Texts in Conversation
Exodus 14 places a cloud between Israel and the Egyptian army. Philo identifies the cloud with God’s Word, which showers wisdom on some minds and destruction on others.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Exodus 14:20
Hebrew Bible
19 The angel of God, who was going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20 It came between the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp; it was a dark cloud and it lit up the night so that one camp did not come near the other the whole night.
Philo, Who is the Heir of Divine Things 203-204
Classical
And I marvel still more, when listening to the sacred oracles I learn from them in what manner "a cloud came in the Midst"{68}{#ex 14:19.} between the army of the Egyptians and the company of the children of Israel; for the cloud no longer permitted the race, which is temperate and beloved by God, to be persecuted by that which was devoted to the passions and a foe to God; being a covering and a protection to its friends, but a weapon of vengeance and chastisement against its enemies; for it gently showers down wisdom on the minds which study virtue--wisdom which cannot be visited by any evil.
Date: 20-50 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Search:
Notes and References
“... "For on minds of rich soil that could send in gentle showers the drops of wisdom, whose
very nature exempts it from all harm, but on the sour of soil, that are barren of knowl
edge, it pours the blizzards of vengeance, flooding them with a deluge of destruction
most miserable" (Her. 203-204).
Logos or wisdom is also identified with the cloud in Wis 10:17-19 and
Philo obviously borrows from the same tradition, in which wisdom is pre
sented as a widely independent being. ...”
* 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.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.
User Comments
,