The Wisdom of Solomon

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

The excellence of wisdom: how she is to be found.

Certainly, I myself am also a mortal man, like everyone, and the offspring of this earth, which was made beforehand; and in my mother’s womb I was fashioned with care,

within the time of ten months, made of blood, from the seed of man and the delight of sleeping together.(a)

And when I was born, I drew in the common air, and in similar fashion, I fell upon the earth, and the first voice I uttered, like everyone, was crying.

I was nursed in swaddling clothes and with great care.

For none of the kings had any other beginning of birth.

Therefore, there is only one entrance for everyone into life, and the same in leaving.

Because of this, I chose, and understanding was given to me; and I prayed, and the spirit of wisdom came to me;

and I placed her before kingdoms and thrones, and I considered riches nothing in comparison with her.

Neither did I compare to her a precious stone, for all gold in comparison with her is like a little sand, and silver, in view of her, will be valued as if dirt.

I loved her above health and beauty, and I placed having her before light, for her light is unfailing.

Yet all good things came to me together with her, and innumerable honors by her hand;

and I rejoiced in all these, because this wisdom went before me, although I did not know that she is the mother of them all.(b)

This I have learned without falsehood and communicate without envy, and her integrity I do not hide.

Indeed, she is an infinite treasure chest for men, and those who make use of it, become partakers in the friendship of God, because they are recommended by the gifts of instruction.(c)

Yet God has given to me to speak my mind, and to conceive thoughts worthy of those things that are given to me, because he is the leader of wisdom and the repairer of understanding.

For in his hand are both we, and our words, and all wisdom, and the works of science, and instruction.

For he has given me true knowledge of these things which exist: so as to know the orderly arrangement of the world, and the powers of the elements,

the beginning and the end and the midpoint of the seasons, the characteristics of changing things, and the divisions of time,(d)

the courses of the years, and the orderly arrangement of the stars,

the natures of animals, and the rage of wild beasts, the force of winds, and the reasonings of men, the diversities of plants, and the benefits of roots,(e)

and all such things as are hidden and unexpected, I have learned; for wisdom, the artisan of all things, taught me.(f)

For in her is the spirit of understanding: holy, singular, manifold, subtle, perceptive, lively, chaste, reliable, gracious, loving, good, astute, who forbids nothing beneficial,(g)

humane, kind, steadfast, trustworthy, secure, having all virtue, watching for all things and grasping all things with a pure and most delicate understanding of spirit.(h)

For wisdom is more active than all active things, yet she reaches everywhere because of her purity.

For she is a breath of the virtue of God and a genuine emanation from the purity of the almighty God, and therefore nothing unclean can invade her.

Indeed, she is the brightness of eternal light, and the unspotted mirror of the majesty of God, and the image of his goodness.

And though she is one, she can do all things; and, unchanging in herself, she renews all things, and throughout the nations she conveys herself to holy souls, establishing them as friends and prophets of God.

For God loves none but those who dwell with wisdom.

For she is more spectacular than the sun, and above the array of all the stars; compared with the light, she is found to be before it.(i)

Indeed, after her comes night, but wisdom will not be overcome by malice.

Footnotes

(a)7:2 The Jewish way of counting time would count any fraction of a month as a whole month, so if a woman conceived in January and gave birth nine months later in October, this would be counted as ten months. Therefore, the translation is “within the time of ten months.” Also, the present-day expression “sleeping together” is apparently very old expression, as seen in the phrase somni conveniente.(Conte)

(b)7:12 Or, “because wisdom went before these things...”(Conte)

(d)7:18 Or, the changes of changing things.(Conte)

(e)7:20 The benefits of roots is a reference to ancient medicines.(Conte)

(f)7:21 Wisdom is not merely a worker or a craftsman, but an artisan.(Conte)

(g)7:22 Ancient Latin had no punctuation, no spaces between words, and no difference between capital and small letters. So, does the text say: “gracious, loving good, astute, which nothing hinders, beneficial,” (as some have it), or does it say: “gracious, loving, good, astute, who forbids nothing beneficial,” (as this version has it)? Later editors added the commas, which make all the difference. But, since the text is first a series of one-word descriptors of wisdom, the comma between amans and bonum makes more sense, translated as “loving, good” rather than “loving good,” although both are obviously true of wisdom. On the other hand, “who forbids nothing” does not fit wisdom, for wisdom does forbid what is evil, what is vain, what is harmful, what is useless, etc. Therefore, the translation is “who forbids nothing beneficial.” Some translations have rendered “quem nihil vetat” as “irresistible,” i.e. “which nothing forbids, beneficial,” but this seems a less likely meaning of the text.(Conte)

(h)7:23 More literally, “grasping all things with a spirit: understanding, pure, delicate.”(Conte)

(i)7:29 Before it in the sense of being better than it, and before it in that wisdom predates even light itself.(Conte)