Wisdom of Solomon · Catholic Public Domain Version
Wisdom of Solomon 13 Catholic Public Domain Version
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 But all men are vain, who are not under the knowledge of God, and who, from these good things that are seen, were not able to understand he who is, nor, by paying attention to the works, did they acknowledge he who was the artisan.
1 For truly all men who had no perception of God were foolish by nature, and didn’t gain power to know him who exists from the good things that are seen. They didn’t recognize the architect from his works.
2 Instead, they had considered either the fire, or the air, or the atmosphere, or the circle of stars, or the great sea, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world.
2 But they thought that either fire, or wind, or swift air, or circling stars, or raging water, or luminaries of heaven were gods that rule the world.
3 If they, being delighted by such sights, supposed them to be gods, let them know how great the Lord of them is in splendor. For he who created all things is the author of beauty.
3 If it was through delight in their beauty that they took them to be gods, let them know how much better their Sovereign Lord is than these, for the first author of beauty created them.
4 Or, if they wondered at their power and their effects, let them understand by these things, that he who created them is mightier than they are.
4 But if it was through astonishment at their power and influence, then let them understand from them how much more powerful he who formed them is.
5 For, by the greatness of the creation and its beauty, the creator of these will be able to be seen discernibly.
5 For from the greatness of the beauty of created things, mankind forms the corresponding perception of their Maker.
6 Yet, up to this point, the complaint about this is lesser. For perhaps they made a mistake in this, while desiring and seeking to find God.
6 But yet for these men there is but small blame, for they too perhaps go astray while they are seeking God and desiring to find him.
7 And, indeed, having some familiarity with him through his works, they search, and they are persuaded, because the things that they are seeing are good.
7 For they diligently search while living among his works, and they trust their sight that the things that they look at are beautiful.
8 But, then again, neither can their debt be ignored.
8 But again even they are not to be excused.
9 For, if they were able to know enough so that they could value the universe, how is it they did not easily discover the Lord of it?
9 For if they had power to know so much, that they should be able to explore the world, how is it that they didn’t find the Sovereign Lord sooner?
10 Yet they are unhappy, and their hope is among the dead, for they have called ‘gods’ the works of the hands of men, gold and silver, the inventions of skill, and the likeness of animals, or a useless stone, the work of an ancient hand.
10 But they were miserable, and their hopes were in dead things, who called them gods which are works of men’s hands, gold and silver, skillfully made, and likenesses of animals, or a useless stone, the work of an ancient hand.
11 Or, it is as if a craftsman, a workman of the forest, had cut straight wood, and, with his expertise, shaved off all of its bark, and, with his skill, diligently fashioned a vessel, practical for use in life,
11 Yes and some woodcutter might saw down a tree that is easily moved, skillfully strip away all its bark, and fashion it in attractive form, make a useful vessel to serve his life’s needs.
12 and even the remains of his work were exhausted in the preparation of food;
12 Burning the scraps from his handiwork to cook his food, he eats his fill.
13 and, from the remainder of this, which has become useful for nothing, a curved piece of wood and full of knots, he diligently carves it in his spare time, and, through the knowledge of his art, forms it and makes it in the image of a man,
13 Taking a discarded scrap which served no purpose, a crooked piece of wood and full of knots, he carves it with the diligence of his idleness, and shapes it by the skill of his idleness. He shapes it in the image of a man,
14 or something comparable to an animal, thoroughly rubbing it with red ochre, to make it red with the color of the pigment, and to cover every imperfection which is in it;
14 or makes it like some worthless animal, smearing it with something red, painting it red, and smearing over every stain in it.
15 and it is as if he made a fitting resting place for it, even setting it in a wall and fastening it with iron,
15 Having made a worthy chamber for it, he sets it in a wall, securing it with iron.
16 providing for it, lest it should fall, knowing that it is unable to help itself, for it is an image and it is in need of help.
16 He plans for it that it may not fall down, knowing that it is unable to help itself (for truly it is an image, and needs help).
17 And then, making an offering, he inquires about his wealth, and about his sons, and about marriage. And he is not ashamed to talk to that which has no soul.
17 When he makes his prayer concerning goods and his marriage and children, he is not ashamed to speak to that which has no life.
18 And for health, indeed, something unhealthy is being prayed to, and for life, he petitions what is dead, and for help, he calls upon something helpless,
18 Yes, for health, he calls upon that which is weak. For life, he implores that which is dead. For aid, he supplicates that which has no experience. For a good journey, he asks that which can’t so much as move a step.
19 and for a good journey, he entreats that which is unable to walk, and for acquiring, and for working, and for success in all things, he entreats that which is useless in all things.
19 And for profit in business and good success of his hands, he asks ability from that which has hands with no ability.
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).
… philosophers, I used to compare some teachings of theirs with those long fables of the Manichæans and the former things which they declared, who could only prevail so far as to estimate this lower world, while its lord they could by no means find out, seemed to me the more probable.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… to see with eyes of flesh: but from the works, which are Divine, it is possible to attain to some conception of His power, according to Solomon, who says, For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures proportionably the Maker of them is seen.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… but, saith He, "he that is able to receive it, let him receive it." Vain, assuredly, are all men in whom the knowledge of God is not, and who could not, out of the good things which are seen, find out Him who is good. But I was no longer in that vanity; I had surmounted it, and by the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… incorporeal and invisible, that thou mayest abhor those who blaspheme the wise and good Artificer, and from what is spoken and read, and whatever thou canst thyself discover or conceive, from the greatness and beauty of the creatures mayest proportionably see the maker of them, and bending the knee with godly reverence to the Maker of the worlds, the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… use of the rules discovered and laid down by those who are rebuked by Holy Writ in these terms: "For if they were able to know so much that they could weigh the world, how did they not more easily find out the Lord thereof?"
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)