1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

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Proverbs 23:1 When thou shalt sit to eat with a prince, consider diligently what is set before thy face:

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. (Virgil, Aeneid 7:170.)
Proverbs 23:2 And put a knife to thy throat, if it be so that thou have thy soul in thy own power.

Throat. Restrain intemperance and talkativeness, Ecclesiasticus 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 a deceitful life." They cannot afford real happiness, (Haydock) and to vie with the rich would only reduce them to poverty, Ecclesiasticus 13:2. St. 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. Protestants, "if thou be a man given to appetite." The situation of a courtier is very critical. (Haydock) --- 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.)
Proverbs 23:3 Be not desirous of his meats, in which is the bread of deceit.

Deceit. Poison. He wishes to discover thy secret.
Proverbs 23:4 Labour not to be rich: but set bounds to thy prudence.

Prudence. Be more solicitous for this, than to acquire riches. (Calmet) --- Yet this wisdom must be sober, Romans 12:3., and 1 Timothy 6:9. Septuagint, "being poor, do not stretch forth thyself to the rich, but prudently retire,["] ver. 2. (Haydock)
Proverbs 23:5 Lift not up thy eyes to riches which thou canst not have: because they shall make themselves wings like those of an eagle, and shall fly towards heaven.

Riches. Septuagint, "to him, the rich man, he no where appears. He has prepared," etc. (Haydock) --- Like. Hebrew, "as the eagle, it will fly," etc. (Haydock) --- We must therefore fix our hearts on more durable goods.
Proverbs 23:6 Eat not with an envious man, and desire not his meats:

Man. Hebrew, "eat not bread of an evil eye," the envious, or rather the sordid miser.
Proverbs 23:7 Because, like a soothsayer, and diviner, he thinketh that which he knoweth not. Eat and drink, will he say to thee: and his mind is not with thee.

Like. Protestants, "as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: eat," etc. (Haydock) --- 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," etc. 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. (Haydock)
Proverbs 23:8 The meats which thou hadst eaten, thou shalt vomit up: and shalt lose thy beautiful words.

Words. Thou wilt be disgusted, and repine, Ecclesiasticus 31:25.
Proverbs 23:9 Speak not in the ears of fools: because they will despise the instruction of thy speech.
Proverbs 23:10 Touch not the bounds of little ones: and enter not into the field of the fatherless:

Ones. Hebrew and Septuagint, "ancient boundaries."
Proverbs 23:11 For their near kinsman is strong: and he will judge their cause against thee.

Kinsman. Hebrew Gaal, "tutor, defendant, or redeemer," the Lord (Haydock) himself, Leviticus 25:25.
Proverbs 23:12 Let thy heart apply itself to instruction: and thy ears to words of knowledge.
Proverbs 23:13 *Withhold not correction from a child: for if thou strike him with the rod, he shall not die.

Proverbs 13:24.; Ecclesiasticus 30:1.
Proverbs 23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and deliver his soul from hell.
Proverbs 23:15 My son, if thy mind be wise, my heart shall rejoice with thee:
Proverbs 23:16 And my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips shall speak what is right.

Reins. Inmost affections.
Proverbs 23:17 *Let not thy heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long:

Proverbs 24:1.
Proverbs 23:18 Because thou shalt have hope in the latter end, and thy expectation shall not be taken away.

Thou. Protestants, "surely there is an end." Marginal note, "reward." (Haydock) --- The testimony of a good conscience affords the greatest comfort in death. Septuagint, "if thou observe these things, thou shalt have posterity." Hebrew, "hopes."
Proverbs 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise: and guide thy mind in the way.
Proverbs 23:20 Be not in the feasts of great drinkers, nor in their revellings, who contribute flesh to eat:

Eat. Such feasts tend to corrupt the morals, and to misspend time.
Proverbs 23:21 Because they that give themselves to drinking, and that club together, shall be consumed: and drowsiness shall be clothed with rags.

Rags. At death the indolent shall be exposed to shame.
Proverbs 23:22 Hearken to thy father, that beget thee: and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23:23 Buy truth, and do not sell wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

Sell. Acquire as much wisdom as possible, and keep it with care. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "do not drive wisdom from thee."
Proverbs 23:24 The father of the just rejoiceth greatly: he that hath begotten a wise son, shall have joy in him.
Proverbs 23:25 Let thy father and thy mother be joyful, and let her rejoice that bore thee.
Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me thy heart: and let thy eyes keep my ways.
Proverbs 23:27 For a harlot is a deep ditch: and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

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 invariably to wisdom, ver. 26.
Proverbs 23:28 She lieth in wait in the way as a robber, and him whom she shall see unwary, she will kill.

Him. Protestants, "increaseth the transgressors among men," (Haydock) and like a harpy, kills all whom she can entrap.
Proverbs 23:29 Who hath wo? whose father hath wo? who hath contentions? who falls into pits? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

Whose father. St. Jerome has read ab avi, instead of abo, (Calmet) which is an interjection, (Bochart) alas! or it means, "trouble." Septuagint, "drunkenness," (Chaldean; Calmet) or "sorrow." (Protestants) --- Falls. Septuagint, "hath sorrows." Hebrew, "babbling," (Protestants; Haydock) or discontents of mind. (Calmet) --- Cause. Drunkards often fall upon their best friends, as Alexander did on Clytus. (Menochius)
Proverbs 23:30 Surely they that pass their time in wine, and study to drink off their cups.
Proverbs 23:31 Look not upon the wine when it is yellow, when the colour thereof shineth in the glass: it goeth in pleasantly,

Yellow. Or bright, as it is said there is only one red wine in Palestine. --- Pleasantly. Hebrew, "it goeth right," and is excellent. (Calmet)
Proverbs 23:32 But in the end, it will bite like a snake, and will spread abroad poison like a basilisk.

Basilisk, (regulus). Hebrew Tsiphoni, (Haydock) as asp. (Cerastes, etc.) (Psalm 90:13.)
Proverbs 23:33 Thy eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.

Women. Wine excites to lust. (Calmet) See Proverbs 20:1. --- Shall. Septuagint, "shall these." (Haydock)
Proverbs 23:34 And thou shalt be as one sleeping in the midst of the sea, and as a pilot fast asleep when the stern is lost.

When. Septuagint, "in a great wave." Never is reason more wanted, nor less able to perform her duty.
Proverbs 23:35 And thou shalt say: They have beaten me, but I was not sensible of pain: they drew me, and I felt not: when shall I awake and find wine again?

Drew. Chaldean, "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)