V. Contents of the Book. — (a) The first section (chs. 1-5) describes the contlict which the Divine Wisdom has constantly to carry on with the godless wisdom of the world, and tlie victory to wliich she leads those who surrender tlicmselves to her. In the first place (ch. 1) the author addresses himself apparently, in quite a general exhortation, to all rulers and authorities in the world. But as in what follows he deals not with public conditions or the duties of rulers, but with purely inward physico-ethical developments, it is natural to suppose that he has in view not heathen rulers, liut powerful and influential personages in his Jewish environment, who, as is evident from ji« 2'"-, liad apostatized from their religion and attached themselves to the heathen Government. How high in those days suili men might some- times rise may be seen from the case of the Jewish noble Tiberius Alexander, who a little later was nominated Imperial .administrator (alabnrch) of the whole of the so-called Arabian side of the Nile (Schiirer, GJK' iii. 490). It was only such rulers, of Jewish descent, that our author could hope to reach with his words ; he could scarcely expect to be read by heathen ones. The description con- tained in lii'-2-° suits, moreover, only such ai)ostate powerful Jews. Greek philosophy, particularly Epicureanism, had estranged them from their religion (2''°), and the practical consequences of the new frivolous view of life had speedily shown themselves in abandonment to sensualism and im- morality (2'''"). To these men their fellow-country- men who remained true to their religion were a genuine stone of stumbling. The life of the latter, with its piety and fidelity to the Law, caused tliem secret shame, and was a constant prick to their conscience. This drove them to hatred and bitter persecution of the 'righteous' (2"'"'''"). The author now faces these apostates like a prophet of rebuke, and exposes the vanity of their whole conduct in the passage 2-'-5-'*. Wholly ensnared by earthly things, tliey have no idea that man, formed after the image of God, has an eternal destiny (2-'"^), whose form is only decided in the world beyond (3' iv Katiti^ ^iriirkoTrijs ' on the day of visitation'; v.'"" ^tt' icrxdruv, iv rjij^ipq. diayvuaeat; v.'"' 'at the final decision' [the statement varies, it is true, in regard to some points : in 4""'' it is a judgment carried out in the next world after death, in 5""^ it is one that takes place in this world in eschatological times]). Then shall it be manifested whoso life was the truly jirofitablo one. The ungodly, i.e. those Jews who have despised the Law (3'° 4*" 5'), with tlieir wliolo brooa, are exposed in their nothingness (ijix-'a-io-io 4i>-6. i»-»)_ They themselves shall confess their mistake with bitter but vain repentance (5^""). Tlie righteous, on tlio oilier hand, who kept by the Law, shall reap the fruit of their strivings (3""" 4"- 5'- '"'■), anci BJiall pronounce judgment on the ungodly (4" 5"). The author incidentally controverts the old
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Jewish doctrine that premature death is a si^n of impiety (Ps 50" 102-'^), holding that it is so only in the case of tlie wicked (3'*'-), hut not in that of the righteous, whose sulferings are meant simply to try them, and whose death is a rapture to perfect bliss (:5'-» 4'-" 5>- '"•).
(6) The second section (cha. 6-9) sets forth the great advantages of Wisdom. The author here attaches his words in the first instance to the exhortation of I'"" to rulers, on whom he urges (a) in ti''" that they in particular are bound in quite a special way to seek after Wisdom, and that they will be held specially responsible if they have ruled without it. Such conduct is all the more culpable, seeing that (/3) Wisdom is so easily accessible and so ready to meet those that seek her, 6'^-^. This is followed by (7) 7'-8', a descrip- tion which Solomon from his own experience gives of the nature of Wisdom ; and (5) 8-'-' an account by the same king of how he came to attach him- self to Wisdom as a life companion ; and tlie whole closes with (e) 9'"'* Solomon's prayer for Wisdom.
(c) The third section (lO'-iy-") recounts, tinally, the wonders wrought by Wisdom in the history of Israel : (a) in the period from Adam to Moses, specially down to the passage of the Red Sea, 10'- 11' ; (/3) during the wilderness wanderings, IP- 12-''. This is followed by some general observa- tions (7) on the folly of the Wi.sdom - forsaken heathen, who have given themselves over to the worship of natural forces and images of gods, as contrasted with the Israelites who obey Wisdom, ehs. 13-15 ; and (5) on the remarkable providences of God, whereby the animal-worshipping Egyptians were punished by means of the very same animals which brought deliverance to the Israelites ; in which connexion other instances of contrast be- tween the lot of the Egyptians and the Israelites are also insisted upon.
vi. Progress in the Development op re- ligious Doctrine in the Book of Wisdom.— (a) In the doctrine of God the central point in the religious system of this book is the tliought that the Divine essence is love. Whereas the canonical OT regarded Jahweh by preference as the Lord of His creatures, who, according to His pleasure, called these into being by His breath, and who by withdrawing that breath causes them to perish (Ps 104-»-'"'), in the Book of Wisdom Jahweh is full of love to all His creatures, and upholds and spares them because He has pleasure in all that lives. Even the wicked, to whom He gives every oppor- tunity to repent {rdiroy /xerai/oiai, 12'", cf. He 12"), God seeks to s])are as long as possible. Alongside of this the author's inclination towards Jewish par- ticularistic notions shows it.self. God is Father only in relation to the Jews, to the heathen He is Ruler. Sufferings are to the former fatherly chas- tisement and have an educative value ; in the case of the latter they are an expression of anger and a sign of judgment (11'- '").