The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright [...]
12 Let us lie in wait for the righteous one, because he is annoying to us; he opposes our actions, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. 13 He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD. 14 To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, 15 Because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways. 16 He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the righteous and boasts that God is his Father. 17 Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him in the end. 18 For if the righteous one is the son of God, God will help him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. 19 With violence and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. 20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him. 21 These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, 22 And they did not know the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.
The Book of Wisdom was likely written in the first century B.C. in Alexandria. Though not included in the Hebrew canon of Scripture, it was preserved in the Septuagint and received by the early Church as inspired Scripture. The Church Fathers recognized its deep spiritual insight, especially in its portrayal of the righteous sufferer.
This passage from the Book of Wisdom presents a dramatic monologue of the wicked, revealing their distorted reasoning and animosity toward the “righteous one.” They resent him for his holiness, his claims of divine sonship, and his moral reproofs. Their solution is to put him to a shameful death to test whether God will truly vindicate him (Wis. 2:18–20). However, their reasoning is flawed (v. 21), and they are blind to the “hidden counsels of God” (v. 22)—a reference to the divine plan for the vindication and eternal reward of the just.
Wisdom 2:1a, 12–22 finds its clearest fulfillment in the Passion of Jesus Christ, who is identified repeatedly as “the Righteous One” in Acts 3:14 and Acts 7:52, both of which emphasize the injustice of His condemnation. John 5:18 highlights Jesus’ identification of God as His Father, a point of scandal that mirrors Wisdom 2:13, 16. The wicked’s hatred of the righteous one “merely to see him” (Wis. 2:14) resonates with John 3:19–20, which explains that darkness hates the light because it exposes evil deeds.
Most strikingly, the mockery of Wisdom 2:18–20—"Let us see if God will deliver him"—is quoted nearly verbatim in Matthew 27:43, as Jesus is taunted on the cross. This fulfills the taunt of the wicked who test the righteous one’s trust in God. 1 Corinthians 2:7–8 reflects on this mystery, stating that the rulers crucified “the Lord of glory” because they did not know God’s hidden plan—a direct fulfillment of Wisdom 2:22.
This passage is a kind of prophecy that foreshadows what happens to Jesus: a good and faithful person is rejected by sinners, mocked for trusting in God, put to a shameful death, but in the end, God proves him right and raises him up.
Wisdom 2:1a, 12–22 expresses a key theme of salvation history: the suffering and vindication of the righteous. Jesus' Passion fulfills the role of the suffering righteous one and reveals God's hidden plan of redemption through suffering. As Isaiah 53 also shows, God’s servant—the Suffering Servant—is rejected and killed yet ultimately exalted. God's plan, hidden to human reasoning, unfolds in the Cross and Resurrection of Christ, whereby He brings salvation to sinners and defeats evil through sacrificial love (cf. Rom. 5:8, 1 Pt. 2:21–24).
During Lent, the Church contemplates Christ’s suffering and death as the means of our redemption. Wisdom 2 invites reflection on the human rejection of God’s righteousness and the cost of faithfulness. It exposes the pride, blindness, and rebellion that led to Christ’s death, which still tempt the human heart today. Lent is thus a time to reject the logic of the wicked and follow the path of the righteous, embracing the Cross with Christ (cf. Lk. 9:23, Phil. 2:8–11).
Heavenly Father, in Your hidden wisdom and boundless mercy, You sent Your Son, the Righteous One, to bear the hatred of sinners, to suffer mockery and a shameful death, and to reveal the depth of Your redeeming love. During this Lenten season, purify our hearts from all self-deception. Let us not walk in the counsel of the wicked, but stand firm with Your Son, the Righteous One, and bear witness to Your truth and love. This we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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