智慧篇第五章——义人屹立,恶者自承其过
本章展现了义人在昔日压迫者面前坦然屹立的景象,而压迫者对其愚妄的痛苦忏悔,则因义人在主护佑下永生的应许而得到回应。
智慧篇
第5章
- 1.当义人在那些使他受苦和轻视他劳苦的人面前站立时,他将以极大的信心站立。Then the righteous man will stand with great confidence in the presence of those who have afflicted him, and those who make light of his labors.
- 2.他们一见到他,就会因可怕的恐惧而震惊,并且会对他的出人意料的救恩感到惊奇。When they see him, they will be shaken with dreadful fear, and they will be amazed at his unexpected salvation.
- 3.他们将彼此相对而言,归于悔改,在灵魂的痛苦中,他们将哀嚎,并且说,They will speak to one another in repentance, and in anguish of spirit they will groan, and say,
- 4.我们曾经轻视这个人,并且把他当作羞辱的比喻——我们这些傻瓜!我们以为他的生活是疯狂的,他的结局也没有荣誉。“This is the man whom we once held in derision and made a byword of reproach—we fools! We thought that his life was madness and that his end was without honor.
- 5.他为什么被列在神的儿子之中呢,他的份为什么在圣徒之中呢!Why has he been numbered among the sons of God? And why is his lot among the saints?
- 6.于是,我们偏离了真理的道路,正义的光没有照耀我们,阳光也没有在我们身上升起。So it was we who strayed from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness did not shine on us, and the sun did not rise upon us.
- 7.我们满足于违法乱纪和毁灭的道路,我们穿过无路的荒野,但我们不知道主的道路。We took our fill of the paths of lawlessness and destruction, and we journeyed through trackless deserts, but the way of the Lord we have not known.
- 8.我们的骄傲给我们带来了什么益处?我们夸耀的财富又给我们带来了什么好处?What has our arrogance profited us? And what good has our boasted wealth brought us?
- 9.这一切都像影子一样消失,像路过的风声一样过去;“All those things have vanished like a shadow, and like a rumor that passes by;
- 10.像一艘船驶过波涛汹涌的大海,当它驶过后,哪里也找不到它的踪迹,也看不到它船底在波浪中的痕迹;like a ship that sails through the billowy water, and when it has passed no trace can be found, nor track of its keel in the waves;
- 11.或者就像鸟儿飞过空气一样,没有任何迹象表明它曾经经过;空气被它翅膀的扇动和它急速飞行的力量撕裂,被它翅膀的运动穿过,之后那里没有任何它来过的痕迹;or as, when a bird flies through the air, no evidence of its passage is found; the light air, lashed by the beat of its pinions and pierced by the force of its rushing flight, is traversed by the movement of its wings, and afterward no sign of its coming is found there;
- 12.或如箭射向目标,空气被分开后立即合拢,所以没有人知道它的路径。or as, when an arrow is shot at a target, the air, thus divided, comes together at once, so that no one knows its pathway.
- 13.我们也一样,一旦我们出生,就停止了存在,我们没有任何美德的迹象可以表现,只是被我们的邪恶所吞噬。So we also, as soon as we were born, ceased to be, and we had no sign of virtue to show, but were consumed in our wickedness.”
- 14.不虔之人的指望,好像风吹的糠,好像暴风吹散的轻霜,好像烟在风前消散,好像客人住一日便去的记念Because the hope of the ungodly man is like chaff carried by the wind, and like a light hoarfrost driven away by a storm; it is dispersed like smoke before the wind, and it passes like the remembrance of a guest who stays but a day.
- 15.义人的赏赐 义人永远得生,他们的赏赐在主那里,至高者护理他们。The Reward of the Righteous But the righteous live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes care of them.
- 16.因此,他们将从主的手中接受荣耀的冠冕和美丽的头饰,因为他用右手遮盖他们,用臂膀保护他们。Therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm he will shield them.
- 17.主必以他的热心作为全副的军装,并要使万物都成为武器来抵挡他的敌人;The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor, and will arm all creation to repel his enemies;
- 18.他要以公义为胸甲,以公平为头盔;he will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and wear impartial justice as a helmet;
- 19.他将以圣洁为不可攻破的盾牌,he will take holiness as an invincible shield,
- 20.并且磨利严厉的愤怒作为一把剑,创造会与他联合起来对抗那些疯狂的人。and sharpen stern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to fight against the madmen.
- 21.闪电将以真实的目标飞行,并且会像从云层中拉开的弓一样跳跃到目标上Shafts of lightning will fly with true aim, and will leap to the target as from a well-drawn bow of clouds,
- 22.充满愤怒的冰雹将像从投石机中发射的石头一样被抛出,海水将对他们发怒,江河也将无情地淹没他们;and hailstones full of wrath will be hurled as from a catapult; the water of the sea will rage against them, and rivers will relentlessly overwhelm them;
- 23.他们必有一场强大的风起来与他们相对,好像暴风一样将他们吹散。法lessness 将使全地荒废,邪恶将覆翻列国的宝座。a mighty wind will rise against them, and like a tempest it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth, and evil-doing will overturn the thrones of rulers.
这段经文的意思
第1至8节描绘了一个类似法庭的场景:义人满怀自信地站立在曾苦待他的人面前。那些压迫者见其出人意料地获得昭雪,便惊惧不已,在痛苦中彼此议论。他们的忏悔引人注目:他们认出这位义人正是他们昔日嘲笑、视其人生为癫狂、以为其结局必无荣耀的人(第3–5节)。这段忏悔蕴含着一种神学上的反转——他们如今反问,为何他竟列在神子之数,为何他的份竟在圣徒之中,暗示了他们曾否认他归属的那个群体范畴。
忏悔在第6至13节以一系列虚空的隐喻继续展开。恶者承认自己偏离了真理之路,公义从未照耀他们,他们在无路的旷野中行走(第7节)。他们的傲慢与财富毫无成就;他们的生命如同影子、流言、掠过无痕的船、不留踪迹的飞鸟、不可追循其轨迹的箭,未留下任何持久的印记(第8–12节)。其累积效果是:邪恶被描述为一种自我的抹消——他们一出生便不复存在,在自身的罪恶中被吞噬(第13节)。
第14至23节转入义人截然不同的命运。不虔之人的希望被比作糠秕、寒霜、烟雾,以及一日之客的短暂记忆(第14节)。相比之下,义人永远存活,至高者眷顾他们,亲手赐给他们荣耀的冠冕与华冕(第15–16节)。最后一段运用了甲胄的战争意象——以热忱为甲,以公义为胸甲,以正义为头盔,以圣洁为盾,以忿怒为剑——并将这场争战扩展到连受造之物(闪电、冰雹、大海、河流、风云)都加入主的一方,来对抗恶者(第17–23节)。本章以一句总结性的审判结束:邪恶必将蹂躏全地,过犯必将颠覆统治者的宝座(第23节)。
背景
智慧篇第五章位于本书中对比义人与恶者命运的那一章节之内。本章完全由两种声音组成——恶者痛苦的陈词(第3–14节)与叙述者对义人昭雪与赏赐的描述(第1–2节,第15–23节)。本章未指明具体的历史背景,但其中屹立于压迫者面前并接受冠冕的意象,暗示了最终审判的场景。船、鸟、箭的隐喻(第10–12节)构成一组相连的三联比喻,阐明了转瞬即逝之意;而第17至23节的战争意象,则将神圣审判呈现为一场宇宙性的争战。
所附智慧篇章节注释表明,本章是作为P0/P1主要系列以外剩余章节的一部分回填的;文本之外没有附带更多主题注释、交叉经文或原文词条。任何与其他经文或希伯来文/希腊文术语的进一步关联,皆无法从所提供的材料中推得。
常见问题
智慧篇第五章的主要对比是什么?
本章将恶者的命运与义人的命运相对照:恶者承认自己的愚妄,其生命不留任何持久的痕迹(第3–14节);而义人则满怀自信地屹立,永远存活,并由主加冠护佑(第1–2节,第15–23节)。
恶者为何要问义人为何列在神子之数?
他们在第5节所发之问,乃是对他们曾嘲笑之人如今竟归属神子与圣徒之列的惊讶之认。这一问构成了一个反转:他们曾否认他所属的那个群体范畴,在他获得昭雪之际,竟赫然显为真实。
船、鸟、箭的意象说明了什么?
第10至12节运用了三组相连的意象——一艘不留航迹的船、一只飞过不留踪迹的鸟、一支无人能追循其轨迹的箭——以说明恶者的生命不留任何持久的印记,就这样逝去,毫无他们曾存在过的凭据。
