1 Θεὲ πατέρων καὶ Κύριε τοῦ ἐλέους σου, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ πάντα ἐν λόγῳ σου, 2 καὶ τῇ σοφίᾳ σου κατεσκεύασας ἄνθρωπον, ἵνα δεσπόζῃ τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ γενομένων κτισμάτων, 3 καὶ διέπῃ τὸν κόσμον ἐν ὁσιότητι καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ἐν εὐθύτητι ψυχῆς κρίσιν κρίνῃ· 4 δός μοι τὴν τῶν σῶν θρόνων πάρεδρον σοφίαν, καὶ μή με ἀποδοκιμάσῃς ἐκ παίδων σου. 5 Ὅτι ἐγὼ δοῦλος σὸς καὶ υἱὸς τῆς παιδίσκης σου, ἄνθρωπος ἀσθενὴς καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνιος καὶ ἐλάσσων ἐν συνέσει κρίσεως καὶ νόμων. 6 Κᾂν γάρ τις ᾖ τέλειος ἐν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων, τῆς ἀπὸ σοῦ σοφίας ἀπούσης, εἰς οὐδὲν λογισθήσεται. 7 Σύ με προείλω βασιλέα λαοῦ σου, καὶ δικαστὴν υἱῶν σου καὶ θυγατέρων. 8 Εἶπας οἰκοδομῆσαι ναὸν ἐν ὄρει ἁγίῳ σου, καὶ ἐν πόλει κατασκηνώσεώς σου θυσιαστήριον, μίμημα σκηνῆς ἁγίας ἣν προητοίμασας ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς. 9 Καὶ μετὰ σοῦ ἡ σοφία ἡ εἰδυῖα τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ παροῦσα ὅτε ἐποίεις τὸν κόσμον, καὶ ἐπισταμένη τί ἀρεστὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, καὶ τί εὐθὲς ἐν ἐντολαῖς σου. 10 Ἐξαπόστειλον αὐτὴν ἐξ ἁγίων οὐρανῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ θρόνου δόξης σου πέμψον αὐτὴν, ἵνα συμπαροῦσά μοι κοπιάσῃ, καὶ γνῷ τί εὐάρεστόν ἐστι παρὰ σοί. 11 Οἶδε γὰρ ἐκείνη πάντα καὶ συνιεῖ, καὶ ὁδηγήσει με ἐν ταῖς πράξεσί μου σωφρόνως, καὶ φυλάξει με ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτῆς. 12 Καὶ ἔσται προσδεκτὰ τὰ ἔργα μου, καὶ διακρινῶ τὸν λαόν σου δικαίως, καὶ ἔσομαι ἄξιος θρόνων πατρός μου. 13 Τίς γὰρ ἄνθρωπος γνώσεται βουλὴν Θεοῦ; ἢ τίς ἐνθυμηθήσεται τί θέλει ὁ Κύριος; 14 Λογισμοὶ γὰρ θνητῶν δειλοὶ, καὶ ἐπισφαλεῖς αἱ ἐπίνοιαι ἡμῶν. 15 Φθαρτὸν γὰρ σῶμα βαρύνει ψυχὴν, καὶ βρίθει τὸ γεῶδες σκῆνος νοῦν πολυφροντίδα. 16 Καὶ μόλις εἰκάζομεν τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς, καὶ τὰ ἐν χερσὶν εὑρίσκομεν μετὰ πόνου· τὰ δὲ ἐν οὐρανοῖς τίς ἐξιχνίασε; 17 Βουλὴν δέ σου τίς ἔγνω, εἰ μὴ σὺ ἔδωκας σοφίαν, καὶ ἔπεμψας τὸ ἅγιόν σου πνεῦμα ἀπὸ ὑψίστων; 18 Καὶ οὕτως διωρθώθησαν αἱ τρίβοι τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς, καὶ τὰ ἀρεστά σου ἐδιδάχθησαν ἄνθρωποι, καὶ τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐσώθησαν.
Wisdom of Solomon · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Wisdom of Solomon 9 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
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).
… that there was one to whom I might cleave, but that I was not yet one who could cleave unto Thee; for that the body which is corrupted presseth down the soul, and the earthly dwelling weigheth down the mind which thinketh upon many things. And most certain I was that Thy "invisible things from the creation of the world …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things." Many things certainly do I muse upon in this earthly tabernacle, because the one thing which is true among the many, or beyond the many, I cannot find.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Hence that sentence of Scripture we quoted in a foregoing book, "For the corruptible body presseth down the soul." The word corruptible is added to show that the soul is burdened, not by any body whatsoever, but by the body such as it has become in consequence of sin.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)