Laws in the Odes of Solomon

The Odes of Solomon manuscript (Codex Syriac 9 in the John Rylands Library) dates from 100 to 200 A.D. The question remains of whether the Odes of Solomon was a Jewish or a Christian work. We have used the Rutherford H. Platt, Jr. translation.

Charlesworth writes, "Most scholars date them sometime around the middle of the 2d century, but if they are heavily influenced by Jewish apocalyptic thought and especially the ideas in the Dead Sea Scrolls, a date long after 100 is unlikely."


He that is joined to Him that is immortal, will also himself become immortal; and he who has pleasure in the Living One, will become living. – Odes of Solomon 3:10-11


As the impulse of anger against evil, so is the impulse of joy over what is lovely, and brings in of its fruits without restraint. – Odes of Solomon 7:1


The Father of knowledge is the Word of knowledge. – Odes of Solomon 7:9


He who created wisdom is wiser than His works. – Odes of Solomon 7:10


The Word of the Lord searches out all things, both the invisible and that which reveals His thought; for the eye sees His works, and the ear hears His thought. – Odes of Solomon 16:8-9


There is nothing that is without the Lord; for He was before any thing came into being: And the worlds were made by His word, and by the thought of His heart. – Odes of Solomon 16:18-19


Walk in the knowledge of the Most High without grudging: to His exultation and to the perfection of His knowledge. – Odes of Solomon 23:4


To the blessed there is joy from their hearts, and light from Him that dwells in them: And words from the Truth, who was self-originate: for He is strengthened by the holy power of the Most High: and He is unperturbed for ever and ever. – Odes of Solomon 32:1-2


No way is hard where there is a simple heart. Nor is there any wound where the thoughts are upright: Nor is there any storm in the depth of the illuminated thought: Where one is surrounded on every side by beauty, there is nothing that is divided. The likeness of what is below is that which is above; for everything is above: what is below is nothing but the imagination of those that are without knowledge. – Odes of Solomon 34:1-5


The Son of the Most High appeared in the perfection of His Father; and light dawned from the Word that was beforetime in Him; the Messiah is truly one; and He was known before the foundation of the world, that He might save souls for ever by the truth of His name: a new song arises from those who love Him. – Odes of Solomon 41:14-17




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References

James H. Charlesworth, "The Odes of Solomon," The Anchor Bible Dictionary, v. 6, p. 114.

The Lost Books of the Bible and The Forgotten Books of Eden, Rutherford H. Platt, Jr., Ed. Cleveland, World Publishing Company, 1944. 120-141.

The Forgotten Books of Eden, Rutherford H. Platt, Jr., Ed. New York, New American Library, 1974. 120-140.

Read the full text of the Odes of Solomon at Early Christian Writings.