Wisdom

CHAPTER 10^*

Wisdom Preserves Her Followers

when he alone had been created;^b

And she raised him up from his fall,

he perished through his fratricidal wrath.^d

piloting the righteous man^* on frailest wood.^e

knew the righteous man,^* kept him blameless before God,

and preserved him resolute against pity for his child.^f

when he fled as fire descended upon the Pentapolis—

even yet there remain a smoking desert,

Plants bearing fruit that never ripens,

and the tomb of a disbelieving soul,^* a standing pillar of salt.^h

not only were deprived of knowledge of the good,

But also left the world a memorial of their folly,

so that they could not even be hidden in their fall.

guided him in right ways,

Showed him the kingdom of God

and gave him knowledge of holy things;

She prospered him in his labors

and made abundant the fruit of his works,

and enriched him;^k

and secured him against ambush,

And she gave him the prize for his hard struggle

that he might know that devotion to God^* is mightier than all else.^l

but rescued him from sin.ⁿ

and did not desert him in his bonds,

Until she brought him the scepter of royalty

and authority over his oppressors,

Proved false those who had defamed him,

and gave him eternal glory.

who rescued them from the nation that oppressed them.^o

and withstood fearsome kings with signs and wonders;^p

Conducted them by a wondrous road,

became a shelter for them by day

a starry flame by night.

and brought them through the deep waters.

and churned them up^* from the bottom of the depths.

and they sang of your holy name, Lord,

and praised in unison your conquering hand,^r

and gave ready speech to infants.^s

* [10:1–21] This chapter prepares for the following section (Wis 11:2–19:22) on the history of Israel in the exodus, by reviewing the dealings of Wisdom with the patriarchs. It has a parallel in Sir 44–50; cf. also Wis 18:9.

* [10:1–2] Adam.

* [10:3] Cain.

* [10:4] Noah.

* [10:5] Abraham.

* [10:6] Lot. Pentapolis: the five cities, including Sodom; cf. Gn 14:2.

* [10:7] Disbelieving soul: Lot’s wife; cf. Gn 19:26.

* [10:10–12] Jacob.

* [10:12] Devotion to God: in the Greek this signifies “piety” or “religion,” and is the equivalent of the Hebrew “fear of the Lord”; cf. Prv 1:7.

* [10:13–14] Joseph.

* [10:16] Moses.

* [10:19] Churned them up: casting their bodies on the shore.

a. [10:1–16] Heb 11:17–27.

b. [10:1] Wis 7:1.

c. [10:2] Gn 1:28.

d. [10:3] Gn 4:1–16.

e. [10:4] Wis 14:5–6; Gn 6:5–9.

f. [10:5] Gn 22:7–10.

g. [10:6] Gn 18:22–33; 19:15–25; 2 Pt 2:6–7.

h. [10:7] Gn 19:26; Lk 17:32.

i. [10:9] Wis 16:8.

j. [10:10] Gn 27:43–45; 28:12–15.

k. [10:11] Gn 30:29–30; 31:5–12.

l. [10:12] Gn 32:24–29; 1 Tm 4:8.

m. [10:13–14] Gn 37–45.

n. [10:13] Gn 39:7–10.

o. [10:15] Ex 3:9; 14:30; 19:6.

p. [10:16] Wis 1:4; 7:27; Ex 4:10; Ps 76:13.

q. [10:17–19] Wis 14:3; 19:7; Ex 13:21–22; Ex 14–15; Ps 77:20–21; 78:13, 53; Is 4:5–6.

r. [10:20] Ex 12:35–36; 15:1–21.

s. [10:21] Ex 4:10–15; Ps 8:3; Mt 11:25.