Wisdom of Solomon · Brenton's English Septuagint
Wisdom of Solomon 7 Brenton's English Septuagint
Notes on this text (2)
- Square brackets mark words Brenton supplied for English sense.
- Old Testament only (no New Testament). First printed 1844; the 1851 edition added the deuterocanonical books.
Wisdom of Solomon is not in RV1909.
1 I myself also am a mortal man, like to all, and the offspring of him that was first made of the earth,
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2 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 came with sleep.
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3 And when I was born, I drew in the common air, and fell upon the earth, which is of like nature, and the first voice which I uttered was crying, as all others do.
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4 I was nursed in swaddling clothes, and that with cares.
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5 For there is no king that had any other beginning of birth.
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6 For all men have one entrance into life, and the like going out.
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7 Wherefore I prayed, and understanding was given me: I called [upon God], and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
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8 I preferred her before sceptres and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her.
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9 Neither compared I unto her any precious stone, because all gold in respect of her is as a little sand, and silver shall be counted as clay before her.
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10 I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead of light: for the light that cometh from her never goeth out.
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11 All good things together came to me with her, and innumerable riches in her hands.
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12 And I rejoiced in [them] all, because wisdom goeth before them: and I knew not that she was the mother of them.
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13 I learned diligently, and do communicate [her] liberally: I do not hide her riches.
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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.
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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, and directeth the wise.
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16 For in his hand are both we and our words; all wisdom also, and knowledge of workmanship.
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17 For he hath given me certain knowledge of the things that are, namely, to know how the world was made, and the operation of the elements:
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18 the beginning, ending, and midst of the times: the alterations of the turning [of the sun], and change of seasons:
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19 the circuits of years, and positions of stars:
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20 the natures of living creatures, and the furies of wild beasts: the violence of winds, and the reasonings of men: the diversities of plants, and the virtues of roots:
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21 and all such things as are either secret or manifest, [them] I know.
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22 For wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me: for in her is an understanding spirit, holy, one only, manifold, subtil, lively, clear, undefiled, plain, not subject to hurt, loving the thing that is good, quick, which cannot be letted, ready to do good,
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23 kind to man, stedfast, sure, free from care, having all power, overseeing all things, and going through all understanding, pure, and most subtil, spirits.
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24 For wisdom is more moving than any motion: she passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pureness.
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25 For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: therefore can no defiled thing fall into her.
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26 For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness.
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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 prophets.
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28 For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom.
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29 For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it.
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30 For after this cometh night: but vice shall not prevail against wisdom.
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What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
In Holy Scripture, it is true, the Spirit of wisdom is called "manifold" because it contains many things in it; but what it contains it also is, and it being one is all these things.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… the Light of the World." Wisdom and Power, "Christ, the Wisdom of God, and the Power of God." The Effulgence, the Impress, the Image, the Seal; "Who being the Effulgence of His glory and the Impress of His Essence," and "the Image of His Goodness," and "Him hath God the Father sealed." Lord, King, He That Is, The Almighty.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… they address it may give ear; and when the discourse has a happy issue, they ought to render thanks to Him from whom they know such blessings come, so that all the praise may be His "in whose hand are both we and our words." Chapter 31 — Apology for the Length of the Work
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Whether you are to understand His sun as being not that which is visible to the fleshly eyes, but that wisdom of which it is said, "She is the brightness of the everlasting light;" of which it is also said, "The Sun of righteousness has arisen upon me;" and …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)