> [[wisdom-10|← Previous]] | [[wisdom-00|TOC]] | [[wisdom-12|Next →]] --- # Wisdom, Chapter 11 ## Chapter 11 1 She prospered their affairs through the holy prophet. ^wisdom-11-1 # III. Special Providence of God During the Exodus ## Introduction 2 They journeyed through the uninhabited desert, ^wisdom-11-2 and in lonely places they pitched their tents; 3 they withstood enemies and warded off their foes. ^wisdom-11-3 4 When they thirsted, they called upon you, ^wisdom-11-4 and water was given them from the sheer rock, a quenching of their thirst from the hard stone. 5 For by the things through which their foes were punished ^wisdom-11-5 they in their need were benefited. ## First Example: Water Punishes the Egyptians and Benefits the Israelites 6 Instead of a river’s perennial source, ^wisdom-11-6 troubled with impure blood 7 as a rebuke to the decree for the slaying of infants, ^wisdom-11-7 You gave them abundant water beyond their hope, 8 after you had shown by the thirst they experienced ^wisdom-11-8 how you punished their adversaries. 9 For when they had been tried, though only mildly chastised, ^wisdom-11-9 they recognized how the wicked, condemned in anger, were being tormented. 10 You tested your own people, admonishing them as a father; ^wisdom-11-10 but as a stern king you probed and condemned the wicked. 11 Those near and far were equally afflicted: ^wisdom-11-11 12 for a twofold grief took hold of them ^wisdom-11-12 and a groaning at the remembrance of the ones who had departed. 13 For when they heard that the cause of their own torments ^wisdom-11-13 was a benefit to these others, they recognized the Lord. 14 For though they had mocked and rejected him who had been cast out and abandoned long ago, ^wisdom-11-14 in the final outcome, they marveled at him, since their thirst proved unlike that of the righteous. ## Second Example: Animals Punish the Egyptians and Benefit the Israelites 15 In return for their senseless, wicked thoughts, ^wisdom-11-15 which misled them into worshiping dumb serpents and worthless insects, You sent upon them swarms of dumb creatures for vengeance; 16 that they might recognize that one is punished by the very things through which one sins. ^wisdom-11-16 ## Digression on God’s Mercy 17 For not without means was your almighty hand, ^wisdom-11-17 that had fashioned the universe from formless matter, to send upon them many bears or fierce lions, 18 Or newly created, wrathful, unknown beasts ^wisdom-11-18 breathing forth fiery breath, Or pouring out roaring smoke, or flashing terrible sparks from their eyes. 19 Not only could these attack and completely destroy them; ^wisdom-11-19 even their frightful appearance itself could slay. 20 Even without these, they could have been killed at a single blast, ^wisdom-11-20 pursued by justice and winnowed by your mighty spirit. But you have disposed all things by measure and number and weight. 21 For great strength is always present with you; ^wisdom-11-21 who can resist the might of your arm? 22 Indeed, before you the whole universe is like a grain from a balance, ^wisdom-11-22 or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. 23 But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; ^wisdom-11-23 and you overlook sins for the sake of repentance. 24 For you love all things that are ^wisdom-11-24 and loathe nothing that you have made; for you would not fashion what you hate. 25 How could a thing remain, unless you willed it; ^wisdom-11-25 or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? 26 But you spare all things, because they are yours, ^wisdom-11-26 O Ruler and Lover of souls, 12:1 for your imperishable spirit is in all things! \* (11:2] – [19:22) Few verses in chaps. [11] – [19] can be fully understood without consulting the passages in the Pentateuch which are indicated in the cross-references. The theme of this part of the book is expressed in v. [5] and is illustrated in the following chapters by five examples drawn from Exodus events. \* (11:6] – [8) River: the Nile; the contrast is between the first plague of Egypt (([[exodus-07|Ex 7]]:17] – [24]) and the water drawn from the rock in Horeb (([[exodus-17|Ex 17]]:5] – [7]; [Nm 20:8] – [11]). \* (11:12) Twofold grief: the double distress described in vv. [13] – [14]. \* (11:15) Dumb: that is, irrational. \* (11:17) Formless matter: a Greek philosophical concept is used to interpret the chaos of [Gn 1:2]. \* (11:22) Grain from a balance: a tiny particle used for weighing on sensitive scales. \* (11:23) The combination of divine mercy and power is an unusual paradox, but cf. [12:15] – [18]; [Ps 62:12] – [13]; [Sir 2:18]. The main emphasis is on a creating that is motivated by love; the divine “imperishable spirit” (either Wisdom as in [1:4], [7], or perhaps the breath of life as in [Gn 2:7]) is in everything ([12:1]). a. (11:1) [Dt 2:7]; [[hosea-12|Hos 12]]:14. b. (11:2] – [5) ([[exodus-17|Ex 17]]:2] – [6]; [Nm 20:1] – [13]; [Ps 63:2]; [107:4] – [7]; [Jer 2:6]. c. (11:3) ([[exodus-17|Ex 17]]:8] – [16]; [Nm 21:1] – [3], [21] – [35]; [31:1] – [12]; [Ps 118:10] – [12]. d. (11:5) [Wis 16:1] – [2]. e. (11:6] – [8) [Wis 18:5]; ([[exodus-01|Ex 1]]:22]; [7:17] – [24]. f. (11:9] – [11) ([[wisdom-03|Wis 3]]:5]; [16:3] – [4]; [Dt 8:2] – [5]; [2 Mc 6:12] – [16]; ([[psalm-06|Ps 6]]:2]; [Prv 3:12]. g. (11:11) ([[psalm-06|Ps 6]]:2]. h. (11:12] – [13) [Wis 16:8]; ([[exodus-14|Ex 14]]:4], [18]. i. (11:14) ([[exodus-02|Ex 2]]:3]. j. (11:15) [Wis 12:23] – [24]; [15:18] – [16:1]; ([[exodus-07|Ex 7]]:26] – [8:11]. k. (11:16) [Wis 12:23], [27]; ([[exodus-10|Ex 10]]:16]; [Prv 1:31] – [32]; [26:27]. l. (11:17] – [19) [Wis 12:8] – [9]; [16:1], [5]; [Gn 1:1] – [2]; [Dt 32:24]; [[2-kings-17|2 Kgs 17]]:25 – [26]; [[hosea-13|Hos 13]]:4 – [8]. m. (11:20) [Jb 4:9]. n. (11:21) [Wis 12:12]; [2 Chr 20:6]. o. (11:22) [[hosea-13|Hos 13]]:3. p. (11:23) [Wis 12:10]; [Dt 9:27]; ([[acts-of-the-apostles-17|Acts 17]]:30]; ([[romans-02|Rom 2]]:4]; [11:32]; [2 Pt 3:9]. q. (11:24) [Ps 145:9]. r. (11:25) [Is 41:4]. s. (11:26) [Wis 12:16]; [Is 63:9]. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[wisdom-10|← Previous]] | [[wisdom-00|TOC]] | [[wisdom-12|Next →]]