“Nevertheless,
Wisdom
Is vindicated
By all her children.”
καὶ ἐδικαιώθη ἡ σοφία ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς.
Luke indicated that Jesus said that wisdom (ἡ σοφία) would be vindicated (καὶ ἐδικαιώθη) by all her children (ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς). This is similar to Matthew, chapter 11:19. This personification of wisdom would have the justified end result that righteousness would show up in its deeds or its children. Do your children show that you are wise?
“John came
Neither eating
Nor drinking.
They said.
‘He has a demon.’
The Son of man came
Eating
And drinking.
They said.
‘Look!
A glutton!
A drunkard!
A friend of tax collectors!
A friend of sinners!’
Yet wisdom is vindicated
By her deeds.”
ἦλθεν γὰρ Ἰωάνης μήτε ἐσθίων μήτε πίνων, καὶ λέγουσιν Δαιμόνιον ἔχει.
ἦλθεν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων, καὶ λέγουσιν Ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος φάγος καὶ οἰνοπότης, τελωνῶν φίλος καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν. καὶ ἐδικαιώθη ἡ σοφία ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς.
Then Matthew has Jesus take on their complaints about him and John the Baptist. Luke, chapter 7:33-35, has a similar statement, word for word, indicating a possible common Q source. When John came (ἦλθεν γὰρ Ἰωάνης), they said he had a demon (καὶ λέγουσιν Δαιμόνιον ἔχει) because he would not eat or drink (μήτε ἐσθίων μήτε πίνων). However, they called the Son of Man, Jesus, (ἦλθεν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου) a glutton and drunkard (φάγος καὶ οἰνοπότης) because he was eating and drinking (ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων). The Son of Man was a friend to tax collectors and sinners (τελωνῶν φίλος καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν). The end result of wisdom would show up in their deeds (καὶ ἐδικαιώθη ἡ σοφία ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς).
To the choirmaster leader, with stringed instruments, a Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, ‘David is in hiding among us’
“Save me!
O God!
By your name,
Vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer!
O God!
Give ear to the words of my mouth!”
This short Psalm 54 refers to an incident in the life of David from 1 Samuel, chapter 23. This event also involved Saul, who is generally the heavy or bad person in these psalms. He is usually the opposite of the good David, but rarely mentioned. This time it is a group of Ziphites who went to King Saul to tell him where David was hiding. In this choral psalm with stringed instruments, David wanted to be saved. He called on God to help him by hearing his prayer. He was trying to get away from King Saul. His plea was directly to God. He wanted to be vindicated.
“Vindicate me!
O God!
Defend my cause
Against an ungodly people!
From those who are deceitful,
From those who are unjust,
Deliver me!
You are the God
In whom I take refuge.
Why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully
Because of the oppression of the enemy?”
Psalm 43, which was part of Psalm 42, has no title indications and is a very short psalm. The phrases and the themes are a continuation of the preceding psalm. The psalmist wanted to be vindicated. He wanted God to defend his cause against an ungodly people who were deceitful and unjust. He wanted to be rescued. He maintained that he took refuge in God. However, he still wondered why he was cast off. He was in mourning because of his oppressive enemy.
“You have seen!
Yahweh!
Do not be silent!
Yahweh!
Do not be far from me!
Wake up!
Bestir yourself for my defense!
For my cause,
My God!
My Lord!
Vindicate me!
Yahweh!
My God!
According to your righteousness,
Do not let them rejoice over me!”
David’s cry to Yahweh wants Yahweh to wake up and see what is going on. Yahweh had seen what was happening to David, and yet he was silent. David wanted Yahweh close to him as his defense. He wanted his righteousness to be vindicated. He did not want others to rejoice over his misfortunes.
“A psalm of David
“Vindicate me!
Yahweh!
I have walked in my integrity.
I have trusted in Yahweh
I have not wavered.
Prove me!
Yahweh!
Try me!
Test my heart!
Test my mind!
Your steadfast love is before my eyes.
I walk in faithfulness to you.”
Psalm 26 is another lament or prayer for deliverance from personal enemies like the preceding Psalm 25. It is more like Psalm 7 and Psalm 17 in that it is a cry of the innocent like Job. Once again the notation is simply that of a psalm of David. David maintained that he was innocent. He wanted to be vindicated. He walked in integrity. He had trusted in Yahweh, never wavering. He wanted both his heart and mind tested. He always had the steadfast love of Yahweh before his eyes. He was always faithful.
“Listen carefully to my words!
Let my declaration be in your ears!
I have indeed prepared my case.
I know that I shall be vindicated.
Who is there that will contend with me?
Then I would be silent and die.
Only grant two things to me!
Then I will not hide myself from your face.
Withdraw your hand far from me!
Do not let dread of you terrify me!
Then call!
I will answer.
Let me speak!
You reply to me.
How many are my iniquities?
How many are my sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.
Why do you hide your face?
Why do you count me as your enemy?
Will you frighten a windblown leaf?
Will you pursue dry chaff?
You write bitter things against me.
You make me reap the iniquities of my youth.
You put my feet in the stocks.
You watch all my paths.
You set a bound to the soles of my feet.
One wastes away like a rotten thing.
One wastes away like a garment that is moth-eaten.”
Job pleads his case before God. He wanted him to listen carefully to his words. He has prepared his case well. He knew that he would be vindicated. He wanted to know who would oppose him. He wanted God not to hide his face and he would not hide his face. He wanted to go face to face with God. He wanted God not to scare him, but to call him. He wanted to reply to the many sins and iniquities of his youth. He wanted to know why God had him as an enemy. Why were bitter things written about him? This is almost saying that God had a face with a voice, and was able to hear and write things down with his hands. In this anthropomorphic view of God, he has a human face, ears, voice, and hands. God wanted him to be chained in a stockade, to waste away like a rotten garment that was moth-eaten. Certainly this was colorful language to use against a vindictive God.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 