Texts in Conversation
In the Wisdom of Solomon, crowds mock and condemn a righteous man who claims to be God's child and who trusts God will save him. Matthew's account of Jesus' crucifixion echoes this, with onlookers mocking him while questioning his claim to be God's son.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Wisdom of Solomon 2:18
Deuterocanon
12 But let’s lie in wait for the righteous man, because he annoys us, is contrary to our works, reproaches us with sins against the law, and charges us with sins against our training. 13 He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord. 14 He became to us a reproof of our thoughts. 15 He is grievous to us even to look at, because his life is unlike other men’s, and his paths are strange. 16 We were regarded by him as something worthless, and he abstains from our ways as from uncleanness. He calls the latter end of the righteous happy. He boasts that God is his father. 17 Let’s see if his words are true. Let’s test what will happen at the end of his life. 18 For if the righteous man is God’s son, he will uphold him, and he will deliver him out of the hand of his adversaries. 19 Let’s test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and test his patience. 20 Let’s condemn him to a shameful death, for he will be protected, according to his words.”
Date: 50 BCE – 50 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
Matthew 27:43
New Testament
37 Above his head they put the charge against him, which read: “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.” 38 Then two outlaws were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross!” 41 In the same way even the chief priests—together with the experts in the law and elders—were mocking him: 42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down now from the cross, we will believe in him! 43 He trusts in God—let God, if he wants to, deliver him now because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’!” 44 The robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.
Date: 70–90 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The taunt is undoubtedly based on Jesus' popular reputation as a miracle-worker, Matthew 27:43 (compare Psalm 22:8; Wisdom of Solomon 2:18) ..."
Douglas J. Moo, The Old Testament in the Gospel Passion Narratives (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2007), 260–261.
* 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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