1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible
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| Sirach 25:1 | With three things my spirit is pleased, which are approved before God and men: | Pleased. Wisdom still speaks. Solomon often makes similar divisions, to make the deeper impression, Proverbs 30:15, 24. |
| Sirach 25:2 | The concord of brethren, and the love of neighbours, and man and wife that agree well together. | |
| Sirach 25:3 | Three sorts my soul hateth, and I am greatly grieved at their life: | |
| Sirach 25:4 | A poor man that is proud: a rich man that is a liar: an old man that is a fool, and doting. | Fool. Greek, "adulterer, devoid of sense," Isaias 65:20. (Calmet) --- Luxuria....senectuti foedissima. (Cicero, off. i.) |
| Sirach 25:5 | The things that thou hast not gathered in thy youth, how shalt thou find them in thy old age? | Age? Wisdom, says Bias, "is more durable than other possessions." (Laertius) |
| Sirach 25:6 | O how comely is judgment for a grey head, and for ancients to know counsel! | |
| Sirach 25:7 | O how comely is wisdom for the aged, and understanding and counsel to men of honour! | |
| Sirach 25:8 | Much experience is the crown of old men, and the fear of God is their glory. | |
| Sirach 25:9 | Nine things that are not to be imagined by the heart have I magnified, and the tenth I will utter to men with my tongue. | Things. Greek, "nine suppositions I have blessed in my heart," (Haydock) or thought that they may confer felicity. B\but the tenth will certainly do it, Ecclesiasticus 14. |
| Sirach 25:10 | A man that hath joy of his children: and he that liveth and seeth the fall of his enemies. | Enemies. Not out of revenge, but for the glory of God. See Matthew 5:43. |
| Sirach 25:11 | *Blessed is he. that dwelleth with a wise woman, *and that hath not slipped with his tongue, and that hath not served such as are unworthy of him. Ecclesiasticus 26:1.; Ecclesiasticus 14:1.; Ecclesiasticus 19:16.; James 3:2. | |
| Sirach 25:12 | Blessed is he that findeth a true friend: and that declareth justice to an ear that heareth. | A true. Greek, "prudence." (Calmet) |
| Sirach 25:13 | How great is he that findeth wisdom and knowledge! but there is none above him that feareth the Lord. | |
| Sirach 25:14 | The fear of God hath set itself above all things: | Things. Greek adds, "for light (15.) he that," etc. (Haydock) |
| Sirach 25:15 | Blessed is the man, to whom it is given to have the fear of God: he that holdeth it, to whom shall he be likened? | |
| Sirach 25:16 | The fear of God is the beginning of his love: and the beginning of faith is to be fast joined unto it. | It. This is not in the edition of Rome, or of Aldus: but it is in the rest. Fear commonly begins the work of salvation, and love perfects it, 1 Timothy 1:5. (Calmet) --- All happiness in this life is grounded on the fear of God. (Worthington) |
| Sirach 25:17 | The sadness of the heart is every plague: and the wickedness of a woman is all evil. | Evil. Greek reads not this; but the Syriac does, omitting the two next verses. (Calmet) --- Heresy is described under the idea of a wicked woman, concealing her malice. (Worthington) |
| Sirach 25:18 | And a man will choose any plague, but the plague of the heart: | Choose. Literally, "see." (Haydock) --- Some supply "send any plague," etc. |
| Sirach 25:19 | And any wickedness, but the wickedness of a woman: | |
| Sirach 25:20 | And any affliction, but the affliction from them that hate him: | |
| Sirach 25:21 | And any revenge, but the revenge of enemies. | Enemies. Which they wish, or may behold, Ecclesiasticus 18:31. (Calmet) |
| Sirach 25:22 | There is no head worse than the head of a serpent: | Head. Or poison, as the Hebrew rosh signifies both. (Rondet.) |
| Sirach 25:23 | And there is no anger above the anger of a woman. *It will be more agreeable to abide with a lion and a dragon, than to dwell with a wicked woman. Proverbs 21:19. | Woman. Greek, "enemy." (Calmet) --- Revenge is the passion of little souls, and of women. (Juvenal xiii.) --- Dragon. This is not exaggerated, if we reflect on the evils occasioned by Eve, Dalila, Athalia, etc. (Calmet) --- "A woman is the greatest wild-beast." (Menander) |
| Sirach 25:24 | The wickedness of a woman changeth her face: and she darkeneth her countenance as a bear: and sheweth it like sackcloth. In the midst of her neighbours, | Sackcloth. And is black when passion bursts forth, though women too frequently conceal their anger to take deeper vengeance. |
| Sirach 25:25 | Her husband groaned, and hearing, he sighed a little. | Groaned. Greek, "shall fall." --- Little. Greek, "bitterly." He cannot avoid hearing of his wife's misconduct. (Haydock) --- She will raise him enemies on all sides. |
| Sirach 25:26 | All malice is short to the malice of a woman: let the lot of sinners fall upon her. | Her. I could wish no greater evil to the worst of enemies, Ecclesiastes 7:27. |
| Sirach 25:27 | As the climbing of a sandy way is to the feet of the aged, so is a wife full of tongue to a quiet man. | Man. He cannot advance. (Calmet) --- Semper habet lites. (Juvenal vi.) |
| Sirach 25:28 | Look not upon a woman's beauty, and desire not a woman for beauty. | Beauty. Other qualifications of more importance must be regarded. (Haydock) --- He should choose one who may be a companion and assistant in domestic concerns. (Grotius) |
| Sirach 25:29 | *A woman's anger, and impudence, and confusion is great. Ecclesiasticus 42:6 | |
| Sirach 25:30 | A woman, if she have superiority, is contrary to her husband. | A. Greek, "If she bring a fortune to her husband," (Haydock) she will continually upbraid him with it, and cover him with confusion, ver. 29. (Calmet) --- Lay-leadership in spiritual things is so unreasonable, that few heretics will endure it. (Worthington) |
| Sirach 25:31 | A wicked woman abateth the courage, and maketh a heavy countenance and a wounded heart. | |
| Sirach 25:32 | Feeble hands, and disjointed knees, a woman that doth not make her husband happy. | Happy. A lazy wife will give no content. |
| Sirach 25:33 | *From the woman came the beginning of sin, and by her we all die. Genesis 3:6. | Die. Eve tempted her husband, and thus we are all involved in sin, 1 Timothy 2:14. |
| Sirach 25:34 | Give no issue to thy water, no, not a little: nor to a wicked woman liberty to gad abroad. | Water. Incontinency, Ecclesiasticus 26:15., and Proverbs 5:15. If water find a hole, it will presently flow away. Women were kept much at home in the East, as they are in many parts of Europe. (Calmet) --- Retirement and silence are the characteristics of a wise woman. (Aeschylus, Thebas.) |
| Sirach 25:35 | If she walk not at thy hand, she will confound thee in the sight of thy enemies. | She will. Greek, "cut her off from thy flesh." Grabe and Complutensian add, (Haydock) "give a bill of divorce or her dowry, and send her away." (Calmet) |
| Sirach 25:36 | Cut her off from thy flesh, lest she always abuse thee. |