Very interesting approach!
"Apache Empire-db is an Open Source relational data persistence component which allows database vendor independent dynamic query definition as well as safe and simple data retrieval and updating. Compared to most other solutions like e.g. Hibernate, TopLink, iBATIS or JPA implementations, Empire-db takes a considerably different approach, with a special focus on compile-time safety, reduced redundancies and improved developer productivity."
Hibernate is a powerful, high performance object/relational persistence and query service. Hibernate lets you develop persistent classes following object-oriented idiom - including association, inheritance, polymorphism, composition, and collections. Hibernate allows you to express queries in its own portable SQL extension (HQL), as well as in native SQL, or with an object-oriented Criteria and Example API.