Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
After the praise of wisdom, he proceeds to deliver other teachings of it. Hence, in verse 1, he lists three things that please wisdom, and in verse 3, as many things that displease it. Then, from verse 9 to 17, he enumerates ten beatitudes, that is, ten things that make a person blessed. Finally, from verse 17 to the end of the chapter, he treats of the wickedness of women, and amplifies it with many arguments.
Vulgate Text: Ecclesiasticus 25:1-36
1. My spirit is pleased with three things, which are approved before God and men: 2. The concord of brethren, and the love of neighbors, and a man and woman who agree well together. 3. Three sorts my soul hates, and I am greatly burdened by their manner of life: 4. a proud poor man, a lying rich man, and a foolish and senseless old man. 5. What you did not gather in your youth, how will you find it in your old age? 6. How beautiful is the judgment of the gray-haired, and for elders to know counsel! 7. How beautiful is the wisdom of the aged, and understanding and counsel in men of honor! 8. The crown of old men is wide experience, and their glory is the fear of God. 9. Nine things beyond suspicion of the heart I have magnified, and the tenth I shall declare with my tongue to men: 10. a man who takes joy in his children, living and seeing the downfall of his enemies. 11. Blessed is he who dwells with a sensible wife, and who has not slipped with his tongue, and who has not served those unworthy of him. 12. Blessed is he who has found a true friend, and who speaks of justice to an ear that listens. 13. How great is he who finds wisdom and knowledge! But there is none above him who fears the Lord; 14. the fear of God has set itself above all things: 15. blessed is the man to whom it has been given to have the fear of God: he who holds it, to whom shall he be compared? 16. The fear of God is the beginning of His love: and faith is the beginning that must be joined to it. 17. Every wound is the sorrow of the heart: and every malice is the wickedness of a woman. 18. And he will see every wound, and not the wound of the heart: 19. and every wickedness, and not the wickedness of a woman: 20. and every affliction, and not the affliction of those who hate: 21. and every vengeance, and not the vengeance of enemies. 22. There is no head more venomous than the head of a serpent: 23. and there is no wrath above the wrath of a woman. It would be more pleasing to dwell with a lion and a dragon than to live with a wicked woman. 24. The wickedness of a woman changes her face: and she blinds her countenance like a bear, and shows it like sackcloth. In the midst of her neighbors 25. her husband groaned, and hearing it he sighed a little. 26. All malice is short compared to the malice of a woman: may the lot of sinners fall upon her. 27. As a sandy ascent to the feet of the aged, so is a talkative woman to a quiet man. 28. Do not look upon a woman's beauty, and do not desire a woman for her beauty. 29. A woman's anger, and irreverence, and great confusion. 30. A woman, if she has the primacy, is contrary to her husband. 31. A humble heart, and a sad face, and a wound of the heart, is a wicked woman. 32. Feeble hands and loosened knees, a woman who does not make her husband happy. 33. From a woman sin had its beginning, and through her we all die. 34. Do not give your water an outlet, not even a small one; nor give a wicked woman permission to go about. 35. If she does not walk at your hand, she will disgrace you before your enemies. 36. Cut her off from your flesh, lest she always abuse you.
First Part of the Chapter
Verses 1 and 2: MY SPIRIT IS PLEASED WITH THREE THINGS, WHICH ARE APPROVED BEFORE GOD AND MEN: THE CONCORD OF BRETHREN, AND THE LOVE OF NEIGHBORS, AND A MAN AND WOMAN WHO AGREE WELL TOGETHER.
Wisdom herself speaks, or at least Sirach the wise man, in the person and mind of wisdom. Sirach here appends groups of three virtues and vices, following the custom of the ancients who reduced their precepts to numbers, so that they might be more easily grasped and retained in memory. In this he imitates Solomon, who does the same in Proverbs chapter 30, verse 18 and following.
The first precept of wisdom, therefore, concerns concord and charity: for this is the first and chief virtue, which wins the favor of God and men. It is required especially in three kinds of people. First, among brothers, whether blood brothers, or cousins, or relatives and kinsmen in any way. He alludes to Psalm 132:1: "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!" Second, among neighbors, that is, those who are bound together in the same household, college, neighborhood, office, trade, business, or any other way: for the bond of all these is love and concord. Third, between husband and wife: for these are so joined in dwelling, bed, table, and all things, that they are reckoned as one flesh. Therefore, if they live in concord with each other, they will lead a most pleasant and holy life; but if they are discordant, a most troublesome and diabolical one.
The reason a priori is that God is Himself the first, uncreated, supreme, and most perfect concord: therefore He supremely loves those who are in concord, as being most like Himself. For even the Most Holy Trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- are supremely in concord, not accidentally but essentially. Where therefore there is concord, there is Christ, there is God, there is the whole Most Holy Trinity. What is more wonderful in heaven, what more divine, than that three should be one and one should be three? Yet this is what the supreme concord and union of the three accomplishes. Discord therefore made hell, concord made heaven and paradise: discord made demons, concord made angels: discord made reprobate men, concord made saints and the elect. Finally, well-known is that saying of Sallust: "By concord small things grow; by discord the greatest things fall apart."
Moreover, the source and origin of discord is covetousness and avarice, namely the two pronouns "mine" and "yours": which, as St. Chrysostom says, tear apart and disturb the whole world; but the mother of concord is charity, courtesy, and generosity.
Verse 3: THREE SORTS MY SOUL HATES, AND I AM GREATLY BURDENED BY THEIR MANNER OF LIFE.
He has listed three kinds of people whom he said pleased him, because they live decently and fittingly. Now he lists the same number of kinds of people who are wonderfully displeasing to wisdom and to the wise Sirach, because they live incongruously and in a manner deformed relative to their rank and station, and thus they fight against the nature of their condition and vocation.
Verse 4: A PROUD POOR MAN: A LYING RICH MAN: A FOOLISH AND SENSELESS OLD MAN.
For the station and condition of the poor man, being lowly, naturally demands humility of spirit: for the poor man does not have riches with which to be proud. Likewise, the condition of the rich man is at war with lying, both because the rich man does not have the necessity of lying that the poor have, and because the rich are honored in the state as senators, whom lying utterly disgraces. Finally, the condition of old age is repugnant to foolishness; for old age, both on account of passions that have subsided and on account of experience, brings wisdom. The Greek, instead of "a foolish and senseless old man," has: an adulterous old man and one lacking in understanding.
Mystically, the proud poor man is the devil, who though most poor in grace is most proud; the lying rich man is the flesh, which falsely claims it cannot undertake virtuous labors; the foolish old man is the world, ancient but foolish because it dictates things contrary to God.
Verse 5: WHAT YOU DID NOT GATHER IN YOUR YOUTH, HOW WILL YOU FIND IT IN YOUR OLD AGE?
Of the three things which he said he hated, he now pursues the third, namely the foolish old man; hence he here indicates the cause of foolishness in old men, namely that they did not study in their youth, nor gather wisdom. Just as ants gather grain in summer to eat in winter, so you, O young man, gather wisdom, merits, and virtues in the flower of your age, in which you may take pleasure, be honored, and rejoice in old age.
Thus here is tacitly reproved the error and thinking of many young people who say: I will give my youth to pleasure, my old age to repentance; my youth to the devil, my old age to God. What is more shameful than to give the flower of life to the devil, and the dregs to God? Finally, St. Augustine wisely says on Psalm 112: "Virtue demands that our old age be childlike, and our childhood be mature."
Verse 6: HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THE JUDGMENT OF THE GRAY-HAIRED, AND FOR ELDERS TO KNOW COUNSEL!
He says two things are beautiful and becoming to old men: both to be able to judge well, and to be able to suggest sound counsel; both of which require prudence and authority. These are most properly the qualities of old men, to whom experience and years bring prudence, and gray hair brings authority. For strength belongs to youthful age; but prudence, counsel, deliberation, and authority belong to old age. Thus among the Spartans the supreme council was called the gerousia, the assembly of elders; just as in Rome the Senate was so named because it consisted of old men.
Verse 7: HOW BEAUTIFUL IS WISDOM IN THE AGED, AND UNDERSTANDING AND COUNSEL IN THE HONORED!
He says almost the same thing he said in the preceding verse, in order to impress upon and urge the young to acquire, and the old to preserve and promote, wisdom. St. Jerome says splendidly, in Epistle 2 To Nepotian: "The old age of those who furnished their youth with honest arts and meditated on the law of the Lord day and night, becomes more learned with age, more practiced with use, wiser with the passage of time, and reaps the sweetest fruits of their former studies."
Verse 8: THE CROWN OF OLD MEN IS WIDE EXPERIENCE, AND THEIR GLORY IS THE FEAR OF GOD.
It is a hendiadys, "crown and glory," that is, a glorious crown: experience and skill in many things adorns the old like a crown; but this crown becomes glorious if to it is added the fear of God, on which occasion in what follows Sirach pours himself out in praises and commendations of the fear of God, and prefers and sets it above all other things that seem to make a man blessed and happy. For where the fear of God is absent from counsel and impiety is present, there is an immense evil and disgrace: for impiety, armed with counsel, is often insuperable.
Second Part of the Chapter: It Sets Forth Nine Beatitudes, and the Tenth, the Greatest, Which Is the Fear of God.
Verse 9: NINE THINGS BEYOND SUSPICION OF THE HEART I HAVE MAGNIFIED, AND THE TENTH I SHALL DECLARE WITH MY TONGUE TO MEN.
Now, he lists these nine things which make a man blessed, namely nine beatitudes: the first, "A man who takes joy in his children;" the second, "Living and seeing the overthrow of his enemies;" the third, "Blessed is he who dwells with a sensible wife;" the fourth, "He who has not slipped with his tongue;" the fifth, "He who has not served those unworthy of him;" the sixth, "Blessed is he who has found a true friend;" the seventh, "He who speaks of justice to an attentive ear;" the eighth, "How great is he who has found wisdom!" the ninth, "And knowledge." The tenth, surpassing all: "The fear of God has placed itself above all things: blessed is the man to whom it has been given to have the fear of God."
Verse 10: A MAN WHO TAKES JOY IN HIS CHILDREN, LIVING AND SEEING THE OVERTHROW OF HIS ENEMIES.
Of the nine beatitudes and blessed persons, he assigns two here. The first great and blessed person is he who takes joy in his children, who has excellent children, both upright and well-behaved: for these bring their father great honor as well as joy. The second great and blessed person is he who is "living and seeing the overthrow of his enemies." This passage must be understood of enemies who are unbelievers or wicked, and therefore enemies of God, the Church, and the faithful. For it is permissible to rejoice at the ruin of such enemies, both from zeal for justice, and from zeal for charity, namely that they may cease to wrong God, the Church, and the faithful.
Verse 11: BLESSED IS HE WHO DWELLS WITH A SENSIBLE WIFE, AND WHO HAS NOT SLIPPED WITH HIS TONGUE, AND WHO HAS NOT SERVED THOSE UNWORTHY OF HIM.
This verse contains three beatitudes. The third blessed person is "he who dwells with a sensible wife": for a prudent wife remedies all her husband's ills, or by her foresight anticipates, dispels, and averts them, and procures all good things. Hence Solomon declares it a special gift of God to have a prudent wife, Proverbs 19:14. The fourth blessed person is "he who has not slipped with his tongue" into sin, or into some danger and harm. For the slip of the tongue is easy, manifold, and dangerous. Hence St. James 3:2: "If anyone does not offend in word, he is a perfect man." The fifth blessed person is "he who has not served those unworthy of him." For it is a great indignity, and therefore a great unhappiness, when an honorable man is compelled to serve a base man.
Verse 12: BLESSED IS HE WHO HAS FOUND A TRUE FRIEND, AND HE WHO SPEAKS OF JUSTICE TO A LISTENING EAR.
The sixth blessed person is he who has found a true friend -- who is faithfully present and helps his friend in adversity as well as in prosperity. For a faithful friend is a strong protection and a medicine of life and immortality, as he said in chapter 6:13 ff. The seventh blessed person is he who, when he teaches, obtains teachable and obedient listeners and disciples. For their teachability, obedience, fruit, and progress bring the teacher great pleasure, consolation, and usefulness.
Verse 13: HOW GREAT IS HE WHO HAS FOUND WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE! BUT THERE IS NONE ABOVE HIM WHO FEARS THE LORD.
The last three great and blessed persons are described in this verse. The eighth who is great and blessed is "he who has found wisdom;" the ninth, "he who has found knowledge;" the tenth, surpassing all, is he who fears the Lord. For he is greater and more blessed than all, both because through grace he is a friend and son of God, and because he certainly awaits the glory promised by God to His friends and children. Hence Rabanus says: "The fear of God is added above nine kinds of virtues, because just as the number nine is imperfect until it reaches ten, so every exercise of virtues is mediocre without the perfection of the fear of God."
Verse 14: THE FEAR OF GOD HAS PLACED ITSELF ABOVE ALL THINGS.
He compares the fear of God with the nine things that make a man great and happy, and asserts that it transcends all of them. Hence St. Jerome in his commentary on Isaiah chapter 50 reads: "The fear of God surpasses all things." Moreover, "the fear of God" is understood not as servile but as filial, which includes love of God and worship.
Third Part of the Chapter: On the Wickedness of Wicked Women.
Verse 17: EVERY WOUND IS THE SORROW OF THE HEART: AND EVERY WICKEDNESS IS THE WICKEDNESS OF A WOMAN.
On the occasion of the third beatitude just reviewed in verse 11, where he said: "Blessed is he who dwells with a sensible wife," in order to illustrate and demonstrate it from its contrary, he passes to the wickedness of the foolish wife, and from this to the wickedness of women in general. These things are said by Sirach not because his purpose was to attack the female sex and weave an invective against it -- for there are wicked men no less than wicked women -- but because having taken up the beatitude of a man dwelling with a sensible wife, he wished to illustrate and amplify his point from the contrary by depicting the miseries of a man dwelling with a wicked wife.
Verses 22 and 23: THERE IS NO HEAD MORE WICKED THAN THE HEAD OF A SERPENT, AND THERE IS NO ANGER ABOVE THE ANGER OF A WOMAN. IT WILL PLEASE ONE TO DWELL WITH A LION AND A DRAGON RATHER THAN TO LIVE WITH A WICKED WOMAN.
By "anger" understand not sudden anger, but the continual anger of a woman who has given herself to malice. Hear St. Chrysostom: "No beast is equal to a wicked woman." In Pirke Avoth, that is, in the Chapters of the Hebrew Fathers, chapter 1, it is said: "The sages declared that talking much with women should be avoided."
Verse 24: THE WICKEDNESS OF A WOMAN CHANGES HER COUNTENANCE, AND DARKENS HER FACE LIKE A BEAR, AND SHOWS IT LIKE SACKCLOTH.
That is, the wickedness and moroseness of a bad-tempered woman so changes and disfigures her face that it no longer appears human and beautiful, but beastly and deformed like a bear; indeed, it becomes dark like sackcloth. As Pliny says in Book VIII, chapter 36: "The eyes of bears frequently grow dim."
Verse 26: EVERY MALICE IS SHORT COMPARED TO THE MALICE OF A WOMAN; MAY THE LOT OF SINNERS FALL UPON HER.
"Short" means small, minor: that is, all other wickedness is small in comparison with the wickedness of a woman who has given herself to malice. Most genuinely, the meaning is: let a wicked woman receive as her lot a husband who will chastise and afflict her as she deserves.
Verse 27: AS A SANDY CLIMB IS TO THE FEET OF AN OLD MAN, SO IS A TALKATIVE WOMAN TO A QUIET MAN.
As it is hard and laborious for an old man to climb a sandy slope because his feet keep slipping back in the sand, so it is equally irksome for a quiet man to live with a talkative and contentious woman.
Verse 28: DO NOT LOOK UPON A WOMAN'S BEAUTY, AND DO NOT DESIRE A WOMAN FOR HER BEAUTY.
First, this sentence can be understood of a woman outside of marriage, meaning: Do not look at a beautiful woman, lest, being captivated by her beauty, you be drawn into sin. Second, it can be understood of a woman being sought in marriage: when you seek a wife, do not look primarily at beauty but at virtue and prudence. Third, it can be understood of a wife already taken: do not continually gaze upon her beauty, lest excessive love blind you. Morally, learn here how alluring, vain, and deceptive, and therefore to be avoided, is the beauty of women. He who wishes to safeguard his soul and chastity should restrain and turn away his eyes from women.
Verse 29: THE ANGER OF A WOMAN, AND HER IRREVERENCE, AND HER GREAT DISGRACE.
The various readings here give various meanings. The vice of a woman is anger, and from it impatience, rashness, and fury. For through irascibility they are led to shameful and disgraceful actions. Hence St. Chrysostom, in his Homily on the Beheading of St. John: "A woman," he says, "when she is offended, goes mad."
Verse 32: WEAK HANDS AND FEEBLE KNEES -- A WOMAN WHO DOES NOT MAKE HER HUSBAND HAPPY.
That is to say: A wicked woman, who does not bless her husband with her modesty and uprightness, but rather makes him miserable by her insolence and wickedness, enervates his strength and strips him of all manly vigor, both of heart and of body. Hence Isaiah says in chapter 35: "Strengthen the feeble hands, and make firm the weak knees." Wisely, St. Chrysostom says: "A wife ought to regard no one as wiser, stronger, or more handsome than her husband."
Verse 33: FROM A WOMAN WAS THE BEGINNING OF SIN, AND THROUGH HER WE ALL DIE.
Because Eve, seduced by the serpent, sinned first, and then seduced Adam: and so she stained all posterity with the same sin, and transmitted that sin, and consequently its punishment -- namely present and eternal death -- actually into posterity through propagation and generation. Sirach, to show how ancient and great an evil woman is, brings forth Eve the mother of all. St. Augustine, in Book I, On the Merits of Sinners, chapter 16, from this passage proves against the Pelagians the transmission of original sin.
Morally, Sirach here teaches how much one must beware of woman, inasmuch as she has been the ruin of so many millions of men and of the entire human race.
Verse 34: DO NOT GIVE YOUR WATER AN OUTLET, NOT EVEN A SMALL ONE, NOR GIVE A WICKED WOMAN PERMISSION TO GO OUT.
This maxim must be taken proverbially by way of comparison: Just as it is not expedient to give even a small outlet to water enclosed in a vessel -- because otherwise it gradually all flows out -- so likewise it is not expedient to indulge a wicked woman even in a small matter, so as to give her permission to go out wherever she pleases: for thus she will gradually shake off all your marital or paternal authority. For there is hardly anything else in which women take greater delight than in liberty. St. Gregory Nazianzen wisely admonishes: Do not set your foot much beyond your threshold, nor for pleasure, / Nor toward the immodest popular crowd: for this / Steals modesty even from the prudent.
Verse 35: IF SHE DOES NOT WALK AT YOUR HAND, SHE WILL DISGRACE YOU BEFORE YOUR ENEMIES.
That is, if she refuses to follow the guidance of your hand, that is, your direction, command, and authority, she will disgrace you through her obstinate stubbornness, audacity, rebellion, and wicked ways, by which she will make you a laughingstock to your foes and rivals. St. Ambrose says admirably: "A wife should defer to her husband, not serve him as a slave; she should present herself to be guided, not coerced. She is unworthy of marriage who is worthy of quarreling. The husband likewise should direct his wife as a helmsman, honor her as a partner in life, and share with her as a co-heir of grace."
Verse 36: CUT HER OFF FROM YOUR FLESH, LEST SHE CONTINUALLY ABUSE YOU.
That is to say: If your wife is obstreperous, disobedient, and wanders at will, cast her away "from your flesh," that is, from your body, namely from the marriage bed, lest she continually abuse your affection, modesty, indulgence, and patience. Formerly among the Jews it was lawful for husbands to give a bill of divorce; but Christ abolished this, in Matthew 19, and only permits a separation from bed, and that only on account of fornication. Furthermore, Ben-Sira seems to have given the opposite counsel, saying: "Gnaw the bone that has fallen to your lot." Although they can be reconciled: "Gnaw the bone of your lot" if you can gnaw it; but if not, cast it away -- that is, if the wife can be corrected or tolerated, keep her; but if she becomes incorrigible and intolerable, dismiss her.