What does Wisdom Chapter 3 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The passage contrasts just souls at peace with wicked devices and future judgment. Barren woman and eunuch are described with their stated innocence and prospective gifts. Conditional offspring judgments remain attributed text, without present-person diagnoses.

Chapter breakdown

Wisdom 3 contrasts the just souls in God's hand with unwise perceptions of death and destruction: the passage says they are in peace and their hope full of immortality. After few afflictions they shall receive many rewards; God tried them as furnace gold and received them as a holocaust victim, with respect in time. They shall shine like sparks through reeds, judge nations and rule people while their Lord reigns forever. Trust and love are linked to understanding and faithful rest, with grace and peace for the elect.

The passage condemns wicked devices, neglect of the just and revolt, rejecting wisdom and discipline as unhappy, with vain hope and fruitless works. It calls their wives foolish, children wicked and offspring cursed; these are attributed assertions rather than diagnoses of present individuals. It praises an undefiled barren woman who has not known a sinful bed, anticipating fruit at holy souls' visitation, and a eunuch whose hands and thoughts are innocent, anticipating a precious gift of faith and an acceptable temple lot. Good labor's fruit is glorious and wisdom's root unfailing. Adulterers' children and unlawful-bed seed are described as failing to mature and being rooted out. Conditional long life brings disregard and dishonor; quick death brings no hope or comfort at trial. The wicked race's end is called dreadful. Eunuch is not replaced with a faithful celibate, and future rewards remain future.

The story inside

Opening: The passage contrasts just souls at peace with wicked devices and future judgment. Development: Barren woman and eunuch are described with their stated innocence and prospective gifts. Conclusion: Conditional offspring judgments remain attributed text, without present-person diagnoses.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The passage contrasts just souls at peace with wicked devices and future judgment.
2
Barren woman and eunuch are described with their stated innocence and prospective gifts.
3
Conditional offspring judgments remain attributed text, without present-person diagnoses.

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 71690–71691
3:1. But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them.
Lines 71705–71707
3:6. As gold in the furnace, he hath proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust, he hath received them, and in time there shall be respect had to them.
Lines 71732–71734
3:14. And the eunuch, that hath not wrought iniquity with his hands, nor thought wicked things against God for the precious gift of faith shall be given to him, and a most acceptable lot in the temple of God.