A prayer for grace to flee sin: cautions against profane swearing and other vices.
A prayer against pride, 6. gluttonie, and luxurie. 7. Beware of offending in spèach. 9. especialliy of vnlawful swearing 15. blasphemie, 17. irreuerent and reprocheful wordes. 21. Also of auarice, 24. fornication, and adultrie, 30. al which God seeth, and wil seuerly punish. 33. With other sinnes that folow therof.
1O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them.Signore, padre, e padrone della mia vita non mi abbandonare alle suggestioni delle mie labbra, e non permettere, che per cagione di esse io cada.O Lord father, and dominatour of my life leaue me not in their counsel: nor suffer me to fal in them.Domine, pater et dominator vitæ meæ, / ne derelinquas me in consilio eorum, / nec sinas me cadere in illis. 2Who will set scourges over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over my heart, that they spare me not in their ignorances, and that their sins may not appear:Chi adoprerà su' miei pensieri la sferza, e sul mio cuore la disciplina della sapienza? Talmente che non siano (da lei) risparmiati gli errori di quelli, e non ne spuntino fuora i peccati,Who laieth on stripes in my cogitation, and in my hart the doctrine of wisdom, and in their ignorances they spare me not, and their offences appeare not,Quis superponet in cogitatu meo flagella, / et in corde meo doctrinam sapientiæ, / ut ignorationibus eorum non parcant mihi, / et non appareant delicta eorum, 3Lest my ignorances increase, and my offences be multiplied, and my sins abound, and I fall before my adversaries, and my enemy rejoice over me?Affinchè non si moltiplichi la mia ignoranza, e non crescan di numero i miei mancamenti, e non si aumentino i miei peccati, ond'io cada per terra in faccia a' miei avversari, e di me rida il mio nimico?and my ignorances increase not, and my offences be multiplied, and my sinnes ahound, and I fal in the sight of mine aduersaries, & mine enemies reioyce.et ne adincrescant ignorantiæ meæ, / et multiplicentur delicta mea, / et peccata mea abundent, / et incidam in conspectu adversariorum meorum, / et gaudeat super me inimicus meus ? 4O Lord, father, and God of my life, leave me not to their devices.Signore, Padre, e Dio della mia vita non mi abbandonare al pensiero di que' peccati.O Lord father, and God of my life, leaue me not in their cogitation.Domine, pater et Deus vitæ meæ, / ne derelinquas me in cogitatu illorum. 5Give me not haughtiness of my eyes, and turn away from me all coveting.Non dare a me l'altura degli occhi, e tien lungi da me ogni concupiscenza.Hautines of mine eies geue me not, and al desire turne away from me.Extollentiam oculorum meorum ne dederis mihi, / et omne desiderium averte a me. 6Take from me the greediness of the belly, and let not the lusts of the flesh take hold of me, and give me not over to a shameless and foolish mind.Togli da me le intemperanze del ventre, e i desiderj della libidine non abbian potere sopra di me, e non lasciarmi in balìa di un'anima invereconda, e imprudente.Take from me the concupiscences of the bellie, and let not the concupiscences of copulation take hold of me, and geue me not ouer to a shamelesse and foolish minde.Aufer a me ventris concupiscentias, / et concubitus concupiscentiæ ne apprehendant me, / et animæ irreverenti et infrunitæ ne tradas me.
7Hear, O ye children, the discipline of the mouth, and he that will keep it shall not perish by his lips, nor be brought to fall into most wicked works.Udite, o figliuoli, i documenti per governare la lingua, e chi li osserverà, non perirà per colpa delle sue labbra, e non inciamperà in opere malvage.O children heare the doctrine of the mouth: and he that wil keepe it, shal not perish by his lippes, nor be scandalized in most wicked workes.Doctrinam oris audite, filii: / et qui custodierit illam non periet labiis, / nec scandalizabitur in operibus nequissimis. 8A sinner is caught in his own vanity, and the proud and the evil speakers shall fall thereby.Nella sua stoltezza riman preso il peccatore, e il superbo; e il maldicente ne trarrà la sua rovina.A sinner is taught in his vanirie, and the proud and the euil speaker shal he scandalized in them.In vanitate sua apprehenditur peccator: / et superbus et maledicus scandalizabitur in illis. 9Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing: for in it there are many falls.Non avvezzarti al giuramento, perché frequenti per esso son le cadute.Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing: for there be manie falles in it.Jurationi non assuescat os tuum: / multi enim casus in illa. 10And let not the naming of God be usual in thy mouth, and meddle not with the names of saints, for thou shalt not escape free from them.Il nome di Dio non sia di continuo nella tua bocca, e non mescolare col discorso i nomi de' santi; perocché non ne anderai impunito.But let not the naming of God be vsual in thy mouth, and meddle not with the names of Sainctes, because thou shalt not scape free from them.Nominatio vero Dei non sit assidua in ore tuo, / et nominibus sanctorum non admiscearis, / quoniam non erit immunis ab eis. 11For as a slave daily put to the question, is never without a blue mark: so every one that sweareth, and nameth, shall not be wholly pure from sin.Conciossiachè siccome il servo messo ogni po' alla tortura ne porta sempre le lividure; così uno, che giura, e ripete quel nome, non sarà mai purgato interamente da colpa.For as a seruant daily examined, lacketh not the marke therof: so euerie one that sweareth, and nameth, shal not be wholy purged from sinne.Sicut enim servus interrogatus assidue a livore non minuitur, / sic omnis jurans et nominans in toto a peccato non purgabitur. 12A man that sweareth much, shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house.L'uomo, che giura molto si empierà di peccati, e non partirà dalla casa di lui il flagello.A man that sweareth much shal be filled with iniquitie, and plague shal not depart from his house.Vir multum jurans implebitur iniquitate, / et non discedet a domo illius plaga.
13And if he make it void, his sin shall be upon him, and if he dissemble it, he offendeth double:E se non adempie il giuramento, il suo delitto sarà sopra di lui, e se non ne farà conto, avrà doppio peccato:And if he frustrate it, his sinne shal be vpon him: and if he dissemble, he offendeth duble:Et si frustraverit, delictum illius super ipsum erit: / et si dissimulaverit, delinquit dupliciter: 14And if he swear in vain, he shall not be justified: for his house shall be filled with his punishment.E se ha giurato invano, non sarà tenuto per giusto; perocché sopra la casa di lui pioveranno i gastighi.and if he sweare in vaine, he shal not be iustified: for his house shal be filled with retribution.et si in vacuum juraverit, non justificabitur: / replebitur enim retributione domus illius. 15There is also another speech opposite to death, let it not be found in the inheritance of Jacob.Havvi ancora un altro linguaggio, che confina colla morte: non siane esempio tra gli eredi di Giacobbe.There is an other contrarie speach, also to death, be it not found in the inheritance of Iacob.Est et alia loquela contraria morti: / non inveniatur in hæreditate Jacob. 16For from the merciful all these things shall be taken away, and they shall not wallow in sins.Imperocché tutte queste cose staran lungi dagli uomini religiosi, che non si immergono in tali delitti.For of the merciful al those thinges shal be taken away, and they wil not wallow in sinnes.Etenim a misericordibus omnia hæc auferentur, / et in delictis non volutabuntur. 17Let not thy mouth be accustomed to indiscreet speech: for therein is the word of sin.Non si avvezzi la tua bocca alla temerità del parlare, perché in essa si trova il peccato.Let not thy mouth be accustomed to vnnurtered speach: for there is in it a word of sinne.Indisciplinatæ loquelæ non assuescat os tuum: / est enim in illa verbum peccati. 18Remember thy father and thy mother, for thou sittest in the midst of great men:Ricordati di tuo padre, e di tua madre quando siedi in mezzo dei grandi;Remember thy father and thy mother, for thou sittest in the middest of greate men:Memento patris et matris tuæ: / in medio enim magnatorum consistis: 19Lest God forget thee in their sight, and thou, by thy daily custom be infatuated and suffer reproach: and wish that thou hadst not been born, and curse the day of thy nativity.Affinchè non avvenga, che Dio si scordi di te dinanzi a coloro, onde tu infatuato per la tua familiarità con essi, abbi a soffrirne obbrobrio talmente, che desideri piuttosto non essere venuto al mondo, e mandi imprecazioni al giorno della tua natività.lest perhapes God forget thee in their sight, and being sotted with thy dailie custome, thou suffer reproch, and hadst better not haue bene borne, and curse the day of thy natiuitie.ne forte obliviscatur te Deus in conspectu illorum, / et assiduitate tua infatuatus, improperium patiaris, / et maluisses non nasci, / et diem nativitatis tuæ maledicas.
20The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words, will never be corrected all the days of his life.Un uomo, che si è avvezzato a dire degli improperj, non si correggerà per tutto il tempo di sua vita.A man accustomed to the wordes of reproch, wil not be instructed in al his daies.Homo assuetus in verbis improperii / in omnibus diebus suis non erudietur. 21Two sorts of men multiply sins, and the third bringeth wrath and destruction.Due generi di persone abbondano di peccati, e il terzo chiama l'ira, e la perdizione.Two sortes abound in sinnes, and the third bringeth wrath and perdition.Duo genera abundant in peccatis, / et tertium adducit iram et perditionem. 22A hot soul is a burning fire, it will never be quenched, till it devour some thing.L'animo focoso come una ardente fiamma; il quale non si calma prima di aver divorato qualche cosa;An hote soule as a burning fire wil not be quenched, til it swallow somewhat.Anima calida quasi ignis ardens, / non extinguetur donec aliquid glutiat: 23And a man that is wicked in the mouth of his flesh, will not leave off till he hath kindled a fire.E l'uomo, che è schiavo degli appetiti della sua carne, non avrà posa, fino che abbia comunicato il suo fuoco.and a wicked man in the mouth of his flesh wil not cease til he kindle a fire.et homo nequam in ore carnis suæ / non desinet donec incendat ignem. 24To a man that is a fornicator all bread is sweet, he will not be weary of sinning unto the end.Tutto il pane è dolce al fornicatore, e non si stanca di mal fare sino al fine.To a man that is a fornicatour al bread is sweete, he wil not be wearie transgressing vnto the end.Homini fornicario omnis panis dulcis: / non fatigabitur transgrediens usque ad finem. 25Every man that passeth beyond his own bed, despising his own soul, and saying: Who seeth me?Ogni uomo, che disonora il talamo conjugale, sprezzatore dell'anima propria, va dicendo: chi è, che mi vegga?Euerie man that passeth beyond his owne bed, contemning against his owne soule, and saying: Who seeth me?Omnis homo qui transgreditur lectum suum, / contemnens in animam suam, et dicens: Quis me videt ? 26Darkness compasseth me about, and the walls cover me, and no man seeth me: whom do I fear? the most High will not remember my sins.Le tenebre mi stanno attorno, e le pareti mi nascondono, e nissuno bada a me: di chi ho da aver paura? non si prende pensiero de' miei delitti l'Altissimo.Darkenes compasseth me, and the walles couer me, and no man beholdeth me: whom do I feare? the Highest wil not be mindful of my sinnes.Tenebræ circumdant me, et parietes cooperiunt me, / et nemo circumspicit me: quem vereor ? / delictorum meorum non memorabitur Altissimus.
27And he understandeth not that his eye seeth all things, for such a man’s fear driveth him from the fear of God, and the eyes of men fearing him:Ed ei non riflette, che l'occhio di Dio vede tutte le cose; perocché questa umano timore, la paura degli occhi degli uomini discacciala lui il timore di Dio:And he vnderstandeth not that his eye seeth al thinges, for that such feare of man expelleth from him the feare of God, & the eies of men fearing him:Et non intelligit quoniam omnia videt oculus illius, / quoniam expellit a se timorem Dei hujusmodi hominis timor, / et oculi hominum timentes illum: 28And he knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun, beholding round about all the ways of men, and the bottom of the deep, and looking into the hearts of men, into the most hidden parts.Ed ei non sa, che gli occhi del Signore sono più luminosi assai del sole; e tutte mirano attorno le vie degli uomini, e l'abisso profondo, e veggono i cuori umani fino ne' luoghi più riposti.and he knoweth not that the eies of our Lord are much more brighter then the sunne, beholding round about al the waies of men, and the botome of the depth, and the hartes of men looking into the hidden partes.et non cognovit quoniam oculi Domini / multo plus lucidiores sunt super solem, / circumspicientes omnes vias hominum, / et profundum abyssi, et hominum corda, / intuentes in absconditas partes. 29For all things were known to the Lord God, before they were created: so also after they were perfected he beholdeth all things.Perocché a Dio Signore furono note le cose tutte prima che fosser create, e anche dopo che furon fatte egli tutte le mira.For al thinges were knowen to our Lord God, before they were created: so also after it is perfected he beholdeth al thinges.Domino enim Deo antequam crearentur omnia sunt agnita: / sic et post perfectum respicit omnia. 30This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and he shall be chased as a colt: and where he suspected not, he shall be taken.Costui pertanto sarà punito nella piazza della città; ed ei qual puledro si darà alla fuga, ma sarà sorpreso dove men si pensava.Reuenge shal be taken on this man in the streates of the cittie, and as an horsecolt he shal be chased: and where he expected not, he shal be apprehended. And he shal be in dishonour with al men,Hic in plateis civitatis vindicabitur, / et quasi pullus equinus fugabitur, / et ubi non speravit apprehendetur. 31And he shall be in disgrace with all men, because he understood not the fear of the Lord.E sarà disonorato nel cospetto di tutti; perché non conobbe il timor dei Signore.for that he vnderstood not the feare of our Lord.Et erit dedecus omnibus, / eo quod non intellexerit timorem Domini.
32So every woman also that leaveth her husband, and bringeth in an heir by another:Lo stesso sarà di qualunque donna, che lascia il proprio marito, a cui da un erede dal marito d'un'altra:So euerie woman also that forsaketh her husband, & getteth inheritance by mariage of an other.Sic et mulier omnis relinquens virum suum, / et statuens hæreditatem ex alieno matrimonio: 33For first she hath been unfaithful to the law of the most High: and secondly, she hath offended against her husband: thirdly, she hath fornicated in adultery, and hath gotten her children of another man.Perocché ella in primo luogo non erede alla legge dell'Altissimo; in secondo luogo oltraggia il proprio marito; in terzo luogo si contamina coll'adulterio, e si fa de' figliuoli da un altro marito.For first she hath bene vnfaithful in the law of the Highest: and secondly she hath sinned against her busband: thirdly she hath fornicated in adulterie, and hath gotten her children of an other man.primo enim in lege Altissimi incredibilis fuit: / secundo in virum suum deliquit: / tertio in adulterio fornicata est, / et ex alio viro filios statuit sibi. 34This woman shall be brought into the assembly, and inquisition shall be made of her children.Ella sarà condotta nella pubblica adunanza, e si farà inquisizione sopra de' suoi figliuoli.This woman shal be brought into the Church, and vpon her children there shal be examination.Hæc in ecclesiam adducetur, / et in filios ejus respicietur: 35Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit.Que' suoi figliuoli non metteranno radici, e i rami di lei non daran frutto.Her children shal not take roote, and her boughes shal not yeld fruite.non tradent filii ejus radices, / et rami ejus non dabunt fructum: 36She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her infamy shall not be blotted out.Ella lascerà sua memoria in maledizione, e il suo vituperio non sarà cancellato.She shal leaue her memorie to be cursed, and her dishonour shal not be wiped out.derelinquet in maledictum memoriam ejus, / et dedecus illius non delebitur. 37And they that remain shall know, that there is nothing better than the fear of God: and that there is nothing sweeter than to have regard to the commandments of the Lord.E quelli, che verran dopo, conosceranno come nulla havvi di meglio, che temere Dio, e nulla di più soave, che il tener l'occhio a' comandamenti del Signore.And they that are leaft shal know, that nothing is better then the feare of God: and nothing sweter, then to haue regard to the commandmentes of our Lord.Et agnoscent qui derelicti sunt, / quoniam nihil melius est quam timor Dei, / et nihil dulcius quam respicere in mandatis Domini.
38It is great glory to follow the Lord: for length of days shall be received from him.Ella è gloria grande il seguire il Signore; perocché da lui si riceverà lunghezza di giorni.It is great glorie to folow our Lord: for length of daies shal be taken of him.Gloria magna est sequi Dominum: / longitudo enim dierum assumetur ab eo.
23:1
Challoner
By them. Viz., the tongue and the lips, mentioned in the last verse of the foregoing chapter. (Challoner)
Worthington
We cannot resist of ourselves, and must therefore pray to God. (Worthington)
Calmet
We have need of a good master to correct our eagerness in speaking. (Calmet)
23:2
Challoner
Ignorances, etc. That is, that the scourges and discipline of wisdom may restrain the ignorances, that is, the slips and offences which are usually committed by the tongue and the lips. (Challoner)
The tongue is a restless evil, James 3:8.
23:3
Over me. The noblest motives are not always proposed first.
23:5
Calmet
Eyes. God never makes such presents, but he permits us to fall in punishment of former transgressions. (Calmet)
Haydock
Coveting. Greek, "from thy servants all giant-like affection. Vain hopes and desires remove from me; and thou shalt possess him who wishes to serve thee without ceasing." (Grabe) (Haydock)
23:6
Calmet
Foolish, (infrunitae) is used in this sense by Seneca. (Calmet)
Calmet
Greek has not this epithet. The title, "instruction of the mouth," follows, (Haydock) to ver. 20. (Calmet)
23:10
Haydock
Them. Alexandrian Greek has only (9.) "swearing, (10.) and have not a custom of naming the Most High." Other editions have "the holy one." (Haydock)
23:11
St. Augustine
Sin. "No swearing is secure." (St. Augustine)
Plut.[Plutarch?] Prob
Slaves were forced to confess the truth by torments; free-men took an oath; and priests gave their word. (Plut.[Plutarch?] Prob.)
23:13
Calmet
Dissemble. Greek, "despise." He will be punished, at least, by God. (Calmet)
23:14
In vain. Without a design to execute, (Grotius) or through levity, or rather falsely, Exodus 23:1., and Deuteronomy 5:11.
23:15
Calmet
Opposite. Or equal. Greek, "clothed with death." He denotes blasphemy, (Leviticus 24:14.) or the invitation to idolatry, (Deuteronomy 13:1.) or calumny, ver. 17., and Leviticus 19:12. (Calmet)
Worthington
In oaths God is called to witness, as being unable to deceive. But blasphemy attributes to him or to others what does not belong to them. (Worthington)
23:16
Merciful. Or true believers, Assideans, 1 Machabees 2:42.
23:17
Of sin. A Hebrew idiom, to imply something criminal. Those who have laid aside shame, are capable of any wickedness.
23:18
Bossuet
Men. Treat thy parents with no less regard, (Calmet) even though thou shouldst be exalted in dignity. (Lyr.[Lyranus?]) ---Thus thou wilt be rewarded, (Calmet) of if thou transgress, wilt be brought to judgment. (Bossuet)
Haydock
Greek, "thou shalt sit," etc. (Haydock)
23:19
Grotius
Nativity. Wish not that thou hadst not been born of such parents. (Grotius)
23:20
Life. For who will admonish him?
23:21
Calmet
Two. The first is a passionate man, (ver. 22.) the second a libertine, (ver. 23.) and the third an adulterer, ver. 25. (Calmet)
23:22
Menochius
Hot. With any furious passion, (Vatable) or anger, (Calmet) avarice, (Worthington) or lust. (Menochius)
23:23
Mouth. Greek, "body."
Calmet
Fire. Shameful diseases will come upon him, Ecclesiasticus 19:3. His brutal passion will never be satiated. (Calmet)
23:24
Haydock
Sweet. He is not delicate in his choice. (Haydock)
Calmet
All obstacles increase his irregular desires, Proverbs 9:17. (Calmet)
23:27
Haydock
And. Greek, "the eyes of men are his dread." (Haydock)
Such is the folly of the adulterer!
23:30
Calmet
And he. Greek, "and where," etc. He shall be stoned, Leviticus 20:10. (Calmet)
Haydock
Taken. Greek subjoins (ver. 32.) "so," etc. (Haydock)
Worthington
If carnal adultery be thus punished, how much more will spiritual adultery, schism, and apostacy from the Catholic religion? (Worthington)
23:38
Haydock
Shall. Greek, "that thou shouldst be taken under his protection." (Haydock)
23:1
By them.... Viz., the tongue and the lips, mentioned in the last verse of the foregoing chapter.
23:2
That they spare me not in their ignorances, etc.... That is, that the scourges and discipline of wisdom may restrain the ignorances, that is, the slips and offences which are usually committed by the tongue and the lips.
23:1
Man being weake and the enimie suttle & strong, he is not able to resist tentations without Gods special grace, for which the vvisman therfore prayeth, instructing al by his example to do the same.
23:7
Precepts how to gouerne the mouth, and tongue.
23:9
Against rash, vntrue, & vnlawful swearing. Iere. 4.
23:10
Concordance Mat. 5.
23:15
In oathes God is called to witnes as he that can not lie, but blasphemie attributeth that to God which perteyneth not him, or attributeth to some creature that which only belongeth to God, and so is a contrarie sinne to vnlawful swearing.
Both are mortal sinnes.
23:17
Admonition against sinnes, of the tongue.
23:18
Reproch to parents, and other neighboures.
23:22
Against couetousnes.
23:24
Fornication.
23:25
Adultrie.
23:26
Concordance Isa. 29.
23:30
Seing earnal adultrie shal be seuerely punished, much more spiritual: as schisme heresie, and apostasie from Catholique Religion.
Concordance Leui 20.
Concordance Deut. 22.
23:1
St Methodius † AD 311 The Banquet of the Ten Virgins; or Concerning Chastity 1.3
… For presently one is introduced earnestly deprecating, from henceforth, this seduction, saying, “O Lord, Father, and Governor of my life, leave me not to their counsels; give me not a proud look; let not the greediness of the belly, nor lust of the flesh, take hold of me.”
23:4
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Grace and Free Will 32
… Why is he not satisfied with God’s commandment and his own will; since, if he has the will, he shall keep the commandments? How many of God’s commandments are directed against pride! He is quite aware of them; if he will, he may keep them. Why, therefore, does he shortly afterwards say, “O God, Father and God of my life, give me not a proud look”?
23:5
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Grace and Free Will 32
… Why, therefore, does he shortly afterwards say, “O God, Father and God of my life, give me not a proud look”? The law had long ago said to him, “Thou shalt not covet;” let him then only will, and do what he is bidden, because, if he has the will, he shall keep the commandments. Why, therefore, does he afterwards say, “Turn away from me concupiscence”?
23:6
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 10.31
… “I can,” saith he, “do all things through Him which strengtheneth me.” Strengthen me, that I may be able. Give what Thou commandest, and command what Thou wilt. He confesses to have received, and when he glorieth, he glorieth in the Lord. Another have I heard entreating that he might receive,—“Take from me,” saith he, “the greediness of the belly;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 130.22
… “Lord, remember David, and all his compassion,” or, “O Lord, if I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have rewarded evil to them that did evil to me,” what else is this than, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”? When one says: “Take away from me the lusts of the appetite, and let not sensual desire take hold on me,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Grace and Free Will 32
… Why, therefore, does he afterwards say, “Turn away from me concupiscence”? Against luxury, too, how many commandments has God enjoined! Let a man observe them; because, if he will, he may keep the commandments. But what means that cry to God, “Let not the greediness of the belly nor lust of the flesh take hold on me!”?
23:10
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies on the Statues to the People of Antioch 14.16
… For as it saith, “As a servant that is continually beaten will not be clear of a bruise, so he that sweareth and nameth God continually will not be purified of his sin.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 10
Well, then, let us speak to you to-day from the Old Testament. What does it tell us? “Accustom not thy mouth to swearing; neither use thyself to the naming of the Holy One.” And why? “For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blue mark, so he that sweareth.” (
23:11
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.13
In Solomon: “A man that sweareth much shall be filled with iniquity, and the plague shall not depart from his house; and if he swear vainly, he shall not be justified.”
23:17
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 2 Thessalonians 1
… Do you not see how those who are affected with bulimy, as it is called, are always hungry? For it is a passion, as the children of the physicians say, already exceeding the bounds of nature. The busy-bodies, and the over-curious, whatever they have learnt, do not stop. For it is a passion, and has no limit. (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 1 Timothy 9
… Let us take wives for them early, so that their brides may receive their bodies pure and unpolluted, so their loves will be more ardent. He that is chaste before marriage, much more will he be chaste after it; and he that practiced fornication before, will practice it after marriage. “All bread,” it is said, “is sweet to the fornicator.” (
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St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Duties of the Clergy 1.14
… Thus, again, he who speaks in the book Ecclesiasticus says: “Who seeth me? The darkness hath covered me, and the walls have hidden me; whom do I fear?”
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St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 15.13
… but that wisdom remained as it was, while they came into existence as it was fitting and when it was fitting. So, too, it is written in the book of Ecclesiasticus: “All things are known to Him ere ever they were created: so also after they were perfected.”
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John Cassian † AD 435 The Twelve Books on the Institutes of the Cœnobia, and the Remedies for the Eight Principal Faults 10.20
… It will be enough to have given this single instance of this sort of men in order to put beginners on their guard, and to show clearly what evils idleness, as Scripture says,
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St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Duties of the Clergy 1.14
… Thus, again, he who speaks in the book Ecclesiasticus says: “Who seeth me? The darkness hath covered me, and the walls have hidden me; whom do I fear?” But although lying on his bed he may think thus, he is caught where he never thought of it. “It shall be,” it says, “a shame to him because he knew not what the fear of the Lord was.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Duties of the Clergy 1.33
… For this, as the comrade and ally of good-will, makes us love those whom we think to be like ourselves. Again, good-will contains also in itself fortitude. For when friendship springs from the fount of good-will it does not hesitate to endure the great dangers of life for a friend. “If evils come to me through him,” it says, “I will bear them.”
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1. O LORD FATHER, AND RULER OF MY LIFE, DO NOT ABANDON ME IN THEIR COUNSEL: NOR SUFFER ME TO FALL IN THEM. — Their, namely of the foolish, that is of the impious, concerning whom much discourse has preceded. Or rather their, namely of the talkative and intemperate lips; for he dealt with these in the preceding verse, as if to say: O Lord, who rulest all things, rule my lips; who rulest my life, rule my tongue: for death and life are in the power of the tongue, Proverbs XVIII, 21. Again, the tongue is the whole of iniquity, James III, 6. He therefore requires a ruler, a ruler of all things: he calls God the ruler of life, both because he himself is the creator and lord of the soul which causes life; and because he himself governs and moderates all the offices, states and acts of our life; and because our life endures as long as he wills. These things are true both in the supernatural life of grace and in the natural life of the soul. Furthermore, he calls the counsel of the lips that which the talkativeness of the lips suggests should be said, namely importunity, rashness, intemperance, and the itching to speak whatever comes into one's mouth. And so the counsel of the lips is unbridled freedom of saying whatever one pleases. For the heart of fools is in their mouth, as he said above. Whence he adds: Nor suffer me to fall in them; some read, nor suffer me to fall in that reproach, or in that reproaching, so that, namely, intemperance of tongue may be reproached to me, and especially if I have cast some reproach upon a friend, or reproached some vice. For he dealt with the reviling of friends in the preceding chapter. Whence the Zurich version translates: O Lord father, and ruler of all my life, do not permit me by their counsel, nor suffer me to fall through them; the Syriac, O God my father, and Lord of my life, do not cause me to offend (permit me) because of them.
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2. WHO WILL SET OVER (thus the Roman; for this is the Greek ἐπιστήσει; therefore some read badly, will place under) IN MY THOUGHT SCOURGES, AND IN MY HEART THE DOCTRINE OF WISDOM, THAT THEY MAY NOT SPARE ME IN MY IGNORANCES, AND MY SINS MAY NOT APPEAR? — He prayed for a bridle on the tongue; now he prays for a bridle on thoughts and the heart, that is, on appetites. For these are the two sources of all good or evil. He therefore here begs a twofold grace of God. First, of illumination, which may enlighten, restrain, correct, direct the wandering, animal and erroneous thoughts of the intellect and imagination, and make them spiritual, heavenly and divine. The other of impulse, which may chastise, correct, purify and sanctify the harmful affections and desires of the heart, that is, of the will and concupiscence, through the dictates of wisdom and prudence, as it were through scourges; and this to the end that in their ignorances, namely in the erroneous thought and appetite of thought and heart, that is, of intellect and will, when namely I think something ignorantly, that is, imprudently and erroneously, with the intellect, or desire it with the will, the scourges may not spare me, that is, the chastisements of wisdom, and thus my sins may not appear (nor be). Thus St. Ambrose, whose words I cited at the end of the preceding chapter. And St. Chrysostom in Psalm CXL: It is not fitting, he says, to close the mouth only, but also to guard the mind before the mouth. Wherefore one wise man said well: Who will give in my thought or mind scourges, that they may not spare my ignorances? Whence explaining this more fully and amplifying it, Sirach adds:
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3. AND LEST MY IGNORANCES INCREASE, AND MY SINS BE MULTIPLIED (for ignorance in the mind and practical intellect, by which I imprudently prefer the desirable good to the honest good, begets and multiplies sins in the will and appetite; for the will follows the practical judgment, and desires and chooses what that dictates should be desired and chosen) AND MY SINS ABOUND, AND I FALL IN THE SIGHT OF MY ADVERSARIES, AND MY ENEMY REJOICE OVER ME, — as if to say: Lest through ignorances and sins I fall into losses of fortune, fame, life and soul, and thus become a mockery of demons and men, who are my enemies, so that they exult in my ruin, and mock and deride me.
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4. O LORD FATHER AND GOD OF MY LIFE, DO NOT ABANDON ME IN THEIR THOUGHT. — The Greek texts do not have this verse. Now Jansenius explains it thus: Their, he says, can either be referred to the adversaries and enemies, of whom it was said in the preceding sentence, so that the sense is: Do not abandon me, so that my enemies may accomplish in me what they think, or may see happen in me what they desire and think will happen. Or, do not abandon me, so that I may think such things as they do, namely evil things. Or it can rather be that the relative their is referred to thought and heart; so that, just as above he prayed not to be abandoned in the counsel of the lips, now he prays not to be abandoned in the thought of his own mind and heart; so that, namely, being left to himself, he may think and do such things as the intellect and will of man, when destitute of God's grace, suggest to man from himself, which are such as follow.
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5. LIFT NOT UP THY EYES IN LOFTINESS, AND EVERY DESIRE (that is, concupiscence: for the Hebrews call this חמדה chemda, that is, desire. He calls desire therefore an impatient and impotent affection toward any pleasure, and their burning cupidity and thirst) TURN AWAY FROM ME. — Lift not up, that is, do not allow to be given, on account of my former crimes and demerits. For God, since He is most holy, cannot be the author of sin and concupiscence; for God is not a tempter of evils, and He tempts no one, James 1, 13; He can however permit demons, men and concupiscence to tempt us toward pride, gluttony, lust, etc. Whence against this we must pray with Sirach according to the precept of Christ: And lead us not (that is, do not permit us to be led) into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Matt. VI, verse 13. Moreover God often permits this in punishment of preceding sins, and then it is properly said to give or deliver men to their concupiscence, to temptation and to the demon tempting. For the Hebrews often use active verbs of the first conjugation Kal for neuter verbs. See what is said at Exod. VII, 3, and Rom. I, 24. Loftiness he calls elation, as St. Augustine reads it, On Grace and Free Will, chapter XVI; he adds of the eyes; for although elation and pride is properly in the mind, yet it shows itself especially through lofty and haughty eyes. Whence the Syriac: do not give me a proud eye. And Psalm, chapter V: With a proud eye and an insatiable heart, I did not eat this. And Solomon, Proverbs, chapter VI, 17, among seven things which God detests, places in the first place lofty eyes. And chapter XXX, 13: A generation, he says, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids are lifted up on high. Wherefore the Greek texts of the Complutensian, Zurich and others at this place add, γιγαντώδη ψυχήν, that is, a gigantic soul; for thus they have it: O Lord Father and God of my life, do not grant me lofty eyes, but always keep a gigantic soul far from your servants. A gigantic soul is lofty, swollen, raising itself above all others, despising them and dominating them. For such was the nature of giants, who just as they had a gigantic body, so also had a gigantic soul, Genesis VI, 4. St. Cyril shows the same thing by an ingenious and charming apologue of a bear, a doe and a fox, lib. II Apolog. moral. chapter XI, which has the title: Against the appetite for dignity. "To a famished bear lurking in order to swallow some prey, the fox, mistress of deceit, wishing to help the impious with pious intent, endeavored to lead to him a solitary doe by her art of guile, addressing her thus: How placidly in countenance, how lofty in neck, how polished in hide, how strong in foot, how perfect in proportion has nature formed you as a parent! Truly one thing alone is lacking to your perfect beauty, that you lack horns; nor indeed should an armor proud and safe have been wanting even to the weaker sex, especially since it has been granted to the cow. Did perhaps nature, ignorant of envy, leave something imperfect in her art? The ape indeed clothes itself with supplementary art, and by mastery gold and silver are polished. If therefore you wish to be perfected with a horn, hear my counsel, and follow my guidance, for I will direct you to a master expert in this art. But she followed the liar not so much with feminine mobility as desiring a horn. But by a fortunate fate the doe was caught by the snare, and a stag met her, who marveling at his companion said: Why do you follow the fox's tail? To which the doe: Indeed with such a guide I am going to the bear, so that just as you also rejoice in horns. Do you alone wish to appear in masculine pride? To this the astute one, sensing the pride of both and the guile, pitying his companion's error, thus exhorted her: Surely on account of horns the bear gave ear to virtue, beware lest you lose both hide and life at once. This obscure response is clarified by the following apologue:"
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6. TAKE FROM ME THE DESIRES OF THE BELLY, AND LET NOT THE DESIRES OF LUST SEIZE UPON ME. — The desire of the belly is gluttony, the desire of lust is concupiscence. And the former is the cause of the latter: For the belly seething with wine foams forth into lusts, says St. Jerome. The Complutensians, the Zurich Bible and many others add much here; for thus they have it, turn away from me vain hopes and desires, and keep me who desire to serve thee continually in duty; let not seize me (or occupy and rule: for this is what the Greek κατακαβέτωσαν means. Our translator rendered it, seize upon) the appetite of the belly and of lust. But the Greek texts corrected by the Romans omit these, and agree with the Latin Vulgate; the Syriac however says, an impudent heart, keep far from me. That which is good let not escape me, and let not the lasciviousness of the flesh make me lascivious. Therefore those who are gluttonous are unfruitful, who know not how to enjoy foods, but swallow them immediately, so that they scarcely feel the sweetness of taste, and are therefore like wolves. For the wolf, says Aristotle in the History of Animals, because gluttonous, eats food not by chewing it, but by devouring and gulping: whence it devours at one time as much as suffices it for three days. Thus the unfruitful are the lustful, the avaricious, the ambitious, who know not how to enjoy and delight in their wives, their riches, their honors; because they pour themselves into them so intemperately and violently, that they dull and blunt the sense of pleasure, while they exhaust all their strength in them, afflict the powers of the soul, and harm their whole nature. Therefore the unfruitful man is brutish, that is, as St. Isidore says, lib. X of the Origins, buried, because he lacks sense. Whence Junius, the first consul of Rome, was surnamed Brutus, because before Tarquinius Superbus, his uncle, he feigned himself foolish. Thus Isidore. Therefore Sirach prays to be freed from the desire of the belly and of Venus, lest through it he be delivered to a soul irreverent and unfruitful, so that namely impudence and insolence of soul may rule over it; for these two are wont to be born from gluttony and lust; for the more you indulge them, the more you inflame them, so that they become impudent, insolent and insatiable, and therefore tyrannically rule over you. Therefore the spirit of lust, equally as of gluttony, is as it were a certain tyrant, and a most irreverent, most shameless and most insulting soldier, nay as it were a most rapacious harpy, whose tyranny Seneca excellently depicts in epistle 39: What enemy, he says, has been so insulting to anyone as their own pleasures are to some? whose impotence and mad lust you might forgive for this reason, that they suffer what they have done. They live therefore by their pleasures, they do not enjoy them; and their evils, which is the ultimate of evils, they love. Then indeed is unhappiness consummated, when base things not only delight, but also please; and there is no longer place for remedy, where what were vices become customs. Morally, learn here how great an evil impudence is; for this takes away shame, which is the bridle of all evil, which broken, man rushes impudently like a horse into all desires and crimes. Wherefore we ought always to be ashamed of evil. On the contrary, we ought not to be ashamed of good; therefore shame for good is holy. Hear St. Augustine on that passage of Psalm LXVIII, 8: Because for thy sake I have borne reproach, shame hath covered my face: What is irreverence? not to be confounded, not to blush. Therefore irreverence is as it were impudence. It is fitting that a Christian have this irreverence, when he comes among men to whom Christ is displeasing. See his sentence, who deceives no one: Whosoever shall be ashamed of me before men, I will also be ashamed of him before the angels of God. Observe therefore if there be in thee irreverence. Be bold of face, when thou hearest reproach concerning Christ, be altogether bold of face. What fearest thou for thy face, which thou hast armed with the sign of the cross of Christ? This is indeed: For thy sake I have borne reproach. And because I was not ashamed of thee, when I was insulted for thy sake, shame hath covered my face. This holy irreverence had St. Mary Magdalen, when, as St. Augustine says in homily 23 among 50: Not invited she rushed into the banquet, where her physician reclined, and sought with pious impudence health, rushing in as it were an unwelcome guest to the banquet, opportune for the benefit. See the words Ezech. III, verses 7 and 8.
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7. HEAR THE DOCTRINE OF THY MOUTH, MY CHILDREN; AND HE THAT KEEPETH IT SHALL NOT PERISH BY HIS LIPS, NOR SHALL BE SCANDALIZED IN MOST WICKED WORKS. — By the doctrine of the mouth he calls not that which he is about to speak from his mouth, but that which he is about to speak concerning the moderating of the mouth and lips. Whence the Greeks prefix this title here, discipline of the mouth. Again, that "nor shall be scandalized" is the same as shall not offend, shall not stumble; for here it is not a question of scandal properly so called, by which one is scandalized, that is, is led into sin by the word or deed of another. Whence the Greeks have only, shall not be taken by his lips. The sense is, as if to say, O children, O disciples, hear the doctrine which I am about to hand down concerning the governing of the mouth; for he who shall keep it shall not perish by his lips, nor shall offend, or fall into ruin through most wicked works of the mouth, such as perjury, calumny, quarrels, curses, etc. Whence the Zurich version clearly translates, hear the instruction of the mouth (some add ἀληθοῦς, that is, of truth), O children; he who keeps it shall not be taken by his lips, nor shall receive offense from evil deeds; the Syrian briefly, the doctrine of my mouth, hear, my children, and he who is cautious shall not be affected with shame.
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8. IN HIS VANITY THE SINNER SHALL BE CAUGHT, AND THE PROUD AND THE RAILER SHALL BE SCANDALIZED IN THEM. — He proves what he said in the preceding verse, that he who hears this doctrine concerning the moderating of the mouth shall not perish, nor fall into any offense, by antithesis, or from the contrary, namely because the sinner who neglects the custody of mouth and lips shall be caught and taken in vanity; in Greek, in foolishness, that is in foolish speech, and the proud and the railer shall be scandalized, and shall stumble, shall offend, and shall fall into danger, in them, that is through them, namely his lips. For when he uses his lips intemperately, and detracts by them, reviles, quarrels, etc., he brings upon himself and creates danger of imprisonment, beatings, loss of reputation, and not rarely of life. For it refers back to what the preceding verse said of the wise man by antithesis: Shall not perish by his lips, as if to say, but the fool and the sinner shall perish by his lips; or rather, shall be scandalized in them, namely in most wicked works, in which the preceding verse said the wise man should not be scandalized, as if to say, the proud and the railer shall offend and stumble in most wicked works of perjury, blasphemy, quarrels, blows, etc., from which the prudent man will beware, because he restrains his lips and moderates them rightly. Whence the Zurich version translates, the wicked shall be caught by his lips, and the railer and proud man shall offend in them; the Syrian, for in his speech the wicked man is caught, and the fool offends in his mouth. Hence Palacius observes the reason why many fall into perjuries, blasphemies, quarrels and blows, to be that they are proud and railers. For this is the just judgment of God, who depresses pride with profound ruin, chastises and overthrows it.
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9. LET NOT THY MOUTH BE ACCUSTOMED TO SWEARING, FOR MANY A FALL IS IN IT. — For easily from the habit of swearing it comes to pass that one frequently swears rashly and in vain, and sometimes that which is false, and thus commits perjury. Thus the Author of the Imperfect Work in Matthew, cited by St. Chrysostom, homily 12: Unless, he says, swearing (frequent or rash) be forbidden, perjuries cannot be cut off; for from swearing perjury is generated. For there is no one who swears frequently and does not at some time perjure himself. For this reason Solomon admonishes (for Ecclesiasticus is inscribed to Solomon by the ancients, for reasons which I have recounted in the Preface): Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing; for many a fall is in it. For just as he who makes a habit of speaking much, it is necessary that he sometimes speak inopportunely; and he who makes a habit of striking frequently with his hand, it is necessary that he sometimes strike unjustly: so he who makes a habit of swearing in suitable matters frequently, and in superfluous matters, even unwilling, drawn by habit, perjures himself. For the habit of all things, when we wish indeed, then we do it, but not when we wish, then we put it away. And below: "Let fire cease, and burning does not happen: take away the sword, and murder is not committed.
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10. LET NOT THE NAMING OF GOD BE CONTINUAL IN THY MOUTH, AND BE NOT MINGLED WITH THE NAMES OF SAINTS; FOR THOU SHALT NOT BE FREE FROM THEM. — He forbade swearing; now he forbids any light and irreverent naming of God and the Saints; for there are some who at every third word rashly name God, Christ, the Sacraments, etc. Which is indeed no small irreverence toward God and the Saints. The Greeks express this sentence thus briefly, to the naming of τοῦ ἁγίου, that is, the holy one, do not become accustomed; where the holy one is taken partly in the masculine, as it were to say, of the holy God; partly in the neuter, so that the holy is the same as any holy thing whatsoever, whether it be animate, such as the Angels and holy men in heaven; or inanimate, such as temples, altars, Sacraments, etc. Our translator reads in the plural τῶν ἁγίων, that is, of the saints, in the same sense; for saints in the masculine is the same as of the Angels and holy men; in the neuter, however, it is the same as of holy things. He forbids therefore that these be named rashly and irreverently, whether this be done in an oath or outside of an oath, according to the second precept of the Decalogue: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain (and of divine things, namely of holy things; for these touch upon God, whence he who violates them by naming them rashly, violates God also), Exodus XX, 7. For the name of God is a most sacred thing, surpassing all holiness; therefore it is unworthy that it be trampled upon by a vain and profane mouth. It is otherwise if thou hast it frequently, but with great love and reverence, in thy mouth. For thus St. Paul repeatedly names God and Jesus Christ, so much so that in his few and short Epistles he names Christ four hundred times, Jesus two hundred times and more. He adds the reason: For thou shalt not be free from them, not from the saints, but from the names of the Saints, as it were to say, Abstain from vain and irreverent namings of the Saints, because from them, that is, through them, on account of them (for this is what the Hebrew מהם mehem, that is, from them, signifies) thou shalt not be free, namely from sin, that is, from guilt and punishment. The Zurich Bible: because thou shalt not bear it with impunity; the Syriac: he who is frequent in swearing is not justified from crimes and from plague. He alludes to, nay, he cites Exodus cap. XX, 7: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain. For God is zealous for his name and his honor; wherefore he sharply punishes those who irreverently usurp and profane his name, both in this life and in the future.
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11. FOR AS A SERVANT THAT IS OFTEN BEATEN IS NOT FREE FROM BRUISES; SO EVERY ONE THAT SWEARS AND NAMES (rashly God and the Saints, or holy things) SHALL NOT BE WHOLLY CLEANSED FROM SIN. — Examined, that is, tortured; for servants are wont to be examined under torture concerning a crime committed: whence torture is called a question; and in the Passions of the Martyrs, examination is sometimes put for scourges and torments, says Rabanus, as it were to say, As a servant examined by questions with scourges and torments is filled with stripes and bruises: so also he who swears frequently inflicts frequent stripes of sins upon his soul. Whence the Zurich Bible translates, As a servant frequently beaten is not relieved of bruises: so he who has sworn, and continually usurps the name of God, shall not be free from guilt. Aptly does he compare the one who swears to a servant, the oath to a question and torture, the damages of the oath to bruises. For, as Plutarch says in his Problems, An oath is to a free man what torture is. Whence the Romans extracted truth from slaves through torture, from a citizen through an oath, from a priest by his word alone. For an oath torments the soul, both because it strikes it with fear of the Deity, and renders it anxious and troubled, lest by swearing unlawfully he incur his indignation; and also because it actually exposes it to divine vengeance. For he who swears by an execratory oath, for example, saying: If I lie, may God punish me; expressly imprecates God's vengeance upon himself, if he should lie. He does the same implicitly, and imprecates it upon himself, swearing by an assertory oath. Moreover, Rabanus thus explains it, as it were to say, As a servant frequently corrected is not withdrawn from the crime of bruising, but rather is provoked to hatred: so every one who swears and frequently names the name of God and his Saints, shall not be cleansed from sins thereby, but rather is polluted. But bruise here does not signify a crime, namely anger and envy of mind, but a bruise and welt of the body: for this is what the Greek μώλωψ denotes.
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12. A MAN WHO SWEARS MUCH SHALL BE FILLED WITH INIQUITY (namely with perjuries, blasphemies, injustices, etc.), AND THE PLAGUE SHALL NOT DEPART FROM HIS HOUSE. — The Zurich version: a man who swears frequently shall be filled with wickedness, nor shall the scourge depart from his house; the Syriac: a man who swears acquires sins, and sedition and beating shall not be taken away from his house. An example is found in Saul, who was inclined to swearing, and by swearing much committed many offences, and therefore brought upon himself and his descendants grave plagues of God, as is evident from II Kings XXI, verse 1 and following. Wherefore wisely St. Augustine, in sermon 28 On the Words of the Apostle: False swearing is destructive, he says, true swearing is dangerous, no swearing is safe. See what I have noted concerning oaths at Jacob. V, 12; see also St. Chrysostom, homily to the People 5, 6, 7 and seq. up to 16, in all of which he sharply attacks the custom of swearing prevalent in that age, and in 15 he teaches that it is worse to swear than to kill: The sword does not pierce thus, he says, as the nature of an oath; the sword does not kill thus, as the blow of an oath. And he proves this from the sickle which Zacharias saw sent by God into the houses of those who swear, cap. V.
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13. AND IF HE SHALL HAVE FRUSTRATED (if he shall not have fulfilled his oath), HIS OFFENCE SHALL BE UPON HIM; AND IF HE SHALL HAVE DISSEMBLED, HE SHALL OFFEND DOUBLY, — that is to say, If he swears in vain, so that he does not actually perform what he has sworn, he shall be guilty of an offence, and shall bear its punishment: if moreover he shall have neglected to correct and expiate it and shall have dissembled, in Greek ὑπερίδη, that is, shall have despised it, he shall sin doubly, namely first, by deceiving and not fulfilling his oath; secondly, 14. AND IF HE SHALL HAVE SWORN IN VAIN, HE SHALL NOT BE JUSTIFIED: FOR HIS HOUSE SHALL BE FILLED WITH RETRIBUTION. — Lest anyone think that only he who frustrates his oath, by not performing what he has sworn, sins and therefore ought to be punished by God; he adds, that he also who swears in vain, that is, rashly, emptily, lightly, where there is no necessity or just utility, swears, even without falsehood or harm to his neighbour; shall not be justified in this deed, that is, shall not be deemed to have acted justly and rightly, shall not be declared just; but rather as one acting badly shall be corrected and punished, if not by men, certainly by God: for God shall fill his house with retribution, that is to say, God shall render to him and his house, that is, his family and descendants, the due retribution, that is, vengeance, punishment and torments for these rash oaths. Let those note this who have the habit of swearing, and swear lightly at every third word. Whence the Zurich version translates, and not even the rash use of an oath shall be judged innocent: for his house shall be assailed by frequent calamities; others, that if he swore in vain, he shall not escape punishment; for his house shall be filled with misfortunes. For these things are signified by the Greek ἐπαγωγῶν, as I said above. Thus those who swear frequently see frequent misfortunes in their houses, so that they suffer loss of merchandise, servants, children, etc., and do not perceive the cause, namely irreverence toward God, and rash swearing, by which they profane the holy name of God.
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15. THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER SPEECH CONTRARY TO DEATH, LET IT NOT BE FOUND IN THE INHERITANCE OF JACOB. — Thus the Roman and other corrected codices. Lyranus therefore read badly, contrary unto death; and others, on the contrary unto death. The Greek texts already have ἀντιπεριδεβλημένη, that is, clothed, wrapped, covered. Whence thus they have, there is a speech clothed or wrapped with death, etc. The Zurich version: there is a discourse enveloped with death, let it not be found in the possession of Jacob; others, there is a speech surrounded on all sides with death. Our text reads ἀντιπαρατεθειμένη, that is, opposed, contrary, or rather ἀντιπαραβεβλημένη, as some codices still read, that is, opposed, compared, set side by side. For ἀντιπαραβάλλω means the same as I oppose, compare, set together, compare. Whence ἀντιπαραβολή is mutual comparison. Contrary to death therefore means the same as answering on the other side, and which can be compared and set side by side with death, opposed to death, set against it, near to it, placed over against death. Whence the Syriac, omitting to death, thus translates, and also if there is something else which may be compared to it (to the oath), shall not be found in the inheritance of Jacob.
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16. FOR FROM THE MERCIFUL ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE TAKEN AWAY, AND THEY SHALL NOT WALLOW IN SINS. — From the merciful, that is, from the pious. Thus the Syriac: for from the humble these things are far away. And the Zurich version: from those, however, who look to the mercy of God, all these things are removed: nor do they become defiled in vices; the Complutensian: for from the pious all these things shall be far away, and they shall not be defiled in sins. Mercy therefore is here put for every virtue and piety. For the merciful are the pious; for from mercy are born the fear of God, reverence, humility, and love toward God. Wherefore the merciful treat God and His name and the Saints reverently, nor are they unmerciful toward Him in cursing and malediction.
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17. LET NOT UNDISCIPLINED SPEECH ACCUSTOM THY MOUTH: FOR THERE IS IN IT A WORD OF SIN. — You will ask, what is this undisciplined, that is, insolent and insane, speech? I answer first, it is imprecation and cursing, of which I spoke in verse 15. Thus the Zurich version, have nothing accustomed in thy lips: for it is subject to sin; the Syriac, let thy mouth not be accustomed to cursing speech, lest perchance thou fall into sin. For these are undisciplined, that is, insane, barbarous, bestial, and therefore contrary and compared to death, as I said in verse 15.
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Lest perchance God forget thee, that is, lest God, as if forgetful of thee, abandon and desert thee, which is to say, Beware lest thou offend God by thy foul speech and curses, and thus lose his grace: in the sight of them, namely of the great men, before whom thou standest, so that thou mayest be corrected and confounded by them. And made foolish by thy constant habit, that is, by the constancy of custom, by which thou hast continually imbibed foul words, curses and blasphemies; for by this thou art as it were made foolish and stupefied, and dost not perceive that these blasphemies are grave sins, but utterest them as if in jest. For as salt that hath lost its savour loseth its taste, so thou, made foolish by foul speech, hast lost the shame and savour of decorum which had been implanted in thee by thy parents: thou shalt suffer reproach, namely from the learned and the chaste, who will reprove and rebuke thee for thy foul speech; and thou wouldst have preferred not to be born, namely rather than to suffer such great reproaches from foul speech, and thou cursest the day of thy nativity, and that with just cause: because at thy birth thou didst promise thyself better things, since thou hadst such parents and such an education.
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20. A MAN ACCUSTOMED TO WORDS OF REPROACH SHALL NOT BE CORRECTED ALL HIS DAYS. — That is, a man who hath become accustomed to foul speech and blasphemies shall never be amended, because custom is a second nature: for this is imprinted as it were indelibly, and can scarcely ever be removed. Thus Rabanus. Or, shall not be corrected, that is, shall always be unlearned, ignorant, dull and rustic. For foul speech and curses argue little learning of mind, refinement and prudence. Thus Jansenius. Or shall not be corrected all his days, that is, all his life he shall not be sufficiently learned and prudent to guard himself against foul speech, to avoid and restrain it, but shall always imprudently fall into it, says Palacius.
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21. TWO KINDS ABOUND IN SINS (in Greek, multiply sins), AND A THIRD BRINGETH WRATH AND DESTRUCTION. — After the vices of the tongue he proceeds to the vices of deeds, says Jansenius, just as at the beginning of the chapter, after he prayed for continence of the tongue, he soon prays for temperance of the whole life. The sense is, that is to say, There are two kinds of vices and vicious men which heap sin upon sin; but a third, surpassing these two, provokes the sharp wrath, vengeance and destruction of God. It is similar to Proverbs vi, 16: Six things there are which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth: the seventh is whispering and a whisperer, who soweth discord among brethren. Whence the Syriac here renders it, my soul hateth two modes, and a third causeth wrath to arise; the Zurich version, two kinds abound in sins, and a third deserveth punishment, namely singular and sharp. Among these three, the first is a hot soul, namely a soul burning with anger and choler. The second is wicked in the mouth of his flesh, that is, wicked in the appetite of the flesh, that is of lust, namely a lustful man. The third is, verse 25, he that transgresseth his marriage bed, that is, an adulterer. 22. A HOT SOUL LIKE A BURNING FIRE SHALL NOT BE EXTINGUISHED TILL IT DEVOUR SOMETHING. — Zurich version, a mind burning like a blazing fire, which shall not be extinguished until it be consumed. 23. AND A WICKED MAN IN THE MOUTH OF HIS FLESH SHALL NOT CEASE TILL HE KINDLE A FIRE. — This is the second kind of those who abound in sins, namely fornicators: for these multiply lusts, because they are not satisfied with them. For lust is insatiable, and ever raiseth and kindleth greater flames of itself: whence it aboundeth in sins.
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25. EVERY MAN WHO TRANSGRESSES HIS BED, DESPISING HIS OWN SOUL, AND SAYING: WHO SEES ME? — Add: Here he shall be punished in the streets, as will be said in verse 30. For there the sentence begun here is completed. The sense is, as if to say, The third, who abounds in sins and brings wrath and perdition, as I said in verse 21, is the adulterer, who violates the conjugal bed and couch, and invades the wife of another or certainly a harlot; and thus he despises his own soul, both because he exposes his life to the danger of death, namely lest the kinsmen of the wife, or the husband of the adulteress with whom he sins, kill him on account of the injury and infamy brought both to the wife and to the adulteress, and thence to themselves; and also because he exposes his soul to God's vengeance, judgment and damnation. But the blind love of the adulterer despises all these things, because committing adultery in secret, he thinks himself hidden from the eyes of men and says: Who sees me? Whence the Zurich version translates, a man indeed (is the third and last abounding in sins) a violator of his bed, thus thinking with himself: Who sees me? The Syriac: a man who transgresses upon the bed of his couch, and says in his soul: Who sees me? And therefore he does not consider that saying of Seneca the Gentile, though he himself was faithful: Even if I knew that men would be ignorant and God would forgive, nevertheless I would not wish to sin, on account of the baseness of sin. 29. FOR TO THE LORD GOD, BEFORE ALL THINGS WERE CREATED, ALL THINGS ARE KNOWN: SO ALSO AFTER THE PERFECT WORK HE BEHOLDS ALL THINGS. — He proves that the eyes of God, brighter than the sun, behold all things, from the fact that He Himself is the creator, preserver and governor of all things: just as therefore before He created them He knew them through the idea which He had in His mind, for according to it He created them; so also after He created and perfected them, He beholds and contemplates all things, that He might preserve and govern what He created. Whence the Greek texts clearly have, before all things were created, all things are known to Him, so also after they were completed; but the Syriac: because before anything comes to be, it is manifest before Him, and also after the completion of the world He judges him, as if to say, God foreknew and foresaw the deeds of men before man did them, indeed before the world existed: whence the same, after they have been done, after namely man has done them, at the completion, that is, at the end of the world, He will judge him who did and perpetrated them. God therefore foresaw all the actions of all, both good and bad, before the world, sees them in the world, will judge them after the world. Hear Rabanus: It is known to God from the beginning what his work is, nor can anything new happen to Him; because He foreknew before all times the ages which He willed to accomplish in time, and after the perfect work nothing was lacking to Him or escaped Him, because neither the past nor the future is anything to Him, but all things are present before Him. For in the almighty God those times which are to come always subsist as present: to whom neither do future things come, nor do past things depart, but all things stand together before His eyes at once: to have been, or to be about to be, eternity does not have; to whom assuredly neither do past things pass away, nor do future things supervene, all of which He sees as present.
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30. HE SHALL BE PUNISHED IN THE STREETS OF THE CITY, AND SHALL BE DRIVEN ABOUT LIKE A YOUNG HORSE: AND WHERE HE DID NOT HOPE (that is, did not fear, did not think; for in Greek it is οὐχ ὑπενόησε, that is, did not suspect; thus the Poet says: But fear, that is, fear, the gods mindful of right and wrong) HE SHALL BE APPREHENDED. — He, namely the adulterer, who transgresses his bed, of whom he treated in verse 21; for there the sentence begun and suspended through several verses is here at last completed. Whence the Zurich version translates, wherefore he shall be condemned in the streets of the city; Vatable, he shall pay penalties; 31. AND IT SHALL BE SHAME TO ALL, BECAUSE HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE FEAR OF THE LORD. — As if to say, The adulterer wished to hide his adultery in the darkness of night and in the secrecy of a chamber; but God will reveal his crime and shame to the whole world, when He punishes it by death through a judge, or by other public punishment and calamity, and that deservedly and justly, because the adulterer practically did not understand, that is, did not know, the fear of the Lord, so that by His fear he might restrain himself from adultery, as if to say, Because he did not fear the Lord, but preferred his lusts to God and to the love of God. Whence the Zurich version, namely Vatable: It shall be, he says, a shame to all, because he did not cultivate religion toward the Lord in his mind. The Greek of the Complutensian, Roman, and other editions, and the Syriac do not have this verse.
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32. SO ALSO EVERY WOMAN WHO LEAVES HER HUSBAND, AND APPOINTS AN HEIR FROM ANOTHER MARRIAGE. — This sentence, left suspended, is completed in verse 34: She shall be brought into the Church. For what he said of the adulterer, that his hidden deed shall be made public, and punished with public ignominy and punishment, he now says likewise of the adulteress, as if to say: The adulteress is similar to the adulterer and equal in crime, and therefore shall be punished with similar infamy and death, namely by stoning according to the law of Moses. Moreover, the adulteress appoints an heir from another marriage, that is, she appoints and assigns an heir to a bastard, whom she conceives from the husband of another marriage, namely from an adulterer, as if to say: The adulteress makes the bastard son of the adulterer the heir of her own husband, which is a great fraud and injustice. Whence the Zurich version translates: the same shall happen to the woman who abandons her husband and prepares an heir from another; the Syriac: and also the woman who offends her husband and substitutes an heir from another. Moreover, before he concludes the sentence and expresses the punishment, he demonstrates how great is the gravity of this crime and the injury from a threefold count, when he adds:
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37. AND THEY WHO ARE FORSAKEN SHALL KNOW, THAT THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN THE FEAR OF GOD; AND NOTHING SWEETER THAN TO HAVE RESPECT TO THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD. — In the commandments, that is, in the commandment: for the Hebrews construct verbs of contact, whether corporeal or mental, such as to respect, to see, etc., with ב beth, that is, in. The sense is, as if to say: From the reproach and punishment of adulterers and the impious, who did not fear God, by the antithesis of the contrary, mortals shall gather that there is nothing better, that is, more honorable and useful, than the fear of God, and nothing sweeter than to attend to, obey and comply with the commandments of the Lord. For the fear of God is the observance and obedience of his commandments. In this therefore consists all the good of man, namely all honesty, all utility, all sweetness and human pleasure. For these are three species of good; for every good is either honest, or useful, or sweet and delightful; but that which is perfect is that which contains and comprehends these three in itself.
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38. GREAT IS THE GLORY OF FOLLOWING THE LORD: FOR LENGTH OF DAYS SHALL BE TAKEN UP BY HIM. — To the shame which he said the adulterer and adulteress bring upon themselves and their offspring (verse 31), he opposes the honour and glory of one who fears God, as if to say: The adulterer follows his mistresses, lusts and desires; and therefore brings upon himself and his offspring eternal shame and indelible disgrace; but truly he who fears God, and thus fears God's law and fear, follows and brings upon himself and his offspring eternal honour and glory. For great is the glory of following the Lord; for to serve God is to reign: first, because it is noble to serve God most noble, who is the highest and divine majesty; secondly, because this servitude makes us like unto God. Thus Clement of Alexandria, in book VII of the Stromata, towards the end teaches that, just as those who by study follow Cicero, Plato, Aristotle, become Ciceronians, Platonists, Aristotelians, indeed almost new Ciceros, Platos and Aristotles; so also those who follow God, by obeying his will and law, become divine and as it were certain earthly gods. For thus he says: Just as if someone should devote himself to studying Ischomachos, he would make him a farmer; and if Lampis, a sailor; and Charidemos, a commander; and Simon, skilled in horsemanship; and Perdicas, an innkeeper; and Crobylus, a preparer of provisions; and Archelaus, a dancer; and Homer, a poet; and Pyrrhon, a contentious man; and Demosthenes, an orator; and Chrysippus, a dialectician; and Aristotle, a natural philosopher; and Plato, a philosopher: so he who obeys the Lord, and follows the prophecy given through him, is made in the image of the teacher, God dwelling in flesh. He then adds: This height therefore those do not attain who do not follow God leading them; and he leads through the divinely inspired Scriptures. Thirdly, because God rewards those serving him with the glory of the heavenly kingdom, and makes them kings of all, according to that in the Apocalypse v, 10: Thou hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests, and we shall reign upon the earth. Whence, giving the reason, he says: For length of days shall be taken up by him. Where the eo can refer both to the Lord and to him who follows the Lord, as if to say: He who follows the Lord shall take up and receive length of days, both of this life (for God promised and granted this to the pious in the Old Testament, as to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Tobias); and of the future, namely blessed eternity shall he take up from the Lord, who will reward his following with this most ample reward. The Greek texts have, length of days shall be taken up by him from him; the Zurich Bible, great glory is to follow the Lord, and to be received by him, length of life. Whence Jansenius suspects that our translator first rendered it, length of days shall be taken up by thee from him; so that the sense is: Length of days, that is eternal life, is obtained through this, that the Lord takes thee to himself. Note: Although all who fear God, namely all the humble, all the obedient, all the patient, all the religious (and the rest) follow God; yet this is properly attributed here to the chaste and virgins: for he opposes these to adulterers. The reason is, that chastity is wonderfully pleasing to God, because he himself is the purest spirit, and thus is himself uncreated purity and chastity, and in this purity his holiness consists, as St. Dionysius teaches in On the Divine Names. Hence St. John, in the Apocalypse cap. XIV, 4, saw virgins following the lamb whithersoever he goeth. For, as Paul says, I Corinthians vi, 16: He that is joined to a harlot, is made one body with her; so he who is joined to the Lord through the chastity of mind and body, is one spirit with him. Furthermore, lest anyone excuse himself, saying that it is difficult, indeed impossible, for weak man to follow God almighty in every way; for this reason God put on humanity, and Christ became man, so that man by acting and suffering might go before men in the way through labours, sorrows and all works unto heaven. Hear St. Ambrose in Psalm CXVIII, octave 5, explaining that passage: Lead me in the path of thy commandments, for I have desired it. Who, he says, says this, except he who follows Christ? No one else can say this, except he who carries out what is written: Thou shalt walk after the Lord thy God, and shalt cleave to him, for he leadeth thee, Deuteronomy x. How he leadeth, hear: Unless a man take up his cross, and follow me, he is not worthy of me, Matthew x. See here how great is the excellence and glory of our warfare, that we have God as our leader: and how great also is our security; for who would fear with such a leader? Do not depart from behind the Lord, says Samuel in 1 Kings XII, 20, and do not fear. Wherefore on the other hand it is a great disgrace, great sloth, great cowardice not to follow where God our leader goes before us and leads us. Herodotus, in book IV, relates that Darius king of the Persians, setting out against the Scythians, when Ocobazus a noble Persian offered from three sons he had, only two to follow him into war, and reserved the third for himself, was greatly angered and ordered all three to be killed, leaving them to the father, to show how unworthy it was, and how great a crime it was not to wish to follow any king going into battle. He relates something similar of Xerxes the son of Darius: to whom when moving camp against the Greeks, Pythius king of Lydia gave companions and attendants, four sons, but retained the fifth as the firstborn with himself; immediately Xerxes ordered him to be cut in half, and the army to pass through the middle of his limbs. If Darius and Xerxes, earthly kings and men like others, did this, what will God do, King of kings and Lord of lords?
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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.