The interpretation timeline

Wis 5:2

How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.

From the early Church Fathers to now.

1 Patristic · 1 Medieval

Wis 5:2 · Douay-Rheims
“These seeing it, shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the suddenness of their unexpected salvation.”
Patristic before A.D. 750
533
A.D.
c. A.D. 468–533
“No one, when reading that the wicked will marvel at the sudden appearance of an unexpected salvation, should think that for those who end the present life in sin, salvation will sooner or later be conferred on them by divine gift. It in fact calls the salvation of the righteous unexpected, because if the wicked do not hope that it will be given to them, it nevertheless remains for the righteous, who do hope for it. Thus blessed David, in a psalm, sang of the hope and of the salvation of the righteous as a single reality, saying, "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord, their refuge in time of distress. The Lord comes to their help and rescues them. He frees them from the godless and saves them, because they have taken refuge in him."”
Source
741 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
Scholastic c. 1100 – 1500
1274
A.D.
Bonaventure Medieval
c. A.D. 1221–1274
“Second, concerning the confession of the reprobate in three ways. Seeing, they shall be troubled, etc. Here he touches upon the forced confession of the reprobate: and first he touches upon the motive for such a confession: second, the matter of the confession: These are they whom once: third, the confirmation of their confession: Such things they said, etc. A twofold motive for the confession is touched upon, namely affliction over the true happiness of the good, and anxiety over their own unhappiness — Saying within themselves, etc. (Verse 2). There follows therefore: Seeing: Gloss: "Themselves led from glory to punishment, and their adversaries transferred from punishment to the crown"; they shall be troubled with horrible fear: Exodus fifteen: "Then the princes of Edom were troubled": likewise Ezekiel seven: "Trouble upon trouble shall come," namely the trouble over the affliction of the resumed body upon the trouble previously had over the affliction of the soul previously tormented in the flames of Gehenna. With horrible fear, namely on account of the constancy of their accusers, of whom above in the same chapter. Second, on account of the severity of the divine judgments, according to that passage in Hebrews ten: "It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God"; likewise below in chapter six: "Horribly and swiftly shall he appear to you." Third, on account of the presence of horrible torturers; Job twenty: "Horrible ones shall go and come upon him." Or thus: They shall be troubled, on account of the gnawing conscience: with fear, on account of the irrevocable sentence of the judge: horrible, on account of the visible presence of the prepared punishments and horrible torturers. And they shall marvel at the suddenness, that is, the sudden attainment, of salvation, namely of the just, unhoped for, that is, not expected by the impious themselves, yet hoped for by the just, according to that passage of the Psalm: "In you our fathers hoped," etc. Groaning, inwardly, from anguish of spirit, from the consideration of that glory and salvation which they lost: First Kings four: "The Philistines groaned, saying: Woe to us," etc.”
Source
Modern · 1953 →

The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.