The Unwise Wise

Quomodo dicitis, sapientes sumus, et Lex Domini nobiscum est? Vere mendacium operatus est stylus mendax scribarum.   Ad scribas loquitur et Pharisaees, qui Legis jactant notitiam et scribentes scribunt inquitatem. Quodque ait: Confusi sunt sapientes, perterriti et capti sunt. Verbum enim Domini projecerunt et sapientia nulla est in eis:   Non quo sapientes sint qui ista faciunt; sed sapientes vocat, ut sub judicio condemnentur: et e contrario sapientia eorum convincatur stultitia, dicente Paulo apostolo: Qui doces alium, teipsum non doces? Et quia verbum Domini projecerunt: ideo nulla sapientia est in eis. Frustra igitur jactant Legis scientiam, qui doctrinam operibus destruunt. Sanctus Hieronymus, Commentariorum In Jeremiam Propheta, Lib II

How can you say, 'We are wise and the law of the Lord is with us?' Truly the deceitful pen of the scribes has made it a lie. He speaks to the scribes and the Pharisees who boast of the knowledge of the Law and write iniquity when they write. And he says: The wise shall be shamed, they shall be dismayed and seized. The word of the Lord they have thrown aside and wisdom is not in them. Not that those who do such things are wise but he calls them wise that they might be condemned by their judgement and that foolishness might overcome their wisdom, which the Apostle Paul says: 'You who teach another will you not teach yourself?' And because they have thrown aside the Word of the Lord, therefore no wisdom is in them. Vainly do they boast of knowledge of the Law who destroy teaching with works. Saint Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah, Book 2