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The night of deliverance brings sacrifice for some and mourning for others
Wisdom of Solomon 18:5–13 contrasts one night’s meaning for two groups. The passage speaks of warning, trust, sacrifice, praise, judgement and mourning, showing deliverance for God’s people and loss for their enemies.
Understanding the passage
Listening in context
This passage is part of the Catholic additional book of Wisdom of Solomon. In these verses, the writer reflects on a night known beforehand by “our fathers” and describes what God’s people expected, what they did together, and how their enemies responded when judgement came.
Wisdom of Solomon 18:5–13Main takeaway
This passage presents the same night as a time of confident covenant worship for God’s people and a time of just judgement and mourning for their enemies.
Look closely at the words
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A remembered wrong and a matching judgementThe passage begins by recalling a plan to “kill the babes of the holy ones”. It also mentions “a single child” who was abandoned and saved.
Explanation
The passage begins by recalling a plan to “kill the babes of the holy ones”. It also mentions “a single child” who was abandoned and saved. The writer says this exposed sin, and then speaks of children being taken away and an army destroyed in a flood. These are historical allusions used within this wisdom reflection.
02One night, known beforehandThe writer says “our fathers were made aware of that night beforehand”. Because of this sure knowledge, they could be cheered by “the oaths which they had trusted”.
Explanation
The writer says “our fathers were made aware of that night beforehand”. Because of this sure knowledge, they could be cheered by “the oaths which they had trusted”. The passage then states what God’s people expected: salvation for the righteous and destruction for enemies. This expectation is presented as settled confidence, not surprise.
03Called to God and joined in covenantVerse 8 says that by the same means God took vengeance on adversaries and called his people to himself, glorifying them.
Explanation
Verse 8 says that by the same means God took vengeance on adversaries and called his people to himself, glorifying them. Verse 9 shows the people’s united response. They offered sacrifice in secret, agreed together to the covenant of the divine law, and accepted sharing both good things and dangers, while fathers led sacred songs of praise.
04Two voices in the same nightThe sound among the enemies was very different. Instead of praise, there was a “discordant cry” and lamentation for children.
Explanation
The sound among the enemies was very different. Instead of praise, there was a “discordant cry” and lamentation for children. The judgement reached every level of society alike: servant and master, commoner and king. The text stresses the scale of death and says the living were too few even to bury the dead.
05A forced confessionThe final verse says the enemies had been “disbelieving all things by reason of the enchantments”.
Explanation
The final verse says the enemies had been “disbelieving all things by reason of the enchantments”. Yet the destruction of the firstborn led them to confess that the people were God’s children. In the logic of this passage, what disbelief had resisted, judgement made plain.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What does the passage say God’s people knew beforehand about that night, and how did that affect them?
Look at the words “made aware”, “sure knowledge” and “cheered” to explain the connection between warning and confidence.
02How does verse 9 show unity among the “holy children of good men”?
Notice the shared sacrifice, shared agreement to the covenant, and shared willingness to face both benefits and dangers together.
03What contrast do verses 9 and 10 create between God’s people and their enemies?
Compare the sacred songs of praise with the discordant cry and lamentation for children.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Wisdom of Solomon 18:5–13
5After they had taken counsel to kill the babes of the holy ones, and when a single child had been abandoned and saved to convict them of their sin, you took away from them their multitude of children, and destroyed all their army together in a mighty flood.
6Our fathers were made aware of that night beforehand, that, having sure knowledge, they might be cheered by the oaths which they had trusted.
7Salvation of the righteous and destruction of the enemies was expected by your people.
8For as you took vengeance on the adversaries, by the same means, calling us to yourself, you glorified us.
9For holy children of good men offered sacrifice in secret, and with one consent they agreed to the covenant of the divine law, that they would partake alike in the same good things and the same perils, the fathers already leading the sacred songs of praise.
10But the discordant cry of the enemies echoed back, and a pitiful voice of lamentation for children was spread abroad.
11Both servant and master were punished with the same just doom, and the commoner suffering the same as king;
12Yes, they all together, under one form of death, had corpses without number. For the living were not sufficient even to bury them, Since at a single stroke, their most cherished offspring was consumed.
13For while they were disbelieving all things by reason of the enchantments, upon the destruction of the firstborn they confessed the people to be God’s children.