Sirach 33

Verse 1. Evils. God will make all turn to the advantage of the elect.

Verse 3. To him. God will fulfill all his promises. Calmet.—Greek continues, “as the interrogation ( Bible.) of the Urim, (δηλων. Calmet.) prepare what to say, and so thou shalt be heard. Put on instruction, and thus reply.” Bible.—Speak not without being prepared.

Verse 5. Cart. Inconstant and grating. Calmet.—The wicked turn from one vice to another, as heretics devise many errors, not having their heart established in grace. Hebrews 13:9. Worthington.

Verse 6. Him. And will be unmanageable, ( Menochius.) when he has any thing to ridicule. Calmet.—Qui captat risus. Hor. i. Sat. 4.

Verse 7. Another. God’s will alone appoints one to be holy or fine; and another to be stormy, or dedicated to labour. Calmet.—And one. Greek “and all the light of the day throughout the year proceeds from the sun.”

Verse 8. The sun. Greek “and he distinguished the seasons and holidays (10) some,” and so forth

Verse 10. Great. Greek “holy.” Bible.—Thus all men are by nature equal. Yet what difference do we not find in their condition? Some live in obscurity, who might have shone upon the throne; and this is God’s will. Calmet.

Verse 12. Station. Exterminating the Chanaanites. God disposes of all with sovereign power and justice. Romans 9:29.

Verse 14. Ordering. All depend on God. Calmet.—“The predestination of the saints is nothing but the foreknowledge and preparation of God’s benefits, by which those are most certainly liberated who obtain their freedom. But where are the rest left; except in the mass of perdition, by the just judgment of the Deity? Saint Augustine Persev. xiv. n. 35, and Corrept. xiii. n. 42.

A line of this verse is here omitted by the best authorities.

Verse 15. Another. Lights and shades both contribute to form the beauty of a picture. Bible.—Antitheses adorn a discourse, as opposite things do the universe. Saint Augustine de Civ. Dei. xi. 18.—God will make the wicked subservient to his glory.

Verse 16. Of all. Solomon, Ezechias, and so forth made various collections of similar maxims. Calmet.—The books of the Machabees were alone written after this in the Old Testament. Menochius.—Greek places what follows after Calmet. 30:26. These four verses may be regarded as a sort of preface. Bible.

Verse 21. Change thee. That is, so as to have this power over thee. Challoner.—Be inflexible on this head. Calmet.

Verse 23. The pre-eminence. That is, be master in thy own house, and part not with thy authority. Challoner.—Let not thy wife or servants rule in thy name. Menochius.

Verse 25. Fodder. Greek prefixes “on slaves.” Bible.—They were bought like horses. Aristotle (Œcon. i. 5.) gives the like instructions on their treatment. Calmet.

Verse 27. A still. Greek “the neck, (28) torture,” and so forth Bible.

Verse 31. Faithful, is not expressed in Greek but must be understood.—Blood. Taking him prisoner at the hazard of thy life. The like misfortune might easily have befallen thee. Calmet.—Seneca (ep. 47.) says, “live so with thy inferior, as thou wouldst have thy superior live with thee.”

Verse 33. Thou. Greek “on what road wilt thou seek for him?”