Book List
Prev Sirach Chapter 29 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.

29:1 [Qui facit misericordiam foeneratur proximo suo : et qui praevalet manu mandata servat.
*H He that sheweth mercy, lendeth to his neighbour: and he that is stronger in hand, keepeth the commandments.


Ver. 1. Hand. That is, he that is hearty and bountiful in lending to his neighbour in his necessity. Ch. — Fœnus, in this book means simply "lending." Rondet. — This is a work of mercy, and a sort of alms. Justice requires that the thing should be restored, and if any refuse on purpose, he is as bad as a thief. W. — He who lends will receive usury from the Lord. Prov. xix. 17. Ps. xxxvi. 21. — In hand. Rich.

29:2 Foenerare proximo tuo in tempore necessitatis illius : et iterum redde proximo in tempore suo.
*H Lend to thy neighbour in the time of his need, and pay thou thy neighbour again in due time.


Ver. 2. Time. The neglect of this causes many to be unwilling to lend. C.

29:3 Confirma verbum, et fideliter age cum illo : et in omni tempore invenies quod tibi necessarium est.
Keep thy word, and deal faithfully with him: and thou shalt always find that which is necessary for thee.
29:4 Multi quasi inventionem aestimaverunt foenus, et praestiterunt molestiam his qui se adjuverunt.
Many have looked upon a thing lent as a thing found, and have given trouble to them that helped them.
29:5 Donec accipiant, osculantur manus dantis, et in promissionibus humiliant vocem suam :
*H Till they receive, they kiss the hands of the lender, and in promises they humble their voice:


Ver. 5. Hands. Like slaves. Macrob. 1. — Others kissed the face, neck, &c. Acts xx. 37.

29:6 et in tempore redditionis postulabit tempus, et loquetur verba taedii et murmurationum, et tempus causabitur.
But when they should repay, they will ask time, and will return tedious and murmuring words, and will complain of the time:
29:7 Si autem potuerit reddere, adversabitur : solidi vix reddet dimidium, et computabit illud quasi inventionem :
*H And if he be able to pay, he will stand off, he will scarce pay one half, and will count it as if he had found it:


Ver. 7. Found it. Seeming to make thee partaker of his good fortune, (Jans.) or he will keep the other half as his own. Grot.

29:8 sin autem, fraudabit illum pecunia sua, et possidebit illum inimicum gratis :
But if not, he will defraud him of his money, and he shall get him for an enemy without cause.
29:9 et convitia et maledicta reddet illi, et pro honore et beneficio reddet illi contumeliam.
*H And he will pay him with reproaches and curses, and instead of honour and good turn will repay him injuries.


Ver. 9. Injuries. Thus one loses both money and friends. Must we then never lend? If the person be poor, we must be ready to give. C.

29:10 Multi non causa nequitiae non foenerati sunt, sed fraudari gratis timuerunt.
Many have refused to lend, not out of wickedness, but they were afraid to be defrauded without cause.
29:11 Verumtamen super humilem animo fortior esto, et pro eleemosyna non trahas illum.
*H But yet towards the poor be thou more hearty, and delay not to shew him mercy.


Ver. 11. And delay. Or lit. "and for an alms, drag him not along." H. — Let not the fraud of many deter thee from assisting the poor, for the sake of God and justice. C. — Si fraudaris pecuniâ acquiris justitiam. S. Amb. Tob. iii. n. 11.

29:12 Propter mandatum assume pauperem, et propter inopiam ejus ne dimittas eum vacuum.
*H Help the poor because of the commandment: and send him not away empty handed because of his poverty.


Ver. 12. Commandment. Deut. xv. 7. Else where is your merit?

29:13 Perde pecuniam propter fratrem et amicum tuum, et non abscondas illam sub lapide in perditionem.
*H Lose thy money for thy brother and thy friend: and hide it not under a stone to be lost.


Ver. 13. Friend. He is entitled to partake of all thy goods. If he be only thy fellow-creature, assist him; and God will reward thee. Mat. vi. 19.

29:14 Pone thesaurum tuum in praeceptis Altissimi, et proderit tibi magis quam aurum.
Place thy treasure in the commandments of the most High, and it shall bring thee more profit than gold.
* Footnote * Tobias 4 : 10 For thus thou storest up to thyself a good reward for the day of necessity.
29:15 Conclude eleemosynam in corde pauperis, et haec pro te exorabit ab omni malo.
*H Shut up alms in the heart of the poor, and it shall obtain help for thee against all evil.


Ver. 15. Heart. Gr. "thy store-houses," the poor. C. — I never read that one who was liberal to the poor came to an evil death, as he has so many to intercede for him, whose prayers must be heard. S. Jer. ad Nepot. — Works of mercy produce the best fruits. W.

29:16 Super scutum potentis
Better than the shield of the mighty, and better than the spear:
29:17 et super lanceam
It shall fight for thee against thy enemy.
29:18 adversus inimicum tuum pugnabit.]
*H A good man is surety for his neighbour: and he that hath lost shame, will leave him to himself.


Ver. 18. Himself. Yet he will not engage his word for more than he can pay, (v. 27. c. viii. 16.) nor encourage the negligence of debtors. Prov. vi. 1.

29:19 [Vir bonus fidem facit pro proximo suo : et qui perdiderit confusionem derelinquet sibi.
*H Forget not the kindness of thy surety: for he hath given his life for thee.


Ver. 19. Life. Or his subsistence, (c. xix. 28.) though some answered for the person of another. 3 K. xx. 39.

29:20 Gratiam fidejussoris ne obliviscaris : dedit enim pro te animam suam.
*H The sinner and the unclean fleeth from his surety.


Ver. 20. And. Gr. "will turn away the goods of his surety, (21.) and the ungrateful in mind will abandon his redeemer." H. — "All hate the ungrateful," (Cic. off. ii.) and the Persians punished such with death. Xenop. Cyr. i. — Him. Gr. subjoins v. 23. H.

29:21 Repromissorem fugit peccator et immundus.
A sinner attributeth to himself the goods of his surety: and he that is of an unthankful mind will leave him that delivered him.
29:22 Bona repromissoris sibi ascribit peccator : et ingratus sensu derelinquet liberantem se.
A man is surety for his neighbour: and when he hath lost all shame, he shall forsake him.
29:23 Vir repromittit de proximo suo : et cum perdiderit reverentiam, derelinquetur ab eo.
*H Evil suretyship hath undone many of good estate, and hath tossed them as a wave of the sea.


Ver. 23. Estate, (dirigentes) whose affairs were prosperous. M. — Hence Solomon dissuades any rash engagements.

29:24 Repromissio nequissima multos perdidit dirigentes, et commovit illos quasi fluctus maris.
It hath made powerful men to go from place to place round about, and they have wandered in strange countries.
29:25 Viros potentes gyrans migrare fecit, et vagati sunt in gentibus alienis.
*H A sinner that transgresseth the commandment of the Lord, shall fall into an evil suretyship: and he that undertaketh many things, shall fall into judgment.


Ver. 25. Things. Tax-gatherers may deserve to fall into this misery. C.

29:26 Peccator transgrediens mandatum Domini incidet in promissionem nequam : et qui conatur multa agere incidet in judicium.
*H Recover thy neighbour according to thy power, and take heed to thyself that thou fall not.


Ver. 26. Not. Prudence requires that we should not ruin ourselves to help others. W.

29:27 Recupera proximum secundum virtutem tuam, et attende tibi ne incidas.]
*H The chief thing for man's life is water and bread, and clothing, and a house to cover shame.


Ver. 27. Shame. Clothing is like a portable house. Grot. — Man stands in need of little, and those who are content will not need to borrow. v. 29.

29:28 [Initium vitae hominis, aqua et panis, et vestimentum, et domus protegens turpitudinem.
Better is the poor man's fare under a roof of boards, than sumptuous cheer abroad in another man's house.
29:29 Melior est victus pauperis sub tegmine asserum quam epulae splendidae in peregre sine domicilio.
Be contented with little instead of much, and thou shalt not hear the reproach of going abroad.
29:30 Minimum pro magno placeat tibi, et improperium peregrinationis non audies.
It is a miserable life to go as a guest from house to house: for where a man is a stranger, he shall not deal confidently, nor open his mouth.
29:31 Vita nequam hospitandi de domo in domum : et ubi hospitabitur non fiducialiter aget, nec aperiet os.
*H He shall entertain and feed, and give drink to the unthankful, and moreover he shall hear bitter words.


Ver. 31. Shall. Or "has formerly entertained" those, who now reproach him, make him serve in the meanest offices, and at last cast him forth. It may also signify that people who receive ungrateful vagabonds, will be required to serve them, and had better keep them out. v. 33. C. — Gr. "thou shalt entertain and give drink to the most disagreeable things." H.

29:32 Hospitabitur, et pascet, et potabit ingratos, et ad haec amara audiet :
*H Go, stranger, and furnish the table, and give others to eat what thou hast in thy hand.


Ver. 32. Others. Gr. "me." M. — Travellers carried their provisions with them. C.

29:33 transi, hospes, et orna mensam, et quae in manu habes ciba ceteros.
*H Give place to the honourable presence of my friends: for I want my house, my brother being to be lodged with me.


Ver. 33. Give. Gr. "depart, stranger, from the face of glory; for," &c. H.

29:34 Exi a facie honoris amicorum meorum : necessitudine domus meae hospitio mihi factus est frater.
*H These things are grievous to a man of understanding: the upbraiding of houseroom, and the reproaching of the lender.


Ver. 34. Lender. Who demands his money, and upbraids his debtor. M.

29:35 Gravia haec homini habenti sensum : correptio domus, et improperium foeneratoris.]
These things are grievous to a man of understanding: the upbraiding of houseroom, and the reproaching of the lender.
Prev Next