The evil of avarice: works of mercy are recommended, and the love of wisdom.
Offence of the tongue is a frequent and dangerous sinne. 3. Riches are hurtful to a couetous, and to an enuious mind. 11. workes of mercie necessarie. 22. and perseuerance in wisdom.
1Blessed is the man that hath not slipped by a word out of his mouth, and is not pricked with the remorse of sin.Beato l'uomo, che non ha fatto mancamento colle parole della sua bocca, e non è punto da rimorso di peccato.BLESSED is the man that hath not offended in a worde out of his mouth, and is not pricked with the sorrow of sinne.Beatus vir qui non est lapsus verbo ex ore suo, / et non est stimulatus in tristitia delicti. 2Happy is he that hath had no sadness of his mind, and who is not fallen from his hope.Felice colui, che non ha nell'animo suo tristezza, e non ha perduta la sua speranza.Happie is he, that hath not had heauines of his minde, and hath not fallen from his hope.Felix qui non habuit animi sui tristitiam, / et non excidit a spe sua. 3Riches are not comely for a covetous man and a niggard, and what should an envious man do with gold?Per l'uomo cupido, e tenace sono inutili le ricchezze; e che farà dell'oro l'uomo insidioso?Substance is without reason to the couetous man and niggard, and for the spiteful enuious man to what purpose is gold?Viro cupido et tenaci sine ratione est substantia: / et homini livido ad quid aurum ? 4He that gathereth together by wronging his own soul, gathereth for others, and another will squander away his goods in rioting.Chi accumula con defraudare in giustamente se stesso, accumula per altri, e un altro sguazzerà ne' beni di lui.He that heapeth together from his hart vniustly, gathereth for others, and in his goodes an other wil kepe riote.Qui acervat ex animo suo injuste, aliis congregat, / et in bonis illius alius luxuriabitur. 5He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? and he shall not take pleasure in his goods.Con chi sarà egli buono chi è cattivo verso se stesso, e non ritrae veruna soddisfazione da suoi beni?He that is wicked to himselfe, to what other man wil he be good? and he shal haue no pleasure in his goodes.Qui sibi nequam est, cui alii bonus erit ? / et non jucundabitur in bonis suis. 6There is none worse than he that envieth himself, and this is the reward of his wickedness:Nulla v'ha di più iniquo di colui, che è invidioso verso se stesso; e questa, è la mercede della sua malignità.He that enuieth himselfe, nothing is worse then he, and this is the reward of his malice:Qui sibi invidet, nihil est illo nequius: / et hæc redditio est malitiæ illius. 7And if he do good, he doth it ignorantly, and unwillingly: and at the last he discovereth his wickedness.Che se egli fa qualche bene, senza saperlo lo fa, e senza volerlo: e alla fine manifesta la sua malizia.and if he doe good, he doth yt ignorantly, and not willing and at the last he manifesteth his malice.Et si bene fecerit, ignoranter et non volens facit: / et in novissimo manifestat malitiam suam.
8The eye of the envious is wicked: and he turneth away his face, and despiseth his own soul.Cattivo è l'occhio dell'invidioso, egli volta altrove la faccia, e disprezza l'anima propria.The eye of the enuious is wicked, and turneth away his face, and despiseth his owne soule.Nequam est oculus lividi: / et avertens faciem suam, et despiciens animam suam. 9The eye of the covetous man is insatiable in his portion of iniquity: he will not be satisfied till he consume his own soul, drying it up.L'occhio dell'avaro non si sazia di una porzione ingiusta: non si sazierà fino a tanto, che abbia consumata, e strutta la sua vita.The eye of the couteous man insatiable in a portion of iniquitie, wil not be satisfied til he consume his owne soule withering it.Insatiabilis oculus cupidi in parte iniquitatis: / non satiabitur donec consumat arefaciens animam suam. 10An evil eye is towards evil things: and he shall not have his fill of bread, but shall be needy and pensive at his own table.L'occhio maligno è inteso al male, e non si caverà la fame, ma resterà famelico, e malinconico alla sua mensa.An euil eye is towards euil thinges: & he shal haue his fil of bread, needie & in heauines shal he be at his table.Oculus malus ad mala, et non saturabitur pane, / sed indigens et in tristitia erit super mensam suam. 11My son, if thou have any thing, do good to thyself, and offer to God worthy offerings.Figliuolo di quello, che hai, fattene del bene, e fanne obblazioni degne a Dio.Sonne if thou haue it, doe good to thyselfe, and offer to God worthie oblations.Fili, si habes, benefac tecum, / et Deo dignas oblationes offer. 12Remember that death is not slow, and that the covenant of hell hath been shewn to thee: for the covenant of this world shall surely die.Ricorditi della morte, la quale non tarda, e della legge intimata a te di andar nel sepolcro: perocché è legge di questo secolo il morire assolutamente.Be mindful that death slacketh not, and that the couenant of hel hath beene shewed thee: for the couenant of this world shal dye the death.Memor esto quoniam mors non tardat, / et testamentum inferorum, quia demonstratum est tibi: / testamentum enim hujus mundi morte morietur. 13Do good to thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability, stretching out thy hand give to the poor.Fa del bene al tuo amico prima di morire, e stendi la mano liberale verso del povero secondo la tua possibilità.Before death do good to thy freind, and according to thine abilitie stretching out thy hand, geue to the poore.Ante mortem benefac amico tuo, / et secundum vires tuas exporrigens da pauperi.
14Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good gift overpass thee.Non ti privare di un buon giorno, e del buon dono non perderne nissuna parte.Be not defrauded of thy good day, and let not a litle portion of a good gift ouerpasse the.Non defrauderis a die bono, / et particula boni doni non te prætereat. 15Shalt thou not leave to others to divide by lot thy sorrows and labours?Non lascerai tu i tuoi sudori, e te fatiche ad altri da dividersi a sorte tra loro?Shalt thou not leaue to others thy sorrowes, & labours in the deuision of the lotte?Nonne aliis relinques dolores et labores tuos / in divisione sortis ? 16Give and take, and justify thy soul.Da, e ricevi, e giustifica l'anima tua.Geue and take, and iustifie thy soule.Da et accipe, / et justifica animam tuam. 17Before thy death work justice: for in hell there is no finding food.Pratica la giustizia prima della tua morte; perocché non si può trovar cibo nel sepolcro.Before thy death worke iustice: for in hel there can not meat be found.Ante obitum tuum operare justitiam, / quoniam non est apud inferos invenire cibum. 18All flesh shall fade as grass, and as the leaf that springeth out on a green tree.Ogni carne appassisce com'erba, e come delle foglie, che spuntano da verde pianta,Al flesh shal waxe olde as grasse, and as the leafe fructifying on a greene tree.Omnis caro sicut fœnum veterascet, / et sicut folium fructificans in arbore viridi. 19Some grow, and some fall off: so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born.Altre nascono, e altre cadono a terra, così delle generazioni della carne, e del sangue una finisce, e una nasce.Some grow, and some are shaken of: so the generation of flesh and bloude, one is ended, and an other is borne.Alia generantur, et alia dejiciuntur: / sic generatio carnis et sanguinis, alia finitur, et alia nascitur. 20Every work that is corruptible shall fail in the end: and the worker thereof shall go with it.Tutte le opere soggette alla corruzione verran meno una volta, e se n'anderà con esse colui, che le ha fatte.Al corruptible worke shal faile in the end: and he that worketh it shal goe therwith.Omne opus corruptibile in fine deficiet, / et qui illud operatur ibit cum illo. 21And every excellent work shall be justified: and the worker thereof shall be honoured therein.Ma tutte le opere elette saranno approvate, e chi le fece sarà per esse onorato.And euerie excellent worke shal be iustified: and he that worketh it, shal be honoured therin.Et omne opus electum justificabitur, / et qui operatur illud honorabitur in illo. 22Blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom, and that shall meditate in his justice, and in his mind shall think of the all seeing eye of God.Beato l'uomo, che è costante nella sapienza, e medita la giustizia, e colla sua mente pensa a Dio, che tutto vede all'intorno.Blessed is the man that shal continew in wisdom, and that shal meditate in his iustice, and in vnderstanding shal consider the prouidence of God.Beatus vir qui in sapientia morabitur, / et qui in justitia sua meditabitur, / et in sensu cogitabit circumspectionem Dei:
23He that considereth her ways in his heart, and hath understanding in her secrets, who goeth after her as one that traceth, and stayeth in her ways.Il quale va studiando in cuor suo le vie di lei, e ne penetra gli arcani, e va dietro a lei per rintracciarla, e dalle strade di lei non esce.He that considereth her wayes in his hart, and hath vnderstanding in her secrets, going after her as a searcher, and consisting in her wayes:qui excogitat vias illius in corde suo, / et in absconditis suis intelligens, / vadens post illam quasi investigator, / et in viis illius consistens: 24He who looketh in at her windows, and hearkeneth at her door.Il quale per le finestre di lei rimira, e alla porta di lei sta a udire:He that looketh through her windowes, and heareth in her gates:qui respicit per fenestras illius, / et in januis illius audiens: 25He that lodgeth near her house, and fastening a pin in her walls shall set up his tent high unto her, where good things shall rest in his lodging for ever.E presso alla casa di lei prende i suoi riposi, e fitto nette mura di essa un palo si fa un piccolo padiglione accanto a lei, e in questo piccolo padiglione avranno stanza perpetua tutti i beni.He that resteth by her house, & in her walles fastening a stake wil set vp his corage beside her handes, and good thinges shal rest in his cottage for euer.qui requiescit juxta domum illius, / et in parietibus illius figens palum, / statuet casulam suam ad manus illius, / et requiescent in casula illius bona per ævum. 26He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches:Alla tutela di lei raccomanderà egli i suoi figliuoli, ed egli starà sotto i rami di lei:He shal set his children vnder her couering, and shal abide vnder her boughes:Statuet filios suos sub tegmine illius, / et sub ramis ejus morabitur. 27He shall be protected under her covering from the heat, and shall rest in her glory.E sotto l'ombra di lei sarà difeso dal caldo; e nella gloria di lei avrà riposo.he shal be protected vnder her couering from the heate, and shal rest in her glorie.Protegetur sub tegmine illius a fervore, / et in gloria ejus requiescet.
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Mouth. He is perfect, James 3:2.
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Calmet
Envious. Who will neither use his wealth himself, nor bestow it. The true use of riches is to take a sufficiency, and to relieve the poor. (Calmet)
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Haydock
Gathereth. Greek, "taketh from his," etc. (Haydock)
Calmet
Such misers are continually derided, but will never be cured, Ecclesiastes 2:18., and 6:2. An old proverb says, "The miser doth nothing right but when he dies." (Calmet)
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Worthington
Envieth. By refusing himself the necessaries of life, he rejects God's gifts, and scandalizes his neighbour. (Worthington)
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Wickedness. Persisting covetous till death, as is commonly the case.
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Calmet
Offerings. Make a proper use of what God has bestowed. (Calmet)
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Haydock
The covenant of hell. The decree by which all are to go down to the regions of death, (Challoner) which hell frequently denotes. (Haydock)
Worthington
Under the old law, all went down into some part of hell. (Worthington)
Menochius
Hath been. Greek, "hath not," etc. We know not when we shall die, though all must taste of death, (Haydock) and therefore we must make haste to do good. (Menochius)
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Haydock
Sorrows. Greek, "toils," or what thou hast amassed with much care. (Haydock)
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Calmet
Take. Alms-deeds will ensure the remission of sins. This usury is lawful. We must also keep up a good society with our friends. (Calmet)
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Haydock
Fade. Greek, "grow old like a garment. For the covenant from the beginning is, he shall die the death. Like a leaf flourishing on a bushy tree." (Haydock)
Homer has the same thought, Iliad vi.
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Calmet
Glory. As under the miraculous pillar, Exodus 24:17. He who shall abide with wisdom shall have nothing to fear. (Calmet)
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Covenant of hell.... The decree by which all are to go down to the regions of death.
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Concordance Iac. 3.
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He that can not afforde nourishment to his owne bodie by such meanes as he hath, sinneth against God, abusing his benefites, against himself whom he vniustly afflicteth and against his neighbour whom he scandalizeth.
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Concordance Prou. 27. v. •0.
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In the old testament al descended into some part of hel.
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Concordance Isa. 40. v. 7.
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There shal be particular reward of euerie good worke.
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 1 Timothy 17
… 10 .) He shows that they do not so much err from ignorance, as they owe their ignorance to their indolence. Those who are contentious for the sake of money you will never persuade. They are only to be persuaded, so long as you give, and even so you will never satisfy their desires. For it is said, “The covetous man’s eye is not satisfied with a portion.” (
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St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.2
… “He who has his conversation without reproach in righteousness, leaves blessed children.” In the same in Ecclesiasticus: “My son, if thou hast, do good by thyself, and present worthy offerings to God; remember that death delayeth not.”
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 1.23
… For the race of man is, as it is written, like the leaves on a tree, or an olive, that is, or a laurel, or some tree of this sort, which is never without foliage, yet whose leaves are not always the same.
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He taught in the preceding chapter that riches and the friendship of the rich do not make the poor blessed; whence he fittingly adds here what truly makes a man blessed. 1. "Blessed is the man who hath not offended in his mouth." He begins with the tongue, because, as St. James says (James III, 2): "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man." For the tongue is the most slippery of all members, and most prone to sin. "And who is not pricked with sorrow for his sin" — that is, who does not have the thorn of an evil conscience pricking him. For sin brings with it the sting of guilt and remorse which torments the soul. 2. "Happy is he who hath not grieved his soul, and who hath not fallen from his hope." That is: Blessed is the man whose conscience is clear, and who hath not despaired of his salvation. For sadness of soul arises from an evil conscience, and to fall from hope is to fall into despair — which is the worst of all spiritual evils.
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3. To a covetous and tenacious man without reason is substance — that is without use or fruit — because he does not use it, neither for himself nor for others, but only hoards it. His riches bring him no joy, no comfort, no merit with God. And to an envious man, what is gold? Because he fears to spend it as much for himself as for others. Fittingly from the blessed man who places his hope in God, he descends by antithesis to the miser, who places his hope in mammon and gold. The Greek has greater emphasis: "To a man of small reckoning wealth is not good, and to an envious man, what is money?" — that is, to a man who makes minute calculations substance is not beautiful, and to an envious man, what is money? 4. "He that gathereth unjustly out of his own soul, gathereth for others, and another shall luxuriate in his goods." The miser defrauds his own soul — depriving it of both temporal and spiritual goods which it needs — and all his hoarded riches pass to others who will dissipate them in luxury. Wherefore Democritus used to say that misers are not masters of their own riches, but stewards, who care for and manage them for others to use, or rather to abuse. As Ecclesiastes most wonderfully depicts it, chapter VI, verses 3-4: "If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and come to a great age, and his soul make no good use of his substance, and he be without burial; of this man I pronounce, that an untimely birth is better than he."
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5. "He that is naughty to himself, to whom will he be good? and he shall not take pleasure in his goods." The miser is the cruelest of all men, because he is cruel to himself before all others: he denies himself food, clothing and comfort, and lives in perpetual anxiety. If he will not dare to do good to himself, certainly he will do good to no one else. 6. "He that envieth himself, there is none naughtier than he, and this is a recompense of his malice." Horace truly said: "The tyrants of Sicily never invented a torture greater than envy." This is especially true of the envy of avarice, by which the miser torments, tortures and consumes himself. Such men are like Timon, who so hated men that he rejoiced at their death: whence he was also surnamed μισάνθρωπος, that is, a hater of men. They are also like Midas, king of Phrygia, who, when he asked Bacchus that whatever he touched be turned to gold, could not even eat, since even his food was turned to gold, and so he wasted away from hunger. 7. "And if he do good, he doth it ignorantly and unwillingly: and in the end he declareth his malice." Against the objection that misers sometimes do good: they do this either ignorantly or unwillingly, from shame and fear, doing it with envy and a sordid spirit. Whence this envy and sordidness finally declare themselves either by malicious words, or by a wrinkled brow, or by some other sign revealing their avarice.
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8. "An evil eye is covetous: and turning away his face, and despising his own soul." He speaks of the bodily eye, but under it signifies the eye of the mind: for both are wicked and malignant in the envious man. For the envious man is called in Hebrew ra enaim, that is, "evil of eyes." Ovid graphically depicts the envious man: "Paleness sits upon his face, leanness throughout his whole body, nowhere a straight gaze... Nor does he enjoy sleep, aroused by watchful cares: but he sees the ungrateful and wastes away seeing the success of men. He is consumed and consumes in one, and his punishment is himself." The Egyptians represented envy through the basilisk: for the basilisk, a most deadly serpent, by its aspect alone infects the air, burns plants, kills animals, and even dissolves stones. But if it beholds itself in a mirror, struck by its own reflected breath, it is destroyed by its own weapons. It is therefore a symbol of the envious man, who, when he casts curses upon a pure soul, is himself pierced by his own darts. 9. "The eye of the covetous is insatiable in his portion of iniquity: it shall not be satisfied till he consume all things, drying up his own soul." 10. "An evil eye is towards evil: and he shall not be satisfied with bread, but shall be needy and sad over his table."
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Here Sirach assigns the proper use of riches: first, do good to thyself — provide moderately and rationally for thy necessities; second, offer to God worthy oblations — give to the temple, to divine worship, to the clergy and to the poor. These are the two primary uses of riches. A third shall follow in verse 13: do good to thy friends and to the poor.
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"Remember that death tarrieth not, and the testament of hell, because it hath been shewn to thee: for the testament of this world shall die by death." Note that death is called the testament of the world in a threefold sense: first, because it has been appointed and decreed by God from eternity; second, because it pertains to all ages and embraces all men of all times; third, because it binds not one nation or region, but the whole world. St. Ephrem the Syrian, tract. On Beatitude: "Blessed is he who continually revolves in his mind the day of his departure from this life, and strenuously endeavors to be found prepared and unafraid at that hour." The same, tract. On Death: "This life is nothing other than a perpetual journey toward death." Morally, learn here to be mindful of death daily, and to die daily, that thou mayest dispose and prepare thyself for it. "Believe that each day that dawns is thy last." St. John the Almsgiver had a tomb dug for himself, and wished to be admonished by his servant daily from the tomb, that through the remembrance of death he might sharpen his desires for a better life. It is also related of Philip, king of Macedonia, that he appointed a monitor who would cry out to him each morning that he was a man, that he might restrain the swelling of pride. Daily, therefore, when thou goest to bed, consider whether thou art prepared for death: for the bed rightly admonishes us of the sepulcher, just as sleep is called an image of death. St. Ambrose, epistle 29, to Florian: "Hate and condemn with thy whole soul what the world loves. As one dead, separate thyself from its stain and affection; as one buried, have no care for the world; as one deceased, renounce all earthly business."
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This is the third use of riches: for verse 11 assigned two — first, do good to thyself; second, offer oblations to God; here he assigns a third, namely that we also do good to others, especially to the poor. To which agrees the Arabic proverb: "Light thy lamp before the darkness, that is, illuminate thyself with good works before death overtakes thee." Note the words "before death": it does not prohibit leaving legacies by testament at death for pious uses and the sustenance of the poor. But it prefers that we give with our own hands in life, because such a gift has more merit, more certainty, more joy.
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14. "Be not defrauded of a good day, and let not the portion of a good gift pass thee by." He does not wish us to be devoted to pleasures and feasts, but that we use wisely and moderately the good things God gives, neither hoarding them avariciously nor squandering them prodigally. "A good day" is a day spent in doing good to oneself and to others, in the service of God. 15. "Wilt thou not leave to others the fruits of thy labor and thy toils in the division of the lot?" That is: After thy death others will divide thy goods by lot; why therefore dost thou labor and hoard, when thou canst carry nothing with thee? 16. "Give, and take, and justify thy soul." Give alms, receive in return blessing and merit with God, and thus justify thy soul. 17. "Work justice before thy death: for there is no finding food in hell." After death there is no opportunity for meriting or doing good; all things must be done in this life.
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18-19. "All flesh shall grow old like a garment, and like a leaf that grows on a green tree. Some are generated, and others are cast down: so is the generation of flesh and blood, one ends, and another is born." Men are like the leaves of trees, of which some are born and others are cast down; for the new ones that are born thrust out and cast down the old. Homer aptly says: "Such is the generation of leaves, such also of men. Some leaves the wind casts to the ground, others the sprouting forest produces, when the season of spring comes: thus the generation of men, some indeed is born, others dies." Men are aptly compared to leaves: first, because as a leaf is light and thin, so also is man and man's life; second, as a leaf falls at any breath of wind, so also man at any temptation; third, as leaves are green in spring and summer, wither in autumn and winter, so also men flourish in youth, wither in old age and die; fourth, as flowers delight and captivate the eyes with their petals' color and odor, but when they wither are cast into a dunghill, so plainly it happens with the youth of man; fifth, as a tree most full of leaves bears little fruit, so also men who look only to external appearance and pomp produce little fruit of grace and good works. 20. "Every corruptible work shall fail in the end: and he that works it shall go with it." 21. "And every work that is chosen shall be justified: and he that works it shall be honored in it." Corruptible works—that is, works of the flesh, avarice, worldly ambition—shall perish, and those who have given themselves to them shall perish with them. But chosen works—that is, works of virtue, charity and wisdom—shall remain forever, and those who have done them shall be honored forever.
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22. "Blessed is the man who shall dwell in wisdom, and who shall meditate in his justice, and in his mind shall think of the circumspection of God." Here Sirach passes to a new argument, which he pursues to the end of chapter XV, in which he teaches that freedom has been given by God to men, so that by their own choice and free will they may choose good or evil. He begins with the fear of God, and says that he who fears God will do well and shall lay hold of wisdom. St. Augustine defines wisdom in various ways: "Wisdom is the straight way which leads to truth"; and: "Wisdom is the knowledge of divine and human things"; and: "Wisdom is nothing other than a mode of the mind, by which the mind balances itself so that it neither runs out into excess nor contracts below fullness." And in the Enchiridion: "The wisdom of man is piety," according to Job XXVIII: "Behold, piety itself is wisdom." Most beautifully does St. Augustine define it in book 1 of the Sermon on the Mount: "Wisdom is the contemplation of truth, making peaceful the whole man, and receiving the likeness of God." For it makes the wise man, like God, exalted, composed, heavenly, and in adversities as in prosperities undisturbed, and thus walking upon earth as if he were a god. 23-24. "He that hath found out her ways in his heart, and is wise, and understandeth her in his secrets, going after her as a hunter, and sitting by her ways. He that looketh in at her windows, and hearkeneth at her doors." The student of wisdom pursues it like a hunter pursuing prey: with patience, perseverance, and keen attention. He looks in at her windows—that is, he examines the Scriptures, the doctrines of the Fathers, the works of creation—so that he may behold her beauty. He hearkens at her doors—that is, in prayer, in meditation, in the silence of his heart, he hears her voice. 25. "He that resteth by her house, and fasteneth a pin in her walls, and setteth up a lodge in a convenient place by her. He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her, and shall lodge in a prosperous dwelling." The lover of God drives in a pin, that is, sets up a hut near the house of wisdom, so that he may dwell near her and constantly move about her. He alludes to the poor who build huts and hovels near palaces or temples. The student of wisdom and lover of God sets up his hut near the temple of wisdom, so that he may be constantly bathed in her doctrine, religion and holiness. He calls it a pin, not a house, to signify that we are not citizens here but pilgrims, and therefore do not have a house but dwell in tabernacles, as the Hebrews did when journeying through the desert to the promised land. 26-27. "He shall set his children under her protection, and shall dwell under her branches. He shall be protected under her covert from the heat, and shall rest in her glory." He continues to explain the goods which come to the wise man from wisdom through the metaphor of a tree, which provides shade and shelter with its branches. Wisdom protects the wise man and his house, so that under her shelter he may be safe from every assault of temptations and enemies; and in her protection he shall rest secure, confident, courageous and glorious. For wisdom brings tranquility of mind, joy, constancy and sublimity, so that fixed on heaven and God, from on high he sees and laughs at all the prosperity and adversity of the world, and despises and tramples upon it. Mystically, the wise man, that is the saint, shall "set" his "children"—that is his works—through the most right intention of pleasing God alone, "under the shelter" of God himself, so that they may never perish. Thus the spouse, Cant. II, 3: "Under the shadow of him whom I desired, I sat, and his fruit was sweet to my palate." St. Gregory says: "The shadow of Christ is the protection of the Holy Spirit; for the Holy Spirit overshadows the mind which it fills, because it tempers the heat of all temptations."
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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Although allusions to accessory or ceremonial elements are not lacking (cf. Gen. 29:22, 27; Ecclus. 14:10; Ps. 18:6; Is. 61:10; Jer. 7:34; 16:9; Cant. 3:11; I Mach. 9:37; Mt. 25:1 etc.), in the Bible only in Tob. 8:24 is there mention of a written document drawn up at the …
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"descends" or "plunges" (Is. 14:9-15; 57:9; Ez. 31:15-17; 32:21; Am. 9:2; Ps. 85:13; 138:8; Prov. 15:24). The deep f. is a synonym of "death" that sweeps away (Job 24:19; Ecclus. 14:12; 51:2-9; cf. Apoc. 1:18 and 20:13-14), and "to descend into it" is equivalent to "to die" (Job 14:13; 17:13, 16); and it is a synonym of "sepulcher," "pit," "darkness," "dust" of the sepulcher. …
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.