Глава 11

1–17. The opposite fate of the Israelis and Egyptians, revealed in the events of the liberation of the Israelis from slavery. 18–23. About God's punishments and 24–27. God's love. Prem.11:1. She improved their affairs through the hand of the holy prophet: 1–4. In the first four st. Chapter XI speaks of the guidance of Divine Wisdom to the Israelites during their wanderings in the desert. Thanks to the help of Divine Wisdom, the Jews safely passed through the uninhabited desert (Article 2), successfully repelled the attacks of enemies (Article 3) and in waterless places miraculously received water from a rock (Article 4). Wisdom, having thus improved the affairs of the Jewish people, acted not directly, but “by the hand of the holy prophet,” i.e. Moses, who, indeed, was a mediator between God and the Israeli people (Ex. 19:20–21, 20:19–21). Moses is called a “holy prophet” to highlight his superiority over other Old Testament prophets (Deut. 18:15, 18, 34:12). Prem.11:2. They walked through the uninhabited desert, and pitched tents in impassable places; 2. The expressions “uninhabited desert” and “impassable places” are, of course, hyperbolic. “They pitched tents in impassable places” - refers to the various camps of the Israelites in the desert (Num. XXXIII ch.). The memory of life in tents in the desert, full of all kinds of dangers and hardships, was always sacred for the Jews, for in all their troubles in the desert they received visible help from God. To preserve the memory of this time in future generations, the Feast of Tabernacles was instituted (Lev. 23:39–42). Pres.11:3. resisted the enemies and took revenge on the enemies; 3. The words “withstood the enemies and took revenge on the enemies...” refer to the struggle with the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8-13), with Arada, king of Canaan (Num. 21:1-3), with the Moabites (Num. 25:17), with the Midianites (Num. 31:2), with Sihon, king of the Amorites (Num. XXI:21–29; Deut. 2:32) and Og, king of Bashan (Num. 21:33–35; Deut. 3:1–4). Pres.11:4. They were thirsty and cried out to You, and they were given water from a rocky rock and quenching their thirst from a solid stone. 4. “They were thirsty and cried out to You, and water was given to them from a rocky rock...” Cf. Ref. 17:1–7; Number 20:2–11; Deut. 8:15; Ps. 77:15–16, 104:41. The writer in this place (as in Art. 15 X) presents the events in a lighter form: according to him, the thirsty Jews turned to God for help (“they called out to You”) and received water; while the above passages of the Pentateuch speak of the cowardly murmuring of the Jews in this case against Moses and God. Prem.11:5. For how their enemies were punished, 5–16. Comparison of the completely opposite fate of the Israelites and Egyptians in those ancient times. Pres.11:6. thus they, being in difficulty, were blessed: 5–6. The position: “by what their enemies (the Egyptians) were punished, they (the Israelites), being in difficulty, were blessed”, is explained not only by the example of v. 7-8; but it is the main topic of an entire section from Chapters XVI-XIX, where numerous facts from the life of both peoples are cited to substantiate this position. So, 5-6 tbsp. contain a general position, a principle established by the writer regarding the events of the era he describes. The meaning of these verses, therefore, is not exhausted by the example given below, as is partly indicated by the expression: “being in difficulty” - broader than it should be if the writer had in mind only the need for water, which is discussed further. Pres.11:7. instead of the source of a constantly flowing river, outraged by the stinking blood, Pres.11:8. in reproof of their infanticidal commandment, You unexpectedly gave them abundant water, Verses 7–8 contain an example that confirms the point made in the previous 2 verses. Water served completely opposite purposes: the Egyptians were punished through the water of a “constantly flowing river,” i.e. Nile, “revolted by the stinking blood”, turned into blood by Moses, so that they had no drinking water (Ex. 7:19–24); the Israelites, on the contrary, were refreshed with water, which was brought out of the rock to quench their thirst (see v. 4) (Ex. XVII, Numbers XX). So the Egyptians were punished “in reproof of their infanticidal commandment” (Ex. 1:16), i.e. for their cruel order to kill Jewish babies. The Egyptians wanted to shed innocent blood and for this they were also punished through blood, thus, according to the writer, the form of punishment is closely related to the crime. Here he gives the first example that “as someone sins, that is what he is punished for” (v. 17). Pres.11:9. then showing through thirst how You punished their opponents. 9–11. When comparing the opposite fate of the Egyptians and the Israelites, the writer often (Wis. 16:5–15, 27–29, 18:20) expresses the idea that God, although he also sends suffering to the Jews, but, firstly, to a lesser extent, and secondly, for good purposes for them, and not as punishment. Same idea here. Although the Israelites also experienced thirst, it was only to find out how thirsty their enemies were and at the same time to feel the paternal care of God for themselves. Prem.11:10. For when they were tested, subjected, however, to merciful admonition, then they knew how the judged wicked were tormented in anger; Prem.11:11. because you tested them like a father, teaching them, and you tortured them like an angry king, condemning them. 10–11. The punishments of the Egyptians were at the same time a judgment against them: “like an angry king, (God) condemned them and tortured them.” The punishments of the Jews were for them a “merciful admonition.” God “tested them like a father, teaching.” In the Old Testament, God is called father not in the full sense in which this name is applied to Him in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, God is called the father of only the Israeli people, and this name defines the more external relations of God to the Jewish people, as the culprit of their independent political life. (Deut. 32:5; Ps. 102:13; Is. 63:16 ; Jer. 3:4, 19); in the New Testament He is the father of all people and this name determines the internal, moral relations of God towards them. Prem.11:12. Both those absent and those present suffered equally: 12. The description of the fate of the Egyptians continues. “Those who were absent” are those who pursued the Israelites and died in the Red Sea; “those present,” on the contrary, are those who experienced terrible “executions” at home with all their consequences. “Equally” should not be attributed to the verb “suffered”, since the punishments for the Egyptian soldiers who pursued the Jews and for the rest of the Egyptians were different, but to the superior “those present”; the thought is this: those who were absent, as well as those present, suffered. Prem.11:13. they were overcome by extreme sorrow and lamentation from the memory of the past. 13. We are talking about the punishment of “those present”: “extreme sorrow befell them”, in addition to the disasters they suffered - executions, they were also tormented by difficult “memories of the past”: about the death of their best army at sea, about the prosperity of their enemies, etc. Prem.11:14. When they heard that through their punishments they were benefited, they came to know the Lord. 14. It is believed that the words of Art. 14 closely relate to the death of the Egyptians in the Red Sea, which resulted in the complete liberation of the Israelites. However, the close connection of Art. 14 speaks against such an interpretation. with the next 15 (in the Greek text they are connected by the particle γάρ), which gives a particular example of the benefit of the Jews through the punishment of the Egyptians and at the same time points to the thirst experienced by the Egyptians, which led them to recognition and surprise before Moses, the messenger of God. Hence, Art. 14 is more correct. Explain by comparison with 5–8 tbsp. “The gentlemen have known,” i.e. They saw in this event the work of God. Prem.11:15 . Whom they had previously rejected with curses as an outcast, in the aftermath of the events they were surprised, having suffered a thirst unequal to that of the righteous. 15. “Whom they first denied as an outcast with cursing...” We are talking about Moses, who is not named here, as in other places in the book (Wis. 10:16, 18:5). The basis for the above words of the writer could be the fact of the persecution of Moses after the murder of the Egyptian, and then the disdainful attitude towards Moses by the Egyptian authorities at the beginning of his speech (Ex. II and VII ch.). “Therefore, in the aftermath of the events, they were amazed...” The expression “in the aftermath of the events” probably means the Egyptian “plagues” that followed one after another, which were the most important events in the history of the liberation of the Jews and ultimately bringing the Egyptians to recognize the authority of Moses (Ex. 11:3). In the story, verses 14 and 15. There are some features compared to the story about the same book. Exodus. That Pharaoh and the Egyptians saw the work of God in the executions (“knew the Lord”) and began to realize that they were wrong, the book of Exodus speaks about this (Exodus 8:19, 9:27, 10:16, 12:31), but nothing is said there so that the Egyptians received news of the miraculous drinking of the Israelites in the desert and from this they derived the corresponding moral teaching for themselves. The transformation of water into blood, which caused the thirst of the Egyptians, is put by the writer of the book. The wisdom of Solomon is not at the beginning, but “in the aftermath of the events” that led the Israelites to liberation. Prem.11:16. And for the foolish thoughts of their unrighteousness, according to which they, in error, served dumb reptiles and despicable monsters, You sent a multitude of dumb animals upon them as punishment, Prem.11:17. so that they would know that whatever one sins, that is what one is punished for. 16–17. Chronologically, the writer goes back a little, reporting on the events told by Moses in VIII, from 16 v. and in Chapter X. from 12th century book Exodus. He connects the punishment of the Egyptians with reptiles and insects with their religious errors: the veneration of animals. “In error they served dumb reptiles and despicable monsters.” The writer probably means toads, snakes and crocodiles, which were idolized in Egypt. “For the foolish thoughts of their unrighteousness... You sent many dumb animals to them as punishment.” Further, Wisdom 16:9, 17:9 specifically speaks of punishment through locusts, flies, and snakes. The purpose of punishing the Egyptians through the very animals that they idolized was “so that they would learn that by what one sins, he is punished” (v. 17). Prem.11:18. It would not have been impossible for Thy almighty hand, which created the world from unimaginable matter, to send upon them a multitude of bears or fierce lions, From 18th Art. and further through the entire XII chapter. The writer is discussing the divine merciful judgment of sinful people. In the nearest department from the 18th century. – XII:1 Art. speaks of its essence. The mercy of Divine judgment flows from Divine omnipotence (vv. 17–23), Divine Wisdom (21) and love (24–27). Prem.11:19 . or unknown newly created fierce beasts, or breathing fiery breath, or spewing clouds of smoke, or throwing terrible sparks from their eyes, Prem.11:20 . which could not only destroy them with damage, but also destroy them with a terrifying appearance. 18–20. God could, in his omnipotence, punish the Egyptians in some other miraculous way. In choosing the means of punishment, He, who had demonstrated His omnipotence in the creation of the world, could not be restrained by anything. “It would not have been impossible for Thy almighty hand, which created the world from unshaped matter...” The concept of “unshaped matter” (ύλη άμορφος), from which “the almighty hand of God created the world” was borrowed by the writer of the book. Wisdom of Solomon from Platonic philosophy. The word ύλη means, first of all, the raw material from which a building is built, then the substance of the world, the primary matter of things in relation to their form. Plato himself, however, had not yet used the word ύλη in this exact meaning, but in later, starting with Aristotle, presentations of Plato’s theory, the word ύλη began to be constantly used to designate Plato’s concept of the substance of the world, as something opposite to Existence. The word ύλη passed into this meaning into Alexandrian philosophy and from there, presumably, was borrowed by the writer of our book. This is confirmed by the predicate άμορφος attached to the noun ύλη - also a philosophical term that among the Platonists defined the nature of the material principle of the world. However, using this Platonic expression: έξύλης άμορφου, writer Prince. Did Wisdom also combine with it the Platonic concept of unimaginable matter, as a certain eternally existing basis of the existence of the world, in itself completely indefinite and only capable of accepting all possible definitions, or with this expression did he combine the purely biblical concept of the original state of the substance of the world created by God, “formless and unstructured” (Gen. 1:2)? It is difficult to resolve this issue with precision. The writer nowhere talks about the creation of the world out of nothing; the creative power of the wisdom of God seems to them to be the artist of everything - ή τεχνίτις πάντων (Wis.7:21); Obviously, the idea of ​​creation from nothing does not come forward in the writer and, perhaps, was not deeply developed in his mind. On the other hand, in some places in the book he speaks in purely biblical language about the origin of the world from God (Wis. 1:14, 9:1), the idea of the unconditional unlimited personality of God appears everywhere in the book in all its strength and purity (Wis. 11:22–23, 16:24): he posits the beginning of evil in the world not in the material basis of the world, not in the properties of the original substance, but evil entered the world through the envy of the fallen spirit of the devil ( Pres.2:24). All these provisions are not in harmony with Plato’s concept of the “imformable substance” of the world, therefore, it can be more likely that in the passage in the book under consideration, the writer thought to express a purely religious idea of ​​​​God as the omnipotent Creator of the world, for whom everything is possible, but expressed this idea in terms of the then widespread philosophical doctrine that did not exactly correspond to it. Prem.11:21. And even without this they could perish from one breath, pursued by justice and scattered by the spirit of Thy power; but You have ordered everything by measure, number and weight. 21. The first half of the verse reinforces the idea of ​​the previous 3 verses. To punish the Egyptians, God did not even need any weapon: “they could perish... scattered by the spirit of Your power,” i.e. by the action of Divine omnipotence. The crushing power of Divine omnipotence is presented by the writer in the form of a storm, a whirlwind, hence the expressions: “breath”, “spirit”. “...But You have ordered everything by measure, number and weight.” Scales and measures are common images to denote precise distribution and proportionality, especially in the disposition of the universe, as well as images of Divine justice (Job 31:6; Ezek. 28:17, 40:12; Dan. 5:27). The thought in connection with the context is this: although the punitive power of Divine judgment and retribution due to His omnipotence can be expressed in everything quite freely, it is nevertheless guided and determined by wisdom. Prem.11:22. For great strength is always inherent in You, and who can resist the strength of Your arm? Prem.11:23 . The whole world is before You, like the shaking of a scale, or like a drop of morning dew falling to the ground. Verses 22–23 reveal the idea of ​​divine omnipotence. In comparison with this omnipotence, the entire universe seems insignificant: “the whole world is before You, like the shaking of a scale,” i.e. the same insignificant value as that which unbalances the balance produces an oscillation of the scales; “or like a drop of morning dew falling to the ground”: an image often used in the Bible of everything that is fleeting and fragile. ( Hos. 6:4, 13:3 ). In relation to the previous thought about possible methods of Divine punishment (vv. 17–21), the expressed thought of divine omnipotence is the basis (“for”). Prem.11:24 . You have mercy on everyone because you can do anything, and you cover people’s sins for the sake of repentance. 24–27. These verses speak of divine mercy and love. These properties of God are the second - after wisdom - force that determines the measure of Divine punishment for sinners. Just as the wisdom of God distributes punishments by “measure, number and weight” (v. 21) and “whatever sins one is punished by (Her)” (17), so Divine love “has mercy on everyone,” “covers the sins of people,” and “spares everything” (v. 24, 27). The basis of this merciful Divine love is God’s omnipotence: “You have mercy on everything, because you can do everything.” How the writer presents the connection between these properties of God is difficult to say definitely; it may be as in the book of Job: Divine greatness is so excessive that it cannot in any way be offended by human misdeeds; people with all their sins are too insignificant for God to turn his omnipotence to punish them: “if I have sinned, then what will I do to You, guardian of men... Why not forgive my sin...?” ( Job 7:20–21 ). “...you cover people’s sins for the sake of repentance.” The Old Testament also speaks about the forgiveness of sins: Ex. 34:7; Is. 1:18, 55:7; Mich. 7:18 ; Ps. 24:7, 31:1–2, 84:8, 102:13–14, 129:4–8; Sire. 2:11. Prem.11:25 . You love everything that exists, and you do not disdain anything that you have created, for you would not have created it if you hated it. 25. The very fact of the creation of the world speaks about the all-encompassing love of God (“You love everything that exists”). Love was the driving principle in God's creative activity: God “would not have created if he had hated something.” This idea was one of the main provisions of Plato's philosophy. (Plato, Tim. p. 29). Prem.11:26. And how could anything remain if You did not will? Or how would that which was not called by You be preserved? 26. Divine love, which by creative will and word called (“called by You”) everything into existence, is also necessary for the continuation and preservation of this existence. Wed. Prem.1:14 Art. Prem.11:27. But You spare everything, because everything is Yours, soul-loving Lord. 27. God loves everything that exists, because everything was created by Him and everything is His. He is the author of all animate life: “the soul-loving Lord.” Wed. Prem.1:13 Art.