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When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
Verse 1. Sit. Saul sat at table, and the custom of lying down was adopted only a little while before the captivity. It was recent among the Romans. Calmet.—Soliti patres considere mensis. Æn. vii. 170.
put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.
Verse 2. Throat. Restrain intemperance and talkativeness. Sirach 31:12. Septuagint “stretch forth thy hand, knowing that thou must prepare the like; but if thou be more insatiable, (3.) desire not his meats, for he has them of deceitful life.” They cannot afford real happiness, ( Bible.) and to vie with the rich would only reduce them to poverty. Sirach 13:2. Saint Augustine (tr. xlvii. in Joan.) explains this text of the blessed Eucharist, observing, that we must give our life for our brethren, as Christ did for us. Before communion, we must slay the old man, and subdue our passions. Calmet.—Power. Prot. “if thou be a man given to appetite.” The situation of a courtier is very critical. Bible.—Those who eat with the kings of Persia, were nicely observed by an eunuch, lest they should cast their eyes on any of his concubines. Lucian. de Merced.
Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
Verse 3. Deceit. Poison. He wishes to discover thy secret.
Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
Verse 4. Prudence. Be more solicitous for this, than to acquire riches. Calmet.—Yet this wisdom must be sober. Romans 12:3. 1 Timothy 6:9. Septuagint “being poor, do not stretch forth thyself to the rich, but prudently retire. verse 2. Bible.
Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
Verse 5. Riches. Septuagint “to him, the rich man, he no where appears. He has prepared,” and so forth Bible.—Like. Hebrew “as the eagle, it will fly,” and so forth Bible.—We must therefore fix our hearts on more durable goods.
Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies,
Verse 6. Man. Hebrew “eat not bread of an evil eye,” the envious, or rather the sordid miser.
for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
Verse 7. Like. Prot. “as he thinketh is his heart, so is he: eat,” and so forth Bible.—He is still convinced that his guests will ruin him: or “like one guarding, or trembling for his soul.” Septuagint “swallowing a hair, he saith,” and so forth He is afraid of expense, and would allow himself as little as possible.—Diviner. Such endeavour to speak what may come to pass, but are full of anxiety; so the miser’s words are contrary to his real sentiments, ( Calmet.) as the diviner knows that he is imposing on mankind. Bible.
You will vomit up the morsel which you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
Verse 8. Words. Thou wilt be disgusted, and repine. Sirach 31:25.
Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
Verse 10. Ones. Hebrew and Septuagint “ancient boundaries.”
for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
Verse 11. Kinsman. Hebrew Gaal, “tutor, defendant, or redeemer,” the Lord ( Bible.) himself. Leviticus 25:25.
Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol.
Sheol is the place of the dead.
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine.
Yes, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
Verse 16. Reins. Inmost affections.
Don’t let your heart envy sinners, but rather fear the LORD all day long.
Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
Verse 18. Thou. Prot. “surely there is an end.” Marg. “reward.” Bible.—The testimony of a good conscience affords the greatest comfort in death. Septuagint “if thou observe these things, thou shalt have posterity.” Hebrew “hopes.”
Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!
Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat;
Verse 20. Eat. Such feasts tend to corrupt the morals, and to misspend time.
for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Verse 21. Rags. At death the insolent shall be exposed to shame.
Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
Verse 23. Sell. Acquire as much wisdom as possible, and keep it with care. Calmet.—Septuagint “do not drive wisdom from thee.”
The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!
My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
Verse 27. Pit. It is difficult to overcome this passion, when once it has got possession of the heart. We must therefore watch over it, and consecrate it in variably to wisdom. verse 26.
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
Verse 28. Him. Prot. “increaseth the transgressors among men,” ( Bible.) and like a harpy, kills all whom she can entrap.
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Verse 29. Whose father. S. Jerom has read ab avi, instead of abo, ( Calmet.) which is an interjection, (Boch.) alas! or it means, “trouble.” Septuagint “drunkenness,” (Chal. Calmet.) or “sorrow.” Prot.—Falls. Septuagint “hath sorrows.” Hebrew “babbling,” (Prot. Bible.) or discontents of mind. Calmet.—Cause. Drunkards often fall upon their best friends, as Alexander did on Clytus. Menochius.
Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
Verse 31. Yellow. Or bright, as it is said there is only one red wine in Palestine.—Pleasantly. Hebrew “it goeth right,” and is excellent. Calmet.
In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
Verse 32. Basilisk, (regulus). Hebrew Tsiphoni, ( Bible.) as asp. Cerastes, and so forth Psalms 90:13.
Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
Verse 33. Women. Wine excites to lust. Calmet. See chapter 20:1.—Shall. Septuagint “shall these.” Bible.
Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
Verse 34. When. Septuagint “in a great wave.” Never is reason more wanted, nor less able to perform her duty.
“They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I will look for more.”
Verse 35. Drew. Chal. “plundered.” Septuagint “mocked at me.”—Again. This is the woeful effect of drunkenness, that men are not deterred from it, though they be sensible of its dreadful consequences. Menochius.