Texts in Conversation
The Psalms of Solomon and Revelation use speech as a sign of the messiah’s justice and authority. In the Psalms of Solomon, the messiah’s words are described as purer than gold, depicting the value of his wisdom. Revelation echoes this image, depicting Jesus’ wisdom and advice as valuable as gold.
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Psalms of Solomon 17:43
Pseudepigrapha
41 He will lead them all impartially, and there will be no arrogance among them that any of them should be oppressed. 42 This is the magnificence of the king of Israel that God acknowledged, to raise him over the House of Israel to discipline it. 43 His words will be purer than the finest gold. In the assemblies he will judge the tribes of a sanctified people. His words will be as the words of the holy ones, among sanctified peoples. 44 Happy are th e people born in those days who will see the good fortune of Israel that God wall cause in the gathering of the tribes. 45 May God hasten his mercy to Israel; May he shield us from the contamination of defiled enemies; 46 The Lord himself is our king forevermore.
Date: 80-30 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Revelation 3:18
New Testament
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth! 17 Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing,” but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, 18 take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see! 19 All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent!
Date: 92-96 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... These traits of the Messiah attested in various passages of the Targum of Isaiah also appear in early Jewish texts outside the Targum, such as the famous Psalms of Solomon 17. According to this text, presumably from the first century B.C.E., the Messiah on the one hand will likewise drive the Gentiles out of the holy land and the holy city, punishing and destroying them (Psalms of Solomon 17:22-24, 29-30, 35-36). On the other hand, he will gather Israel as a holy people in their land (verses 26-28) and rule them as a righteous, sinless, and God-instructed king (verses 32, 35-36). This rule will be characterized by blessing, longevity, and glory grounded in the Messiah's fear of God and righteousness (verses 37). Notable is the outstanding role Of the Messiah's words in Psalms of Solomon 17, comparable with Targum of Isaiah 53:5: His words Will be purer than the finest gold, the best ... His words will be as the words of the holy ones, among sanctified peoples. Blessed are those born in those days to see the good fortune of Israel which God will bring to pass in the assembly of the tribes ... The Messiah's words also play a role in judgment according to verse 35: 'He will strike the earth with the word of his mouth forever.' ..."
Janowski, Bernd, and Peter Stuhlmacher
The Suffering Servant: Isaiah 53 in Jewish and Christian Sources
(pp. 206-208) William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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