The Roman Catholic Bible editions usually include seven other books that are from the Septuagint, but not in the Hebrew Bible. On the other hand, many of the English Protestant Bibles, particularly the King James Bible used only the Hebrew texts. These later Greek works became known as deuterocanonical or apocryphal works of the Bible. These post-exilic books tell the stories of various Israelite figures. These seven extra books have the story of Tobit, the story of Judith, as well as the stories of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. However, they also include writings the Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus or Sirach, and Baruch.
Baruch
The useless false wooden gods (Bar 6:70-6:73)
“Like a scarecrow
In a cucumber bed,
That guards nothing,
So are their gods of wood,
Overlaid with gold
Or silver.
In the same way,
Their gods of wood,
Overlaid with gold
Or silver,
Are
Like a thorn bush
In a garden,
On which every bird perches.
They are
Like a corpse
Thrown out in the darkness.
From the purple
Or the linen
That rot upon them,
You will know
That they are not gods.
They will finally
Be consumed themselves.
They will be a reproach
In the land.
Better,
Therefore
Is someone upright.
Such a person
Will be far above reproach.”
This letter of Jeremiah found as the last chapter in this book of Baruch ends with a comparison of these false wooden gods covered with gold and silver. The author compared them to a scarecrow in a cucumber bed that guarded nothing. They were compared to a thorn bush in a garden where birds sat on it. They were compared to a dead corpse in the dark. All of these useless items were like these useless idol gods. Even with purple or linen on them, they would still rot. They would be finally consumed and become a reproach to all. It was much better to be an upright person beyond reproach than any of these gods. So ends the letter of Jeremiah in the Book of Baruch.
The wild animals compared to the heavenly bodies (Bar 6:68-6:69)
“The wild animals
Are better
Than the idols are.
They can flee
To shelter.
They can help themselves.
So we have no evidence
Whatever
That they are gods.
Therefore do not fear them!”
Once again, there is a comparison of the living wild animals with the dead wooden idols. Obviously, the living animals are better than these false idols because they can flee to shelter and help themselves. Thus, there is no evidence whatsoever that these idols are gods. Therefore we should not be afraid of them.
Nature obeys (Bar 6:60-6:65)
“The sun,
The moon,
The stars
Are bright.
When sent
To do a service,
They are obedient.
So also the lightning.
When it flashes,
It is widely seen.
The wind likewise blows
In every land.
When God commands
The clouds to go
Over the whole world,
They carry out
His command.
The fire sent from above
To consume mountains
Or woods
Does what it is ordered.
But these idols
Are not to be
Compared with them
In appearance
Or power.
Therefore anyone
Must not think
That they are gods.
They are not called gods.
They are not able
Either to decide a case
Or to do good to anyone.
Since you know then
That they are not gods,
Do not fear them!”
This author notes that the sun, the moon, and the stars are bright. However, they do what they are told to do. The same is true about lightning flashes and the wind. It blows wherever God commands it. The clouds go all over the whole world as they carry out God’s commands also. Fire does what it is ordered to do. How can you compare these great works of obedient nature to these false idol gods, since they have no power. They cannot solve cases or do good for any humans. How can you call them gods, since you know that they are not gods? Thus there is no need to fear them.
Comparative value of these false idols (Bar 6:59-6:59)
“So it is better
To be a king
Who shows
His courage
Than to be
These false gods.
It is better to be
A household utensil
That serves
Its owner’s need,
Than to be
These false gods.
It is better to be
Even the door
Of a house
That protects its contents,
Than to be
These false gods,
It is better to be
Also a wooden pillar
In a palace,
Than to be
These false gods.”
This author draws a sense of the comparative value of these false idol gods. He explains that it is better to be a courageous king than a false god. That is pretty simple. It is better to be a household utensil that at least serves its owner’s needs than be a false god. It was even better to be a door in a house that protects its contents than be a false god. It was also better to be a wooden pillar in a palace than be false god. You are better off being a practical wooden item than a useless impractical false wooden god.
These false gods and robbers (Bar 6:57-6:58)
“Gods made of wood,
Overlaid
With silver
Or gold,
Are unable
To save themselves
From thieves
Or robbers.
Anyone,
Who can,
Will strip them
Of their gold
Or silver.
They will strip them
Of the robes
They wear.
They will go off
With this booty.
These gods
Will not be able
To help themselves.”
This author says that these wooden gods, overlaid with silver or gold, are unable to save themselves from thieves or robbers. Anyone can strip away their gold or silver. Anyone can take the robes that these gods wear. These robbers can vandalize and take things from these gods, because they are not able to help themselves.
The powerless idols (Bar 6:53-5:56)
“These false idols cannot
Set up a king
Over a country.
They cannot
Give rain
To people.
They cannot
Judge
Their own cause.
They cannot
Deliver anyone
Who is wronged.
They have no power.
They are like crows
Between heaven and earth.
When fire breaks out
In a temple
Of wooden gods,
Overlaid with gold
Or silver,
Their priests will flee.
They will escape.
But the gods
Will be burned up
Like timbers.
Besides,
They can offer
No resistance
To a king
Or any enemies.
Why then must
Anyone admit
Or think
That they are gods?”
This author maintains that these false idols cannot set up a king over a country. They cannot give rain to anybody. They cannot judge their own cause. They cannot deliver anyone that has been wronged, since they have no power. They are like crows in the sky. If a fire breaks out in a temple of wooden gods with gold and silver, their priests will flee and escape. However, these idol gods will be burned up like timbers. These weak false idols cannot offer any resistance to a king or any enemies. How then can you think or admit that they are gods?
The priests and the idols (Bar 6:48-6:52)
“When war
Or calamity
Comes upon them,
The priests consult together
As to where
They can
Hide themselves
With their gods.
How then can anyone
Fail to see
That these are not gods?
They cannot save themselves
From war
Or calamity.
They are made of wood,
Overlaid
With gold
Or silver.
It will afterward
Be known
That they are false.
It will be manifest
To all the nations,
To all the kings,
That they are not gods
But the work of human hands.
There is no work
Of God
In them.
Who then can fail
To know
That they are not gods?”
What happens when war or calamity comes to these priests and their idol gods? The priests consult together on where they can hide themselves with their gods. All can see that these are not gods. They cannot save themselves from either war or calamity, since they are made of wood, overlaid with gold or silver. Afterwards, everyone will know that these were false gods. It is will be clear to all the nations and all the kings that they are not gods. As they were the work of human hands, there is no work of God in them. This author asked the question, who would not recognize that these idols are not gods?
The makers of the false god idols (Bar 6:45-6:47)
“These false idol gods
Are made
By carpenters
Or goldsmiths.
They can be nothing
But what the artisans
Wish them to be.
Those who make them
Will certainly not live
Very long themselves.
How can the things
That are made
By them
Be gods?
They have left
Only lies
With reproach
For those
Who come after.”
This author points out that carpenters and goldsmiths made these false idol gods. The idol gods are what these artisans wanted them to be. Besides all these craftsmen who made these idols will not live long anyway. How then can these things made by finite humans be infinite gods? These false idol makers leave only lies and reproach for those who come after they die.
The temple prostitutes (Bar 6:42-6:44)
“The women,
With cords around them,
Sit along the passageways.
The burn bran
For incense.
When one of them
Is led off
By one of the passers-by,
They are taken to bed
By him.
She then derides
The woman next to her,
Because she was not
As attractive
As herself.
Her cord
Was not broken.
Whatever is done
For these idols
Is false.
Why then must anyone think
That they are gods?
Why call them gods?”
Here there is a description of the temple prostitutes and their behavior. These women, with cords around them, would sit in the passageways at the temple, burning bran for incense. Then a passer-by would invite them or take them off to sleep with them. Strangely enough, when the woman would return, she would make fun of the other women who were not chosen to have sex with these passer-bys, because they were not as attractive as she was. These other women had no one to break their cords. Thus these false idols bring about all kinds of strange behaviors. That is why people might doubt that these were true gods. How could you call them gods?
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 