The Wisdom of Solomon

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: Allioli - Arndt Bibel ⭑

- Kapitel 12 -

God’s wisdom and mercy in his proceedings with the Chanaanites.

O how good and gracious, Lord, is your spirit in all things!

Therefore, those who wander afield, you correct, and, as to those who sin, you counsel them and admonish them, so that, having abandoned malice, they may believe in you, O Lord.(a)

For those ancient inhabitants of your holy land, who you abhorred,

because they were doing works hateful to you, through unjust medicines and sacrifices,(b)

and the merciless murderers of their own sons, and the eaters of human entrails, and the devourers of blood apart from your community sacrament,(c)

(d)

and the sellers performing the ceremonies of helpless souls, you willed to destroy by the hands of our parents,(e)

so that they might worthily secure the sojourn of the children of God, in the land which is most beloved by you.(f)

Yet, so that you were lenient even to these men, you sent wasps, forerunners of your army, so that you might destroy them little by little,(g)

not because you were unable to subdue the impious under the just by war or by cruel beasts, or with a harsh word to exterminate them at once,

but, in judging by degrees, you were giving them a place of repentance, not unaware that their nation is wicked, and their malice is inherent, and that their thinking could never be changed.

For this offspring was accursed from the beginning. Neither did you, fearing anyone, give favor to their sins.

For who will say to you, “What have you done?” Or who will stand against your judgment? Or who will come before you as a defender of unfair men? Or who will accuse you, if the nations perish, which you have made?

For neither is there any other God but you, who has care of all, to whom you would show that you did not give judgment unjustly.

Neither will king or tyrant inquire before you about those whom you destroyed.

Therefore, since you are just, you order all things justly, considering it foreign to your virtue to condemn him who does not deserve to be punished.

For your power is the beginning of justice, and, because you are Lord of all, you make yourself to be lenient to all.

For you reveal power to those who do not believe you to be perfect in power, and you expose the arrogance of those who do not know you.(h)

Yet, you are the master of power, since you judge with tranquility, and since you administer us with great reverence; for it is close to you to be used whenever you will.

But you have taught your people, through such works, that they must be just and humane, and you have made your sons to be of good hope, because in judging you provide a place for repentance from sins.

For even if the enemies of your servants were deserving of death, you afflicted them with great attentiveness, providing a time and a place whereby they would be able to be changed from malice;

with what diligence, then, have you judged your sons, whose parents you have given oaths and covenants in good faith!(i)

Therefore, while you give us discipline, you give our enemies a multiplicity of scourges, so that in judging we may think on your goodness, and when we are judged, we may hope for mercy.

Therefore, also to these, who have lived their life irrationally and unjustly, through these things that they worshiped, you gave the greatest torments.

And, indeed, they wandered for a long time in the way of error, valuing those things as gods, which are worthless even among animals, living in foolish irrational behavior.

Because of this, you have given a judgment in derision, as if from foolish children.

But those who have not been corrected by mockery and chiding, have experienced a judgment worthy of God.

For among those who were indignant at their sufferings, which came through those things that they reputed to be gods, when they saw that they would be destroyed by these same things, those who formerly refused knowledge of him, now acknowledged the true God, and, because of this, the end of their condemnation came upon them.(j)

Fußnoten

(a)12:2 The word partibus means part or region or direction, but paired with exerrant it means to wander off-course or to wander afield.(Conte)

(b)12:4 Here again is a mention of medicine used in a negative connotation.(Conte)

(c)12:5 The phrase “devoratores sanguinis a medio sacramento tuo” is difficult. The first two words clearly mean devourers of blood, and sacramento can mean mystery or sacrament. The phrasing “a medio” seems, at first glance, to mean “in the middle,” but medio can also mean common or community and “a” can mean “apart from,” “away from,” or even “in opposition to.” This translation sees meaning which applies the text to the future Christian Church, more so than to the history of the Jewish faith. At times, the book of Wisdom is clearly talking about the past, at other times, it seems just as clearly to refer to future times, even to the end times.(Conte)

(d)12:5 From the midst of thy consecration:Literally, sacrament. That is, the land sacred to you, in which thy temple was to be established, and man’s redemption to be wrought.(Challoner)

(e)12:6 Often mistranslated, “auctores parentes,” in this context does not specifically mean parents, but rather the performing of a ceremony or religious rite (used here with a negative connotation). Originally, the word was used to refer to ceremonies commemorating dead parents or dead ancestors, but in this context it seems to have a wider meaning. The phrase “auctores parentes” refers to those who are sellers of a certain type of ceremony related to helpless souls. Again, while this may have an historical meaning, it also has points to future times.(Conte)

(f)12:7 The word charior is made comparative by the addition of the letter “i” and so is translated as more beloved or most beloved. Terra is singular, feminine, and ablative in case, so the meaning is “in the land.” And quae is singular, feminine, and nominative in case, so quae or “which” (referring to the land) is the subject of the verb “est.” Notice the use of the word puerorum to mean children, rather than filiorum, which would mean sons.(Conte)

(g)12:8 Here is an interesting play on words, in the Latin, which is not (as far as I know) found in the Hebrew or the Greek. The wasps are said to be forerunners of God’s army, but the word army in Latin, exercitus, can also mean swarm, as in a swarm of insects.(Conte)

(h)12:17 This difficult verse has been translated somewhat loosely. More literally, it says: “For you reveal power (virtue), you who are not believed to be in power perfect (or complete), and those who do not know you, you boldly expose in disgrace.”(Conte)

(i)12:21 The expression bonarum promissionum literally means good promises, but here it obviously has a less literal meaning: in good faith.(Conte)

(j)12:27 The phrase finis condemnationis by itself, might seem to mean final condemnation. But, in this context, as a consequence of acknowledging the true God, it must mean the end of their condemnation. Also, condemnationis eorum is of the genitive case and so it means “of their condemnation.” And venit super tends more towards “came upon them,” as opposed to supervenit, which would mean “overcame them” and would be more fitting if the meaning were final condemnation.(Conte)

Gottes Weisheit und Barmherzigkeit in seinem Vorgehen gegen die Chanaaniter

O Herr, wie gut und lieblich ist dein Geist in allem!

Daher züchtigst du diejenigen, die fehlen, nicht nach Verdienst, weisest sie über das, wodurch sie sich versündigt haben, mahnend zurecht, damit sie von der Bosheit ablassen und an dich glauben, o Herr!

Zwar jene alten Bewohner deines heiligen Landes, die dir ein Greuel waren,

weil sie dir verhasste Dinge durch Zauberei und gottlose Opfer trieben

und erbarmungslos ihre Kinder töteten, menschliche Eingeweide fraßen und Blut aus der Mitte deines Heiligtums schlürften,

und Eltern, die Vernichter hilfloser Seelen, wolltest du durch die Hand unserer Väter austilgen,

damit diese eine der Kinder Gottes würdige Heimstätte empfingen, das Land, das dir vor allen andern teuer ist.

Allein auch jener schontest du, weil sie Menschen waren, und entsandtest als Vorläufer deines Heeres die Hornisse, um sie nach und nach auszurotten.

Nicht als wärest du nicht so mächtig gewesen, die Gottlosen im Kampfe den Gerechten zu unterwerfen oder sie durch wilde Tiere oder durch ein hartes Wort auf einmal zu vertilgen

sondern um nach und nach das Gericht zu vollziehen, gewährtest du Raum zur Buße, wiewohl dir wohl bewusst war, dass ihr Geschlecht ruchlos und ihre Bosheit wie zur Natur geworden war und dass ihr Sinn sich in Ewigkeit nicht ändern konnte.

Denn von Anbeginn an waren sie ein verfluchtes Geschlecht. Auch nicht aus Furcht vor jemanden hattest du Nachsicht mit ihren Sünden.

Denn wer dürfte zu dir sagen: Was hast du getan? Oder wer wollte deinem Urteilsspruche sich widersetzen? oder wer vor dein Angesicht treten, um ruchlose Menschen zu verteidigen? Oder wer dir Schuld beimessen, wenn Völker zugrunde gehen, die du geschaffen hast?

Es ist ja außer dir kein anderer für alles Sorge tragender Gott, dass du zu beweisen hättest, dass du kein ungerechtes Urteil fällst.

Weder König noch Herrscher kann dir unter die Augen treten und dich über die zur Rede stellen, die du vernichtet hast.

Da du also gerecht bist, ordnest du alles nach Gerechtigkeit; auch hältst du es für unvereinbar mit deiner Macht, den zu verurteilen, der keine Strafe verdient.

Denn deine Macht ist der Grund deiner Gerechtigkeit; und weil du der Herr aller Dinge bist, erzeigst du dich schonend gegen alle.

Denn du zeigst denen deine Macht, die an deine Allmacht nicht glauben, und ahndest an denen, welche von dir nichts wissen wollen, ihre Vermessenheit.

Du richtest aber, o Herrscher der Stärke, mit Sanftmut und regierst uns mit großer Nachsicht; denn das Können steht dir zu Gebot, wenn du nur willst.

Durch solches Walten hast du dein Volk gelehrt, dass der Gerechte auch menschenfreundlich sein muss, und erwecktest in deinen Kindern die frohe Hoffnung, dass du, wiewohl Richter, Gelegenheit zur Buße bei den Sünden gewährst.

Denn wenn du die, welche Feinde deiner Diener und des Todes schuldig waren, mit so großer Langmut straftest, dass du ihnen Zeit und Gelegenheit gabst, von ihrer Bosheit abzustehen:

mit wie großer Sorgfalt richtest du nicht da deine Söhne, deren Vätern du Eidesschwüre und Bündnisse guter Verheißungen gegeben hast!

Während du uns also züchtigst, schlägst du unsere Feinde mit vielfältigen Plagen, damit wir deiner Güte gedenken, wenn wir richten, und wenn wir gerichtet werden, auf deine Barmherzigkeit hoffen.

Daher hast du auch die, welche in ihrer Torheit und Ungerechtigkeit dahinlebten, eben durch das auf das stärkste gepeinigt, was sie verehrten.

Denn sie wandelten allzu lange auf dem Wege des Irrtums, indem sie das für Götter hielten, was selbst im Tiergeschlechte das Verächtlichste ist, und wie unverständige Kinder dahinlebten.

Darum sandtest du über sie wie über unvernünftige Kinder das Strafgericht zur Verhöhnung.

Sie aber, durch Spott und strafende Mahnung nicht gebessert, erfuhren ein Gericht, Gottes würdig.

Denn durch eben die Dinge, über die sie sich in ihrem Leben erbosten, nämlich durch eben das, was sie für Gottheiten hielten, sahen sie sich vertilgt und sie, welche vorher Gott nicht zu kennen behaupteten, erkannten ihn als wahren Gott. Deshalb brach dann die Vollendung ihrer Verdammnis über sie herein.