Question about this Verse

[SimonArizona]

“That Your sons whom you loved might learn, O Lord, that it is not the various kinds of fruits that nourish man, but it is your word that preserves those who believe in you!” --Wisdom 16:26

What is meant by “your word”,?

Is it the written word, or is it the second person?

What exactly is the word?

 

[mosher]

“That Your sons whom you loved might learn, O Lord, that it is not the various kinds of fruits that nourish man, but it is your word that preserves those who believe in you!” --Wisdom 16:26

What is meant by “your word”,?

Is it the written word, or is it the second person?

What exactly is the word?

It depends on how you look at the passage. Scripture rarely has only one static interpretation. In this instance the literal meaning is the word of God which would have been the Torah or more broadly the TANAK. However, one could from a Christological perspective interpret the meaning here to mean Christ. One could also interpret the meaning to to the whole of Sacred Scripture or one could say it references the whole of Revelation (read: Scripture & Tradition). There is even the more primordial interpretation that would lend to an interpretation focusing on the creative Word that God spoke that brought all of creation into existence.

Remember that Scripture is not Algebra but is rather the norm of faith that is Inspired, Inerrant and Infallible and should be looked at not only through modern exegetical methods but through the 4 senses of Scripture that the Fathers employed to grasp the Mystery of the Revelation.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

“That Your sons whom you loved might learn, O Lord, that it is not the various kinds of fruits that nourish man, but it is your word that preserves those who believe in you!” --Wisdom 16:26

What is meant by “your word”,?

Is it the written word, or is it the second person?

What exactly is the word?

The written Word - the book is by a Jew, not a Christian.​

 

[tobinatorstark]

Here 3 examples for the Haydock Bible Commentary: Wisdom 16:26 in which also refers to Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4.

Ver. 26. Word. Deuteronomy viii. 3., and Matthew iv. 4. Fruits, of themselves, could not support man. (Calmet)

Ver. 3. Not in bread alone, &c. i.e. That God is able to make food of what he pleases for the support of man. (Challoner) — Obedience to his law will insure a happy life, ver. 1. God can support a person’s life without any sustenance, as he did Moses, Elias, &c., for a long time. When the usual food is wanting, he can send some of a supernatural kind, as he did the manna. — Word. Hebrew, “by whatever proceedeth,” &c. The Septuagint and our Saviour (Matthew iv. 4,) cite it, however, agreeably to the Vulgate. The word of God and Jesus Christ nourish our souls. (St. Chrysostom) — Philo says, “God feeds us with his most universal word…which is more ancient than the creation.” (Calmet) — God could make the most poisonous things afford more nutrition, if he commanded us to eat them, than even the most delicious viands. (Abulensis) (Tirinus) — God can make food of whatever He pleases, or sustain men without meat. (Worthington)

Ver. 4. Man liveth not by bread only. The words were spoken of the manna. (Deuteronomy viii. 3.) The sense in this place is, that man’s life may be supported by any thing, or in any manner, as it pleaseth God. (Witham) — St. Gregory upon this passage says: if our divine Redeemer, when tempted by the devil, answered in so mild a manner, when he could have buried the wicked tempter in the bottom of hell, out not man, when he suffers any thing from his fellow man, rather to improve it to his advantage, than to resent it to his own ruin. Man consists of soul and body; his body is supported by bread, his soul by the word of God; hence the saying, “Lex est cibus animæ.” (Mat. Polus.)

The one thing I gathered from these verses is that the word is God. Man can’t live on faith alone nor can he live on works alone. One must have both faith and works because one without the other is dead.Above all comes charity. These passages remind us to believe in the word and trust and love with the whole heart. Examples of doing this is the spiritual food of bread and wine in which we observe in the Eucharist when the transubstantion occurs through the word. Also reminds us we can’t do anything alone without the word which is God (the Son). Hope that helps