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Verse 1. Double. Uneasiness deprives a person of much comfort. Worthington.
EXPLANATIONS
Sirach 26
Historical chapter commentary
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Verse 3. To a, and so forth is not in Greek Bible.
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Verse 5. Fourth. A jealous wife. verse 8.
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Verse 6. City. When all are charge with a crime, or when all rise up against a man. Calmet.
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Verse 8. Woman. Greek adds, “against another woman.”
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Verse 9. With. Greek “and the scourge of the tongue, which,” and so forth Bible.—Back-biting occasions the four evils aforesaid. Grot.
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Verse 10. Woman. When oxen move, the yoke moves also: Thus heresy will suffer none to rest. Worthington.—The yoke ought to fit the neck, and not be fastened to the horns. Colum. ii. 2.
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Verse 11. Hid. She will be given to debauchery. Saint John Chrysostom Calmet.—Romulus ordered wives to be slain, like adulteresses, who had drunk wine at home. V. Max. vi. 3.
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Verse 12. Eye-lids. Shewing her impudence. 2 Peter 2:14. Isaiah 3:16.
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Verse 13. Herself. From gazing at men. Calmet.—Love manifests itself by the eyes. Propert.
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Verse 15. Hedge. Or “stake,” palum, ( Bible.) on which tents are fixed. Genesis 38:14. Calmet.—Fail. Incontinence will at last ruin her health. Bible.
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Verse 16. Bones. The Catholic faith is the ground of all virtues. Worthington.
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Verse 18. Worth. Lit. “exchange.” Greek ( Bible.) such a wife is above all price. Menochius.
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Verse 20. Continent. Adhering to virtue. Calmet.
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Verse 22. Holy. Made of gold, and placed in the sanctuary. Menochius.
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Verse 23. Soles. Greek “heels.” Comp. “solid pavement.” A long addition follows in this edition, which is inserted by Grabe, ( Bible. but is not in the best copies. Calmet.) instead of the following verse. Bible.
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Verse 26. Poverty. The Romans provided for veteran soldiers, as Louis XIV. did with great magnificence. Calmet.—Greenwich hospital is for the same purpose. Bible.—Despised. Solomon make the same complaint. Eccle. 9:15.
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Verse 27. To sin. He is less excusable, as he knows what he abandons. Jeremiah 2:12. Calmet.
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Verse 28. Two. Greek “scarcely is a merchant exempt from negligence, and the seller of wine, and eatables, (Grot.) or retailer (Voss. καπηλος) shall not be justified from sin.” Bible.—Negligence. That is, from the neglect of the service of God: because the eager pursuit of the mammon of this world, is apt to make men of that calling forget the great duties of loving God above all things, and their neighbours as themselves.—A huckster. Or a retailer of wine. Men of that profession are both greatly exposed to danger of sin themselves, and are too often accessary to the sins of others. Challoner.—Lips. Innkeepers talk too much to please, and thus fall into danger. Proverbs 10:19. Worthington.—They are also exposed to lying, ( Menochius.) and to adulterate their merchandise. Calmet.
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Greek countenance.
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or, fatten
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Verses 19-27 are omitted by the best authorities.