Wisdom 10:21
For wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of infants eloquent.
Open Wisdom 10:21 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- quoniam sapientia aperuit os mutorum, et linguas infantium fecit disertas.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ὅτι ἡ σοφία ἤνοιξεν στόμα κωφῶν, καὶ γλώσσας νηπίων ἔθηκεν τρανάς.
Haydock's commentary
Eloquent. They would, if possible, have sounded forth thy praise. (Dionysius)
The Hebrews had been kept in ignorance, and afraid to speak. (Calmet)
Infants, and dumb people, might also, by miracle, join in the song. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Book VIII, Chapter V
10. But when that man of Thine, Simplicianus, related this to me about Victorinus, I burned to imitate him; and it was for this end he had related it. But when he had added this also, that in the time of the Emperor Julian, there was a law made by which Christians were forbidden to teach grammar and oratory, and he, in obedience to this law, chose rather to abandon the wordy school than Thy word, by which Thou makest eloquent the tongues of the dumb, he appeared to me not more brave than happy, in having thus discovered an opportunity of waiting on Thee only, which thing I was sighing for, thus bound, not with the irons of another, but my own iron will. My will was the enemy master of, and thence had made a chain for me and bound me. Because of a perverse will was lust made; and lust indulged in became custom; and custom not resisted became necessity. …