Chapter II · Location 2 of 19
Chapter 2 · Open to readFrom Wisdom · Douay–Rheims / Challoner (1749–1752)
What does Wisdom Chapter 2 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?
Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary
The opening poetic or argumentative words retain their speaker and exact scope. The edition’s commentary is explicitly separated from the verses and additional theology is removed. Closing invitations, conditions and plans remain distinct from reported outcomes.
Chapter breakdown
Wisdom 2 explicitly introduces wicked people reasoning wrongly. They call life short and tedious, death without remedy, no known return from hell; they say born of nothing, future nonbeing, nostril-breath smoke and speech heart-moving spark. Its extinction brings ashes, soft-air spirit, cloudtrace life dispersed like sun-driven mist. Forgotten names/works, shadow time and sealed irreversible end lead to proposals for present goods, youthful creature use, costly wine/ointments, seasonal flower and rose crowns before withering, meadow riot and luxury for all leaving joy tokens. These are attributed arguments, not an established inevitable psychology of all unbelievers.
They propose oppressing poor just man, widow and aged, making strength justice’s law and feebleness worthless. Waiting for the just is justified by his opposition, law-transgression reproof and disclosure of life sins; feeble is not feebleminded, and education slander is not substituted. They say he claims God knowledge and sonship, censures thoughts, lives differently, rejects filthy ways, prefers just end and calls God father. They propose testing words and end, arguing conditionally God will defend a true son; outrage and torture to test meekness/patience, shameful death expecting respect by his words. A planned killing is not narrated completed martyrdom.
The author says they thought these things deceived, blinded by malice, not knowing God’s secrets or hoping justice wages or honoring holy souls. God made man incorruptible in His likeness; devil’s envy brought death to world and his side follows him. The heading singles out Son of God; it does not narrate crucifixion or a clinical mechanism, nor guarantee every pleasure seeker becomes tyrant.
The story inside
Opening: The opening poetic or argumentative words retain their speaker and exact scope. Development: The edition’s commentary is explicitly separated from the verses and additional theology is removed. Conclusion: Closing invitations, conditions and plans remain distinct from reported outcomes.
Lessons worth keeping
- 1The opening poetic or argumentative words retain their speaker and exact scope.
- 2The edition’s commentary is explicitly separated from the verses and additional theology is removed.
- 3Closing invitations, conditions and plans remain distinct from reported outcomes.
Test your recall
Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?
Source edition and notes
Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.
Lines 71640–71641
2:11. But let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth.
Lines 71678–71681
2:23. For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him. 2:24. But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world:
