The Lord’s response through Daniel (Dan 13:44-13:46)

“The Lord heard

Susanna’s cry.

Just as she was being led off

To execution,

God stirred up

The Holy Spirit

Of a young lad

Named Daniel.

He shouted

With a loud voice.

‘I want no part

In shedding

That woman’s blood.’”

The Lord heard the prayer cry of Susanna. Just as she was being led to her execution, God stirred up the Holy Spirit in a young man, Daniel. This phrase indicates that this probably belongs as the beginning of this book and not at the end since Daniel is called young, not old. The Holy Spirit appears in prophets quite often. Daniel then shouted out in a loud voice that he wanted no part in the shedding of this woman’s blood.

Contentious wife (Prov 27:14-27:16)

“Whoever blesses his neighbor

With a loud voice,

Rising early in the morning,

Will be counted as cursing.

A continual dripping on a rainy day

Is like a contentious wife.

To restrain her

Is to restrain the wind.

It is to grasp oil in the right hand.”

What is wrong with blessing your neighbor in the morning? Well, you were supposed to pray in the morning before greeting your neighbor. Using a loud voice was considered inappropriate. This was like cursing instead of blessing. The contentious wife was like dripping rain on a rainy day. She was difficult to restrain since this was like trying to restrain the wind or hold oil in your right hand. The contentious wife was a real problem. However, there was no mention of an obnoxious husband.

Judith prays (Jdt 9:1-9:1)

“Then Judith prostrated herself. She put ashes on her head. She uncovered the sackcloth she was wearing. At the very time when that evening incense was being offered in the house of God in Jerusalem, Judith cried out to the Lord with a loud voice.”

Judith then prayed with ashes on her head. However, she took off the sackcloth that she was wearing. She began to pray at the very moment when the evening incense was being offered in the Jerusalem Temple. She addressed her prayer to God with a loud voice.