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Psalms of Solomon

About this book

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 Psalms of Solomon 14:4 and Matthew 15:13

Pseudepigrapha, Wisdom and Poetry · New Testament

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Summary

In Matthew, Jesus teaches that every plant not planted by God will be uprooted, echoing the Psalms of Solomon where the devout are described as plants rooted forever. Both are based on Isaiah, incorporating its imagery of judgment.

Passages

Psalms of Solomon 14:4

Pseudepigrapha, Wisdom and Poetry
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;
65–30 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Psalms of Solomon

Matthew 15:13

New Testament
11 What defiles a person is not what goes into the mouth; it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came to him and said, “Do you know that when the Pharisees heard this saying they were offended?” 13 And he replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them! They are blind guides. If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.”
70–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Matthew

References

"... The point is reinforced by a sequence of forceful metaphors. These traditions of Jesus as Christ and Lord provide for the new community both a root for the new plant and a foundation for the new building. The verb 'cause to take root,' only here and in Ephesians 3:17 in the New Testament) vividly images the preaching / teaching as an effective sowing that results in a well-rooted plant (perfect participle; compare Sirach 24:12 - of wisdom; Psalms of Solomon 14:4; Odes of Solomon 38:17-22). The importance of deep roots was well understood in Jewish tradition (e.g., Jeremiah 17:8; Ezekiel 31:7; Sirach 40:15). Naturally the image is complementary to the 'fruit-bearing' metaphor of 1:10, which allows the same emphasis on a 'walk' determined by reference to 'the Lord.' Equally it makes a natural partner in Jewish tradition ..."
James D. G. Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: A Commentary on the Greek Text, NIGTC (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 141–142.

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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Psalms of Solomon 14:4 and Matthew 15:13

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