Source edition
Septuaginta. The Old Testament in Greek According to the Septuagint. Volume 3: Hosea-4 Maccabees, Psalms of Solomon, Enoch, The Odes. Swete, Henry Barclay, editor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1905
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a religious and theological text written in the form of a letter sent by a prophet to the Jewish people who are about to be taken into exile in Babylon. The central theme of the work is to demonstrate the utter helplessness and vanity of the idols made of gold, silver, and wood worshipped in Babylon, warning the people not to fear them. In the first part, the author vividly describes how these idols are mere man-made objects that require maintenance, easily break, and cannot move on their own. The middle section exposes the deception of the Babylonian priests who embezzle the offerings and the absurdity of their temple rituals, arguing from various angles why these objects should not be called gods. In the final part, the helplessness of the idols is contrasted with the natural phenomena, such as the sun, moon, stars, wind, and rain, which obey God's command. The work concludes with a firm exhortation that righteous people must avoid and not fear these worthless idols.