> [[wisdom-12|← Previous]] | [[wisdom-00|TOC]] | [[wisdom-14|Next →]] --- # Wisdom, Chapter 13 ## Chapter 13 ### Digression on False Worship #### A. Nature Worship 1 Foolish by nature were all who were in ignorance of God, ^wisdom-13-1 and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing the one who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan; 2 Instead either fire, or wind, or the swift air, ^wisdom-13-2 or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water, or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods. 3 Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, ^wisdom-13-3 let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them. 4 Or if they were struck by their might and energy, ^wisdom-13-4 let them realize from these things how much more powerful is the one who made them. 5 For from the greatness and the beauty of created things ^wisdom-13-5 their original author, by analogy, is seen. 6 But yet, for these the blame is less; ^wisdom-13-6 For they have gone astray perhaps, though they seek God and wish to find him. 7 For they search busily among his works, ^wisdom-13-7 but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair. 8 But again, not even these are pardonable. ^wisdom-13-8 9 For if they so far succeeded in knowledge ^wisdom-13-9 that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its Lord? #### B. Idolatry 10 But wretched are they, and in dead things are their hopes, ^wisdom-13-10 who termed gods things made by human hands: Gold and silver, the product of art, and images of beasts, or useless stone, the work of an ancient hand. ### The Carpenter and Wooden Idols 11 A carpenter may cut down a suitable tree ^wisdom-13-11 and skillfully scrape off all its bark, And deftly plying his art produce something fit for daily use, 12 And use the scraps from his handiwork ^wisdom-13-12 in preparing his food, and have his fill; 13 Then the good-for-nothing refuse from these remnants, ^wisdom-13-13 crooked wood grown full of knots, he takes and carves to occupy his spare time. This wood he models with mindless skill, and patterns it on the image of a human being 14 or makes it resemble some worthless beast. ^wisdom-13-14 When he has daubed it with red and crimsoned its surface with red stain, and daubed over every blemish in it, 15 He makes a fitting shrine for it ^wisdom-13-15 and puts it on the wall, fastening it with a nail. 16 Thus he provides for it lest it fall down, ^wisdom-13-16 knowing that it cannot help itself; for, truly, it is an image and needs help. 17 But when he prays about his goods or marriage or children, ^wisdom-13-17 he is not ashamed to address the thing without a soul. For vigor he invokes the powerless; 18 for life he entreats the dead; ^wisdom-13-18 For aid he beseeches the wholly incompetent; for travel, something that cannot even walk; 19 For profit in business and success with his hands ^wisdom-13-19 he asks power of a thing with hands utterly powerless. \* (13:1] – [9) The author holds a relatively benign view of the efforts of the philosophers to come to know God from various natural phenomena. This is not a question of proving the existence of God in scholastic style. The author thinks that the beauty and might of the world should have pointed by analogy (v. [5]) to the Maker. Instead, those “in ignorance of God” remained fixed on the elements (v. [2], three named, along with the stars). His Greek counterparts are not totally blameless; they should have gone further and acknowledged the creator of nature’s wonders (vv. [4] – [5]). Cf. ([[romans-01|Rom 1]]:18] – [23]; ([[acts-of-the-apostles-17|Acts 17]]:27] – [28]. \* (13:1) One who is: this follows the Greek translation of the sacred name for God in Hebrew; cf. ([[exodus-03|Ex 3]]:14]. \* (13:2) Governors: the sun and moon (cf. [Gn 1:16]). \* (13:6) The blame is less: the greater blame is incurred by those mentioned in v. [10]; [15:14] – [16]. \* (13:10] – [19) The second digression is an example of the polemic against idolatry (cf. [Is 44:9] – [20]; [Jer 10:3] – [9]; [Ps 135:15] – [18]). Whether the idols be of wood or clay, they were made by human beings and have become the source of evil. a. (13:1) ([[acts-of-the-apostles-14|Acts 14]]:17]; [Eph 4:17] – [19]. b. (13:2) [Gn 1:14] – [19]; [Dt 4:19]; [Jb 31:26] – [28]. c. (13:3) ([[psalm-08|Ps 8]]:4]. d. (13:4) [Jer 10:2]; ([[baruch-06|Bar 6]]:39]. e. (13:10) ([[wisdom-03|Wis 3]]:11]; [15:5], [17]; [Dt 4:25] – [28]; [7:25]; [27:15]; [Ps 115:4]; [[hosea-14|Hos 14]]:4; ([[acts-of-the-apostles-17|Acts 17]]:29]. f. (13:11] – [19) [Is 44:9] – [20]. g. (13:11) [Wis 15:7]; ([[baruch-06|Bar 6]]:58]. h. (13:13) [Dt 4:16]. i. (13:14) [Jer 10:9]. j. (13:15) [Is 40:20]; [41:7]; [44:13]. k. (13:16) [1 Sm 5:3] – [5]; ([[baruch-06|Bar 6]]:57]. l. (13:17] – [19) [Wis 15:15]. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[wisdom-12|← Previous]] | [[wisdom-00|TOC]] | [[wisdom-14|Next →]]