Chapter 17
Wisdom praises God, because His judgments are great and His words are inexpressible, He who wondrously punished enemies.
17:1 For great are Your judgments, and hard to describe; for this cause uninstructed souls went astray.
RABANUS. Great are the judgments of the almighty God, and inexpressible are the words by which, with wondrous command, He governs all creation. For this reason, the senseless souls of unbelievers have gone astray, because they were unwilling to believe and understand their Creator, who made all things by His word, nor did they render to Him the due honor in the worship of devotion. Nor is it contrary to this statement, that the words of God are indescribable, what the Psalmist says: I have declared with my lips all the judgments of your mouth (Ps. 119:13), because those things which He wished to be declared by the mouth, that is, to be made revealed, human frailty can understand and recount; but those things which He Himself has decreed to remain hidden, no one at all has been able to investigate. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
17:2 For lawless men, thinking to oppress a holy nation, were bound with darkness, prisoners of a long night, shut in beneath roofs, exiles from eternal providence. 17:3 For, while they supposed to remain hidden in secret sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being terribly intimidated and troubled by apparitions.
RABANUS. It commemorates the fact that in Egypt the enemies of the people of God suffered in the darkness of gloom, which Scripture reports as so dense that it could be felt; in which, having suffered excessive horror, they were justly punished for their sins and for the dark oblivion. Mystically, all persecutors of the Church of Christ, namely Jews, pagans, heretics, and also false Christians, suffer the enormous darkness of their crimes and errors, nor can they be safe and secure anywhere, for the rulers of these darknesses lead them according to their own will, and finally plunge them into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, to be punished perpetually with them. That all those who act wickedly are in darkness is shown by Truth itself in the Gospel, saying: “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light lest his works be reproved; but whoever does the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be manifest, because they are done in God” (Jn. 3:20-21). And again: “He who follows me,” he says, “will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12). Therefore John also says: “He who hates his brother is still in darkness, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he goes, because darkness has blinded his eyes” (1 Jn. 2:11). Of which Peter also says to believers: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who once were not a people, but now are the people of God; and who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10). Therefore Paul also says to them: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
17:4 For not even the recess that held them kept them secure from fear; but sounds that alarmed them echoed around them, and phantoms appeared with grim faces that did not smile. 17:5 And no power of fire was strong enough to give light, nor did the bright flames of the stars consent to illumine that hateful night.
RABANUS. Horror always accompanies darkness, and the less one can see or discern the things around oneself, the greater fear one has, suspecting adversity on all sides and dreading harm. Therefore, it also happened to the Egyptians, when they endured the greatest darkness for three days, which neither the sun, nor the moon, nor even the stars could illuminate: wherever they hid, they trembled with excessive terror. But when it is said that sad figures appeared to them, causing fear, it could have happened that, by the scheming of evil spirits, certain phantasms appeared to them, which struck them with excessive horror to increase their punishments. Similarly, even now, the persecutors of the Christian faith and the enemies of truth are surrounded everywhere by the darkness of their sins, because they are ignorant of the sun of righteousness, nor do holy teachers illuminate them in any way with the brightness of their doctrines. These also are disturbed by a descending sound, that is, the heavenly preaching foretelling the punishments to come for them, and sad figures, that is, demons who are to torture them, terrify them beforehand; yet this does not generate fruitful repentance in them, but rather, having become worse, they are prepared without ceasing for eternal destruction: for since they despair of themselves, nor do they wish to correct themselves so as to abandon their error and do works of righteousness, they are storing up wrath for themselves on the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each according to his works. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
That the cruel presumption always disturbs the conscience of the wicked, and that they themselves are tormented, terrified by various dreams and imaginations.
17:6 There appeared to them only self-kindled fire, full of fear, and, frightened by the unseen appearance, they deemed the visible things worse.
RABANUS. For from that fire, which was punishing the wicked, they were terrified with fear, dreading punishments on all sides, because the more severe the pains of punishment one feels, the greater the horrors he fears may come upon him. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
17:7 The mockeries of magical art were laid low, and a shameful rebuke of boastful wisdom. 17:8 For those who promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a sick soul themselves were sick with ridiculous dread. 17:9 For even if nothing frightful terrified them, being startled by the passing of beasts and the hissing of serpents, they perished in terror and refused to look upon the air that could in no way be escaped.
RABANUS. How the magi in Egypt resisted Moses by performing false wonders through magical incantations to deceive the people, the book of Exodus recalls; but at last, when they saw themselves overcome by the power of the signs which were divinely performed through Moses and Aaron, they were compelled to confess that it was the finger of God who accomplished these great deeds (Ex. 4:30). And those who just before boasted themselves to be healers of all diseases, at the coming of the serpents and other animals which afflicted them, were struck with fear and suffered in the same way as the others; and so also now, in the times of grace, all who mock the Christian religion, who boast in their own arts, that is, the diviners and soothsayers of the pagans, as well as those who have departed from the unity of the Church through apostasy, such as heretics and schismatics, although they pretend to be victorious, are nevertheless truly overcome by the power of Christ, and in the end will suffer the most cruel enemy, the ancient serpent, with his followers. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
AUGUSTINE. But when he says that false prophets will perform many signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (Matt. 24:24), he certainly warns us to understand that even wicked men can perform certain miracles, which the saints cannot do; yet they are not therefore to be considered as having a higher place with God. For the Egyptian magicians were not more acceptable to God than the people of Israel, because that people could not do what the magicians did; although Moses, by the power of God, could do greater things (Ex. 7–12). But these things are not granted to all the saints, lest the weak be deceived by the most pernicious error, thinking that greater gifts are found in such deeds than in works of righteousness, by which eternal life is obtained. Therefore the Lord forbids the disciples to rejoice in this, when he says: Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20). Therefore, when magicians perform such things as saints sometimes do, these things indeed appear visibly, but are done with a different purpose and by a different right. For the magicians do them seeking their own glory, while the saints do them seeking the glory of God; and the magicians do them through certain powers granted in their own order, as if by private dealings or sorcery; but the saints do them by public administration, by the command of Him to whom all creation is subject. [Augustine of Hippo, On Various Questions 79.3-4 PL 40] 354-430AD
17:10 For wickedness, condemned, bears witness of its own cowardice, and, constrained by conscience, always takes the harder path.
RABANUS. For in this, he says that those wicked men denied seeing the air, whose presence no living and breathing animal can ever avoid; he expresses the excess of fear, which, because of the oppression of impending punishments, they suffer as their own evil rebukes their conscience. Moreover, since wickedness is always fearful, its own terror gives rise to punishments when it is condemned. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
GREGORY THE GREAT. Therefore, it is well said by a certain wise man: Since wickedness is fearful, it bears witness to its own condemnation (Wis. 17:10). For while fear, striking the conscience because of the deed, reproves, it gives itself damning testimony for the case it commits. On the contrary, it is said by John: If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God (1 Jn. 3:21). Therefore, let the wicked flee from human eyes, but they certainly cannot flee from themselves. For since they know the evil they do, they have conscience as a witness, and their own reason as a judge. Therefore, in the sin they commit, they first encounter the judgment of their own reason against themselves. And this is perhaps what is said by the Psalmist: Deep calls to deep at the sound of your waterfalls (Ps. 42:8). For, by a wondrous order of hidden arrangement, the evil that is done is not permitted to be unknown, and the sinner already condemns himself in his conscience by his own judgment, and after his own condemnation hastens to the sentence of the eternal Judge. Therefore, for deep to call to deep is to pass from judgment to judgment. [ Gregory the Great, Morals on Job, PL 75-76. 2.27.25] died 604 AD
17:11 For fear is nothing but betrayal of the supports that reason offers. 17:12 And while expectation is inwardly weaker, it counts ignorance as greater than the cause that brings the torment.
RABANUS. For the conscience is always troubled, and if it does not have the serenity of tranquility within itself, it arrogantly elevates itself, but this presumption is restrained by fear itself. Therefore it is said that his fear is a help, that is, a remedy. It also reveals the weakness of the proud mind, which, by imagining vain hopes of help, was driving itself mad, when it hoped it could achieve what it could in no way accomplish; and therefore, as its inner health was less than the things it suffered outwardly, it thought its power was greater. This often happens also among the persecutors of the faithful; for, because of the blindness of their hearts, they consider themselves powerful when they torture the bodies of the saints with various torments, but when, overcome by their patience, they see that they cannot achieve what they wanted, they are crushed by the anguish of their own mind, and at last they recognize that they are not what they previously thought themselves to be, and they realize that he is stronger who granted his soldiers patience, the endurance to suffer punishments, and the strength to overcome their enemies. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
17:13 But those who truly endured that powerless night, come from the powerless depths of Hades, sleeping the same sleep, 17:14 were alternately driven by monstrous apparitions and paralyzed in soul by betrayal; for sudden and unexpected fear came upon them. 17:15 Then, whoever was falling there, was guarded, having been shut up in an unbreakable prison;
RABANUS. He says this when, in Egypt, the enemies of the people of God were surrounded by the horror of darkness, so that neither those awake nor those asleep had any rest. For either those sleeping were disturbed by terrifying visions, or those awake were tormented by excessive fear; nor was there any opportunity given to them to withdraw freely anywhere, but without a shackle or iron chain, they were confined in the prison of darkness. Therefore it is written: For three days, no one saw his brother, nor did anyone move from the place where he was (Ex. 10:23). [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
17:16 for whether one was a farmer or a shepherd or a laborer who toiled in the wilderness, seized in advance, he remained under an unbearable necessity, 17:17 for all were bound with one chain of darkness; whether the whistling wind, or the sweet sound among the spreading branches of birds, or the rushing rhythm of water moving violently, or the harsh crash of falling rocks, 17:18 or the unseen running of leaping animals, or the voice of the fiercest roaring beasts, or the echo returned from hollow mountains, frightened them and left them helpless.
RABANUS. For on every side the wretched were constrained by punishment, for whatever they perceived with their ears from sound, or sensed by any feeling, they feared that all was aimed at their destruction. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
17:19 For the whole world was shining with bright light and was engaged in unhindered works; 17:20 but over them alone was laid a heavy night, an image of the darkness that would later receive them, while to themselves they were heavier than darkness.
RABANUS. For only the wicked were in darkness; but the worshippers of God abounded in the most abundant light. Therefore, it is written: But wherever the children of Israel dwelt, there was light (Ex. 10:23). But it must also be considered what is said: Only for them there was a heavy night, an image of the darkness that was to come upon them, for they themselves were a heavier darkness to themselves . In this it is clearly shown that spiritual darkness, which the mind suffers, is heavier than bodily darkness, which the eye endures; for from these darknesses, that is, of unbelief and error and wickedness, a man is led to the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; which darkness of the Egyptians prefigured, for just as there bodies were held useless for every good work, so here both bodies and souls are shut up in eternal prison, unfit for every good work, because neither reason, nor place, nor time for working is found among the dead. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD