the author uses it here and l.c.=peraXXdaaeiv, ' to change, transform,' deriving it by a false etymo logy from d'XXos. And this seems most probable, espe cially as Suidas explains : peraXXeieiv, peratpepetv. It is not, however, found in this sense anywhere but in Wisdom. The Greek translator of S. Ephr. ad init. Prov. (i. p. 67, Assem.) gives : o xdXivayaySiv dtpBdXpovs eavrov Kov(p6repos earai' d Se pepffa^dpevos iiriBqaei eavra /3dpos. pep^aapbs ydp, (prjaiv, iiriSvplas peraXXeiei vovv aKHKov. This last clause is rendered by the Lat. trans lator : ' Distractio concupiscentiae puram ac simplicem. [mentem] immutat.' As an instance of an erroneous use of a Greek word by an Hellenistic writer, Grimm quotes KetpaXaiovv, used by S. Mark xii. 4, to mean, ' to wound in the head,' a signification found nowhere else. See Kuinoel, in he. See note ch. v. 14. 13. TeXekiiB. ev 6XiY({>. ' Having been perfected in a s 2 132 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. Liv. 14- short time,' not as reicvov poixav dreXearov (iii. 16), nor as KXav dreXearos (iv. 5), but after he had reached his term. Gutb. His education for eternal Ufe was early completed. For TcXetmfleis (which is a word used in the Grecian mysteries) comp. Ecclus. vii. 32; xxxiv. 10 ; Phil. iii. 12 ; Heb. v. 9 ; x. 14. The author here returns to the subject of Enoch, ver. la being pai^en- thetical. For e'v dXlya, Orig., Enarr. in Job xxii. 16, reads iir oXiya, but in Prov. iii. p. 10, Ben., e'v dXiya>. ' Fulfilled a long time.' Advanced in holiness as much as if he had lived a long life. S. Ambr. De Obit. Theodor. : ' Perfecta est aetas ubi perfecta est virtus.' Enoch's age of 363 years was short as com pared with that of the other antediluvians. Hooker applies the passage to Edward YI : ' The son and suc cessor of which famous king (Henry VIII.) as we know was Edwai^d the saint ; in whom (for so by the event we may gather) it pleased God righteous and just to let England see what a blessing sin and iniquity would not suffer it to enjoy. Howbeit that which the wise man hath said concerning Enoch (whose days were though many in respect of ours, yet scarce as three to nine in comparison of theirs with whom he Uved) the same to that admirable child most worthily may be applied, " Though he departed this world soon, yet fulfiilled he much time." ' Eccl. Pol. IV. xiv. 7. 14. 'ApEirrri yt^P • • • irovT)pias shows how God re garded him as reXeiaBeis. "EinrEuo-tv, sc Kvptos, ' sped him, took him hastily awa}'.' Vulg. : ' properavit educere ilium,' whenceEng. : ' hasted He to take him away.' Thus S. Cypr. : ' Per Salomonem docet Spiritus Sanctus eos qui Deo placeant maturius istinc exirai et citius liberari, ne dura in isto mundo diutius immorantur, mundi contactibus pol- luantur.' De Mortal, p. a3g Ben. "EirTreuo-cv may be taken intransitively here, making ipvxfj the subject, ' it hasted.' 15. Oi Se Xaoi, not ' the people,' (Eng.) but ' the peoples.' The plur. is used of heathen nations ; here it includes the renegade Jews, who are chiefly intended by the term ' ungodly' in this Book. Comp. ii. 1 2 and note. The words 01 Se Xaoi have no verb in the sen tence. Some commeutators take the participles iSdir. aud vo^ir. as equivalent to finite verbs by an Hebraistic use ; Gutb. makes Sipovrat, ver. 17, the principal verb, putting ver. 1 6 in a parenthesis. The truth is, there is an anacoluthon occasioned by the introduction of the paragraph ver. 16, the author resuming his sentence ver. 17, with a change of construction :'' Because the heathen perceived this (viz. the early death of the righteous), and did not understand nor lay to heart that grace and mercy, etc. ... for they shall see . . .' oyjrovrai repeating iSovres, and voq(roiiv = Bavav, which, doubtless originally a gloss, has found its way into the text in some MSS. S. Ephraem has Bavav, and omits raxe'ius at the end of the verse, I. p. 241 ed. Assem. Kapav with the raeaning of ' dead ' is found frequently in classical Greek («. g. Hom. II. iii. 278 ; Aesch. SuppL 231), but in Sept. only here and, as some thiuk, ch. xv. 9, where see note. -IV. 20.J COMMENTARY. 133 17. "OiJ/ovTai -ydp. Tap is epexegetical, reintroducing and confirming the statement in ver. ig. This verse is cited by Clem. Al. Strom, vi. 14 (p. 79g, Pott.). loifiou = the righteous, vers. 7, 16. 'EPouXEuo-aro, ' decreed,' vers. 8 ff. Eis Ti, as S. Matt. xiv. 31. 'Hcr<|jaXiffaTo, ' set him in safety,' (Eng.) by re moving him frora the wicked world. S. Eph. has Trepi airav, instead of OUTOU, I. p. 241. 18. 'EKyEXdiTETai, Ps. ii. 4 ; Iviii. 9. This and the foil, verses (to ver. 20) point out the fate of the ungodly in this world. METd TOUTO, ' hereafter,' after all this contempt of the righteous. Eis irTwiia arifiov, 'a vile carcase' (Eng.), without the rites of sepulture, as Isai. xiv. 19, Grimm. But it seems unnatural to speak of all the wicked as being ' a carcase ;' and the connection with what follows is better observed by taking irrapa in the sense of ' a fall,' as Ecclus. xxxiv. 6. So Vulg : ' decidentes sine honore.' A. Lap. : ' Erunt in ruinara, casum, lapsum inhonora- tum.' Arn. : ' shall fall shamefully.' To the same effect the Syr. and Arab, versions. The metaphor of a tall tree, that bears no fruit, being rooted up (comp. ver. 3 ff.) is intended, but is not absolutely maintained. Thus the expressions els u/3piv e'v veKpols, dipiivovs Jrpijveis, and e'v oSuvij, can only be used of persons. Al' aiuvos, 'for ever.' Deut. v. 29. 19. 'Pi^Iei, sc. d Kipios. This is the punishment of their pride. Comp. Ps. xxxvii. 3g, 36. 'He shall rend them so that they fall headlong speechless.' Thus their great swelling words shall be requited. We may compare the account of the death of king Antiochus, I Macc. vi. 8-16, and of Herod, Acts xii. 20-23. 'Piiyvvpi sometiraes is used = pdaaa, ' to knock down, to fell,' of corabatants, as Artem. i. 60. Wahl. The reference in Liddell and Scott to Demosth. I2g9. 10 is erroneous, as the reading there is pd^avres. Schafer's remark is pithy : ' Passovio, cum in Lex. Gr. eundem citaret s. v. pijyvupi, humani quid accidit.' ripjjvEis, 'disrumpet illos inflatos,' Vulg. What was the reading of the Latin translator is hard to conjecture. Even Gutberlet can raake nothing of it. Some suggest irprjBels or irprjarovs from irprjBa ; but no such words exist ; or irprjaeis, ' inflationes,' which gives no sense. ' Pronos ' or ' in faciem lapses ' gives the correct meaning. ' Disrumpet illos sine voce pronos,' Pagnin. ' Speechless,' as the wedding guest in Matt. xxii. 12. 'Ek 6e|ji,eXi(iiv. The metaphor here is of a building overthrown. "Eus Eaxdrou x^P'''^) ' ^^^'J shall be left utterly desolate.' "Eirovrai ev oSuvt). This is appropriate to the un godly personally, the metaphor of trees being dropped. So in the foil, words. There is intended a contrast to the condition of the righteous who are ' in rest,' iii. i ; iv. 7. 20. This verse refers rather to the future state of the ungodly, which is further developed in the next chapter. 'EXfiuCTovTai. ' They shall come fearing in the reckoning up of their sins ;' i. e. fear shall seize them as they count over their sins, whether at death or after death. 'EXe'y^ei, ' traducent.' Vulg. : ' shall censure, put to shame.' So xii. 17: ' audaciam traducis.' S. Matt. i. 19; Col. ii. ig. Hence we see the origin of the common meaning of the Eng. word 'traduce,' French 'traduire.' Comp. 'traductio,' ii. 14. 'E^EvavTias, ' ex ad verso,' Vulg. ' To their face.' Eng. rather, ' appearing against them.' Comp. Judg. ix. 1 7 ; Mark xv. 39. Ps. xlix. 21 : iXey^a ae Kai iriipaarfjaa Kara irpoaairdv aov. Here is a very remarkable antici pation of the effect of conscience in the punishment of the judgment day. Jer. ii. 19; Rom. ii. ig. Thus S. Aug. Serra. Ix. 10, Ben. : ' Considerando conscientias suas, considerando omnia vulnera animae suae, quando auderent dicere, Injuste damnamur 1 De quibus ante in Sapientia dictum est : Traducent eos ex adverse ini quitates eorum. Sine dubio videbunt se juste damnari pro sceleribus et criminibus suis.' 134 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. Lv. I - CHAPTER V. COXTBAST OF THE GOULT AND THE WlOKED AFTEK BeaTH. 1-14. The icicked under remorse of conscience. 1. Tote, i. e. in the day of account alluded to in the last verse of ch. iv. S. Augustine refers this to the Day of Judgment. Ep. clxxxv. 4 1 ; Contr. Gaudent. i. 51; Serm. Iviii. 7, Ben. Zttjo-etoi, as S. Luke xxi. 36. nappr|aia iroXXg, ' much confidence,' as i .Tohn ii. 28; iv. 17. Comp. Prov. xiii. g, Sept. The ungodly ' come fearing' to the judgment (ch. iv. 20) and in (rrevoxapia irvevparos (ver. 3). Kard Trpdo-onrov, ' before the face, in the sight of.' Part of the punishnieut of the ungodly shall be the sight of the happiness of the blessed, as in S. Lulie xiii. 28. See on verse 2. ©Xiv|/dvT(uv. The aor., as Gutb. observes, expresses the past acts of the ungodly, the pres. dBeroivTav their habitual principle. The Vulg. translates BXiipdvr. by ' qui se angustiaverunt.' ' Augustio ' is = post-Aug. 'angusto,' and is found often in Vulg., e. g. Ecclus. iv. 3; 2 Cor. iv. 8; Heb. xi. 37. The pronoun 'se' is the translation of aurdv, pronouns being used veiy loosely in that version. *A9etouvt(iiv t. TTiivous aur., ' despise his labours,' viz. for eternal life. See vers. 3, 4, and comp. ii. 17 ; iii. 2, 3. The Vulg. gives a very different meaning to the words : ' qui abstulerunt labores eorum,' understanding them of oppressors who robbed the righteous of the labours of their hands. So S. Cypr. p. 309, Ben. : ' di- ripuerunt labores eorum.' But this seems to strain the received signification of d^ereTv, which is common in both Testaments, rio'vous might mean ' sufferings,' but taking iuto consideration the passages named above, I think ' labom-s' is the best renderinsr. 2. 'iSdvTEs, at the sight of the confidence of the righteous. The author represents the righteous and the wicked as standing together before tlie judgment seat and witnessing eacli others' destiny. Our Lord introduces the same idea in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. S. Luke xvi. 23. S. Ephr. (i. 241) has ISdvres avrdv. "EKirrqiTOVTai hcX t(5 it., ' shall be astonished at.' Ex. xviii. 9 ; S. Luke. ii. 47. T(S ¦irapaSd|(u rijs ffoirnpias. The S. MS. and one or two Cursives add aurou. The weight of evidence is against it ; and if it is oraitted we must consider that the author makes the ungodly wonder not so much at the ' salvation' of the rigliteous, as at ' the unexpected allotment of happiness,' the strange interchange of fetes between those who thought themselves alone happy, and hira whom they deemed wretched and contemptible. Now he is comforted and they are tormented. Luke xvi. 23, 25. The Eng. gives a long paraphrase: 'the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for.' The Tulg. has 'in subitatione insperatae salutis.' This word ' subitatio' occurs nowhere else in the Vulg., whence it found its way into the writings of sorae of the Latin Fathers. It seems to have been derived- from the vernacular use of Africa, where this ancient vereiou was made. S. Cj-pr. uses the verb 'subitare' (Ep. 57), and tlie subst., ad Demetrian. c. a I . An unusual word of similar formation is ' sibUatio,' xvii. 9. So ' salvatio,' Is. xxxvii. 32. 3. Here begins the fine description of the vaia remorse of the ungodly, the gnawing of the worm that never dies, vers. 3—13. Comp. Pseudo-Olem. Rom, Ep. ii. ad Cor. xvii. g ; S. Barn. Ep. vii. 9. 'Ev ^auTois, ' within themselves ;' or better, as ii. i : ' one with another,' this passage being the counterpart to the former, ii. 1-20, Grimra. Metovoouvtes. Vulg. : ' poenitentiam ageutes,' and .-V. 7. J COMMENTAEY. 135 Eng.: 'repenting,' if taken in the usual theological sense, give an erroneous idea. The time of repentance is past. ' Ciianging their opinion, learning the truth too Jate,' is rather the meaning. In Judas' case the word used is peropeXij^eis, S. Matt, xxvii. 3. S. Athanasius applies the passage to the judgment of Christ ; Serm. Mag. de Fide, 28 (ii. p. ig, Montf ) : dvTrep e'v rrj Kpiaei dpfflvres (cpivovra favras /cai veKpovs . . . perapeXdpevoi, (pvXfj Kara (pvXrjs, ipovaiV Ovros ^v ov eaxopev irore eis ye'Xoira, Ae'yovres avrm, AXXovs eo'cocrns, eavrov ov Sivaaai aaaat. Aid (TTEVoxcopiav irvEup,aT. ' Prae angustia sijiritus,' Vulg. So Ecclus. X. 26 : e'v icaipiS arevoxaplas. Comp. 4 Macc. ix. 11; Rom. ii. 9; viii. 3g; 2 Cor. vi. 4. See also Ps. Ixv. 14. Kai Epoucriv, ' yea, they shall say.' All the best MSS., except v., add these words here. Clem. Alex. Strom. vi. 14 (p. 795> Pott.) : e'iri re rrjs Sd^ijs ipovaiv avrov' Ouros IJV ov eaxopev irore els . . . dvetSiapov, 01 ci(ppoves. riapaPoXriv dvEiSwrjAOu, ' in similitudinem impro perii,' Vulg. Bather, 'as a proverb of reproach,' as 2 Chr. vii. 20 ; Tob. iii. 4. Comp. Jer. xxiv. 9. Ilapa- ^oXfj in the sense of 'proverb' occurs S. Luke iv. 23 ; vi. 39. ' Improperium ' occurs continually in the Vulg., e.g. Eom. xv. 3; Heb. xi. 26. The term 'impro- peria,' the reproaches, is applied to an anthem used in some Churches on Good Friday. See on ii. 13. 4. Maviav. So our blessed Lord and S. Paul were taunted, John x. 20 ; Acts xxvi. 24. Compare 4 Macc. X. 13. Merc. Tris. ad Aesculap. xv. 43 : 01 iv yvdiaei ovres oCre tois ttoXXois dpeaKovai, oiire 01 ^roXXoi avrots' pepijve'voi Se Soicouo'i, Kai yeXara otpXiaKavovai, quoted by Hooker, Eccl. Pol. Pref iii. 14. 'EXoYi(r(£)ji,E6a, with double ace. as xiv. 20 ; Rom. vi. 11; Grimm. There is a play of words with /care- Xayiadrj in the next verse, lost in the Vulg. aud Eng. versions. 5. 'Ev uiois ©EOU some take 'among the angels,' comparing Job i. 6 ; ii. i, etc.; but it is probably equivalent to dyi'ots (Hos. i. 10) and refers to ch. ii. 13, 18. Comp. xviii. 13; i John iii. 3. Am.: 'The very same scoffers, who rallied the just man upon his glorious title of " Son of God," at length confess the truth of what he said.' KXijpos, alluding to iii. 14. Col. i. la. Comp. Dan. xii. 13: 'Thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot (dvaar^arj ds rbv KXrjpov aov) at the end of the days.' Translate : ' and how is his lot among the saints V the force of iras being carried on. 6. "Apa as a particle of inference never stands first in Attic Greek, but is thus placed in Hellenistic, e.g. S. Luke xi. 48 ; Gal. ii. 2 1 ; iii. 29 ; v. 1 1 ; Heb. iv. 9. ' The way of truth,' i. e. the right path of life. Comp. S. James v. 19 ; a Pet. ii. 2. ' The light of righteousness,' the manifestation of, that which shows, what is the only true object of life, viz. virtue and godliness. 'O TJXios. This belongs to r. SiKaioa. as much as (pas does, and hence one MS. (Ven.) inserts t^s Si/coio- a-ivtjs here again, and is followed by the Arm. version, Vulg., Compl., and Eng., but the words are evidently an interpolation. The phrase ijXios SiKaioaivrjs occurs Mal. iv. 2. Sin is that which blinds the light, S. John iii. 19, 20 ; 3 Cor. iv. 4. S. Aug. : ' Illis non est ortus Christus, a quibus non est agnitus Christus. Sol ille justitiae, sine nube, sine nocte; ipse non oritur mails, non oritur impiis, non oritur infidelibus.' Serm. ccxcii. 4. 7. °EveirXiio-6Tip,Ev, ' lassati sumus,' Vulg. So Eng. : ' we wearied ourselves.' Rather : ' we were surfeited with the ways of sin.' Comp. xiii. 1 2 ; Ecclus. xxxiv. 3. Arn. suggests iveirXdyxBijpev ; others propose e'veTrXcx^tJpev or ivenXavrjBrjpev ; but there is no necessity for any change. The received text seems to be a mixture of two phrases, dvopias iveirXrjaBripev and iverropevBijpev rpl^ois diraiXeias, ' improbitate oppleti et tramite ad perniciem ducente ingressi sumus.' Wahl. Koi dirtoX. a climax, ' yea, of destruction.' 'Epijp.ousdpdTous, 'pathless deserts.' Vulg.: 'vias dif&ciles,' perhaps making d^drovs (sc. oSous) a substan tive. Reusch supposes that 'vias' was originally a clerical error for ' eremias,' which reading is noted by Luc. Brug. Comp. .Job xii. 24. Ps. evi. 40 : iirXdvrj aev avrovs ev d/Sdroo Kai ovx dSa. 136 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [V. 8- 'oSdv Kupiou, so Ps. xxv. 4 : ' Shew me Thy ways (toi dSous aov), 0 Lord. 8. Kai TU ' Aut,' Vulg. "Whence Eng. : ' or.' nXouTos (lEvd dXaJovEids, ' divitiarum jactantia,' Vulg. ' Riches accompanied with arrogant ostentation.' Eng. : ' What good hath riches with our vaunting brought us V ' Hath,' not ' have,' ' riches ' being singu lar = riehesse. So Eev. xviii. 17: ' great riches is come to nought.' Shakesp. Othello, III. 3 : ' Riches, fineless, is as poor as winter To him that ever fears he shall be poor.' Elsewhere the word is plural, as Wisd. viii. 18 ; Ecclus. xiii. 24. Zup.^E'pX'QTai, ' quid contulit nobis Y Vulg. ' Con tributed to us,' as Acts xviii. 27. 9. 'EKEiva TTcivTo, ' earthly pleasures, goods,' etc. Zkio, See on ii. g. 'Qs d'^fyeXia iraparp^x^uaa, ' tanquam nuntius per currens,' Vulg. ' As a post that hasted by,' Eng. So Gutb. and others taking dyy. as = ^yyeXos, ' a courier,' comparing Job ix. 25, 26, which is very similar to the passage here. But such an use of dyyeXi'a is probably unprecedented, and it seems preferable to take it in the sense of ' rumour, report.' Thus Arn. and Grimm. There is a various reading in Hes, Theog. 781 : dyyeXi'ij jrcoXetTai, where d-yy, may mean ' messenger.' But prob ably d-yyeXiijs is genuine. Polyb. has Trap^v dyyeXiij, Hist. iii. 61. 8. 10. 'Qs vavs, sc. rrapfjXBe. "iX^os . . . drpairdv, acc. governed by ouk eanv evpelv, ' it is not possible to find.' Comp. xix. 1 8 : e'oriv ei'icd- crat. Vulg. : 'non est invenire,' as Ecclus. xiv. 17. Tpdirios. A. and the corrector of S. read the Attic form rpoireas. The var. leet. iropelas (Ven. Compl. al.) is derived frora the following verse. There may be a paronomasia in drpoTrov rpdirios. Tpo'n-is is dir. Xey. in the Greek Bible. 11. 'h (Jis. This commences a new paragraph and set of similes, which are concluded by ounos icai ^peis, ver. 13. Comp. Prov. xxx. 19. AiaiTTovTos. The form SiiirrnvTos given by V. does not occur, and is contrary to analogy. There is a late present Sunrapai, but the aor. is Sie'rmjv, Stajrrds. Topirds, ' the flat of the wing,' hence, ' the wing,' Bia poi^ou kiv, irrEp,, ' parted with tie violent noise and raotion of them,' Eng, This seems to be a some what feeble paraphrase. ' Scindens (sc. avis) per vim itineris aerem,' Vulg, This is better, though the trans lator has mistaken the construction of the sentence. 'Potfos raeans here not ' the sound ' but ' the rush,' ' tlie irapulse ;' ictvoup. Trrep, ' as the wings move,' Comp. 2 Macc. ix. 7, where poi'fo) is rightly rendei'ed, ' impetu eunteiu,' The adv, potfijSdv occurs 2 Pet, iii. 10. The aorists SiaSeiBi], evpeBij, dveXiBij (ver. 12), mark the rapidity of the actions spoken of. 12. Eis louTov dvEXuBi), ' in se reclusus est,' Vulg., perhaps reading dveKXei'flij. ' Cometh togethei" again, Eng., which is like a translation of Grotius' conjecture dveXrjXvBe. Various exjilanations are given of dveXuftj, but it seems most simple to talie it in the sense of 'returns,' as ii. i. ' A6r sagitta divisus in se rediens in pristinum statura restituitur." Wahl. Ven. reads ave Xvaev, which would have the same meaning. ' Is at once resolved into itself again.' Bissell. 'Qs dYTOij(roi, sc. Tivd, 'so that one knows not.' is = Sore with infin. Comp. 4 Macc. xiv. i : iis juj povov t£v dX'yijSdvtov irepieppovrjaai avrois. Acts XX. 24. 13. OSnosKai. Herebegins the apodosistovers.il, 1 2. PevvtiOe'vtes, ' having been born,' not ' as soon as we were born.' 'EjEXiiro(j.Ev. ' Continuo desivimus esse,' Vulg, ' Died,' as Qen. xxv. 8. Luke xvi. 9 : orav e'icXiirijTe (acc to the comraon reading) ; Tobit xiv. 1 1 . We were bom, we died : this takes the point of comparison of swift ness and transitoriness. The following words : ' we had no sign of virtue to show,' embrace the point of leaving no trace behind. The Eng. : ' began to draw to our end,' is probably from the Corapl. reading e^eXetirojuv, KaT£SaTranq9r)p.Ev, ' we were consumed, cut off, in the midst of our wickedness,' aad thus ' had no sigu of virtue to show.' Comp. Ps. Iviii. 14. Here end the words of remorse supposed to be spoken by the wicked. -V. 17.] COMMENTARY. 137 The Vulgate, to make this plainer, inserts a paragraph which has no equivalent in the Greek : ' Talia dixerunt in inferno hi qui peccaverunt.' It may have been sug gested by our Lord's parable of Dives and Lazarus, Lnke xvi. 23, 24. 8. Cypr. : 'Erit tunc sine fructu poenitentiae dolor poenae, inanis ploratio, et ineffioax deprecatio. In aeternam poenam sero credent qui in vitam aeternam credere noluerunt. Securitati igitur et vitae, dum licet, providete.' Ad Deraetr. (p. 224). 14. "Oti. This gives the ground for putting the above words in the mouth of the ungodly. 'EXiris, that on which the ungodly rest their hope, e.g. riches, pleasure, etc, Prov. x. 28. Xvous, ' dust, down.' Vulg. : ' lanugo.' The other reading is x°^^ (Mark vi. 11). It seems more likely that xvow was altered to x°^^i than vice versa. Comp. Ps. i. 4; xvii. 43; Isai. xvii. 13. S. Ephr. i. 242, reads x°^'- In Job xxi. 18 the ungodly are compared to axvpa and Kovtoprds. r\dxvr\ (' hoar frost ') is the reading of the best MSS., but it is not very satisfactory, axvrj (' foam ') being much more suitable. The Vulg. gives ' spuma ;' to the same effect the Arab, and Arm. versions, and some inferior MSS. It is possible that the author himself confused the meaning of the words. S. Ephr. has irdxvrj. See note on ch. iv. 1 2. Kairvos, Eng. Marg. translates ' chaff ;' why, it is difficult to say. Comp. Ps. Ixvii. 3. 'Which is dis persed,' Eng., where ' which ' is not in the Greek, and ought to be printed in italics. But the use of italics in this Book is very capricious. KaraXuTou pov., 'the guest (at an inn) for a day.' AiexuAt) . . irapcoSEuo-E. The construction is slightly changed. See on ver. 1 1. 15, 16. The recompense of the righteous in tlie life to come.15. Els TOV aifiva \SiaL, ' live for evermore.' Ecclus. xii. 13. Grimm compares i John ii. 17: 'He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever,' pe'vei els rbv alma, zfjv is used of a blessed life, the life of grace and glory. 8. John vi. g7 ; i John iv. 9. . 'Ev Kupiid, se. iari. ' In the Lord is their reward,' in comraunion with Him, in possessing Him, as Gen. XV. I : 'I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward.' Ps. xvi. g. Or, 'Their recompense is in the Lord's keeping,' which the parallel clause seems rather to favour. Comp. Bev. xxii. 12. povTis auTuv. 'Care for them.' Comp. i Pet. v. 7. 16. Aid TOUTO. Because God cares for them. T'ljs EuirpETTEias . . tou kciXXous, genitive of quality =the glorious kingdora, the beautiful diadem. BacriXEiov, 'kingdom' (as i. 14; 3 Macc. ii. 17), as is shown by SidSijpa. S. Matt. xxv. 34. AidSrifjia r. KaX. This is an advance on the 0. T. revelation of the future reward of the righteous, and may be compared with S. Paul's words : ' Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,' etc. 3 Tim. iv. 8 ; i Pet. v. 4 ; Eev. ii. 10. But comp. Is. xxviii. g; xxxv. 10; Ixii. 3; and see a Esdr. ii. 43-46. 16—23. God protects the righteous, and fights against the wicked in this life. iKEircicrEi. Comp. xix. 8 ; Ps. xc. i. Bpaxiovi. ' Brachio sancto suo.' Vulg. The addition ' sancto ' has little MS. authority in the Latin, and none in the Greek. Deut. xxxiii. 27. 'YirEpainnEi, ' will hold His shield over them.' So the Psalmist calls God his ' buckler' (iirepaamarfjs), Ps. xvii. 3. Comp. Ps. v. 12 ; xc. 4. 17. Almighty God is here introduced as an earthly warrior arraing himself for the battle. Such descrip tions of God as ' a man of war' (Ex. xv. 3) are not unusual in Scripture. Is. Iix. 17: iveSvaaro Si/catoo-uvijv as BapaKa, xai irepuBero irepiKetpaXaiav aarrjpiov iirl rfjs Ke(pdXijs, Kai irepie^dXero Ipdnov iKSiKrjaeas, Kai rb irepiPdXaiov avrov (f^Xov, Field). Comp. also Ezek. xxxviii. 18-23 ; Ps. xvii. 13, 14. It seems probable that S. Paul had this passage in his mind when he wrote Eph. vi. 11-17. Comp. I Thess. v. 8. The panoplia consisted of the greaves, breastplate, sword, shield, helmet, and spear. If 'thunderbolts' stand for spear, all those parts are mentioned except greaves. See Hom. 11. iii. 328 ff. T 138 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [V. 18- Tdv JtjXov. S. reads the later form rd C^Xos, which may be nominative, as tlie Vulg. ' zelus.' Zech. i. 14 : iCIjXaKa TTjV 'lepovadXfjp Kai tijv Si'tov f^Xov peyav. 'OirXoiroiii(Tp.os. This still further illustrates how God employs created things (ver. 17) to do His will against the unrighteous. Of this the plagues of Egypt are the great example. Comp. xi. ig-20 ; xvi. 34, ag; xix. 6. See note on ver. 17. Tois irapd(|)povas=Tous S(ppovas, i. 3. On this pas sage S. Greg. M., Hora. in Evang. 3g (1613, Ben.), comments thus : ' Qui in cunctis deliquinius, in cuncta ferimur . . . Omnia namque quae ad usum vitae acce- pimus, ad usum convertimus culpae ; sed cuncta, quae ad usum pravitatis inflexiraus, ad usum nobis vertuntur ultionis. Tranquillitatem quippe humanae paeis ad usum vertunus humanae securitatis, peregrinationem terrae pro habitatione dileximus patriae, salutem cor- porum redegimus in usum vitiorura, ubertatis abundan- tiam non ad necessitatem carnis, sed ad perversitatera intorsimus voluptatis, ipsa serena blandiraenta a6ris ad amorem nobis servire coegimus terrenae delectatio- nis. Jure ergo restat, ut simul nos orania feriant, quae simul orania vitiis nostris male subacta serviebant, ut quot prius in mundo inoolumes habuimus gaudia, tot de ipso postmodum cogamur sentire torraenta.' 21. Euirroxoi ^oXiSes dirrpoTrwv. ' Well-aimed light ning flashes.' 'Aarp. is a gen. of apposition, ' missdes which are flashes.' So roiv ve^uv. Vulg. reads ' di recte ;' this seems to be an error for ' directae,' which some MSS. give. 'And frora the clouds, as from a well-drawn bow, shall they fly to the mai-k.' Eng. ' Tanquam a bene curvato arcu nubiura extermiua- buntur et ad certum locum insilient.' Vulg. This is -VI. I ¦.1 COMMENTARY. 139 right in that it attributes r. verpav to rd^ov, but the addi tion of ' exterminabuntur ' is unwarranted. It must mean 'shall be driven beyond limits.' Translate: 'As from a well-curved (= tight-stretched) bow of clouds (i.e. which the clouds compose) shall leap to the mark.' Comp. Ps. vii. 13: 'He ordaineth His arrows against the persecutors.' 2 Sam. xxii. ig; 2 Esdr. xvi. 13. Grimm notes that dXXeaBai is used ofthe flight of an arrow, Hom. II. iv. rag. The ' bow in the clouds' (Gen. ix. 13), which is a sign of mercy, is turned away from the earth ; this, the engine of wrath, is aimed at earth. 22. 'Ek iTETpopdXou 6up,ou irXiipEis pi(|>. x"^- These words may be taken in various ways. nerpo^oXou may be an adj., in which case it agrees with Bvp., ' From his wrath" that hurls stones.' Vulg. : ' a petrosa ira.' Or irerpofi. may be a subst. raeaning 'an engine for throwing stones,' a ' balista.' Eng. ' a stone bow,' i.e. a bow for hurling stones, as Shakesp. Twelfth Night, ii. g : ' Oh, for a stone-bow to hit him in the eye.' GupoC may be governed by irXrjpeis, or be in app. with werpo/S., ' stone-bow which is His wrath,' in which case irXrjpets must mean ' solid, massy.' It seems most natural to take the sentence as Eng., though Grimm and Gutb. translate : ' from the sling of His anger.' Comp. Josh. X. 1 1 ; Rev. viii. 7. XoXaJai, as in the plagues of Egypt (Ex. ix. 23- 25), which seem here to be adumbrated. 'AyavaKTi^irEi, ' shall show its wrath.' Vulg. : ' excandescet,' which makes a strange confusion of metaphors. This word occurs nowhere else in Vulg. 2uyKXu'(rou(Tiv, ' shall wash over them,' as the sea overwhelmed the Egyptians, Ex. xiv. 37. The act. voice of this verb is not found in classical Greek, but is used in the Sept., e. g. Cant. viii. 7 : Trorapoi ou o-uy/cXuo^ouo-tv aurijv. Is. xliii. 2. KaraKXi^a is found in N. T., a Pet. iii. 6, and in Wisd. x. 4, 19. Vulg. translates ' concurrent.' 'ATroT(5p.(os, 'inexorably.' There is a paronomasia in TTOTnpoi . . dirordpais.' Vulg. ' duriter.' See on xiii. 5- 23. nvEup,a SuvdpEois. 'Spiritus virtutis,' Vulg. 'A mighty wind,' Eng. This might stand were it not for the following clause. But to say ' a wind shall blow thera away like a storm ' is inadmissible. We might take eeds as the subject of e'/cXticpijo-ei, but this would be harsh. It is best with Gr. and Gutb. to take ttv. Suv. as ' the breath of God's power.' See xi. ao, where the same expression, coupled with XiKpijBevres, occurs. Comp. Is. xi. 4 ; a Thess. ii. 8. 'EkXikhi^ctei, ' shall winnow.' Judith ii. 37. Comp. Is. xii. 16 ; S. Matt. xxi. 44. Kai Epr)|ji,. ' And so,' consecutive. AuvaorrGv. This brings the author back to his original address to rulers and judges, which is carried on in the following chapter. CHAPTEK VI. CHAPTEES VI-IX. Commendation of Wisdom as the Guide of Life. vi. 1-11. Rulers are enjoined to leam wisdom, which is always to he found hy those who Seek it. 1. The Vulg. begins this chapter with an inter polation which has no authority. It seems to have been introduced as a heading, and is compiled from Eccles. ix. 16, 18, and Prov. xvi. 3a, 'Melior est sapientia quam vires, et vir prudens quam fortis.' 'AKouffftTE. The writer speaks with authority in 1 2 140 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [VI. 2- the person of King Solomon. Hence Xdyoi pou, ver. II, etc. This section begins like Ps. ii. lo. Comp. ch. i. I. 'Akoueiv and cruviE'vai are used together, Isai. vi. 9 : oKoj dicoucreTe Kai ou pfj (rvvijre. b. Jlatt. xm. 14. riEpiiTiav Yns. Ps. ii. 8 ; xxi. 28; S. Matt. xii. 42. Thus Hom. Od. iv. g63 : aXXd a' is 'HXiaiov ireSiov Kai irelpara yaiijs dSdvoToi irepypovaiv. 2. 'Ev(i)Ti(roo-0E, ' give ear.' This is a word of later Greek found in Byzantine writers. Comp. Gen. iv. 23; Ecclus. xxx. 27 (Tisch.); Acts ii. 14, where see Kuinoel. nXi^6ous. Vulg. : ' multitudines.' Or, as some MSS.: 'multitudinem.' Comp. xiv. 20. Not 'the people,' as Eng., but ' a multitude,' a host of sub jects. rEYaupo)p,^voi, ' priding yourselves,' in a middle sense. Usually with dat. 3 Macc. iii. 11; vi. g ; with eiri, Xen. Hiero, ii. ig. The expression, 'ends of the earth,' ver. i , and ' multitudes of nations ' here, point to some great world power. Grimra suggests that Rorae is referred to. 3. 'On introduces that to which rulers have to listen. riopd T. Kupiou. Prov. ¦yiii. ig : 'By Me kings reign.' Corap. i Chr. xxix. 11, 12; Rom. xiii. i. Gutb. notes that Christian kings are said to reign ' Gratia Dei.' Clem. Ep. I. ad Cor. Ixi. i : av, Aeairora, eSoiKos rfjV e^ovaiav r^s ^aaiXeias avrols. KpdrJio-is, an unclassical word, and air. Xey. in Sept. It occurs in Jos. contr. Ap. i. 26, p. 461 : aare rfjv tSv rrpoeiprjpevav Kpdnjaiv x^tpianjv (paiveaBai tois rdre rd TouTiBV dae^fjpara Beape'vois. 4. 'On, ' because,' the ground of God's judgment of them. Tfjs OUT. Pacr. For ' His kingdora ruleth over all.' Ps. ciii. 19. Ndp.ov, that law of right and wrong, to which even heathens are subject. Rora. i. 19 ff. The Vulg. has ' legera justitiae,' which is well as an explanation, but is not found in the Greek. 5. 'EirKm^cTETai, SC. d Qeds. Ven. unnecessarily in troduces oXeBpos as the subject of the verb. 'Etpiarapai is used in a hostile sense with a dative, ' to stand up against, to surprise.' S. Luke xxi. 34 ; Acts xvii. g; I Th. V. 3. 'Ev Tois uT7EpExou(riv. Vulg. : ' his ' (or ' in his,' as some MSS. give) ' qui praesunt.'- ' Those in autho rity.' Gen. sli. 40; Eom. xiii. i ; i Pet. ii. 13. rivETai. 'Fiet.' Vulg. ' Shall be.' Eng. Better ' is,' ' cometh to pass,' the general ground of what precedes. 6. IvyyviiiaTds ianv eXeous. ' The mean man is to be pardoned for pity's sake.' 'EXe'ous is a gen. of cause, whereas usually the gen. after o-uyyvoxrr. denotes the object to which the pardon extends. The Vulg. has ' exiguo conceditur misericordia.' Grimm quotes Philostr. Soph. i. 8, 3 : oT/yyvcoo-Tos (piXonplas. Maxim. Tyr. iv. 3 : ^vxq (rvyyvaarbs rfjs dyvoias. Comp. Prov. vi. 30 : ' Men do not despise a thief if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry.' 'Erao-ei^irovTai, ' shall be punished.' ' Tormenta patientur.' Vulg. Whence Eng. : ' shall be tormented,' 'Erd^a in classical Greek means 'to test,' but it is used as i^erd^a in Sept. for ' to chastise ;' e, g. Gen, xiii. 1 7 : rjraaev d Qebs rbv ^apaa iraapols peydXots. Ex amples of what seem light faults in 'mighty men,' being heavily punished, are seen in the case of Moses (Numb. XX. 12), David (2 Sam. xxiv. 12), Hezekiah (2 Kings XX. 17, 18). Comp. S. Luke xii. 47, 48. In the commentary on Isaiah which passes under the name of Basil the Great, this passage is applied as a warning not only to the rich and powerful in material resources, but thus : Kai et ns irepov TfjV Sidvoiov e'v- rpexearepos, pfj diroxprjrai tij taxi'i t^s (piaetas irpbs ttjv tSv Beiav epevvav' Kai roira oval, orav diraiTrJTai Kara rfjV dva- Xoyi'av t£v SeSopevav rb epyov (p. 4 20, Ben.). 7. Ou yhp uiTOCTTEXEiTai irpiJeruTT. ' The lord of all (Ecclus. xxxiii. i, Tisch.) shall cower before no man's person.' Matt. xxii. 16; Eph. vi. 9. Comp. Deut. i. 17: -VI, I 5-] COMMENTARY. 141 ou pfj viroareiXij irpdaairov dvBpinrov. Job XXxiv. 19. In the sense of 'shrink from,' 'draw back,' the verb is found in Job xiii. 8; Hab. ii. 4; Actsxx. 37; Heb. x. 38. The Vulg. has, ' Non subtrahet personam cujusquam Deus,' ' scilicet,' adds a Lap., ' judicio suo et vindictae,' which is not at all the meaning of the Greek. Clem. Al. Strom, vi. 6 (p. 766, Pott.) gives : ou ydp un-oo-Te'XXerai irpoaairov . . . opolas re irpovoei TrdvTojv. 'OjAoiais, ' alike,' in so far as none are excluded from His care. Comp. xii. 1 3 ; Ps. cxlv. 9 ; S. Matt. v. 45- ripovoEiv is generally constructed with the gen. without a preposition, as xiii. 16 ; a Macc. xiv. 9 ; I Tim. V. 8. 8. 'Iirxupd IpEuva, ' severe scrutiny,' i. e. for the mis use of power. Vulg., ' cruciatio,' a word unknown to classical Latin, and dir. Xey. in Vulg. S. Aug., Tract. in Joan., has ' usque ad immanem cruciationem.' See note on ver. 18. 9. Tupavvoi, ' kings,' =/3ao-iXeis, ver. i. Comp. Prov. viii. ig, 16; Hab. i. 10. Ol Xdyoi fiou, sc. yivovrai. Solomon is introduced speaking. napair^cnriTE, ' excidatis.' Vulg. ' Fall away.' Eng. 'Swerve from right,' 'sin,' xii. a ; Heb. vi. 6. Comp. irapairrapa, iii. 13; Matt. -vi. ig; Gal. vi. I. Uapairiirreiv, in the sense of ' to err, to make a mistake,' is classical, e. (jr. Xen. Hist. Gr. i. 6. 4 : SiaBpooivrav iv rais irdXeaiv on AoKeSoipdvioi peyiara irapairlirroiev iv ra SiaXXdrreiv rovs vavdpxovs. 10. Td oirio = the commandments of God. Clem. Al. Strom, vi. 11 (p. 786, Pott.) has oi ydp tpvXdaaovres instead of tpvXd^avres. 'Ocriojs, ' piously,' with pious intention, without which outward obedience is of little worth. °0(ri(i)9i^o-ovTai. Vulg. : ' Qui custodierint justa juste justificabuntur.' Lit. ' shall be made holy.' Comp. 2 Sam. xxii. 26. Thus i John iii. 7 : ' He that doeth righteousness is righteous.' ' Justifico ' is a post-classical word, common in the Vulg., e. g. Ecclus. vii. g ; Rom. ui. 4, etc. For the language comp. Pseudo-Clem. Epist, de Gest. S. Pet. xviii. : ouSe ydp icaXdv to koXov orav pfj KaXas ylvrjrai. Greg. Naz. Orat. 33 (p. g3l) : TO KaXbv OV KaXbv, orav pfj icaXtSs ylvrjrai. Ol 8iSax6evT£S aurd, sc. rd Sata, 'they who have learned them.' Obedience precedes perfect knowledge. S. John vii. 17. Euprjo-ouaiv diroXoyiav, ' shall find what to answer.' Eng. Vulg. i. e. shall be able to endure the scrutiny into their actions, ver. 8. 11. naiSEuOrjo-EirSE, ' ye shall be taught,' shall learn true wisdom, which is the daily practice of virtue. 12-16. Wisdom is easily found. 12. 'ApdpavTos, ' unfading,' used by S. Peter (I. i. 4) of the heavenly inheritance. It seems here to refer to the unfailing beauty of wisdom rather than to its imperishable nature. See Clem. Al. Strom, vi. ig (p. 800, Pott.). EiixEpfis Ofiiop. ' She is easily seen and recognised,' because she is Xapirpd, ' bright and beauteous.' See Is. Williams, The Resurrection, Pt. I. § ii. extr. p. ig8. Comp. Prov. viii. 17: 'I love them that love Me : and those that seek Me early shall find Me;' Ecclus. xxvii. 8 ; S. Matt. xi. 19. 13. ripoyi'toirS'ijvai with (pddvei, as iv. 7. ' Praevenit illos qui appetunt ipsam, ut praenoscatur,' Schl. Comp. Prov. i. ao, ai ; viii. 3, 34, etc. Ps. Iviii. ir : d Qeds pov rb eXeos avrov irpotpddaei pe. S. Bern. De dilig. Deo, vii. (I. p. 1347) : 'Sed enim in hoc est rairura, quod nemo Te quaerere valet, nisi qui prius invenerit. Vis igitur inveniri ut quaeraris, quaeri ut in- veniaris. Potes quidem quaeri et inveniri, non tamen praeveniri.' 14, 'O 6p9pio-as, 'he who rises early after her.' Prov. viii, 17. 'OpBpl^a is a late word=op5peu(». See I Macc. iv. ga ; Ecclus. iv. 12 {irpbs aunjv) ; Luke xxi. 38. Clem. Al. Strom, vi. ig (p. 800, Pott.) reads d dpBpiaas iir' avrrjV, ndpESpov . . iruXGv. Like a counsellor of a king as he sits at the gate to administer justice, a Sam. xix. 8 ; Jer. xxxix. 3. 15. To Y^p Ei'Suji- Wisdom is close at hand to those 142 THE BOOK OF WISDOil. [VI. 10- who seek her, for to ponder deeply on her is the per fection of pi-ndence, i. e. is wisdom. ¦ Sensus est con summatus,' Vidg., which Gutb. takes in the same meaning. ?poviQo-. teXeiot. seems to be a synonym for wisdom. (ppdvrjais usually means practical wisdom, wisdom in the conduct of life. This may be seen in the parable of tbe unjust steward, Luke xvi. 8 : inyvecrev d Kvpios rbv oi/covdpov rrjs dSiKlas, on (ppovipas iiroitjaeV on oi uioi TOU oioivos TOUTOU povTis, changed for iiriBvpia in the former pre miss. This is quoted by Clem. Al. Paedag. ii. i (p. 167, Pott.) 'AydTn), i.e. of Wisdom. Ti^priins vdfi. our. The Decalogue speaks of ' them, that love Me and keep my commandments,' Ex. xx. 6 ; and Christ's woi-d is. 'If ye love !Me, keep ray command ments.' S. John xiv. I g. Comp. Rom. xiii. 10. Grimm observes that the plural vdpoi ¦^ ivrdXal occurs iu N. T. only Heb. x. 16 in a citation, but frequently in 0. T., e.g. Jer. xxx-viii. 33 ; Ezek. v. 6 ; 2 Macc. iv. 17. npo(Tox^ ^ rfjprjais. Obedience to the commands works assurance of immortality. So our Blessed Lord says : ' If thou wilt enter into life, keep tlie command ments,' Matt. xix. 17. Upoo-oxij. Vulg. ' custoditio,' air, Xey. Unusual words in A'^ulg, of like formation are these: ' cruciatio,' ver, 9 ; 'exquisitio,' xiv. la ; 'exter minatio,' xviii. 7; 'fascinatio,' iv. la; ' increpatio,' xii. a6 ; ' respectio,' iii. 13 ; 'sibilatio,' xvii. 9; 'subi tatio,' V, a ; ' tribulatio,' Matt, xiii. 21;' salvatio,' Is. xxxvii. 32; ' sanctificatio,' Am. vii. 9; 'contritio,' -VI, 23-] COMMENTARY. 143 Eom. iii. i6 ; ' abominatio,' Ex. viii. 26 ; ' compunctio,' Eom. xi. 8; ' corrogatio,' Ecclus. xxxii. 3; 'justifi- catio,' Luke i. 6 ; ' regeneratio,' Tit. iii. g ; with many others. 'A4>dapcrias, ' blessed immortality,' as ii. 3 3. 4 Macc. xvii. 12 : to vIkos d(p6apaia iv ^afj iroXvxpovia. So 2 Tim. i. 10. Vulg. : ' incorruptionis,' a post-classical word. Comp. Rom. ii. 7 ; i Cor. xv. g3, Vulg. 19. ' Immortality maketh us near unto God,' even in His heavenly kingdom ; whence it follows, ver. 20, that ' the desire of Wisdom leads to a kingdom.' This verse is quoted by S. Iren. Contr. Haer. iv. 38. 3 (ap. Migne), who gives the following sorites (ib, p. 28g, Ben.) : eSei rov dvBpairov irparov yeveaBai, icoi yevopevov av^rjaai, Kai av^rjaavra dvSpaB^vat, icnt dvSpaBevra irXrjBvvBfjvai, Kai irXrjBvvBevra ivtaxvaai, koi iviaxvaavra do^aaBrjvat, Kai bo^aadevra iSetv rbv eavrov Aeairortjv. Qebs ydp 0 peXXav opaaBai' opaais Se 6eou Trepuroiijn/cij d9(5v(p TEnQKOTi. So Ovid : ' Livor edax,' Am. i. ig. I ; Pers. Sat. iii. 37 : ' Virtutem videant, intabescantque relicta.' IuvoSeu'o-ci), a play of words. If this be subj. we raust read oiire prj. Retaining oure p^v, we raust take 14-i THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [vi. 24- oT/voS. as fut. See on i. 8. The meaning is : I will disclose all I know without envy or grudging. Comp. Adi. 13; Acts XX. 20, 27. Philo, De Vict. Offer. 12 (TT. p. 260): Ti ydp, el KoXd tout' etrriv, a piarai, Kai (roptpepovra, ovyKXeiadpevoi eavrovs iv aKoreo jSoflei, Tpets § Terrapas pdvovs dxpeXelre, irapbv uiravras dvBpairovs e'v dyopa pea-g to t^s atpeXelas irpoBevras, tva irdaiv dSeus i^ij jSeXn'ovos Kai evTvxetrrepov Koivavrjaai iSiou; (pBdvos ydp dperijs SiaKitrrai. Outos, i. e. either ^flo'vos, or as Vulg. : ' talis homo,' d ra (pBdva avvoSevav. KoivbJVEiv with dat. ' to go shai"es with,' ' have deal ing with.' Plat. Rep. i. p. 343 D. : oirou &v d roiovros T^ Toiovra KOivavijaij. 24. ' I will do my best to increase the roll of wise men, for the more numerous they are, tlie better it is for the world.' Comp, Philo, De Sacr. Ab. et Cain. § 3V (J- P- 1^7)' "'"^ aotpbs XuTpov e'ori tou (pavXov . . . KoBdirep iarpbs rov voaovvros dynrerayjievos tois dppaarrjpaai K.r.X. Eu'dp(i>iriva> ye'vei. 25. 'QiTTE, ' aud so,' ' therefore,' as i Cor. iv. 5 ," I Pet. iv. 19. Soph. EL 1172 : Bvrjrbs S' 'Opearqs' Sore pfj Xi'aj/ areve. CHAPTER YII. 1-10. Solovion, realising his martalifi/. prayed for Wisdom, which lie valued above every earthly good. 1. Eip.1 pkv Kayii, ' I too as othei^s.' The author speaks in the character of Solomon, at the same time humbling himself as knowing that wisdom is given only to the meek. The pev has no answering Se'. See Jelf, Gr. Gram. § 766. Perhaps ver. 7 is meant to be the corresponding member, the Se being omitted owing to the long paragraph, vers. 1-6, preceding. So Grimm. Comp. Acts X. 26; xiv. ig. riJYEVous. Gen. ii. 7 : eirXatrev 0 ©eos rbv dvBpairov xovv dirb rrjs yrjS. Comp. Ecclus. xvii. I ; I Cor. XV. 47. So Philo calls man -yijyevijs, De Mund. Op. 47 (I. p. 33), and Plato, De Legg. v. i (p. 727 E.) : ouSev yijyeves 'OXu- pnlav ivTiporepov. npuT(5TrXa(rros, only here and x. r. Fi'ora its use ill this Book the word came to be emploj'ed commonly as the designation of our first parent. (See Prolegom. p. 27.) Thus Clera. Alex. Strom, iii. 17: xdv diro t&v ciXijycov ^iXav tijv e'lriTijSeuo-iv t^s avp^ovXias d orpis eiXij(pi>s, Kai jrapairEio-as TJj Koivavla rijs ECas avyKaraBeaBai rbv 'A&dp, Xe'yij, its dv pfj (piaei toutij Kexprjpevav t£v 7rp(OT07rXdaT(Di', o>s djtouo-t nves. S. Athan. cont. Apoll. i. ig : § jravTUS KOTO TTJV njs o-apicds iVi'Sei^iv, Kai Kard t^v poptpfjv tou SouXov, TouTe'oTi rov irparorrXdarov 'ASdp, fjv eXajSev 6 ev pop(pfj 6«ofl uTrnp^tov Seo's. S. Iren. Haer. iii. 21. 10: ' Et quem admodum protoplastus ille Adam de rudi tei-ra, et de adhuc virgiue, (" nondum enim pluerat Deus, et homo non erat operatus terrain,") habuit substantiam; et plasmatus est manu Dei, i. e. verbo Dei, (" omnia enim -VII. 6,] COMMENTARY. 145 per Ipsum facta sunt,") et sumpsit Dominus limum a terra et plasraavit hominem . . .' And so Christian poets, with a painful disregard of quantities. S. Avitus, Poem. ii. 3g : ' His protoplastorum senaum primordia sacra Continuere bonis, doneo certamine primo Vinceret oppressos fallaoem culpa per iiostem.' Ovientius, Commonit. ii. io8 : * Per pomum, Protoplaate, cadis ; cruce, Christe, mederis ; Illic mortiferam draco pestifer detulit escam.' 2. 'EyXi5(|>t)v adp^, ' I was formed flesh.' Corap. xiii. 13, Prop, 'was carved,' 'cut out :' used of ' engraving,' Ecclus. xxxviii. 37. The iya (with which irayels agrees) implies the whole man. Another question arises about the derivation of the soul, viii. 19, wherfe see notes. AEKapr]viai(d x- 4 Macc. xvi. 7; Plut. Num. 13. The period of gestation is from 373 to 280 days = 40 weeks, or 10 lunar months at 4 weeks to the month. Speaking of the reasons which induced Romulus to make the year ten months long, Ovid says. Fast. i. 33 : ' Quod satis est utero matris dum prodeat infans. Hoc anno statuit temporis esse satis,' Comp, Virg, Eel. iv. 61. In 2 Macc. vii. 37 however the period is stated at ' nine months,' FloYEis, as Job X, 10 : eWij^as (Jrvpaaas, V,) Se' pe lo-o Tvpa, Al, MS. The author follows the common opinion of his age ; and as Calmet properly asks : ' Quis jubet sacros auctores ex physicorum principiis loqui V Kai ^Sokfjs dep, on e'x, not gen. abs, as Gutb. takes it. 'y-irvos, eupheraistic, as iv. 6. 3. "Eairaaa, ' I drew in,' ' sucked in,' expressive of the breathing of a new-born child. 'lOpioiraOij. ' Similiter factam,' Vulg. ' Which 16 of like nature,' Eng. In this sense the word occurs Acts xiv. ig. Plat. Timae. xvi. p. 4g C: SpoioiraBes ofj Si' qpoiorrjra irdv yevopevov. Arab. : ' dolores meoS reddentem.' Grimm and Gutb. translate: 'the earth which endures the same from all her children,'=' aequo omnibus calcatura,' or, 'upon whora all her children fall in helpless infancy.' KaT^TTEo-ov expresses the helplessness of the new born infant. Comp. Hom. II. xix. no : OS Kev eir ^'pon rmde ireaij perd iroaal yvvaiKos. ?uvJjv, acc. cogn. after KXaiav. Op,oiav iraaiv, a shortened expression for dp. rrj irdvrav (pavfj. Comp. ii. ig. Rev. xiii. 11 : icepara dpoia dpvia. "lira, adv. = e'v lo-m, xiv. 9, ' aequaliter,' ' perinde ac' Job X. 10, quoted in note on ver. 3. The Vulg. has 'emisi,' Eng. 'I uttered,' reading apparently, as Compl., fjKa, which is found in no existing MS. The Sin. Cod. omits lo-o, which indeed is hardly necessary to the sense. ' I cried when I was born,' says an old proverb, and ' every day tells me why.' We may compare Lucret. v. 3 3 3 ff. : ' Turn porro puer, ut saevis projectus ab uudis Navita, nudus humi jaoet, infans, indigus omni Vitali auxilio, quom primum in luminis oras Nixibus ex alvo matris Natura profudit ; Vagituque locum lugubri complet, ut aequum est, Quoi tantum in vita restet transire malorum.' 4. 'Ev (|)povTio-iv, ' curis magnis,' Vulg. Comp. S. Luke ii. 7. 5. revlaeiaii dpxVi vi. 34. Gutb. takes yeveaeas as a genit. explicativus elucidating dpxfjv. The expression means simply ' beginning of existence.' Vulg. ' nativi tatis initium.' ' Nativitas' (vi. 24; xvi. 36, q.v. Ps. evi. 37), a late word, may be compared with other words of like formation used in Vulg., e. g. ' nimietas,' iv. 4 ; ' nugacitas,' iv. 13; ' praeclaritas,' viii. 18;' possi- bilitas,' Neb. v. 8 ; ' longiturnitas,' Bar. iii. 14; ' otio- sitas,' Ecclus. xxxiii. 39. 6. Theodoret. Orat. ix. De Provid. (p. g77) : depa peaov i^exee (6 Geos) Koivov nva Kai toutov ttXoutov rrdaiv dpoias irporeBeiKois. oilre ydp airaaiv avrbv irXeov rav ireve- rav 01 irXovaioi, dXXd rfjV 'iarjv palpav KdvravBa fj irevia Xap^dvei , . . ^Xeire Se Kai rd riKTopeva Spolas -yvpvd irpoa- idvra' oil ydp rb tou jrXouo-iou fipetpos dXovpyiSa 7repi/3e'|8Xij- Tot, rb Se rov irevrjTOs pdxia irepiKetrai, dXXd ap(pa yu/ivd irpoepxerai, rov Sijptoupyou Kijpvaaovros rfjv ladrrjra. dpoias aird rbv depa, dpoias eXKei rfjV BijXrjv. oiix erepa ydXo/cn to TOU irevrjros rpetperai, erepov Se ra tou jrXouiTiou irpoa(peperai, U 146 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. LVn. 7- dXX' tinjs Kai toito kokeivo koi t^s ovttjs oTroXavei Tpo(pijs. Ov pdvov Se rfjv els tov |3iov eicroSov piav, ciXXd Koi t^v e^oSov ttrrjv exopev' ets ydp rjpds xTToSe^erat ^civoros. 'eIoSos. See on iii. 2, and comp. Job i. 21; xxi. 23-26; Eccl. iii. 19, 20. Horat. Carm. I. iv. 13: 'Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabemas Eegumque tunes.' 7. Aid touto. Because by nature he was no wiser than othere, and yet as king had more constant need for the exercise of wisdom. Hu$d|i,i)v. I Kings iii. g-12; Wisd. viii. 21. ?pdvtiCTis, parallel but not identical with irvevpa (Toqiias, meaning good sense, understanding, i Kings iv. 29. See on vi. ig. riv. oroifiias, not the Holy Spirit, but the principle of wisdom, as Eph. i. 17. Comp. Deut. xxxiv. 9: ffvevpoTos (rvveaeas. ' If any of you lack -wisdom,' says S. James i. 5, ' let him ask of God . . . and it shall be given him.' 'ETrEKaXEcrdpiT)v, 'I called upon, invoked God.' So Acts vii. g9 : iXiBofioXow rbv Sreepavov, irrutciXoipevov Koi XeyoiTo K.T.X., where however one must supply tov Kuptov 'Iijo-ouv from the following prayer. The verb usually is joined with Geov or Kuptov, as Judith vi. 21. So Herod. ii. 39 : orocnXeVavres tov Bedv. 8. 'Ev cruyKpiaEi, ' in comparison.' So (rvyKpiva, ver. 29; XV. 18; I Cor. ii. 13; 2 Cor. x. 12. This is a late use of the word, found, e. g., in Plut. Vit. Flamin. 2 1 extr. ; Aeli. Var. Hist. iii. 16. Corap. S. ilatt. xiii. 44. 9. Corap. Job xxviii. 12 fi".; Prov. iii. 14 ff; viii. 10, II, 19. 'An'pijTov, 'priceless,' 'beyond ^alue,' as 3 Mac. iii. 23 : njv dn'pijTov wdXireiai/. Sophocles, Lex. suh voc. refers for this use of the word to Greg. Naz. iii. 1232 A; and Greg. Nyss. 1092 D (Migne). See also Eustathius, 781. 19. Schleusner, s. c. : 'eodem sensu Graecis (piXos dn'pijros dicitur. Etiam adjeoti^•um aripov per TToXuTipov explicatur a Schol. Aeschyl. Agara. 421.' Vulg.: 'lapidem pretiosum.' The CompL ed, reads n'piov, 'O TTos xpuffos, ' all the gold in the world,' sc. ian. 'Ev oi|/Ei, ' in comparatione,' Vulg. So possibly xv. 19, where see note. Here comp. the parallel expres sion evavriov avrijs, 'adversus illam.' and xi. 22. S. Method. Conv. dec Virg. xi. (xviii p. 205, Migne) quotes from meraory : irds ydp jtXovtos ivdnriov aur^s, Koi Xpvirbs its Tpdpipos dXiyij, 10. 'AvTi (JMHTos, ' pi"o luce,' Vulg. ' Instead of light,' Eng., Gutb., Grimm. The interpretation of the Vulg. is preferred by Am., who paraphrases : " I determined to have her for a light or guide.' But the context favours the other explanation : ' I had nither lose light itself than wisdom, because,' as he continues, ' the light of day wanes and perishes, but the Ught of wisdom never fails.' Comp. Ps. cxix. 105. 'AKoipT|-rov, ' never goes to rest,' as the poets feign the sun sinks to sleep. . ' Inextiuguibile,' Vulg, !Matt. iii. 12; Mark ix. 42, 44. See on x. 4. Clem. Alex. Paed. ii. 10 seems to jdlude to this passage when he says, Xoyiapovs avSpav d-YaBav o6s dKotp^TOUs Xvxvovs avdpaaev tj ypa(prj. P, 23O, Pott. 1 1-'21, With her camf all eeti-tlily blessings,Jnmdship tcith God, and scientijic knowledge. 11. I Kings iii. 13 : 'I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour.' Comp. Prov. iii. 16 ; viii. i7-3g ; Ecclus. li. 28 ; S. Matt. Ti. 33^ 'Avapi6|iT)Tos itXoutos. ' Ininimerabilis honestas.' Vulg. aSc. ?v or ^XBe. The Vulg. often renders jrXou- Tos and TrXoumos by ' honestas,' and ' honestus.' Comp, ver. 13; viii. 18; Ecclus. xi. 14, 23; xiii. 2. This is a use unknown to classical Latin. The lexicons refer to a remark of Asconius in Cic. Verr. II. i. 47 : 'An ve- tuste bonos pro magnis, honestos pro divitibus posuit V This sense is found in the Fathere, e. g. S. Aug. Contr. Adira. xix. (viii. 142 D.), translating Wisdom vii. 8: ' Et honestatem nihil esse duxi ad comparationem ip sius.' So S. Ambr. De Pai-ad. 3, renders Heb. xi. 26: 'majorera honestatem aestimavit' (p. 175, Ben.). 12. 'EiTi irao-iv. The MSS. vary between ttovtcdv and n-ao-tv, but the dat. is the more usual constructiou. Comp. Ps. cxxi, I ; Ecclus. xvi. i, 2 ; Rev. xviii. 20, acc. to the best MSS. -VII. ig.] COMMENTARY. 147 'HyEiTai. ' Heads them,' brings them with her, the term being parallel with yeveVtv e'vat toutibv. ' I rejoiced in them all because they had their value from being the accompaniments of Wisdom.' The Vulg. gives : ' quoniam antecedebat me ista sapientia.' Quasi dux deducens rae ad omnia bona jam dicta. A. Lap. Comp. 2 Chr. i. 12. 'Hyi'(5ouv. I knew not when I prayed. I had no lower motive. rEV£'Tis=yei'e'Tetpa, is found nowhere else, but is formed after the usual manner, as Seo-n-dns, rexvlns, etc. The Vulg. and Arm. give 'mater.' There is good MS. authority for yeveaiv, but the uncommon word is more probably genuine. Apel, Field, and Tisch. read yeveVtv. See the praise of Wisdom, Prov. iii. 13-20. 13. 'ASdXciJS, with pure intentions, without any secret reservation, not hoping to gain any selfish or earthly benefit. ' Quam sine fictione didici.' Vulg. For ' fictio ' see on xiv. 2g. The Eng. 'diligently' is very weak; the margin is better, 'without guile.' Comp. -vi. 23. Observe the neat balancing of words, dSijXois . . d^Bdvas. Euseb. in Psalm, xxxiii. 8 (p. 132, Ben.) : dSoXcas eXafiov, dtpSovas peraSlSopai. Just. Mart. Apol. i. 6 : Trovri ^ovXo- jiiva paBelv, as iSiSdxBrjpev, d^Bdvas irapaSiSovres. Tov irXouTov, ' honestatem,' Vulg. See on ver. II. I Pet. iv. 10 : 'As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.' Comp. Ecclus. XX. 30 ; S. Matt. x. 8. 14. 'AvEKXiir^s=di'EKXenrTos. See on viii. 18. "Ov 01 XP1<^' This reading has the highest autho rity. The unusual construction of xP^topat with acc. has led to the change into a in the one case, and ktij- crdpevoi in the other. There is a similar variation in the MSS. in i Cor. vii. 31 : 01 p^pmpevot tov Koapov (Tisch.), where some read ra Koapco, and Acts xxvii. 17. In 2 Macc. iv. 19 all MSS. give the acc. : dj fj^laaav oi irapaKopiaavres pfj xPV'^Bai irpbs Bvaiav. But the author may have intended ds to be governed by irapaKoplaavres. Bp. Wordsworth, in his note on i Cor. vii. 31, says that the acc. after xpdaBai is not found in Sept., which is true, if we confine the name Septuagint to the canonical portion of the Old Testament. The Vulg. of our passage is ' quo qui usi sunt.' ripds Qeov EUTEiXavTO ^iXiav. ' Participes facti sunt amicitiae Dei.' Vulg. ' Prepare for themselves friend ship with God.' So Abraham for his faith was called ' the friend of God.' S. James ii. 23 ; Is. xii. 8. Comp. S. John XV. 14. The use of the grace of wisdom makes men beloved by God. Comp. ver. 27. Philo, De Sobr. 11 (I. p. 4'-'l) • (piXov ydp rb aotpbv Qea pdXXov fj SovXov. irap' b Kai aatpas iirl 'A/3padp (pdaKei, Mfj iiriKa- Xv'^a iya dirb 'A/3pad/i ToC (piXov pov ; (Gen. Xviii. 1 7). IvaraQ. ' Being recommended to God.' i Macc. xii. 43 ; Rom. iii. g ; v. 8 ; 2 Cor. iv. 2. ' The gifts that come from discipline ' are the fruits of the due use of Wisdom, the good works which a holy man will do, energizing from the grace given to him. 15. A(OT) is undoubtedly correct. The Vulg. ' dedit ' probably arose from the reading ' det,' which is found in MSS. Sang, and Corb., noted by Sabatier. The Eng. ' hath granted ' is in accordance with the Compl. and Aid. editions, which give Se'Soixe without any exist ing MS. authority. Kard yviipr[v, ' according to my opinion or wishes,' ' ex sententia.' i Cor. vii. 40. It is a prayer for eloquence, the power of expressing his thoughts. °Ev0up,t)6TJvai, the Vulg. translates by ' praesumere,' ' to conceive thoughts,' a meaning scarcely recognized by the lexicons, though it occurs in the sense of ' ima gining,' 'picturing beforehand,' in Virg. Aen. xi. 181 'Arma parate animis et spe praesumite bellum.' AE8op,^vo)v, ' in a way worthy of the gifts bestowed upon me.' The reading Xeyopevav has high authority, and is received by Fr. The Eng. ' that are given me ' may be the rendering of the Compl. SiSophav. The Marg. rendering, ' are to be spoken of,' is meant for a translation of t. Xeyopivav. Vulg. : ' digna horum quae mihi dantur.' 'Dignus' with gen. occurs also ix. 12. Plant. Trin. V. ii. 29 : ' non ego sum- salutis dignus ;' where however some read ' salute.' In a u 2 148 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [vn. i6- letter of Balbus to Cicero (Ad Attic, viii. 15) we have : ' cogitationem dignissimam tuae virtutis.' It is found with dat. 2 Macc. vi. 24 : ' Non enim aetati nosti^ae dignum est.' Autos, emphatic, as ver. 17:' He and no other ' is both the giude (dSijyos) of Wisdom, leading her whither He -wills, and the director of those who possess her (SiopBartjS rav aiKpav). For SiopB. cp. Plut. Sol. 1 6. 16. 'HfiEis. Comp. Acts xvii. 28 : e'v out^ (apev KOt KivovpeBa Koi eapiev. Adyoi. Comp. Exod. iv. 11. ?pdnr)(ris, practical good sense for the conduct of afi'airs, -ri. ig. 'EpyaTEiSv, ' handicrafts.' Comp. Exod. xxxi. 3, where God is said to have inspired Bezaleel : koi eve'- TrXijo-a auTov irvevpa Belov aotpias Kai awe'aeas koi eiriirrijptjs iv iravrl epya. The Vulg. gives a double translation of eiriarrjprj, - operum Scientia et disciplina.' Some of Sa- batier's MSS. read ' operum scientiae disciplina.' This verse is quoted by Clem. Al. Strora. -vi. 11 (p. 786, Potter) : ev x"P' o^ou, Toureim, tj Suvdfict koi (rotpiif. 17. EiS^voi, K.T.X., explains r. ovrav ywmirtv. Wisdom is an ' universitas literarum.' See i Kings iv. 29 fi!, ; Exod. xxxi. 3. 'H ao(pla, says Philo, de Ebriet. 22 (I. p. 370), Te;(Vij T€xy&v o?aa Sokei pev tois Staepdpois vXais ivdXXdrreaBai, rb Se aur^s diXrjBes eiSos arpeirrov ipepaivet TOIS dfuSopKoCo^i. Sucrrao-iv, ' constitution,' ' construction,' used by Plato in this connection, Tira, vii. p, 32 C: tSv Se Sij tet- rdpav ev oXov eicao-Tov etXij(pev fj tou Koo-pou ^itrraais' ix ydp irvpbs iravrbs vSards re koi depos Koi y^s ^vvearrjaev airrbv d fuviords. Comp. Clem. Rom. Ep. I. Ad Cor. Ix. i : cru rfjv devaov Toi) Koapov triaraaiv Sid t£v ivepyovpevav itpavepoirolrjaas. PhUo, De Vit. Cont. 8 (II. p. 48 1): oTrep e'crriv dpxfj rfjs rav oXav yeveaeas Kai ervtrrdireas. In this passage of Wisdom the author claims the know ledge of natural philosophy. S. Athan., Or. c. Gent. 44, applies the word oTJirracns to Christ, thus : outos eiri TTcivniiv fjyepav re Kai /SacrtXeus Kai aitrraais yevopevos r&v iravrav. 'EvE'pyeiav (rroixEifuv, ' the operation of the ele ments.' 2 Pet. iii. 10, 12. Comp. Philo, De Incorr. Mundi, § 2 1 (II. p. go8) : Terrdpiov ovrmv aroixeiav, e'| Sv d Koapos (Tuve'emjKE, y^s. uSotos, depos, rrvpds. 18, 19. 'Apx^*" • • 9^(reis. These terms would include chronology and astronomy. 18. ' Beginning, ending, and midst of times,' a poetical cii-cumlocutiou for the difference and variety of the periods concerned in astronomical chronology, Grimm, Gutb. Mectottito. Vulg.: ' medietatem,' a word which Cicero (De Univ, vii.) scarcely acknowledges, occurs often in the Vulg., e.g. Ex. xxvi. 12 ; 2 Chr. ix. 6. TpoirSv dXXayds, sc. ijXi'ou, as Deut. xxxiii. 1 4. ' The solstices.' So Hom. Od. xv. 404 : SBi Tpoirai ^eXioio. TpoTrmv is from rporrfj. The reading rpdwav, from rpdiros, which was given by ilai. is opposed to the context. Mrra^oXds Koipuv, not only 'changes of seasons,' but all changes produced by the position of the sun, as day and night, heat and cold, etc. 19. 'EviauTuv kukXous, ' the cycles of years,' the lunar and solar cycles, the intercalary method, the sacred and civil reckonings, etc. "Airrpuv Ge'iteis, ver. 29, 'positions of stars' at various times of the year. With this passage Grimra compares Cic. De Nat. Deor. ii. 61 : ' Hominum ratio non in caelum usque peneti^avit ] Soli enim ex ani- mantibus nos astrorum ortus, obitus, cursusque cogno- viraus : ab hominum genere finitus est dies, mensis, annus : defectiones solis et limae cognitae, praedictae- que in orane posterum tempus, quae, quantae, quando futurae sint.' ' 20. ?uaEis . . Orjpiwv. This would comprise zoology. ?uir. ^(uuv. ' Natures of animals.' This includes the more general department; Bvpovs Brjpiav, 'the rage of wild beasts,' the special. This latter phrase occurs xvi. 5. Comp. Deut, xxxii, 33 : Bvpbs SpoKovrav . . ^pds doTriSiDV. Solomon, we are told, 1 Kings iv. 33, ' spake of trees, from the cedar tree in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the -wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of weeping things, and of fishes,' The Book of Proverbs teems with allusions -VII. 2 2.] COMMENTARY. 149 to the life and habits of animals, e.g.i. 17; vi. 6-8 ; xxvi. 2, II ; xxx. ig, 19, 2g-3i. nvEUfidrdiv pias, ' vim ventorum,' Vulg. This translation seems plainly erroneous, though the phrase does occur in this sense in Philo, De Mund, Opif 19 (I. p, 1 3) : vijveplas Kai /Qias jrveupdnov. Our author uses |3ias dvepav, iv, 4. The enumeration of the objects of Wisdom is given in pairs connected together in thought. Ilveup. |8ias is joined to SioXoyio-jious dvBpairav : both refer to rational beings, and therefore can have nothing to do with winds. The meaning doubtless is, ' the powers of spirits.' The opinion of Solomon's supremacy over the spirit-world was widely spread. Thus Joseph. Ant. -viii. 2 : irdpeaxe 8' auTia paBelv d Qebs koi tijv Kara rSv Satpdviov rexvrjv eis a(peXeiav Kai Bepairelav rois dvBpairots. 'EiraSds re avvra^dpevos ais iropijyopeirat rd voafjpara, Kai rpdwovs i^op- Kaaeav KareXenrev, ols ivSoipeva rd Saipioviaiis prjKer iiraveXBelv eKStaKavat. Kai avrrj pexpi vvv nap' fjplv fj Bepaireia irXelarov laxvei. See Fabric, Cod. Pseud. V. T. vol. i. cap. cxciv. AiaXoytcrnois dv0p. Not ' the thoughts of men,' which none but God can know, but ' reasonings,' the way? in which men reason and argue, = psychology. This would also include insight into character. Aiaifiopds (fturav, ' differences of plants,' = botany. AuvdjiEis piiSv, 'virtues of roots,' =pharraacy. Clem. Alex, quoting this passage, Strom, ii. 2 (p. 430, Pott.), remarks : ivroirots diraai rfjV (pvaiKfjV ipirepieiXij^S, ' certus,' Vulg. * Sure,' ' unerring.' Euseb. Pniep. Ev. vii. 12 aud xi. 14 omits frora o-ai^es to dpepipvov inclusive. 'Airi^(j,ovTov, 'suavis,' Vulg. Taking it in the active sense, ' uuharming,' which seems a little weak. ' Unharmed ' is better, Sfe Gutb. expresses it, ' which works in everything, but is affected and influenced by none.' ?iX(iYoOov. 2 Tim. iii. 3 ; Tit. i, 8 ; Polyb. vi. 53- 9- '0|d, ' acute,' keen and sagacious. 'AKtiXuTov, ' which cannot be letted,' Eng, ' irre sistible.' EuEpYETiK(Sv. ' Beneficent ' even to the unthankful. Luke vi. 3g. 23. ?iXdvSpuTrov the Vulg. translates by two words, ' humanus,' ' benignus.'" B^^aiov, do-ilJuXEs, ' stedfast and secure ' iu all its operations. 'Apipipvov, a litotes for airapKes, =^ ' self-sufficing.' Gutb. navToS(!vap.ov, a new word, xi. 17; xviii. ig, ' having all power.' Method, p. 373 A (Migne). riavEiTio-Ko-irov, 'all-surveying,' overlooking all the operations of mind and nature. Aid irdvTtov x'^pou)' irvEujAdrtav, 'permeating, pene trating all spirits,' the intelligent, as men (voepSv), the pure, as angels [KaBapav), yea, the most subtle of all (XeirroTdrtijv). The Vulg. gives : ' qui capiat omnes spi ritus, intelligibilis, mundus, subtilis,' reading voepbv, KaBapbv, Xeirrdrarov, which is found only in one or two inferior cursive MSS. For ' intelligibilis ' (Ecclus. iii. 32, Vulg.) see on x. 4. 24-26. See Prolegomena, pp. 28 f 24, rdp. She penetrates all spirits, for she exerts the greatest activity. Kivi^irEus, ' motion,' ' action.' ' Mobilibus,' Vulg. Eeusch proposes ' motibus,' which S. Aug. indeed once reads, iii. 304. — vn. 26.] COMMENTARY. 151 Aii^KEi Se Ktti X<^P^^- The Vulg. renders : 'attingit autem ubique.' Arn. compares Tertullian's phrase, ' Permeator universitatis spiritus ' (Apol. c. 21), which, however, he attributes to Seneca. Hooker, Eccl. Pol. V. Ivi. g : 'All things are partakers of God, they are His offspring. His influence is in them, and the per sonal Wisdom of God is for that very cause said to excel in nimbleness or agility, to pierce into all intel lectual, pure and subtile spirits, to go through all, and to reach unto everything. Otherwise, how should the same Wisdom be that which supporteth, beareth up (Heb. i. 3), and sustaineth all V Clem. Al. Strom, v. 14 (p. 699, Pott.) quotes Si^kei . . . KaBapdrrjra. Grimra notes that the verbs SifjKetv and x^P^^v are used by Stoical writers in connection with the spirituality and immateriality of the Anima mundi. Thus he quotes Plutarch, Plac. Phil. i. 8. 17 : oi SnotKoi . . . Bebv dirotpai- vovrai . . . TTveupa pev SifjKov St dXou tou Koirpou, rds Se irpoaijyopias peraXap^dvov Sid rds rys uXijs, St' rjs KexaprjKe, irapaXXd^eis. Athenag. Suppl. vi. (pp. 32, 34, ed. Otto) : oi oTro T^s oTods St uXijs . . . (paat rb irvevpa xt^pelv rov Beov . . , Siijrcei Se St oXov rov Koapov. 25. rdp. The proof of the purity and immateriality of Wisdom. 'Arfils, (parallel with dirdppoia,) ' breath,' Eng. Ecclus. xxiv. 3 : ' I came out of the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth as a cloud.' Usually 'vapour.' It serves to show the Divine nature of Wisdom. S. Athan., quoting Dionysius, applies this passage to Christ, De Sent. Dion, ig (I. p. 2g4) : ovoXo'ycos TrdXiv d Xpiarbs drpis Xeyeraf 'Arpis ydp, (prjaiv, etrn t^s tou Geou Svvdpeas. 'Airoppoia, ' efl[luence,' ' emanatio quaedam,' Vulg. (perhaps reading tis for t^s). These and the following expressions prepare the way for the recognition of the Myos, the Son of God. There is no Platonism here. The passage is quoted by Orig. Cont. Cels. iii. 7 2 (I. p. 494)1 who reads elXiKpivfjs, and may be compared with Eoclus. i. I ; Prov. ii. 6. ME|jiiap,|x^vov. The usual form is pepiaapems, but pepiapp. is found Tob. ii. 9, and in Dio Cass, gi, g2. Orig. Fragm. in Prov. (xiii. p. (20, Migne), quoting memoriter, reads, ouSev ydp eis aunjv aKoreivbv epirtirrei. Comp. S. James iii. ig napEp,Tri-irr£i, lit. ' steals in unnoticed.' 26. 'ATrauyacrpa, ' reflection,' or ' radiance.' The latter probably is the meaning here, 'light emitted,' 'splendour,' like <^Ss e'k (parbs of the Nicene Creed. The word does not occur again in 0. T. S. Paul, Heb. i. 3, speaking of Christ (it may be with this passage in his memory), calls Him diraiyaapa rfjs Sdgijs Kai xap^Krfjp Trjs viroardaeas avrov. See also 2 Cor. iii. 18. Philo uses the word De Mund. Op. gi (I. p. 3g) : nds avBpanos Kara pev ttjv Stdvotav aKeiarai Belco Xdyo), t^s paKapias (piaeas eKpayelov rj dirdairaapa fj diraiyaapa yeyoviis. And De Concup. II, referring to the 'breath (TrveCpa) breathed into man, he calls it rfjs poKaplas Kai rpiapaKapias (piaeas diraiyaapa (II. p. 3g6). The meaning of dirouy. may be doubtful in these passages, but in the following it must be taken in tbe sense of ' reflection.' He is commenting on Ex. XV. 1 7 : ' Thou . . . shalt plant them ... in the Sanctuary which Thy hands have established.' to Se dyiao-pa, otov. dyiav diraiyaapa, plprjpa dpxirvirov, De Plantat. § 12. (I. p. 337). S. Aug. (De Trinit. iv. 20) uses the passage to show the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son, and indeed takes generally what is said of Wisdom to be spoken of the Son. Thus Serm. cxviii. 2. Ben.: ' De sapientia Patris, quod est Filius, dictum est, Candor est enim lucis aeternae. Quaeris Filium sine Patre ? Da mihi lucem sine can- dore. Si aliquando non erat Filius, Pater lux obscura erat. Quomodo enim non obscura lux erat, si candorem non habebat 1 Ergo semper Pater, semper Filius. Si semper Pater, semper Filius.' And this is usual among the Fathers. See Arn. and A. Lap. in I. Our author probably means (primarily) that Wisdom is a divine attribute, communicated in some sort to man, and seen in creation. 'AKir)Xi8ft)Tov. This word occurs in Philo, De Cherub. 28 (L p. ig6); De Nobil. 6 (II. p. 443). 'EvEpyEias, ' majestatis,' Vulg. Gutb. Rather, ' operation,' ' action.' Eph. iii. 7. 152 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [vn. 27- EiKbiv, SO Christ is called eikmv tov Seou, 2 Cor. iv. 4. Euseb. in Psalm, lxxii. i (p. 426, Ben.) gives : t^s TOU noTpos ivepyeias. Orig. in Matt. Tom. XV. § 10 (III. p. 66g) : Kai d Stonjp Se, ms etrrai ehemv rov Qeov dopdrov, ovrais Kai rrjs dyaBdnjros aiTOV eucebv. So in Joann. Toni. vi. § 37 (IV. p. 156), and Tom. xiii. § 2g (IV. p. 236). Cont. Cels. vi. 62 : jrds dv^p, oS Xpiards ian Ke(paXfj, elxiiv Kai Sd|a eeou virdpxet. For eoco>v implying not likeness only, but also representation and manifestation, see Dr. J. B. Lightfoot, on Ep. to Coloss. i. ig. It is fre quently used by Philo, e.g. De Conf. Ling. 20 (I. p. 419) : TIJV eiKo'va aiTof, tov lepdiTnTOV Xoyov. De Profug. 19 (I. p. g6i); De Somn. I. 41 (I. p. 6g6). 27. Mi'o Se ouira. ' Though she is one,' with refer ence to the epithets ver. 22, povoyeves, iroXvpepes. I Cor. xii. 1 1 : Trtivra ravra evepyet to ev Kai to outo Uvevpa. M^vouo-a Iv ourrj. Remaining the same, without change. Kaivi^Ei. She is the author of all changes and spiritual renovations. Ps. civ. 30 : ' Thou seudest forth Thy Spirit, they are created, and Thou renewest (dvo- Koivieis) the face of the earth.' Comp. Ps. cii. 26, 27; Heb. vi. 6 ; Eev. xxi. g. Grimm compares Aristot. Phys. viii. g : Sto Kai 'Ava^aydpas dpBas Xeyei, rbv vovv diraSfj (pdaKav Kai dpvyij eivai, iireiSfjirep Kivfjaeas dpxfjv avrbv rroiel eivai' ovra ydp dv pdvoos Ktvoig dKtvijTos iiv Koi Kporoiij dpiyijs aiv. S. Aug.. De Fid. et Symb. cap. iii., refere the words to the Word : ' !Manet enim illud Verbum incoramutabiliter : nam de ipso dictum est, cum de Sapientia diceretur, in se ipsa manens innovat omnia.' Kard y^''^^S> ' P®i' nationes,' Vulg. ' Qiiaque hominum aetate,' Walil. ' Through (all) generations,' as Esth. ix. 27. METaPaivouira, passing from one to another. 4>iXous Oeou. As Abraham. Comp. ver. 14; 2 Chron. XX. 7 ; Is. xii. 8 ; Jas. ii. 23. So Philo says : iras aotpbs eeou (piXos. Fragm. ii. p. 6^2. Comp. Clem. Rom. Ep. ad Cor. I. x. i. and xvii. 2. Hooker, Eccl. Pol. I. V. 3, -writes thus : ' With Plato what one thing more usual, than to excite men unto love of wisdom, by show ing how much wise men ai-e thereby exalted above men ; how knowledge dotii raise them up iuto heaven ; how it maketh them, though not gods, yet as gods, high, admirable, and divine V Dpo^i^Tas. npa(p^s means ' an interpreter of God's will,' not necessarily 'one who foi-etells the futui-e,' just as the Eng. word ' prophesying ' is used of pre diction and of preaching or interpreting. Abraham is called "a Prophet,' Gen. xx. 7; Tob. iv. 12. Comp. Rom. xii. 6; i Cor. xiv. 3. Nothing can be detei'- niined fi^om this passage conceruiug the continuance or cessation of prophecy after the return from captivity. But see i Macc. iv. 46; ix. 27; xiv. 41. Josephus mentions various instances of prophecy in later Jewish history. Thus, Bell. Jud. I. iii. g, he relates how one Judas foretold the murder of Antigonus, and (III. viii. 3 and 9) how he himself was inspired to predict certain events. He also sajs that the Essenes aspired to tliis gift, and that their predictions generally were verified by the event ; Bell. Jud. IL viii. 12. See Pix)legom. p. 19. Canou Liddon, after quoting some of the remark able terms applied to Wisdora in this Book, observes (Bampton Lectures, ii. pp. 94, 9g, cd. 1867): 'Her [Wisdom's] sphere is not merely Palestine, but the world, not this or that age, but the history of humanity. All that is good and true in human thought is due to her : " in all ages , . . prophets." Is there not here, iu an Alexandrian dress, a precious and vital truth sufficientl)- familial- to believing Christians / Do we not already seem to ftitoh the accents of those weighty formulae by which Apostles will presently define the pre-existent Glory of their Majestic Lord ] Yet ai-« we uot steadily continuing, with no very considerable measure of expansion, in that very line of sacred thought to which the patient servant of God in the desert, and the wisest of kings in Jerusalem, have already and so authoritatively, introduced us V 28. OuO^v. MSS. often vary between ovBev and ouSe'v. Vulg. gives • neminem.' SuvoiKouvra, ' making a home with,' ' being wedded to.' Used commonly with (pd^^, dxBet, etc. -VIII, 2.] COMMENTARY. 153 29, 30. The arrangement of the words in these verses is very forcible. 29. rdp gives the reason why God loves those who are wedded to Wisdom, ver. 28. It is because of the beauty and purity which she imparts to them. Qe'o-iv, ' order,' ' harmonious arrangement.' 30. Touto, sc. (pas. Light yields its place to darkness. 'AvTiaxuEi, ' withstands,' ' prevails against.' Diod. xvii. 88 (var. leet.); Dion Cass, xlviii. 11, 2. Vice is never conqueror as long as a man is governed by practical Wisdom. When the wise are led astray, as Solomon was, they cease to be wise. 8. Bern. (Serra. xiv. De Sept. Donis) joins this verse to the next chapter (vol. i. p. 2343, ed. Mab.): 'Sapientia vincit mali tiam, dum Satanam conterit Dei virtus, et Dei sapientia Christus. Attingit ergo a fine usque ad finem fortiter, in caelo quidem dejioiendo superbura, in mundo su- perando malignum, in inferno spoliando avarum.' CHAPTER VIII, 1. This verse is best joined to the preceding chapter, Se carrying on the same subject, and not = ' ergo,' as the Vulg. gives it. The Eng. version omits the particle altogether. See on vii. 30. AittTEivEi, ' she reacheth,' ' extendeth herself This verb is used intransitively by late authors, e. g. Polyb. and Diod. Thus Polyb. Hist. V. Ixxxvi : outos . . , SieVetve irpos Vd^av. Diod, Sic. xii. 70. In Attic the intr. sense is expressed by the middle voice of this verb. 'Atto TTE'paTos EIS irepas. ' Frora one end of the uni verse to the other.' Cp. Bom. x. 18 ; Philo, Vit. Mos. i. 19 (II. p. 98). This passage is often quoted and ex plained by the Fathers, e.g. S. Bern. I. p. 2343, A, B ; p. 1680, C; pp. 1387, 1388 (ed. Mab.); Orig. in Matt. tom. xvi. (III. p. 7 1 2, Ben.) : ou (Jesu Christi) ro peyeBos (jlitiveTai Siorei'vovTor dirb ireparos y^s eis rb irepas avrrjs ev- pwroos, Koi StoiKouvros tos 'EK/cXijcrias xPV^ras. The Anti- phou in the old English Church, sung Dec. 16, and still marked in the P. B. Calendar as '0 Sapientia,' is taken from this verse: '0 Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, sua- viterque disponens omnia, veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.' Boethius, who is said not to have quoted Scripture in his De Consol. Phil., has in this work the following words, which look like a recollection of this passage : ' Est igitur, inquit, summum bonum, quod regit cunctos fortiter, suaviterque disponit,' iii. 12. Eupiio-Tus . . . xpicrfls. ' Fortiter . . suaviter,' Vulg. ' Mightily . . . sweetly,' Eng. Energy and mildness ('fortiter in re,' 'suaviter in modo') are requisites of good government. ' In most decent and comely sort,' says Hooker, Eccl. Pol. I. ii. 3. 2-20. Properties of Wisdom under the representation of a Bride : how she sways all life, gives ability to govern, and largely blesses him who loves her. 2. The author returns to his quest for Wisdom, vii. 7 ff. 'ElEji^Trjira . . sJiiTrjcra. 'Exquisivi . . quaesivi,' Vulg. 'Ek veiSttjTOS. Ecclus. vi. 18: reKvov, iK vednjrds aov iiriXe^at iratSelav, Kai eas iroXiav evpfjaets aotpiav. ' kyayiaQai, ' to take home,' with ipavr^, as 3 Macc. i. 1 3 : irpocpepdpevos eavrov. For dyopai, ' to take a wife,' comp. Hom. Od. vi. igg. xiv. 211 : fjyayoprjv Se ywalKa. Tbv (piXdao(pov, says Plato, De Rep. vi. p. 47g, aotpias ipfjaopev imBvprjTijV eivai ou t^s p.ev, t^s S ov, dXXd irdarjs. S. Dionys. Areop. (^. e. the author writing under his name), quoting part of this verse, speaks of our Book as a preparation for, or an entrance into. Holy Scrip ture : e'v TOIS irpoeiaayayals rav Xoyiav evpijaets nva Xeyovra K.r.X. De Div. Nom. iv. 12. X 154 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [vm. ,:i- 3. Euy^vEiov. ' Genei-ositatem illius glorificat,' Vulg. ' She glorifies his noble birth.' t. e. the lover's. Eng. : ' She magnifieth her nobilitj'.' One cannot be quite sure that the Vulg. did not mean ' illius ' to be= ' suam,' as it uses pronouns with some irregidarity, e. g. 8. Luke i. 5 1 : ' Dispersit superbos mente cordis sui,' where the use of the reflexive pronoun has misled 8. Augustine, who refers ' sui,' which really represents avrav, to ' Deus.' S. HU. in Ps. cxxvii. (p. 427, C) render : ' Honestatem glorificat convietum Dei habens.' But it seems most natural to take eiyeV. as belonging to Wisdom hei-self, as Calmet says : ' Elle fait voir la gloire de son origine, en ce qu'elle est etroiteraent unie a Dieu.' In connection -svith vers, g-8 the meaning is : ' If a man wants noble birth in a bride, who is nobler born than Wisdom ]' S. Aug. : ' An vero generositas solet significare aliud quam parentes / Contubernium vero nonne oum ipso pntre aequalitatem clamat atque asserit V De Mor. Eccl. 28. lupipiucriv ©. Ixouo-o. Comp. ver. 9, 1 6. ' Dwelling with God, as a -wife -with her husband.' See Prov. -viii. 2 2. Thus PhUo, De Ebriet. § 8 (I. p. 36 1) : rov youv rdSe rd Trav ipyaadpevov Srjpiovpybv dpov Kai iraxepa etvai tou yeyovoTos evBvs iv SiKij (pfjaopeV pijTepa Se tijv tov ireirouj- KOTos iiritrrfiprjv, y miviiv d Qebs, ovx i>s SuBponros, ecnreipe yeveaiv. For oT/p/3. comp. Ecclus. xxxi. 26 ; Polyb. v. 81. 2 ; Cic. ad Att. xiii. 23. ^vpfiiarfjs occurs Bel and Drag. 2. 4. rdp. We know that God loves her because she is privy to His mysteries. MuoTis, fem. of puoTijs = puorcryo-yds, ' one who initiates into mysteries.' ' a teacher,' as Eng. Marg. Here, ' a teacher of God's knowledge,' which He im parts to her. Vulg., ' doctrix.' This word is found no where else in the Vulg. or in class, authoi-s, but occurs in S. Aug. De Mor. Eccl. xvi, and in Serv. in Virg. Aen. xii. ig9. Mupo(n5vv]v. Here are named the four cardiual virtues of Greek Ethics, aatppoaivtj, tppdvijais, Suanoirvvij, and dvSpeta. In 4 Macc. v. 22, 23 the four virtues are aatppotrivrj, dvSpeia, Sixaiocn/vij, and evaijieta; but i. 18 we read ; t^s Se ao(plas tSeat Kafletrram (Ppdvrjais Kai SiKaioavvTj Kai dvSpet'a Kni aa^poaivrj. AVith the latter enumeration agrees Philo, Quod Omn. Prol. § 10 (II. -VIII. 10.] COMMENTARY. 155 87g), and Leg. Alleg. i. 19 (I. g6), where he speaks of the four rivers of Eden : Sid roirav jSouXerat rds Kara pepos dperds viroypdtpetv. Eicri Se rbv dpiBpbv reaaapes, tppovTjats, aatPpoavvTj, dvSpia, SiKaioavvrj. This is derived from the Platonic school. Cicero, De Fin. v. 23. § 67 : ' Proprium suum cujusque munus est, ut Fortitude in laboribus periculisque cernatur; Temperantia in praeter- mittendis voluptatibus ; Prudentia in delectu bonorum et malorum ; Justitia in suo cuique tribueiido.' Comp. De Off. i. g. See Tit. u. 11, 12 ; and for the Christian virtues. Faith, Hope, and Charity, i Cor. xiii. 'EK8i8d(TK£i, ' she teacheth thoroughly ;' ' edocet.' 4 Macc. V, 22 : aa(ppoavvrjv ydp fjpds iKSiSdaKet. ''Jlv •)^p¦l]alpl!n€pov. Past. Herm. Mand. viii. 9 : Toirav dyaBarepov ouSe'v e'o-rtv e'v tj ^afj rmv dvBpairav. Ecijlus. xxv. II ; xl. 27. 8. rioXuiTEipiav, ' wide experience.' Ecclus. xxv. 6. But as experience cannot be concerned with the future (to pe'XXovTo), the word is probably used in a secondary sense = ' great knowledge.' So Vulg. : ' mul titudinem sapientiae ;' in which signification Wahl quotes Ael. Var. Hist. iv. 19. This verse is partially quoted by Clem. AL, Strom, vi. 8. (p. 7gg, Pott.), who has ei'/cdfei. EiKd^Ei seems more correct than ei/cdfetv, for 'to conjecture things of old ' is absurd as said by an un scientific Jew. What is meant is, that Wisdom, in her perfection of knowledge, knows the past and conjectures the future. In the ' locus classicus ' about Calchas, Hom. II. i. 70, it is said : ^s jjSij rd T idvra, rd r iaadpeva, irpd r' idvra. Irpoijids Xoy. ' Subtiities of words.' ' Breviter, sententiose et acute dicta,' Wahl. Applied to pro verbs, Prov. i. 3. Comp. Ecclus. xxxix. 2, 3 : 'He will keep the sayings of the renowned men ; and where subtle parables are (e'v arpotpals irapa^dXav), he will be there also. He will seek out the secrets of grave sentences (irapoipiav), and be conversant in dark par ables (e'v alviypaat irapafioXav).' AtviYjidTuv. ' Argumentorum,' Vulg. Forsit. ' aenigmatum,' Reusch. The word is used of the 'hard questions' of the Queen of Sheba, i Kings x. i. Comp. Numb. xii. 8; i Cor. xiii. 12. For instances of senigmas see Ezek. xvn. 3 ft'., and Judg. xiv. 12, 14, and I Esdr. iii. and iv. ZripEia Kai T^para, x. 16. This expression has been imported into the N. T., e.g. S. John iv. 48; Acts ii. 19. Comp. Jer. xxxix. 20. Sijpeiov is a 'sign' or 'cre dential ' of a mission from God, not necessarily super natural: repas is a 'portent' or 'prodigy' transcending experience. See Trench, Syn. of N. T. pt. ii. npoYi>'(uo-KEi, ' foreseeth,' Eng. Rather, ' under standeth beforehand,' ' interprets their meaning.' Kaipuv, definite part of time; xpo"""", indefinite, translated iu Vulg. ' saeculorum.' Comp. Acts i. 7 ; I Thess. V. I ; Dan. ii. 21. The two words are clearly distinguished in Dem. (!) Contr. Naeer. p. I3g7, 2 : fjv Se d xpdvos ovros a 'Aarelos pev fjv dpxav 'ABfjvrjatv, d Katpbs Se e'v o5 eiroXepelff vpels irpbs AaKeSaipoviovs rbv uo-re- pov TToXepov. Schaf. in loc. : ' xpdvos simplieiter tempus : Kaipbs tale tempus, cujus sit momentum in causa de qua agitur.' 9. 'AyayEafiai, see on ver. 2. Ilpds avp^iaa. ver. 3. Zu'p.|3ouX. dyaOSiv, 'giving counsel by which I might obtain all good things.' ' Mecum communicabit de bonis,' Vulg. riapaivEiris, usually taken as = rrapapvBia, ' com fort,' of which sense it is difiieult to find another ex ample, though the Vulg. ' allocutio,' which is used to signify ' an address for the sake of consolation,' shows how the above sense is obtained. 80 ' alloqui ' and ' alloquium ' are used. See Orell. in Hor. Epod. xiii. 18, and note on ch. iii. 18. In S. John xi. 31 instead of the usual reading, ' consolabantur earn,' MS. Corb. gives ' adloquebantur eam.' ?povTiSuv. ' Cogitationis,' Vulg. ' Cogitatio,' in the sense of ' anxiety,' ' care,' is uncommon. In this signification 'cogitatus' occurs Ecclus. xxxi. i, 2. 10-16. These verses are in thought dependent on eiSois on, ver. 9, and express Solomon's hopes and expectations when he was seeking after Wisdom. X 2 156 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [vm. 10- 10. Al' ourqv. ' On account of her,' as the final cause. So ver. 13, where Eng. wrongly changes the translation. 'O v&s. Solomon says, i Kings Ui. 7 : 'I am but a little child.' Comp. ch. ix. g. Eeelus. xlvii. 14. 11. 'Ev Kpio-Ei. This refers doubtless to Solomon's fEimous judgment, i Kings iii. 16-28, where it is said that ' all Israel . . . feared the king ; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.' The Vulg. adds at the end of the verse : ' et facies principum mirabuntur me ;' a clause which has arisen from a double translation of the Greek. ' Of a quick conceit,' Eng. ' Conceit ' is conception, thought, under standing. Comp. Shakesp., The Merchant of Venice, I. i : 'Witli purpose to be dressed in an opinion Of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit.' 12. nepifiEvoOcri, ' sustinebunt.' ' Sustinere,' in the sense of ' to wait,' occurs often in Vulg., e.g. Ps. xxiv. 3 ; Ecclus. i. 29 ; xxx^-i. 18. ripoa^loucriv, sc. rbv vovv, ' give heed.' Comp. xiii. I ; xiv. 30 ; Acts viii. 6 ; i Tim. i. 4. AaXouvTos Eirl ttXeiov. ' When I discourse at greater length.' Suppl. pou. So 2 Macc. xii. 36 : twv Se Trepi Tov'EcrSpiv e'wi TrXeTov paxopevav. XEipa. An expression implying keeping the utmost silence, as in Job xxi. g; xxix. 9, etc.; Ecclus. v. 12. 13. ' Praeterea,' Vulg. ' Moreover,' Eng. There is nothing to answer to this in the Greek. 'AOavacriav (parall. with pvfjp. tdav!), ' imraortal farae.' Corap. iv. i. The word has a higher meaning ver. 17 and xv. 3. The MS. Ephr. (C) here adds a clause commencing koi npijv Trapd, the rest being illegible. It is found nowhere else. Mvi^pi. aioSv. Ps. exi. 6 : eis pvrjpdawov alaviov etrrai SlKOtOS. 14. AaoJs, ' my o-wn people.' 'E^vij, ' foreign nations.' Solomon is represented speaking as an ideal king. Grimm. So ver. ig. Corap. i Kings iv. 21, 24. 15. Me, with (po^rjB. 'Akouctovtes, ' when they hear of me.' 'Ev irX'^fiEi, 'my own people,' contrasted with e'v rroXepto. ' Good and gentle to my subjects, and brave in war.' Comp. Hom. H. in. 179 : dptpdrepov, /Sao-iXeus t' dyo^os, Kparepds T alxprjrfis. UX^Bos used absolutely, as i Esdr. viii. 88 : KXavBpbs ydp ^v peyas iv Tm irXfjBet. Dr. Bissel, following Bunsen (Bibelwerk), translates ' in counsel,' or ' the popular assembly.' But this is an idea quite foreign to our author's notions. 16. EiiQ. 3 Macc. ii. 31, 33; Diod. Sic. iii. 18. EuiJ)poiXia, 'married love,' parallel with oTTyev., ver. 17. Te'pi|;is dyoW), ' pure delight.' Ecclus. xiv. 14 : emBvpias dyaBfjs. The Eng. ' great pleasure,' is feeble. 'In the works of her hands are infinite riches.' Comp. the description of a good wife, Prov. xxxi. 10- 31 ; and Eccles. vii. 11, 12. nXouTos. Vulg., ' honestas.' See on vii. n. 'AvekXiit^s, 'that fadeth not away,' as vii. 14. S. Luke xii. 33 : Bijaavpbv dveKXenrrov. 'Ev o-uYyujAv. 6p.iXtas aur. ' In the practice of intercourse with her.' S. Paul exhorts Timothy yup- vafe o-eauTov Trpds evae^eiav, I Tim. IV. 7, 8. -Vlli. 20.] COMMENTARY. 157 ESkXeio. Vulg., 'praeclaritas,' dir. Xey. 8ee on vii. g. ' Fame, in the participation of her words.' 19. After describing the qualities of the bride, the author mentions what the suitor has to offer on his part. "H|j.»|v, as in S. John xvi. 4, etc. EuijiuTij, ' of good natural parts,' referring to body and disposition, and explained by what follows, ^vxfjs re eXaxov and fjXBov els aapa dpiavrov. Gutb. The passage has been interpreted of the pre-existence and Incarnation of Christ. Thus S. Aug., De Gen. ad Lit. lib. X. cap. 18, of which chapter the heading in the Bened. ed. is : ' De anima Christi, an possit in ipsum convenire illud, " Puer autem ingeniosus eram ?" etc' He says here : ' Neque enim negligendi sunt, seu errent, seu verum sapiant, qui hoc specialiter et singu- lariter de anima ilia dictum putant raediatoris Dei et hominum hominis Christi Jesu.' "EXaxov, ' I obtained ;' a word which, as it might convey a wrong impression, as if the soul was a for tuitous addition, the writer corrects by pdXXov Se, ver. 20. So that the whole passage may be thus para phrased : ' I was by nature endowed with good qualities of body and soul, or rather, it was because my soul was good and pure that a corresponding body was given it, and thus the cui^uta was brought aboiit.' The author thus maintains that men are not ' born at all adventure' (ii. 2), but come into the world by God's appointment. See Church Quart. Rev. Apr. 1874, art. ' The Book of Wisdom.' Compare Isai. Ivii. 1 6 : irvevpa ydp irap' ipov i^eXeiaerai, Kai irvofjv irdaav iya eirolrjaa. Jer. xxxviii. (xlv. Sept.) 16. That the soul comes from God is maintained by Solomon, Eccles. iii. 2 1 ; xii. 7. Cp. Zech. xii. 1. These passages seem to favour the doctrine of Creationism, i. e. that souls are not derived by propagation from parents (which is Traducianism), but are created by God, and infused into the child before birth. S. Aug., commenting on this passage, says : ' Magis enim videtur adtestari opi- nioni, qua non ex una propagari, sed desuper animae venire creduntur ad corpora.' De Gen. ad Lit. lib. x. cap. vii. § 1 2. And again. Interpreting S. John i. 9, he says ; ' Fortasse hoc dictum est ad discernendum spiritalem illuminationem ab ista corporali quae sive per caeli luminaria, sive quibusque ignibus illuminat oculos carnis; ut hominem interiorem dixerit veni entem in hunc mundum, quia exterior corporeus est, sicut hic mundus ; tanquam diceret, Illuminat omnem hominem venientem in corpus, secundum illud quod scriptum est : " Sortitus sum . . . incoinquinatum." ' De Peccat. Merit, i. 2g. § 38. *uxTis dyaOris. ' Dicendum animam bonam hoc loco intelligi non bonitate morali, aut gratiae justifi- cantis, sed bonitate naturali, quae est quaedam ad multas virtutes morales, in quibusdam hominibus, dis- positio, ex qua dicuntur esse bona indole, et bonas ha bere propensiones.' Estius, in I. 20. MdXXov Se the Vulg. takes with dyaBbs, ' magis bonus' (cp. 'magis versutus,' Plant. Asip. I. i. log), which is plainly wrong. It is a common form of cor recting a previous statement, and here it modifies eXaxov, ver. 1 9. See above. Agreeably with this view, Mr. Churton paraphrases thus : ' If I should not rather say that I myself am the immortal soul, the offspring of God, the Father of spirits from whom that soul derived its goodness and generous nature, and came into a body that was free from blemish, and fitted to be its servant and instrument.' From this passage it is inferred that the author believed iu the pre-existence of souls, an idea supposed to be foreign to the purely Hebrew thought, and introduced from Plato and Py thagoras. Josephus, however (Bell. Jud. II. viii. 11, 1 4), mentions that the Pharisees believed that the souls of good men passed into other bodies, and that the Essenes held that souls pre-existed, and were drawn into bodies by a natural yearning (t'uyyt nvt). The doctrine is found in the Talmud, e. g. Chagiga, 126, and in the Kabbalah. According to this all souls pre-exist in the World of Emanations, and are without exception destined to inhabit human bodies, and pursue their course upon earth for a certain number of years. Hence we are told that ' when the Holy One wished 158 THE BOOK OP WISDOM. [vin. 31- to create the world, the universe was before Him in idea. He then formed all the souls wlueh were des tined for the whole human race. All were minutely befoi-e Him in the same form which they were to assume in the human body.' Ginsburg, The Kabbalah, pp. 31, 32. Philo has manj- passages on this subject. Thus De Somn. 22 (I. pp. 641, 642): oJros Sc' (d dfjp) e'oTi "^pvxav daaptrrav oi^os. . . . rovrav rav i^i'-^coi- at pev Koriaatv ivSeBijtrdpevai aapaai BvijTols, oaai irpotryeidrarot Kai (piXoadipaToi. ai Se dvepxovTai, SiaKpiBelaai jrdXiv Ktrrd TOUS uird (piaeas opiaBevras opiapovs koi ;^dvous. See also De Mundo, 3 (II. p. 604), and De Gigant. 2, 3 (I. pp. 263, 264). Ti-aces of this opinion are said to be found in Deut. xxix. 14, 15 ; Job xxxviii. 19-21, Sept. ; and in 8. John ix. 2, where the Apostles ask Christ whether the blind raau or his parents had sinned that he was born with this infirmity. But this passage is capable of another interpretation. The author's opinion certainly is not identical with the Neo-Platonic, for by speaking of aapa dpiairmv he plainly does not consider all matter necessarily evil. Nor is it the same as Philo's, who deems that soids are confined iu bodies as punishment for sins com mitted in their disembodied state ; while here the soul is good, and on that account is sent into a pm-e body. The doctrine of the pre-existeuce of souls has been condemned in Christian times as heretical (a. g. in the Second Council of Constantinople), and those who hold the inspiration of the Book of Wisdom are neces sarily obliged to refuse to see it in this passage. But the plain meaning of the words points to some such opinion, which indeed may be held in an ortliodox manner, as that in God's foreknowledge and purpose all souls pre-exist (see quotations on ver. 19), and that they descend from Him. Isai. xlix. i, g ; Jer. i. g. Tertull., de Anira. Artie, ii., says : ' Consequens est, ut ex Dei flatu animam professi, initium ei deputeraus. Hoc Plato excludit, inuatam et infectam auiraara volens : et natara autem docemus et factam, ex initii coustitutioue.' The author says nothing of what is called the transmigration of souls, nor that God made some souls good aud otbei-s evil. 'HX60V. The pei-souality in ^XBov and ijpijv, ver. 19, is rather confused, as we use the term ' I ' sometimes of body and soul regarded as au unity, sometimes of soul alone. 'ApiiovTov. There is no question here of original sin. The author seems to hold that there is a kind of harmony betweeu soul and body, aud tliat tlie purity of the forraer necessitates a pure corporeal re ceptacle. That the outward form does in some mea sure express the inward character we all allow. The passage has been interpreted of the Incarnation of Christ, to which it readily accommodates itself See ou ver. 19. 21. Wisdoin is the gift of God in an.sivfr to prayer. 'EyKpoTi^s. Vulg. : ' Et ut sciri quoniara aliter non possem esse continens.' S. Aug. quotes the pas sage as referring to the grace of contiuenoy. Do S. Virgin. § 43 (tom. iv. 362 g) ; Confess, vi. 11 ; Serm. cix. 7. But there is uo question of chastity here, imd the word ' continens ' may mean ' possessed of,' ' parti cipant of,' as Eoclus. XV. i : ' continens justitiae,' «y- KpoT^s Toii vdpov. Certainly the Eng. is right : ' that I could not otherwise obtain her,' i.e. Wisdom. 'Ey- Kparfjs occurs iu the sarae sense Eoclus. vi. 37 : eyxpanjs yevopevos pi] dtpfjs avrfjv (aotpiav). Kai TOUTO . . . x<*P'S. A parenthesis. ' And this was a pai't of good sense,' viz. to know whose gift Wisdora is. Corap. S. James i. g, 17. 'Ev^Tuxov, ' I addressed,' ' approached in prayer.' Comp. xvi. 28; 3 Maoc. vi. 37 ; Bom. xi. 2; Hebr. vil. 25. 'E| oXr)s Tiis KopSias fiou. This expression occurs Deut. vi. g ; Josh. xxii. g, and elsewhere, e. g. S, Mark xu. 30. -IX. 7.] COMMENTARY. 159 CHAPTEE IX. 1-18. Solomon' s Prayer for Wisdorn. 1. For Solomon's Prayer see i Kings iii. 6 ff. ; .2 Chron. i. 8 ff. 0E^. This late vocative is found in Deut. iii. 24 ; Ecclus. xxiii. 4 ; S. Matt, xxvii. 46. See Const. Ap. viii. 37. KiipiE tou eXe'ous. Comp. 2 Cor. i. 3 : Harijp rSv oiKTippav, and I Pet. v. 10 : Geos miarjs x"Ptros. The reading iXeovs aov seems to have been derived frora the words below, e'v Xdyo> aov ; or the reading raay have been av iiroirjaas, which receives sorae support from the var. KareaKeiaaas in the next verse. 'Ev \6y. 'Ev, instrumental. Ps. xxxiii. 6 : ' By the word of the Lord were the heavens made.' 'Ev X6y. is parallel with t^ aotpla aov, ver. 2, and adum brates the Personal Word, as 8. John i. 3. 2. AEa-irdJi). Gen. i. 26 ; Ps. viii. 7. Past. Herra. Vis. III. C. iv. I : ols irapeSaKev d Kvpios irdaav rfjv Krlaiv avrov ai^eiv Kai o'lKoSopelv Kat Seairo^eiv tijs Krlaeas irdaijs. 3. 'Ev oiridT. R.. 8iKaio(r. Comp. S. Luke i. 75 ; Eph. iv. 24. 'Oatdr. 'piety towards God;' Sikoioo-. 'con formity to law,' ' justice towards man.' Eu6i5tt)ti, ' rectitude,' ' straightforwardness of pur pose.' I Kings iii. 6. 4. Qfdvtav, plur. of majesty. So ver. 1 2, and xviii. 15. Ps. cxxi. g : e'Ket iKdBiaav Bpdvoi els Kpiaiv, Bpdvot en oHcov Aaui'S. ndpESpov, 'assessor.' Prov. viii. 37: 'When He prepared the heavens, I (Wisdom) was there.' Ecclus. i. I : 'All wisdom cometh from the Lord, and is with Him for ever.' Philo (Vit. Mos. II. p. 142) speaks of Justice as being ndpeSpot ra Qea. Thus Pind. 01. viii. 28 : Aios ^eviov irdpeSpos Bepis, Soph. Oed. Col. 1382 : A/kij ^uveSpos Zijvds. The Vulg. 'assistricem,' djr. Xey. See on viii. 4. 'Asses- trix' occurs in Afran. ap. Non. Marcell. 73, 39. The passage in the text seems to identify Wisdom with the Word of God. 8. John i. i. i Cor. i. 24 : Xpiarbv Qeov Sivaptv Kai Geou aotpiav. 'ATro8oKip.dai]s, ' reject as unqualified.' Comp. Ps. cxvn. 32 ; 8. Matt. xxi. 43 ; Hebr. xii. 17. 'Ek iraiSojv, ' from the number of Thy children.' If God gave him not Wisdom, it would prove that he was not of the children of God. Comp. ii. 13. 5. 'On introduces a consideration why God should hear his prayer. ' For I am Thy servant,' etc. ' Son of Thy handmaid ' (Ex. xxni. 12), and there fore doubly Thy servant, according to the Hebrew law, which regarded slaves' children ('born in the house,' Gen. xiv. 14 ; Eccl. ii. 7) as slaves. The phrase ' son of Thy handmaid' is common in 0. T. Comp. Ps. Ixxxv. 16 ; cxv. 7. 'OXiYoxp<5>'ios, referring to the shortness of man's life, not to his own youth. 'EXdo-iruv. Vulg. : ' minor ad intellectum.' ' Too weak to understand.' i Kings iii. 7 : 'I am but a little child : I know not how to go out or come in.' Comp. ch. viii. 10. 6. Kdv Y'> ^'ilg. snd Eng. omit this word ; but it is found in all ^MSS. There may bo a distinction in tended between E^curdirr. and »rep\|^., the former implying the sending forth of one to represent the sender, the latter denoting that the sender accompanies or escorts his messenger. See Sewell, Mierosc. of the N. T. pp. 12-14. KoTTtdtrj). ' That she may be with me in my labours.' 11. loviEi. The form aimea = oTvi'ijjui is late. It occurs Jer. xx. 12 ; Tob. iii. S ; 8. Matt. xiu. 13, etc. 'Ev T^ Sdfrj odriis. ' In sua potentia,' Vulg., so Eng. ; ' in her power.' Commentatora compare Rom. vi. 4 : ' by the glory of the Father,' where, they say, So'|ijs is used in the sense of 'power,' which is not necessarily the case. Grimra explains it, ' in her bright ness,' which keeps a man from sti-ayiug out of the right path. Gutberlet translates : ' through her counsel,' making the expression parallel with aatppdvas. AuXa$Ev, ' preserved him ' from error and ignor- -X. I.] COMMENTARY. 163 ance while in his original righteousness, ' and,' it goes on, 'delivered him after his fall.' The restoration of Adam was a very general opinion both among Jews and Christians, and occasioned a plentiful crop of legends. S. Aug. says, ' it is rightly believed that Christ released Adam from hell (" ab inferni vinculis ") when He preached to the spirits in prison.' This is stated as a past event by the author of Wisdom, as the Psalmist says, ' they pierced my hands,' referring to a future event. Op. imperf. Contr. Jul. VI. xxx. fin. The Fathers assert generally that Adam was saved through repentance and faith iu the Redeemer. Thus Tertull. De Poeuit. xu : ' Adam exomologesi restitutus in Paradisum.' S. Irenaeus reasons from a priori grounds (Adv. Haer. iU. 23. § 2. p. 220, Ben.) : 'Cura autem salvetur homo, oportet salvari eum, qui prior formatus est, quoniam nimis irrationabile est, iUum quidem, qui vehem enter ab inimico laesus erat et prior captivitatem passus est, dicere non eripi ab eo, qui vicerit inimicum, ereptos vero filios ejus, quos in eadem captivitate generavit.' And a little above : ' Vic- tus autem erat Adam, ablata ab eo omni vita : propter hoc victo rursus inimico recepit vitam Adam ; " novis sima autem inimica evacuatur mors," quae primum possederat hominem. Quapropter liberato homine, " fiet quod scriptum est : Absorpta est mors in victo ria ; ubi est mors victoria tua ? Ubi est mors aculeus tuus 1" Quod non poterit juste diei, si non ille liber- atus fuerit, cui primum domiuata est mors. Illius enim salus, evacuatio est mortis. Domino igitur vivi- ficante hominem, id est Adam, evacuata est et mors. Mentiuntur ergo omnes qui contradicunt ejus saluti, semper seipsos excludentes a vita, iu eo quod non credunt inveutara ovem quae perierat. Si autem ilia non est inventa, adhuc possidetur iu perditione omnis hominis generatio.' See also ib. (pp. 960, 961). Epi phanius mentions among the heresies of Tatian his opinion that Adam was not saved, Adv. Haer. xlvi (xh. p. 840, Migne) : rras oh aa^erai d 'ASdp, d irapd aoi aireXirifo'pevos, mroTe outos d Kupios fjpav 'irjaovs Xpiarbs, i\6av els rbv Kdapov, veKpovs perd r^v reXevrffV iyeipet iv avr^ Ta aapan ; . . . el Se irdXiv avrds ianv d Kipios 'Afidp TrXdo-os, Kai aurov tov irpardirXaarov diroXXiei, tovs Se d\Xous o-tafet, £ iroXXfj aov paTaiotppoaivrj, Tanave. ' Ahvvaplav yap ra Kvpita Kara Sivapiv irpoadirreis, tm Svvapeva rbv irpardirXaarov avrov, Std pt'av irapaKofjv eK^effXijpevov rov irapaSetaov, Kai iraiSelas ov rfjs rup^outnjs peraaxdvra, iv ISpari Kai Kapdno SiarereXeKdra, Kai Karevavn roi irapaSeiaov KartoKrjKora, oiras pvrjpoveioi r^s dyaBfjS Sid t^i els pvfjprjV peravoias adi^eiv' fj Svvapeva pev, pfj iXeovvn Se. And he goes on to relate how Adam in the course of time made his way to Jerusalem, died there, and was buried in Golgotha, which was called ro'iros Kpavlov, because his skull was afterwards discovered there. Our Savi our, shedding His blood upon the cross, watered with those precious drops the mortal remains of our first father, a token and sign ofthe purification of the whole race of man. S. Aug. (1) Serm. vi. iu App. (tom. v. p. ii. 14) alludes to the same legend, adding: 'Et vere, fratres, non incongrue creditur, quia ibi erectus sit medicus, ubi jacebat aegrotus. Et dignum erat, ut ubi occiderat humana superbia, ibi se inclinaret divina misericordia ; et sanguis ille pretiosus etiam corpo- raliter pulverem antiqui peccatoris dum dignatur stillando contingere, redemisse credatur.' This sermon is probably spurious, but that Augustine believed in Adam's salvation is certain from passages iu his genuine works, e. g. Ep. clxiv. (cap. iii. § 6) : ' Et de illo qui dem primo homine patre generis humani, quod eum inde (ex inferno) solverit Christus, Ecclesia fere tota consentit ; quod eam non inaniter credidisse creden- dum est.' Comp. Ep. xcix; Lib. de Haer. 2g. • See Fabric. Cod. Pseud-epigr. V. T. vol. i. capp. xii, xxv, xxviii ; vol. ii. capp. x, xi, xix. And an excellent note on this passage in Mr. Churton's commentary. 'E^EiXaro, an Alexandrine form of 3 aor. mid., by a change of termination to the i aor. See Buttm. Irr. Verbs, v. alpea, napa-irTiop,aTos iSiou. ' His own fall,' this recovery of his not affecting his descendants. Uapdirrapa is used in relation to Adam's transgression by 8. Paul, Rom. V. ig, 17, 18. Comp. Job xxxvi. 9; Ezek, T 2 164 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [X. 2- xiv. 13, See ou xii. 2. There is a certain similarity betweeu the eft'eots of Wisdom mentioned in this chapter, aud the effects of faith in Hebr. xi, but the scope of tbe writers is entirely different. The sup position of Gfrorer (Urchrist. ii. 242), referred to by Bissell, that our author endorses the opinion of Philo, that Adam's fall consisted in his sinking from the condition of a pure spu'it to a material existence, haa no support whatever from this passage, and can only be read iuto it by blinded prejudice. 2. This supremacy was given before tJie Fall (G^n. i. 26, 28; ii. 20) aud renewed after the Flood (Gen. ix. 2), being indeed a natural attribute of man. Comp. Ps. viii. I ; Heb. ii. 6-8 ; Ecclus. xvii. 4. 3. 'ASikos. Cain. Gen. iv. ' Wheu he in his -wrath deserted AMsdom.' For the omission of the names of the characters referred to see on xis. 13. luvairtuXETO. ' Deperiit,' Vulg. And so Gutberlet regards otIv as merely strengthening the verb. But this seems inadmissible, being without example. The word occurs in a similar connection in the prayer of Manasses, 13 : pfj avvairoXearjs pe tois dvopiais pov, where the Vulg. translates : ' Ne simul perdas me cum ini- quitatibus meis.' Comp. Gen. xviu. 33. The meaning here is that Cain perished iu and with his fratri cidal wrath. A tradition mentioned by Jerome (Ep. xxxvi. t. i. p. 163) said that he was accidentally killed by Lamech, and some commentators see here an allusion to this legend. But this is unnecessary. The ' perishing ' is a spiritual death. As Wisdom led Adam to repentance and salvation, so the rejection of Wisdom led Cain to destruction. See Fabric. Cod. Pseudepigr. V. T. i. cap. 43 ; Rab. Maur. De Univ. ii. i (exi. p. 33, Migne) ; Pseudo-Aug. Quaest. ex Vet. Test. Qu. vi (iii. 4g, App.). 4. Al' 8v, referring to oSikos, ver. 3. The flood was the consequence of the sin of Cain and his descendants, who imitated his wickedness. Comp. Gen. vi. 4, g, which passage connects the deluge with the giants, the progeny of Cain, and the ' sons of God.' Corap. Orig. in .Joann. tom. xx. 4 (iv. p. 312, Ben.). Al' eiiTEX. liiXou, 'by means of valueless wood,' i.e. the ai"k. Gen. vi, vii. ' Per coutemptibile lig num,' Vulg. ' Contemptibilis ' is a post-classical word found in Ulpian and late writers. Comp. Is. xlix, 7 ; I Cor. i. 28, Vulg. Other uucoramon words of like formation are these : ' iucoraraunicabilis,' xiv. 2 1 ; 'ineffugibilis,' xvn. 16; 'inexterminabilis,' ii, 23; 'in telligibilis,' vii. 23 ; • odibilis,' xii. 4 ; ' inextinguibilis,' vii. 10. Tdv SiKaiov. Noah, called 'just,' Gen. vi. 9 ; Ecclus. xUv. 17. Comp. Ezek. xiv. 14; Heb. xi. 7. 5. SuYxufl^'TWK. ' In consensu nequitiae cum se nationes contulissent,' Vulg. So Ai'u. : ' AVhen the nations around conspired or joined together in wicked ness,' i.e. wheu they were all sunk iu idolatry. But as avyxeai is used of the ' confounding ' at Babel, Gen. xi. 7, 9, and nowhere in the sense of ' conspiring,' it is better to translate : ' After the nations had been con founded in their conspiracy of wickedness.' After the attempt at Babel, aud the widespread corruption that succeeded. Wisdom knew the righteous man. A rab binical tradition mentioned by S. Jerome (Quaest. Hebr. in Gen.), with a sacrifice of chronology not un usual, connects Abraham with Nimrod, making the latter cast the patriarch into a fiery furnace to punish him for renouncing idolatry. In the legend the fur nace becomes a cool meadow, and Abraham suffers no harm, a circumstance which recalls the ' moist whistling wind ' in the case of the three holy children. See ver. 2 7 of the Addit. to Daniel. The legend about Abraham can be read in Etheridge's translation of Tiie Targums ou the Pentateuch, vol. i. p. 191, note g, aud in Fabric. Cod. Pseud. V. T. vol. i. cap. 107. "Eyw. ' Scivit,' Vulg. This reading has the au thority of most MSS., ancient versions, and Orig, in Johann. tom. xx (i. g99). Comp. 2 Tira. ii. 19: 'The Lord knoweth thera that are His.' Numb. xvi. 5. Eng, : ' found out,' reading eSpe, Thv SiKttiov. Abraham. Gen. xii. i ; Hebr. xi. 17-19. *A|ji£p.irrov. 'Sine querela,' Vulg. 'Querela,' in -X. 7.J COMMENTARY. 165 the sense of ' blame,' occurs S. Luke i. 6 ; Ecclus. viii. 10 ; Wisd. xiii. 6 ; xvni. 21, Vulg. 'Em t^kvou (nrXdYxi'ois. ' Kept him strong against his pity for his son.' Gen. xxii. 10. 'Eirl, 'against,' as S. Luke xii. g3. SirXdyxva, ' affection,' ' compassion.' Prov. xii. 10 : to Se o-irXdy^va rav dae^av dveXefjpova. Comp. S. Luke i. 78; Col. iu. 12 . 6. AiKoiov. Lot. xix. 17; 2 Pet. U. 7. See Gen. xix. 17-32. nOp KaraPdcnov riEVTairdXEws. ' The fire which fell upon Pentapolis.' KoTat/Sdnjs is used of Zeus as descending in lightning. Aristoph. Pax, 42 ; Aeschyl. Prom. 3g9. The five cities were Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Zoar or Bela. Gen. xiv. 2. Zoar indeed was saved, but it is usual to speak of all the cities as perishing together. Comp. Joseph. Bell. Jud. iv. 8. 4. HevrdTroXis is found in Herod, i. 144, etc., applied to a confederation of five cities. 7. ''Hs ETi. The preponderance of authority is in favour of this reading. The Vulg. gives, ' Quibus in testimonium ;' but many MSS. have ' cujus ;' and the other versions seem generally to have read §s en. KairviJ. Ka9E'oTT|K£. 'Stands smoking.' Gen. xix. 28; Deut. xxix. 23. Recent travellers have not ob- Berved this ; but Philo says : pe'xpi vvv Kaierai, De Abrah. 27 (II. p. 21). Joseph. BelL Jud. iv. 8. 4: vvv Se KeKavpevrj irdaa . . . ean yovv en Xei'^ava rov Beiov mpos. And SO, other authors. Thus Tertull. Apologet. 40: 'Regiones affines ejus Sodoma et Gomorra ig- neus imber excussit [? exussit] ; olet adhuc incendio terra, et si qua illic arborum poma conantur oculis tenus, caeterum contacta cinerescunt.' Comp. Ejusd. De Pallio, 3. Tacit. Hist. v. 7 : ' Haud procul inde campi quos feruut olim uberes magnisque urbibus habitatos fulminum ictu arsisse ; et manere vestigia, terramque ipsam, specie torridam, vim frugiferara per- didisse. Nam cuncta sponte edita aut manu sata, sive herba tenus aut flore, seu solitam iu speciem adolevere, atra et inania velut in cinerem vanescunt.' Strabo, XVI. ii. 44, calls the country y^v TetppaSrj. KaTrviJop,£'vir). ' Fumigabunda,' Vulg. This un common word is found in S. Ambr. ii. 9 : ' fornax fumigabunda.' S. Aug. uses 'fumabunda,' translating Gen. XV. 17, De Civ. xvi. 24. A word of similar form ation is ' tremebundus,' Wisd. xvii. 9 ; Hebr. xii. 3 1 . Xe'pugs, ' waste land.' So x^pc"! ' waste places.' Aesch. Frag. 193. Cp. x^PuYd8o. Jacob. Gen. xxvii. 42 ff.; xxviii. g, 10. Grimm, comp. (pvyds irovrjpias, Thuc. vi. 92. So Philo's treatise about Jacob is called Hepi (pvydSav. 'Ev rpip. EuOsiais. 'In straight paths,' without error. BaaiX. Qeou. In his dream. Gen. xxviii. 12, 17. He saw the spirit-world and the way iu which God governs the universe. So Corn, a Lap., Tirin., etc. Comp. Hos. xii. 4, g : ' He found hira iu Bethel, aud there He spake with us ; even the Lord of hosts ; the Lord iu his memorial.' In the Song of the Three Children, ver. 32, "We have : ei'Xoyijpe'vos et e'iri Bpdvov rfjs /Soo-iXeias aov. Comp. 8. Luke xiii. 29. 'Ayid)!'. ' Holy things,' ' mysteries,' parallel to 'the Kingdom of God.' Eu-n-dpriaEv. ' Enriched him amid hardships.' Vulg. : 'honestavit' See on vU. 11 ; cp. Ecclus. xi. 23, Vulg. ' In his travels.' Eng. j. e. 'travails '=' labours.' See Gen. xxx. 30, 43 ; xxxi. I, 41, 42. 'EirXi^Ouve t. irdvous. Either irdvovs must mean (as Eng.) ' the fruit of his labours,' as vUi. 7 ; or inXfjB. signifies, ' made to succeed,' ' prospered.' ndvos in the above sense occurs Prov. in. 9 ; Ecclus. xiv. ig. Comp. Past. Herm. Simil. IX. c. xxiv. 3 : irrX^Bwev aiirois iv Tols KOTTOis rav xetpdiv avrav. 11. ' In the covetousness of his oppressors,' «. «. Labau. Geu. xxxi. 7. 'EirXodxiaEv. ' Honestum fecit,' Vulg. See on vu. 1 1 ; and comp. Ecclus. xUi. 2 ; 3 Esdr. Ui. 21, Vulg. 12. 'ExOpui', ' open enemies ;' ivtSpevdvrtav, ' secret ene mies,' e.g. Laban, Esau, the Cauaanites. Gen. xxxiii. 4 ; xxxv. g. 'H(roXi(roTO. ' Tutavit,' Vulg. Act. for deponent forms are found elsewhere, e. g. ' suffiitkgare,' 3 Esdr. vi. 10 ; ' gratificare,' Eph. i. 6 ; ' demolire,' 3 Esdr. i. gg ; ' lamentaie,' ilatt. xi. 17; 'praedare,' Judith ii. 16; 'ra(Ucare,' Ecclus. xxiv. i6. The form 'tutare' occurs in Plaut. Merc. V. ii. 34 : ' Invooo vos. Lares viales, ut me bene tutetis,' where however some MSS. read ' juvetis.' 'Eppd^Eu(rEv. ' Decided iu his favour a strong con flict.' Col. iii. ig. This refers to Jacob's wrestling with the angel. Geu. xxxii. 24 ff. ; Hos. xii. 3, 4. See Pusey in I. The aco. with ppa^eia is to be com pared with such phrases as vik^v dymvo, 'OXupTno. Eucrl^Eia. Corap. I Tim. iv. 8 j vi. 6. Philo, De Leg. ad Cai. 32 (II. p. g82); eas oi irerrpea^eipeBa, pfj diroKox^ijs Tds dpet'vous iXiriSas pvpidSav roaoirav, ais ou^ virep Ke'pSous, dXX' tVep eutrejSeias e'trriv ^ inrouSij. koi toi ye fjpdpropev rovro eiirdvres. n ydp Sv eiij KepSos XvaireXitrre- pov daidrqros dvBpairois ; 13. AiKttiov. Joseph. G«u. xxxvii ; Acts vii. 9. 'E| dfiaprias ^pp. refers to the matter with Poti- phar's wife. Geu. xxxix. The Vulg. renders : ' a pec catoribus liberavit eura,' taking it of Joseph's brethren ; unless, indeed, as Eeusch thinks, 'peccatoribus' is a mistake for ' peccato.' -X, 20.] COMMENTARY. 167 14. Ai£kkov, the dungeon in which Potiphar confined Joseph, Geu. xxxix. 20. It occurs in the same sense Exod. xii. 29 : ems irpaTordKov t^s aixpaXojTi'Sos t^s e'v na XaKKto. Comp. Gen. xl. ig. ZKrj-irrpo. Gen. xii. 40-43; Acts vii. 10. The plural is commonly used in a metaphorical sense, thus Soph. Oed. Col. 449 ; Herod, vii. g2. TupavvoiJvTaiv aurou. ' Power over his oppressors,' viz. his brethren, Potiphar, etc. Gen. xii. 43 ; xUi. 6. 'Elouo-ia with gen. 8. Matt. x. i. Tois p(opT](rop.^voos, ' those that blamed him,' refers not only to Potiphar's wife (Gen. xxxix. 17), but to his brethren also, who hated him for his dreams and his father's partiality. Gen. xxxvii. 4, g. Auiviov. 'Glory to all time,' handed down from age to age. 16. Aadv otriov. The Israelites. ' A holy people,' as being separated from all other nations and made God's peculiar inheritance. See Ex. xix. g, 6 ; 3 Cor. vi. 1 7, 18. Past. Herm. Sim. IX. c. xviii. 4 : diretXiji^ftis tov Xaov aurou KaBapdv. IiTE'pfia SixEftTTTOv. Thls is taken by some to refer to the blamelessness of the Jews as regards the Egyptians; but more probably it alludes to their official characteristic, as S. Paul calls all Christians holy.' That they fell into idolatry aud other sins while sojourning in Egypt is clear from Ezek. xx. 8 ; xxiii. 3. For the deliverance spoken of see Ex. i. 1 3, 17 ; and xii. 41. 16. EiaTjXOEv. See Ex. iv. i3. QEpdirovTos Kupiou. This, and the similar expres sion, SouXos ©eou, are commonly applied to Moses in the Sept. Ex. xiv. 31 ; Numb. xii. 7 ; Ps. civ. 36. Comp. Hebr. iii. g. BaaiXEuori. Pharaoh. So Ps. civ. 30 : ' even in tlieir kings' [t£v jSatnXe'tov] chambers.' TEp. Koi (n\p. See on viii. 8. Ps. cxxxiv. 9 : eitareaTtXe trrjpela Koi repara iv peaa aov, A'iyvirre, iv Snpao) Koi e'v irScrt toTs SouXois outou. 17. 'A-ir^StoKEv. The Israelites were 'repaid' for their hard labour in Egypt by the goods, jewels, etc. which they asked of the Egyptians. Ex. xii. 3g, 36. This was according to God's promise to Abraham, Gen. xv. 14. 'QSt^ytjitev refers to the pillar of cloud. Ex. xiii. 21, 32 ; Deut. viii. 3. Eis o-K^Tn)v ^p^pas. 80 Ps. civ. 39 : Sieireraae ve- (peXrjV els aKeirrjv avrols. Ecclus. xxxi. 19 : o-Ke'Tnj dirb Kaiaavos Kai aKeirrj dirb pearjpjSpias (xxxiv, 16). "Acrrpiiiv Gutb. takes to mean the sun and moon, to which alone the flame of the pillar of fire would be compared. But taking darpov in its proper sense of ' constellation,' this seems hardly necessary. Comp. Ps. Ixxvii. 1 4 : aSfjyrjaev avrovs iv ve^eXjfj fjpepas, Kai dXijv tijv VVKTa iv (pariapa irvpds. 18, 19. Ex. xiv. Ps. Ixxvii. 13 : Steppij|e BdXaaaav Kai Sifjyayev avrovs, earrjaev fjSara aael doKov. 19. 'AvE'PpacTEV. Vulg., ' eduxit,' which is tame and inadequate. ' Cast them up,' Eng., is better. The Vulg. refers it to the Israelites as being restored to life from the grave, ' ab altitudine inferorum.' But avrovs doubtless refers to r, ixBpois ; and dve^p., ' threw up,' ' ejected,' alludes to the tradition that the sea cast out the bodies of the drowned Egyptians. Targum of Jerusalem : ' The sea and the earth had controversy one with the other. The sea said to the earth. Receive thy children ; and the earth said to the sea. Receive thy murderers. But the earth willed not to swallow them, aud the sea willed not to overwhelm them.' See Ginsburg, ap. Kitt. Cycopl. Art. ' Book of Wisdom,' note p. 1 1 16, vol. III. (ed. 1866). Josephus, Ant. ii. 1 6. 6, mentions that all the arms and baggage of the Egyptians were driven ashore near the camp of the Israelites, who were thus provided with weapons. Comp. Ex. xiv. 30 : ' And Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.' See next verse. 20. Aid touto. Because the Egyptians were found dead on the shore. See on ver. 19. 'Leviathan,' in Ps. Ixxiv. 14, refers to the Eg3q)tians, whose corpses became a prey to the creatures that inhabit the desert. "Yp.vTjo-av. Exod. xv. Comp. Is. xii. g : ipvfjaare rb ovopa Kvpiov. Esth. iv. (ig) additam'. tva ^avres vpvapev aov to ovopa, Kvpie. 168 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [X. 21- 'Yirepfioxo''- ' Victricem,' Vulg. Rather ' defend ing,' 'that fought for them,' as xvi, 17 ; 2 Mace. viu. 36. PhUo, De Somn. II. 42 (I. p. 696) : peydXv ye fj fmeppaxos x«P, referring to the same event. 21. KtiKJiuv. Moses, who was slow of speech (Ex. iv. 10; -vi. 12, 30), aud the people, who through fear had not dared to sing unto God in the house of bondage, now praised Him in a hymn of victory. NTiiTicav. Ps. vui. 2 : ' Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength.' Tpavds from rpavbs = rpavfjs, ' piereing,' ' distinct.' Vulg., 'disertas,' vii. 22. The Vulg. rendering: 'os mutorum et linguas infantium,' seems to imply, in the eyes of some commentators, a special miracle; but there is uo warrant for this iu Scripture nor tradition, if we except the gloss iu the spurious treatise among the works of S. Aug., De Mmib. S. Script, c. 21, where it is said that, though few out of the great multitude could have heai-d Moses leading the song, yet that all, young, and old, joined in it with one accord, aud sang in perfect unison with him. CHAPTEE XI. 1. EuiiSuiTE . . 8i(u8Euaav, v. 2, a play of words. The subject is still Wisdom. 'Ev xeipi. ' By the hand,' as Acts vii. 3g. Vulg., 'in manibus.' Ps. Ixxvi. 21 : mS^jo-as its irpd^ara rbv Xadv aav iv x^tpl Mavtrfj Kni 'Aaptov. npoifi^Tou dyiou. Moses. Deut. xviii. 18 ; xxxiv. 10-12. For the term 'holy' appUed to Prephets comp. S. Luke i. 70 ; 2 S. Pet. iii. 2. 2. "Eirrilov. The classical word for ' pitching' a tent. Plat. De Legg. vii. 19 (p. 817 C) : o-itijvds irfj^avras kot dyopdv. Heb. viii. 2. See Jer. ii. 6. 3. noXEjiiois, 'open enemies' in battle, as tbe Amale- kites (Ex xvii. 8-16); Arad (Numb. xxi. 1-3); the Amorites (Numb. xxi. 2i-2g); and Og (Numb. xxi. 33-35)- 'ExOpods, ' those who hated them,' as the Moabites and Midianites (Numb. xxv. 17, 18 ; xxxi. 2). 4. The author omits the murmuring of the people, and alludes only to God's mercy in relieving their wants. Ex. xvii. 4-6; Numb. xx. 8-1 1. 'Ek irE'Tpas dKpoTdp.ou. ' De petra altissima,' Vulg. ' The flinty rock,' Eng. 'AKpor. is ' abrupt,' ' preci pitous.' It is used sometimes without nerpa, as Ecclus. xlviii. 17. Comp. Deut. viii. ig: roC i^- yaydvTos aoi e'k irerpas dKpordpou Trijy^v (/Sotos. The word is of late use. Thus Polyb. Hist. ix. 27. 4: Keirai rb reixos iirl irerpas OKpordpov Kai irepippmyos. Philo, All. II. 2 1 (I. p. 82): IJ ydp OKpoTopos irerpa fj ao(pia Toi Qeov ianv. So Vit. Mos. I. 38 (II. p. 114); Xa|3o>v Mo)vo-^s TIJV iepdv iKeivtjV /SoKTijpi'av . , . Beo- tpoprjBels TIJV dKpdropov jrat'ei irerpav. Ps. Ixxvii. ig, 1 6, 20. See I Cor. x. 4. We may note that our author seems to have had the words of the Septuagint version before him. 5.-XII. 1. Wisdom exhibited in the punishment of Goti's enemies : the £gyptia)K<. 5. The principle of retiibutive justice is seen to pervade all God's dealings with the Israelites and Egyptians aud Cauaanites. 'Ex6poi auTuv. After these words the Vulg. intro duces a gloss, which is entirely without autiiority from the Greek : ' A defectione potus sui, et iu eis cum abun- .darent filii Israel laetati sunt.' It seems to be an ex planation of the text, coutrastiug the want of water suffered by the Egyptians when the Nile was turned into blood with the abundant supply bestowed on the -XI. 9-J COMMENTARY. 169 Israelites. But it is most unnecessary, as the follow ing verses sufficiently explain the allusion. ' Aid ToiJTtiJv, viz. by miracles connected with water. AuToi. The Israelites. Ex. vu. 19; xvn. 6; Numb. XX. 10, II. 6. 'AEvdou seems more correct than dewdou. The MSS. vary. Bar. v. 7 ; 2 Macc. vii. 36. Ailpan Xu6p(68Ei Tapax6E'vTos. ' Of a river troubled (or, turbid) with foul blood.' The reference of course is to the first Plague. AuSpdiSijs is a very uncommon word. AiBpov is found in Homer, meaning ' defilement from blood.' The reading rapaxBevres introduces a harsh anacoluthon, not in accordance with our writer's habit. The Vulg. differs widely from the text: 'Hu manum sanguinem dedisti injustis ;' and it seems to translate rapaxBevres by ' Qui cum minuerentur.' Philo, Vit. Mos. 17 (II. p. 96) : avve^aiparoivrai S' aira Xipvai, hiipvxes, Kpfjvai, (ppeara, irrjyal, aipwaaa fj Kar A'iyvirrov oiaia vSaros, as diroplii ttotou rd Tropd rais SxBais dva- meXXeiv, rds 8' dvarepvopevas tpXefias, KaBdirep iv rais aipoppa- yiais, KpovvrjSbv avXovs dicovri^etv aiparos, prjSepids ivoptopevrjs Siouyous XtjSdSos. Joseph. Ant. II. xiv. i : ovxl rfjv xpdav te pdvov fjv TotouTos (so. alparabrjs), dXXd Kai rois ireipapivots mvtiv dXyijpara Red iriKpdv dSuvijv irpoae^epev. rjv Se roiovros pev Alyvirriois, 'E^paiois Se yXuKus Kai rrdripos, Kai pijSev tou tiara tpvaiv iraprjXXay pevos. So IU. i. 4 : d outos irorapbs eKeivois pev otpa ^v Kai airoros, avrols Se rrdripos Kai yXvKvs. 'AvTi pev with no Se, but the clause eSoiKas k.t.X., ver. 7, virtually contains the contrast. For the regard paid by the Egyptians to their river-god Nilus or Hapi- man see Wilkinson, Anc. Egypt, iii. p. 206. 7. Eis IXE-yxoi'. ' For reproof,' ' punishment,' refer ring to the verse preceding. See Ex. i. 16, 22. Vulg. : 'Qui cum minuerentur in traductione infantium occisorum.' For ' traductio ' as the translation of tktyxos comp. ii. 14; xviii. g, Vulg., and see on iv. 20. S. Ephr. Syr. iu Exod. c. -vii. (p. 207) : ' Et quidem Verisimile est regem Aegypti patrio fiumine statura et solenne sacrificium frequenter factitasse juxta decreta magorum, quibus plurimum deferebat. Hic Pharao, qnum a Moyse Dei nomine interpellatus, Hebraeos se dimissurum negaret, Moyses percussit flumen, quod antiquus ille Pharao polluerat; ut aquae infantium sanguine foedatae in sanguinem verterentur, et pisces hominura mortuorum carnibus saginati, et ipsi more- rentur.' ' All this was the Lord God of the Hebrews his doing, that the blood of the Hebrew infants might be required of the Egyptians, Kara dvrtireirovObs, accord ing to the law of retaliation, or most exquisite rule of primitive justice.' Jackson, ix. pp. 414, 4ig, ed. 1844. NuTTioKTdvou. A new word, as reKvotpdvos, xiv. 33. AuTots. The Israelites in the wilderness. 8. T(5te, when the Israelites were without water in the wilderness. 'EKiJXao-as. Ex. vii. 30. See on ver. g. Vulg.: 'Quem admodum tuos exaltares et adversaries illos necares,' where ' tuos exaltares et ' seems to be an interpolation. 9. ' When they, the Israelites, were tried by thirst (although indeed it was in mercy that they were thus dis ciplined), they learned how the ungodly, the Egyptians, being judged in wrath, were tormented.' They recog nised the different treatment accorded to them and to their eneraies. This passage is a good instance of the careful balancing of words and clauses affected by the writer. See Gutb. Cp. Deut. viii. 2, 3. The Eng. Vers, adds, ' thirsting in another manner than the just ;' which words occur in the original at the end of ver. 14, and are found in this ver. 9 neither in MSS., nor Compl., nor Aid., nor in other versions. Arn. thinks it shows great sagacity in our translators to have discovered the right place for this clause, which he considers to be unmeaning in ver. 14. Most readers will not agree with bim. Dean Jackson (bk. x. ch. 40) sees in this and similar passages what he calls an opinion ' so far from being canonical, scarce orthodoxal,' viz. that the Jews, because they were the seed of Abraham, were the only righteous seed, and that the Lord, though He corrected and chastised them, would never plague them as He did the unrighteous heathen, or punish them with blindness of heart. ' The receipt or medi cine for curing this disease we have set down Rom. ix. 18: " Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will z 170 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [Xl. 10- have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth." ' Works, ix. p. 416. It is true that the author makes the most of the contrast betweeu the treatment of the Jews and that shown to their heathen enemies, but he follows the line of Scripture in so doing. Comp. Deut. xi. 2-4 with viU. g, ig, 16; vU. 13, 14 with vers, ig, 16. 10. 'Qs iruTi^p. Comp. Deut. viU. g ; 3 Sam. vii. 14 ; Hebr. xii. g, 6. 'A-iroTopios, 'severe.' Comp. Rom. xi. 22 : ISe ovv XprjtrrdrTjra Kai dirorojiiav Seou. KaToSiK. E^T. Vulg. : ' interrogans condemnasti.' Sabat. : ' condemnans interrogasti.' 11. 'AirdvTEs. ' TVTiether they were far awaj- from the Israelites, or in thefr presence.' While the Israelites wei-e in Egypt, the Egyptians were vexed with tlie Plagues ; wheu the Israelites were departed, the Egyptians were vexed with grief aud envy. 'ErpilxovTo. Comp. xiv. ig. 12. AiitXtj y"*?- Explained in ver. 13. First, the thought that thefr punishment brought deliverance to the Hebrews ; secondly, the enforced recognition of the power of the Lord, and the nothingness of their gods. Mvi/|p.o>v tuv TTOpEXGdvTtiiv. ' Gcmitus memor (cum memoria, Vulg.) praeteritorum.' Reusch. This read ing has the greatest authority ; that of Vat., pvijpmv rav irapeXBavaav, must mean, ' groaning over past re membrances.' 13. Aid T&v 18. KoX. ' By that which punished them,' the Egyptians, e.g. water. EuEpYEToupE'vous, ' wcrc being continually benefited.' The reading euepyenjpe'vous is the alteration of some scribe who did not underatand the force of the present participle. 'HitreovTo t. Kupiou, ' they took knowledge of the Lord,' recognised His hand iu that which befel them. xii. 27. Vulg. : ' Commemorati sunt Dominum, admi rantes in finem exitus ;' where we may note • com- raemorari' used as a deponent verb (cp. Bar. iii. 23), and the added clause, which seeras to be an inter polation from the next verse. Blunt observes that it is noteworthy that the Egyptians made no attack on the Israelites from tbe exodus till the reign of Reho- boam. Cp. Ps. Ixiv. 9. 14. *0v yop- The other reading, tov -ydp, bas more authority, but mai^s the sentence, ' For him whom, long before cast forth wheu the childi-en were ex posed.' Tlie reference, of couree, is to Moses. Ex. ii. 3. Vulg. : ' In expositioue prava prejectum,' omitting irdXat, or reading kokj. Comp. xviii. g ; Acts vii. 19, 21. 'A-iTEiirov xXEudp. 'They rejected with scoffe,' t.«. when he was endeavouring to effect the deliven-ince of his people. Ex. v. 3, 4 ; vii. 23 ; x. 10, 11, 28. 'E-iri tAei t. iKp. ' At the end of the events.' Grimm interprets this to mean, at the end of the Ten Plagues; but the succeeding clause confines the reference to the miraculous supply of water in the wilderness, marvellous stories of which may have reached the Egyptians. For the reputation of Moses among the Egyptians before the Exodus see Ex. xi. 3. An|fi^(TovTEs, i.e. having themselves thii-sted in a very different mauner from the Hebre-ws. Ovx opoto, a litotes. Eng. omits this clause. See on ver. 9. They had uo relief for their thii-st when their river was turned into blood. 15. 'AvTi. 'For'=in punishraent of 'the foolish thoughts of (proceeding from) tlieir iniquity.' Comp. Rom. i. 2 1 : ' became vain in their imaginations (SioXo- yio-pois), and their foolish (do-uveros) heart was dark ened.' 'AXoya ^piTETd. ' Mutos serpentes,' Vulg. Rather, 'irrational.' Ch. xvii. 9; 2 Pet. ii. 12. The v\'ord epirerd, ' reptiles,' raay include crocodiles. See next note. KvidSaXa euteXtj. ' Vile, worthless animals.' The Egyptians worshipped animals of all kinds, from the crocodile to the mosquito. Vulg., 'bestias super- -vacuas.' And so xii. 24 ; xv. 10 ; xvi. 29. ' Useless beasts.' 'EiraTr^(rr£iXos. Deut. xxviU. 48; Ecclus. xxviii. 23 (A.C); Polyb. L Iiii. g. -XI. 1 8.] COMMENTARY. 171 Z(il(i)v, ' living creatures,' e. g. frogs, flies, lice, locusts. Ex. viii. and x. Blunt thinks that the writer refers to the crocodiles which infest the Nile. But the reference seems to be to some of the Ten Plagues. Comp. ch. xvi. 9. 16. This retribution may be traced throughout the Ten Plagues, according to the distich : ' Per quod quis peccat, per idem punitur et idem.' Comp. xii. 23; xvi. I. S. Athan. applies this principle to the circum stances of Herod's death. See below. Kai KoXdJ. The addition of koi is found in a Fragment attributed to S. Athanasius (xxvi. p. I2g6, Migne; Montfauc. ii. 26). 17. Ou ydp TJir^pEi . . . iiriirE'fitliai. ' Non enim im- possihilis erat . . . imraittere,' Vulg. ' Impossibilis ' is a late word, not found with the sense of ' unable,' as here, but with a passive sense = ' that cannot be done,' ' impossible.' It is here = ' impotens.' XEip. Pearson (On the Creed, Art. II. note e, pp. 131, 132, ed. 1833) notes that as in Isai. xlviii. 13, the ' hand of God ' is by the Chaldee paraphrast trans lated the ' Word of God,' so here 17 iravroSivapds aov XelpKoi Kriaaaa rbv Kdapov becomes, Xviii. ig, TravroSuvopds o-ou X()yos air ovpavav. "Et d(i(jp(|)ou uXt|s. ' Out of matter without form,' i. e. out of chaos. The term is Plato's, but the idea is not necessarily the same as his. Our author says no thing about matter being eternal, and is speaking of the moulding and adaptation of the previously created material. The commentators quote a passage from Timaeus Locr., the supposed teacher of Plato, p. 94 A : TOUTOV Se TOV uXov dtSiov pev etpa, ov pdv oKlvarov, apop(pov Se Kaff eavrdv Kai daxijpdriarov, Sexopevav Se irdaav popipdv. The Vulg. translates, 'ex materia invisa,' with refer ence probably to Gen. i. 2 : ^ Se y5 V" ddparos koi (Karao-KeuooTos. 8. Aug. de Gen. ad Lit. I. § 28 (t, iii. 126): ' Qui fecisti mundum ex materia informi.' But De Fid. et Symb. cap. ii. he writes : ' Qui fecisti mun dum ex materia invisa, vel etiam informi sicut non- nulla exemplaria teneut.' Just. Mart. Apol. i. i o : Kai iravra t^v dpxfjV ayaBbv ovra Srjpiovpyfjaai avrbv i^ dpoptpov vXrjs St' dvBpairovs Sebi8dypeBa. Corap. Philo, De Cherub. 3g (I. p. 162) : ean pev rb v^' ol, rb eurtov, i^ ovSe, fj uXij. See Orig. Hepi 'Ap^. iv. 33 (I. p. 192, Ben.). 8. Aug. sees nothing erroneous iu our author's statement. About this he writes thus : ' Primo ergo materia facta est confusa et informis, unde omnia fierent quae dis- tincta atque forraata sunt, quod credo a Graecis chaos appellari . . . Et ideo Deus rectissime creditur omnia de nihUo fecisse, quia etiamsi omnia formata de ista ma teria facta sunt, haec ipsa materia tamen de omnino nihilo facta est.' DeGen. contr. Manich. i. §§9, 10. In the passage quoted above from De Fide et Symb. he continues : ' Et si ipsum caelum et terram, i. e. mundura et omnia quae in eo sunt, ex aliqua materia fecerat, sicut scriptum est " Qui fecisti . . . invisa," nullo modo credendum est illam ipsam materiam, de qua factus est mundus, quaravis informem, quaravis invisam, quocun que modo esset, per se ipsam esse potuisse, tamquam coaeteruam et coaevam Deo : sed quemlibet raodum suum, quem habebat, ut quoquo modo esset, et dis- tinctarum rerum formas posset accipere, non habebat nisi ab oranipotente Deo, cujus beneficio est res non solum quaecunque formata, sed etiam quaecunque for- mabiUs . . . Hoc autem diximus, ne quis existimet con- trarias sibi esse divinarum Scripturarum sententias, quoniam et omnia Deum fecisse de nihilo scriptura est, et mundum esse factum de informi materia.' ' A raultitude of bears.' As God threatened the Israelites, Lev. xxvi. 22 ; Jer. viii. 17. Comp. Philo, de Vit. Mos. i. 19 (II. p. 97). "ApKos is the Alex, form of apKTos. Bears were sent to punish the mocking chil dren, 2 Kings ii. 24, and lions punished the disobedient prophet, I Kings xiii. 24, and the strangers in Samaria, 3 Kings xvu. 36. Comp. i Kings xx. 36. See also ch. xii. 9, and note there. 18. Neoktiotous, 'newly-formed' by Him who made (ktio-os) the world. eup.ou -irXiip. ' Ira plenas.' Comp. vii. 20 ; xvi. g. Some unnecessarily have supposed that ^upos here means ' poison,' as perhaps in Deut. xxxii. 33 ; Job XX. 16. z 3 172 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xi. 19- Bpdpiov XiK|iupi^vous Ka-irvou. ' Fumi odorem pro ferentes.' Vulg. Bpijpos is here = ^papos, ' a stiuk.' The MSS. vary much in this passage. The reading in the text has most authority. The Eng. seems to have read ^pipovs (V. al.) Xotpm/ie'vou (Comp.) KairvoC. Mr. Churton compares the desaiption of the monstei- in Job xU. 20, 21. 19. BXaPt). ' Laesura,' Vulg. A post-class, woi^d ; it occurs also xviii. 3. Tertull. De Patient, vii : ' laesura divitiarum.' Grut, Inscr. Bom. g67. 8 : 'Quae vixit mecum Annis xvU. M. U. D. iii. sine uUa animi laesura.' ZuvEKTpi<|iai. The a-iv is intensive, like the prefix ' to ' in old EugUsh. Thus Judg. ix. 53 : ' And all to- brake his skull.' Cliaucer, Knight's Tale, 2611 : 'Tlie helmes they to-iiewen and to-siirede.' 20. 'Evl TTVEiJjjiaTi . . . fiird irvEdfiaTOS Suv. ' Blast.' See V. 23. So of Senuacbei'ib it was said, 2 Kings xix. 7 : ' Behold, I will send a blast (rrvevpa) upon him.' Job iv. 9 : dird Se irveiparos dpy^s airov dtpavi- aBfjaovrai. 'Ytto Tijs 8iKT|s SiojxO. Vulg. ; ' Pei-secutiouem passi ab ipsis factis suis.' Many of these unauthorised variations from the Greek text are not noted by Gutb., whose Church considers the Vulg. of equal authority with the original. For the notion of vengeance dogging the sinner see Acts xxviii. 4. 'AXXd -irdrra, k.t.X. Comp. Job xxviii. 2g ; Isai. xl. 12. Thus 4 Esdr. iv. 36, 37 : ' Quoniam in statera pouderavit saeculum, et mensura mensuravit tempera, ct numero numeravit tempera.' The stateraent is true of the physical and moral world. Here it refers to the latter, and means generally that God, limiting His Omnipotence, awards His punishment by impartial rules, trying to lead men to repentance. The sym- metr}', harraony, and order that reign in the material uuivei-se are a figure and example of those which pre vail in the moral government of the world. Corap. Ecclus. i. 9 ; xvi. 2g. S. Bas. Magn. Hom. Ui. in Hexaem. g (p. 27, Ben.) : d toivuv dirovra trraBp^ Kai perp^ Siara^pevos (dpiOprfral ydp avr^, Kard t&v 'lii.S, mi (mtydves eitriv verou), ijSet trdtrov T^ Koapifi xpdvov di^ttpiirev Ets Stapov^v, Kat irdinjv XPV ^ irvpl irpoairoBeoBat Sairavijv. S. Aug., too, has treated this passage at some length (De Geu. ad Lit. IV. v. § 12). Thus : ' Faciamus ita dictum esse " Omnia . . . disposuisti," tanquam dictum esset, ita disposita ut haberent pi-oprias mensui'as suas, et proprios numeros, et proprium poudus, quae iu eis pro sui cujusque generis mutabilitat* mutarentur, aug- mentis et diminiitionibus, multitudine et paucitate, levitate et gravitate, secundum dispositionem Dei.' Cf. contr. Jul. Op. Imp. U. § 87 (t. x. 987). 21. Td Y"^ fi^Y- '"^X- gives the ground for 18-20. loi irdpEtrriv. Vulg. : ' Tibi soli supererat,' where ' soli ' is an interpolation, and ' supererat ' ought to be ' superat.' which is found in some MSS. Tis drntrr. This is quoted by Clem. Rom., aud it is remarkable as being the earliest citation of the Book of Wisdom exterior to the N. T., e'v Xdyi^ rijs peyoXoxruvijs outou (ruve(rrij(raTo rd irtivra Kai ev Xo-yt;^ Suvorot ou-rd KaraoTpeT^ai. Tis e'pei aiTii^ Ti iiroirjaas ; fj ris dvn- (rrfjaerdi r^ Kpdrei rfjs iirxyos avrov ; 'Ote BeXei Koi as BeXei, woifjaei wdna Kai ovSev pfj irapeXBg tmv SeSoypartff- pe'vuv uir' aurou. Ep. ad Cor. xxvii. See Pi-olegom. p. 36, aud note on xii. 12. 22. 'PoTrf) iK ¦irXaoTiYYO"'. ' The turn of the scales.' ' Momentum staterae.' Eng. : ' Little gmn of the balance ;' taking porrfj for ' that whieh turns the scale.' So Grimm : 'an atom iu the scale.' Is. xl. ig : (!>e poinj ^uyou. 'OpOpivi^. ' A morning drop of dew.' Usually taken per hypallagen for ' a drop of morning dew ;' as Vulg. : ' Gutta roris antelucaui ;' reading perhaps dpBptvTjs. Comp. Hos. vi. 4, and xiii. 3 : is Spdotis opBptvfj wopevopevrj. Const, Apost. vui. 37 : perd rd ptjBSjvai rov opBptvbv [ypvov], i. e. Matins. 23. 'Oti. ' Because.' ' God's Almighty powei' is the foundation of His mercy.' Comp. Collect in P. R for Xlth Sund. after Trinity : ' 0 God, who declai-est Thy Almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity.' This is taken from the Sarum MLssal, and .^XII. I.j COMMENTARY. 173 is also found in the Sacramentary of Gelasius. See ch. xii. 1 6, and Ecclus. xviii. 13. riapopas . . . p.ETdvoiav. A remarkable anticipation of S. Paul's language, Rora. ii. 4 : ' Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.' Comp. Acts xvii. 30 : ' The times of this ignorance God winked at (uirepiSmv), but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent (peTovoeiv).' 2 Pet. Ui. 9. Ecclus. xxviii. 7 : TrdpiSc dyvotav. ' Because they should amend,' Eng., where ' because ' =' in order that.' Comp. 8. Matt. XX. 31: 'Rebuked them because they should hold their peace.' So 'quia' is used in late Latin for 'ut.' 24. 'Ayoirds Y'^P- '^^^ reason of God's long- suffering and mercy. Euseb. in Psalm xxiv. 10 (p. 93, Ben.) : e'Xeei ydp rd ovra koi ouSeV /SSeXuuo-eTai Siv iiroirjaev ouSe ydp ptaav n KareaKeiaae — quoting from memory. OuSev PSeX. Comp. Coll. for Ash- Wednesday : ' Omnipotens aeterue Deus, Qui nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti ;' which is the Vulg. version of this passage, and is found in the Sarum Missal, with the addition of a clause from ver. 23: 'Dissimulans peccata omnium propter poenitentiam.' Comp. Prov. xvi. 4. 8. Bas. Lit'. Copt. : ' Deus magne et aeterne, qui hominem absque vitio condidisti, et mortem quae Satanae invidia in mundum intraverat, per adventum FUU Tui . . . de- struxlsti' (XXXI. p. 1666, Migne). Clem. Al. Paed. i. 8. 62 (p. I3g) : fjV ydp ouSev 6 pio-ei d Kipios. OuSe ydp. ' Nee enim odiens aliquid constituisti aut fecisti,' Vulg. This is not accurate and contains an unauthorised addition. Eng. : ' For never wouldest Thou have made anything if Thou hadst hated it.' ' Odiens' is a forra unknown to classical Latin, but various parts of the verb ' odio' are -used in the Vulg. and by late authors. Thus, 'odirent,' Ps. civ. 2g; ' odiet,' Luke xvi. 13; 'odibunt,' Prov. i. 22 : ' odite,' Ps. xcvi. 10; ' oditur,' Tert. Apol. 3. 25. KXtje^v. 'Called into being.' Is. xU. 41 : ' Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning?' Ib. xlviii. 13, and Rom. iv. 17: 'God, Who . . . calleth those things which be not as though they were.' Comp. Neb. ix. 6. 26. Sd e'o-n irdvra, (piX6^\pvxe, Orig. con. Cels. iv. 28 (I. g2i, Ben.). Did. De Trin. U. 6 (xxxix. go9, M.) reads : fj to pfj fiXrjBev iirb aov irrjpfjBij ] (peiSrj Se TrdvnBV, on irdvra ad ianv, Aeairora (piXd^jfVxe, Kai rb dtpBaprdv aov Uvevpd ianv iv irdai. iXdi|/uxos in classical Greek means, ' fond of life,' 'cowardly.' (Comp. S. John xii. 2g : d i^tXSv t^v ypvxfjv). Here it means, ' lover of souls,' ' qui amas animas,' a beautiful expression. Comp. i. 13; Ezek. xviii. 4 : ' Behold, all souls are Mine.' 8. Matt, xviii. 14. See Prolegom. p. 27. CHAPTEE XII. 1. To Y&p gives the reason why God is ' a lover of souls,' xi. 26. The Vulg. here, as in iv. i, introduces an exclamatory sentence, not warranted by the Greek: ' 0 quam bonus et suavis est, Domine, spiritus Tuus in omnibus I' Some countenance is lent to this clause by the Ar. and Syr. versions, which give respectively, Arab. : ' Nam spiritus bonus omnibus inest.' Syr. : 'Amator es animarum, quia spiritus bonus habitat in omnibus.' But the Greek MSS. do not vary. 8. Aug. Con. Faust, xix. 28 (VIII. 320 D) has: 'Bonus enim spiritus Tuus est in omnibus.' 'Ev -n-airi. Eng., 'in all things,' taking jrSo-t as neut., as ttovtcov, xi. 36. This is not Pantheism, but a truth expressed elsewhere in the Bible. Thus Ps. civ. 30: 'Thou seudest forth Thy Spirit, they are created : aud Thou renewest the face of the earth.' 174 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xii. j- Job xxxiii. 4 : ' The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.' Comp. Geu. ii. 7 ; vi. 3 (Sept,), aud see note on i. 7. It is easier however to take Trdo-t as masc. witi reference to (piXd'^jrvxe (koto trvveatv). Gutb. quotes Thom. Aquiu. i. 9. 8 a 3 : ' Deus dicitur esse in re aliqua dupUciter : Uno modo per modum causae agentis et sic est in omnibus rebus creatis ab ipso. AUo modo sicut objectum opei-ationis est iu openiute, ipod proprium est in operationibus animae, secundum quod cognitum est in cognoscente et desideratum iu desiderante . . . Est in omnibus per potentiam, in- quantum omnia ejus potestate subdiintiu-,' etc. The author does not mean to imply that the Spirit of God is in the sarae degree and iu the same maimer present in all men good or bad : otherwise he would eonti-adict himself See i. 3-g. So the charge of Platonism founded ou this passage is futik. S. Athan., Ep. I. ad Serap. 26 (I. pp. 674, 67g), quotes rb ydp dtpBaprdv aov Uveipd ianv iv irdai, and then a little further ou saj-s : TO pev nveupa Kvpiov ireirXfjpaKe rfjv oiKoupc'vijv. Ounu ydp KOI 6 Aa^iS ipdkXei' Uov iropevBa dirb tou irveupaTos o-ou ; Kol TrdXiv e'v rjj So^io yeypairrai' Td ydp, k.t.X. And Ep. m. ad Scrap. 4 (p. 693), after citing the Psalm as above, nou , . . nveupards aov; he proceeds, is pfj ovros avrov ev rdrrta, dXX' e^o) pev rmv Trdvnoi', e'v Se t^ Yiijj ovtos, as ian Kai d Yios e'v no Uarpi. 2-27. Wisdom e.vhibiied in the pttnishment of God's enemies, especially the Canaanites. Tlie lesson to be learned therefrom. 2. Aid, i.e. because God is pitiful, xi. 33-36. napaTriTTTOVTas. So sin is rrapdirrapa, Rom. xi. 11. See on x. i, and comp. vi. 9. Vulg., 'eos qui exer rant.' ' Exerro' is a very rare word, occurring 3 Macc. u. 3 ; S. Cypr. Ep. i. 13. Stat. Theb. vi. 444 : 'Spargitur in gyros, dexterque exerrat Orion.' Kot' dXiyov, 'by little and little.' Vulg., • par tibus '=' partim,' which is uot found in Vulg. 'Par tibus' occurs again ver. 10. The stateraent is general, but with special reference to tlie Canaanites, as the following vei-se shows. Comp. Ps. cxl. 5 ; Hebr. xii. g-io; and see Amos iv. 6-1 1. 'It is a great gift of God, that He should care for us, so as to chasten us.' Pusey in lot: 'YTrop,i|j.i^aK(>)v, by judgments which show the con nection between sin and punishment, xi. 16. 3. rioX. oiKi^Topas, governed by pia^aas. The 'old in habitants ' ai-e the seven nations of Canaan conquered by the IsraeUtes. Deut. vii. i. 'Inhabitatores,' Vulg. Zeph. ii. g. See on ver. g for woi'ds of similar formatiou. 'Ayios yfjsi so called a Macc. i. 7. Munljtros. Ps. v. 6, 7 : ipitrtjaas irdvras rois epya- fope'vous T^v dvopiav . . . SvSpa aipMxav KOt SdXiov fiSeXvtr- aerai Kipios. God hates the siuuer's sin, though He is merciful to the sinner. See ver. 8. 4. 'Eirl TU. The ground of God's hatred of them. ' For performing most odious works of sorcery and impious rites.' Ex. xxii. 18 ; Lev. xviii. 24-28 ; Deut. xviii. 9-14. 'Exeitrro. ' OdibUin,' Vulg. So Ecclus. vii. 28; Rora. i. 30; Rev. xviU. 2. This is au ante-classical word revived in later Latin. It occurs in Accius (b. c. 136), in Prise, p. 709 P: 'Gnati mater pessinu odibilis;' and iu Lamprid, Heliogab. c. 18: 'Alta, moribus, improbitate ita odibilis ut ejus nomen senatus eraserit.' Corap. S. Ambr. Ep. 14 ; De Cain et Abel, i. 4. See note on x. 4. ?opp.aKEiav. Rev. ix. 21. 'Witchcrafts.' Ex. vii. 22 ; Is. xlvii. 9, 13. 5. T^Kviuv TE (|)(5vEas. Fritzsche reads (^ovds, which he would join with epya aud reXeTds. But the change is against the authority of all MSS., and unnecessai-y. The 'murderers of chUdreu' refer to the worshippers of Moloch and Baal, Lev. xx. 3-g; 3 Kings iii. 27; Ps. evi. 37i 38 ; Jei-. vii. 31 ; xix. g. The idea of these sacrifices was that the worth of such vicarious atone ment was enhanced by the preciousness of the thing offered, the enormity of this violation of the holiest instincts being covered by the proof thus afforded of the superiority of religious to human obligations. See -XII. 6.] COMMENTARY. 175 further, on xiv. 23. For the Vulg. word 'necator' (Macrob. Sat. i. 33) see below. 7irXaYX''t"l>'^Y''"' depends on ^oTvav, which is governed, as the other accusatives, by piafjaas, ver. 3. 'AvBp. aapKwv depends ou oTrXay^v., ' the feast of the entrail- eaters of men's flesh.' There is a reading o-n-Xoyxvoc^d- yous found in Compl., but without MS. authority. The Vulg. may perhaps have so read, translating : ' Et comestores viscerum hominum et devoratores sanguinis.' There seems to be no evidence that the Canaanites were guilty of cannibalism. It is probably an exagger ation of the author. Comp. 2 Macc. vi. 7. The Vulg. word ' comestor ' is dir. Xey. ' Comessor ' occurs in Tertull. Adv. Marc. I. i. Other unusual words of the same formation are these : ' adnuntiator,' Acts xvii. 18; 'clusor,' 3 Kings xxiv. 14 ; ' ascensor,' Exod. xv. I ; ' conspector,' Ecclus. xxxvi. 19 ; ' exterminator,' I Cor. X. 10; ' malefactor,' i Pet. ii. 12; ' mediator,' Gab iU. 19; 'miserator,' James v. 11 ; 'devorator' oc curs Luke vii. 34, and in Tertull. De Resurr. XXX. ii. Kai aip,aTos. This clause is one of the most difii eult passages in the whole Book, owing to the evident corruption of the text and the impossibility of restoring it satisfactorily. The readings of the MSS. will be seen in the critical note. The versions afford little help. Tailing the Vat. reading, ex peaov pvaraBelas aov, as the starting-point, we have almost as many variations as MSS., and as raany conjectures as editors. The Vat. itself has been altered into pvaovpvaraaBetaaov. Vulg. : ' a medio Sacramento tuo,' perhaps having pvarrjpiov aov. The Syr. gives : ' Fecerunt in medio sacramento sine lege.' The Ar. : ' Quum abstulissent e medio sui (Uvi- norum sacrameutorum cognitionem.' Of the editions, that of Basil, ig4g, reads : e'K peaov piaras re Beias aov. Compl. : e'K pecrou piaras Betas aov, with the wonderful translation : ' De medio sacramenti Divini tui.' Basil, 155° : e'k piaovs pvtrras re Beiaapov. Beinecc. and Aug. as Vat. Apel : aiparos iKpio-ov pvaras Bidaov. Grimra, 1837 : cKpvaovs pvaras Bidaov. i860 : e'K piaovs piaras viaaov. Fritzsche : a'poros ix peaov pvaras Bidaov. Gutb. retains the Vat. reading. If we can be satisfied with retaining words which occur nowhere else, we have three alternatives. We may keep pvaraBelas, deriving it from pvardBrjs, which Hesychius admits, explaining it etSds n KOt (pparpid pavveav. Or we may adopt the Sin. word pvaradiaaos, a compound of piarrjs and Blaaos. Or, leaving puo-ras ^ido-ou, we may, with Grimm and Reusch, turn e'K piaov into the new word iKpiaov, from iKpvafjs, ' abominandus.' Neither of these alternatives approves itself to me ; and, faUing any better sug gestion, I am inclined to read, with Fritzsche, puoras Bidaov, but taking Koi atparos with the preceding clause. 6. Kai aip.aTos, with airXayxvotpdyav, ' eaters of men's flesh and of blood.' This was expressly contrary to God's ordinance, Gen. ix. 4 ; Lev. xvii. 10. Calmet :' Sunt qui ferant : Epulum sanguinis ex medio choreae Mena- dura. Satis constat, in Bacchi orgiis cruda exsta cruentasque carnes vorari consuevisse.' Ap. Migne, Script. Sacr. Curs. 'Ek p.^aou p.ij(rTas 0tdo-ou. Muo-tos is probably governed by diroXiaai. ' Thou wishedst to destroy the initiated (the votaries) from the midst of their com pany,' or, as Arnald words it : ' Thou wast determined to destroy those priests particularly amidst all the crew of idolaters, ex medio tripudiantium coetu.' This is very much the sense of the Eng. version. AuSeVxas, 'murderers with their own hand,' or ' murderers of their own flesh and blood,' like Aeschyl. Agam. ig73: Tpt'/Jetv Bavdrois avBevraiat. The Vulg. ' auctores' is quite a mistake, as Gutb. allows, unless the word ' caedis' has dropped out. ' Souls destitute of help,' i. e. their own children. The Jews learned these horrid rites from the Canaanites. Thus Ps. evi. 37, 38: 'They sacrificed their sons and daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan.' Comp. Jer. vii. 3 1 ; Deut. xii. 31. See on ver. g. 'APoi)9iito)v, Ps. Ixxxvii. g; 2 Macc. iii. 38. ' In auxiliatarura,' Vulg. This is arr. Xey, 176 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. Lxn, 7- HaTEpoiv ^|ji. Ex. xxiii, 23, 24; Num. xxxiii. g2 ff. ; Deut. vii; xx. i6-r8. 7. 'A-iroiKiav. This seems hardly the word to apply to the settlement of the Hebrews in what was virtually their own land ; hence Grimm suspects that the author uses the word for e'lroiKi'ov, which would uot denote re moval from the mother-country. Vulg., ' peregrina tionem.' Eug. Marg., ' new inhabitance'^r' population.' A. Lap. : ' Ideo expulisti Chanauaeos ut eorum terra, i. e. terrae et regiones, perciperent novam dignamque se peregrinationem, hoc est, peregrinorum et adveuarum coloniam ; coloniam, inquam, filiorum Dei, i.e. fidelium et piorum Israelitarum.' A^^Tai, ' perciperent,' Vulg. This plainly ought to be ' perciperet,' sc. ' terra.' Tip.i(OTdTi] yfj. Deut. xi. 12. 8. °fls dvGpti-irtov. God had mercy even on the Canaanites ' as being men ' possessed of souls aud weak aud prone to sin. Comp. Ps. Ixxviii. 38, 39. God's long-suffering waited till the fourth generation. Gen. XV. 16. ZTJKas. From the Sept. Ex. xxiii. 28 : diroo-TeXoi rds atprjKias irporepas aov. Deut. vii. 20. and Josh. xxiv. I 2 : i^aireareiXe irporepav vpav rfjV atprjKiav. The author seems to take this literally of hornets and wasps, ac cording to the rabbinical legend ; and instances are given in profane history where these insects have de populated whole districts, as the venomous fly in Africa does now. (See Smith's Diet, of Bible, s.i\ Hornets.) Philo, De Praem. et Poen. § 16 (II. p. 423), snys the same thing. Commentators generally cousiiler 'hornets' are to be taken metaphorically for panic. Comp. Deut. i. 44. Thus 8. Aug. snys, we do not read that the hornets were sent, so, he proceeds: 'Per hoc ' vespae istae " aculei timoris intelligendi sunt fortasse, quibus agitabantur memoratae gentes, ut cederent filiis Israel.' Quaest. in Exod. u. 93 (t. iii. 4g2). KaToPpaxO, 'little by Uttle.' Thuc. i. 64. Ex. xxiii. 30 : Kord piKpbv piKpbv e'KjSaXm avrovs drtb aoi. Comp. Deut. vii. 22. 'E^oXEdp. Exod. xxii. 20 ; Acts iii. 23. 9. 'Ev iraparcilei, ' in regular battle.' Judith i. 6 ; I Macc. iii. 26. erjpiois. Corap. 2 Kings xvii. 2g, 26; Lev. xxvi. 22; Deut. xxxii. 24. See on xi. 17. '¥(()' Iv. Vulg.: 'siraul.' 'Together.' 'Unoeodem- que momento '=: jrpos pioj/ pojr^v, xviii. 12. Wahl. 10. KaraPpaxd, ver. 8. Vulg., 'pai'tibus.' See ou ver. 2. Comp. Judg. ii. a 1-23. Td-iTov (jiE-ravoias occurs Heb. xii. 17. Comp. Clem. Rom. Ep. ad Cor. vii. g : e'v yevep Kai yeve^ pera voias rdirov eSaKev d Aeairdrijs Toii /SovXopevois e'lriorpo^^'''" or' auTov. Const. Ap. ii. 38. OuK dy*^)*. ' Though Thou kuewest well.' God's foreknowledge leaves man's free will unfettered. r^vEcns, ' birth,' ' origin.' Vulg., ' natio.' 'Ep,(j)uTos, ' innate,' ' phmted iu their very nature ;' au adumbration of the doctrine of original sin, and (together with the following verso) quoted by 8. Aug. \ Couti-. Julian. Op. imperf iii. ii(X. p. iog6): 'Putoquod J natura, non imitatio redarguitur; et quomodo natura nisi vitiata peccato, nou in primo homine sic creata I ' Ou p.r) dXXoYJj. ' Non poterat mutari,' Vulg. The Latiu is too strong for the Greek expression, which merely implies God's absolute knowledge of their per verse abuse of free-will. AoYio-pids, ' way of reasoning,' as 2 Jtacc, vii, a i : TOV BtjXvv Xoyiapbv apaevi Bvpm Sieyeipaaa. 11. KaT>]pap.E'vov. Referring to the curse pronounced on Canaan by Noah, Gen. ix. 24-27, which had not only political but moral consequences. Joseph. Ant. I. VI. 3 : Noicos alaBopevos tois pev dXXois Trato-iv euSaipovi'av eiixerai, rm Se Xapa Std rfjv trvyyeveiav air^ pev ov Kiinjpd- aaro, tois S' e'Kydvois outou. Koi toiv dXXoiv fitoirei^eiyciriav ¦rfjv dpdv, TOVS Xovadvou iroiSas pereiatv d Qeds. EuXaPodp.Evds nva. ' From fear of anyone.' Ecclus. xxiii. 18; 2 Macc. viii. 16; Job xiii. 2g. So euXdjSeta, xvii. 8. "aSeiov. ' Indulgence,' ' impunity in those things in which they sinned.' 12. Tis Y^P ^P*^j see on xi. 21. Tts . . . rl iiroirjaas; these words are found in Job ix. 12. -XII. 1 9. J COMMENTARY. 177 *A (rd £iroii)(Tas. Arn. takes these words thus : ' Who shall call Thee to account for the things which Thou hast done against the nations V But the Greek rather favours the Eng. version and the Vulg., ' Na tiones quas tu fecisti.' The Vulg. transposes the two last clauses. Eis Kardo-Tairiv CTOi^tva Karaarfi aoi, ' In order to stand forth against Thee,' Grimra. ' In conspectu tuo,' Vulg. 'In Thy presence,' Eng. Marg. Kardo-Too-iv and ekSikos seem rather to be used here in a forensic sense : ' Who will come to set forth the cause against Thee, as au advocate iu respect of unrighteous men ? ' 13. *Qi. It seems best to refer this to irou. ' Thou who carest for all, in order to show Thy impartiality.' Ch. vi. 7; I Pet. v. 7. Whence the Eng. gets 'to whom Thou mightest show ' is doubtful. ' Unright ' is = ' unrighteous.' The cUstinguishing mark of heathen dom is that its gods presided only over particular pro vinces, uot ' caring for all.' See i Kings xx. 23. 14. 'AvT0(})6aXp,Yi(rai, ' to look iu the face,' ' to defy.' Ecclus. xix. g (Compl. and Field) : d Se avrotpBiiXpav ^hvals. Acts xxvii. ig. The Vulg. is very tame : ' In conspectu tuo iuquireut.' The word occurs in Clem. Eom. Ep. ad Cor. xxxiv. I : d vaBpbs kcu. irapetpevos OVK iiiTotpBaXpei ra ipyorrapeKTjj outou. S. Bam. Ep. V. 10 : ip^Xeirovres ovk laxiovaiv els rds aKrlvas avrov [^Xt'ou] inotpBaXpfjaat. Polyb. I. xvii. 3 ; IxviU. 7. 'EKoXaaas has more authority thau diraXeaas. Vulg.: ' perdidisti,' proves nothing, as it translates KoXdfetv, ver. 27, by ' exterminare,' Beusch. riEpl Jiv = Trepi iKelvav ovs. 15. Aut(5v. It is inconsistent with God's power that, as mortal judges often do, He should punish ' even ' (auTov) the innocent. Auvdp,E(ds. ' Multi homines, ut videantur potentes, innoxios vexaut ; sed haec potentia est tyrannis mag- naque animi impoteutia. Dei autem potentia vera est potentia, quia vera est aequitas veraque justitia.' Corn, a Lap. 16. 'Apx^, 'foundation.' God's almighty power is not, as man's often is, a cause of injustice aud wrong. but is the basis of, and inseparably joined with, just dealing. Grimm quotes Joseph. Ant. iv. 8. 14 : tou Geou taxis ian rb SIkoiov. Td TT. a. Zearr&ieiv, ' Thy lor(iship over all.' Comp. xi. 23, 36 ; and Rom. xi. 32. 17. 'ATrioTou'p,Evos. 'When Thou art doubted, dis credited, as regards the fulness, perfection of Thy power.' It is then that God displays His might ; e. g. in the case of Pharaoh, Ex. v. 2 ; and Rabshakeh, 2 Kings xviii. 32. Comp. 2 Macc. ix. 4. ... 'Ev tois EiS(5(ri. The addition of ouk in A. seems to be a scribe's correction. The Vulg. (text, rec.) in deed gives : ' Horum qui te nesciunt ;' but many Lat. MSS. have ' qui sciuut,' and it is so quoted by S. Aug. Quaest. in Hept. vi. 23. 'In the case of those who know (intellectually and theoretically) Thee, or Thy power, and acknowledge it not practically by life and action.' Comp. Rom. i. 21. 'EIeXe'-yxeis. 'Thou puttest their audacity to shame.' ' Audaciam traducis,' Vulg., as iv. 20. 18. AEaird£a)v iirxuos. ' Mastering, controlling Thy strength.' Vulg. takes these words as a title of God : ' Dominator virtutis.' So S. Aug. (I. sup. cit.) : ' Do minus virtutura.' But it is best rendered as above. Corap. Ps. Ixxviii. 38, 39. 'Ev ETriEiKEio. Vulg. : ' cum tranquiUitate.' ' With mUdness, lenity.' Cant. Tr. Puer. 18; Bar. ii. 37: 'Thou hast dealt with us after all Thy goodness,' iirielKeiav. Corap. ch. ii. 19. ?eiSous, ' forbearance.' ' Reverentia,' Vulg. 80 eirielKeia is translated, U. 19, q. v. It is the rendering of evXd^eia, Heb. V. 7 : ' exauditus pro sua reverentia.' Corap. Esth. iii. (31), additam: dvev iravrbs oiktou koi tpeiSovs. ndpEiTTi . . . SuvatrSai. The passage is found in Const. Apost. vu. 3g. Vulg. renders well : ' Subest enim tibi, cum volueris, posse.' Cp. Rom. iv. 31. 19. From this verse to the end of the chapter the author enforces the lesson of mercy and judgment to be leamed from God's dealings iXdv6p(BTrov. This is a great advance on the A a 178 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xn. 20- Jewish principle, ' Thou shalt love thy ueighbom-, aud hate thine enemy' (S. Matt. v. 43: corap. Deut. vU. 3 ; xxiU. 6 ; aud Tacit. Hist. V. v. 2), aud an ap proach to the Gospel law, S. Matt. v. 44 ; xviU. ^2, 33. 'E-iri dp.apT. 'On the occasion of" = ' wheu we sin.' Vulg. : ' Judicans das locum in peccatis poeni tentiae.' Many MSS. omit 'judicans,' which is uot in the Greek. 20. 'EripipriCTos. A. and some cumves have m- papfjaa. But the act. voice is used iu the sense of 'taking vengeance on.' Comp. Soph. Oed. Tyr. 107. 'Enpoipijo-iB occurs, without any various reacliug, xviii. 8. npotroxiis, ' attention,' ' caution.' Ecclus. Prol. : iraptiKeKXrjaBe per' evvoias Koi irpoaoxfjs rfjv dvdyvaaiv iroi- elaBai. Comp. Rora. ix. 22. Kai Si^(rE(>)s. ' And indulgence.' Ai'eo-ts, ' discharge,' ' letting through.' These two words are omitted by A, some cursives, and Vulg. AteVems is owed to 8. The usual reading is Kai Setjaeas, which is supposed to be explained by such passages as Is. Ixv. 2 : 'I have spread out My hands all the day unto a rebelUous people.' Rom. x. 31; Prov. i. 24. But it seems unsuitable to God's dealings with the abominable Canaanites. The other reading, Kai Sie'o-aio-as, probably is owed to the Sin. SteVeois : it certainly cannot have been the original expression, as it is quite foreign to the intention of the passage. The Eng. version leaves the word untranslated. It is omitted in Compl. 21. 'AKpi^Eias, ' (jarefulness,' ' circumspection,' opp. to the rashness and partiaUty of men's judgments. "OpKous Kai CTuvGiiKas. Comp. xvui. 23. Deut. vii. 8; Gal. iii. 16. 'Juramenta et conventiones,' Vulg. ' Juramentum'is a post-classical word=' jusjurandum,' found xviii. 6,22; Hab. Ui. 9. AyaB. uTro(rx^(T£(>)v. Comp. Eph. ii. 12 : tSv Sta- BrjKav T^s ejro-yyeXi'as, and 2 Pet. i. 4. Wahl renders : ' Foedera cura promissionibus exiraiis juncta.' 22. naiSEu(i>v . . . jiaoTiYois. ' Chastening,' as children. . . . ' Thou scourgest,' as slaves. The two words occui- Prov. iii. 12 : 6v ydp dyoirp Kipios iraiSeiei [e'Xeyrei V.], patrnyoi Se jrdvra vtov ov irapadexerai, quoted Heb. xii. 6. Comp. ch. xvi. 16 ; Ps. xxxi. 10: troXXai at pdanyes rov dpapnoXov, rbv Se eXiri^ovra eirl Kuptov eXeos KuicXoKret. MEpipv. KpivovTEs. ' When judging others we should think earnestly on Thy goodness.' Comp. S. Matt. xviU. 33. Kpivdpicvoi, ,<(.'. imb aov. 23. "09ev (Acts xxvi. 19; Heb. iii. i), i.e. because God punished His enemies with more rigour thau the Israelites. The author here aud in the following verses speaks of the Egj-ptiaus. This is plain frem his allusious to their being punished by the objects of theu- worship, which is uot recorded of the Canaanites. Ch. xi. ig, 16 ; xvi. i. ToOs iv d(|)p. S. p. dSiKous. ' ^Miereas men have Uved cUssolutely aud unrighteously' (dSiKois), Eng. This is very inadequate. ' The umighteous who per sisted in folly of life,' or, ' a fooUsh life,' folly being sin, as i. 3. Comp. Rom. i. 21. BSEXuyiJidToiv, ' abominations,' t. 9. objects of idol atrous worship. So continually in Sept. Ecclus. xUx. 2 ; 1 Kings xi. 6 ; Is. ii. 8, 20. All the Plagues were directed against the idols of Egypt. ' Against all the gods (Beats) of Egj-pt I wUl execute judgment,' Ex. xU. 12. Thus the Nile, the sacred river, was turned to blood ; the miu-i-aiu ou cattle discredited the wor ship of Apis ; frogs, flies, etc., which they adored, becarae means of punishment ; the sun-god himself had no power to shield them from the darkness. 24. Toiv •jrXdvTjs 68. p,aKp. lirX. ' In erroris via diu tius erraverimt,' Vulg. Better, as Grimm and Gutb. : 'They wandered further thau the ways of error,' hjq)erbolically ='they went beyond the usual limits,' ' were sunk iu the grossest depths of error.' eEods fiiroX. ' In that they held as gods even creatures which their enemies despised as being worth less,' e.g. frogs, crocodiles, serpents, xi. ig; Lev. xi. 41-43; Rom. i. 23. "Arifta, 'supervacua,' Vulg., as xi. 16. AiKt)v, ' after the manner of ;' dir. Xey. in Greek Scriptures, Grimra. -xni. I.] COMMENTARY. 179 *eu(r6^vTes. Vulg. : ' viventes.' There is uo vari ation in the Greek MSS. Beusch suggests ' errantes.' 25. Daialv . . . EfiTraiYfidv . . . iraiyi'iois, ver. 26, a play of words. ' Cum pueris pueriliter lusisti,' Gr. The mocking judgments were the earlier and Ughter Plagues. 26. riaiyi'iois ETriTip,ig(7E(i)s. ' Play-games of punish ment.' Eng. : ' Correction wherein He dallied with them.' Churton : ' Sportive likenesses of rebuke.' So Philo, Vit. Mos. i. 38 (II. p. 114): rd TropdSo^a TOUTO Kai iropdXoyo eeou iraiyvid elaiv. Vulg. : ' Ludibriis et increpationibus.' Or, as some MSS. have, 'incre- pationis.' The word ' increpatio ' is air. Xey. in Vulg. See on vi. 18. riEipdtroucnv. The author makes a general state ment, or else speaks as though he were waiting with his forefathers for the final exhibition of the 'judgment worthy of God,' i.e. the death of the firstborn, and the destruction of the host iu the Red Sea. 27. The Eng. version is very confused. -The Vulg. is not much better. The passage may be thus trans lated : ' For in the things, at suffering from which they were distressed, yea, in these same things, which they deemed to be gods, they saw, wheu they were punished thereby. Him whom before they had refused to know, and acknowledged Him as the true God.' They saw God's hand in what happened to them through the creatures which they worshipped, xi. 13. Churton paraphrases : ' For the vexation which they felt at these petty chastisements which befel them through their gods, constrained them to acknowledge the true God whom they once denied.' 'HpvouvTo. See Ex. v. 3. See on xvi. 16. 0e6v dXrifiY]. Ex. viii. 8 ; ix. 27 ; x. 16. Aid, because, tliough they were forced to recognise the Lord, yet they did not let the knowledge influence their actions. Ex. xiv. g-9. T^ppa Tr]s KaTaSiKi()s. ' The extreme point of, the severest, condemnation.' Eurip. Suppl. 369 : ETTt reppn Kai rb irXeov ipav KaKav. Comp. I Thess. ii. 1 6 : ' The wrath is come upon them to the uttermost (eis re'Xos).' CHAPTER XIII. CHAPTEES XIII, XIV. The Geigin, Geowth, and Efpeots of InotATEv, THE Opposite of Wisdom. XIII, 1-9. Idolatry begins with the worship of nature. 1. Here commences a digression on the folly of idolatry in general, the subject springing naturally fi'om the remarks at the end of ch, xii. Comp. Philo, De Monarch, i. 1-3 (II. pp. 313, 217). Mdraioi ft,iv, answered by ToXatViBpot Se, ver. 10. Understand ^o-ov. For pdraios aud paratdrrjs, applied to idolaters, see 3 Kings x-vii. ig ; Rom. i. 21 ; Eph. iv. 17, So the heathen are called, 3 Macc. vi. 11, paraid0poves. ?u'lTEi (om. by Vulg. and some other versions), here, ' the intellectual nature.' Kai EK T. opap. dy., sc. ot, ' and who from the,' etc.- For the sentiment comp. S. Paul's speech to the people ¦ of Lystra, Acts xiv. ig-17, and Rom. i. 30. 8. Clem. ad Cor. Ix. I : av rfjV devaov tou Koapov triaraaiv Std t£v ivepyovpevav etpavepoiroirjaas . . . 0 dyaBbs ev rois dpapevots Kai irtarbs iv rois rreiroiBdaiv iirl ae. ' De his quae Vi dentur,' Vulg. For ' de '= ' ex ' corap. i Macc. xiU. 47 ; S. Matt. iU. 9 ; 8. Luke i. 71, Vulg. Tov ovra. 'The incommunicable name of God.' Ex. iii. 14 : 'Eyci eipt d&v . .. '0*Qv direaraXKe pe irpbs upas. Comp. Eev. i. 4, 8. Among the Egyptians the worship of the tutelary deity of the Nile was conspicuous. The annual festival called Niloa was celebrated with A a 2 180 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [XIII, a- the utmost solemnity about the time of the summer solstice, wheu the river began to rise. See Wilkinson, Aue. Egyptians, iU. 369 ff. (ed. 1878). EiS^vai Geov, 2 Thess. i. 8. npoo-(jx<5>TEs, ' by heeding,' ' attending to.' TEXfiTTiv. Hebr. xi. 10. 2. The objects of worship here mentioned are what S. Paul calls, Gal. iv. 3, 9 : to orotxeia tou Koapov. Comp. PhUo, De Decalog. 12 (II. p. 189) : jrXdvos ris ou ptKpds rb TrXeioTov t£v dvBpairav yows KoretrxijKe, irepl rrpdy paros oirep fj pdvov fj paXiara ^v eiKos dirXavEtrroTOV tois EKdcrnav Stavoiois iviSpiaBai, 'EKTeBeiaKaai ydp oi pev rds reaaapas dpxds, yfjV Koi wSiup Kai depa Kai »rup' ot Se ^tov Koi aiXfjvrjv, Koi rods dXXous TrXavijTOS koI dirXavets dtrrepas' ot Se rbv avpirdvra Kotrpov, Plat. Cratyl. Xvi. p. 397 • (paivovrai poi oi irp&Toi t£v dvBpairav r&v irepl t^v "EXXdSa TouTous pdvous Toils Beovs ^yelaBai, ovarrep vvv jroXXol rmv fiap^dpav, fjXiov Kai aeX^vrjV Kot -y^v Koi Strrpa Kot ovpavdv. Herod. (I. 131) says of the Persians : ^ovo-i ^Xltf re Kai ereXfjvri Kai yfj koi rrupi Koi uSort Kai dvepoiat. Toiroiai pev Sfj poivoiai Biiovai dpx^Bev. Cp. I Cor. -yiii. g. nCp. The worship of fire prevailed among the Persians aud Chaldeans. The Greek god Hephaestus was adored chiefly as the patron of arts aud manu factures. The earliest form of idolatry seems to have been the worship of Nature. nvEup,a. ' Wind,' as Aeolus. The Egyptians too worshipped the winds as connected with the annual overflow of the Nile ; so did the Persians, Her, i. 131 ; vU. 191. See above. Toxii'^i' A^pa, ' the rapid air,' Uke Spenser's, ' The flitting skies,' referring probably to the atmosphere, personified in Zeus aud Hera. Ku'kX. ctorpoiv. See Deut. iv. 19 ; xvii. 3. Biaiov 58up. ' Forceful water,' worshipped by the Persians, as by the Greeks under the names of Po seidon (e'voo^t'x^cDv), Oceanus, eto. So the Egyptians worshipped the NUe. ?(ijoTijpas oup. The sun and moon, as Gen. i. 16: TOUS Suo (paarfjpas rovs peydXovs. Comp. Job XXxi. 26— 28 ; Ecclus, xliU, 7. The Egyptians worshipped the suu at Heliopolis (Beth-shemesh, Jer. xliii, 13) under the name of Osiris, aud the moon under that of Isis. Comp. Wai'burton, Div. Legat. bk. iv. § g. The Egyptian word for sun is Ea, and the royal name jvhich we call Pharaoh is really Phi'ah, that is, Ea with the definite article Pi prefixed. WUkinson, Ano. Egypt, in. 44 (ed. 1878). ripurdvEis, in app. with Beovs, as in Eug. and Vulg. So Pindar, Pyth. vi. 24, spealcs of KpoviSrjs as |8apudjrav orepoirdv KepavvHv re irpiraviv. 3. Trj KaXXovp. It is rather the gi-andeur of the powers of nature than their beauty which influenced the Hebrew mind. But see Ecclus. xliii. 9, 11. So TOV KdXXous yeveaidpxrjS below seems to be a notion more consonant with Greek feeling than Hebrew. Toura Reusch thinks is an interpolation, but there is siiflBcieut authority for it. S. Cypr. has : ' Quorum 'si propter speciem hoc aestimaverunt,' Ep. ad Fortun. i. ToiJtoiv is best taken -vvith SeoTriinjs, as in ver. 9. Comp. d KaraaKevdaas avrd, ver. 4. The Vulg. translates it twice : ' Quanto his dominator eorum speciosior est.' S. Proolus : Sv ydp d vdpos KijpvTTtt SijptoupyAv, toutov i; o^is Std TOIV KTiapdrav iritrrovrai, Orat. II. de Incarn. (GaU. IX. p. 623). rEVEiridpx'is, dir. Xey. in Sept. and unknown in older writings. Euseb. De Laud. Const, (p. 640, Migne): Qebs Se d iircKeiva Aoyov yeveaidpxijs. Epiph. Adv. Haer. n. U. g2 (II. p. 273, Migne). The word yevdpxt;s is used in classical Greek for ' the founder of a famUy.' Comp. yeveaiovpybs, ver. g. 4. El S^ . . ^KirXay^iTES, so. Beois vireXdp^taiov avrd. For the sentiment iu vers. 3, 4, Grimm compai'es Lactant. Instit. II. 3, g : ' Qui quum Dei opera mira- rentur . . . earum rerum obstupefaoti et ipsius Artificis obliti, quem videre nou poterant, ejus opera veuerari et colere coeperunt, nee unquam inteUigere quiverunt, quanto major quautoque mirabilior, qui iUa fecit ex uihilo.' See a fine passage in 8. Aug., Serm. Ixviii, on this subject, partly quoted below on ver. 9. 5. Mey^O. Kai KaXXov{)$ seems the best reading, the -xni. 10.] COMMENTARY. 181 Koi having dropped out in some MSS. owing to the commencement of the next word. Thus peyeBos refers to Sivaptv and evepyeiav, ver. 4, KoXXov^ to ver. 3. Euseb. in Ps. xviU. 2 (p. 71, Ben.) has e'K ydp peyiBovs Koi KoXXov^s. So in Ps. Ixv. 2 (p. 326, Ben.), and in Ps. xci. g (p. 610, Ben.). S. Afhan. : e'x peyeBovs Kai koX- XovfjS KTiapdrav dvaXdyas d yeveaiovpybs Beapelrai. Contr. Gent. 44 (I. p. 43, Ben.). Thus in Or. ii. cont. Arian. 32 (I. p. goo, Ben.). Corap. Pseud.-Athan. contr. Ar. 13 (H. p. 210, Ben.) : eSei ouv Kai (5p,£voi, like Lat. ' versari ;' ' being occu pied, conversant with,' referring rather to practical affairs of life than to philosophical speculations. Trj ov|/Ei, omitted by Vulg., ' persuasura habent.' Sabat. : ' persuadentur aspectu.' ' Let theraselves be infiuenced by, or trust to, the appearance.' Td pXE-irdfjiEva. Comp. Heb. xi. 3. 8. ndXiv Se'. 'On the other hand,' xvi. 23; i Cor. xii. 21. AuToi, the same persons as those before spoken of Ou . . o-uYY''('"rroi = dvoTroXdyi/Toi. Rom. i. 20, 21, q.v. 9. 'Iva Suv., after too-outov. ' Knew so much as to be able to.' For tva = on cp. 8. Matt. xx. 33. lToxd(ra(T0ai tov aiuva. ' To make guesses about,' ' to criticize.' Always with gen. in classical Greek ; but with acc. Deut. xix. 3 ; Ecclus. ix. 14, Vat. It is here parallel with Siepewaai, ver. 7. See i Cor. i. 19-21. S. Aug. has a beautiful comment on this passage (Serm. Ixviii. ed. Ben.), which ends thus : ' Optime itaque et rectissime accusati sunt, qui potuerunt in- vestigare numeros siderum, intervalla temporum, de fectum luminum cognoscere et praedicere : recte accu sati sunt, quoniam a quo ista facta et ordinata sunt, non invenerunt, quia quaerere neglexerunt. Tu autem non valde cura, si gyros siderum et caelestium terreno- rumve corporum numeros ignores. Vide pulchritudinem mundi et lauda concilium Creatoris. Vide quod fecit, ama qui fecit : tene hoc maxime. Ama qui fecit : quia et te ipsum amatorem suum ad imaginem suam fecit.' Aiiiv represents ' the world,' properly in its time- not its space-aspect. It is so used xiv. 6, and in N. T., Matt. xiii. 39; xxviii. 30; Heb. i. 2 ; xi. 3 ; I Cor. ii. 7. Comp.EccLiii.il. So Lat. 'saeculum,' e. g. 4 Esdr. vi. gg : ' Propter nos creasti saeculum,' aud ver. gg : 'Si propter nos creatum est saeculum, quare non haereditatem possidemus cum saeculo V Grimra. See notes on chs. iv. 2, and xviii. 4 ; and compare Dr. T. Lewis, Six Days of Creation, ch. xxvii ; also Burton, Bampt. Leet. iv. p. iii, and note 49 (ed. 1829). 10-XIV. 13. The worship of idols or images. 10. TaXaiTT. Se, sc. oiroi ^aav. 182 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xm. II- 'Ev vEKpois. 'Inter mortuos,' Vulg. 'In dead things,' Eng. The latter seems preferable. Comp. ver. 1 8, aud xv. 17:' He worketh a dead thing (veKpdv) with wicked hands.' There are many similar passages in 0. T. e. <7. Deut. iv. 28; Is. xl. 18-20; xliv. 9-20, etc. ; Ep. of Jeremy, 4 ff. OiTivES, ' in that they.' 'EppEXETi]fia, ' au exercise' of art. The word occurs in Anth. Pal. vi. 83. It is iu apposition with xpuo-ov koI apyvpov. Comp. Acts x-rii. 29 : ' We ought not to thiuk that the Godhead is like unto gold, or sUver, or stone, graven by art (xapdypan rexvijs) aud man's device.' Ai9. dxpiitrr., Uke the shapeless block of stone worshipped in Diana's Temple at Ephesus (Acts xix. 3g), or the dp^aTov operas of Atheua at Athens (Eurip. Iph. Taur. 977), both of which are said to have fallen from Zeus, their antiquity aud unknown origin invest ing them with mystery. 11. El Se'. The apodosis is in ver. 1 3, direiKao-ev aird. The whole description is simUar to, and in parts identical with. Is. xl. 20; xliv. 13-20; Jer. x; and Bar. vi. Ep. Jer. The comm. compare Hor. Sat. I. viii. i : ' Olim truncus eram ficulnus, inutile lignum, Quum faber inoertus soamnum faceretne Priapmn, Maluit esse deum.' EuKivTiTov. ' Meet for the purpose,' Eng. ' Rec tum,' Vulg. ' Easy to handle.' 'EK-irpio-as, 'having sawed out' from the rest ofthe trees. Eis u-mrip. i,ii>r\s. Comp. irpos virrjp. ^pav, XV. 7. 12. 'EvETrXiia0T), 'fills himself.' Vulg. omits the word. Is. xliv. 16. It is implied that the idol-maker first satisfies his own hunger before thinking of turning the refuse to account. 13. 'ES auTuv, sc. diropXrjpdrav. 'The refuse of the refuse.' 'Ojois o-up.TrE<|). ' Grown thick with knots.' 'Ev ETripEXEia dpyias. ' In the industry of idle ness ;' such industry as a man uses when he is enjoying his leisure ; a sarcastic expression, which is lost in the reading ipyaaias, found in A. aud some Paris MSS. Vulg., 'per vacuitatem suam.' ' Vacuitas,' iu the sense of ' i(Ueness,' ' leisure,' is very uncomraon. 'Ep.irEipia dv^tTEbis. ' With the skill of negUgeuce,' ' such skill as carelessness gives.' The common reading is trvveaeas. ' Skill of hil understanding,' Eng. ' Per scientiam suae artis,' Vulg. But A. S., Ven., and V. prim, man., read dveo-etos, which I have adopted as the harder reading, and more likely to have been changed by scribes, aud also as raaking a parallel vrith eirtpeX. dpyias. Thus Polyb. i. 66 : Sid jroXXou XP^""" rerevxarts dveaeas Kai axoX^s. 'A-iTEiKotrev. Here begins the apodosis to ei Se, ver. 11. So Grimm. 14, EuteXei, 'cheap,' ' vUe,' ch. x. 4 ; xi. ig. Vulg. omits it. MiXtio, ' ochre,' or ' red lead,' ' minium.' Comp. Jer. xxii. 14 ; Ezek. xxiii. 14. Pliny, Hist. Nat. xxxv. 4g (see also H. N. xxxiii. 36), speaks of the statue of Jupiter being coloured red on festal days. Other gods were thus adorned, Virgil, Eel, x. 26 (where see Couiugton) : ' Pan deus Arcadiae venit, quem vidimus ipsi Sanguineis ebuli baois minioque rubeutem.' 15. OiKT|p,a, ' a shrine,' probably a niche in the wall. 'Aar(t>aXi(rd)X£vos. (S. Matt, xxvii. 6g). Comp. Isai. xii. 7 : ' He fastened it with naUs, that it should not be moved;' xl. 19; Jer. x. 4 ; Ep. of Jer. 37. 16. "iva (XEv, answered by jrepl Se, ver. 17. The help lessness of the image being contrasted with the de- mauds made upon it. 17. rdp,(uv. rdpot, like Lat. 'nuptiae,' is used for ' mar riage,' but nowhere for ' a wife.' The Vulg. alters the order of the words and inserts ' inquirit,' making a new sentence at ovk alaxyverai. This has no support from MSS. The weU-balanced paralleUsra of vers. 17-19 is very remarkable. Arn. compares it to the passage of 8. Paul, 2 Cor. vi. 8-10. See also Jer. U. 26-28. These private household gods, Uke the Eoman Lai-es and Penates, seera to have been used among the -XIV. 3.] COMMENTARY, 183 Hebrews in lax times. See the case of Laban's images, Gen. xxxi. 30, 34, and the Teraphim, Judg. xvii. 3-g ; xviii. 17-20; I Sam. xix. 13, 16. 18. Td vEKp. and rb direip. best coincide with rb daBeves and rb Svvdp. The Vulg. seems to use the masc. throughout. 'AiTEipdraTov, ' inutilem,' Vulg. ' That which hath least means to help,' .Eng. The marg. rendering is better, ' That hath no experience at all,' i. e. ' ignorant of the means of helping.' Bdio-Ei, 'foot.' So TroSSv fidais, Eur. Hec. 837. See Ps. cxv. 7 : ' Feet have they, but they walk not.' 19. nopio-p.oC, xiv. 2 ; i Tim. vi. 6 ; Diod. iii. 4. 'Epyao-ias, ' de operando,' Vulg. ' Getting,' Eng. The word may mean either ' daily labour,' or ' trade,' what we call ' business.' XEipuv ETTiTuxias, ' good success of hands.' Polyb. I. vi. 4. Vulg, : ' De omniura rerum eventu,' where the translator must either have read irepi irdvrav imr., or written ' de manuum eventu.' Reusch. Td dSpav^trraTov. ' Petit ab eo qui iu omnibus est inutilis,' Vulg., followed by Eng., 'Asketh ability to do of him that is most unable to do anything.' It is : ' that which is most feeble with its hands.' EuSpdvEia, air. Xey., derived from Spaivw, a desi- derative verb=8pao-ei'a). Vulg. omits the word al together. Reusch suggests that ' in omnibus ' is a clerical error for 'in manibus,' rais x^pci"- Hooker, Eccl. Pol. I. viii. II, thus expresses these verses: 'He is not ashamed to speak unto that which hath no life, he calleth on him that is weak for health, he prayeth for Ufe unto him which is dead, of him which hath no experience he requireth help, for his journey he sueth to him which is uot able to go, for gains and work and success in his affairs he seeketh furtherance of him that hath no manner of power.' CHAPTER XIV. 1. XrAXEaflai irXouc, ' to prepare for, undertake a voyage.' 2 Macc. v. I : njv Sevrepav etpoSov d 'Avrioxos etrreiXaro. Sophocles uses the active, PhU. 911 : rbv irXouv 0-TeXeiv. nXoiou. The other reading, ^uXou, is perhaps owed to a scribe who wished to make the antithesis neater. 'Eiri^odrai. Comp. Jonah i. g : koI i^ofifjBrjaav oi vouTiKoi, Kol dve^dijaav eKaaros irpbs rbv Bebv airov. Prob ably the Pataeci, the tutelary deities of the Phoenicians, are referred to. See Herod. iU. 37, and Bahr's note. Comp. Acts xxviii. lI. *E^os ydp iras del iv rais 'AXe|- avipeav pdXiara vaval, irpds ye rfjs irpapijs Seftd Te Kat eiiivvpa, ypatpds eivai roiairas (sc. AioaKoipovs), 8. Cyr. Al, in Cat. Act. I. c. These insignia were sometimes of costly material, as gold aud ivory ; they were at the prow of the ship ; the tutelary deity (' tutela ' aniong the Romans) was usuaUy at the stem, though some times one iraage served both purposes. See Kuinoel in Act. I. c. ; Wilkinson, Anc. Egyptians, vol. i. ch. iu. p. 276, ed. 1878, and the woodcut, vol ii. p. 309. 2. 'Ekeivo, i. 6. ' the ship.' This is made of better materials, and with greater skill than the idols. 2oia, 'man's natural sagacity.' The reacUng TEp^vins ao^ia is not SO probable ; but t and 1? are often interchanged in MSS. Clem. Al., Strom, vi. 1 1 (p. 786, Pott.), quotes formally as to irpos tou SoXopSvros eipij- pevov' rexvlns Se aotpla. S. AiaKuPepvd, ' directeth it,' the ship. Many Lat. MSS. insert ' omnia,' but there is no authority for this in the original. Kvfiepvfjrrjs (' gubernator ') is a ' steers man.' Comp. ver. 6. S. Chrys. Hom. in Gen. xi. (t. iv. p. 83, Ben.) : oiSe ydp d Kv^epvfjTTjs, irore Sei KaBeXKiaai rb irXolov, koi e'k tou Xipevos ix^aXelv, Kai rd ireXdyrj irep- aiaaaaBai. K(u iroXXfjv pidXiara irapd roirois eanv ISelv TfjV aiveaiv, fjv fj tou Geou aotpia ivaireBero rfj dvBpanrtvjj (piaei. ouSe ydp ounos ot rds Xea(pdpovs Siarpexovres 'iaaai 184 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. LXIV. 4- perd aKptjSetas to^ drptnrovs, as oSrot ot e'v tois uSatri /lerd dtr^KiXeios r^v iropeiav iroioiJjTat. Std Kai ^ Tpatprj iKirXijo^ (ropefrj T^v u>r6p,S(iXXouuXdx6if). The Vulg. inserts ' hic error,' for which there is no authority in the Greek MSS. The aor. merely states the fact, the imperfect, iBprjaKeiero, ex presses the continuance ofthe custom, which, from being a family institution, became a public and political one. 'ETriTayais. The word occurs xviii. 1 6 ; xix. 6 ; I Esdr. i. 16; 3 Macc. vii. 20; Polyb. xiii. 4. 3; Diod. i. 70. rXuirrd. See on xv. 13. 17. Another cause of idolatry was the erection of the statues of dreaded monarchs, such as the image on the plain of Dura, probably a statue of Nebuchadnezzar himself, Dan. iii. Some, who date this Book of Wisdom very late, see here a reference to the deification of Caligula and the attempted introduction of his statue into the temple at Jerusalem, Joseph. Ant. xviii. 8. But the statement is plainly general. See Prolegom. p, 33. 'Mauri,' says S. Cypr., 'manifesto reges colunt, neo uUo velamento hoc nomen obtexunt,' De Idol. Vanit. The invocation of deified kings had early become in Egypt an addition to the worship of the traditional deities. Instances of apotheosis occur in the times of the ancient Pharaohs, and the Lagidae regularly pro vided for the payraent of divine honours to their predecessors. See Dollinger, The Gentile and Jew, i. p. 486 ff., Eng. transi. ; Pusey, Daniel the Prophet, p. 440 and notes ; Warburt. Div. Legat. U. § 4. Hooker (luotes vers, ig, 16, Ecch Pol. I. viii. 11. 'Ev oiJiEi. ' In palara,' Vulg. For exaraples of pre positions before adverbs see note xvii. 13. Tt|v irdpp. o<|(iv dvaTUTr(i)(rdp,£voi, ' representing the distant face.' ' E longinquo figura eorum allata,' Vulg. This translation seems to mean that they copied a picture of the king brought from far; but this is unnecessary, irdppaBev being used, like rov ixelBev irdXepov Seipo fj^ovra, Demosth. 01. i. p. 13. 17, ubi vide Schaef Syr,; 'effigiem fecerunt eorum qui procul habita bant.' For dvarvirda cp. xix. 6 (Compl.) ; Philo, De Plant. 6 (L p. 333); Plut. U. 329 B (Paris, 1624). 'Ep(|>avT) with eixova, 'an express, manifest image.' On the art of painting in Egypt see Wilkinson's Anc. Egyptians, vol. ii. pp. 262-267, *^'l PP- 287, 383 (new ed. 1878). KoXaKEudicri, pres. subj., implies continuance. Tho aor. KoXaKeiaaai, which some MSS. read, is not so suit able. 18. A third cause of idolatry was the beauty of the image. Els ETrirairiv, ' unto increase, intensity.' ©prjcTKEias. Acts xxvi. g. Vulg., ' ad horum cul turam.' Comp. Horat. Ep. I. xviii. 86 : ' cultura po- tentis amici.' Kai TOUS &yv., even those that knew not who was represented by the image. npoETpE'iliaTO. Cp.Acts xviii. 37; Xen. Mem. I. iv. I , ?iXoTipia, ' eximia diligentia,' Vulg. ' Singular diligence,' Eng. ' The artist's ambition to excel,' ex plained in the next verse. 19. 'O p.£v, the artist. Tdxa Grimm takes to mean ' quickly,' not *¦ per haps.' The artist made all speed to execute the work. The Vulg. omits the word. S. Athan., Contr Gent. 1 1 (p. 9), has 'lo-ws instead of rdxa. Arab. : ' for- tassis.' Tw KparouvTi, ' the potentate.' Vulg., ' illi qui se assumpsit.' ' Him that employed him,' Douai. This seems to be erroneous. 'E^e)3ido-aTo, used all the efforts of his art to make the likeness assume greater beauty. The verb is used by Plutarch to express the elaboration of art, rd Aiovvaiov ^aypatpfjpara tSv KoXotpaviav, laxvv exovra Kai rdvov, eK^e^iaapivois koi Karairdvois eotKe, Timol. 36. 20. Euxapi='the grace.' The reading eu^opes (A. C.) is doubtful, as the adj. eixapfjs is not found, except per haps in Menander, ap. Walz. Rhett. Gr. vol. ix. p. 274, g. Steph. Thesaur. sub voc. S. Athan. cont. Gent. 1 1 has evxapi. 'E(|)£XKdp.Evov, 'abducta,' Vulg. MSS. ap. Sab.: ' adducta.' ripd dXiyou. Comp. irpb piKpov, xv. 8, B b 2 188 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xrv. ai- lEPaajio, 'an object of worship.' 'Deum,' Vulg. Eng. Comp. ch. xv. 17; Bel and Drag. 27; 2 Thess. ii. 4 ; Acts xvii. 23. So Philo, De Monarch, i. 3 (II. 2 1 6), speaks of the employraent of the arts of music, statuary, and painting to Aviu men to idolatry : ou pijv dXXd koi >rXaoTiKi}v Koi (aypatplav trvvepyois rfjs dirdnjs irpoo-eXajSov, ivo xP^pdrav Kai axrjpdrav Ktu iroionjrav ev SeSrjpiovpyijpevais iSe'ots ujrdyovTes tois dprnvras Kol rds fjyepoviSas alaBfjaets S\piv Koi dKo^v SeXedaavres, ttjv pev dTJrv\ois evpoptpiais rqv Se ev(pavli} iroujriKg, irvvapirdaaai rfjv ypvxfjv dj3ej3atov Koi dviSpuTOV TOUTijv direpyofdpevoi. 21. TouTo explained by on following. T(o pita Eis IvESp. ' A snai'e to the living,' as x. 8. Here again the Eug. translates, ' the world.' ' Vitae huraanae deceptio,' Vulg. ' Fuit id mundo invidiosum,' Arab. For cveSpov cp. Numb. xxv. 20; Ecclus. viii. 1 1 ; Acts xxiii. 16. AouXEutravTEs belongs properly to rvpavviSi, but is used by zeugma with avptpopd also ; ' induced by calamity- or humouring a tyrant' The ' calamity' is the death of a beloved child, ver. ig; the 'tyranny' is that mentioned vers. 16-19. ^ulg-j ' *it afl'ectui aut regibus deservientes.' Td dKoiv(ovT|Tov ovopa. ' The incommunicable name.' Jehovah (as we read it) is meant by this term among the Jews. Being used here in reference to heathens it signifies merely God. (In later ecclesiastical language dKotvuvijT. came to mean ' excommunicated.') See Deut. vi. 4, 14, ig; Isai. xiii. 8, which passages show that tlie form of error intended is the disti'ibuting of the attributes of God among a host of idol deities. Thus 8. Athan. Cont. Gent. 1 7 : hreiSfj ydp njv tou Seou aKotvdivijrov, as eiirev 17 Tpatpfj, irpoarjyoplav Kai npfjV rois ovk oval Beols eoTrouSofov dvafleivoi. Comp. S. Aug. De Civit. vii. 29, 30, of which two chapters the headings are : ' Quod omnia quae physiologi ad luuudura partes- que ipsius retulerunt, ad unum vere Deum referre debu- erint. Qija pietate discernatur a creaturis Creator, ne pro uno tot dii colantur, quot sunt opera unius auctoris.' 'Akoivojv. Vulg., ' incommuuicabile.' See note on X. 4. riEpiEdEo-av, 'conferred,' 'bestowed.' Comp. i Cor. xi. 23 : TouTots npijv irepiatrtxrepav irepinBepev. Some MSS. aud S. Athan. /. sup. cit., read irepieBtjKav, Alex andrian Greek affecting rather the I aor. ia preference to the second. 22-31. Effects of idolatry on morals and life. 22. 'Ayvoios iroX^pto. ' War arising from ignorance,' t. e. tlie strife with all goodness aud virtue occasioned by the heathens' ignorance of God. This is called Too^oiiTa KOKd directly afterwards, aud further explained in the following verses. Eipi^vY)v. This war and strife aud deep unrest they call peace, ' saying. Peace, peace ; when there is uo peace,' Jer. vi. 14. Comp. Tacit. Agric xxx: 'ubi solitudiuem faciunt, pacem appellant.' 23. TEKvo(|>dvous teX., 'rites in which children were offered in sacrifice.' TekvoiJ). is dir. Xey. See OU xi. 7. For such sacri fices see ou xii. g, and Warburt. Div. Leg. book ii. § 4, notes CC, aud DD; and book viii. ch. 2, note G, whei-e the whole subjects of infanticide aud child-sacrifice ai'e fully discussed. They were uot confined to the Canaanites. Classical readers will remember Iphigenia aud Polyxena, aud the circumstances mentioned iu Her. vii. 114. By using the pres. dyovres aud (pvXda- aovai the author does uot necessarily imply (as Grimm. supposes) that this practice obtained iu his own time ; but indeed it seems that iu Carthage it existed tUl the second century a.d. See Gutb. aud the article on ' Moloch' in Smith's Diet, of Bible. 'Epp,av£is ^|dXX. 6E(rp,. k., ' frantic revels of strange customs.' Eng. gives, ' or nulde revellings of sti'ange rites,' where Arn, thinks ' made ' a misprint for mad. Vulg. translates strangely, ' ant insaniae plenas vigiUas habentes.' The allusion is to the orgies of Bacchus. Comp. 2 Macc. vi. 4; Rom. xni. 13. I have printed e'^oXXoiv, instead of e'^ dXXoiv, as giving a better sense. So Field, Tischend., Apel, and Gutb. "E^dXXos occurs 3 Macc. iv. 4 ; 2 Sam. vi. 14; Estli. iii. 8 ; and else where. For the shameful customs practised in the name of religion among the Babylonians see Herod. -XIV, 30.] COMMENTARY. 189 L 199. Comp. also i Pet. iv. 3 ; Bar. vi. 43 ; Strabo, xvi, p. iog8. 24. Comp. the description of heathenism Rom. i. 24-32 ; GaL v. 19-21 ; i Tim. i. 9, 10; S. Barn. Ep. XX ; Pseudo-Clem. Ep. U. ad Cor. i. 6. Aoxuf, ' per invidiam,' Vulg., probably a mistake for 'insidiam' or 'insidias.' The correct word, Xoxav, has been altered in S. by a later hand to Xo;^eutov, which is quite a different word. Later Latin uses the sin gular form of sorae words instead of the classical plural. Thus S. Aug., Locut. gg de Nura., comments ou the use of 'primi tia.' Lamprid., Commod. 16, has 'tenebra.' Plautus too writes 'delicia,' True. v. 29. So the ori ginal word in the Vulg. above is probably ' insidiam.' NoOeuoiv = ' by adultery ;' lit. ' making spurious, foisting a spurious offspring.' Philo, De Jos. 9 (II. p. 48) : voBeiav avrov ydpov ; and Quod Deus imm. 22 (I. p. 288). 25. ndvra, 'has the great weight of authority.' ' Omnia commista sunt,' Vulg. 'Emp.i|, ' sine discrimine.' A(5Xos. 'Fictio,' Vulg.='fraus.' Comp. iv. 11; vii. 13. ©(5pup. dyaO., ' persecution of good men.' 2 Tim. iii, 3 : d^iXdyo^ot. 26. 'ApvT]oTia. This form is more usual than apvijaia, and occurs without variation, xix. 4. Vulg. : ' Dei immemoratio.' Probably written ' Don' or ' Di imme- moratio,' i. e. ' Doni,' xdptros, and mistaken for ' Dom':= ' Domini,' or ' Dei.' ' Immemoratio ' occurs nowhere else. Mia(rp,ds = piavais, I Macc. iv. 43; 2 Pet. ii. 10; Herm. Past. Sim. v. 7. TEv^aEois EvaXXayV). ' Abuse of sex,' or ' sodomy.' Rom. i. 36, 37. The Vulg. rendering, 'nativitatis im mutatio,' seems to refer to supposititious children. See Arn. 'Ardlio. 'Nuptiarum inconstantia,' Vulg., 'un- settlement in marriages,' the marriage tie not being considered binding, and being easily dissolved. The word 'inordinatio' in Vulg. seems to have been another rendering of drd^ta, and so slipped into the text, and was then made to govern the following words. It is a very unusual word, but found in 8. Aug. De Civit. Dei, xiv. 26 : 'perversa inordinatio.' 27. 'Avojvdp.(i)v, 'having no real existence,' as ver. 29, and I Cor. viii. 4 ; Gal. iv. 3, or, ' mean and pitiful.' Vulg., ' infandorum,' which points, as Eng., ' not to be named,' to the command in Ex. xxUi. 13 ; Josh, xxiii. 7. Corap. Ps. xvi. 4. Tertull. De Idolatr. xv : ' Dae monia nullum habent nomen singulatim, sed ibi nomen inveniuut, ubi et pignus' (p. 169). 'Apx^ . . . TiEpas. Greg. Naz., Orat. xxxviii. De Idol., calls idolatry eaxarov koi irparov tSv kokoiv. For the connection of idolatry and immorality see Jowett on Ep. to Eom. pp. 70 ff. 28. This verse combines the chief features of vers. 23-27. Euij)paiv<}p.Evoi. Ecclus. xxx. g ; i Sam. xvi. g ; Luke xvi. 1 9. 29. ' Looknottobehurt,'not reallybelieving in these deities, though they used their names in confirmation of oaths. Bar. vi. 3g (Ep. Jer.). Vulg. : ' noceri se non sperant.' 'Noceo' is used with acc. Ecclus. xxviii. 2 ; Luke iv. 3g ; Acts vii. 26. So Plaut. Mil. Glor. v. 18 : ' Jura te non nociturum esse hominem.' 30. 'Ap,(|)dTEpo, explained by Sn k.t.X. MereXeiaerai takes a double acc. in the sense of ' prosecute.' ' Justice shall pursue them on account of both crimes.' The feeling that perjury always meets with punishment was universal. Thus Hesiod writes, "Epy. Koi'Hp. 801 : ev irepirrrj ydp tpaatv 'Epivias dptpiirdXevetv, "OpKov rtvvpevas, rbv "Epis reKe irfjp iiridpKois. Thus Eurip. Med. 7g4 : Med. dpKel' ri S' SpKio raSe pfj 'ppevav irdBots; A eg. d rolai Svaae^ovat yiyverat Pporav. Thucydides mentions (vii. 18) that on one occasion the Lacedaemonians attributed their former failures to their breach of treaties, and were quite confident of success ou another occasion because the Athenians had been the offenders. The vulgar name for erysipelas, St. 190 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xrv. 31- Authouy's fire, is derived from the notion that the disease is sent as a punishment ou those who have sworn falsely by St. Anthony s narae. Superstition often stands in the place of moral principle. Td SiKaici, 'just punishment.' 'Oo-id-njTos. ' Justitiam,' Vulg. ' Truth and ho nour.' See the case of Zedekiah in Ezek. xvii. 18, 19. 31. Tuv dptvufi^vuv, ' the things by whi<5h one swears.' ' Numina jurata,' Ov. Her. U. 23. Grimm. 'H T. dpiapr. Sikt), ' the punishment which God in flicts ou sinners.' 'The vengeance due to perjury,' Hookei" explains it, Eccl. Pol. V. i. 3. napdpaa-iv. 'Praevaricationem,' Vulg. =' delictum,' losing the sense of ' collusion.' Rom. ii. 23, etc. CHAPTEE XY. ChAPTBBS SV-XIX. COXIRAST BETWEEN THE W'ORSHIPPEES OP THE TRUE GoD ASD IDOLATERS. 1—5. The relation of the Israelites to ihe tme God preserved tJtemfrom idolatry. 1. lb ii. Iu contrast to the false gods of heathendom. 'HpiSv, ' of us Israelites.' This is omitted by Eug. version. Is. Ixiii. 8. Xpt](rrds K.T.X. Cp. Ex. xxxiv. 6 ; Numb. xiv. 18. 2. Kol ydp. The goodness and long-suffering of God ai'e our hope aud shield even when we faU into sin, so that we do not despair, but are rather moved to repentance. Rom. U. 4. S. Aug., De Fid. et Operr. xxii. § 41, gives the passage thus : ' Et si peccaverimus, tui sumus, scientes potentiara tuam : non peccabimus autem, scientes quoniam tui sumus deputati.' Aud theu he quotes i John ii. i, 2. Kpdros, ' lordship,' ' supremacy.' Oux dpap-n)adjjie6a Se*. ' Et si uou peccaverimus,' Vulg., against all authority of Greek MSS., also rendering eiSo'tes, ' scimus.' The Arab, gives ' si minime peccemus.' ' 'We wUl not sin ' is correct, the motive following. AEXoyio'p.EOa, ' we have been reckoned as the sheep of Thy pasture.' 8. Aug. comments thus : ' Quis digne cogitans habitationem apud Deura, iu qua omnes prae- destinatione sunt deputati, qui secundum propositum vocati sunt, non enitatur ita vivere, ut tali habitatione congruat?' DeFid. et Opp. xxii. 41. Cp. Lev. xi. 44. 3. To ydp ETTiirr. Comp. viii. 13, 17. 8. John xvii. 3 : ' This is Ufe eternal, that they raight know Thee the only true God aud Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.' Jer. ix. 23, 24. This verae is quoted by 8. Method. De Sim. et An. vi. (XVIII. p. 361, Migne). 'OXdKXrjpos, ' complete,' ' omnibus numeris abso- lutus.' S. James i. 4 ; i Thess. v, 23 ; i Macc. iv. 47 ; 4 Macc. XV, 17. 'To know Thy power' leads to wholesome fear aud awe, aud so is the ground of a blessed immortality. The Vulg. gives, with some confusion: 'et scire justitiam et virtutem tuam.' Comp. Ecclus. i. 13; and ch. viii. 13. 'Pi'Ja, iii, 15 ; Ecclus. i. 20 : ' The root of Wisdom is to fear the Lord, aud the branches thereof are long life.' Comp. i Tim. vi. 10: 'The love of money is the root of all evil.' 4. Kokotextos, i. 4. 'Eirivoia, xiv. 12. 'Device.' ActsxvU. 39: x"?"" ypan re;i(Vijs Kai ivBvpfjaeas dvBpairov. Oute followed by ouSc = ' neither . . . nor yet,' is not unusual, but copyists often, as here, have altered the words for uniformity's sake. iKioypditKuv, ' of perspective paiutere.' The Vulg. renders : ' umbra picturae,' reading as Compl., aad ypatpav. Coloured statues seera to be referred to. Comp. xiii. 14. ElSos oTTiX. in app. to jrdvos, ' A figure stained.' Vulg. : ' effigies sculpta,' which Gutb. thinks is not a mistake for ' piota,' but that inriXtoBev is taken as de- -XV. 9-J COMMENTAEY. 191 rived from o-inXds, ' a rock,' and not from o-iriXos, ' a stain.' But this is equally an error. For airiXda, comp, S. Jaraes iii. 6 ; S. Jude 23 ; Dion, Hal, vi. 93. 5. ^Hv, ' of which objects.' "Aijipovi seems more probable than dtppoatv, ou ac count of the sing. Tro^et. Vulg. : ' insensate.' "OpEliv (' concupiscentiam,' Vulg.) has the highest authority. ' Enticeth fools to lust after it,' Eng. ' Turneth a reproach to the foolish,' Eng. Marg., render ing the alternative reading els dvetSos. ' Becomes a passion in the case of a fool.' The commentators quote the case of Pygmalion who fell in love with the statue of Venus, and others who have fallen victims to the same folly. 8. Agobardus (a.d. 779) wrote a treatise most strongly condemning image-worship, denying such representations of God and the saints the appellation of ' sacred,' and recommending that they should be utterly destroyed. Galland. Bibl. vet. Patr. ix ; Migne, Patr. Lat. civ. The iambic rhythm iu some of the stiches, vers. 4, g ff., should be remarked. 6-17. The folly of idolaters in worshipping idols of clay. 6. KaK. Jpairral a|ioi te t. e. are predicates. 'And worthy of such hopes,' i. e. objects to trust in. Vulg. : ' Digni sunt qui spem habeant in taUbus.' Comp. Col. i. 27. I Tim. i. I : ' Christ, who is our hope.' Oi SpGvTEs, ' fabricatores,' Wahl. ' Qui faciunt illos,' Vulg. Heysch., quoted by Schleusn. : Spavres, irotouvTes, ipya^dpevoi. 7. Kai ydp gives the reason for the expressions in ver. 6, kokSv e'poorai K.r.X. ©XiPitfv, ' kneading,' ' rubbing.' 'Eiri'poxOov, used adverbially. ' Laboriose,' Vulg. Or agreeing with y^v, ' soft earth that causes trouble ' in working. Gutb. takes oTroX^v as predicative, ' working f troublesome earth (so as to be) soft,' which is possibly right. iirlpoxBos is a very uncommon word. It is found in Schol. Ap. Aristoph. Pac. 384 : £ rrdvrjpoi, & iiripoxBoi. ripds umjp. r\pSiv, Uke els virrjpeaiav f(ru>, et pq koi i^i'ou. novTiYupi. 13. riapd Trdvras, ' more thau all,' ' before all.' Comp. Rom. xii. 3. The maker of such frail images must have known better thau any one his imposture. EudpauiTTa. Some of the best !MSS. read eSBpaara, but the word nowhere occurs. ' Brittle,' in the ed. of 16 10, ' brickie,' with the sarae raeaning. rXuTtrd, ' graven images,' So continually in the -XV. 1 8.] COMMENTARY. 193 Sept. Deut. vii. g; Judg. xviii. 24; Is. xliv. 10; I Macc. V. 68. 14. ndvTEs . . . d(|)povE'(rraToi. This seems to be the original reading, rrdvrav dtppovearepoi being probably a correction. TdXavEs u-ir. <|/ux. vr\rt. Vulg. : ' infelices supra modum animae superbi,' where Reusch supposes that ' superbi ' is a mistake for ' pueri.' Gutbert. thinks that the original was 'supra animam pueri,' which became by accretions what it now is. But which is the word of God for Roman Catholics ? The Douai ver sion has merely : 'foolish and unhappy, and proud beyond measure.' The words mean, ' more miserable than an infant's soul,' i.e. in respect of ignorance. Comp. xii. 24. Ot IxOpoi • • • KaraSuv. These words cannot refer to Solomon's times, nor would it be true of the As syrians, etc., that they accounted all other nations' idols to be gods (ver. ig). The fact mentioned in ver. 18 and the present ae^ovrai point to the Egyptians, or Graeco-Egyptians, as ' the enemies ' meant. As to the time when the Jews were ' held in subjection,' we may reasonably refer it to the reign of Ptolemy Philo pator, who, ou his return from his repulse at Jeru salem, B.C. 217, treated the Jews most cruelly. See Proleg. p. 32. Those who attribute the Book of Wis dom to Philo quote this passage as suitable to the state of the Jews under Caligula. 15. 'EXoyiffavTo Geou's. The Greeks in Alexandria seem to have identified their gods with those of other nations, and to have honoured the images of foreign divinities equally with their own. Eome certainly did this in later times. And though the Egyptians were too vain of their own institutions to borrow other gods (Herod, ii. 79 and 91), yet they allowed them to be deities at any rate in their own special localities. See on xix. 3. Ois OUTE. Comp. Ps. cxv. g, 6, 7 ; cxxxv. 16, 17. JuvoXk})v, 'drawing together,' a very late word, ap parently found nowhere else in the sense of 'breathing.' It occurs in Dioscor. De Venenis, 14, and Galen, ii. 2 66 C. *r)Xd(|)T)(riv. Plut. Aemil. i. 262 C. ; Clem. Al. Paedag. iii. g. 33 (p. 273 Pott). 'Apyoi irpds etti^., ' useless for walking.' 16. 'Eiroir]aEv. Ps. Cxv. 4. They are the work of men's hands and therefore cannot have life and sense. AESavEicrpE'vos. ' Having had his spirit lent to him.' See on ver. 8. Man therefore cannot impart it to others, nor even retain it himself. Eccl. viii. 8. AuT(d:=£auT(d is ccrtaiuly the right reading. 17. N£Kp(5v. Comp. xiii. 10, 18. 2£Pao-p,dTa)v, objects of worship, xiv. 20. Lact. Inst. II. ii. 13 : 'Melior est qui fecit quara ilia quae facta sunt.' Grimm. Comp. Bar. Ep. to Jer. 46. 'Av0' (Sv. The common reading is aefiaap. airov, Sv, where Sv must be explained as a part. gen. con nected with OUTOS and ixelva, which is harsh. The Sin. MS. relieves the difficulty by reading dvB' Sv (suggested by Arn.), ' in opposition to,' ' in contradistinction from which.' Vulg., ' quia,' perhaps reading as ; but it may weU be the translation of dvB' Sv, which is used to signify 'because,' e.g. Soph. Ant. 1068. Vulg. adds, ' cum esset mortaUs,' a manifest interpolation from the beginning of the verse. 18, 19. Greatest folly of all in beast-worship. 18. lE'PovTtti. 'They,' viz. the enemies of Thy people, 'worship,' ver. 14. 'The beasts' are serpents, croco diles, dogs, birds, and indeed nearly all animals. See Wilkinson, Anc. Egyptians, ch. xiv. and vol. ii. pp. 468-471, ed. 1878. The Greeks and Romans often ridiculed this animal worship. See Athenae. Deipno- soph. vii. p. 299, ed. Casaub., quoted by Wilkinson, and Juven. Sat. xv. i sqq. Plutarch explains the origin of beast-worship by the idea that the animals consecrated to the gods became in the course of tirae confounded with the deities tbemselves. See De Iside et Osir. c. 71. Warburton deduces it from hierogly phic writing, the characters of which being the figures of animals, and standing for gods and heroes, in time became the object of direct worship. Div. Legat. bk. iii. § 6 ; and bk. iv. § 4. 'ExQio-ra. 'Miserrima,' Vulg., reading perhaps ata}(taTa. Eeusch. Comp. xii. 34. 'Avoia. ' In respect of folly in the worshippers, c c 194 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [XV. 19- they (beasts) are woi-se thau the others (idols).' It is more foolish to worship a beast thau au image, beeause the latter may be taken as the representative of the deity, bjit beasts, in the author's view, are worshipped iu themselves, with blind adoration, hateful (exBiara) as they are. All MSS. read ovoto, which some editors have thought to be = Svoa ; others have sug gested dii'a, and others, as the Eng. translators, read Evta. Retaining the received rea(Ung, I think the above given interpretation is the most probable. If -we refer dvoi^t to the beasts, it is not true that the creatures woi'shipped by the Egyptians were the most uniuteUigent of all animals. The Arm. version refers it to the worshippers, rendering: 'haec est pessima stultitia,' So Gutb. The Vulg., ' insensata,' points to dvoa, un less the -var. 'insensate' be the true reading. Mr. Churton paraphi'ases : ' The Egyptians also worshipped the vilest of animals, which appear woree than othei'S even iu the judgment of the ignorant aud thought less.' Dr. Bissell reads atvoto, aud translates : ' For being compai-ed together as it respects stupidity some animals are worse than others;' but he does uot ex plain how he obtains this rendering from the Greek text. PhUo, De Vit. Contempl. i (II. p. 472): rav pev ydp irap' Alyvirriois oiSe pepvfjaBat KoXiv, 01 fmo dXoyo Kot ou;^ ^pepa pdvov, dXXd Koi Brjpiav Td dypKirara iraptryijaxaaiv fit Beav npds e'J EKdirrou rav Kdrai aeX^vijs, ;^ep(rato)V pev Xeovra, evvSpoav Se tov eyxapiov KpoKiiSeiXov, depom>pa>i> Se utnvov, KOt T^v Atyujrrt'av XSiv. S. Aug. De Un. Bapt. iv : ' Ttdia quippe uovimus fuisse simulacra Aegyptionim, ubi ct instituta esse multipUcior multoque iguominosior idolatria perhibetur.' XuyKptvd)iEva. Comp. Philo, tib. sup. : frpoo-n'voP- r dvripipov ovpavov yeyovoTO, Kot irepi t^s x^pc^ aepvij'yopovaiv. 'Yetois . . . ofippois. The distinction between uerAs and opfipos seems to be that the former (Lat. 'nimbus ') means ' a sudden hea-vy shower,' the latter (Lat. 'imber'), ' a lasting rain.' 'AirapaiT^Tois. See on ver. 4. Omitted in Vulg. Arn. quotes Milton, Par. Reg. iv : ¦ Fierce rain with lightning mixt, -svater -with fire In ruin reconciled.' 17. HXeiov In^pYEi, 'had more power thau usual.' Calmet refers to the account of Elijah's sacrifice, I Kings xriii. 38. The notion in the text is that the hail was not melted, nor the water quenched by the fires of heaven. S. Ephr. Syr. in Exod. c. ix. (p. 210): ' Ruit itaque praeceps grandinis nimbus, intermican- tibus fulgetiis mistus : adeo uec grando ignem extinxit, uec ignis gi-audinem tabefecit ; quin ea adjuncta, velut aggestis vepribus, fiammam extulit luculentiorem. Simili miraculo grando, velut in fornace ferrum, sio igne torrente excandescere visa est, et quod etiam mirabile est, ignis graudiuem iuflararaavit, Ugna mini me adussit.' Comp. Ps. xviii. 12, 13. 'Yir^pp,axos, see on x. 20. The same idea is found ch. V. 17 foil. 18. rioTE p.Ev . . . 1T0TE 8e rofor to different times and plagues, as is shown also by the tenses of the verbs fjpepoijro and rpXeyei, ver. 19. The present repre sents the Plague of flre as present to the writer, the imperfect introduces the extinguishing of the fire as soraething raore distant, iraported for the sake of contrast. Gutb. 'HjjiEpouTo, 'mansuetabatur,' Vulg. This is dir. Xey. for the usual ' mansuefacio.' ' The animals sent against the ungodly ' must be the frogs, flies, Uce, and locusts ; -XVI. 20.j COMMENTARY. 199 but to what event in the history of these Plagues the author is alluding, is a matter of great doubt. Grimm thinks that he has erroneously combined the plagues of frogs, flies aud lice with that of haU aud lightning, Bo as to assert that the flames spared the beasts sent at that same time to plague the Egyptians. Gutberlet defends the author from this charge, and supports the explanation of Calmet, that the fires spoken of were not the lightnings of the Plague, but the artificial fires kindled by the Egyptians to disperse the noxious animals, and which had no effect on them. This how ever is a pure hypothesis. Arnald (whose view seems reasonable) says : ' I must acknowledge that our author, in this particular, seems to have exceeded historical truth, and to have used a rhetorical exaggeration to make God's dealings with the Egyptians appear more terrible.' At the sarae tirae it is possible that the writer may allude to some old tradition on the raatter, as in the case of the manna, vers. 30, 21. Comp. xix. 20. Philo, after describing the plague of hail, as quoted below, states that it was followed by a strong and pestilential wind which brought the locusts ; but he nowhere says that the two plagues were simul taneous. 19. (frX^yEi, sc. (pXd^. Vulg. : 'exardescebat undique,' where the tense is wrong, and ' undique ' is an addi tion. rEvvi^p,aTo, ' the fruits,' ' produce,' as is shown by W Sv, ver. 20, and Kapirovs, ver. 22. Vulg.: 'natio nem.' See on i. 14. PhUo, Vit. Mos. i. 20 (II. 98, 99) : irepiTTOv §v ev Aiyuirro) xeipdiva yeveaBai . . . e^ai(pvijs Svras ivearepiaev d dfjp, &aB' oaa iv tois Svaxeipepois dBpoia KaraaKfj^^ai, Ipopds verav xdXa^av iroXXfjV Kai fiaBelav, dvepav trvpirtirrovrav, Kai avnirarayoivrav fiias, vetpav pfj^eis, e'lraX- X^Xous darpairds Kai jSpovrds, avvexels Kepavvovs, ot repara- ioeirrdnjv S'\jnv irapelxovro, Beovres ydp Std t^s x^Xofor, jMxopevrjs ovaias, aire errjKov avTfjV, oute ia^evvvvro, pe- vovres S' iv dpoia Kai SoXixeiovres ava Kai koto), Sterfipovv njv x^itCetv. dKX' ov pdvov fj i^aiaios (popd irdvrav rovs ouujropas eis virep^dXXoiaas SvaBvpias 5yev, dXXd Kai rb lnO irpdyparos dij^ES. vireXa^ov ydp, oirep koi 5", eK prjvi- parav Beiav KeKaivovp-yfjaBai to aipiravra, vearepiaavros iis ofiira irpdrepov rov depos ejrt Xipj] Kai tpBopfj SevSpav re koI Kapirav, ois avvetpBdprj (aa ovk dXiya, rd piv irepiypi^eai, rd Se ^apei rfjs iirtirtirrovarjs ;^aXd^i7s, aairep KarctXevaBevra, rd Se uiro TOU irvpbs i^avaXaBevra. evia Se fjpitpXeKra Siepeve, TOVS rvirovs rav Kepawiav rpavpdrav ets vovBeaiav rav dpavrav iiricpepdpeva, KaTa(t>6£ipY|. The balance of authority is in favour of this reading, and not StatpBeiprj (Vat.). Comp. ver. 22. 20. 'Av6' Sv. Instead of the fruits destroyed by the lightning, etc. 'A-yyfl^ojv rpoijiJiv, Ps. Ixxvii. 24, 2 g (Sept.) : e^pe^ev avrols pdvva (payelv, Kai aprov ovpavov eScoKev aurois^ dprov d-yyeXav etpayev dvBpairos, iiriairiapbv diriareiXev avrols els irXrjapovfjv. Comp. 2 Esdr. i. 19; 8. John vi. 31; Eev. U. 17. See the account of the manna Ex. xvi. aud Numb, xi., aud Wisd. xix. 21 ; i Cor. x. 3. 'E4Kip,i(j-as, with double acc, as Numb. xi. 4 : rts ijpas \papiel Kpea ; Is. IviU. 1 4. It is used in a dif ferent sense I Cor. xiii. 3 : edv ¦^aptaa irdvra rd virdp- Xovra pov, "Eroipov . . . dKoiridrois, (or dEpop.Evou, ' of the eater,' Eng. irpoatpe- pea6ai airov being a common phrase for ' taking food,' Judith xii. 9. S.Aug. Ep. ii8: 'In primo populo unicuique manna secundum propriam voluntatem in ore sapiebat.' Arn. 'YrrnperSiv, sc. apros, ver. 26. METEKipvaTO, 'changed itself.' peTaKtpvda-= pera- nepivvvpi, ' to mix by pouring from one vessel into another,' here, as Vulg. translates, =' converti.' The Fathers continually refer to tbe manna as a type of the holy Eucharist. S. Aug. In Joh. Ev. Tract, xxvi. §13; S. Chrys. Hom. xlvi. in Joann. (VIII. p. 271, Ben.). In the tract De Coena Domini, affixed to the Works of S. Cyprian, we find the following apposite remarks : ' Hujus panis figura fuit manna quod in de serto pluit ; sic ubi ad verum panem in terra promis- sionis ventura est, cibus ille defecit . . . Panis iste angelorum omne delectaraentum habens virtute mirifica, omnibus qui digne et devote sumuut, secundum suum desiderium sapit ; et amplius quam manna illud eremi implet et satiat edentium appetitus, et omnia carna- lium saporum irritamenta, et omnium exuperat dulce- dinum voluptates.' Ps. cxv. In another place (Ep. 7 6) 8. Cyprian sees in the manna a figure of the grace of sacraments which is aUke to all, whatever be their age, sex, or station. (P. ig7.) 22. Xiiiv . . KpucTTaXXos, i. e. ' the manna,' so called from its likeness to hoar-frost (Ex. xvi. 14) and being an ' icy kind of heavenly meat, that was of nature apt to melt' (evrrjKTOV KpvardXXoeiSes), ch. xix. 21. 'Y-ir^pEivE irup. We read that the raanna was melted by the sun, Ex. xvi. 2 1 ; but on the sixth day that which was gathered might be seethed or baked, and kept good during the Sabbath, Ex. xvi. 23, 24. Also, though so soft by nature, it could be ground and made into cakes and baked (Numb. xi. i). Both these miracles seem to be referred to in order to point the contrast with the effect of the lightmng in the seventh plague on the Egyptians. riup (jjXEy. EV TQ xaXdl-ci is from Ex. ix. 24, show ing a knowledge of the Sept. 23. Touto, sc. irvp. ndXiv, see on xiii. 8. 'E-n-iXEXr]CT§ai depends on ¦yvaaiv, ver. 22, the con struction being changed from on with indie, to acc. and inf The desire of uniformity of construction has led to the change e'lriXeXrjarai in many MSS. ; but the alternation of dn with an infinitive clause is not un common. See Jelf, Gr. Gram. § 804. 6 ; Winer, § 64. ii. 2. 24. 'H KTi'iris, 'all created things' (Rom. viii. 33), here, specially, the element of fire. Comp. ch. v. 17, 20. 'EiriTEivETai, ' exerts, intensifies itself.' Vulg. : ' exardescit.' MSS. Sang, et Corb. 2 : ' excandescit.' 8. Aug. viii. 871 : ' extenditur.' 'AviETai, 'abateth (i.e. weakens) his strength,' Eng. Exod ix. 26. Els ai. The reading e'iri o-oi is given by Method. De Eesurr. xiv. (XVIII. p.'288, Migne) : fj Kriais aot . . virep T&v e'iri trot ireirotodnov. 25. Aid TOUTO, because nature works out God's wUl. Dd 202 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [XVI. au— MetoXXeuoji^vt], sc. 17 Kriais, i.e. 'fire,' as ver. 24, and the raanna. ' Changing itself into all fashions.' See ou iv. 12. The manna changed its taste according to the desire ofthe eater (vere. 20, 21), aud fire modified its usual effects in obedience to its Maker's will. T^ -irovT. 0-. StdpEo, ' Omnium nutrici gi-atiae Tuae,' Vulg. ' Thy raercy that provides for all.' So Stoped iu the sense of ' bounty,' Eph. iv. 7. Grimm and others take Siaped to be ' the gift' of manna, which makes this verse a mere repetition of the preceding statements. ripds T. T. Seop^^v. 6AT)(riv. 'In accordance with the will of those who desired it," as ver. 21; or more generaUy, ' that He might give them that which they desired in their need.' Churton. For BeXtjais comp. Tob. xii. 18 ; Heb. ii. 4 ; Just. Tryph. 61. 26. "Oti oux . . dXXd, ' not so much . . as.' This verse is quoted by Clem. AI. Paedag. i. (p. 167, Pott.). Feve'd-eis t. Kap-iruv, ' races, sorts of fruits.' See ou i. 14. ' Nativitatis fructus,' Vulg. ; ' Nativitates fruc- tuum,' Sabat. The Vulg. uses 'nativitas' iu the sense of ' natural production.' See ou vii. g. To pTJpd ot)u. Deut. viii. 3 (Sept.), where 'word' (p^po) does uot occur in the Hebrew. See Matt, iv. 4, It stands for 'will' here, as Xoyos, ver, 12, PhUo, Leg. All. iU. 56 (I. p. 119) : dpos on ov ¦yrjtvois koi tpBaprois Tpe(peTai fj ^vxfj, dXX' ols &v d Qebs dp^pfjarj Xdyois, e'K rfjs perapaiov koi KaBapds (piaeas, fjv ovpavbv KeKXrjKev ; 27. Td yap. The proof that it is God's will alone that gives natural food its power of supporting life is seen in the facts connected with tie manua ; 'e. g. it melted away in the sun and yet could be cooked and baked, Ex. xvi. 21 ; Numb. xi. 8. We read in the Targum of Jonathan : ' They gathered from the time of the da-svn until the fourth hour of the day ; but at the fourth hour, when the sun had waxed hot upon it, it liquefied, and made streams of water which flowed away into the gi'eat sea ; and wild animals that were clean, and cattle came to drink of it, and the sous of Israel hunted aud ate them.' Etheridge, p. goo. 'AirXus, ¦ simply . . . melted away.' Vulg. : ' sta tim.' Thus the Israelites were taught the lesson of daUy dependence upon God, in agreement with the Christian pi-ayer. ' Give us this day our daily bread.' 28. This is one of the many beautiful passages iu this Book. The lesson about early prayer is of coui'se founded on the fact that the IsraeUtes were obliged to gather the manna before the sun grew hot and meltcti it. Some commentators have inferred frem this pas sage that the author was au Essene or Therepeut. But see Ps. v. 3; IxiU. i. Ixxxvii. 14 : to irpoii fj irpo^ ev,Y^ pov irpo(p6daei ae. Ecclus. xxxv. 14. (xxxii. Eng.). Ginsburg, ap.Kitto, Cyclop., refers to Mishna Beraoheth, i. 2, for a ti'aditiou that prayer must be offered to God before sunrise. In his account of the Essenes Philo writes (De Vit. Cont. 11. vol. ii. p. 48g): rds re S-fets KOt oXov rb aapa irpbs n)v ea trrdvres, eirdv Bedaavrai rbv fjXiov dviaxovra, rds xetpds tu/trreivavres ei's ovpavbv evtjpepitxv Kai dXfjBeiav iireixovrai Kai d^vanriav Xoyiapov. See also Joseph. Bell. Jud. II. viU. g. For the Essenes see Prolegom. pp. 19, 20. Edxc^P^criav ctou (like irpoaevxfj tov Oeov, S. Luke vi. 13), thanksgiving of which God is the object. npds dvoT. (|>o)T., ' at sunrise,' as irpos ienripav, S. Luke xxiv. 39. Origen reads irpd dvaroX^s (Parbs, De Orat. 31 (I. p. 367, Ben.). 'EvTuyx(i''«''''. See on viii. 21. 29. The connection is this : man should be grateful for God's blessings; for without thankfulness he can have no hope of future favour. 'AxapioTou looks back to evxapiariav in the preced ing verse. XEip.^pios here, as generally in Attic, a word of two terminations. Vulg. : ' hibernalis,' here only. Comp. ' aeternalis,' Ps. xxiii. 7 ; ' originalis,' 3 Pet. ii. g ; 'an- nualis,' Ecclus. xxxvii. 14. 'Pui^tTExai, 'disperiet,' Vulg. See oni. 8. So, 'exies,' Matt. V. 26; ' exiet,' Matt. U. 6 ; ' peries,' Ecclus. viii. 18; 'rediet,' Lev. xxv. 10; 'ti'ansient,' 2 Pet. Ui. 10. 'XVII. 3.] COMMENTAEY. 203 CHAPTER XVII. xvn. l-XVin. 4. contrast as regards the Plague of Darkness. 1. rdp. This verse confirms and elucidates xvi. 39, with special reference to the hardening of the heart of Pharaoh and his servants. Their sin was ingratitude for the removal of the plagues ; and the author seems to view their obstinacy as a judicial punishment. See Eom. ix. 18 ; xi. 33. Zou at KpiirEis. ' Judgments and counsels.' The Vulg. inserts ' Domine,' and ' verba Tua.' Auo-Sn^yrjToi. Comp. Ps. xl. g ; xcii. g, 6. The word Suo^Si^y. is dir. Xey. in Sept., and not used in classi cal Greek. It raeans, 'hard to narrate,' or 'to set forth in detail.' Comp. dveKSiijyijros Pallad. Hist. Laus. 33 (xxxiv. p. 1093 B, Migne). Aid TOUTO, because God's dealings with men are unsearchable. 'ATraiSeuToi, ' uninstructed ' in matters of true re ligion. The Egyptians made the great mistake of fighting against God in their dealings with the Israel ites. Vulg. : ' indisciplinatae.' This word is found frequently in Ecclus. (e.g. v. 14 ; vii. 17 ; xxii. 3, and 4 Esdr. i. 8), but not elsewhere in Vulg. It occurs in 8. Aug. De Civ. x. 29 : ' verbis indisciplinatis uti- mini.' Cypr. De Idol. Van. 6. Comp. ' insensatus,' iii. 12; ' discalceatus,' Deut. xxv. 10; ' pudoratus,' Ecclus. xxvi. 19. 2. 'Y-irEiXT)((). ydp. This paragraph confirms iirXavfj- 6ijaav, ver. I. See Jer. Taylor, Duct. dub. I. i. 14. A^(rpioi o-k(5tous. The plague of darkness (see Exod. X. 21-23) here referred to, miraculous in its circumstances, but proceeding from natural causes, may have been produced by a terrible and abnormal j j sand-storm. The Sept. calls it aKoros yvd(pos BieXXa. MaKpas . . . vuKTds. See quotations from Philo and hus ou ver. g. nESYJTai, 'compediti,' Vulg. This is a post- classical word, occurring elsewhere in Vulg., e. g. Ps. Ixxviii. II ; Dan. Ui. 91 ; and in Lactant. Inst. VII. i. 19. Plaut. Capt. V. i. 23 : 'In lapicidinas ccimpeditum condidi.' ?uydSEs, excluded by their own act, like run away slaves. ' Outlaws from the divine Providence.' Jer. Taylor, Cases of Conscience, i. i. Ekeivto. Ex. X. 23 : ouk i^avearrj ouSeis e'K t^s Koirrjs avrov rpels fjpepas. 3. They had sought darkness to hide their sins (Ps. X. 11), and now they were punished with darkness. Eng. : ' While they supposed to lie hid,' a rather un common use of the verb ' suppose.' 'EtrKopTriff0T)(rav, they were dispersed, separated from one another by the solid darkness, ' the dark veil of oblivion.' This, which is the usual reading, is confirmed by the 8. MS., which gives SieaKopirlaBrjaav. Fritzsche has received iaxoriaBqaav, which is easier, but of inferior authority (all the ancient versions having the reading in the text), and was probably introduced by some scribe who found a difficulty in explaining iaKopir. Gutb. sees in it a reference to the mysteries (xiv. 23) and orgies celebrated at night, which drew the heathen together to their ' secret sins.' This miraculous darkness drave them asunder, so that none helped or comforted other, in agreement with the view maintained xi. ig, 16, that men's own sins make the whips to scourge them withal. 'IvSdXpatriv, ' appearances.' Sabat. : ' spectris.' Lucian. Somn. g (II. p. 711, Keitz). Ei'ScoXov is used of the ghosts of the dead, and 'tvSaXpa is very much the same in etymology and in meaning. The, author adds many circumstances in this plague which are not found in Moses' narrative. The spectres may have been the product of the Egyptians' own terrified imaginations, though there seems to be an intimation of something D d 2 204 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [XVII. 4- renl in Ps. Ixxviii. 49 : ' He cast upon them the fierce ness of His ang-er, -v\Tatb, and indignation, bj' sending evil angels among them.' Arn. refers to Ecclus. xxxix. 28. The Vulg. rendering, 'cum admiratione nimia perturbati,' is curious. S. Agobardus refers to this passage : ' Terrores etiam tribulationura per daeraones fieri iu Libr. Sap. legiraus.' Ap. Galland. xUi. p. 453. 4. Muxds, 'the inmost recesses of the houses,' to which tbey retreated. 'A()>d^ous, I have received this instead of d(pd^as, as the author seems to use the pred. adj. iu such cases. Comp. X. g ; xiv. 24. KaTopdoxrovTES, ' sounds rushing down.' Vulg. : ¦ sonitus descendens.' The Eng. addition, ' as of waters falling,' is unnecessary, as is the change from the received text to iKrapdatrovres (Fr.), though this may have been the original reading of V. KaTopdo^o^eiv is used iutr. as well as trans., as our ' dashing down.' The notion is amplified in ver. 18. riEpiEKdp.iTouv. ' Sounded around.' This word is found iu no good MS. of any classical author (the reading in Thuc. vi. 1713 spurious) ; it occurs in Joseph. Bell. Jud. i. 2g. 2 : toutois ireptKopirfjaas, Kaiirep irapareraypevov, 'HpaSrjv virdyerai. 'Ap,EiS. -irpotrio-irois dep. on Konjtpq. The Vulg. does uot keep to the Greek. Jer. Taylor quotes rauch of this chap, in his treatise on Cases of Conscience, I. i. 5. Comp. Philo, Vit. Mos. i. § 21 (II. p. 100): Xapirpas fjpepas otJtnjs i^airivalas dvap^eiroi aKoros, laas pev KOt ^Xiov yevopevrjs eKXei^eas rav e'v ?5et TeXetorepas" ktoos Se Kai avvexeiais vetpav xal irvKvdrrjaiv dStaordrois, Koi iriX^- trei Piatordrr] rfjs rav dKrivav tpopds dviiKoireitrrjs, s rfjV livoy- KaioTdnjv oypiv rav ato-^ijo-eiov uytoivouo-av, irrjpbv eivat, prjSev dpdv Svvapevrjv, TtrpdrpBai Se Kai rds tlXXos oia I'lniKdous, ireaoiarjs t^s ijyepoviSos. Joseph. Aut. II. xiv. 5 : o-kotos jSoflii Kat (peyyovs dpoipov ireptji^etTat rots Aiyvim'ois, v(p' o5 rds re o\|fet$ diroKXetope'vois Koi tos dvairvods ep(ppaTTopevots virb rraxynjTos olKrpas re diroBvfjaKeiv trvveiSaive, Kot SeSt'evat pfj KarairoBaaiv virb rov vetpovs. The author adds some rhetorical touches to Moses' account, Ex. x. 23. 'YTr^p.Evov, ' ventured,' as if the very stars feared this darkness. Iruyi^i'. S. Matt. xvi. 3 : iruppdfet irrvyvdfiBV d ovpai'ds. e. AiEijiaiveTO, ' kept shining through ' the darkness, in flashes. Arn. takes pdvov with Sie<|>., implying that the fire was in appearance only ; but tho collocation of the words is against this. The Vulg. omits it. The flashes were probably electrical. AuTopd-TT) TTupd, ' a self-produced mass of fire,' in opposition to the lapips aud torches used iu vain by the Egyptians to dispel the darkness. The Vulg. gives 'subitaneus,' which occurs iu this chapter, ver. 14; and xix. 16, but nowhere else in Vulg. Trjs . . . o\|;eo)s Eng. takes as geu. of comparison after x^''p<") which makes the sentence somewhat prob lematical ; it is bettor taken (as Vulg.) for gen. of the cause after eKSetpar. ' Affrighted by tiiat sight, if so be (pfj) it was not beheld.' The 'sight' is the flashes of fire. Td pXEirdp.Eva, ' the objects seen ' in the momentary flashes. XEiptd, ' worse ' than they really were. The above interpretation seems to be tlio best which is allowed by the text as it stands. There is, unfortunately, very scanty, and that inferior, authority for that which would seem to be the natural statement : ' They thought the things which thoy did not see to be worse than what tbey saw.' Calmet, Gutb., and Arn. interpret the present text nearly as I have done. Thus Arn. : ' Being frightened at what they had only an accidental glimpse of (for the flashes wore not strong enough, nor of a continuance sufficient to view and discern things distinctly), they were more afraid of the objects that passed before them, and thought them worse than -XVII. I I.J COMMENTAEY. 205 they were.' Mr. Churton paraphrases thus: 'There gleamed upon them at intervals a massive flame, burn ing of itself without fuel, and full of terror ; and in their dread of that appearance which they durst not gaze upon, they imagined that the common objects which met their sight were changed for the worse, assuming ghastly forms from the lurid aspect which was cast upon them' (see Ezek. xxxiii. 7, 8). Dr. Bissell : ' They saw a fire, without anything to cause it, and their fear because of that which was hidden made this fire and light worse than the darkness.' This is not satisfactory, and the explanation given above is more in accordance with the received text. 7. MayiKTis te'x>^s. ' Art magic,' Eng. From the Lat. ' ars magica,' as ' arsmetrike,' in Chauc. Knight's Tale, 1900. Bible Word Book, s. v. For payiKos comp. Philo, De Spec. Leg. 18 (II. p. 316) ; Just. Apol. i. 14 ; ii. ig. 'EpiraiypaTO, ' tricks,' or ' scoffs.' (Ps. xxxvii. 8 ; Isai. Ixvi. 4.) The latter seems preferable in connection with the succeeding parallelism. So Vulg., ' derisus.' See Exod. ix. 11 ; 2 Tim. iii. 8, 9. Kote'keito, 'jacebant,' 'nihil valebant.' Ex. vii. 22; vui. 7, 18; is. II. The Vulg. rendering, 'ap positi erant,' is unsatisfactory, unless, as Eeusch sug gests, ' arti,' be read, and ' apposita est ' be understood with ' correptio.' Trjs Eirl i(>p. ' There was ignominious reproof of their false pretensions to wisdom.' 'E(l)u'PpioTos is a very late word, occurring in Herodian, ii. i ; vi. 7, and Clem. i. 448 A (ifigne), but nowhere else in Sept. 8. Oi ydp. The wise men and magicians, as Gen. xii. 8 ; 2 Tim. iii. 8. We may compare the proverb, 'Physician, heal thyself,' 8. Luke iv. 23. Notrodo-i'is. I Tim. vi. 4 : voaav irepl (rjrfjaeis. EuXd^Eiav, acc. cogn., ' were sick with a laughable timiditj-.' See on xU. 11. The comraa after 'fear' in the Eng. version ought to be removed ; so ' pleni ' in Vulg. is unnecessary. Sabat. : ' In ridicule timore languebant.' Ex. ix. 11. 9. TapaxGSEs, 'troubling, perplexing, object.' The Vulg. rendering, 'nihil ex monstris,' points to the reading reparaSes, which is found only in Ven., and as a correction in 8. 'E(|)(}|3ei, ' did fear them,' Eng., where ' fear ' =: ' frighten,' as often in Shakes., e. g. Ant. and Cleop. II. vi : ' Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails.' lupio-poTs. The earlier form, a-vptypnls, is given by sorae MSS. It is probably an alteration of the original reading. ' Sibilatione,' Vulg. air. Xey. See on ch. v. 2. 'EK(rEiToPT]p^voi, ' scared forth,' i. e. from their hiding-places. 'EKiretprj^opevoi is plainly an alteration to a more usual word. 10. AitoXXuvTo. Comp. 8. Luke xxi. 26 : diro\pvxdv- TODV dvBpairav dirb (pdffov. 8. Matt. XXviii. 4. "Evrpopoi. ' Tremebundi,' Vulg. Comp. Lucret. i. g6 ; Ovid. Met. iv. 133. See on x. 7. For evrpopos comp. Ps. Ixxvi. 19 ; Acts vii. 32 ; Plut. Fab. 3 (I. p. 175 B). 'ApvoupEvoi, 'refusing,' as Hebr. xi. 24. They dared not look around them for fear of seeing horrible objects. Some take de'pa for ' mist,' ' darkness ;' but it is hardly likely that, after the harrowing description of the darkness given above, the author should apply to it the mild term dfjp in a sense almost unknown to later writers. 11. rdp, the reason of the magicians' fear. This verse has greatly exercised commentators. The Eng. gives good sense : ' Wickedness condemned by her own witness is very timorous,' reading ISito pdprvpi with Compl. This is also adopted by Fritzsche. But then all original MSS. give I'Si'ms, and pdprvpi is found only in A. and some cursives. It is true that 8. also reads pdprvpi, but t is so constantly written for ei therein, that no certainty can be attributed to this. (In ver. 10 S. reads irpoo-tSiv for irpoo-iSeiv.) I have therefore left the text as it stands in V. ; and we can either put a colon at paprvpei, as Gutbl. proposes, and make two coordinate clauses, thus : ' Wickedness is naturally a timid thing ; it gives evidence thereof when it meets with punishment ;' or keep it as one sentence, trans- 206 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [XVII. II- latiug : ' Wickedness being naturally timorous testifies the same wheu condemned to punishment,' or, ' Wicked ness when condemned to punishment testifies that it is naturally timorous.' The Vulg., omitting t'SiiBr, trans lates : ' Cura sit enira timida nequitia dat testimonium condemnationis,' making KOToSiKofopeviy depend on pap rvpei, ' testifies that it is condemned.' This is quite possible, but the sense given above seeras preferable, i. 6. evil men under some circurastances may hide their coward nature, but when put to the test of suffering they exliibit their base fear. As Hooker says, Eccl. Pol. V. i. 3, referring to this passage : ' Evils great and unexpected (the true touchstone of constant minds) do cause oftentimes even them to think upon divine power with fearfuUest suspicions, which have been otherwise the most secure despisers thereof.' For in stances of the effects of an evil conscience see Gen. iii. 8; xliii. i8; i Kings xxi. 20 ; Job xv. 20 ; Prov. xxviU. I ; Jer. ii. 19. *Aei Se, even without open punishment. npocrEiXT)E. Eng. : ' forecasteth.' Vulg. : ' prae- sumit,' reading probably irpoetXijrpe, into which the reading has been altered in S. But the received read ing gives good sense : ' takes in addition, aggravates evils.' Comp. Prov. xxvui. i ; Job xv. 20-22. JuvExop^vri, ' pressed,' ' constrained.' See on ver. 20. luvEiSi^o-Ei, ' conscience,' here first occurring in this sense in the Greek version. The word indeed is found in Eccles. x. 20, but with a different meaning. It is common iu N. T., e. g. Acts xxiii. i ; Heb. xiii. 1 8. 12. ripoSotria. Vulg. : ' proditio cogitationis auxili- orum,' i. e. ' betrayal of the aids of thought.' There is a play on the word in the next verse by the intro duction of irpoo-SoKi'a. Hooker (Eccl. Pol. V. iii. i) renders : ' Fear is a betraj'er of the forces of reason able understanding.' Clemens Alex, defines fear : eon pev ouv q pev eKirXijfis (pd^os eK (pavraalas davvfjBovs, fj iir dirpoaSoKrjTto (pavraaiii, dre Kai dyyeXlas, tpd^os Se as ye- yovdri fj ovn, fj Bavpaaidrrjs virep^dXXovaa. The last defi nition of eKirXrj^is occurs Arist. Top. iv. g. Clemens also calls (pd^os, aXoyos eKKXtais, Strom, ii. 8 (p. 448, Pott.). 13. The raeaning seems to be : ' The expectation (of help) from within being weaker, makes the ignorance ofthe cause of torment greater,' i.e. wheu the succours of reason fail, the ignorance of the cause which has occasioned the terror aggravates the fear in the mind of the wicked man. Churton : ' AVhere there is less self-reliance or expectation of succour from within, the mind is more bewildered through its supposed ignorance of the cause whence the calaraity proceeds. "Ev8o9ev. ' Ab intus,' Vulg. So Mark vii. 21, 23. Similai'ly, ' ab invicem,' Acts xv. 39 ; 'a foris,' Matt. xxui. 27, 28; 'a longe,' Matt. xxvi. g8; 'a modo,' Matt. xxiu. 39; 'de foris,' Matt, xxiii. ag, 26; ' de intus,' Luke xi. 7 ; ' de longe,' Ps. xxxvii. 12; ' de retro,' Bar. vi. 5 ; ' de sursum,' John iii. 31 ; 'ex tunc,' Is. xlviii. 3 ; 'in palam,' ilark iv. 2 2 ; 'in peregre,' Ecclus. xxix. 29. ripotrSoKia, sc. fiorjBrjpdrav, ver. 12. AiTias depends ou dyvoiov. Sabat. : ' Majorem com putat inscientiam praebentis tormentura causae.' 14. Ol Se, the magicians, as in ver. 8, the passage about the terrors of a guilty conscience, vei-s. 11-13, being parenthetical. T^ dSuv. vuKTa, ace. of duration of time. What the epithet dSuvaros, applied to vv^ and aSi/s, means is a question of some difticulty. The Vulg. renders 'im potentem' in the first place, and in the second leaves it untranslated : at least the words ' ab infimis et ab altissimis inferis' can hardly be meant as a translation, and are probably a corruption of the original text. The Eng. gives 'intolerable,' and ' inevitable,' though the word must plainly have the sarae meaning in both places ; the margin suggests ' wherein they could do nothing.' Commentators vary between ' intolerable' (dS., sc. rXqvai), ' making meu powerless,' ' incurable,' and the contradictory, 'mighty,' 'powerful.' Schmid and Grimm take the epithet as applied to the darkness because it was nothing terrible or dangerous iu itself, but became so only owing to the conscience- stricken .-XVII. 1 1 •] COMMENTARY. 207 terror of the Egyptians ; and as appropriate to Hades as having no power upon earth, according to i. 14. Gutberlet sees in the expression a covert irony — that night which the magicians called impotent, that hell which they scoffed at as feeble. These wise men, who had disparaged the plagues, aud had pretended to be superior to them, were involved in the same deadly night as the rest of the people, and like them were terrified within and without. There is much to admire in this interpretation of Gutberlet, and it is helpful iu determining the sense ; but dvnos is against the epithet being merely ironical, and there is nothing to show that any irony is intended. It seems better to under stand the expression thus : ' The night which was really powerless to harm and which sprung from a Hades which had no power on earth.' This is the meaning to which Grimm's interpretation points, though he errs in considering the darkness as in itself, in the author's view, nothing terrible. A glance at the previous verses refutes this at once. "AiSou, as being the abode of darkness. Job x. 21, 22. Tdv auTov uTTvov, 'the same sleep' as the other Egyptians. This was truly virvos dvirvos (Soph. Phil. 848), troubled by the terrors of an evil conscience within and horrible sights without, ver. ig. With virvov koi- pmpevot comp. rfjs Koipfjaeas rov virvov, 8. John XI. 13. 15. 'HXau'vovTo, 'were vexed with prodigies of ap paritions.' See ou ver. 3. 8. Mark vi. 49. riapEXuovTo, see ou ver 19. 'Their spirit failing, they were paralysed.' 'EirEXu'Or). This seems to have been the original reading altered by copyists to iirfjXBev. Comp. i Thess. V. 3 : al^viSios avrols itpiararai oXeBpos, 16. Ei9' ouTus marks the transition to a different subject, all the Egyptians being here meant, and not only the magicians. "Os 8V]iroT ouv r\v, ' whosoever it was.' The punc tuation of this clause has been varied by different editors. The Vulg. and Eng. versions join fjv iKel koto- mirroiv with the preceding words, ' whosoever there fell down ;' and thus Holmes, Field, Tischend., and Reusch place a comma at KarairiTrrav. Apel, Grimm, and Fritzsche put the stop at iKel. But it seems very jejune to say ' whoever was there,' when they were all in the same circumstances ; and the resolved form qv Karairiirrav would imply continuance, while here a mo mentary action is contemplated. It is better therefore to place the comma at qv, and to connect the following word with itppovpelro. 'Ekei KaTaTri-nTiov, ' sinking down there,' failing in limbs or spirits, or in both. Comp. ver. 2. 'EijipoupEiTo. Ex. X. 23 : ' They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days.' Comp. Gal. iii. 33 : viro vopov itppovpoipeBa avyKeKXeiapevoi els rfjV peXXovaav iriartv diroKoXvtpBqvai. 'AffiSirjpov. Eurip. Bacch. 11 04: pi(as dveairdpaaaov daiSqpots pvxXols. 17. 'Epi\plav, 'country away from human habitation,' ' waste.' npoXr]ij>0Eis, ' anticipated,' ' suddenly overtaken.' The addition of 'esset' to 'praeoccupatus' in Vulg. makes the sentence ungrammatical. AuordXuKTov, a very late word. Vulg. : ' ineffugi bilera.' This word is found in Appuleius, Mund. 280, but nowhere else in Vulg. See ou x. 4. ""EpEvev, ' sustinebat,' a use of the word not found elsewhere in Greek Test. 'AXu'ctei (2 Tim. i. 16) ukotous. Comp. 2 Pet. ii. 4 ; aetpals (dtpov raprapiiaas irapiSaKev. 18. 'Ap(()iXa(i)Eis, 'far spreading,' 'thickly grown,' 'Opviav. Ps, Iiii. g : ' There were they in great fear, where no fear was.' Lev. xxvi. 36 : ' I wiU send a faintness into their hearts . . . and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword ; and they shall fall when none pursueth.' As to the birds which sang in the darkness this may be only a rhetorical exaggeration; but Gutberlet affirms that in Egypt not only are there nightingales that sing at night, but other birds also, viz. a kind of lark (Alauda arhorea), and a reed- warbler 208 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xvii. 19 19- (Calamoherpe palustris), and some others. The author may mean merely that the noises heard seemed to them like these sounds. 19. Explanatory of qxot Karapdaaovres, ver. 4. 'ATrr]VT)s, ' harsh,' ' terrible.' Instead of diri/veo-rd- nav (Bqpiav) the Vulg. secmS to have read dirqveardrq, 'vaUda bestiarum vox.' 'AvTavaKXojp^vi]. This verb, meaning ' to reflect light or sound,' occurs in late authors, and Plut. De Placit. Phil. iv. 20. KoiXdTTjTOs is certainly the right reading, koiXo- rdrav (printed erroneously by Tisch. and Eeusch as found in V.), ha-ving doubtless arisen from the copyist's eye catching the many genitives preceding. riap^XuiTEv, 'disabled,' 'paralysed them.' Comp. ver. ig. 20. rdp introduces the consideration how it was that the Egyptians' terrors were chiefly subjective. luvEiXETo, ' was closely engaged in.' Comp. S. Luke xii. go ; Acts xviii. g : aweixero ra Xdytp So awi- xeaBai oSvppa, ' lameutatiouibus indulgere,' Ael. H. V. xiv. 2 3. 21. ' That darkness which should afterward receive them.' Comp. S. Matt. iii. 7 ; viii. 1 2 ; xxii. 1 3 ; 3 Pet. iii. 4, 17 ; Jude 6, 13. So Tobit xiv. 10: avrds Kan'iSi; els rb aKoTos, BapuTEpoi, owing to the torments of conscience. CHAPTEK XYIII. I. 'Ocriois. The Israelites. See on x. ig. 'But all the children of Israel had Ught iu their dwellings.' Ex. X. 33. *Qv, i. e. of the Israelites. The subject of aKoiovres, dpavres, iptxKapi^ov, is the Egyptians. Commentators have missed the sense of the passage from not seeing this. The Vulgate has fallen into the same error, and then has remedied the blunder by translating ipaKap., ' magnificabant Te.' "0 Ti pEv ouv, 'Whatsoever they also (the Israelites) had suffered (by reason of their bondage, etc.), they (the Egyptians) thought them happy,' compared with their own evil case. I have here adopted Gutberlet's suggestion to take dn as the relative with ovv, not that it completely satisfies me, but because I have nothing better to offer. One would expect dn to have the same meaning in both clauses ; but then it is (Ufficult to know iu what sense to take ovv. To alter it to ou, on the authority of A., does not mend matters, for then the tense of iirendvBeiaav is wrong, the imperfect being re quired. But the preponderance of authority is largely in favour of oiv, and we must make the best of it. as above; or else, taking Sn as the conj., translate : 'They (the Egyptians) deemed it a happy thing that they (the Israelites) too had suffered,' i.e. 'found Comfort in thinking of the Israelites' former sufferings.' But the unusual sense thus given to paRapi(a makes the rendering first offered most probable. Mr. Churton, neglecting the force of the plup. e'lreirdvfleto-ov, para phrases : ' So they deemed them happy because of the things that happened to them.' 2. The Egyptians were grateful to the Israelites for not revenging themselves on their taskmasters. The Vulg. again mistakes the sense. EXdiTToutrt . . Euxapitrtouct, bist. pres. The latter verb has been changed into qixapiarow for the sake of concinnity with epoK. and iSeovro. Kai Tou S. ' Et ut esset differentia donum pete bant,' Vulg. This seems to mean that the Israelites asked of God the boon that there might always be a diff'erence in the measure dealt to them and their enemies. But the subject is still the Egyptians, and the meaning plainly is : ' They begged pardon that they had been at variance.' ' Inimicitiarum gratiam et -xviii. g.J COMMENTAEY. 209 veniam petebant,' Gr. Just as later they besought the Israelites to depart and pressed presents upon them. Ex. xii. 33, 36. 3. 'Av6' (Sv. In contrast with the plague of dark ness and its accompanying horrors. The 'propter quod' of the Vulg. does uot represent this. nupi(|)XEYTJ (TTuXov. Ex. xiii. 21 : e'v ariXta irvpds. So Ex. xiv. 34. Comp. Ps. Ixxvii. 14 ; civ. 39. Sept. 'oStjyov p,EV . . . riXiov SI, ' a guide by day, and a sun by night.' 'ApXa^TJ. Ps. cxxi. 6 : ' The suu shall uot smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.' iXoTifiou IfiviTEias. ' Of their glorious pilgrimage.' SeviTeia is properly ' service,' or, ' life, in a foreign country.' The Eng. : ' to entertain them honourably,' and the Vulg. : ' solem sine laesura boni hospitii,' are equally beside the mark. Grimm makes (piX. ^evtreias depend on dpXa^fj, but this seems unnecessary. Vatabl. renders : * Ad maguificam peregrinationem solem inuo- cuum his exhibuisti.' 4. "A^ioi p.£v ydp. This verse shows the special suit ableness of the punishment. ?uXaKitrGrjvai. ^vXaKifco is a late form for tpvXdaaa. It occurs Acts xxii. 19 ; Clem. Rom. ad Cor. xlv. 4. 'A(|ieapTov, not like the sun's light, but ' imperish- ahle.' So Christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill. S. Matt. V. 17. Eis KXqpovopiav atpBaprov, I Pet. i.4. Tu aiuvi, 'the present age,' the world regarded in its temporal aspect. See on iv. 2 and xiii. 9. Talck. ad i Cor. i. 30 : ' Quod Graeci Scriptores Koapov, illud Judaei Graecienses etiam aiSva dixerunt. Hinc nonnunquam Koapos et alav iu libb. ss. permutantur. Quem Paulus vocat t6v Bebv rov alavos roirov (2 Cor. IV. 4), iUum Joannes dixerat tov tou Kdapov roirov dpxovra (xiv. 30).' So S. Ignat. seems to use the two words mterchangeably, ad Eom. vi : ouSe'v pot atpeXqaei rd rtpirvd TOU Koapov ouSe ot ^aaiXelai rov alavos roirov. The statement iu the text that the light of the law was to be given to the world is noteworthy. It shows that the Jews had begun to realise that the revelation made to thern was not to be confined to their own nation exclusively — a truth expressed dimly in the prophets (Ps. xxii. 37 ; Isai. ii. i flf. ; Mic. iv. i ff), but emphatically in later books, e. g. Tob. xiii. 1 1 ; xiv. 6. The injunctions about the treatment of strangers in the Law (Exod. xx. lo; Lev. xix. 33, 34) showed that the light which they possessed was to be imparted to others. Thus Philo speaks of the Jews as possessing TIJV virep diravros dvBpairav ye'vous iepaaivrjv Kai irpotpqreiav, De Abrah. 19 (II. p. ig). In another place he makes the Jewish nation the intercessor for the rest of the world, TOS virep TOV yevovs rav dvBpairav dirdvrav de iroirjadpevov evxds, Vit. Mos. i. 37 (II. p. 104). Comp. De Vict. 3 (IL p. 338). 5-25. Contrast as rega/rds the action of Death. 5. A fresh contrast is here begun, the various por tions being, (i) The Egyptians had sinned by the slaughter of the Israelites' children : they were punished by the death of their own firstborn. (3) They drowned the children in the Nile : they were themselves drowned in the Bed Sea. (3) The rescue of one child was the cause of their wholesale destruction. Gutb. The author still illustrates his principle (xi. 16), that a man's own sins make his punishment. For the facts alluded to see Ex. i. ig, 16; ii. 3; xii. 39; xiv. 37. Philo, Vit. Mos. 24 (II. p. 102). Josephus (Ant. II. ix.) relates that the king of Egypt was induced to murder the male children at this time by the prevalence of a notion that a Hebrew was now to be born who would humble the power of the Egyptians and exalt the Israelites to the highest pitch of glory. 'Oaiiiiv. See on ver. i. 'Evds. Moses, Ex. ii. 3, 9. 'EkteG^vtos, the usual word for exposing children with the intention of destroying them. Herod, i. 112 ; Aristoph. Nub. g3i. Els eXeyxov, ' for their reproof,' is best taken with aaBevros, referring to Moses' actions in after time. Vulg. : ' in traductionem illorum,' where Eeusch thinks that ' illorum' ought to belong to the next clause : ' illorum multitudinem filiorum abstuUsti,' E e 210 THE BOOK OF WISDUJM. LAVlll. O- 'Op.o6u|iaSdv, ' conjuuctira,' 'in common,' as ver. 12. Job xvi. 10 : xxi. 26. 6. 'EKEivrj ¦f\ vu|, the night of the Exodus. narpdinv. Most commeutators take the 'fathers' to mean the Israelites in Egypt who were made ac quainted with the details of the tenth plague before hand, Ex. xi. 4 flf. ; xii. 2 1 flf. But the Israelites are called ' God's people,' ' sous,' ' saints,' etc., but never ' fathers,' in this Book ; and the opposition in the next verse introduced by Sc would be lost if irarpdaiv and Xaov were identical. It is better therefore, with Gutb., to refer irarpdaiv to the patriarchs, and the ' oath' to the promise made to Abraham (Gen. xv. 1 3 ff".), and like wise to such passages as Gen. xxii. 16 flf., xxvi. 3 flf ; xxviii. 1 3 flf. 'Aa(|>aX(ds filSdrES. Corap. Acts ii. 36 : do-t^aXoSs ovv yivaaKera iras oikos 'lapafjX. See also Xxii. 30. 'EirEuOup.^trbio'i, a word almost unknown. Vulg. : ' auimaequiores essent.' The word ' animaequus' seems alraost pecuUar to the Vulgate aud other Latiu trans lations of the Bible. It occurs iu a Latin version of Herm. Past. I. i. 3; Ronsch, Itala und Vulg. p. 223. 7. ' So of Thy people was accepted,' Eng. The translators evidently took ' the fathers ' and the ' peo ple ' to be the same persons ; hence they render Se, ' so.' For the same cause the Sin. MS. expunges the particle, the scribe not understanding the opposition intended. npo(rES^X®1) ' "^^^ expected.' 2 Macc. viii. 1 1. The 'suscepta est' of the Vulg. is only adraissible with a very harsh zeugma. 'A'ir(^XEia, ' exterminatio,' Vulg. See on vi. 18. 8. 'fls ydp. This, the original reading, has been altered into a to make it suit the tou'toi, which answers to it. But the combination of as and the demonstrative pro noun is not unexarapled ; and the Vulg. gives ' sicut . . . sic' Thus Plat. Eep. ii. 8 (p. 36g, D) : toutb iTEov, IBS TO i;^vi7 Toov xdyuv tpepei. The meaning is, that the death of the firstborn, by which the Egyptians were punished, was the means by which the Israelites were glorified. npo(rKaX£(Tdp,Evos, 'calling us to Thee,' by the institution of the Passover aud the Exodus. Vulg. : ' uos provocans,' reading rrpoKoXeaa pevos. 9. Kpuijirj. The Passover, here referred to, was to be eaten iu each house, Ex. xU. 13, 46, and so as not to offend the susceptibiUties of the Egyptians, Ex. viii. 26. Vulg.: 'absconse,' 4 Esdr. xiv. 26. So 'insen sate,' ch. xU. 33; 'pompatice,' Amos vi. i. ' Abs- consus' = ' abscondi tus,' occurs vii. 21 ; Ecclus. i. 39; iv. 31, etc. 'E0uo-iajov. The Passover was a real sacrifice, and sacrificial terms are applied to it both in the Old and New Testaments. Ex. xii. 37 : duo-ia tA irdo-xo tovto Kvpita. Deut. xvi. g, 6 ; Ex. xxiii. 18; Heb. xi. 28. Philo : ' In praesenti vero paschate norainato univer sus populus sacerdotio honoratus est; oranes enim per se peragunt sacrificium.' Quaest. in Exod. i. 10 (p. 4gg, Auch.). HaiSEs dyaGuv, ' SOUS of good fathers.' (Comp. xiv. 3 6.) ' Pueri bonorum,' Vulg. The children of the patriarchs, and therefore inheritors of the blessings. ' The good men ' are the ' Fathers ' whose praises the Israelites are said to have sung ou the night of the Exodus in contrast with the Egyptians' lamentations over their dying children, Bpqvovp. iraiSav, ver. 10. Grimm takes dyaBav as neuter, and compares the ex pression vibs diraXeias, John xvii. 12; but the two phrases are far from corresponding, and there is here no special propriety in forcing so barbarous an idiom upon the writer. Schleusner translates : ' Filii quibus destinata sunt bona paterna a Deo.' It is true that the writer does not elsewhere apply the term dya^ol to the Patriarchs, but that is no reason why he should not do so here. We may compare Plato's expression, Seairdrais dyaBols re Kai i^ dyaBav, Phaedr. IviU. (p. 274, A). Tdv t. 6ei6r. vdpov. ' Established, or, came to agree ment with, the divine law,' explained, as to the chief terms, iu what follows. Instead of Beidrqros (Eom. i. 3o) some MSS. read daidrqros, which seems to be a gloss. The Vulg. indeed gives 'justitiae legem,' but one MS. at least has ' diviuitatis,' But iu either case the meamng -XVIII. I 3^] COMMENTARY. 211 is much the same; as they celebrated the Passover, they agreed with one consent to observe the worship of God, and to share equally the dangers and the bless ings consequent upon their release from Egypt. This unanimity was signified by their all eating of the lamb, and all taking of the bitter herbs and sauce that accompanied the feast. Tous dyious is best taken with oi'vovs, as Apel and Fritzsche edit. So Grimm and Gutb. npoavap.^XTrovTEs. I have with Fr. adopted this reading from A., many cursives, the Corapl., the Vulg., and the correction in S., as it seems unlikely that the author would use irarpdaiv for the Patriarchs, ver. 6, and irarepav for the Israelites in this place. ' While they first sang the holy praises of the Forefathers,' to whom were made the promises now about to be ful filled. The introduction ofthe Hallel at tbe Passover seems to have been of later date. But see 2 Chr. xxx. 21, Sept., and 2 Chr. xxxv. ig. UpoavapeXira is ctir. Xey. 10. AiE(|)^pETo ^ti>vr\. I have admitted tpavq in agree ment with the chief authorities, Eeusch's suggestion of oiCT-pd as = oiKTos being quite inadmissible. The word has slipped out of V. and a few cursives. For the 'piteous cry' over the firstborn, see Ex. xi. 6; xU. 30. And for the contrast between the Israelites' hymns of joy and the Egyptians' mourning comp. Eurip. Ale. 760 ff. ; Med. 1 173 flf. ; Aesch. Agam. 321 flf 11. 'Hv must be supplied to the participles. For the universality of the destruction see Ex. xi. g ; xii. 29, 30. Targum of Jonathan : ' And it was in the diriding of the night of the fifteenth, that the Word of the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Miz raim, from the firstborn son of Pharoh, who would have sat upon the throne of his kingdom, unto the firstborn sons of the kings who were captives in the dungeon as hostages uuder Pharoh's hand ; and who, for having rejoiced at the servitude of Israel, were punished as the Mizraee : aud all the firstborn of the cattle that did the work of the Mizraee died also. And Pharoh rose up iu that uight, aud all the rest of his servants, and aU the rest of the Mizraee ; and there was a great cry, because there was no house of the Mizraee where . the firstborn was not dead. And the border of the land of Mizraim extended four hundred pharsee ; but the land of Goshen was in the midst of the land of Mizraim ; and the royal palace of Pharoh was at the entrance of the land of Mizraim. But when he cried to Mosheh and Aharon, in the night of the Pascha, his voice was heard unto the land of Goshen ; Pharoh crying with a voice of woe, and saying thus : Arise, go forth from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel . . .' Etheridge, pp. 477/ 478. The following is Philo's graphic account : irepl ydp peaas viKras oi irparoi irarepas Kai pqrepas irpoaeiirdvres, Kai iir' iKelvav viol irdXiv irparov ovopaaBevres, vyiaivovres, Kai to aapara ippapivoi, irdvres dir ovSepids irpoepdaeas fj^qSbv i^airivaias dvrjpqvro, Kai ovBepiav o'lKiav dpoipqaai (paat rdre t^s avp(popds. dpa Se rfj eto, Kara ro eiKos, CKOOTOI Beaadpevoi rovs (piXrdrovs dirpoaSoKqras rere- XevrqKdras, ols dpoSiairoi koi dpoTpdirefoi pexpt rfjs etnrepas iyeyevqvro, ^apvrdreo irevBei KaraaxeBevres, oipayfjs irdvra iveirXqaav. ware trvvepq koi Std rfjv Koivoirpaylav rov irdBovs dirdvrav dBpdas dpoBvpaSbv iK^oqadvrav, eva Bpijvov dirb irepdrav iirl irepara avvqxqaai Kara irdaqs rfjS x^P"-^ • • • Sirep Se e'v tois toiovtois (piXel, to irapovra voplaavres dpxfjV eivai pei(dvav, Kai irepl rfjs t£v en faivnov dirmXeias koto- Seiaavres, avveSpapov ets rd ^aalXeia SeSaKpvpevot, Kai tos iaBqras irepieppqypevoi Kare^dav rov ^aaiXeas, as irdv rav atrtov rav avp^e^qKorav Seivav. Vit. Mos. i. 34 (IL p. 102). 12. 'iKavoi. This is a rhetorical inference from Numb, xxxiii. 4, aud the funeral ceremonies of the Egyptians were costly and long. See on xix. 3. ripds p.iav po-irr)v, ' Uno momento,' Vulg. 'H EVTifi. Y^vEins out. Ps. cv. 36 : 'He smote all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.' See on ni. 13. AiE(|)6apTo, the plup. seems better suited to the passage, and has higher MS. authority, thau SietpBdpq, the reading of V. 13. rdp, further proof of the greatness of the Egyptians' calamity, seen by its eflfect on their minds. E e 2 212 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [x'vin. 14- 4>ap{iaKias, the sorceries aud enchantments of the magicians. See Ex. vii. 11-13, 22; -viU. 7. Comp. Eev. ix. 21. 0EOO uidv, so God speaks of Israel, Ex. iv. 22, 23 : ' Israel is my sou, even my firstborn (vtos irptardroKos pov) ; aud I say unto thee (Pharaoh) let my son (tov Xadv pov) go that he may serve Me ; and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I wiU slay thy sou, even thy firstborn ' (tov vidv aov rbv irpardroKov). Comp. Jer. xxxi. 9, 20; Hos. xi. i ; aud Matt. U. ig. 14. This aud part of the following verse are given in the Eoman Missal as the Introit for the Sunday within the octave " of Christmas, being applied to the Advent of Christ, 'the Word' of God. S. Eustath. Antioch. quotes vers. 14-16, introducing them thus, De Engastrym. xix. (XVUI. p. 6g2, Migne) : et Se ns 'lovSoiK^v dppaarav dpXe^lav rds evoyyeXiKos ov wpoaterai (pavds, iiroKreov avra rd tov ^oXopavros airotpBeypara, Kai pqreov SSe ircos' fjtrixov ydp ... e'K Bpdvav fiaaiXiKav ^Itpos d^v rfjv dwiroKpiTov iirirayfjv aov (pepav, trrds iirXfjpaae Bavdrov to jrdvTO . . . e'lrt y^s. MEo-a^oiJtnjs. Ex. xii. 29 : 'At midnight the Lord smote aU the firstborn in the land of Egypt.' The verb peo-d^o> is of late use. Comp. Diod. i. 32 ; Herodian. Gram. Schera. p. g86, i (Ehet. Gr. viu.) ; 8. Cyr. Al. X. 1097 B. 15. 'O iravT. o-ou Xoyos. The expressions in this pas sage are certainly applicable to the Word of God iu the language of 8. John. That tbe author had in view the passage about the destroying angel, i Chr. xxi. 16, is very probable, and he here personifies the Alnughty wUl of God, as Ps. cxlvU. ig : 'He sendeth forth His commandraent upon earth. His word runneth very swiftly.' But the personal Logos seeras plainly dis tinguished frora the spoken ' commandraent ' in the foUowing verse. See Pearson, on the Creed, Art. II. note e, voL i. p. 2ig (ed. 1833). Comp. Ezek. i. 24 : (pavfj rot) Xdyou, and the description in Rev. xix. 13-16. Past. Herm. Vis. III. iii. g : reBepeXlarai d iripyos Ta pfjpan TOU iravTOKpdropos Kai ivSd^ov dvdparos. It is a most gratuitous assumption of Burton (Bampt. JJect. m. p. 7g, ed. 1839), that the author in this passage speaks of the Word of God exactly in the same sense which the Platonists attached to the term ' logos.' Bp. BuU takes a far juster view in his Def. Fid. Nie. Li. 18 : 'It is clear,' he says, 'that the author is speaking of a personally-subsisting Word (Xdyos e'wiro- oT-dros). Aud it is no less evident that it is not some ministering angel, as Grotius would have it, but a divine Person, that is designated iu this place ; for the author calls this Word " Almighty," and also assigns Hira a " royal throne in heaven." ' Works, Auglo- Cath. Lib. i. p. 33. See Prolegora. p. 36. 'AiroT. TToXEjiioT^s. ' The Lord is a man of war,' Ex. XV. 3. Comp. Josh. v. 13, 14. For diroT. see ou ch. V. 30. Tijs dXEGpias yfjs, 'the laud devoted to destruc tion.' So (i Kings XX. 43) Benhadad is called dvSpo dXeBpiov, ' a mau whom I appoiuted to utter destruc tion,' Eng. 16. Ei(|)os d|0, 'gladius acutus,' Vulg., in app. with ' sermo ;' but it is best taken in app. with imrayfjv. Corap. Eev. i. 16. In Hebr. iv. 12 the Word of God ¦ is said to be ropmrepos virep irdaav pAxaipav Siaropov. Comp. I Chr. xxi. ig, 16. 'AvuTTOKpiTov, (Eom. xU. 9), ' insimulatum,' Vulg. This Lat. word, iu the sense of 'unfeigned,' occurs nowhere else. Comp. ' incoinquinatus,' iii. 13; ' in- auxiliatus,' xii. 6 ; ' inconsumraatus,' iv. g. The idea in the text is that God's decree was irreversible, and carried out its threats. Comp. Numb, xxiii. 19. 'EiriTayi^v. This late word often occurs in the N. T., e.g. Eom. xvi. 36; i Cor. vii. 6; Tit. i. 3. See on xiv. 16. Kai oupav. Comp. the description of Discord in Hom. II. iv. 443, and of Fame iu Virg. Aen. iv. 177. As used here, the expression must mean that the com mand passed from heaven to earth iraraediately. With our later knowledge of the Personality of the Word of God it is easy to see here an adumbration of the doc trine of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, who is God in heaven even while He walks on earth as man. Txvm, 24.] COMMENTAEY. 213 BePtjkei, plup. without augment, as commonly in N. T. ' It stood,' ' stans,' Vulg., like eS, datpdXias jSejSi/KiBs, in class. Greek. 17. Aeivuv has higher authority than Setvus. These dreams gave the firstborn an intimation of their fate, as explained in the two following verses. Comp. xvii. 4. 18. 'Eve^d.vit,ev, 'made clear' by words, or more probably ' proved,' that their death was a punishment from God, and no mere accident. The addition of ' mortis ' iu the Vulg. at the end of the verse is tauto logical, and is not sanctioned by some MSS. 19. KaKus ¦ndaxputriv. S. Matt. xvii. ig. 20. The author contrasts the mildness of the punish ment inflicted on the Israelites, in many particulars, with the stern penalty exacted from the Egyptians. 'Tetigit autem tunc,' Vulg. The unauthorised insertion of ' tunc ' introduces confusion into the pas sage. The event alluded to is the rebellion of Korah, which happened long after the • Exodus, indeed at the close of the journeyings. See Numb, xvi, riEipa Bavdrou, ' trial,' ' experience,' as irelpa dpyfjs, ver. 2g. ©paucris, ' destruction,' the word used Numb. xxi. 49 : ' They that died iu the plague (e'v rfj Bpaiaei) were 14,700.' So Ps. cv. 30, and elsewhere. 21. 'Avr)p a|jLEp.Trros. Aaron, ' blameless ' oflficially, ' and in this case not involved in Korab's sin. npoEjidX'*!'^*- ' Stood forth as champion.' Comp. Ps. xcviii. 6 ; cv. 30 ; Job xiii. 8. AEiToupyias. This word is used throughout the Sept. to express the ministrations of the Levitical priesthood. Exod. xxxvii. 19 (xxxviii. 3i); Numb. iv. 24, etc. Comp. Eom. xv. 16 ; Heb. viii. 6. For the fact referred to see Numb. xvi. 46-48. In 4 Macc. Vli. II we have d irarfjp 'Aapav ra Bvpiarqpia KaBoirXia- jievos Std TOV iBvoirXfjKTOv irvpbs iirirpexav rbv ipirvptarqv eiilKijaev ayyeXov. (Joseph. Opp. U. go7, Hav.) 'EliXotrfidv. Ex. XXX. 10; Lev. xxUi. 37 ; Ecclus. v. g, etc. 0uu(3. In ver. 30 it is called dpy^. The distinc tion between the two words, the former regarding rather the feeling, the latter its exhibition, is not maintained in late authors. ©Epdirwv. This term is applied to Moses, Hebr. iii- g- 22. 'OxXov is the reading of all MSS. except two cursives, which, as well as Compl., have dXoBpeiovra. The Eng. version has adopted this reading, and trans lates, ' the destroyer.' The old versions read 'dxXov, Fritzsche receives x^Xov from a conjecture of Bauer meister. But it seems expedient to make no change iu the face of this weight of authority, and to translate, 'He overcame the commotion, the trouble,' i.e. the plague, and the sinfulness that caused it. Mr. Churton translates : ' the opposition of the multitude ;' but it was not till after the awful punishment of the guilty that Aaron made the atonement. Num. xvi. 47. Adyij), by prayer and the remembrance of God's promises and covenant. Comp. Exod. xxxii. 13. 2 Cor. X. 4 : TO ydp oirXo rfjs arparelas fjpav oi aapKiKa. Tdv KoXdJ., the plague personified. AiaOi^Kas, ' covenants,' as Ex. ii. 24 ; Lev. xxvi. 42 ; Ecclus. xliv. II, 20. The meaning 'testament' is not found in the 0. T. 23. luprjSdv. ' In heaps.' Polyb. I. xxxiv. g ; Lucian. Tim. 3 (L logj ; Philo, Vit. Mos. i. 17 (II. p. 96). METa^u. 'He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.' Numb. xvi. 48. Ai^CTX"''^) ' ^^^^ °^ f^^ ^^y {°^ ^^^ destroyer) to the living.' Targum of Jonathan : ' Behold, the des tructive burning had begun to destroy the people : but he put on jncense, and made atonement for the people. And Aharon stood in the midst, between the dead and the living, with the censer, and interceded in prayer; and the plague was stayed.' Etheridge, p. 397- 24. 'Etti ydp. ' For upon the garment down to the feet was the whole world :' a further illustration of the efficacy of Aaron's intercession, which had this accept- ableness because it was oflfered by the appointed High Priest wearing his typical robes of office. For iroSfjpqs see Exod. xxviU. 4, 31 ; Eoclus. xlv. 8 ; and Eev. i. 13 (air. Xey. in N. T.). ' Poderes' occurs in Vulg., Ecclus. 214 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xvii. 24- xxvU. 9 ; Eev. i. 13. In the latter passage the word is used to describe the priestly garment of Christ. This robe, caUed the robe of the ephod, is described by Josephus, Bell. Jud. V. v. 7, as iroS^pss KaBiirepBev vctKiv-- Bivov hiSvpa arpoyyvXov Bvaavarbv epyov. tSv Se Bvadvav dirfjprqvro KaSaves xpi., ' ou the four-ro-wed graven stone,' 'stone of graving' being=' graven stone,' and the whole work, which really consisted of four rows of three jewels each, being regarded as one precious stone. The variant XlBav is probably an alteration, and has the further difliculty of making rerpaarixov into a sub stantive, unless it be taken with yXvtpfjs, which is harsh. (See Ex. xxviU. 17.) This priestiy breastplate is called Xoyeiov or Xdyiov by the Sept. (Ex. xxviii. 1 g), as being that by which the oracle was given. It is so named by Josephus in his description of it (Ant. III. vii. g), and by Philo, De Monarch. U. g (II. p. 236), who however con siders it as a symbol of the heaven, and to be so named eireiSij tu ev ovpava irdvra Xdyois koi dvoXoyiais SeSqpioipyqrai Kai trvvreraKTai. Tav ydp eKel roirapdirav aXoyov ouSev. The twelve precious stones iu the breastplate correspond to the twelve stones in the foundations of the New Jeru salem in the Apocalypse. (Eev. xxi. 19, 20.) AiaSiQp,. Aaron's mitre had inscribed upon it, ' Holiness to the Lord.' Ex. xxviU. 36 ; xxxix. 30. 85. As though the very garments of the High Priest repulsed the destroyer and were a plea for restraining God's wrath. Thus Ex. xxviU. 38 : 'It shaU be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.' 'oXoSpEubiv is written in some MSS. dXeBpeiav, both here and i Cor. x. 10, and Hebr. xi. 38. 'E<{>oPii9t]. I have taken this into the text instead of itpofifjBrjaav (8., V. and a few cursives), as possessing the higher authority aud alone suiting the sense of the clause. The subject of the plural must be the IsraeUtes; but the allusion is uot to them, but to the agent of the plague. The Sin. MS. gives indeed eepo^qBqaav, but the last three letters are marked as corrected, thus, i(Po^fjBqaav. Vulg. : ' et haec extimuit.' riEipa, see ou ver. 20. CHAPTER XIX. 1-21. Contrast as regards the powers of nature in their action on the Israelites and Egyptians. 1. Me'xpi tAous. In contrast to the wrath against the Israelites which ' endured not long' (xvui. 20), the anger which punished the Egyptians was lasting, pexpi TeXovs, to their destruction. Comp. xvi. g, and ver. 4 -XIX. 3.j COMMENTARY. 215 of this chapter, where touto to ire'po* expresses the same view. Comp. also i Thess. ii. i6. Eeusch notes that he has not found this nineteenth chapter quoted by any Greek or Latin writer. ripoifSEi, sc. d Qeds. God's foreknowledge of the Egyptians' obduracy is alleged as the ground of their final punishraent (comp. Exod. iii. 1 9 ; vii. 4) ; i. e. their subsequent conduct showed that their previous chastisement had worked in them no moral change, and so God's wrath pursued them unrelentingly. The author does not mean that God punishes for sins fore seen, but not actually committed : his doctrine would he, that men uot using grace given, God, foreseeing that they would make uo use of further supplies, punishes accordingly. See note on i. 13. AuTuv rd (nAXovra, like airav fj tekovo-o, Eurip. Ale. 167, and d K6IV0V rcKav, Id. Electr. 333, the participles with the article being = substantives. 2. "On, K.T.X. explanatory of rd peXXovra, ver. i. 'Eiriorp^iliavTEs seems to have been the original reading, which has been altered into the easier iirirpe- favres, though the construction of this latter verb with the genitive is unusual. 'EmarpetpeaBai is used with a genitive in the sense of ' to regard,' ' pay attention to,' as Soph. Phil, g98, g99 : — Ti'vos S 'ArpetSoi tovS dyav ovno xpdva roaaS firearperpovro irpdyparos X"/"" i Reusch : ' Cura AegyptU in eo elaborassent, ut Israelitae abessent.' The author uses the active in the place of the customary middle voice, ' Cum ipsi permisissent ut se educerent,' the authorised edition of the Vulg. gives, but many important MSS. have : ' quoniam ipsi cum reversi essent,' some have both readings : ' cum ipsi reversi essent et permisissent.' The reflexive form, ' se educere,' for the passive (as in French), is found iv. 3, 'AiTEivai, some cursives give diriivai, but there is no necessity for the change. ' Wheu they had provided for their absence.' METd OTT. irporrip^. Ex. xu. 3i-33i 39- ^or irpo- irfpiro) comp. Acts xv. 3 ; Tit, iii, 13. Philo, Vit. Mos. i. 34 (II. p. 103): elr aXXos aXXoii irapeKoXei rbv Xeav perd irdtrqs airovSfjs i^ dirdaqs rfjs X'^pc' i^eXaiveiv, Koi rb piav qpepav paXXov Se Sipav avrb pdvov Kara&xelv irpbs dvfj- Kearov ripapiav nBipevoi. Ai(o|ouo-i. Ex. xiv. g flf. Philo : 01' Se iXawdpevoi Kai SiaKopevoi. Th. 2g. 3. 'Ev xepTii' EXovTES t& rcivOr], ' having their funeral ceremonies in hand.' These, as we learn from Herod. ii. 8g-^88, took a long time to coraplete; but before these were finisfced the Egyptians repented of their repentance. The Eng. version is very inadequate : 'While they were yet mourning.' Numb, xxxiii. 4. For the funeral rites of the Egyptians see Wilkinson, Anc. Egypt, ch. xvi. vol. iU. pp. 4376'., ed. 1878. npoo-oSup(}p. This word is dir. Xey. 'EiTEo-irdo-avTo, ' they seized, called in, another coun sel of folly.' Josephus says that Pharaoh was influenced by the idea that all the previous sufferings were the eflfect of Moses' enchantments, and that now having obtained their desire and escaped from the land, the Hebrews would make no more supplication to God, and would therefore fall an easy prey to them. (Antiq. II. xv.) He may have thought too, Uke the Syrians (i Kings XX. 33), that the God of Israel was merely a local god, whose power did not extend beyond the limits of the country (comp. i Sam. iv. 8), or that Moses' commis sion was confined to a narrow sphere. 'Of all the infatuated resolutions which either king or people had adventured upon, the pursuing of the Israelites with such a mighty army or strong hand, after they had fairly entreated them to depart out of their coasts, may well, to every indiff'erent reader, seem the most stupid.' Jackson, Works, vol. ix. p. 412; Paraphr. on Exod. ch. 11. The Targum of Jonathan says that Pharaoh, hearing that the Israelites were bewildered near Migdol, attributed their mishap to the power of the idol Zephon, which had not been smitten with the other idols, and therefore he was the more encouraged to pursue them. Etheridge, p. 48g. 'Avoias. 8. Luke vi. 1 1 : avroi Se iirXfjoBqaav dvoias. 'E|^|3aXov. Ex. xi. l ; orav Se i^arroareXXij vpds avv 216 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. L- iravri, e'KjSoXei vpos e'K^oXJ. So xU. 33 : 'and the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste,' tnrovSfj eKjSoXeiv aurous diro t^s -y^s. 4. rdp. The Egyptians' Svota, ver. 3, was the conse quence of the hardening of their heart. Ex.ix.i6; xiv.17. 'AvdyKT). ' Destiny,' ' iuevitabUe fatum.' This is that judicial blindness and hardness of heart which God inflicts on the wilfuUy disobedient. See Exod. viU. ig, 32 ; Eom. ix. 17, 22. Ou this S. Aug. says, Ep. cxciv. § 14, ad Sixt. : 'Nee obdurat (Deus) imper- tiendo malitiam, sed non impertiendo misericordiam.' See Wordsw. in Rom. I. c. Tuv (rup.pEPi]K., viz. ' the plague.' Ex. xiv. 4. Vulg: 'Horam quae acciderant commemorationem amit- tebaut.' Reusch suggests that the right reading is, ' immemorationera iramittebat,' dpvqarta being thus translated, xiv. 26. But ' commemoratio ' is used for ' remembrance,' ' memory,' 8. Luke xxii. 19 ; i Cor. xi. 24. npoaavairXTiptuo'&io'i. This, the reading of A. C, is far preferable to irpoavairX. of V., and is now pre ferred by Tischendorf in his Proleg. p. xlv. It occurs 2 Cor. ix. 12; xi. 9. The Vulg. is very inexact : ' Ut quae deerant torraentis repleret punitio.' Better MS. Sang. : ' Ut eara quae deerat tormentis replerent punitionem.' Comp. Gen. xv. 16 : ouiro> ydp dvaireirX)7p(0VTot at dpxtpriai rav'Apoppaiav ems tou vuv: Dan. vUi. 23; I Thess. ii. 16. See also Isai. li. 17, and 2 ilacc. vi. 14 : dvapivei paKpo- Bvpav d Aeairdrqs peXpt tou KaTOVTijo-avTOS avrois irpbs eK- irXqpaaiv dpapnav KoXdaai. 5. riEpdirji. ' Might accomplish a wonderful passage.' Ex. xiv. 28, 39. So in classical Greek irepda irXovv. Xen. Oecon. xxi. 3 : irepfiv ^pepiovs irXovs. The obstinate unbelief of the Egyptians became the occasion of the display of God's power aud mercy towards tbe Israelites. HeVov 6dv. In the sea, which obeyed the word of Moses and overwhelmed them at his command. 6. The general meaning of the verse is that the elements were so changed in their operations aud effects on the Israelites and Egyptians that they might seem to be a new creation. 'Ev iSiio v^vEi, ' its own, proper, kind,' as t'Siats in the next clause. 'AvojOev, ' afresh,' S. John Ui. 3. With irdXiv it is tautological. AiETu-irouTO, ' refigurabatur,' Vulg. With this un usual word we may compare ' reaedificare,' Ara. ix. 11; ' remaudare,' ' reexpectare,' Isai. xxvUi. lo, 13 ; ' repro- pitiare,' Heb. U. 17; 'repedare,' 2 Macc. iii. 3g. Tais iSiais Eirirayais, ' the peculiar commandments given unto them,' Eng. Grimm. This would be equi valent to the variant rais o-ois e'lnr., which seeras to be au alteration of the original. The words mean simply 'their own coraraandments,' i.e. the commandraents which they have to obey, the orders of their Creator. The facts referred to are given iu the next verse. ' Serving,' Eng. = ' observing,' ' keeping.' 7. 'As, namely, a cloud,' Eng.; ' Nubes castra eorum obumbrabat,' Vulg. Both equally mistake the con structiou, vetpeXq and the three other subjects being constructed with iBeapfjBq. NeiJie'Xt). The cloud which overshadowed the camp of the IsraeUtes aud gave light to them by night, while it brought darkness to the pursuing Egyptians and kept them frora approaching their enemies' quarters. Ex. xiii. 31, 33; xiv. 19, 30. Comp. Numb. ix. 18: 'As long as tlie cloud abode (o-Kidfei) upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents ' (iropepj3oXouo-iv). npou(tiE(rro)Tos. ' Before existing.' The verb occurs in Dion. Hal. vi. 93 (II. p. i3g6) ; Plut. U. g7o F. 'AvEp,TrdSicrros. Isai. Ixiii. 13: ' That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should uot stumble.' XXoT](|). tteSiov, ' a plain of green grass.' (Ps. cv. 9 : as iv ipfjptf.) Gutb. justifies the epithet by a refer ence to the flora of the Red Sea. Most commentators take it as a poetical amplification. Philo's account (Vit. Mos. iii. 34) is this : p^^ts BdXdaaqs, dvaxapqais eKarepov rpqparos, irfj^is Toiv koto to poycv pepos Std iravros TOV /Sddous Kupdrmv tv dvri retp^mv i; Kptn^atoTdrtov, evflurev^s dvoTop^ T^s peyiiXovpyqBeitnjs oSou, fj rav xpftrrtiKXaBevTav peBdpios qv dSoiitopia, tou eBvovs aKtvSivas ire(evovTos Std -XIX. I 3^] COMMENTARY. 217 BdXdaatjs as iirl ^qpals drpairov Kai XiBaSovs iSdtpovs. 'EKpavpaBq ydp fj \jfdppos, Kai q airopds avrqs ovaia avp- tpvelaa fjvaiBq (II. p. 1 74). The narrative of Josephus will be found Ant. ii. i6. See note on ver. 13. 8. ndv eOvos in apposition to the subject of SiqXBov, ' they, a whole nation.' The V. reading, irove^vl, has been altered in the MSS. (see critical note), and all the best MSS. give the reading of the text, though 8. is corrected by a later hand to iraveBvi. Comp. Ex. x. 9. 9. 'EvEp,TJ9ir)o-av, ' they pastured,' ' grazed,' here 'ranged,' as Eurip. EL 1163 : dpeio ns bs Xeaiv opydSav Spioxa vepopeva. ' Depaverunt escam,' Vulg. ; (' escam ' is absent from many MSS.). Comp. -xXoqtpdpov ireSiov, ver. 7 ; Is. Ixiii. 11-14. A. Lap. notes that some MSS. have ixpepe- naav, but it is not mentioned by H. and P. AiEaKiprria-av. Ps. cxUi. 4 : ' The mountains skipped (iaKiprqaav) Uke rams, aud the little hills Uke young sheep.' Mal. iv. 3 : aKiprqaere ins poaxdpia e'K ieapav dveipeva. Cp. S. Luke vi. 23. The word Sta- aKiprda occurs iu Plut. Anim. an Corp. ii. goi C. AlVOUVTES. Ex. XV. I— 19. 'PudpEvov = ' their Deliverer.' The var. pvadpevov would refer to the particular occasioned mentioned. 10. 'EpepvTivTo ydp. This reflection added to their exultation at the passage of the Bed Sea. Tuv EV T. irap. auTuv. ' What had happened in their sojourning ' in the land of Egypt, i Esdr. v. 7 : i, di/ojSdvTes eK rfjs alxpaXaaias rrjs irapoiKias, ' their cap- l tivity in a strange land.' Acts xiii. 17 : tov Xabvv\jfa- aev iv rfj irapotKia iv yij Al-yiirrtf. Vulg. : ' incolatu. This word ' incolatus ' (from the post-class, forra ' in- colare') is found also Ps. cxix. 5; Ezek. xx. 38 ; i Pet. i. 17. 'The things which befeU thera' are explained in what follows, rras, k.t.X. 'How the land brought forth flies instead of cattle,' Eng. This version gives a wrong impression, and omits yevc'o-etos. The contrast is between the na tural procreation of animals and their supernatural production. ' How, instead of their being produced (yeveaeas, see OU ver. 1 1 ) in the usual way, it was the earth that brought them forth,' Ex. viii. 17. This is the view also of Gutberlet, and it certainly seems to elicit the contrast better than the Eng. and other versions. E^i^yayEV. Ps. ciii. 14 : tov i^ayayelv dprov iK rfjs yqs. Comp. Gen. i. 34 : i^ayayira fj ¦yfj, K.T.X. iKviira, used collectively as in Ex. viii. 18, and as oprvyopfjrpa, ver. 12. The MSS. vary betweeu aKvlira aud aKvttpa. The reading oKvltpas is probably a cor rection. What creature is meant by the word o-Kvii/r is very doubtful. Any small biting insect is called by this name, and probably ' lice ' is the best translation. See Exod. viii. 16, 17 ; Ps. civ. 31 ; and the quotation from Philo, ch. xvi. 9. The question is fully discussed in Smith's Diet, of Bibl., s. v. 'lice.' 'AvTi Se EvuSptov, sc. yeveaeas, instead of aquatic ani mals producing the frogs it was the water that vomited tbem out. Ex. viii. 1—6. 11. Te'veo-iv, 'production,' as ver. 10. See ch. xvi. 2 ; Ex. xvi. 13 ; Numb. xi. 13 ; Ps. Ixxviii. 26-39. 'Eiriflupia irpoax©. Ex. xvi. 3 ; Numb. xi. 4, 34. ' Led with (i.e. by) their appetite,' Eng. 12. Els ydp irapap,u0iav. ' For their relief ' In allocutione desiderii,' Vulg. See on iii. 18. 'OpTuyopi^Tpa, collectively, as aKvlira, ver. 10. Corap. d fidrpaxos, Ex. viii. 6; dKpls, Ex. x. 12, 14. The arrival of quails from ' the sea ' is in accordance with Numb. xi. 31. Their annual migration is a well-known fact. 13. ' And punishments,' etc. A new paragraph begins here. The mention of ' the sea ' leads the author to think of the punishment which it inflicted on the Egyptians. Apel, Reusch, and Tisch. have only a comma at dprvyopijTpa. Field has a full stop. Fritzsche, Grimra, and Gutberl. commence a new paragraph. So Eng. begins ver. 1 3 here. 'ApapT., the Egyptians ; the reference is to tlie overthrow in the Red Sea. npoyEyovoToiv. V. and Ven. give yeyovdnav, doubt- rf 218 THE BOOK OE WISDOM. [XIX. 14- less liy a clerical error. Josephus, Ant. ii. 16. 3, says that the judgment on the Egyptians was preceded by violent storms of rain and haU, and terrible lightning and thunder; aud the Psalmist alludes to the same fact, Ps. IxxvU. 16-18, 'The voice of Thy thunder was in the heaven : the Ughtnings lightened the world,' etc. In Ex. xiv. 24, 25 it is said that 'the Lord troubled the host of the Egyptians ... so that they said. Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.' The Egyptians might have repented of their purpose at the first ' signs,' if they had willed to do so ; theu' destruction was ' owing to theu- own wilful wickedness.' The justice of the punishment inflicted on the Egyptians is proved by contrasting their conduct with that of the Sodomites, the mention of the storm per haps leading to the thought of the dwellers in the Plain who were overwhelmed with a tempest of fire. Kai ydp. 'For they also perpetrated a harsher violation of hospitality.' XaXEiT(dTE'pav, i.e. in comparison of others, even of the Sodomites, whose sin was punished with fire. See S. Jude 7. Miao^Evta is oir. Xey. though piad^evos is found in Diod. Excerpt. g2g. 61. 14. Ol pEv . . . ouToi Se, the Sodomites . . . the Egyptians. The author here as elsewhere (comp. ch. X.) presupposes in his readers a knowledge of the his tory of Bible characters sufificient to enable them to identify the persons alluded to. Some suppose that the reference is to the Jemsh settlers iu Alexandria under the fii'st Ptolemies; but ver. 17 plainly points to the Sodomites. Tois dyvoouvras. This expression has occasioned great difficulty to translators and commeutators, sorae of whom have solved the matter by making it = dyvoovpe'vovs. Vulg. : ' ignotos.' Eug. : ' those whora they knew not;' a simple, but inadmissible explication. The MSS. do not vary, but editors have suggested dyvmoTOVs, dyveopovouvTOs, dyvSros. No change is UCCCS- sary. As Gutb. observes, the term is contrasted with evepyeras. The Egyptians iUtreated those who had been their benefactors, to whom they were bound by benefits received ; the Sodomites wronged persons who (speaking from the standpoint of the Sodomites) knew nothing of them. See Gen. xix. Churton : ' The meu of Sodom reftised hospitaUty to strangei-s to whom they were unknown, and in no way indebted.' Papovras, ' advenas,' Vulg. Mere -visitors, in con trast to the Israelites, who were |e'vous, ' guest friends.' EuEpyrras, referring to Joseph's policy, Geu. xii. 55-57 j ^^'^- ^j ^^^ to the improvements effected by the IsraeUtes' occupation of uncultivated laud. See Ex. i. 7. 'ESouXouvto. Eecent discoveries place the expul sion of the shepherd dynasty, and the re-establishment of the native kings, in the interval betweeu the death of Joseph and the birth of Moses. See a popular account of these discoveries in The Bible Educator, i. pp. 122-124. 15. This verse has exercised the wits of comraen tators to little purpose. There is no variation in the MSS., and editors have resorted to conjecture in order to araend what they consider a corrupt text. Thus sorae read : ou pdvov SXXq ns. Others : ov pdvov avrq, oXX dXXij ns Etrrot. Others : ou pdvov, dXX' et ns eirt- aKorrq earq avrols. Gutb. suggests dXX' i) ns imaKoirfj earai. Apel prints Kni ou pdvov, dXX', ^ns eirto-Koir^, eerrot outSv. This, or Gutberlet's suggestion, points the way to the right interpretation, which I conceive to be this : ' And not only so (uot only is the contrast iu ver. 14 true), but whatever allowance is made shall belong to thera (the Sodomites), inasmuch as they re ceived with enmity those who were strangers.' This is the view taken by the English translators : 'And not only so, but peradventure some respect shall be had of those, because they used strangers not friendly.' Mr. Churton, overlooking the tense of etrrai, para phrases : ' Besides this, it is evident that whatever visitation of judgment came upon the people of Sodom for their cruel reception of foreigners, the Egyptians merited a heavier one.' Dr. Bissell, with small regard 'XIX. 19.] COMMENTARY. 219 for the Greek, and in very peculiar English, trans lates : ' And not only so, but — for which they shall be punished — because they received strangers hostilely.' 'E-irio-KoirJ), ' regard,' ' respect,' as ii. 20. 16. Ol Se, the Egyptians, at whose invitation the Israelites had come to Egypt. See Gen. xlv. 17-20; xlvii. 6, II. 'EopTatrpdroiv. This uncommon word occurs iu S. Method. Serm. de Sim. 12 (p. 376 B, Migne). AiKoidiv, ' rights,' ' civil privileges.' This is not expressly stated iu Genesis, but may be inferred from the accounts of their reception. 'EKdKoio-av. Ex. i. 10-14. 17. 'E-irXiiyi()o-av. The Egyptians were effectively struck with blindness in the plague of darkness, as the Sodomites (e'Keivoi) were actually at Lot's door. 'Aopacria, a word peculiar to the Sept. (Gen. xix. 11; Deut. xxviU. 28; 2 Kings vi. 18), is used here in the double sense of inability to see, and deprivation of sight, the darkness making the eyes of the Egyptians useless, and the Sodomites losing the power of sight. Tou SiKaiou, Lot, as x. 6. See Gen. xix. 11. 'AxavEt okiStei, ' yawning darkness ;' or it may be ' vast,' the word d^ovijs, with d intensive, being appUed to the sea, an army, etc. The Vulg. translates : ' subi taneis tenebris,' taking the word in the sense of ' not gaping,' ' not lethargic,' the d in the compound being then negative. Mr. Churton takes it in the sense of 'mute with astonishment,' ' a gloom that deprived them of speech,' the epithet appropriate to the persons being applied to the darkness. This seems to be an unnecessary refinement. The Vulg. word ' subitaneus ' may be compared with ' temporaneus,' S. James v. 7 ; 'coaetaneus,' Gal. i. 14: ' coUactaneus,' Acts xiii. i. See note on xvii. 6. Tuv auTou 9., 'his. Lot's, door.' Gen. xix. 11. Some editors, who adopt the variant t. eaurou B., make the clause refer to the Egyptians, which seems less appropriate, as we are expressly told that under the plague of darkness none of them left their place. See xvU. 2, 17; Ex. x. 23. 18. The general meaning of this difificult verse is this : the interchange of operations in nature (in the case of the miracle mentioned) occasioned no disorder, nor marred the harmony of the Cosmos any more than the transposing of a melody to a different pitch occa sions any real change in the tune. Or, if this idea is in advance of the musical practice of the age, we may take it thus : the elements were no more changed in their nature than are the notes of a psaltery by their pitch and measure, which indeed give the character to the tune, but remain notes still. The author, carried away by his grand conception, has regarded meaning rather than language, and lience has made the sentence somewhat grammatically unintelligible. AiaXXdaaovai is predicated of aroixela and (pBdyyoi (Gutb.) ; and the two members of the comparison are so mingled toge ther, that the terms properly applicable to one only are also assigned to the other. The literal rendering therefore is this : ' For the elements being differently disposed among themselves change, as in a psaltery tones do, the name of the measure, remaining always sounds.' That is, the elements retain their nature though their operations are changed. *aXT^piov, a stringed instruraent, Ecclus. xl. 31. In the Sept. the word is applied to instruments having different names in Hebrew. Thus Dan. in. 7, etc., it represents pesanterin, in Ps. xxxii. 2, etc., it trans lates nehel, elsewhere rendered vafiXa. i Sam. x. g, etc. Corap. S. Athan. Ep. Encycl. 4 (p. 91). MeVovra ijx'!') ' remaining (the same) in sound,' i. e. in their nature, the word which applies properly to the musical instrument being applied also to ffToi;^eio. 19. The author suras up the chief instances of God's Providence in the case of the miracles that concerned land, water, and fire. It seems best to confine the allusions to events connected with the Exodus. XEpaaia, EvuSpa, vr)KTd, sc. (aa. ' Land animals were (for the time) turned into aquatic' Alluding doubtless to the passage of the Israelites and their cattle through the Bed Sea. Ex. xii. 38; xiv. 29; r f 2 220 THE BOOK OF WISDOM. [xix. 20-2 2. j Ps. Ixv. 6 : d peratrrpetpav T^v BdXaaaav eis ^qpdv, iv irorapa SieXeiaovrai iroSi. NT)KTd, the frogs that carae up frora the river, and covered the land, and filled the houses. Exod. vUi. 3, 4. Ps. civ. 30. S. Ephr. in Exod. c. -viii. (p. 208) : ' Perieraut pisces, subsUiere ranae, alterum natantium genus, ut scilicet de vivis ranis gra-vissime laborarent, qui de piscibus mortuis nihil laboraverant.' 20. 'IcrxuEv accords with the tense of the other verbs. It is used with a genitive in the sense of 'to be stronger than,' to ' exceed,' so that there is no need to add, as some MSS. do, imXeXqapevov to govern Swdpeias. For the allusion see on xvi. r6, 17. <^uaE