Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
He concludes the precepts of wisdom about right action and speech, which he has taught up to this point, with a prayer in which he entreats God for the grace to fulfill them in deed, and to restrain the concupiscence of heart and mouth, so that God may direct all his thoughts, affections, and words, lest they go astray. He proposes this prayer for us to imitate and frequently employ. Solomon prays for the same in Wisdom, chapter 11. Then, from verse 7, he continues the subject of moderating the tongue and avoiding oaths. Finally, from verse 21, from the vices and intemperance of the tongue he passes to the vices and intemperance of deeds and life, and greatly exaggerates the blindness and foulness of fornicators and adulterers.
Vulgate Text: Ecclesiasticus 23:1-38
1. O Lord, Father and Ruler of my life, do not abandon me to their counsel, nor allow me to fall through them. 2. Who will set scourges over my thought, and the discipline of wisdom over my heart, that they may not spare my ignorances, and that their offenses may not appear? 3. And lest my ignorances increase, and my offenses multiply, and my sins abound, and I fall before the sight of my adversaries, and my enemy rejoice over me? 4. O Lord, Father and God of my life, do not abandon me to their designs. 5. Do not give me haughtiness of eyes, and turn all desire away from me. 6. Take from me the lusts of the belly, and let not the concupiscence of the flesh seize me, and do not deliver me to a shameless and senseless soul. 7. Hear the discipline of the mouth, O children: and he who keeps it shall not perish by his lips, nor be scandalized by most wicked works. 8. In his vanity the sinner is caught, and the proud man and the curser shall be scandalized in them. 9. Let not your mouth grow accustomed to swearing, for there are many falls in it. 10. Let not the naming of God be habitual in your mouth, and do not mix yourself up with the names of Saints: for you will not be free from guilt on their account. 11. For as a servant who is frequently examined is not free from bruises, so everyone who swears and takes the name shall not be wholly cleansed from sin. 12. A man who swears much shall be filled with iniquity, and the scourge shall not depart from his house. 13. And if he frustrates his oath, his offense shall be upon him; and if he dissembles, he sins doubly; 14. and if he swears in vain, he shall not be justified: for his house shall be filled with retribution. 15. There is also another speech contrary to death; let it not be found in the inheritance of Jacob. 16. For from the merciful all these things shall be taken away, and they shall not wallow in sins. 17. Let not your mouth grow accustomed to undisciplined speech: for in it there is sinful talk. 18. Remember your father and mother, for you stand in the midst of great men: 19. lest God forget you in their sight, and made foolish by your habitual behavior, you suffer reproach, and wish you had not been born, and curse the day of your birth. 20. A man accustomed to words of reproach will not be instructed all the days of his life. 21. Two kinds of people abound in sins, and a third brings wrath and destruction. 22. A hot soul is like a burning fire; it will not be quenched until it devours something. 23. And a wicked man in the mouth of his flesh will not cease until he kindles a fire. 24. To a fornicating man every bread is sweet; he will not grow weary of transgressing until the end. 25. Every man who transgresses his marriage bed, despising his own soul, and saying: Who sees me? 26. Darkness surrounds me, and walls cover me, and no one looks upon me: whom should I fear? The Most High will not remember my sins. 27. And he does not understand that His eye sees all things, because such a man's fear drives out the fear of God, and the eyes of men fearing Him. 28. And he has not known that the eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun, looking upon all the ways of men, and the depth of the abyss, and beholding the hearts of men in their hidden parts. 29. For to the Lord God, before they were created, all things are known: so also after their completion He beholds all things. 30. This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and shall be chased like a colt, and where he did not expect, he shall be seized. 31. And he shall be a disgrace to all, because he did not understand the fear of the Lord. 32. So also every woman who leaves her husband, and establishes an inheritance from another marriage: 33. for first she was unfaithful to the law of the Most High; second, she sinned against her husband; third, she committed adultery in fornication, and set up children for herself from another man. 34. She shall be brought before the assembly, and her children shall be examined. 35. Her children shall not spread roots, and her branches shall not bear fruit. 36. She shall leave her memory under a curse, and her disgrace shall not be blotted out. 37. And those who remain shall know that nothing is better than the fear of God, and nothing sweeter than to look upon the commandments of the Lord. 38. It is great glory to follow the Lord: for length of days shall be received from Him.
First Part of the Chapter
Verse 1: O Lord, Father and Ruler of my life
1. O LORD, FATHER AND RULER OF MY LIFE, DO NOT ABANDON ME TO THEIR COUNSEL, NOR ALLOW ME TO FALL THROUGH THEM. — "Their," namely of the foolish, that is, the wicked, about whom much discourse has preceded. Or rather "their," namely, of loquacious and intemperate lips; for he treated of these in the preceding verse, as if to say: O Lord, who rules the universe, rule my lips; You who rule my life, rule my tongue: for "death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21). Again, the tongue is "the totality of iniquity" (James 3:6). Therefore he seeks as moderator the Ruler of the universe: he calls God the Ruler of life, both because He is the Creator and Lord of the soul which causes life, and because He governs and moderates all the duties, states, and acts of our life, and because our life lasts as long as He wills.
Moreover, he calls the "counsel of the lips" what the talkativeness of the lips suggests one should say, namely importunity, rashness, intemperance, and the itch of saying whatever comes to one's mouth. Thus the counsel of the lips is the unbridled freedom of saying whatever one pleases. For "the heart of fools is in their mouth," as he said above.
Verse 2: Who will set scourges over my thought?
2. WHO WILL SET SCOURGES OVER MY THOUGHT, AND THE DISCIPLINE OF WISDOM OVER MY HEART, THAT THEY MAY NOT SPARE MY IGNORANCES, AND THAT THEIR OFFENSES MAY NOT APPEAR? — He prayed for a bridle on the tongue; now he prays for a bridle on thoughts and the heart, that is, on the appetites. For these are the two fountains of all good or evil. Therefore he here implores a twofold grace from God. First, the grace of illumination, which may enlighten, restrain, correct, and direct the wandering, animal, and erroneous thoughts of the intellect and imagination, and make them spiritual, heavenly, and divine. Second, the grace of impulse, which may chasten, amend, purify, and sanctify the harmful affections and desires of the heart through the dictates of wisdom and prudence, as if by scourges. St. Chrysostom on Psalm 140: "It is necessary not only to close the mouth, but the mind even before the mouth."
Verse 3: Lest my ignorances increase
3. AND LEST MY IGNORANCES INCREASE, AND MY OFFENSES MULTIPLY, AND MY SINS ABOUND, AND I FALL BEFORE MY ADVERSARIES, AND MY ENEMY REJOICE OVER ME. — As if to say: Lest through ignorances and sins I fall into losses of fortune, reputation, life, and soul, and thus become the laughingstock of demons and men who are my enemies, so that they may exult in my ruin. Just as the follies and stupidities of children and fools are whipped, chastised, and restrained by the rod and lash of parents or teachers, so likewise the childish fantasies and foolish unlawful thoughts and desires must be chastised and restrained by the scourge and rod of discipline, that is, of the fear of God, lest they lead us to ruin and hell. For Bede truly says in his commentary on Proverbs: "The reprobate are wearied in this world by desires of concupiscence, and in the next by the torments of hell."
Verse 4: O Lord, Father and God of my life
4. O LORD, FATHER AND GOD OF MY LIFE, DO NOT ABANDON ME TO THEIR DESIGNS. — The Greek does not have this verse. The pronoun "their" refers to the offenses and sins, about which in the preceding verse he said: "Lest my ignorances increase, and my offenses multiply, and my sins." Hence, explaining them, he adds: "Do not give me haughtiness of eyes. Take from me the lusts of the belly." For these are the capital sins from which the rest arise. He prays: "Do not abandon me to the designs of them," namely of sins — that is, of pride, gluttony, and lust — because these arise from their thinking, imagining, and pondering. For prolonged thinking about sins produces lingering delight, which is a mortal sin; this then extends itself into external action and consummates the sin, as St. James teaches, chapter 1, verse 15.
Verse 5: Do not give me haughtiness of eyes
5. DO NOT GIVE ME HAUGHTINESS OF EYES, AND TURN ALL DESIRE AWAY FROM ME. — "Do not give," that is, do not allow to be given, on account of my former crimes and demerits. For since God is most holy, He cannot be the author of sin and concupiscence; for God "is not a tempter to evil, and He Himself tempts no one" (James 1:13); yet He can permit demons, men, and concupiscence to tempt us to pride, gluttony, lust, etc. Hence against this we must pray with Sirach according to Christ's prescription: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13).
He calls "haughtiness" elation; although elation and pride are properly in the mind, they chiefly betray themselves through haughty and arrogant eyes. Solomon in Proverbs 6:17, among the seven things God detests, puts in first place haughty eyes. By "desire" he means concupiscence. St. Augustine reads: "Do not give me haughtiness of eyes, and turn concupiscence away from me." Of the sins he names only two, namely the haughtiness of eyes, that is pride, and concupiscence, because from these, as from two primary fountains, all the rest arise. For from pride arise avarice, anger, and envy; from concupiscence arise gluttony, lust, and sloth.
St. Cyril demonstrates the same point with an ingenious and witty fable of a bear, a doe, and a fox, in his Moral Apologues, Book II, chapter 11, entitled: Against the desire for dignity. A fox, that mistress of deceit, tried to lure a solitary doe to a hungry bear lying in wait to devour some prey. But a stag met the doe ensnared by trickery and warned her: "Indeed, on account of horns the bear gave up the ear of virtue — take care lest you lose both your hide and your life at once." Having understood these things, the doe dismissed the fox and humbly followed the stag. The moral: lay aside pride and flee from horns, lest the bear's dire claw tear you apart.
Verse 6: Take from me the lusts of the belly
6. TAKE FROM ME THE LUSTS OF THE BELLY, AND LET NOT THE CONCUPISCENCE OF THE FLESH SEIZE ME, AND DO NOT DELIVER ME TO A SHAMELESS AND SENSELESS SOUL. — The concupiscence of the belly is gluttony; the concupiscence of the flesh is lust. And the former is the cause of the latter: "For the belly seething with wine foams forth into lusts," says St. Jerome.
"A shameless soul" pertains to the haughtiness of eyes, or pride; for this is joined with shamelessness, that is, immodesty and impudence; for the proud are immodest, bold, and impudent, such as that wicked judge who neither feared God nor respected men (Luke 18:2). For reverence of God and men is the only bridle of sins; when it is broken, the sinner, like an unbridled horse, rushes into every pleasure and crime. "Senseless" pertains to the concupiscence of the belly and of the flesh; for this is senseless and insatiable. Therefore the "infruniti" (senseless ones) are gluttons who do not know how to enjoy their food, but immediately gulp it down, and are therefore similar to wolves. Likewise the lustful, the avaricious, and the ambitious, who do not know how to take pleasure in their own things.
Sirach prays to be freed from the concupiscence of the belly and of sexual desire, lest through it he be delivered to a shameless and senseless soul. The spirit of lust, as well as of gluttony, is a kind of tyrant. Seneca excellently depicts its tyranny in Epistle 39: "What enemy has been so insulting to anyone as their own pleasures are to certain people? They live for their pleasures, but do not enjoy them; and they love their evils, which is the worst of evils. Misery is complete when shameful things not only delight but also please; and there ceases to be any place for remedy when what were vices become habits."
Morally, learn here how great an evil shamelessness is; for it takes away modesty, which is the bridle of all evil. On the other hand, we should not be ashamed of good; therefore holy shamelessness for the sake of good is virtuous. Hear St. Augustine on Psalm 68:8: "A Christian must have this shamelessness when he comes among men who are displeased with Christ. Be bold-faced when you hear reproach concerning Christ. Why do you fear for your forehead, which you have armed with the sign of the cross of Christ?"
Second Part of the Chapter: On Avoiding Oaths and Other Vices of the Tongue
Verse 7: Hear the discipline of the mouth, O children
7. HEAR THE DISCIPLINE OF THE MOUTH, O CHILDREN: AND HE WHO KEEPS IT SHALL NOT PERISH BY HIS LIPS, NOR BE SCANDALIZED BY MOST WICKED WORKS. — He calls the "discipline of the mouth" not what he is about to say with his mouth, but what he is about to say about moderating the mouth and lips. He who keeps it will not perish through his lips, nor will he stumble or fall into ruin through the most wicked works of the mouth, such as perjury, calumny, quarrels, curses, etc.
Verse 8: In his vanity the sinner is caught
8. IN HIS VANITY THE SINNER IS CAUGHT, AND THE PROUD MAN AND THE CURSER SHALL BE SCANDALIZED IN THEM. — He proves what he said in the preceding verse by antithesis: the sinner who neglects the custody of the mouth and lips will be seized and caught in his foolish speech, and the proud man and the curser shall trip, stumble, and fall into danger through his lips. For while he uses his lips intemperately, and with them slanders, quarrels, argues, etc., he brings upon himself the danger of prison, beatings, loss of reputation, and not rarely of life. Palacius observes that the reason why many fall into perjuries, blasphemies, quarrels, and murders is that they are proud and given to cursing. For this is God's just judgment, who casts down pride with profound ruin.
Verse 9: Let not your mouth grow accustomed to swearing
9. LET NOT YOUR MOUTH GROW ACCUSTOMED TO SWEARING, FOR THERE ARE MANY FALLS IN IT. — For it easily happens from the habit of swearing that one frequently swears rashly and frivolously, and sometimes swears to what is false, and thus commits perjury. So the author of the Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, Homily 12: "Unless oaths are forbidden, perjuries cannot be cut off; for perjury is generated from oaths. For there is no one who swears frequently and does not sometimes commit perjury. For just as one who makes a habit of much talking will necessarily sometimes speak inappropriately; and one who makes a habit of frequently striking with his hand will necessarily sometimes strike unjustly: so one who makes a habit of swearing frequently about suitable matters, will also swear about superfluous matters, even unwillingly, drawn by habit, and commit perjury. For we can establish the habit of anything whenever we wish, but we cannot repel it whenever we wish."
Verse 10: Let not the naming of God be habitual
10. LET NOT THE NAMING OF GOD BE HABITUAL IN YOUR MOUTH, AND DO NOT MIX YOURSELF UP WITH THE NAMES OF SAINTS; FOR YOU WILL NOT BE FREE FROM GUILT ON THEIR ACCOUNT. — He forbade oaths; now he forbids any light and irreverent naming of God and the Saints; for there are some who in every third word rashly name God, Christ, the Sacraments, etc. This is surely no small irreverence toward God and the Saints. He therefore forbids these to be named rashly and irreverently, whether in an oath or outside an oath, according to the second precept of the Decalogue: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7). For the name of God is the most sacred thing, surpassing all holiness; therefore it is unworthy that it be trampled by a vain and profane mouth. It is different if you have it frequently on your lips, but from great love and reverence. For so St. Paul repeatedly names God and Jesus Christ, so that in his few and short Epistles he names Christ four hundred times, and Jesus more than two hundred times. For God is zealous for His name and honor; therefore those who irreverently misuse and profane His name, He chastises severely, both in this life and in the next.
Verse 11: As a servant frequently examined is not free from bruises
11. FOR AS A SERVANT WHO IS FREQUENTLY EXAMINED IS NOT FREE FROM BRUISES, SO EVERYONE WHO SWEARS AND NAMES SHALL NOT BE WHOLLY CLEANSED FROM SIN. — "Examined," that is, tortured; for servants were customarily examined under torture concerning a crime committed. As a servant examined through scourges and torments is filled with blows and welts, so also one who frequently swears inflicts frequent blows of sins upon his soul. He aptly compares the one who swears to a slave, the oath to judicial inquiry and torture, and the damages of oaths to welts. For, as Plutarch says in the Problemata: "An oath is a torment for a free man. Hence the Romans extracted truth from slaves through torments, from a citizen through an oath, and from a priest through a simple word."
Verse 12: A man who swears much shall be filled with iniquity
12. A MAN WHO SWEARS MUCH SHALL BE FILLED WITH INIQUITY, AND THE SCOURGE SHALL NOT DEPART FROM HIS HOUSE. — An example is found in Saul, who, being inclined to swearing, sinned much by swearing, and therefore brought severe scourges of God upon himself and his posterity, as is clear from 2 Samuel 21:1. Therefore St. Augustine wisely says, in Sermon 28 On the Words of the Apostle: "A false oath is destructive; a true oath is dangerous; no oath at all is safe." St. Chrysostom, in Homilies to the People 5 through 16, fiercely attacks the habit of swearing, and in Homily 15 teaches that swearing is worse than killing: "The sword does not wound as much as the nature of an oath; the blade does not kill as the blow of an oath does."
Verses 13 and 14: If he frustrates his oath
13. AND IF HE HAS FRUSTRATED HIS OATH, HIS OFFENSE SHALL BE UPON HIM; AND IF HE DISSEMBLES, HE SHALL SIN DOUBLY. — If he has sworn in vain, so that he has not actually fulfilled what he swore, he will be guilty of the offense. If moreover he has neglected to correct and expiate it and has dissembled, he will sin doubly: first, by deceiving and not fulfilling the oath; second, by not expiating this sin according to the law. He alludes to Leviticus 5:4.
14. AND IF HE HAS SWORN IN VAIN, HE SHALL NOT BE JUSTIFIED: FOR HIS HOUSE SHALL BE FILLED WITH RETRIBUTION. — Lest anyone think that only he who frustrates an oath sins and deserves punishment, he adds that he also who swears rashly, frivolously, and lightly, where there is no necessity or just utility, even without falsehood or harm to a neighbor, shall not be justified. For God will repay to him and to his house the due retribution for these rash oaths. Let those who have the habit of swearing at every third word take note. Thus those who frequently swear see frequent misfortunes in their houses — they suffer loss of merchandise, servants, children, etc. — and do not notice the cause, namely their irreverence toward God.
Verse 15: There is another speech contrary to death
15. THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER SPEECH CONTRARY TO DEATH; LET IT NOT BE FOUND IN THE INHERITANCE OF JACOB. — "Contrary to death" means corresponding from the other side, and that which can be compared and collated with death — set opposite to death, facing death, near to death. Rabanus, Lyranus, Jansenius, and Palacius take this speech as blasphemy: for this was so detested and horrible among the Jews that they did not dare to name it, but signified it by antiphrasis, calling it a blessing, as: "Bless, that is, curse, God, and die" (Job 2:9). Blasphemy is compared to death, both because blasphemy was punished by death by stoning (Leviticus 24:14), and because in its wickedness it is nearly equal to homicide — indeed graver, says Chrysostom. Others take this speech to mean scurrilous, obscene, and shameful words. Third and genuinely, this speech is imprecation, execration, and cursing. Those who call down death upon themselves and theirs by such imprecations bring frequent scourges of God upon themselves.
Verse 16: From the merciful all these things shall be taken away
16. FOR FROM THE MERCIFUL ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE TAKEN AWAY, AND THEY SHALL NOT WALLOW IN SINS. — "Merciful," that is, pious. "Mercy" is here put for every virtue and piety. For the merciful are pious; from mercy arise the fear of God, reverence, humility, and love toward God. Therefore the merciful treat God, His name, and the names of the Saints reverently, and are not merciless toward Him through imprecation and cursing.
Verse 17: Let not your mouth grow accustomed to undisciplined speech
17. LET NOT YOUR MOUTH GROW ACCUSTOMED TO UNDISCIPLINED SPEECH: FOR IN IT THERE IS SINFUL TALK. — This undisciplined speech is, first, imprecation and cursing. Second, shameful and obscene jests. For "speech of sin" is speech that carries the guilt of sin, and which is liable to death. Such is blasphemy; such is cursing and imprecation; such, finally, is scurrilous, shameful, and obscene speech. For these sins among the Jews were punished by death according to the Law.
Verses 18 and 19: Remember your father and mother
18 and 19. REMEMBER YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER, FOR YOU STAND IN THE MIDST OF GREAT MEN: LEST GOD FORGET YOU IN THEIR SIGHT, AND MADE FOOLISH BY YOUR HABITUAL BEHAVIOR, YOU SUFFER REPROACH, AND WISH YOU HAD NOT BEEN BORN, AND CURSE THE DAY OF YOUR BIRTH. — "Remember your father and mother," that is, be mindful that you were taught honesty and discipline by your parents, whom you revere and love; therefore use this among the learned and prudent, who are like great men: lest you unlearn it and degenerate, and turn to words of imprecation and shameful and obscene speech. "Lest God forget you," that is, lest God, as if forgetful of you, abandon and desert you. Beware lest by your foul talk and curses you offend God, and thus lose His grace. "And made foolish by your habitual behavior," that is, by the habitual custom whereby you have constantly imbibed shameful words, curses, and blasphemies; for through this you have become, as it were, stupefied and insensible, and you do not notice that these blasphemies are grave sins, but utter them as if in jest. For just as salt that has lost its savor loses its flavor, so you, made foolish by foul speech, have lost the modesty and sense of propriety that were instilled in you by your parents.
Verse 20: A man accustomed to words of reproach
20. A MAN ACCUSTOMED TO WORDS OF REPROACH WILL NOT BE INSTRUCTED ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE. — That is, a man who has become accustomed to foul talk and blasphemies will never be reformed, because habit is a second nature: for it is stamped, as it were, indelibly, and can hardly ever be removed. Or, "he will not be instructed," that is, he will always be uninstructed, unlearned, dull, and boorish. For foul talk and curses indicate little learning, refinement, and prudence of mind.
Third Part of the Chapter: On the Blindness and Foulness of Fornication and Adultery
Verses 21-24: Two kinds abound in sins
21. TWO KINDS OF MEN ABOUND IN SINS, AND THE THIRD BRINGS ON WRATH AND DESTRUCTION. — After the vices of the tongue he proceeds to the vices of deeds. There are two kinds of vices and vicious men which heap sins upon sins; but a third, surpassing these two, provokes the fierce wrath, vengeance, and destruction of God. Among these three, the first is "the hot soul," that is, the soul burning with anger and wrath. The second is "wicked in the mouth of his flesh," that is, wicked in the appetite of the flesh, namely the lecherous man. The third is "he who transgresses his bed," that is, the adulterer.
22. A HOT SOUL IS LIKE A BURNING FIRE; IT WILL NOT BE QUENCHED UNTIL IT DEVOURS SOMETHING. — "The hot soul" is the soul burning with bile and anger. For anger is the boiling of the blood around the heart, which inflames a man so that he seems to breathe smoke from his nostrils and fire from his mouth and eyes: this is not quenched until it devours something, that is, the reputation, the blood, or the life of the one at whom he is angry. The angry rush into quarrels and swords like madmen, and therefore are often struck and killed.
23. AND A WICKED MAN IN THE MOUTH OF HIS FLESH WILL NOT CEASE UNTIL HE KINDLES A FIRE. 24. TO A FORNICATING MAN EVERY BREAD IS SWEET; HE WILL NOT GROW WEARY OF TRANSGRESSING UNTIL THE END. — The fornicator, burning with lust, by fornicating kindles the fire of many punishments and calamities, and finally the fire of hell, according to Isaiah 50: "Behold, all you who kindle fire, girded with flames, walk in the light of your fire, and in the flames which you have kindled."
Verses 25-29: Every man who transgresses his marriage bed
25-27. EVERY MAN WHO TRANSGRESSES HIS MARRIAGE BED, DESPISING HIS OWN SOUL, AND SAYING: WHO SEES ME? DARKNESS SURROUNDS ME, AND WALLS COVER ME, AND NO ONE LOOKS UPON ME: WHOM SHOULD I FEAR? THE MOST HIGH WILL NOT REMEMBER MY SINS. AND HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THAT HIS EYE SEES ALL THINGS. — The adulterer deludes himself with the darkness and secrecy of his sin, saying "Who sees me?" But he does not understand that God's eye sees all things. Such a man's fear drives out the fear of God; fearing human discovery, he forgets the divine Judge.
28. AND HE HAS NOT KNOWN THAT THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE FAR BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN, LOOKING UPON ALL THE WAYS OF MEN, AND THE DEPTH OF THE ABYSS, AND BEHOLDING THE HEARTS OF MEN IN THEIR HIDDEN PARTS. 29. FOR TO THE LORD GOD, BEFORE THEY WERE CREATED, ALL THINGS ARE KNOWN: SO ALSO AFTER THEIR COMPLETION HE BEHOLDS ALL THINGS. — God's omniscience surpasses all human comprehension. As St. Bernard says in his Meditations: "Just as there is no moment in which a man does not enjoy the goodness and mercy of God: so there should be no moment in which he does not have Him present in his memory." And: "Whatever I do, and all that I do, I do before You: and whatever it is that I do, You see better than I who do it."
Verses 30 and 31: He shall be punished in the streets
30. THIS MAN SHALL BE PUNISHED IN THE STREETS OF THE CITY, AND SHALL BE CHASED LIKE A COLT, AND WHERE HE DID NOT EXPECT, HE SHALL BE SEIZED. — The adulterer sinned in secret and in darkness, but God will punish him publicly. When he hears of the judge's arrival and investigation, he will flee like a colt; but with God as avenger, where he does not expect, he shall be apprehended. The fear of a colt when a person approaches is remarkable: for it flees in every direction, with no straight course, and is always disturbed at the sight of travelers. So indeed the adulterer, having imitated the most wanton horse neighing after his neighbor's wife, yet in fear and disturbance of soul, in fleeing and dreading the light, imitates the colt. Thus God avenged the adultery of David, when He forced him, trembling, to flee from the face of his son Absalom. Hear the sentence of God upon David in 2 Samuel 12:11: "Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and in the sight of the sun."
31. AND HE SHALL BE A DISGRACE TO ALL, BECAUSE HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE FEAR OF THE LORD. — St. Ambrose gravely admonishes married couples regarding conjugal fidelity: "God, the guardian of marriage, is present, whom nothing escapes, no one evades, no one mocks. And if you have deceived your husband by adultery, you will not deceive God; and if you have escaped your husband, and if you have eluded the judge of the forum, you will not escape the Judge of the whole world."
Verses 32-36: Every woman who leaves her husband
32-36. SO ALSO EVERY WOMAN WHO LEAVES HER HUSBAND, AND ESTABLISHES AN INHERITANCE FROM ANOTHER MARRIAGE: FOR FIRST SHE WAS UNFAITHFUL TO THE LAW OF THE MOST HIGH; SECOND, SHE SINNED AGAINST HER HUSBAND; THIRD, SHE COMMITTED ADULTERY IN FORNICATION, AND SET UP CHILDREN FOR HERSELF FROM ANOTHER MAN. SHE SHALL BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY, AND HER CHILDREN SHALL BE EXAMINED. HER CHILDREN SHALL NOT SPREAD ROOTS, AND HER BRANCHES SHALL NOT BEAR FRUIT. SHE SHALL LEAVE HER MEMORY UNDER A CURSE, AND HER DISGRACE SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT. — The adulteress commits a threefold sin: first, against the law of God; second, against her husband; third, against nature itself, by introducing alien offspring into the family. Her punishment extends to her children, who shall bear the disgrace of their mother's infidelity.
Verse 37: Nothing is better than the fear of God
37. AND THOSE WHO REMAIN SHALL RECOGNIZE THAT NOTHING IS BETTER THAN THE FEAR OF GOD, AND NOTHING SWEETER THAN TO ATTEND TO THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD. — From the reproach and punishment of adulterers and the wicked, mortals shall conclude by antithesis that nothing is better, that is, more honorable and more useful, than the fear of God, and nothing sweeter than to attend, obey, and comply with the commandments of the Lord. For the fear of God is the observance and obedience of His commandments. In this, therefore, consists all the good of man: all honor, all usefulness, all sweetness and human pleasure. For although the law and virtue are hard and harsh to the sinner at the beginning of conversion, nevertheless they gradually grow sweet through the grace of God. This is what the Wise Man says in Ecclesiastes 12:13: "Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole of man." And the Psalmist in Psalm 34: "Taste and see that the Lord is sweet." And Psalm 19: "The judgments of the Lord are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb."
Verse 38: It is a great glory to follow the Lord
38. IT IS A GREAT GLORY TO FOLLOW THE LORD, FOR LENGTH OF DAYS SHALL BE RECEIVED FROM HIM. — Against the disgrace which the adulterer and adulteress bring upon themselves and their offspring, he sets the honor and glory of the one who fears God. For to serve God is to reign: first, because it is noble to serve the most noble God, who is the supreme and divine majesty; second, because this service makes us like God. So Clement of Alexandria, in Book VII of the Stromata, teaches that just as those who by study follow Cicero, Plato, and Aristotle become Ciceronians, Platonists, Aristotelians, so also those who follow God, obeying His will and law, become divine and, as it were, earthly gods. Third, because God rewards those who serve Him with the glory of the heavenly kingdom. Hence: "length of days shall be received from Him" — both longevity of this life (which God promised and granted to the pious in the Old Testament, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Tobias), and of the future life, that is, blessed eternity.
Although all who fear God follow Him, this is here properly attributed to the chaste and to virgins, whom he opposes to adulterers. For chastity is wonderfully pleasing to God, because He Himself is the purest spirit, and uncreated purity and chastity itself. Hence St. John, in Revelation 14:4, saw virgins following the Lamb wherever He goes. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:16: "Just as he who clings to a harlot becomes one body with her," so he who clings to the Lord through chastity of mind and body "is one spirit with Him."
St. Ambrose on Psalm 119, explaining the verse "Lead me in the path of Your commandments," says: "Christ goes before so that we may follow; the Word goes before. He was the first to enter the way of the New Testament, to pave the way of devotion for us. If we fast, He fasted before us; if we endure injuries for His name, He first endured them for our redemption: He offered His neck to scourges, His cheeks to blows; He ascended the cross to teach that death is not to be feared. Finally, as one going before, He says to Peter: Follow Me. And therefore Peter finished his course, because he followed Christ" (John 21).
See here how great is the excellence and glory of our service, that we have God as our leader; for with such a leader, whom shall one fear? "Do not depart from following the Lord, and do not be afraid" (1 Samuel 12:20).