Chapter Ten
1–2. Since the earliest times of humanity’s existence, wisdom created its well-being and happiness, while departures from it led to ruin: examples – Adam, 3. Cain, 4. Noah, 5. Abraham, 6–8. Lot and the Sodomites, 9–12. Jacob, 13–14. Joseph, 15–21. the Hebrew people, brought out of slavery by Moses, and the Egyptians.
Chapter 10 contains a series of individual examples from ancient history, beginning with Adam and continuing to the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt, by which the writer proves that wisdom always gave people blessings, while contempt of it brought sad consequences. Wisdom appears here as a guiding and helping divine power, as a mediator between God and Israel. However, in doing so, the writer often unites the concepts of divine and human wisdom to such a degree that it is not always possible to distinguish which predominates; this does not change the matter itself, because human wisdom, according to the writer’s thought, proceeds from divine wisdom and has its constant foundation in it. The concept of divine Wisdom is sometimes expanded by the writer to the concept of providence in general, while human wisdom appears to be synonymous with piety and knowledge of the divine will.
Wisdom 10:1. She kept the first-formed father of the world, who was created alone, and rescued him from his own transgression, Wisdom 10:2. And gave him strength to rule over all things. 1–2. The example of Adam is cited, who is called “the first-formed father of the world.” “Father of the world” expresses the thought that Adam was the progenitor of all humanity; the adjective “first-formed” (Wis 7:1) determines the origin of the first human being, pointing to the history of the creation of humanity (Gen 1:26-27). “...created alone...” This expression is often explained in the sense that only the first human being was in the proper sense a creation of God; therefore, for example, in the Gospel of Luke, he is called (a son) of “God” (Luke 3:23). No other human being created together with Adam or afterward existed; all other people came from Adam. Thus, here is given the thought of the unity of the human race. Another interpretation more suited to the context of the speech is that Adam, who was created, was alone; no other being like him could come to his aid; deprived of human assistance, he was defenseless; however, the first human being did not perish, for divine Wisdom stood guard. “She... rescued him from his own transgression.” The words of the writer of the Book of Wisdom cannot be understood as a denial of the account in Genesis of Adam’s fall; for in other places of his book he recognizes that account (Wis 2:24). Here one can see the thought that wisdom, acting upon the first human being, led him to repentance, which saved him from further transgression. Although the opinion about Adam’s repentance finds no confirmation in Genesis, among the rabbis it was not uncommon and could have been shared by the writer of the Book of Wisdom. “She gave him strength to rule over all things.” Cf. Gen 1:28. By wisdom here one can equally understand either the world-creating divine power (as in verse 2 of Chapter IX) or the reason given to humanity, preferentially over all unreasoning nature, a necessary condition for their dominion.
Wisdom 10:3. But a wicked person who departed from her perished in his anger by his fratricide. 3. The example of Cain (Gen 4:1-17) is cited, showing what results from turning away from wisdom. “...A wicked person who departed from her in his anger...” Anger, envy, malice—feelings incompatible with wisdom (Wis 6:25; Jas 3:14-15); therefore, whoever gives himself to them departs from her—as Cain departed from wisdom. “...Perished by his fratricide.” In the book of Genesis it is said that the punishment for Cain’s fratricide was not death (IV), but exile and wandering. Later rabbinic tradition says that Cain perished from a mishap during a hunt, and in this the rabbis saw God’s judgment for his fratricide. If we do not see in the cited words a reproduction of the mentioned rabbinic tradition, we should understand them in a spiritual sense, namely: the malice with which Cain rose against his brother later tormented him internally.
Wisdom 10:4. For his sake, when the earth was being destroyed in the flood, wisdom saved it, guiding the righteous man with a small piece of wood. 4. Example of Noah. See Gen 6:11-8:19. “For his sake the earth being destroyed in the flood...” The writer establishes a connection between Cain’s deed and the flood. In what way he understood this connection, he does not clearly state; it may be that the malice of Cain, which developed more and more in his posterity, led to that universal corruption of people which served as the cause of the flood (Gen 6:1-7). “...Guiding the righteous man with a small piece of wood.” The predicate dikaios (righteous man) here means Noah; in verse 5 it means Abraham; in verse 6, Lot; in verse 10, Jacob; in verse 13, Joseph; and in verse 20, Wis 12:9, the entire Israelite people. This peculiarity, that the writer, in recounting biblical events, does not name the persons by name, shows that he assumed in his readers a good familiarity with the biblical narrative; consequently, he intended his book first of all for readers from among the Hebrews. The purpose of this method is to emphasize the idea illustrated by historical facts and not to distract the reader’s attention with historical details. “Through a small piece of wood,” evidently, means the ark (cf. verse XIV) in which Noah was saved (Gen 6:14). Probably, the writer wished by these words to express the thought that the ark, despite its size, was nonetheless insignificant in comparison with the extraordinary flood, and therefore, without the highest help of God, Noah could not have been saved. Him, as well as all the earth, “wisdom saved,” divine Providence. Cf. Wis 14:3 and verse 5.
Wisdom 10:5. When the nations were in agreement in wickedness, she found the righteous man and kept him blameless before God, and kept him strong in his pity for his son. 5. Example of Abraham. The writer’s thought is as follows: difficult as it was to find a righteous man amid universal corruption, wisdom found him in the person of Abraham, and not only found him, but also “kept him blameless before God.” The book of Genesis tells us nothing of the universal corruption of peoples in the time of Abraham; but from the fact of the universal dominion of idolatry at that time (Josh 24:2), the writer could have concluded that there was universal moral licentiousness as a natural consequence (cf. Wis 14:21-31). “...Kept him strong in his pity for his son.” Here, evidently, is an allusion to the account in Chapter XXII of Genesis of Abraham’s testing by the divine command to offer Isaac in sacrifice. Abraham maintained courage (one of the chief virtues of wisdom; see Wis 8:7) in this trial, not succumbing to the natural feeling of pity for his son.
Wisdom 10:6. When the godless were destroyed, she saved the righteous man who fled from the fire that came down on the five cities, Wisdom 10:7. From which, as evidence of their wickedness, there remained a smoking waste land, and plants bearing fruit out of season, and as a monument to an unbelieving soul – a standing pillar of salt. Wisdom 10:8. For in their regard for wisdom, they not only failed to recognize what is good, but also left for those living in their place a memorial of their folly, so that the things they committed could not pass unnoticed. 6–8. The salvation of Lot by wisdom. A terrible example of punishment for godlessness of the inhabitants of the Pentapolis. See Gen 19 chapter, cf. 2 Pet 2:7. “...Escaped the fire that came down on the five cities.” Concerning the ruin of Sodom and Gomorrah, see the explanatory note to verses 24–25 of Chapter XIX of Genesis. (The Explanatory Bible, vol. 1, p. 124). The cities composing the Pentapolis are listed in verse 2 of Chapter XIV of Genesis, namely: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Zoar. The writer of the Book of Wisdom speaks here not precisely of the ruin of “five cities,” since according to the book of Genesis, Chapter XIX, and Deut 29:23, only the first four cities perished, while Zoar remained whole. (See Isa 15:5; Jer 48:34). “...There remained a smoking waste land as evidence of their wickedness...” The state of the Vale of Siddim after the Sodomite catastrophe is spoken of. The writer says nothing of the salt sea, which, according to the commonly accepted opinion (Gen 14:3), is the result of the subsidence of the soil that followed, inundating the Vale of Siddim; according to his testimony, in the place of the five destroyed cities there remained a smoking waste. This testimony of the Book of Wisdom of Solomon is in agreement with verse 28 of Chapter XIX of Genesis, telling what Abraham saw when he looked toward the place of the catastrophe; ancient writers also agree with the Book of Wisdom of Solomon (for example, Philo. De vita Mos. II, p. 143. De Abraham, p. 21). According to their opinion, the Vale of Siddim presented a smoking waste because of the volcanic nature and bituminous-sulfurous composition of the soil. “...And plants bearing fruit out of season...” It is supposed that the discourse is about the fact that in the Vale of Siddim, because of the volcanic state of the soil, fruits ripened earlier than at the usual time; moreover, they did not have time to develop fully and dried up from the intense heat. It is possible that the writer is speaking here of the so-called Sodomite apple, which, according to common belief, had a beautiful, ruddy appearance, but when crushed, scattered into black dust. Of this fruit ancient writers speak (Joseph. Fl. Jewish War, IV, p. 300; Tacitus. History: V:7). “...A monument to an unbelieving soul – a standing pillar of salt.” By these words, undoubtedly, reference is made to the account in Genesis of Lot’s wife (Gen 19:26). There is no doubt that the writers of Genesis, as well as of the Book of Wisdom of Solomon, in relating this event, regard it as a miracle; therefore, all natural explanations of this event, of which there are many, do not accord with the character of the tradition. The fate of the cities of the Pentapolis in Holy Scripture remained a frequently used image of complete ruin and terrible punishment: Deut 29:23; Isa 1:9; Jer 49:18; Ezek 16:49-50; Hos 11:8; Matt 10:15; Rom 9:29; 2 Pet 2:6. 8. The cause of the ruin of the inhabitants of the five cities is indicated as being their contempt for wisdom, their failure to know what is good. In this case, the writer identifies wisdom with virtue and piety. The turning away from pious life he calls foolishness. A monument to this foolishness of the inhabitants of the Pentapolis to the instruction of subsequent generations was the sad state of the Vale of Siddim. Thus, terrible calamities have a blessed providential purpose.
Wisdom 10:9. But wisdom saved from troubles those who served her. 9. In this verse the writer makes a transition to the following examples in the form of a contrast.
Wisdom 10:10. When a righteous man fled from the anger of his brother, wisdom guided him on straight paths, showed him the kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of holy things; she helped him in hardships and made his labors abundant. Wisdom 10:11. When those acting from greed oppressed him, she stood by him and made him rich, 10–11. Example of Jacob – “A righteous man who fled from the anger of his brother...” is an allusion to Jacob’s flight from Esau into Mesopotamia (Gen 27:43). “...Showed him the kingdom of God.” These words refer to Jacob’s vision of the mystical ladder (Gen 28:12-13). “The kingdom of God” is the angelic world. “...Gave him knowledge of holy things...,” that is, of angels (cf. Wis 5:5), or of the supersensible world in general (Wis 9:10; Prov 30:3); “...Helped him in hardships and made his labors abundant.” The hardships are those which Jacob endured from Laban and which he himself complained about (Gen 31:39-42). Laban was unjust to him, repeatedly changing the terms of payment for his labor (“from greed oppressed him”) and, despite all this, against Laban’s wishes, Jacob became rich with him (Gen 30:43). In this Jacob saw the work of God (Gen 31:9-12); the writer of our book calls this the work of wisdom: “...she stood by him and made him rich” (Jacob) (cf. verse Wis 7:11).
Wisdom 10:12. She preserved him from his enemies and kept him safe from those laying snares, and in the hard struggle she gave him victory, so that he might learn that piety is stronger than all things. 12. The first half of this verse can equally be referred both to Laban’s persecution of Jacob (Gen 31:23) and to his fear of Esau’s attack upon his return to Canaan (Gen 32:7-8); “...In the hard struggle she gave him victory...” The words refer to Jacob’s wrestling with God (Gen 32:24; Hos 12:3-4). The writer of the Book of Wisdom understands this biblical account as a symbol that “piety is stronger than all things,” that nothing is frightening to one who trusts in God. A thought corresponding to verse 28 of Chapter XXXII of Genesis.
Wisdom 10:13. She did not abandon the righteous man who was sold, but rescued him from sin: Wisdom 10:14. She descended with him into the pit and did not abandon him in bonds; then she brought him the scepter of a kingdom and authority over those who oppressed him, showed those who had accused him to be liars, and gave him eternal glory. 13–14. Example of Joseph, “the righteous man who was sold” (Gen 37:25-28), whom wisdom “rescued from sin,” meaning slander by the wife of Potiphar (Gen 39:7-12). “She descended with him into the pit and did not abandon him in bonds...” God saved Joseph both from the dry pit into which his brothers threw him to starve (Gen 37:22) and from the Egyptian prison (Gen 39:20-21); “brought him the scepter of a kingdom...” – cf. Gen 41:39-40. “...Showed those who had accused him to be liars...” – meaning the slander of Potiphar’s wife (Gen 39:14-18); “Gave him eternal glory...” – an immortal memory in posterity (cf. Wis 4:1).
Wisdom 10:15. She freed the holy people and a blameless race from a nation that oppressed them, 15–21. In this section, the participation of divine Wisdom in the liberation of the Israeli people from Egyptian slavery is discussed. 15. The designation of the Hebrew people as a “holy people” and “blameless race” does not correspond to their actual condition at the time of the exodus from Egypt (Ezek 20:8). Inconstancy in religion, inclination toward idolatry, lack of courage, and murmuring more accurately characterize the Hebrews at the moment of the exodus. The writer of the Book of Wisdom considers not this historical side, but the ideal one, what the Hebrew people should be, what is their calling (Exod 19:5-6; Deut 26:18-19). The calling of the Hebrews is to be a holy people; for this reason alone they deserve the merciful care of divine Wisdom.
Wisdom 10:16. She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord and stood against mighty kings with wonders and signs. 16. (Wisdom) “entered the soul of a servant of the Lord...” The discourse concerns Moses, who is called by this name also in the epistle to Heb 3:5. By entering the soul of Moses, Wisdom accomplishes one of its tasks: “passing from generation to generation, into holy souls, to make friends of God and prophets” (Wis 7:27). “...Stood against mighty kings with wonders and signs.” The discourse concerns the Egyptian plagues by which wisdom freed the Hebrews from slavery (Exod 7:10-12:29-30). About wisdom as a wonder-working power, terrifying tyrants, the writer spoke above (Wis 8:8).
Wisdom 10:17. She rewarded the holy ones for their labors, guided them by a wondrous way; she became a shelter for them by day and a star shining through the night. 17. “She rewarded the holy ones for their labors.” Undoubtedly, the writer is referring here to the detail in the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt spoken of in the book Exod 3:22. The scattered Egyptians gave the departing Hebrews precious vessels, clothing, and the Hebrews “despoiled the Egyptians”; but in despoiling the Egyptians, they received only compensation for their long unpaid labor for them; therefore, the writer sees the work of wisdom in this event. “...By day she became a shelter for them, and by night a star shining through.” An allusion to the cloud and fire pillar that led the Hebrews in the wilderness. The pillar “served as a shelter,” that is, protection from the burning sun (see Wis 18:3).
Wisdom 10:18. She led them across the Red Sea and brought them through great waters, 18. Cf. Wis 19:7; Exod 14:21-25.
Wisdom 10:19. But their enemies she drowned and cast them up from the depths of the abyss. 19. See Exod 14:26-30.
Wisdom 10:20. Therefore the righteous plundered the ungodly; they sang hymns, O Lord, to your holy name, and praised with one accord your hand that fought for them; 20. “...The righteous plundered the ungodly.” A detail not indicated in the book of Exodus, but very natural: the corpses of the drowned Egyptians were cast ashore, and the Hebrews took their weapons; “...sang hymns to your holy name, O Lord...” Meaning the song of thanksgiving which the Hebrews sang after crossing the Red Sea (Exod 15).
Wisdom 10:21. For wisdom opened the mouths of the mute and made the tongues of infants speak clearly. 21. Verse “...Wisdom opened the mouths of the mute and made the tongues of infants speak clearly.” In these words some see an allusion to Moses, who was slow of speech (Exod 4:10), and yet, together with the people, praised God, and was, according to the writer’s thought, the composer of the sung hymn of praise (Exod 15). The plural is used here, as also in verse 16, to emphasize the thought.