“Who has found
Her place?
Who has entered
Her storehouses?
Where are the rulers
Of the nations?
Where are those
Who lorded it over
The animals on earth?
Where are those
Who have made sport
Of the birds of the air?
Where are those
Who hoarded up
Silver with gold
In which people trust ?
Where are those
With no end
To their getting?
Where are those
Who schemed
To get silver?
Where are those
Who are anxious?
There is no trace
Of their works.
They have vanished.
They have gone down
To Hades.
Others have arisen
In their place.”
Baruch talks about the vanity and uselessness of various life pursuits as in wisdom literature. What happens to people who store up treasures in a storehouse? Where are all the rulers of the various nations? Where are all the people who felt superior to animals. Where are the sportsmen who tried to shoot the birds in the air with their arrows? What happened to all those who hoarded up and put their trust in silver and gold? Where are all the people who never had enough? Where are those who schemed to get silver? Where are all the people who were so anxious? Baruch’s response is simple and clear. There is no trace of any of these people and their works. They have vanished and gone to hell, Hades, the Greek word for Sheol, the shadowy underworld that we often call hell. However, there are always others to take their place to do the same thing over and over again.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 