Read & explore together
Idol worship is charged with moral disorder and perjury
This passage from the Catholic additional book of Wisdom of Solomon links idol worship with confusion about God, damaged relationships, false oaths and many other evils. It is written as wisdom teaching, tracing a moral argument rather than telling a story.
Understanding the passage
Listening in context
In Wisdom of Solomon 14:22–31, the writer continues describing what follows when people go astray in the knowledge of God. The passage names public and private sins, then argues that trust in idols leads to disorder, lying and judgement. It belongs to the Catholic additional books and should be read as wisdom teaching.
Wisdom of Solomon 14:22–31Main takeaway
This passage teaches that turning from the knowledge of God to idols is presented as producing moral confusion, broken faithfulness and guilty speech.
Look closely at the words
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Ignorance treated as peaceThe passage begins by saying it was not enough for people to go astray in knowing God. Their ignorance is described as a great war, yet they call many evils peace.
Explanation
The passage begins by saying it was not enough for people to go astray in knowing God. Their ignorance is described as a great war, yet they call many evils peace. That contrast matters: the writer says moral confusion can be renamed as if it were harmless or calm.
02Practices that break life and marriageThe next lines list actions tied to this disorder: slaughtering children in rites, secret mysteries and frenzied customs.
Explanation
The next lines list actions tied to this disorder: slaughtering children in rites, secret mysteries and frenzied customs. The result is that people no longer guard life or marital purity. Treachery brings death, and adultery brings anguish. The writer connects false worship with damage to both life and covenant faithfulness.
03A crowded catalogue of confusionThe passage then piles up terms to show how widespread the disorder is: blood, murder, theft, deceit, corruption, faithlessness, tumult and perjury.
Explanation
The passage then piles up terms to show how widespread the disorder is: blood, murder, theft, deceit, corruption, faithlessness, tumult and perjury. It adds confusion about good, ingratitude and disorder in marriage. This long list gives the sense that evil spreads across community, worship, memory, speech and relationships.
04Idols, false oaths and just penaltyThe argument reaches its clearest claim here: the worship of idols is called a beginning, cause and end of every evil.
Explanation
The argument reaches its clearest claim here: the worship of idols is called a beginning, cause and end of every evil. Worshipers are said to prophesy lies, live unrighteously and commit perjury, trusting lifeless idols and expecting no harm. Yet the passage says just doom and just penalty pursue such sin and deceit.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Why does the writer say people call evils peace?
Look at how Wisdom describes ignorance as a great war, showing that what is called peace is actually moral disorder.
02Which relationships or responsibilities are said to be no longer guarded?
Notice the passage names both life and purity of marriage, then gives treachery and adultery as examples.
03What does the passage say people wrongly trust when they swear wickedly?
Read the lines about lifeless idols and then compare them with the statement that judgement comes not from the power of the sworn object but as a just penalty for sin.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Wisdom of Solomon 14:22–31
22Afterward it was not enough for them to go astray concerning the knowledge of God, but also, while they live in a great war of ignorance, they call a multitude of evils peace.
23For either slaughtering children in solemn rites, or celebrating secret mysteries, or holding frenzied revels of strange customs,
24no longer do they guard either life or purity of marriage, but one brings upon another either death by treachery, or anguish by adultery.
25And all things confusedly are filled with blood and murder, theft and deceit, corruption, faithlessness, tumult, perjury,
26confusion about what is good, forgetfulness of favors, ingratitude for benefits, defiling of souls, confusion of sex, disorder in marriage, adultery and wantonness.
27For the worship of idols that may not be named is a beginning and cause and end of every evil.
28For their worshipers either make merry to madness, or prophesy lies, or live unrighteously, or lightly commit perjury.
29For putting their trust in lifeless idols, when they have sworn a wicked oath, they expect not to suffer harm.
30But on both counts, the just doom will pursue them, because they had evil thoughts of God by giving heed to idols, and swore unrighteously in deceit through contempt for holiness.
31For it is not the power of things by which men swear, but it is the just penalty for those who sin that always visits the transgression of the unrighteous.