The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh, but the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones. Wisdom of Solomon. The influence of Greek ideas on Ben Sirach is slight, in Wisdom of Solomon it is pronounced. Indeed, this latter book was written in Greek, in Alexandria, the centre of Hellenist government. Its date is about 100 B.C.E. Like most of the books of this collection, it is ascribed to one of the great men of the Bible. Here King Solomon exhorts the rulers of the earth to seek wisdom and to shun idolatry. He expatiates on the influence of divine wisdom on life as exemplified in the noble souls of Israel's great past. Here are some extracts: Beware of murmuring which is unprofitable: and refrain your tongue from back-biting: for there is no word so secret that shall go for nought. Honorable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years. If riches be a possession to be desired in this life, what is richer than wisdom that worketh all things. Fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth. For these men (idolators) there is but small blame, if they peradventure do but go astray while they are seeking God and desiring Him. Even if we sin, we are Thine. But we shall not sin, knowing that we have been accounted Thine; for to be acquainted with Thee is perfect righteousness. Court not death in the error of thy life. God made not death, nor delighteth He when the living perish, for He created all things that they might have being. Wisdom is the effulgence from everlasting light, and the unspotted mirror of the working of God and the image of His goodness. Surely vain are all men by nature who are ignorant of God, And could not out of the good things that are seen know Him that is: But deemed either fire or wind or the swift air, Or the circle of the stars, or the violent water, or the light of heaven, To be the gods which govern the world.... For, if astonished at their power let them understand Through them how much mightier is He that made them.... To know God is perfect righteousness, Yea, to know thy powers is the root of immortality. Baruch. This is a general collection of four different writings. (a) A Prayer of Israel in Exile (i-iii, 8.) (b) The fount of Wisdom (iii, 9-iv, 4.) (c) Consolation to Zion's Children (iv, 5-v, 9.) (d) The Epistle of Jeremiah. (e) The folly of idolatry (vi.) Baruch was the secretary of Jeremiah. See Jer., chaps. xxxii, xxxvi, xliii. Song of the Three Holy Children: