Wisdom of Solomon 1 · The Lantern

Love righteousness, you that are judges of the earth: think of the Lord with a good (heart,) and in simplicity of heart seek him.

The one who approaches the Lord with an insincere heart is rejected, while the Lord receives the one who approaches with a sincere heart and a well-disposed mind, according to the thought of Scripture, "Seek the Lord with sincerity of heart." Therefore the one who believed by faith was received by the Lord into the boat, that is, into the church, where the chorus of the apostle…

"Think of the Lord with uprightness, and seek him with sincerity of heart." Sincerity of heart is like a day not dimmed by fraud, not obscured by lies, not darkened by envy, not clouded by deception; it is a day illuminated by the light of truth, made resplendent by the dawning of the divine presence.

General Division. Since, as has been said, princes and prelates, and consequently all people, are urged in this book to the study and love of wisdom; but because wisdom cannot be had without the observance of justice: for into a malevolent soul wisdom will not enter, etc., below in chapter one; likewise Ecclesiasticus chapter one: Son, desiring wisdom, keep justice: therefore a…

For he will be found of them that tempt him not; and shows himself to such as do not distrust him.

Even if one who is pure of heart and another stained with impurity are found in the same place, the fact that they are in the same place cannot harm the one or benefit the other. The one whose heart is pure will see God; the one whose heart is not in the same condition, however, will not be able to see what the other sees.

Because He is found by those who do not test Him, but He appears to those who have faith in Him. For it is dangerous to tempt God by human assumption, since it is written: You shall not tempt the Lord your God. (Deut. 6:16) But it is beneficial to honor Him with true faith, because the righteous shall live by faith.

And well did I say: In simplicity, etc. For he is found, through grace in the present life, according to that passage of Song of Songs 3: "I found him whom my soul loves"; by those who do not tempt him, by displaying one thing outwardly while intending another inwardly, as the Scribes and Pharisees tempting Christ; and this he says against hypocrisy and duplicity: Matthew 22: "…

For perverse thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried, reproves the unwise.

For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter; nor dwell in the body that is subject to sin.

"The body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness." The apostle declares that the bodies of those who have been abandoned by the Holy Spirit are dead because of sin, yet their experience of death does not touch him, that is, the Spirit.

"Wisdom dwelleth not in the soul which worketh deceitfully in wickedness", saith Solomon the wise man, and knowledge of the Spirit sojourneth not in the body which is conquered of sin; for the soul which worketh deceitfully in wickedness is full of cunning, because cunning itself is the inventor of wickedness.

For into a malevolent soul etc. I rightly said that they separate etc., for into a malevolent soul, with respect to spiritual sins, wisdom will not enter, by infusing itself into it: wisdom, I say, "which is from above, which is first indeed pure" etc.; although that wisdom may enter which is from below, "namely earthly, animal, diabolical," James 3.

For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and remove from thoughts that are without understanding, and will not remain when unrighteousness comes in.

The city from which the inhabitants went out, pleading with the Lord to leave them, represents the synagogue, which did not want to accept the Lord and Savior of the human race, even after it had seen his divine miracles.

On common discipline. The discipline of the Father, the discipline of the Son, the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Of the Father in Solomon: My son, do not neglect the discipline of God, nor grow weary when you are rebuked by Him (Prov. 3:11). Of the Son in Psalm seventeen (Vers.

It is necessary to ordain our thoughts so that the Holy Spirit be able to enter in the form of wisdom, "for the holy spirit of discipline flees deceit and withdraws from senseless counsel." Hence, there is need for us to use clearly defined materials with which we can be properly concerned.

For wisdom is a loving spirit; and will not acquit a blasphemer of his words: for God is witness of his inmost thoughts, and a true observer of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.

For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world: and that which contains all things has knowledge of the voice.

As the Lord fills all things, so too we read of the Spirit, "For the Spirit of the Lord fills the whole world." You see also that it was said of all those who were gathered with the apostles, "They were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." You see that the Holy Spirit gives both fullness and boldness.

The true faith asserts that the Holy Spirit also is creator, not created. Indeed, how can one deny that he is creator, about whom it has been proven that he established the array of the heavens?

For the Spirit of the Lord etc., as if he were inferring: rightly have I said that the Spirit can do this: for the Spirit of the Lord, intransitively, that is, who is the Lord, according to that saying of Athanasius: "The Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord"; or transitively, that is, the Spirit who is from the Lord, according to that saying of Isaiah sixty…

Therefore he that speaks unrighteous things cannot be hid: neither shall vengeance, when it punishes, pass by him.

Do not think, therefore, that God is in a particular place! He is with you, and he will be as you are. What does it mean, "He will be as you are"? He will be good if you are good, and he will seem bad to you if you are bad. If you are good, he will help you, but he will avenge himself if you are wicked. You have the judge within you.

For just as the elect receive the gift of knowledge and virtue through the grace of the Holy Spirit, so heretics and all the depraved, puffed up by their own pride and incited by the evil spirit, cannot hide before the Spirit of God the wickedness of their error, which they shamelessly proclaim, and therefore they cannot escape the just punishment of vengeance; for just as the…

On this account, he who speaks, etc. The foolish confidence of impunity having been removed, here he foretells the punishment of evil speech: and first, because it will be brought into judgment; second, because it will be examined by the Judge: "In the thoughts of the ungodly"; third, because it will be made known to all: "For the ear of jealousy." He says therefore: On this ac…

For investigation shall be made into the counsels of the ungodly: and the sound of his words shall come to the Lord for the manifestation of his wicked deeds.

For the ear of jealousy hears all things: and the noise of grumblings is not hid.

We shall find that indeed true that is written by one of the wise men, The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the world, and the ear of hearing heareth all things.

It is said that God has hearing, because he listens to everything and nothing remains hidden to him in silence. About this, it is written in the book of Wisdom, "Heaven's ear listens to everything; even the whisper of murmurings are not hidden from him."

And rightly did I say that it will come, etc.; for the ear of jealousy, of jealousy, I say, of God who is jealous for souls as for brides, hears all things, that is, knows all things, as one who hears all things, namely words both evil and good and indifferent, just as a jealous man carefully hears and notes the words of his spouse and of those speaking with her: Exodus twenty:…

Therefore beware of murmuring, which is unprofitable; and refrain your tongue from backbiting: for there is no word so secret, that shall go for nothing: and the mouth that belies slays the soul.

It is not lawful to deceive anyone, either by clever reasoning or with simple words, because whoever lies in any way, sins. In fact, it is written, "A lying mouth destroys the soul." And it adds, "The burning pool of fire and sulphur is reserved for all liars. This is the second death."

"Do not fear those who kill the body, but do not have power to kill the soul." Whoever wants to kill you can so do in the body but not in the soul. Your soul will not die, unless you yourself want to kill it. Another's wickedness can kill your flesh, but the truth would preserve your soul in righteousness.

Guard etc. Here he admonishes to caution against wicked speech, and first he sets forth his exhortation; second, the necessity of the exhortation: For a word, etc.

Seek not death in the error of your life: and pull not upon yourselves destruction with the works of your hands.

For God made not death: neither has he pleasure in the destruction of the living.

How then does the same Solomon say, "God did not make death," when in another place he says, "Good and evil, life and death, poverty and honor are from God"? (Wis. 1:13; Eccles. 11:14) There is no doubt that all good things are from God, but the evils which He has said are only evils, since vengeance is taken upon us.

Therefore death does not come from God. In fact, "God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living." In fact, the supreme essence makes all that is to exist, and consequently he is called essence. Death forces what dies into non-being, to the degree that it dies.

For God, who is the author of all things, according to that saying in John 1: "All things were made through him"; did not make death, namely present death.

For he created all things, that they might have their being: and the generations of the world were healthful; and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor the kingdom of death upon the earth:

"God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. For he created all things that they might exist, and the generative forces of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them.

From this statement, as in the previous one, it is evident that the Lord is the author of good works, not of evil ones; therefore, He is a just judge, who punishes wicked deeds and sins. Nor do we sin out of necessity when we transgress, but by a stubborn will, which proceeds from the quality of free will.

For he created, Genesis 1, all things that they might exist: The Gloss: "Not that they might perish": whence he also implanted in all things a natural appetite for existing, that is, gave it inwardly.

(For righteousness is immortal:)

I saw a godless person who said, "By the power of my own hand I have acted, and with my wisdom, for I am shrewd. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and I have pillaged their treasures." I saw him exalted. I went forward in my thoughts to the next life and considered the arrangements of Providence.

Therefore, righteousness is rightly said to be perpetual and immortal, because it frees those who obey it from eternal death. Unrighteousness, on the other hand, is the purchase of death, because the torments of Hades are the certain reward of sinners.

For justice is perpetual etc. Here he admonishes toward justice of work from the consideration of retribution: and first he touches upon the reward of justice: second, the punishment of injustice: But injustice etc.; third, the equity of the punishment or penalty inflicted: But the ungodly etc.

But ungodly men with their works and words called it to them: for when they thought to have it their friend, they consumed to nothing, and made a covenant with it, because they are worthy to take part with it.

Wisdom of Solomon1