章节研读

Wisdom 19 — The Red Sea Reversal and Nature's New Order

Wisdom 19 recounts the Red Sea event as a reversal in which Israel's enemies pursue the very people they had driven out, while creation reshapes itself to shield Israel and punish the ungodly.

经文

  1. 1.红海 但是不虔诚的人被无情的愤怒困扰到底，因为神事先就知道他们将来的行为，The Red Sea But the ungodly were assailed to the end by pitiless anger, for God knew in advance even their future actions,
  2. 2.他们自己虽然允许你的人民离开，并且赶快打发他们走，但他们会改变主意，去追赶他们。that, though they themselves had permitted thy people to depart and hastily sent them forth, they would change their minds and pursue them.
  3. 3.他们还在忙着哀悼，在死者的坟墓前哀哭的时候，又做出了另一个愚蠢的决定，追赶那些他们曾请求和强迫离开的人。For while they were still busy at mourning, and were lamenting at the graves of their dead, they reached another foolish decision, and pursued as fugitives those whom they had begged and compelled to depart.
  4. 4.因为他们应得的命运将他们引向了这个结局，并使他们忘记了已经发生的事情，这样他们就可以补充他们的折磨中仍然缺乏的惩罚For the fate they deserved drew them on to this end, and made them forget what had happened, in order that they might fill up the punishment which their torments still lacked,
  5. 5.并且你的子民可能会经历一段不可思议的旅程，但他们自己却可能遭遇一个奇怪的死亡。and that thy people might experience an incredible journey, but they themselves might meet a strange death.
  6. 6.上帝引导和保护祂的子民 因为整个受造界按照它的性质被更新，以遵守你的命令，这样你的子民就可以保持安全不受伤害。God Guides and Protects His People For the whole creation in its nature was fashioned anew, complying with thy commands, that thy children might be kept unharmed.
  7. 7.云彩覆盖在营中，水面变为旱地，红海中出现了一条无阻碍的出路，波涛汹涌的海洋变成了一片青草繁茂的平原The cloud was seen overshadowing the camp, and dry land emerging where water had stood before, an unhindered way out of the Red Sea, and a grassy plain out of the raging waves,
  8. 8.在那里，受你手保护的人作为一个民族通过，之后凝视着奇妙的奇观。where those protected by thy hand passed through as one nation, after gazing on marvelous wonders.
  9. 9.因为他们像马一样排列，像小羊一样跳跃，赞美你，主啊，你曾救赎他们。For they ranged like horses, and leaped like lambs, praising thee, O Lord, who didst deliver them.
  10. 10.他们仍然记得他们寄居期间发生的事情，地不是长出牲畜，而是生出了成群的蚊子，河不是长出鱼，而是喷出大量的青蛙。For they still recalled the events of their sojourn, how instead of producing animals the earth brought forth gnats, and instead of fish the river spewed out vast numbers of frogs.
  11. 11.此后，他们又看见一种新鸟，当他们渴望奢华的食物时；Afterward they saw also a new kind of birds, when desire led them to ask for luxurious food;
  12. 12.为了使他们得到解救，海中的鹌鹑飞起来了。for, to give them relief, quails came up from the sea.
  13. 13.埃及人的惩罚 罪人在遭受惩罚之前，先经历了雷暴的警告，这是他们公正地因为自己的邪恶行为而受苦的结果，因为他们对外人怀有更深的仇恨。The Punishment of the Egyptians The punishments did not come upon the sinners without prior signs in the violence of thunder, for they justly suffered because of their wicked acts; for they practiced a more bitter hatred of strangers.
  14. 14.其他人拒绝接待来到他们身边的陌生人，但这些人却将对他们有恩惠的客人变成了奴隶。Others had refused to receive strangers when they came to them, but these made slaves of guests who were their benefactors.
  15. 15.不仅如此，对于以前那些敌视外人的行为，也必然会有某种形式的惩罚降临在他们身上；And not only so, but punishment of some sort will come upon the former for their hostile reception of the aliens;
  16. 16.但后者在隆重庆祝接纳他们之后，却用可怕的苦难折磨那些已经与他们享有同等权利的人。but the latter, after receiving them with festal celebrations, afflicted with terrible sufferings those who had already shared the same rights.
  17. 17.他们也遭受了失明的惩罚——就像那些站在义人门口的人一样——当他们被巨大的黑暗所包围时，每个人都试图找到通过自己门的路。They were stricken also with loss of sight— just as were those at the door of the righteous man— when, surrounded by yawning darkness, each tried to find the way through his own door.
  18. 18.自然界的新和谐 元素之间互相更换位置，就像竖琴上的音符改变了节奏的性质，而每个音符本身仍保持不变。这可以从所看到的事情中清楚地推断出来。A New Harmony in Nature For the elements changed places with one another, as on a harp the notes vary the nature of the rhythm, while each note remains the same. This may be clearly inferred from the sight of what took place.
  19. 19.陆地上的动物变成了水中的生物，而会游泳的生物也搬到了陆地上。For land animals were transformed into water creatures, and creatures that swim moved over to the land.
  20. 20.即使在水中，火也保持着它正常的力量，水也忘记了它熄灭火的本性。Fire even in water retained its normal power, and water forgot its fire-quenching nature.
  21. 21.然而火焰却没有烧伤在火中行走的那些会腐朽的生物的身体，也没有熔化那种晶莹易熔的天食。Flames, on the contrary, failed to consume the flesh of perishable creatures that walked among them, nor did they melt the crystalline, easily melted kind of heavenly food.
  22. 22.结语 因为在一切事上，主啊，你都叫你的子民得高升和荣耀，你也没有忽略随时随地帮助他们。Conclusion For in everything, O Lord, thou hast exalted and glorified thy people; and thou hast not neglected to help them at all times and in all places.

这段经文的意思

Verses 1–5 frame the chapter around God's foreknowledge: the Egyptians had urged Israel to leave and then pursued them, a reversal described as drawing them toward the fate they deserved. The author states that this outcome caused the Egyptians to forget what had happened and "fill up the punishment which their torments still lacked," presenting the pursuit itself as part of divine retribution rather than a strategic choice.

Verses 6–12 recount the crossing and the earlier wilderness provisions with the same reversal pattern. Creation is described as "fashioned anew, complying with thy commands, that thy children might be kept unharmed," so that cloud, dry ground, and grassy plain appear where water stood. The wilderness memories — gnats instead of animals, frogs instead of fish, and later quails from the sea — are read as further instances of one kind of thing giving way to another in answer to Israel's need.

Verses 13–22 broaden the reversal to a moral and cosmic scale. The Egyptians are compared with earlier peoples who refused strangers, but who are said to have done a lesser wrong, since they did not enslave guests who had been their benefactors. The chapter closes with creation itself changing places — land animals becoming water creatures, fire losing its burning power in water, and flames failing to consume perishable flesh or melt the "heavenly food" — ending with the declaration: "thou hast exalted and glorified thy people; and thou hast not neglected to help them at all times and in all places."

背景

The chapter stands alone in the provided material, with no preceding or following chapter text supplied; the curated note indicates these Wisdom chapters were backfilled outside an earlier priority set. The internal structure divides at verses 6 and 13 with editorial headings — "God Guides and Protects His People," "The Punishment of the Egyptians," and "A New Harmony in Nature" — showing how the author groups the material around reversal, judgment, and the reordering of creation.

Wisdom 19 reads the Red Sea crossing through the lens of creation responding to God's commands: the cloud shading the camp, the dry path through the sea, and the quails are placed in the same sequence as the gnats and frogs, so that the wilderness plagues and the exodus crossing are remembered together as instances of one kind of thing giving way to another.

常见问题

What is the main contrast in Wisdom 19?

The chapter contrasts Israel's protected crossing of the Red Sea with the Egyptians' failed pursuit, and frames both as a reversal: those who drove Israel out chase them into the sea, while creation reshapes itself — dry land where water stood, water-born quails, and finally elements exchanging properties — to shield Israel and punish the ungodly.

Why does Wisdom 19 recall the gnats, frogs, and quails?

The chapter groups these wilderness memories so that gnats appearing instead of animals, frogs instead of fish, and later quails from the sea appear as a single pattern: one kind of creature giving way to another in answer to Israel's need. They serve as a precedent for the larger reversal at the Red Sea and in the closing images of transformed elements.

How does Wisdom 19 conclude?

The chapter closes with a declaration that God has exalted and glorified His people and has not neglected to help them at all times and in every place, summing up the reversal: Israel's enemies are judged, nature obeys God's commands, and the people's journey is described as protected from beginning to end.

继续研读

在阅读器里读书卷导读
HomeDiscoverStudyReadMe