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Psalms of Solomon

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The Faithful as Trees of Life

Psalm 14

1 The Lord is faithful to those who truly love Him, to those who endure His discipline, 2 to those who walk in the righteousness of His commandments, In the law which He commanded us so that we might live. 3 The Lord’s faithful people shall live by it forever; The Paradise of the Lord, the trees of life, are His faithful people.⁠ 4 Their planting is rooted forever; They shall not be uprooted as long as the heavens last:⁠ 5 For Israel is God’s portion and inheritance.

6 But this is not true of sinners and those who break the law, who love (the brief) day (spent) in the company of their sin; 7 Their delight is in fleeting corruption, and they do not remember God. 8 For He knows people’s ways at all times, And He knows the secrets of the heart before they happen.⁠ 9 Therefore their inheritance is Sheol and darkness and destruction, and they shall not be found in the day when the righteous obtain mercy; 10 But the Lord’s faithful people shall inherit life in gladness.

Texts in conversation

Compare Proverbs 3:18 and Psalms of Solomon 14:3

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Wisdom and Poetry

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Summary

The Psalms of Solomon echoes Proverbs and the image of the tree of life to link wisdom with blessing and order. Proverbs depicts wisdom and the Torah as life-giving, and the Psalms of Solomon describes the righteous as trees planted in God’s garden.

Passages

Proverbs 3:18

Hebrew Bible
16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are very pleasant, and all her paths are peaceful. 18 She is like a tree of life to those who grasp onto her, and everyone who takes hold of her will be blessed. 19 By wisdom the Lord laid the foundation of the earth; he established the heavens by understanding. 20 By his knowledge the primordial sea was broken open, so that the clouds drip down dew.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Proverbs

Psalms of Solomon 14:3

Pseudepigrapha, Wisdom and Poetry
1 The Lord is faithful to those who truly love Him, to those who endure His discipline, 2 to those who walk in the righteousness of His commandments, In the law which He commanded us so that we might live. 3 The Lord’s faithful people shall live by it forever; The Paradise of the Lord, the trees of life, are His faithful people. 4 Their planting is rooted forever; They shall not be uprooted as long as the heavens last: 5 For Israel is God’s portion and inheritance.
65–30 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Psalms of Solomon

References

"... The theme of God’s absolute knowledge constitutes the author’s direct introduction to the climax of the collection of psalms, which is the coming of the Lord’s Messiah and the Last Judgment (compare Psalms of Solomon 1:6). In regard to the description of the everlasting relationship of the devout with God in Psalms of Solomon 14:3, the author had in mind all the main terms (garden, paradise, tree of life) that played an important role in the Jewish religious tradition with regard to the description of the Garden of Eden. Therefore, this relationship also includes God’s commandments, because they are for the devout the primary source of wisdom and right behavior (compare Jubilees 36:6; Proverbs 3:18; Odes of Solomon 11:18). The place of everlasting dwelling for the righteous with God is compared to the trees in the garden planted and cared for by the Lord, and since the pious live in God’s garden, they naturally are subject to the Lord’s commandments as well as to God’s discipline (Psalms of Solomon 14:3–4; compare Leviticus 18:5) ..."
František Ábel, The Psalms of Solomon and the Messianic Ethics of Paul (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2016), 165–166.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Proverbs 3:18 and Psalms of Solomon 14:3

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