Book List
Prev Sirach Chapter 26 Next
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

Click *H for Haydock Commentary.
Click * Footnote to expand footnote
Click any word in Latin to activate the parser. Then click on the display to expand the parser.

26:1 [Mulieris bonae beatus vir : numerus enim annorum illius duplex.
*H Happy is the husband of a good wife: for the number of his years is double.


Ver. 1. Double. Uneasiness deprives a person of much comfort. W.

26:2 Mulier fortis oblectat virum suum, et annos vitae illius in pace implebit.
A virtuous woman rejoiceth her husband, and shall fulfil the years of his life in peace.
26:3 Pars bona mulier bona, in parte timentium Deum dabitur viro pro factis bonis :
*H A good wife is a good portion, she shall be given in the portion of them that fear God, to a man for his good deeds.


Ver. 3. To a, &c. is not in Gr. H.

26:4 divitis autem et pauperis cor bonum, in omni tempore vultus illorum hilaris.
Rich or poor, if his heart is good, his countenance shall be cheerful at all times.
26:5 A tribus timuit cor meum, et in quarto facies mea metuit :
*H Of three things my heart hath been afraid, and at the fourth my face hath trembled:


Ver. 5. Fourth. A jealous wife. v. 8.

26:6 delaturam civitatis, et collectionem populi :
*H The accusation of a city, and the gathering together of the people:


Ver. 6. City. When all are charged with a crime, or when all rise up against a man. C.

26:7 calumniam mendacem super mortem omnia gravia :
And a false calumny, all are more grievous than death.
26:8 dolor cordis et luctus, mulier zelotypa.
*H A jealous woman is the grief and mourning of the heart.


Ver. 8. Woman. Gr. adds, "against another woman."

26:9 In muliere zelotypa flagellum linguae, omnibus communicans.
*H With a jealous woman is a scourge of the tongue which communicateth with all.


Ver. 9. With. Gr. "and the scourge of the tongue, which," &c. H. — Back-biting occasions the four evils aforesaid. Grot.

26:10 Sicut boum jugum quod movetur, ita et mulier nequam : qui tenet illam quasi qui apprehendit scorpionem.
*H As a yoke of oxen that is moved to and fro, so also is a wicked woman: he that hath hold of her, is as he that taketh hold of a scorpion.


Ver. 10. Woman. When oxen move, the yoke moves also: Thus heresy will suffer none to rest. W. — The yoke ought to fit the neck, and not be fastened to the horns. Colum. ii. 2.

26:11 Mulier ebriosa ira magna, et contumelia : et turpitudo illius non tegetur.
*H A drunken woman is a great wrath: and her reproach and shame shall not be hid.


Ver. 11. Hid. She will be given to debauchery. S. Chrys. C. — Romulus ordered wives to be slain, like adulteresses, who had drunk wine at home. V. Max. vi. 3.

26:12 Fornicatio mulieris in extollentia oculorum, et in palpebris illius agnoscetur.
*H The fornication of a woman shall be known by the haughtiness of her eyes and by her eyelids.


Ver. 12. Eye-lids. Shewing her impudence. 2 Pet. ii. 14. Is. iii. 16.

26:13 In filia non avertente se, firma custodiam, ne inventa occasione utatur se.
*H On a daughter that turneth not away herself, set a strict watch: lest finding an opportunity she abuse herself.


Ver. 13. Herself. From gazing at men. C. — Love manifests itself by the eyes. Propert.

26:14 Ab omni irreverentia oculorum ejus cave, et ne mireris si te neglexerit.
Take heed of the impudence of her eyes, and wonder not if she slight thee.
26:15 Sicut viator sitiens ad fontem os aperiet, et ab omni aqua proxima bibet, et contra omnem palum sedebit, et contra omnem sagittam aperiet pharetram donec deficiat.
*H She will open her mouth as a thirsty traveller to the fountain, and will drink of every water near her, and will sit down by every hedge, and open her quiver against every arrow, until she fail.


Ver. 15. Hedge. Or "stake," palum, (H.) on which tents were fixed. Gen. xxxviii. 14. C. — Fail. Incontinence will at last ruin her health. H.

26:16 Gratia mulieris sedulae delectabit virum suum, et ossa illius impinguabit.
*H The grace of a diligent woman shall delight her husband, and shall fat his bones.


Ver. 16. Bones. The Catholic faith is the ground of all virtues. W.

26:17 Disciplina illius datum Dei est.
Her discipline is the gift of God.
26:18 Mulier sensata et tacita, non est immutatio eruditae animae.
*H Such is a wise and silent woman, and there is nothing so much worth as a well instructed soul.


Ver. 18. Worth. Lit. "exchange." Gr. (H.) such a wife is above all price. M.

26:19 Gratia super gratiam mulier sancta et pudorata.
A holy and shamefaced woman is grace upon grace.
26:20 Omnis autem ponderatio non est digna continentis animae.
*H And no price is worthy of a continent soul.


Ver. 20. Continent. Adhering to virtue. C.

26:21 Sicut sol oriens mundo in altissimis Dei, sic mulieris bonae species in ornamentum domus ejus.
As the sun when it riseth to the world in the high places of God, so is the beauty of a good wife for the ornament of her house.
26:22 Lucerna splendens super candelabrum sanctum, et species faciei super aetatem stabilem.
*H As the lamp shining upon the holy candlestick, so is the beauty of the face in a ripe age,


Ver. 22. Holy. Made of gold, and placed in the sanctuary. M.

26:23 Columnae aureae super bases argenteas, et pedes firmi super plantas stabilis mulieris.
*H As golden pillars upon bases of silver, so are the firm feet upon the soles of a steady woman.


Ver. 23. Soles. Gr. "heels." Comp. "solid pavement." A long addition follows in this edit. which is inserted by Grabe, (H. but is not in the best copies. C.) instead of the following verse. H.

26:24 Fundamenta aeterna supra petram solidam, et mandata Dei in corde mulieris sanctae.]
As everlasting foundations upon a solid rock, so the commandments of God in the heart of a holy woman.
26:25 [In duobus contristatum est cor meum, et in tertio iracundia mihi advenit :
At two things my heart is grieved, and the third bringeth anger upon me.
26:26 vir bellator deficiens per inopiam ; et vir sensatus contemptus ;
*H A man of war fainting through poverty, and a man of sense despised:


Ver. 26. Poverty. The Romans provided for veteran soldiers, as Louis XIV. did with great magnificence. C. — Greenwich hospital is for the same purpose. H. — Despised. Solomon make the same complaint. Eccle. ix. 15.

26:27 et qui transgreditur a justitia ad peccatum : Deus paravit eum ad rhomphaeam.]
*H And he that passeth over from justice to sin, God hath prepared such an one for the sword.


Ver. 27. To sin. He is less excusable, as he knows what he abandons. Jer. ii. 12. C.

26:28 [Duae species difficiles et periculosae mihi apparuerunt : difficile exuitur negotians a negligentia, et non justificabitur caupo a peccatis labiorum.]
*H Two sorts of callings have appeared to me hard and dangerous: a merchant is hardly free from negligence: and a huckster shall not be justified from the sins of the lips.


Ver. 28. Two. Gr. "scarcely is a merchant exempt from negligence, and the seller of wine, and eatables, (Grot.) or retailer (Voss. καπηλος ) shall not be justified from sin." H. — Negligence. That is, from the neglect of the service of God: because the eager pursuit of the mammon of this world, is apt to make men of that calling forget the great duties of loving God above all things, and their neighbours as themselves. — A huckster. Or a retailer of wine. Men of that profession are both greatly exposed to danger of sin themselves, and are too often accessary to the sins of others. Ch. — Lips. Innkeepers talk much to please, and thus fall into danger. Prov. x. 19. W. — They are also exposed to lying, (M.) and to adulterate their merchandise. C.

Prev Next