1. 1) Because the present Diet at Speier has divided us, that we, who have taken the prophets before us to be fully translated, may not all be with each other, and I have been prevented by accidental weakness, that I have been unskilled in such and other business, and yet have not wanted to sit idle at all; In the meantime, I have taken this piece of wood and carved on it, namely, the Book of Wisdom, translated with the help of my good friends and, as much as God has given us, brought it from the dark Latin and Greek into the German light. And even if it has been Germanized by others before, I still think that this German should suffer next to our German, or even be in dire need of it.
2 This book has long been in dispute as to whether it should be counted among the books of the holy Scriptures of the Old Testament or not, especially because the poet lets himself be heard in the ninth chapter, v. 7, as if King Solomon were speaking in this entire book, who is also highly praised by Wisdom in the Book of Kings.
(3) But the ancient fathers have straightway separated it out of the holy scriptures, and held that it was made under the person of King Solomon, that for the sake of this highly famous king's name and person it might be the more esteemed, and have greater renown among the mighty men of the earth, to whom it is chiefly written, and might long since have perished, where the master, if he had been of little renown, would have let it go forth under his name.
4. but they consider Philo to be the master of this book, who was undoubtedly one of the most learned and wise of the Jews, according to the prophets.
1) The first paragraph is found in the first single print: "Die Weisheit Salomonis, An die Tyrannen, Verdeudscht durch M. Luth. Wittemberg. I.5.2.9." At the end: "Gedrückt zu Wittemberg, durch Hans Lufft. I.5.2.9." In later Bible editions, the same is omitted.
He has had a lot of experience, as he has proven with other books and deeds.
For in the time of the emperor Caligula, when the Jews were most shamefully defiled by some Greeks, as Appion of Alexandria and others, with blasphemous writings and disgraceful speeches, and thereafter were most venomously denounced and accused before the emperor, the said Philo was sent by the Jewish people to the emperor to answer for the Jews and to excuse them. But when the emperor was so bitter with the Jews that he rebuked them and would not listen, Philo, as a man full of courage and comfort, let himself be heard and said to his Jews: "Well, dear brethren, do not be afraid of this, and be of good cheer; because the help of man is denied us, the help of God will certainly be with us.
(6) For such a reason and cause, methinks, this book has flowed, that Philo, because his and the Jews' cause and right may not take place before the emperor, turns to God, and rebukes the violent and evil mouths with God's judgment. That is why he speaks so vehemently and sharply in the first and second chapters against the poisonous, evil tongues that persecute and kill the righteous and innocent for the sake of truth, and introduces the great examples of divine judgment that God exercised against King Pharaoh and the Egyptians, for the sake of the children of Israel, and does it with such excellent, fierce words, as if he would gladly strike both the emperor, the Romans, and the poisonous tongues of the Greeks, who praised against the Jews, with every word, and by such mighty examples deter and comfort the Jews.
7. 2) Finally, if you look at the time, history and writing of Philonis, and hold this book against it, it rhymes and rhymes so strongly.
2) This paragraph, which is in the first edition, is omitted in later Bible editions.
*This preface is found in the Jena edition, vol. IV, p. 460d; in the Altenburg edition, vol. IV, p. 555; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 49 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 63, p. 93.
so evenly together that the holy fathers do not without great cause consider Philo [to be] the master of this book.
8. But afterwards this book is considered by many to be a true copy of the holy scriptures, but especially in the Roman church it is held so high and beautiful that hardly any book in the scriptures is made into so much song as this one; Perhaps for the reason that in this book the tyrants are so severely punished and attacked with words, and the saints and martyrs are so highly comforted, and in Rome the Christians were persecuted and martyred more than anywhere else in the world, they have driven this book the most, as it rhymes with the matter, with condemnation against the tyrants and with consolation for the saints, even though they did not understand many parts of it and often pulled it by the hair; As has often happened in all the Scriptures, and continues to happen daily.
(9) As for all this, there is much good in it, and well worth reading. But especially should the great men read it, who rage against their subjects, and rage against the innocent for the sake of God's word. For he addresses them in the sixth chapter, v. 10, and confesses that this book is written to them, saying: "My words are for you tyrants" etc. And he very finely testifies that the worldly overlords have their authority from God, and are God's officials, but forbid them that they tyrannically use such divine, commanded office.
(10) Therefore this book comes to light not unevenly in our time, because now even the tyrants confidently abuse their authority against the one from whom they have such authority. And yet they live so shamefully in their idolatry and unchristian holiness, as Philo describes the Romans and pagans in their idolatry, that it rhymes everywhere with our present time.
(11) It is called the Wisdom of Solomon because it is written under Solomon's name and person, and it glorifies wisdom, namely, what it is, what it can do, where it comes from. And it pleases me greatly that he praises the word of God so highly, and ascribes everything to the word that God has ever willed.
who did it, both to the enemies and to his saints.
(12) From this it can be clearly seen that he means "wisdom" here, not the clever, high thoughts of the pagan teachers and human reason, but the holy, divine word. And what praise and praise you hear of wisdom in this, know that it is not said otherwise than by the word of God. For in the sixteenth chapter, v. 7, he himself says that the children of Israel were not nourished by the bread of heaven, nor were they healed by the serpent of brass, but by the word of God, as Christ also says in Matt. 4:4: "Man does not live by bread alone. Therefore, he teaches that wisdom comes from nowhere but from God, and thus gives many examples from Scripture, and gives to wisdom that which Scripture gives to the word of God.
(13) I have spoken this all the more gladly, because the word "wisdom" is commonly heard in a different way than the Scriptures require, namely, when one hears it, one goes away with flying thoughts, and thinks that it is nothing but thoughts that lie hidden in the hearts of wise men, and therefore does not consider the outward word or Scripture to be wisdom, since all men's thoughts without God's word are vain lies and false dreams. Therefore, because this book is called "the Wisdom of Solomon", it is said as much as if I said: A vision of Solomon from the Word of God, and "the Spirit of Wisdom" nothing else but the faith or understanding of the same Word, which the Holy Spirit gives. Such faith or spirit is able to do everything and does, as this book praises in the seventh chapter, v. 27.
(14) Finally, this book is a proper interpretation and example of the first commandment. For here you see that it thoroughly teaches to fear and trust God; scares those with examples of divine wrath who do not fear and despise God, again comforts those with examples of divine grace who believe and trust him, which is nothing other than the right understanding of the first commandment.
(15) From this it can be seen that from the first commandment, as from the primary commandment, all wisdom springs and flows, and of course that the first commandment is the only one.
This commandment is the right sun, since all wise men see what they see. For he who fears God and believes is full of wisdom, master of all the world, mighty of all words and works, judge of all doctrine and life, valid and helpful before God. Again, he who believes the
If a man does not have the first commandment, and neither fears nor trusts God, he is full of foolishness, can do nothing and is nothing. And this is the foremost reason why this book is to be read, that one may learn to fear and trust God, since he helps us with grace, amen!