Wisdom of Solomon 16

So they were punished as they deserved, by creatures like the ones they worshiped, and they were tormented by swarms of small animals.

1Therefore by the like were they punished worthily, and by the multitude of beasts tormented.

NoteThe chapter runs a comparison that continues to its end: the same kind of thing that punished the Egyptians fed or spared the Israelites. The creatures are the frogs, gnats, flies and locusts of the plagues in Exodus 8 to 10. Egyptian religion honored gods shown in animal form, which is the point of "creatures like the ones they worshiped." In the King James "beasts" here does not mean large animals but small vermin.

2Instead of that punishment, you treated your own people kindly. You prepared food for them with an unfamiliar taste, quails, to satisfy the craving of their appetite.

2Instead of which punishment, dealing graciously with thine own people, thou preparedst for them meat of a strange taste, even quails to stir up their appetite:

NoteThe quails are from Exodus 16:13 and Numbers 11:31, flocks that landed around the Israelite camp in the desert. In 1611 English "meat" meant food of any kind, not flesh in particular, so the King James "meat of a strange taste" means food with an unfamiliar flavor.

3The point was this: your enemies, though they wanted food, were so sickened by the ugly sight of the creatures sent among them that they turned away even from the hunger they could not help feeling. But your people, who went without food for a short time, got to share in a rare and pleasant taste.

3To the end that they, desiring food, might for the ugly sight of the beasts sent among them lothe even that, which they must needs desire; but these, suffering penury for a short space, might be made partakers of a strange taste.

NoteThe King James "penury" means extreme want, going without. "Lothe" is simply the older spelling of loathe.

4It had to be that a lack of food they could not escape would come upon those who ruled harshly, while your people would only be shown how their enemies were tormented.

4For it was requisite, that upon them exercising tyranny should come penury, which they could not avoid: but to these it should only be shewed how their enemies were tormented.

Note"Them exercising tyranny" means the Egyptians, in their role as slave masters over the Israelites.

5For even when the terrible rage of wild animals came upon your people, and they were dying from the bites of twisting snakes, your anger did not go on to the very end.

5For when the horrible fierceness of beasts came upon these, and they perished with the stings of crooked serpents, thy wrath endured not for ever:

NoteThe snakes are the ones that bit the Israelites in the desert in Numbers 21:6, after they complained against God and Moses.

6They were troubled only for a short time, as a warning. They were given a sign that brought rescue, to remind them of the command in your law.

6But they were troubled for a small season, that they might be admonished, having a sign of salvation, to put them in remembrance of the commandment of thy law.

NoteThe "sign of salvation" is the bronze snake Moses made and set on a pole, which the dying could look at and live (Numbers 21:8 to 9). The writer describes it without naming it.

7Anyone who turned toward that sign was not saved by the thing he looked at, but by you, who are the Savior of all.

7For he that turned himself toward it was not saved by the thing that he saw, but by thee, that art the Saviour of all.

Note"He that turned himself toward it" means the person who looked up at the bronze snake on the pole.

8By this you also made your enemies admit that you are the one who rescues people from every evil.

8And in this thou madest thine enemies confess, that it is thou who deliverest from all evil:

9As for those enemies, the bites of locusts and flies killed them, and no cure was found to save their lives, because they deserved to be punished by such creatures.

9For them the bitings of grasshoppers and flies killed, neither was there found any remedy for their life: for they were worthy to be punished by such.

NoteIn the King James, "grasshoppers" means locusts. Locusts and flies were two of the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 8:21 to 24 and 10:12 to 15). "Worthy to be punished" means deserving of punishment, not admirable.

10But your children were not overcome even by the fangs of poisonous serpents, for your mercy was always beside them and healed them.

10But thy sons not the very teeth of venomous dragons overcame: for thy mercy was ever by them, and healed them.

NoteThe King James "dragons" translates a Greek word for large snakes. No winged fire-breathing creature is meant; these are the desert serpents of verse 5.

11They were stung so that they would remember your words, and they were rescued quickly, so that they would not sink into deep forgetfulness but would keep your goodness always in mind.

11For they were pricked, that they should remember thy words; and were quickly saved, that not falling into deep forgetfulness, they might be continually mindful of thy goodness.

Note"Pricked" in the King James means stung or bitten.

12It was not a plant or a soothing ointment that made them well, but your word, Lord, which heals all people.

12For it was neither herb, nor mollifying plaister, that restored them to health: but thy word, O Lord, which healeth all things.

NoteA "mollifying plaister" is a softening poultice, a medicinal paste spread on a cloth and laid against the skin, standard wound treatment in the ancient world.

13You have power over life and death. You lead people down to the gates of the place of the dead, and you bring them up again.

13For thou hast power of life and death: thou leadest to the gates of hell, and bringest up again.

NoteThe King James "hell" here renders Hades, the underworld where in Greek usage all the dead go, good and bad alike. It is the destination of the dead in general rather than a place of punishment for the wicked.

14A man may kill by his own wickedness, but he cannot bring back the spirit once it has gone out, or set free the soul that has been taken away.

14A man indeed killeth through his malice: and the spirit, when it is gone forth, returneth not; neither the soul received up cometh again.

NoteAncient writers used "spirit" (the breath of life) and "soul" (the self that lives) as overlapping terms. The claim is about limits on human power: a murderer can end a life but cannot recall what he has sent away.

15But it is not possible to escape your hand.

15But it is not possible to escape thine hand.

16Godless people, who refused to know you, were whipped by the strength of your arm. They were chased by strange rains and hail and storms they could not escape, and they were destroyed by fire.

16For the ungodly, that denied to know thee, were scourged by the strength of thine arm: with strange rains, hails, and showers, were they persecuted, that they could not avoid, and through fire were they consumed.

Note"Scourged" means whipped. The strange rains, hail and fire are the seventh plague of Exodus 9:22 to 25, a hailstorm with fire running along the ground among it.

17And here is the strangest part: in water, which puts out everything, the fire burned all the hotter, for the world fights on the side of those who do right.

17For, which is most to be wondered at, the fire had more force in the water, that quencheth all things: for the world fighteth for the righteous.

Note"The world" here means the created order, nature itself, and the Greek word also carries the sense of an orderly whole. The idea is that the elements take sides.

18At one time the flame was held back, so that it would not burn up the creatures sent against the godless, and so that those people themselves, watching, would see and understand that they were being chased by the judgment of God.

18For sometime the flame was mitigated, that it might not burn up the beasts that were sent against the ungodly; but themselves might see and perceive that they were persecuted with the judgment of God.

Note"The beasts that were sent against the ungodly" are the plague creatures of verse 1. The flame was held back from burning them so the Egyptians would read the event as a judgment rather than an accident of weather.

19At another time the flame burned right in the middle of the water, hotter than fire is able to burn, in order to destroy the crops of a land that had done wrong.

19And at another time it burneth even in the midst of water above the power of fire, that it might destroy the fruits of an unjust land.

NoteThe "unjust land" is Egypt, and the crops are the flax and barley flattened by the hailstorm in Exodus 9:31.

20Instead of these things, you fed your own people with the food of angels. From heaven you sent them bread that was ready to eat and cost them no work, bread that could please anyone and suited every taste.

20Instead whereof thou feddest thine own people with angels’ food, and didst send them from heaven bread prepared without their labour, able to content every man’s delight, and agreeing to every taste.

NoteThe bread from heaven is the manna of Exodus 16, a flaky substance that appeared on the ground each morning. "Angels' food" echoes the King James of Psalm 78:25, "man did eat angels' food." "Without their labour" means it cost them no work to produce.

21What came from you showed your children how kind you are. That bread served the appetite of whoever ate it, and changed itself to match each person's liking.

21For thy sustenance declared thy sweetness unto thy children, and serving to the appetite of the eater, tempered itself to every man’s liking.

Note"Thy sustenance" means the food God supplied. The tradition that manna tasted like whatever the eater wished is a later expansion of Exodus 16:31, which says only that it tasted like wafers made with honey.

22But snow and ice stood up to fire and did not melt, so that people would know that it was fire, burning in the hail and flashing in the rain, that was destroying the enemies' crops.

22But snow and ice endured the fire, and melted not, that they might know that fire burning in the hail, and sparkling in the rain, did destroy the fruits of the enemies.

NoteThe image works in two directions at once and the text keeps both. The hail of the Egyptian plague held fire inside it without melting, and the manna, which Exodus 16:14 describes as lying like frost on the ground, survived being baked though it melted in the morning sun.

23And this same fire, in its turn, forgot its own power, so that those who do right could be fed.

23But this again did even forget his own strength, that the righteous might be nourished.

Note"This again did even forget his own strength" means the fire lost its usual power, so that the manna could be cooked without being burned away.

24For creation, which serves you its Maker, strains its strength against the unrighteous to punish them, and eases its strength for the good of those who trust in you.

24For the creature that serveth thee, who art the Maker increaseth his strength against the unrighteous for their punishment, and abateth his strength for the benefit of such as put their trust in thee.

NoteIn the King James, "the creature" means creation as a whole, everything made, not a single animal.

25So at that time it changed itself into every kind of form and obeyed your generous giving, which feeds all things, according to what those in need wanted.

25Therefore even then was it altered into all fashions, and was obedient to thy grace, that nourisheth all things, according to the desire of them that had need:

Note"Altered into all fashions" means changed into every kind of form: the manna taking on whatever flavor each person wanted.

26This was so that your children, Lord, whom you love, would learn that it is not the growing of crops that feeds a person, but your word that keeps safe those who trust in you.

26That thy children, O Lord, whom thou lovest, might know, that it is not the growing of fruits that nourisheth man: but that it is thy word, which preserveth them that put their trust in thee.

NoteThe thought follows Deuteronomy 8:3, where God fed Israel with manna so they would learn that people do not live by bread alone.

27For the thing that fire could not destroy melted away as soon as a faint ray of sunlight warmed it.

27For that which was not destroyed of the fire, being warmed with a little sunbeam, soon melted away:

NoteExodus 16:21 says that when the sun grew hot the manna melted, so the day's supply had to be gathered early.

28This was so people would know that we must be up ahead of the sun to give you thanks, and must pray to you at daybreak.

28That it might be known, that we must prevent the sun to give thee thanks, and at the dayspring pray unto thee.

NoteIn 1611 English "prevent" meant to go before or get there ahead of, not to stop or hinder, so "prevent the sun" means to be up before sunrise. "Dayspring" means daybreak, the first light.

29For the hope of an ungrateful person will melt away like the frost of winter, and drain off like water that is of no use.

29For the hope of the unthankful shall melt away as the winter’s hoar frost, and shall run away as unprofitable water.

Note"Hoar frost" is the white frost that forms overnight and vanishes in the morning. "Unprofitable water" is water that runs off and does no good, watering nothing.