Texts in Conversation
In the Septuagint translation of Psalm 15 the psalmist describes God as his inheritance. The Wisdom of Solomon uses this language for the wicked who treat pleasure as their inheritance instead, ironically twisting the psalmist’s confession into hedonism.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
LXX Psalm 15:5
Septuagint
4 Their weaknesses were increased. After these things, they were quickened. I will not gather their gatherings from murders, nor will I ever remember their names through my lips. 5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup. You are the one who restores my inheritance to me. 6 The measured portions fell upon me in the best ways. For my inheritance is also best for me.
Wisdom of Solomon 2:9
Deuterocanon
8 Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither. 9 Let none of us fail to share in our revelry; everywhere let us leave signs of enjoyment, because this is our portion, and this our lot. 10 Let us oppress the righteous poor man; let us not spare the widow or regard the gray hairs of the aged.
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Notes and References
… The irony in the book of Wisdom, as Luca Mazzinghi explains, has to be distinguished from sarcasm and parody or satire, for in contrast to these, it is not aimed at excoriating or ridiculing the adversary; it is based on an authentic quest for truth. In this sense, in Wisdom 2:9 the author puts a citation in the mouth of the wicked that undermines their claims; similarly, in Wisdom 13:10–19 the idolaters become the object of the author’s irony; in Wisdom 14:22 instead, according to Mazzinghi one may locate an ironic critique of the Pax Romana. Often, these ironies rely on subtle allusions that the reader is expected to recognize. By doing so, one may appreciate the theological insights that the author wants to communicate by means of irony …
Häner, Tobias and Virginia Miller
"Introduction: Reading Irony in Ancient Texts" in Häner, Tobias and Virginia Miller (eds.) Irony in the Bible: Between Subversion and Innovation
(p. 8) Brill, 2023
* 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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