Once again, we see a different way of understanding traditional beliefs. In this case, the focus is on the meaning of early death. It was argued that a long life should be the inheritance of the righteous (Dt 4:40; 5:16; Job 5:26; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; 4:10; Sir 1:12, 20), while the wicked faced sudden death (Job 15:20-23; 18:5-20; Sir 1:12, 20). According to the book of Wisdom, the premature death of the righteous reflects God’s plan to deliver them from suffering and evil’s corruption, while it underscores the fate of the wicked (cf. Is 14:16-19; 19:10; 66:24). This passage offers the first positive answer in the entire Bible to the question of who dies prematurely, because God provides it.