1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

Presents commentary in a tabular format for ease of reading.Click to learn more.





Sirach 24:1 Wisdom shall praise her own self, and shall be honoured in God, and shall glory in the midst of her people,

Wisdom. Greek title, "the praise of wisdom." Here the book of Ecclesiastes is imitated. (Haydock) --- See also Proverbs viii., and Wisdom 7:24., and 8:1. The pagans boasted of their philosophy. But it was not to be compared with the true religion, which the Israelites possessed. --- Own self. Literally, "soul." She alone is capable of this office. (Calmet) --- In God. Referring all the glory to him. (Menochius) --- This sentence is not in Greek. (Haydock) --- The second person of the Trinity proclaims his own praises. (Worthington)
Sirach 24:2 And shall open her mouth in the churches of the Most High, and shall glorify herself in the sight of his power,

Power. The temple, rather than in the schools of Athens. (Calmet)
Sirach 24:3 And in the midst of her own people she shall be exalted, and shall be admired in the holy assembly,

And. Greek, (5.) "I came out of the mouth of the Highest, (6.) and as," etc. (Haydock) --- He alludes to the darkness which covered the earth, Genesis 1:2., and Job 38:9. Many explain this of the uncreated wisdom, born in the womb of the blessed Virgin [Mary]; and the Church, in her office, applies it to her in a mystical sense. But it seems literally to refer to the wisdom and grace granted to the saints, which enlightens every man, and presides over the creation.
Sirach 24:4 And in the multitude of the elect she shall have praise, and among the blessed she shall be blessed, saying:
Sirach 24:5 I came out of the mouth of the Most High, the first-born before all creatures:
Sirach 24:6 I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth:
Sirach 24:7 I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud.

Cloud. Guiding the Israelites (Exodus 13:21.) or near the throne of God, Wisdom 9:4. (Calmet)
Sirach 24:8 I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated into the bottom of the deep, and have walked in the waves of the sea,

Penetrated. Greek, "walked in."
Sirach 24:9 And have stood in all the earth: and in every people,
Sirach 24:10 And in every nation I have had the chief rule:
Sirach 24:11 And by my power I have trodden under my feet the hearts of all the high and low: and in all these I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord.

By. Greek, "with all," etc. (Haydock) --- Lord. Israel was chosen gratuitously. (Calmet) --- Greek, of whom?
Sirach 24:12 Then the creator of all things commanded, and said to me: and he that made me, rested in my tabernacle,

Rested. Greek, "gave rest to my tent." (Haydock) --- So Virgil says, requierun. flumina cursus. (Menochius) --- God offers grace, but forces none to accept of it. (Worthington)
Sirach 24:13 And he said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect.

And take, etc., is not in Greek. (Haydock) --- This may be explained of the true religion, or (Calmet) of the word of the Father. (St. Augustine, Trin. 1:12.) --- In the Church only is effectual grace, (Worthington) or none will receive it, who refuses to hear the Church. (Haydock)
Sirach 24:14 *From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling-place I have ministered before him.

Proverbs 8:22. 		Created. Or engendered, Proverbs 8:22. --- Him. As his priestess, directing all the ministers of the temple. (Calmet) --- Christ is begotten by the understanding, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from love. Creation is not here taken strictly. (Worthington)
Sirach 24:15 And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem.
Sirach 24:16 And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.

His. Greek, "of his inheritance, (17.) I," etc. (Haydock)
Sirach 24:17 I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress-tree on Mount Sion.

Sion. Beyond the Jordan. Greek, "Hermon," Deuteronomy 4:48.
Sirach 24:18 I was exalted like a palm-tree in Cades, and as a rose-plant in Jericho:

Cades-barne, Numbers 20:1. Greek, "Engaddi," (Calmet) or Roman and Alexandrian edition, "on the sea shore." (Haydock)
Sirach 24:19 As a fair olive-tree in the plains, and as a plane-tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted.

In the streets, is not in Greek. (Calmet) --- Grabe inserts, by the waters. (Haydock) --- These trees flourish most in such situations, and people delighted to walk under them in hot countries.
Sirach 24:20 I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon, and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh:

Myrrh. Which distills through the bark, without any incision.
Sirach 24:21 And I perfumed my dwelling as storax, and galbanum, and onyx, and aloes, and as the frankincense not cut, and my odour is as the purest balm.

Onyx. A shell-fish in the Indies, which feeds on the spica nardi, and hence becomes odoriferous. --- Aloes, (gutta) the finest myrrh. --- Not cut. Greek, "in a tent." --- And my, etc., is not in Greek. Wisdom is compared to what was most esteemed. (Calmet)
Sirach 24:22 I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine-tree, and my branches are of honour and grace.

Honour. Rich and pleasant. (Haydock)
Sirach 24:23 As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.
Sirach 24:24 I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.

I, etc. Grabe restores this verse, and, instead of the next, has, "but I am given to all my children, being born myself for ever, to those who are specified by him. (26.) Come," etc. (Haydock) --- The text seems to be corrupt. (Calmet)
Sirach 24:25 In me is all grace of the way, and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue.

Life. Christ declares himself to be, the way, the truth, and the life. [John 14:6.]
Sirach 24:26 Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.
Sirach 24:27 For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.

Spirit. Greek, "remembrance." It has not the following verse.
Sirach 24:28 My memory is unto everlasting generations.
Sirach 24:29 *They that eat me shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst.

John 6:35. 		Thirst. Without being ever disgusted, John 4:13. (Calmet) --- Experience of carnal delights is quite the reverse. (St. Gregory, hom. xxxvi. Ev.) --- The more grace a person has, the more he desireth and receiveth from God. (Worthington)
Sirach 24:30 He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin.

Sin. Or lose their labour. They shall be directed in the paths of life. (Calmet)
Sirach 24:31 They that explain me, shall have life everlasting.

They. Greek, "all these things are the book of the covenant of the most high God, the law which Moses gave unto us, an inheritance to the synagogues of Jacob." Grabe puts in a different character from the Complutensian, "Lose not strength in the Lord, but stick to him, that he may strengthen you. The Lord Almighty is the only God, and there is no other Saviour." Then follows, (ver. 35.) "who," etc. (Haydock) --- Everlasting. Provided his life correspond with his doctrine. No occupation can be more glorious. (Calmet) --- Let thy Scriptures be my chaste delights: let me not be deceived in them, nor deceive others by them. (St. Augustine, Confessions 11:2.) (Calmet) (Daniel xii.) (Menochius)
Sirach 24:32 All these things are the book of life, and the covenant of the Most High, and the knowledge of truth.

Truth. They are equally certain, and no more is required. (Calmet) --- He that loves has fulfilled the law. (Haydock)
Sirach 24:33 Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel.
Sirach 24:34 He appointed to David, his servant, to raise up of him a most mighty king, and sitting on the throne of glory for ever.

King. Viz., Christ, who by his gospel, like an overflowing river, hath enriched the earth with heavenly wisdom. (Challoner) --- Ever. The Lord (Haydock) is a king, (Carriers) who, etc., ver. 35. (Haydock) --- Solomon's wisdom is also praised. (Calmet) --- The sceptre of David remained till the captivity, and the royal family continued in esteem till Christ. Yet David was only a figure of Christ, the eternal king. (Worthington)
Sirach 24:35 *Who filleth up wisdom as the Phison, and as the Tigris in the days of the new fruits.

Genesis 2:11. 		Phison. Or Phase of Colchis, which rises in Armenia, like the Tigris and Euphrates, all which overflow their banks at the beginning of summer, on account of the snow melting.
Sirach 24:36 Who maketh understanding to abound as the Euphrates, *who multiplieth it as the Jordan in the time of harvest.

Josue 3:15. 		Harvest. The snow of Libanus makes the Jordan swell at Pentecost, Josue 3:15.
Sirach 24:37 Who sendeth knowledge as the light, and riseth up as Gehon in the time of the vintage.

Light. Giving to all the light of reason, and to Israel the law, Psalm 147:20. --- Gehon. Or Araxes, which descends from Armenia into the Caspian sea, though some erroneously take it to be the Nile, (Calmet) which overflows at the same time as the Euphrates. (Pliny, [Natural History?] 18:18.; Solin xlvi.)
Sirach 24:38 Who first hath perfect knowledge of her, and a weaker shall not search her out.

Of her. Christ was the first that had perfect knowledge of heavenly wisdom. (Challoner) --- This is the privilege of God. Greek, "the first hath not perfect," etc.
Sirach 24:39 For her thoughts are more vast than the sea, and her counsels more deep than the great ocean.
Sirach 24:40 I wisdom have poured out rivers.

Rivers of saving waters, on all, but particularly (Haydock) on Judea, ver. 42. Greek, "and like a ditch (dioryx. Calmet) from a river, and as an aqueduct, I came into paradise," (Haydock) like the four rivers aforesaid, Genesis ii.
Sirach 24:41 I like a brook out of a river of a mighty water, I like a channel of a river, and like an aqueduct came out of paradise.
Sirach 24:42 I said: I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruit of my meadow.
Sirach 24:43 And behold my brook became a great river, and my river became near to a sea:
Sirach 24:44 For I make doctrine to shine forth to all as the morning light, and I will declare it afar off.

Off. He alludes to the conversion of the Gentiles.
Sirach 24:45 I will penetrate to all the lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that sleep, and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord.

I will. Many Fathers explain this of Christ's descent into hell. But as it occurs not in the Greek, if may be considered as the tradition of the first Christians, who gave this version, (Calmet) or they found it in their copies. (Haydock)
Sirach 24:46 I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and will leave it to them that seek wisdom, and will not cease to instruct their offspring even to the holy age.

Prophecy. Of no less authority. The prophets had ceased for some time before Christ. (Calmet) --- Them. Greek, "to ages of ages. See," etc. (Haydock)
Sirach 24:47 *See ye that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all that seek out the truth.

Ecclesiasticus 33:18. 		1:Wisdom, or the author of this book, Ecclesiasticus 33:18., and Wisdom 7:13. (Calmet)