Wisdom of Solomon · Clementine Vulgate
Wisdom of Solomon 9 Clementine Vulgate
1 [Deus patrum meorum, et Domine misericordiæ, qui fecisti omnia verbo tuo,
1 “O God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy, who made all things by your word;
2 et sapientia tua constituisti hominem, ut dominaretur creaturæ quæ a te facta est,
2 and by your wisdom you formed man, that he should have dominion over the creatures that were made by you,
3 ut disponat orbem terrarum in æquitate et justitia, et in directione cordis judicium judicet:
3 and rule the world in holiness and righteousness, and execute judgment in uprightness of soul,
4 da mihi sedium tuarum assistricem sapientiam, et noli me reprobare a pueris tuis:
4 give me wisdom, her who sits by you on your thrones. Don’t reject me from among your servants,
5 quoniam servus tuus sum ego, et filius ancillæ tuæ; homo infirmus, et exigui temporis, et minor ad intellectum judicii et legum.
5 because I am your servant and the son of your handmaid, a weak and short-lived man, with little power to understand judgment and laws.
6 Nam etsi quis erit consummatus inter filios hominum, si ab illo abfuerit sapientia tua, in nihilum computabitur.
6 For even if a man is perfect among the sons of men, if the wisdom that comes from you is not with him, he will count for nothing.
7 Tu elegisti me regem populo tuo, et judicem filiorum tuorum et filiarum:
7 You chose me to be king of your people, and a judge for your sons and daughters.
8 et dixisti me ædificare templum in monte sancto tuo, et in civitate habitationis tuæ altare: similitudinem tabernaculi sancti tui quod præparasti ab initio.
8 You gave a command to build a sanctuary on your holy mountain, and an altar in the city where you live, a copy of the holy tent which you prepared from the beginning.
9 Et tecum sapientia tua, quæ novit opera tua, quæ et affuit tunc cum orbem terrarum faceres, et sciebat quid esset placitum oculis tuis, et quid directum in præceptis tuis.
9 Wisdom is with you and knows your works, and was present when you were making the world, and understands what is pleasing in your eyes, and what is right according to your commandments.
10 Mitte illam de cælis sanctis tuis, et a sede magnitudinis tuæ, ut mecum sit et mecum laboret, ut sciam quid acceptum sit apud te:
10 Send her from the holy heavens, and ask her to come from the throne of your glory, that being present with me she may work, and I may learn what pleases you well.
11 scit enim illa omnia, et intelligit, et deducet me in operibus meis sobrie, et custodiet me in sua potentia.
11 For she knows all things and understands, and she will guide me prudently in my actions. She will guard me in her glory.
12 Et erunt accepta opera mea, et disponam populum tuum juste, et ero dignus sedium patris mei.
12 So my works will be acceptible. I will judge your people righteously, and I will be worthy of my father’s throne.
13 Quis enim hominum poterit scire consilium Dei? aut quis poterit cogitare quid velit Deus?
13 For what man will know the counsel of God? Or who will conceive what the Lord wills?
14 Cogitationes enim mortalium timidæ, et incertæ providentiæ nostræ;
14 For the thoughts of mortals are unstable, and our plans are prone to fail.
15 corpus enim quod corrumpitur aggravat animam, et terrena inhabitatio deprimit sensum multa cogitantem.
15 For a corruptible body weighs down the soul. The earthy tent burdens a mind that is full of cares.
16 Et difficile æstimamus quæ in terra sunt, et quæ in prospectu sunt invenimus cum labore: quæ autem in cælis sunt, quis investigabit?
16 We can hardly guess the things that are on earth, and we find the things that are close at hand with labor; but who has traced out the things that are in the heavens?
17 Sensum autem tuum, quis sciet, nisi tu dederis sapientiam, et miseris spiritum sanctum tuum de altissimis,
17 Who gained knowledge of your counsel, unless you gave wisdom, and sent your holy spirit from on high?
18 et sic correctæ sint semitæ eorum qui sunt in terris, et quæ tibi placent didicerint homines?
18 It was thus that the ways of those who are on earth were corrected, and men were taught the things that are pleasing to you. They were saved through wisdom.”
19 Nam per sapientiam sanati sunt quicumque placuerunt tibi, Domine, a principio.]
19 Not in this translation
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)