1 [O quam pulchra est casta generatio, cum claritate ! immortalis est enim memoria illius, quoniam et apud Deum nota est, et apud homines. 2 Cum præsens est, imitantur illam, et desiderant eam cum se eduxerit; et in perpetuum coronata triumphat, incoinquinatorum certaminum præmium vincens. 3 Multigena autem impiorum multitudo non erit utilis, et spuria vitulamina non dabunt radices altas, nec stabile firmamentum collocabunt. 4 Etsi in ramis in tempore germinaverint, infirmiter posita, a vento commovebuntur, et a nimietate ventorum eradicabuntur. 5 Confringentur enim rami inconsummati; et fructus illorum inutiles et acerbi ad manducandum, et ad nihilum apti. 6 Ex iniquis enim somnis filii qui nascuntur, testes sunt nequitiæ adversus parentes in interrogatione sua. 7 Justus autem si morte præoccupatus fuerit, in refrigerio erit; 8 senectus enim venerabilis est non diuturna, neque annorum numero computata: cani autem sunt sensus hominis, 9 et ætas senectutis vita immaculata. 10 Placens Deo factus est dilectus, et vivens inter peccatores translatus est. 11 Raptus est, ne malitia mutaret intellectum ejus, aut ne fictio deciperet animam illius. 12 Fascinatio enim nugacitatis obscurat bona, et inconstantia concupiscentiæ transvertit sensum sine malitia. 13 Consummatus in brevi, explevit tempora multa; 14 placita enim erat Deo anima illius: propter hoc properavit educere illum de medio iniquitatum. Populi autem videntes, et non intelligentes, nec ponentes in præcordiis talia, 15 quoniam gratia Dei et misericordia est in sanctos ejus, et respectus in electos illius. 16 Condemnat autem justus mortuus vivos impios, et juventus celerius consummata longam vitam injusti. 17 Videbunt enim finem sapientis, et non intelligent quid cogitaverit de illo Deus, et quare munierit illum Dominus. 18 Videbunt, et contemnent eum; illos autem Dominus irridebit. 19 Et erunt post hæc decidentes sine honore, et in contumelia inter mortuos in perpetuum: quoniam disrumpet illos inflatos sine voce, et commovebit illos a fundamentis, et usque ad supremum desolabuntur, et erunt gementes, et memoria illorum peribit. 20 Venient in cogitatione peccatorum suorum timidi, et traducent illos ex adverso iniquitates ipsorum.]
Wisdom of Solomon · Clementine Vulgate
Wisdom of Solomon 4 Clementine Vulgate
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).
Of whom it was said before in Wisdom, "Their own iniquities shall convince them to their face." Without doubt they will see that they are justly condemned for their sins and wickednesses; yet it will be as though He said to them, "It is not in consequence of this that ye think, but because I was hungry, and ye gave …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
What if "he was taken away, lest wickedness should alter his understanding." But he was a sinner, thou sayest, and therefore I wished him to live, that he might be corrected.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
Now God grants them the approach of a healthy shame, if they despise not the medicine of confession: but if they will not now be ashamed, then they shall be ashamed, when "their iniquities shall convince them to their face." How shall they be ashamed?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)