Of what things we ought not to be ashamed. Cautions with regard to women. The works and greatness of God.
Further admonition to auoide sinnes in wordes, and deedes. 6. with care that others offend not by our negligence. 15. An other matter of meditation is Gods excellencie, appearing in his workes.
1Repeat not the word which thou hast heard, and disclose not the thing that is secret; so shalt thou be truly without confusion, and shalt find favour before all men: be not ashamed of any of these things, and accept no person to sin thereby:Non riportare il discorso da te udito, rivelando il segreto. Così veramente non avrai onde arrossire, e troverai grazia nel cospetto di tutti gli uomini. Ma non aver rossore di tutte queste altre cose, né per riguardo a chicchessia non commetter peccato.REPEATE notthe word which thou hast heard, neither reueale thou of a secret word, & thou shalt in deede be without confusion, and shalt finde grace in the sight of al men: be not ashamed for al these thinges, and accept not person therby to sinne.Non duplices sermonem auditus de revelatione sermonis absconditi: / et eris vere sine confusione, / et invenies gratiam in conspectu omnium hominum. / Ne pro his omnibus confundaris, / et ne accipias personam ut delinquas: 2Of the law of the most High, and of his covenant, and of judgment to justify the ungodly:(Non ti vergognare) della legge dell'Altissimo, e del suo testamento nè per giustificare l'empio in giudizio.Of the law of the Highest, and his testament, and of iudgement to iustifie the impious,de lege Altissimi, et testamento, / et de judicio justificare impium, 3Of the affair of companions and travellers, and of the gift of the inheritance of friends:Quando i tuoi soci hanno qualche affare con viandanti, e nella divisione di eredità tra gli amici.of the word of companions and wayfaring men, and of the geuing of the inheritance of freindes,de verbo sociorum et viatorum, / et de datione hæreditatis amicorum, 4Of exactness of balance and weights, of getting much or little:(Non ti vergognare) di avere stadere, e bilance giuste, né di far molto o poco guadagno,of the equalitie of balance and weightes, of the getting of manie thinges and few,de æqualitate stateræ et ponderum, / de acquisitione multorum et paucorum, 5Of the corruption of buying, and of merchants, and of much correction of children, and to make the side of a wicked slave to bleed.Né di disturbare le cabale de' negozianti nel vendere, né di contenere figliuoli con severità ne di battere fino al, sangue il servo scellerato.of the corruption of bying, and of marchantes, and of much discipline of thy children, and to make bloudie the side of a wicked seruant.de corruptione emptionis et negotiatorum, / et de multa disciplina filiorum, / et servo pessimo latus sanguinare. 6Sure keeping is good over a wicked wife.E bene il tener rinchiusa la moglie cattiva.Ouer a naughtie woman a seale is good.Super mulierem nequam bonum est signum.
7Where there are many hands, shut up, and deliver all things in number, and weight: and put all in writing that thou givest out or receivest in.Dove son molte mani, fa uso delle chiavi, e tutte le cose, che darai, contale, e pesale, e scrivi a libro quel, che dai, e quel, che ricevi.Where there are manie handes, shutvp, and what soeuer thou shalt deliuer, number, and weight it: and write euerie thing geuen and receiued.Ubi manus multæ sunt, claude: / et quodcumque trades, numera et appende: / datum vero et acceptum omne describe. 8Be not ashamed to inform the unwise and foolish, and the aged, that are judged by young men: and thou shalt be well instructed in all things, and well approved in the sight of all men living.(Non ti vergognare) di correggere di insensati, e gli stolti, e i vecchj, che sono condannati da' giovani; così sarai saggio in tutto, e lodato da tutti i viventi.Of the discipline of the vnwise and foolish, and of ancientes, that are iudged of young men: and thou shalt be wel instructed in al thinges, and approued in the sight of al the liuing.De disciplina insensati et fatui, / et de senioribus qui judicantur ab adolescentibus: / et eris eruditus in omnibus, / et probabilis in conspectu omnium vivorum. 9The father waketh for the daughter when no man knoweth, and the care for her taketh away his sleep, when she is young, lest she pass away the flower of her age, and when she is married, lest she should be hateful:La figlia non maritata tiene svegliato il padre suo, perchè il pensiero, che ha di lei, toglie a lui il sonno pel timore, che dalla adolescenza non passi alla adulta età, e data a marito, non diventi spiacevole.A daughter is the secret watch of the father, and the care of her taketh away sleepe, lest perhaps in her youth she become past age, & abiding with an husband she become odious:Filia patris abscondita est vigilia, / et sollicitudo ejus aufert somnum: / ne forte in adolescentia sua adulta efficiatur, / et cum viro commorata odibilis fiat: 10In her virginity, lest she should be corrupted, and be found with child in her father’s house: and having a husband, lest she should misbehave herself, or at the least become barren.Pel timore, che mentre è fanciulla, non sia macchiata la sua purità, e nella casa paterna si trovi incinta, o maritata pecchi, o almeno diventi sterile.lest at anie time she be corrupted in her virginitie, and in her fathers house she be found with childe: lest perhaps abyding with her husband she transgresse, or at the least become barren.nequando polluatur in virginitate sua, / et in paternis suis gravida inveniatur: / ne forte cum viro commorata transgrediatur, / aut certe sterilis efficiatur.
11Keep a sure watch over a shameless daughter: lest at anytime she make thee become a laughingstock to thy enemies, and a byword in the city, and a reproach among the people, and she make thee ashamed before all the multitude.La figlia sfacciata tienla sotto se vera custodia, affinché ella non ti tenda una volta lo scherno de' tuoi malevoli, e la favola della città, e l'obbrobrio del popolo, e non ti carichi di ignominia nel cospetto della moltitudine.Ouer a dissolute daughter keepe sure watch: lest at anie time she make thee come into reprooche with thine enemies, because of detraction in the citie, and the obiection of the people, and she confound thee in the multitude of the people.Super filiam luxuriosam confirma custodiam, / nequando faciat te in opprobrium venire inimicis, / a detractione in civitate, et objectione plebis, / et confundat te in multitudine populi. 12Behold not everybody’s beauty: and tarry not among women.Non fissar gli occhi nella bellezza di chicchessia, e non trattenerti in mezzo alle donne:Looke not on euerie bodie for beautie sake. & among wemen tarie not.Omni homini noli intendere in specie, / et in medio mulierum noli commorari: 13For from garments cometh a moth, and from a woman the iniquity of a man.Perocché come da' vestimenti nascono le tignuole, così dalla donna l'iniquità dell'uomo.For out of garments cometh forth the moth, and from a woman the iniquitie of a man.de vestimentis enim procedit tinea, / et a muliere iniquitas viri. 14For better is the iniquity of a man, than a woman doing a good turn, and a woman bringing shame and reproach.Perocché è preferibile un uomo, che nuoce, a una donna, che fa de' benefizj, e che porta vergogna, e ignominia.For better is the iniquitie of a man, then a woman doing a good turne, and a woman shaming vnto reproche.Melior est enim iniquitas viri quam mulier benefaciens, / et mulier confundens in opprobrium. 15I will now remember the works of the Lord, and I will declare the things I have seen. By the words of the Lord are his works.Or io rammenterò le opere del Signore, e racconterò quello, che ho veduto. Per la parola del Signore sono le opere di lui.I therefore wil be mindeful of the workes of our Lord, and I wil shew forth which I haue seene. By the words of our Lord are his workes.Memor ero igitur operum Domini, / et quæ vidi annuntiabo. / In sermonibus Domini opera ejus. 16The sun giving light hath looked upon all things, and full of the glory of the Lord is his work.Il sol lucente illumina tutte le cose, e ogni opera del Signore è piena della sua magnificenza.The sunne illuminating hath looked through out al, and ful of the glorie of our Lord is his worke.Sol illuminans per omnia respexit, / et gloria Domini plenum est opus ejus.
17Hath not the Lord made the saints to declare all his wonderful works, which the Lord Almighty hath firmly settled to be established for his glory?Non ordinò egli il Signore ai santi di annunziare tutte le sue meraviglie, le quali il Signore onnipotente ha perpetuate, affin di rendere stabile la sua gloria?Hath not our Lord made the sainctes to declare al his meruelous thinges, which our Lord the omnipotent confirmed to be established in his glorie?Nonne Dominus fecit sanctos enarrare omnia mirabilia sua, / quæ confirmavit Dominus omnipotens stabiliri in gloria sua ? 18He hath searched out the deep, and the heart of men: and considered their crafty devices.Egli penetra nell'abisso, e ne' cuori degli uomini, e gli astuti loro consigli conosce.He hath searched out the depth, and the hart of men: and in their subtilitie he hath considered.Abyssum et cor hominum investigavit, / et in astutia eorum excogitavit. 19For the Lord knoweth all knowledge, and hath beheld the signs of the world, he declareth the things that are past, and the things that are to come, and revealeth the traces of hidden things.Perocché il Signore sa tutto lo scibile, e vede i segni della distinzione de' secoli. Egli annunzia le passate cose, e quelle, che son per venire, e delle occulte scuopre la traccia.For our Lord hath knowen al knowlege, and hath beheld the signe of age, declaring what thinges are past, and what are to come, reueling the tokens of secret thinges.Cognovit enim Dominus omnem scientiam, / et inspexit in signum ævi, / annuntians quæ præterierunt et quæ superventura sunt, / revelans vestigia occultorum. 20No thought escapeth him, and no word can hide itself from him.Nissun pensiero fugge a' suoi sguardi, e nissuna parola a lui si nasconde:No cogitation escapeth him, and no word hideth it self from him.Non præterit illum omnis cogitatus, / et non abscondit se ab eo ullus sermo. 21He hath beautified the glorious works of his wisdom: and he is from eternity to eternity, and to him nothing may be added,Egli ha decorate le meraviglie di sua sapienza. Egli è prima de' secoli, e per tutti, i secoli, e nulla se gli è aggiunto,The glorious workes of his wisdom he hath beautified: who is before the world and world without end, neither is there added,Magnalia sapientiæ suæ decoravit, / qui est ante sæculum et usque in sæculum: / neque adjectum est, 22Nor can he be diminished, and he hath no need of any counsellor.E in nulla egli è scemato, né de' consigli d'alcuno ha bisogno.nor diminised, and he needeth not anie mans counsel.neque minuitur, / et non eget alicujus consilio.
23O how desirable are all his works, and what we can know is but as a spark!Quanto sono amabili le opere di lui tutte quante! e quello, che considerar se ne può, è come una scintilla.How are al his workes to be desired, and which is as it were a sparke to consider!Quam desiderabilia omnia opera ejus ! / et tamquam scintilla quæ est considerare ! 24All these things live, and remain for ever, and for every use all things obey him.Tutte queste cose sussistono, e durano perpetuamente, e tutte in ogni occasione a lui ubbidiscono.Al these liue, and remaine for euer, and in al necessitie al thinges obey him.Omnia hæc vivunt, et manent in sæculum, / et in omni necessitate omnia obaudiunt ei. 25All things are double, one against another, and he hath made nothing defective.Tutte sono gemelle, l'una opposta all'altra, e nissuna cosa ha egli fatto imperfetta.Al thinges duble, one against one, and he hath made nothing to want.Omnia duplicia, unum contra unum, / et non fecit quidquam deesse. 26He hath established the good things of every one. And who shall be filled with beholding his glory?Di ciascheduna egli il bene assicura. E chi si sazierà di mirare la gloria di lui?He hath confirmed the good thinges of euerie one. And who shal be filled seeing his glorie?Uniuscujusque confirmavit bona: / et quis satiabitur videns gloriam ejus ?
42:1
Calmet
Men. Here the Greek concludes the former chapter very properly, (Haydock) as we must be ashamed of doing these things, and not of those which follow. (Calmet)
Haydock
"Of repeating [and] of the speech which thou hast heard, and of revealing secret words; (things.; Haydock) and thou shalt be truly bashful, (aischunteros.; Calmet) and find favour with every man." (Grabe's edition) (Haydock)
Thereby. In such cases we must shew a holy impudence, like Jeremias 1:10, 18.
42:2
Covenant. We must be ashamed of transgressing these, (chap. 41:24.) but not of complying with them. This is the first duty of man.
Haydock
Ungodly. Blush not to oppose such a judgment, (Calmet) though all the judges should be against thee. Follow no collusion of man to do evil. (Haydock)
Haydock
Pass sentence without respect of persons, (Deuteronomy 1:16.; Calmet) whether the parties be thy companions, or only travellers, ver. 3. (Haydock)
42:3
Calmet
Friends. Be not ashamed to leave something to thy friends, though relations may grumble; or execute thy friend's will exactly. (Calmet)
42:4
Little. Be scrupulously exact in thy dealings, but not afraid of advancing thy fortune by lawful means.
42:5
Haydock
Buying. This regards magistrates, who must correct such frauds. Greek, "of the money (Calmet) to purchase from merchants." (Haydock)
We may examine whether the coin be good, and strive to get things as cheap as we can.
Calmet
Bleed. Great severity was formerly used, Ecclesiasticus 30:12. (Calmet)
42:6
Haydock
Keeping. Literally, "a seal." (Haydock)
All must be locked up.
42:7
In. Not out of distrust so much, as to keep servants honest. All who have written on economy give the same rules.
42:8
Calmet
Men. So Daniel discovered the malice of the two ancients, Daniel 13:46. Admonish the aged not to enter into disputes, or strive with the young. (Calmet)
42:9
Haydock
Knoweth. Literally, "who is hidden." (Haydock)
Calmet
An unmarried woman was styled Halma, or "hidden," Isaias 7:11. (Calmet)
Haydock
Pass away. Greek, "abuse." (Haydock)
Some read adultera, (Sixtus V; Jansenius) instead of adulta, improperly. It was deemed shameful for a parent not to have his daughter married soon, 1 Corinthians 7:36.
Hateful. Deuteronomy xxiv.
42:10
Barren. And thus fall into contempt, Deuteronomy 7:14. If she committed adultery she must die; or if she were only suspected, she must drink the waters of jealousy, Numbers 5:17. Husbands would often seek a divorce, on such occasions; which would involve the father in fresh difficulties.
42:11
Calmet
Multitude, who will accuse thee of negligence. (Calmet)
42:12
Haydock
Body's. Literally, "man's." But females are included in this term. (Haydock)
It was also necessary to guard the Greeks, and pagans in general, against a criminal affection for boys.
42:13
Calmet
Man. Greek, "woman." Malice is natural to her. Beauty becomes her ruin, as well as that of others. (Calmet)
St. Basil
The Fathers compare women to a loadstone. (St. Basil)
Calmet
Men who come near them, are greatly exposed. (Calmet)
42:14
Challoner
Better, etc. That is, there is, commonly speaking, less danger to be apprehended to the soul from the churlishness, or injuries we receive from men, than from the flattering favours and familiarity of women. (Challoner)
Calmet
Josephus (contra Apion ii.) attributes this sentence to Moses, and prefers the worst man to the best woman, as Euripides does in Clement. (Strom. iv.) (Calmet)
But this is ridiculous.
Haydock
Reproach. This explains what sort of good the woman aforesaid has done; she had fostered the passions of men, and brought them to shame, which all the malevolence of an enemy could not have done. (Haydock)
Worthington
The company of women is therefore more dangerous, Ecclesiasticus 9. (Worthington)
42:15
Haydock
Remember, or publish. He praises God and the great men of his nation, to the end of the book, (Calmet) or to Ecclesiasticus 50:29. (Haydock)
Haydock
By. Literally, "in." (Haydock)
I have only abridged what the sacred Scriptures relate.
42:16
Work. The world displays God's glory and power, Psalm 18:6.
42:17
Calmet
Saints, in heaven, or rather the Israelites, Psalm 147:20. (Calmet)
42:19
Haydock
Signs. Literally, "sign," the order of the stars, etc. (Haydock)
Calmet
Yet God does not study these things, to discover what will happen. He is the author of nature. (Calmet)
Worthington
From his works we are to form some idea of his greatness, Job xxxviii., etc. (Worthington)
42:25
Another. By this opposition the world subsists, according to Linus, Epimenides, etc. Hanc Deus et melior litem natura diremit. ([Ovid,] Met. i.) See Ecclesiasticus 33:16.
42:26
Calmet
He. Greek, "one thing establishes the good of another," (Haydock) serving as a counterpoise. (Calmet)
Menochius
Black colours cause the white to shine forth. Youth is guided by the experience of old age. (Menochius)
42:14
Better is the iniquity, etc.... That is, there is, commonly speaking, less danger to be apprehended to the soul from the churlishness, or injuries we receive from men, than from the flattering favours and familiarity of women.
42:1
It is not lawful to reueale that, which we iustly promise to conceale.
42:2
Concordance Leuit 19. Deu. 1. 16 Prou. 24. Iacob. •.
42:14
There is lesse danger in conuersing familiarly with a wicked man, then with a freindlie woman. In which conuersarion, much prudence is required, as is before admonished. chap. •.
42:19
The excellencie of God, which can not be sene with mortal eye (Exo. 33.) is proposed to our meditation in his workes. The like in, Iob. 38. 39. 40. 41. and in manie places of holie Scripture.
42:1
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 119.11
… Both secular literature, and the Jewish book entitled Deuterosis,
42:9
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Treatise Concerning the Christian Priesthood 3.17
… For if a daughter kept in seclusion is a cause of sleeplessness to her father, his anxiety about her depriving him of sleep, where the fear is so great lest she should be childless, or pass the flower of her age (unmarried), or be hated (by her husband),
42:1
1. DO NOT REPEAT THE WORD OF HEARING CONCERNING THE REVELATION OF THE HIDDEN WORD. — These things pertain to the end of the preceding chapter. For this is the sixteenth and last thing to be ashamed of. Whence the Greeks set forth these same things in the same phrase as the preceding ones, in this manner, ἀπὸ δευτερώσεως καὶ λόγου ἀκοῆς καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως περὶ λόγων κρυφίων, that is from repetition, and the word of hearing, and (the "and" is exegetical, and means the same as that is) from the revelation of hidden words, supply and repeat, be ashamed; Zurich: Be ashamed that what has been received by hearing should be uttered to another, and secret matters be blurted out. Therefore, "do not repeat," that is do not iterate, "the word of hearing," which namely you have heard as a secret: what has been told to you once and entrusted to you, do not say a second time, nor wish to reveal it to another. Whence explaining he adds: "Concerning the revelation of the hidden word," understand and repeat, "be ashamed," as if to say "To repeat the word of hearing" is nothing other than to reveal the hidden word: of which thing each one ought to be ashamed; for it has the appearance of infidelity and betrayal. To this pertains that saying of Isocrates, to Demonicus: "Guard the deposits of words more carefully than those of money. For it is fitting that good men should show themselves more faithful to the word than to an oath." Maximus praises, sermon 20, Demosthenes, to whom when someone reproached the foul odor of his mouth, he replied: "You speak well, for many secrets have rotted away in it." For things heaped up in secret are wont to rot away. AND YOU SHALL BE TRULY WITHOUT CONFUSION (σεμνός, that is modest), AND YOU SHALL FIND GRACE IN THE SIGHT OF ALL MEN. — As if to say, If you shall have observed these sixteen things to be ashamed of, which I have now recited, and shall be ashamed of them, and therefore shall avoid them, you shall certainly be modest and reverent, and far from all confusion and ignominy, and therefore gracious with all men. For the modest man carefully avoids all shameful things, whatever namely can create for him confusion, that is shame and reverence. Just as on the other hand the shameless and irreverent man does many things boldly and shamelessly, which bring him confusion and ignominy. Zurich: Thus at length you shall be truly reverent, and shall have gained grace with all men.
42:2
BE NOT CONFOUNDED FOR ALL THESE THINGS, AND DO NOT ACCEPT THE PERSON SO AS TO SIN. — This is an antithesis of the preceding things. Up to this point he has recounted sixteen things, of which one ought to be ashamed: now on the contrary he adds thirteen, of which one ought not to be ashamed. Wherefore here properly begins chapter XLII. He says therefore: "Be not confounded for all these," which namely I am about to say, "things," Greek αἰσχυνθῇς, that is be not ashamed, be not reverent, do not blush: so that on account of shame you omit and neglect them. Whence explaining this he adds: "And do not accept the person, so as to sin," as if to say, Do not so respect and revere some person out of fear and shame, that on account of him you commit something against the law, equity, or honesty and sin. For it is a perverse shame, which compels or impels one to sin. Zurich: In all these things do not give place to shame: do not yield to the person so as to sin; others: Be not ashamed of these things; nor accept the person so as to sin.
42:3
2. CONCERNING THE LAW OF THE MOST HIGH, AND THE TESTAMENT, AND CONCERNING JUDGMENT TO JUSTIFY THE IMPIOUS. — Repeat, "be not ashamed." This first matter is one of which there is no reason to be ashamed, that is to say, Be not ashamed, and let it not shame you to keep or defend the law of God the Most High. For it itself is "a testament," that is the last will of God containing His covenants and promises, which He has promised and prepared for those who keep the law. For many, from shame, do not dare to keep the law of God publicly before worldly and vain men, to whom Christ threatens: "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words: the Son of man shall be ashamed of him," Luke IX, 26. The Zurich version: Give no place to shame in the law and covenant of the Most High, that is to say, Let no shame constrain you to violate the law and testament of God; or better: if you have kept the law and testament of God, be not on that account affected by shame. The law of God commands us to suffer injuries, to offer the other cheek to him who strikes one, to minister to our servants. If we do these things, it is unjust that we should on that account be affected by shame, although others may reproach us for it. Nay rather, so far should we not be ashamed of the law of God, that we ought to exult and glory in it according to that passage, chapter XXXIX, 11: "In the law of the covenant of the Lord shall he glory." For the greatest glory of man is that he obey his God, serve Him and be subject to Him, according to that passage, chapter XXIII, 38: "Great glory it is to follow the Lord." Hugo understands by "testament" the new one, which Christ instituted and ratified by His death, concerning which St. Augustine says: "O wonderful dispensation, from the testator the heirs flee, and behold on the cross the robbers!" In this testament He bequeathed seven things: to the poor the kingdom of heaven, to the meek the land of the living, to those who mourn consolation, to those who hunger justice satiety, to the merciful the obtaining of mercy, to the pure of heart the vision of God, to the peacemakers the sonship of God. The second matter not to be ashamed of is the truthfulness of judgment, that is to say, Be not ashamed, that is be not suffused with shame; and do not accept the person, so that on account of respect and reverence for someone's person, "in judgment," that is in judgment, you justify the impious: so that in favor of the powerful you pervert judgment, and take away the cause from him who has right, and adjudge it to him who has no right. The Zurich version: Give no place to shame: do not yield to the person (for this must be repeated in all the following matters) in judgment, whereby you judge according to the impious. St. Isidore gives the reason, book III of Sentences, chapter LIII: "For those," he says, "who pervert judgment through favor of kinship or friendship, or through hatred of enmities; without doubt are known to sin against Christ, who is truth and justice. This is what God reproves in the mystical sense through Ezekiel, chapter XIII, verse 19: 'And they violated me to my people, for a handful of barley, and a piece of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live.' For, as St. Gregory expounds it, homily 27 in the Gospel: 'He slays one who does not die, who condemns the just; and he strives to make alive one who does not live, who attempts to absolve the guilty from punishment.' It is a common saying that a judge, if it were possible, ought to be without eyes, so that he might not recognize any of the litigants. Hence Plutarch in the book On Isis: 'At Thebes,' he says, 'images of judges are seen without hands, and the eyes of the supreme judge are closed, because justice is neither captured by gifts, nor bent by the faces of men.' Likewise Deuteronomy I, 19, thus God instructs judges: 'Judge that which is just: whether he be a citizen or a stranger. There shall be no difference of persons, you shall hear the small as well as the great: neither shall you respect any man's person, because it is the judgment of God.' To this pertains that saying of Peter of Ravenna, in Nannius, in the Judge: 'Nothing shines so gloriously in a judge as to love and exhibit justice without any acceptance of persons. For by the testimony of Cicero it is said proverbially: Whoever has put on a friend has put off the person of a judge. Equity, to which the judge is obedient, hates the left hand of hatred or the right hand of love. For such ought to be the minister of law, that in his hand the scales of justice do not waver or vacillate through the authority of anyone's person.'" 3. CONCERNING THE WORD OF COMPANIONS AND TRAVELERS. — The third matter is not to be ashamed of: Do not be confounded "concerning the word of companions and travelers," in Greek, περὶ λόγου κοινωνοῦ καὶ ὁδοιπόρων. Which first, the Zurich Bible translates: Do not give place to shame in greeting companions and travelers; Vatable: In addressing companions and guests. Second, Palacius: Companions are accustomed, he says, to speak certain words which cover us with shame: likewise travelers also are accustomed, who in order to provoke laughter cast reproaches upon him whom they meet. We are warned therefore, lest we be suffused with blush from the words of companions, for they are not enemies who speak those things for the sake of injury: but they are companions who provoke us to blush for the sake of laughter or affection. Similarly from the words of travelers: for they do not pour forth those scurrilous things on account of insult, but to lighten the labor of the journey. Third, others better translate λόγον, that is word, as reason, cause, dispute, matter, as if to say: Do not be confounded in the reason, dispute or cause which your companion has with strangers, such as travelers are, standing upright for truth and equity; so that on account of the friendship joined to you with your companion, you might fear and reverence him, and favor him beyond what is just and unjustly condemn the strangers; preferring to offend God rather than your companion, and to violate justice rather than friendship.
42:4
The second explanation is plain, natural and obvious; but the third is deeper, and it seems to be required by τὸ and do not accept a person to do wrong, verse 1, which ought to be referred to these following cases. Rabanus, Lyran and Dionysius explain these otherwise; but the sense already given seems to be the genuine one. The fourth is: Do not be confounded CONCERNING THE GIVING OF THE INHERITANCE OF FRIENDS, — in Greek ἑταίρων, that is of companions and associates; who namely share in the same inheritance, and ought to obtain a part, as if to say: In the distribution and division of inheritance to be divided equally and faithfully among companions and heirs, do not from shame favor one more than another, give and grant more to one than to another. For this is against distributive justice, and often commutative, namely when to heirs through a will, bequest, donation, etc., a right to the inheritance has been acquired. Whence the Zurich Bible translates: Do not give place to shame in dividing the inheritance of partnership.
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Otherwise Palacius, that is to say: If a friend of your faith has entrusted to you a heritage, which namely you would give to some other person; let no shame of poverty compel you not to keep faith, and to give that heritage to him to whom it is owed by the trust. For to usurp it for yourself is a sin of robbery. 4. CONCERNING THE EQUALITY OF THE BALANCE AND WEIGHTS, CONCERNING THE ACQUISITION OF MUCH AND LITTLE. — The fifth thing not to be ashamed of is the equality and justice of the balance and weights, that is to say: Be not confused, nor let it shame you to be exact in keeping the equality of measures and weights: even if you see others everywhere committing fraud in this, and they themselves mock you as scrupulous and imprudent, who do not know how to increase your property by wicked arts in secret, according to that Psalm LXI, 10: "The sons of men are liars in balances: that they may deceive by vanity in the same." Zurich: Do not give place to shame in making the balance equal, or the weights, in Greek περὶ ἀκριβείας ζυγοῦ, that is in the accurate examination of the balance and weights. For many greedy merchants, even if they do not deliberately care about unequal weights, nevertheless neglect to examine whether they are unequal: indeed when they suspect them to be such, they dissemble and rejoice, thinking the sin of injustice in this inequality to be hidden by ignorance or affected lack of knowledge: in which matter they err gravely. Mystically Rabanus: "A deceitful balance," he says, "is held not only in the measurement of money, but also in judicial discernment. For he who hears the cause of the poor differently, the cause of the powerful differently; the cause of a friend differently, the cause of a stranger differently; he surely balances with an unjust balance. And also he who judges his own good deeds better than those of his neighbors, and his own errors lighter than those of others, weighs with a deceitful scale. Likewise also he who imposes unbearable burdens on the shoulders of men, but himself is unwilling to touch them with one finger. He also who does good deeds in public, and does evil in secret, for the iniquity of a deceitful balance is abhorred by the Lord. But he who acts sincerely in all things, who discerns cause and cause with an equal scale, he surely agrees with the will and action of a just judge." I shall recount other mystical seven balances, by which the individual works of each person are to be weighed, in Proverbs XI, 1. Sixth: Be not ashamed "concerning the acquisition of much and little," that is to say: Let it not shame you that others unjustly gain much through deceitful weights, while you gain little through just ones: because it is better and more fruitful to gain little justly, than much unjustly. Or, that is to say: Let it not shame you for your justice, and your just fortune, whether you gain and possess much or little; but be content with your lot justly obtained. For justice is worth more than immense riches: a just poverty is worth more than unjust abundance. Again, let it not shame you to pursue small gains, because through small gains multiplied gradually one arrives at great ones. Whence it is a proverb of the Hebrews: "It is better to gain much five times, than little ten times;" because much five times added together will make a greater number than little ten times. Thus Palacius. Whence Zurich: Do not be ashamed in possessing whether much or little. To this pertains the paradox of the merchant, which I mentioned above: "I became rich by buying dear, and selling cheap." Otherwise Lyra and Dionysius, that is to say: Be ashamed to gain much through robbery, be ashamed also to gain little through your own idleness and sloth. But the former sense is the genuine one. 5. CONCERNING THE CORRUPTION OF BUYING AND MERCHANTS, AND CONCERNING MUCH DISCIPLINE OF SONS, AND A VERY BAD SERVANT'S SIDE BLEEDING. — The seventh thing not to be ashamed of is: Be not ashamed "concerning the corruption of buying and merchants." Thus Rabanus, Lyra, Dionysius: although some others read correction instead of corruption, and give this sense, that is to say: Let it not shame you to correct and reprove the frauds and injustices which are committed by merchants in buying and selling. Thus Jansenius reads and understands it, who adapts and reconciles to the same the other reading which it has, concerning corruption, thus that is to say: Let it not shame you concerning the reproved or vitiated corruption of buying and merchants. But the Roman, Rabanus, Lyra, Dionysius and others constantly read corruption, that is to say: Let it not shame you that you see many merchants like yourself corrupting the goods which they sell, and their prices, and thus becoming very rich; while you sell whole goods, and at a just price, and therefore become little rich. For the integrity of conscience with poverty is worth more than the corruption of conscience with great treasures. Or rather, that is to say, Be not ashamed to corrupt the purchase, in Greek πρᾶσιν, that is the sale, or public auction of merchants, when namely they themselves make a monopoly, and among themselves, as often happens, either tacitly or expressly conspire, that they do not buy goods at a higher price, or do not sell at a lower price; even if they increase or diminish the price more than is just, that is to say, Be not ashamed to disturb and scatter the monopolies and wicked conspiracies of merchants, by which things are sold at a higher price than is just, or bought at a lower price than is just; by offering namely a greater price in buying, and a lesser price in selling; and that indeed moderated by force. Certain Greek codices favor this exposition, which have: Be not ashamed concerning ἀδιαφθόρου πράσεως, that is an uncorrupted purchase, that is of good faith, which is made at a just price. Commonly however they read περὶ διαφόρου πράσεως, that is to say, Be not ashamed concerning different sale; which, namely, in price you differ from other merchants, too rigidly, and you sell your goods at a moderate price. Add, that διαφορέω (from which διάφορον is derived) signifies to distract, to tear apart, to destroy, to resolve, to discuss; which Our author translates as corrupt, that is to say, Be not ashamed to distract and scatter the wicked conspiracies of merchants, by which they conspire explicitly or implicitly, that they buy goods at a lower price than is just, or sell at a higher price than is just; for thus you will champion justice, and introduce a just price of goods into the commonwealth. By purchase is understood sale, and conversely by sale understand also purchase; for these are correlative; and in public action, which πρᾶσις signifies, as much as in any other, both must necessarily intervene.
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Otherwise Jansenius, that is to say, Be not ashamed in differences, controversies and disputes (for these are what τὸ διάφορον signifies), which arise concerning sale and purchase among merchants, without grace and shame to judge according to equity; and to adjudge the matter to him to whom it is due by justice: even if you must offend the adverse party who is your friend. Furthermore the Greek codices corrected at Rome read for διαφόρου, that is different, contrarily ἀδιαφόρου, that is indifferent, in this sense, that is to say, Be not ashamed concerning indifferent sale, so that namely you sell at an indifferent and equal price to all, not at a higher price to foreigners than to citizens, not at a higher price to soldiers than to rustics, not at a higher price to enemies than to friends. Whence the Zurich version: Give not place to shame in equal sale of goods; others, indifferent sale of merchants, that is, "which is made equal and not varied, whose account is not diverse, so that a thing for sale be sold at a higher or lower price:"; another in turn translates: Be not ashamed concerning indifferent, that is fortuitous things in trade and merchants; another: Be not ashamed concerning indifferent sale, so that there be an opposition between indifferent, that is any man and a merchant. That is to say, Be not ashamed to sell at an equal and indifferent price at the same price to plebeians, rustics, and others who are not merchants as to the merchants themselves. The eighth thing not to be ashamed of is "much discipline," in Greek παιδεία, that is instruction, correction, chastisement "of children." For there are many who are ashamed of it and omit it, lest they be held too harsh toward their children, or too meticulous and scrupulous: by which it comes about that children, indulging their own liberty and concupiscence, become wanton, rebellious, obscene, quarrelsome, prone to all evil. The Zurich version: Give not place to shame in frequent chastisement of children. The ninth is: Be not confounded, nor be ashamed "of a very wicked slave," in Greek πονηρῷ, that is depraved, perverse, malicious, "to make his side bleed," that is to make it bloody with scourges, and to beat even unto blood. The Zurich version: Give not place to shame in making the side of a wicked slave bloody with beatings. For the hardness of the slave must be broken by the hardness of blows, and a wicked wedge must be sought for a wicked knot. Yet care must be taken lest this be done from anger, and therefore the measure be exceeded. For which reason Plato, as Lyra says, was unwilling to chastise his own slave when delinquent by himself, but delivered him to another to be chastised; lest being angry he exceed the measure, and be marked with cruelty.
Second Part of the Chapter Mystically, the wicked slave is concupiscence, and flesh prone to gluttony and lust: these must be chastised by disciplines, hair shirts and beatings, even unto blood, so that it may submit to the spirit: as did St. Dominic, founder of the order of preachers, who every night three times beat himself with an iron chain unto blood, namely first, for his own sins; second, for the souls who are tormented in purgatory; third, for all existing in mortal sin. Likewise another St. Dominic Loricatus, who daily performed disciplines throughout the entire Psalter; Blessed Peter Damian, St. Vincent, who instituted public processions of those flagellating themselves unto blood everywhere in all places; and in this year at Rome Cardinal Alexander Ursinus, who at times, and especially on the vigils of the Blessed Virgin, in her honor was accustomed to scourge himself unto blood, so that he might offer himself and his blood and life to her.
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6. CONCERNING A WICKED WOMAN IT IS NOT A GOOD SIGN. — For sign in Greek is σφραγίς, that is, a seal, a lock, a closure. This is the tenth matter not to be ashamed of, that is to say: If you have obtained a wicked and perverse wife or daughter, do not be ashamed to apply strict custody to her; indeed, if it be necessary, to shut her up and secure her with locks; lest she give free rein to lust, or commit some other crime, which would bring far greater shame and ignominy upon you than her confinement. Therefore the greater shame is to be warded off by the lesser. The Zurich Bible: Do not give place to shame in usefully applying custody to a wicked woman; others: It is good to seal up a wicked woman. 7. WHERE MANY HANDS ARE, LOCK UP; AND WHATEVER YOU ENTRUST, COUNT, AND WEIGH: AND WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING GIVEN AND RECEIVED. — This is the eleventh matter not to be ashamed of, that is to say: Where there are many men and servants, and many hands, so that it is probable that some of them are thieves, lock up and secure your things, lest anyone steal them. But when you must entrust household goods or table furnishings or bedroom furnishings or the like to someone, lest you lose anything from them either by theft or negligence, first, count them and count them out to the other, so that he may return and restore them to you in the same number; second, if the thing is one that is weighed by the balance and valued by weight, weigh it, so that he may return and reweigh it to you in the same weight; third, write down in the book of accounts everything given, as well as everything received; so that it may be clear what you have given, and what you have received from what was given, and what remains for you to receive. For this exact diligence will not turn to your shame and ignominy among prudent men, but to your prudence and providence: let the servants, if they are thieves and the like, on this account call you miserly, stingy, scrupulous. Wherefore industrious stewards of princes, cardinals, churches, monasteries, etc., use this practice, and by this method preserve their property intact. For it is a proverb of the Spanish, says Palacius: "In an open granary the just man sins." For opportunity makes a thief. The Zurich Bible, so that it might express this with the same construction as the preceding, translates claude as claudendo: because, it says, the same word in Hebrew serves for both infinitive and imperative. But although it be the same in Hebrew, it is not the same in Greek, but different: for κλεῖσον is only the imperative meaning lock up, not the infinitive, so as to mean to lock up, or by locking up. Thus the Zurich Bible has it: Do not give place to shame, by locking up (so that you lock up storerooms and chests) where many hands are: in that you are about to entrust something to someone, by assigning it to number and weight, and writing down everything given or received in documents.
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8. CONCERNING THE DISCIPLINE OF THE FOOLISH AND SENSELESS, AND CONCERNING ELDERS WHO ARE JUDGED BY YOUNG MEN. — The twelfth matter not to be ashamed of is "the discipline of the foolish;" but whether it is active, which you namely give and teach to the foolish; or passive, which you namely receive and learn from the foolish? Palacius takes it as passive, that is to say: If a foolish man has taught you anything, do not be ashamed to learn from him: Sometimes a gardener has spoken words that are fitting. And sometimes a pearl lies hidden under a shell. Let Silenus be an example to you in relation to Alcibiades, and St. Augustine was also prepared to be taught even as a boy. Therefore it is not so much who speaks, as what is said, that should be attended to. This is Palacius. But it is better that you take "discipline" actively: for this properly befits the foolish and senseless man, that is to say: Do not be confused, nor be ashamed to give discipline, that is, to correct and chastise the foolish and senseless man, so that he may cease from foolishness: for shame deters many from this chastisement, namely, lest they appear to be dealing with fools, from whom in turn they must hear and endure foolish jests and mockery. Whence the Zurich Bible translates: Do not give place to shame in instructing the unwise and foolish; Vatable: in chastising them; others: Do not be ashamed in the chastisement of the mad and foolish.
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The thirteenth and last is: Be not ashamed "of the aged, who are judged by the young: of the aged," namely to be helped and defended, says Jansenius. Or rather and more properly: Be not ashamed "of the aged," that is, of the aged, in Greek ἐσχατογήρων, that is, extremely old, decrepit, very aged. For the Hebrews take מן, that is, of, with the ablative, for the government of the genitive, as if to say: Be not ashamed of the extremely old, so that you protect them, when they are judged petulantly by the younger, mocked, vexed. Be not ashamed to plead the cause of the decrepit and to defend them against the petulance of adolescents mocking them. Our translator referred τὸ ἐσχατογήρων, that is, of the aged, immediately to ἀπό, that is, of, which preceded. But others, referring the same to παιδεία, that is, discipline, thus translate: Be not ashamed of the discipline of the decrepit, that is, be not ashamed to admonish and modestly correct the decrepit, when they dispute with adolescents who mock them as if delirious, saying: Good man, you are old and aged: do not care what these insolent youths say; pass by, as if you do not hear: thus you will avoid quarrels and reproaches and settle them. It is not fitting for you, being decrepit, to contend with youths: for this is unbecoming to your age, gravity and prudence. Whence the Complutensian and Roman editions translate: Be not ashamed of the discipline of the foolish, and the senseless, and the decrepit litigant with adolescents; the Zurich edition: Give not place to shame, when the decrepit old man seeks justice with youths, so that namely you favor either the decrepit or the youths against justice, and wickedly foster and defend an unjust cause: but to him to whom justice belongs, whether he be decrepit or young, render and assign that very thing to him. Others translate: Be not ashamed, and do not accept the person of the decrepit old man (defending, or admonishing, and directing) disputing with youths.
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Moreover Palacius takes this clause, equally as the preceding one, passively, as if to say: If even elders teach you something, learn from them, although they may be judged, or even laughed at by young men; for there is wisdom in dogs. And he adds: Another sense can be: If elders are dragged into judgment by young men, do not be ashamed to render judgment against an unjust elder; just as Daniel, chapter XIII, although a boy judged and condemned the elder adulterers plotting against Susanna. AND THOU SHALT BE INSTRUCTED IN ALL THINGS, AND APPROVED (in Greek δεδοκιμασμένος, that is, proved) IN THE SIGHT OF ALL THE LIVING. — Thus the Roman version; for this is what the Greek παντὸς ζῶντος signifies, that is, of all the living. Therefore Jansenius and others wrongly read "of men" for "of the living." The sense is, as if to say: If you shall blush at and beware of these sixteen shameful things which I have enumerated; and conversely, if you shall not blush at the thirteen not shameful things, but shall do them boldly; you will be πεπαιδευμένος, that is, rightly instructed, well-mannered, truly wise and prudent, and as such you will be approved, praised and celebrated by all the living. The Complutensian version translates: And thou shalt be instructed, truthful and approved before all the living; the Zurich: Thus truly shalt thou be instructed, and commended to every living thing; Vatable, approved. 9. A DAUGHTER IS TO HER FATHER (in Greek πατρὶ, that is, to the father in the dative) A HIDDEN VIGILANCE, AND HER CARE TAKETH AWAY HIS SLEEP, LEST PERHAPS IN HER YOUTH BEING GROWN UP SHE BECOME HATEFUL WHEN SHE HATH DWELT WITH A HUSBAND. — The sense is, as if to say: A daughter brings to her father a hidden vigilance; that is, the father must secretly watch over the condition and character of his daughter; and so this vigilance and watchful and perpetual care, that she be given in marriage at a suitable age, and be not deceived by any young man, or learn and acquire anything wicked, so torments and afflicts the father that often at night it takes away his sleep. The Zurich version: A daughter brings to her father a hidden vigilance, and her care drives away his sleep. Moreover the first care of the father concerning his daughter is that which follows: Lest in her father's house being grown up (thus it should be read with the Roman versions, not "being corrupted," as Jansenius, Palacius and others), in Greek παρακμάσῃ, that is, lest she grow too old, lest she pass the flower of her age (for this is what ἀκμή signifies), lest she grow old, lest her vigor decrease, lest she wither with age. The Zurich version: Lest the maturity of her age fade away. The Roman: Lest she become overgrown (less correctly the Complutensian: Lest perhaps she abuse the flower of her age), so that now with the flower of youth passed and the vigor of her age faded, she may be unable to find a husband equal to herself, according to that which Paul, alluding to this, says, I Corinthians VII, 36: "But if any man think he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age (in Greek ὑπέρακμος; which is the same as our παρακμάσῃ), and need so require: let him do what he will, he sinneth not if she marry." Hence again the father fears lest his daughter being grown up "when she hath dwelt with a husband," become "hateful to him," and be repudiated by him. For often the flowers of youth pass away, love passes away likewise; and those who were young women in the delights of men become old women in their disgust. Wherefore it was permitted to the Hebrews to give a bill of divorce, which they gave to a hated wife, and thus sent her away from them, often with equal ignominy and loss to her and to her parents. Wherefore the Syriac version translates: A daughter is a very great burden to her father, and the care of her takes away his sleep in her youth, lest she be ill-spoken of, and lest she be despised by her husband. The reason a priori is the levity, weakness, inexperience, and inconstancy of the female sex and age. That saying is well-worn: What is lighter than wind? lightning. What than lightning? fame. What than fame? a woman. What than a woman? nothing. The extrinsic reason is that there are many Pharaohs, Abimelechs, Shechemites, Theseus, Paris, Jasons and very many others who are most cunning explorers of girls' beauty and chastity, most grievous plotters, most violent ravishers, and most wicked corruptors, so that an Argus with a hundred eyes is needed to guard against them in order to protect daughters' virginity. For maidens are more than corrupted women the target of snares laid by them; and this is by the cunning of the devil, so that he may take from the daughter and destroy the flower and glory of virginity, than which she has nothing more precious. Whence, as St. Augustine says, epistle 5: "Once he not only placed the shameful deeds of the gods to be heard in fables, but also proposed them to be watched in theaters, where there were more crimes than deities." Contrary to this sentiment of Sirach is that of Ben-Sira, alphabet 2, letter Teth: "A vain treasure (which is hidden in vain and uselessly, since it does not wish to be hidden; whence others translate it, vain concealment) is a daughter to her father, who, while he fears, does not sleep at night." And letter Iod: "The guardian of a little girl sleeps, does not sleep (that is, sleeping he does not sleep; scarcely and little, and anxiously he sleeps): perhaps in her adolescence she will be deceived, and when grown older she will become a harlot." For a virgin who has suffered defilement, when she has grown up and passed the marriageable years, almost becomes a prostitute. And letter Cheth: "Sons are dear to any man: but woe to the father of daughters." Which the Hebrew Rabbis say: "Blessed is he who has male children; but woe to the father of daughters." They add the same: "the whole machine of the world mourns when a girl is born; and on the contrary rejoices when a male is brought forth." But these are the commentaries of the Rabbis. 10. LEST SHE BE DEFILED IN HER VIRGINITY, AND BE FOUND WITH CHILD IN HER FATHER'S (HOUSE). — The second concern of the father regarding his daughter is, lest before marriage, while the virgin dwells in her father's house, she be deceived by some young man and become pregnant; which will be equally shameful and harmful to him and to the father: for no honest man will wish to marry a defiled woman. Zurich: Lest she be defiled by rape in her virginity, and lest she become pregnant in her father's house. LEST PERHAPS WHEN SHE HAS LIVED WITH A MAN SHE TRANSGRESS, OR CERTAINLY BE MADE BARREN. — The third concern of the father is, lest his daughter, living with a man in marriage, break faith and transgress the law and bond of marriage through adultery; and lest she become barren. Zurich: Lest when joined to a man, she commit a crime; or lest when given in marriage she become barren. Ben-Sira agrees, letter Caph: "When your daughter is married," he says, "you will be very anxious about her, saying: Perhaps she will have children, perhaps she will not have them; and when she grows old, lest perhaps she practice witchcraft." For many old women and hags, on account of poverty, persecution, rivalry, vengeance, or some other trouble, become witches and sorceresses, and give themselves to the devil, so that they may be freed from misery by him, or obtain some good they desire. To this applies that saying of Pollio: "He who multiplies wives, multiplies witchcraft." For a jealous wife, in order to draw her husband to herself and turn him away from a rival, will give him a love potion, or give poison to her rival to kill her.
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Moreover, τὸ sterilis fiat, Lyran expounds, and gives the reason: From excessive, he says, intercourse: for this indeed makes one sterile; for lust in tender age stirs up excessive appetite; this excessive intercourse: hence sterility results. It can also be expounded thus, that is to say, Or certainly as a punishment for the lust committed in her father's house, God makes her sterile in her husband's house. 11. OVER A WANTON DAUGHTER ESTABLISH A STRICT GUARD: LEST PERCHANCE SHE MAKE THEE COME TO SHAME BEFORE THY ENEMIES, BY DETRACTION IN THE CITY, AND BY THE REPROACH OF THE PEOPLE, AND CONFOUND THEE IN THE MULTITUDE OF THE PEOPLE. — For wanton in Greek is ἀδιάτρεπτος, which Our author, cap. XXVI, 13, translates: Not turning herself away, that is, wanton, impudent, shameless, prone to lust. To this indeed strict guard must be applied; lest, if she be permitted to associate freely with youths, she prostitute herself to them, and thus bring reproach upon her father: "By detraction," that is, on account of the detraction of neighbors and citizens, by which they speak ill both of the family on account of wantonness, and of the father on account of his negligent guard of her; and call him the father of a harlot: "And by the reproach (thus it should be read with the Romans, not abjection) of the people," by which the people openly impute to the father the fornication of his daughter, and tacit consent to it, and cast it in his face. In Greek it is: Lest perchance she make thee ἐπίχαρμα, that is, a laughing-stock, mockery, a matter of rejoicing, to enemies, and a byword in the city, infamous among the people. The Complutensian: Lest she make thee a mockery to enemies, a byword in the city, and a name among the people. The Roman: Lest she make thee a joy to thy enemies, a byword in the city and called by the people, so that namely the people publicly call and name thee a pimp, a cuckold, a fornicator, etc. The Zurich: Over a shameless daughter establish a guard; lest she make thee a laughing-stock to enemies, and a byword to the city; lest she make thee infamous among the people, and bring thee not into disgrace among the common people. For by the law of Moses a daughter who fornicated in her father's house was ordered to be stoned before the very door of her father's house, Deut. XXII, 21, which was the greatest ignominy both to father and daughter. Whence the Syriac: My son, over thy daughter establish a guard, lest she make thee an evil name, and a byword, and a reproach among the people, and bring upon thee ignominy in the reproach of the people. 12. TO NO MAN ATTEND IN APPEARANCE: AND IN THE MIDST OF WOMEN DO NOT DWELL. — That is to say, Attend to no man (for to the Hebrews not to every man is the same as to no man), fix thy gaze steadily on no one's face, fasten thine eyes on no one's appearance. For this is curious, and often dangerous to chastity; for appearance and beauty, not only of women, but also of youths, is alluring, and stirs up concupiscence both of women and of men. Moreover the Syriac has it thus: To no man reveal what is in thy heart; and among women do not adorn thy words; The Complutensian: To no man attend in appearance: and in the midst of women do not sit. The Zurich: Do not contemplate any man for the sake of beauty (Vatable: Do not judge anyone by form); nor desire among women; others: Do not gaze upon any man on account of beauty; nor sit in the midst of women. St. Cyprian, On the Singularity of Clerics: "In the midst of women do not be constant." For from constancy follows familiarity, from familiarity boldness. Whence he concludes: "Everywhere is a taste to be had, not a continued presence with women to be maintained; but rather a fleeting sort of access is to be shown to women, as it were in passing." It is memorable what we read of Blessed Hugh of Grenoble, that he, when for 52 years he had been bishop of his city, and ordinarily received the confessions of matrons, even of those confessing more frequently, yet recognized none from her face, but some only from her voice. So continent was he, and so careful of his eyes; and he kept them cast down, not upon the face, but upon the ground. St. Augustine wisely ordains in his Rule, which is found at the end of vol. I, cap. XXI, concerning the eyes thus: "Your eyes, even if they fall upon some women, should be fixed upon none. For indeed when you go forth, you are not forbidden to see women; but to desire them, or to wish to be desired by them is sinful. Nor by touch and affection alone, but also by sight is desire kindled, and the concupiscence of women desires and is desired. Nor should you say that you have chaste minds if you have unchaste eyes: for an unchaste eye is the messenger of an unchaste heart. And when they signal to one another, even with silent tongue, by mutual gaze their hearts announce impure things to each other, and according to the concupiscence of the flesh they delight in one another's love, even with bodies untouched by unclean violation, chastity itself flees from their conduct. Nor should he who fixes his eye upon a woman and loves her fixed gaze upon him think that he is not seen by others when he does this; he is seen altogether, and by those from whom he does not think himself to be seen. But behold, let him hide, and let no human being see him, what will he do about that Inspector from above, to whom nothing can be hidden? Or is he to be thought not to see, because he sees so much more patiently, as he sees more wisely? Let that holy man therefore fear to displease, lest he wish to please a woman wrongly. Let him think that He sees all things, lest he wish to see a woman wrongly. For His fear is commended also in this matter, where it is written: It is an abomination to the Lord to fix the eye." 13. FOR FROM GARMENTS PROCEEDS THE MOTH, AND FROM A WOMAN THE INIQUITY OF A MAN. — Thus the Roman and other versions; for the Greek versions omit τὸ viri; some Complutensian and Roman versions, in place of viri substitute mulieris. Whence the Zurich version: For as the moth is born from garments, so from a woman is the iniquity of a woman; others, and from a woman the malice of a woman. The Syriac: Because as the moth falls upon a garment, so jealousy falls upon a woman on account of the malice of her companion. But the Latin reading is much more fitting and truer, which St. Cyprian and other Fathers follow. This is a very apt similitude, by which lust is compared to the moth. For first, as Jansenius rightly says, just as the moth is generated in garments and draws its origin from them: so in the very sight and conversation of women with men is implanted the iniquity of man; which from there is generated, as it were naturally, corrupting the mind of man no less than the moth corrupts garments. Just as therefore garments must be carefully guarded lest the corrupting moth be generated in them: so also the mind of man must be fortified with watchful custody, lest corruption be generated in it from association with women; which if once admitted, just as the moth generated in a garment always creeps along and eats away the whole garment, so also libidinous thought received in the mind gradually creeps forth and eats away all its beauty, unless it be met with in time. That saying of Musaeus is famous: "The beauty of a woman is sharper than a swift arrow. But the eye is the way; from the blows of the eye the wound spreads, and falls into the heart of man." And that of the Philosopher: "What is beauty? a brief tyranny, a beguiling deception, an ivory ruin, a troubled kingdom, an easily falling flower, a friendly enmity, a harmonious discord, a fleeting splendor, a sweet snare of the senses." Briefly, but forcefully our Campian in his little book Ten Reasons of Faith paints all the beautiful things of the world thus: "Despise gold, glory, delights, pleasures. For what else are these but the entrails of the earth, sonorous air, a tavern of worms, dung-heap battles?" Secondly, just as it is natural for the moth to arise from a garment, so for a man to arise concupiscence from a woman: to you nothing of the sort is born in a garment and from a garment the moth: so to you nothing of the sort is born, nay rather resisting, from a woman desire. That witty saying ascribed to St. Jerome: "Woman is fire, man is tow, the devil is the bellows;" for he blows, so that the tow may conceive the fire of concupiscence, and be consumed by it. Thirdly, the moth is insensibly born in a garment, and without sensation eats it away and consumes it: so also insensibly from the conversation of a man with a woman arises lust, even among the chaste and Religious; so that they see themselves captive and inflamed, before they have felt the fire and burning. Fourthly, just as the moth consumes the garment and itself with the garment, so also lust destroys and kills itself with the lustful one. See what I have said concerning the moth, Hosea V, 12. Hear St. Cyprian, in his tract On the Singularity of Clerics, treating this passage and spurring clerics to flee from women: "From coals sparks fly forth, from iron rust, disease is nourished, asps hiss: and a woman pours forth the pestilence of concupiscence, which Solomon thus compares, saying: From garments proceeds the moth, and from a woman the iniquity of a man. And soon after: He who has despised the bond of marriage, and is otherwise bound by feminine bonds, although he mixes with no carnal intercourse; is nevertheless always delighted by desire, by sight, by conversation, by conjunction. For if he did not have desire for a woman, he would never assume a woman for his delights." And further below: "Whose (the woman's) song it is more tolerable to hear a basilisk hissing." Thus indeed we see today certain good men, even ecclesiastics, who hear the confessions of women or who strive to advance them in piety, gradually seized by hidden love, if not carnal, certainly sensual, so subtly that they themselves do not know they are held by it. Whence Rabanus: "Dangerously, he says, does she minister to you, whose face you frequently attend to. For unchaste eyes do not know the beauty of the soul, but of bodies." Wherefore St. Jerome, to Nepotian, admonishes him, saying: "All the maidens and virgins of Christ, either equally ignore, or equally love. Do not dwell under the same roof, nor trust in past chastity. Nor can you be holier than David, nor wiser than Solomon. Always remember that a woman cast the inhabitant of paradise from his possession. Let any holy brother attend you when sick, and a sister, or mother, or some woman of proven faith among all. I know that some have recovered in body, and begun to grow sick in mind." St. Basil, Admonition to his spiritual son: "See, he says, lest the beauty of the body seduce you, and you lose the beauty of your soul. Do not gaze with an unchaste eye upon the form of a woman, lest death enter through your windows. Do not open your ears to accomplish their words, nor covet wickedness in your soul. Do not wish to touch the flesh of a woman; lest through contact with her your heart be inflamed, and you perish in spirit unto perdition. For just as hay approaching fire is burned: so he who touches the flesh of a woman does not escape without damage to his soul; and although he may have escaped chaste in body, yet he departs corrupted in mind and heart. Tell me, I beseech you, son, what is the progress of the soul? to love the beauty of the flesh? Is it not as hay, when struck by the heat of summer, withers, and gradually loses its former beauty? The form of human nature is similar; as old age succeeds it, all former beauty perishes; and those whom it once stirred to love of itself, afterward it becomes the object of their hatred. The same author, in On Holy Virginity, compares a woman to a magnet; for just as a magnet draws iron to itself, even though distant, so the form and voice of a woman draws a man to herself. The same, in chapter III of Isaiah, compares a woman to a basilisk, which by its gaze kills those whom it beholds: "By the very gaze itself, he says, it announces obscene impurity to the soul. While it smiles sweetly and with flattering eyes, it draws toward the fulfillment of lust. By the casting of its eyes it shoots forth a truly deadly arrow; such finally is the report obtained concerning the nature of the basilisk, which they say corrupts its spectators by sight alone." 14. FOR THE INIQUITY OF A MAN IS BETTER THAN A WOMAN DOING GOOD, AND A WOMAN THAT PUTTETH A MAN TO CONFUSION AND TO SHAME. — This sentence appears paradoxical and difficult to explain and to believe; whence it is commonly objected by heretics teaching that Holy Scripture is plain and clear, by Catholics. I remember in Belgium a certain heretical woman in a ship at Antwerp, impudently boasting herself to be biblical and skilled in the Scriptures, to whom a Catholic threw these words in her face, that she might draw out their meaning: soon she, either because she did not know, or because she was ashamed to reveal it to him, as being shameful to her sex, fell silent; and thus she presented herself to be derided by all. First therefore, the Scholia ascribed to Vatable censure Our translation and that of other interpreters, because their version and meaning seem insufficiently pious. For how, they ask, is the iniquity of a man better than the beneficence of a woman? Wherefore they translate thus: Better is the deformity of a man than a beautiful woman. For the Hebrew רע signifies both evil and deformed; just as טוב (tob) denotes both beautiful and good, according to that passage: "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Yet the Greek πονηρία signifies malice, not deformity; and ἀγαθοποιός signifies a woman who does good, not a beautiful woman. Whence Josephus, although a Hebrew, in book II Against Apion, cites this passage as the Greek and Our translation have it, and calls Ecclesiasticus a divine law, and cites testimony from it as from a divine law, when he treats of marriages. For he says: "A woman is worse, he says (understand law, that is, the law, for he is treating of her), than a man in all things, and his malice is to be preferred to the beneficence of a good woman." Which words of Josephus the interpreter rendered partly badly, partly omitted; for thus you ought to translate them: A woman is something worse than a man in all respects, and the malice of the man himself is to be preferred to the beneficence of a woman. Which Ecclesiasticus here says in the very same words: "Better is the iniquity of a man, than a woman that doeth good." Secondly, Lyra limits the meaning to cohabitation, as if to say: It is better to cohabit with an unjust man than with a woman who does good. Yet this limitation does not solve the knot; nor is it added by Sirach, nor should it be added; whether one cohabits or does not cohabit, the iniquity of a man is better than a woman who does good. Thirdly, others everywhere understand by man reason, by woman sense and concupiscence, as if to say: It is better to be corrected and chastened by reason than to be beguiled and enticed by the blandishments of concupiscence. Yet this sense is mystical, not literal. Fourthly, Levinus Lemnius the physician, in book IV On the Hidden Marvels of Nature, chapter XIII, explains it at length thus: "Better is the iniquity of a man, than a woman that doeth good." To which opinion, he says, I interpret this sense to underlie it, that a man even sluggish, idle, drowsy, rude and inexperienced in business and all commerce and the conduct of affairs, accomplishes his business somewhat more dexterously than a woman who is rash and reckless, who, persuaded by empty wisdom and inconsiderate confidence, attempts everything, as if to say: A woman accomplishes all things worse than a man. For a man, distrusting himself, proceeds slowly and circumspectly, supported by the aid of others, takes them into counsel, accomplishes and executes each thing, so that they obtain a more desired success than if the same things were attempted by an arrogant woman, puffed up with the opinion of wisdom, as is usually seen. For the efforts and industry of such a woman turn out for the worse in great part, which is thus expressed in the Flemish idiom: The worst of a man is better than the best of a woman, that is, if any work completed and perfected by womanly industry deserves less praise than the rude and unfinished work of a man, on account namely of the poverty, slowness and dullness of mind and counsel, on account of the defect of natural heat, and because the sluggish mind is bent upon and immersed in moist matter, so that the faculties of the soul proceed more slowly and are unfit for the conduct of affairs and little suited to them. Wherefore the Romans, to whom the care of adorning and establishing the commonwealth was paramount, wished, as Cicero testifies, that matrons, on account of the weakness of their nature, should be under the power of guardians, and should perform no civil administration. Paul also, who with untiring labor instructs the minds of men in solid faith and diligently forms them in piety, commands a woman, on account of the weakness of her mind, that is, her affections turned away from temperance and moderation, to keep silence in the solemn assembly and gathering, I Corinthians XIV, and does not permit her either to undertake the office of preaching, or to raise a question in the assemblies, or to take part in voting, or to utter any opinion. He then subjoins another exposition of this passage, as if to say: The wickedness of a man is better than a woman indeed upright, but who afterwards becomes the cause of infamy, and from whose association shame is born; that is, it is preferable to deal or negotiate with a man improperly, than to have dealings with a painted woman; for although she appears on the surface and at first glance to display probity and honour, and to show nothing of paint or fraud outwardly; yet afterwards you will find her inconstant, two-faced, captious, slippery, deceitful, fraudulent, and intent on deception; so that if any man deceives another, or defrauds someone in a transaction, the fraud and deception of the man becomes justice, compared with the wickedness and deceit of the woman. This is Lemnius, in whose work the Censors expunged certain things. This latter exposition comes closer to the truth, and to the genuine meaning of this sentence. The genuine sense therefore is this. He gives the reason (as is evident from the τὸ, that is, the "for," which the Latin versions have, even if it is lacking in the Greek) for what he said: "Dwell not in the midst of women. For from garments cometh the moth, and from a woman the iniquity of a man." Namely, because woman is a thing alluring, dangerous and harmful, so that the wickedness, in Greek πονηρία, that is, malice, malignity, maleficence, of a man is better than the goodness, benignity and beneficence of a woman. "Better," therefore, that is, it is less evil; or rather "better," that is, it is safer to have dealings with, or to fall in with, a man malevolent and maleficent, than with a woman benevolent and beneficent; both because a maleficent man is an occasion of patience, humility, mortification, and other virtues; whereas a beneficent woman is an allurement to concupiscence and sin, and that in a twofold way. First indeed she entices and ensnares, as a woman; secondly, as beneficent; for love, and beneficence is a great enticement to illicit love: and also because from a maleficent man, as from an enemy, you beware, and guard and fortify yourself; but from a beneficent woman you beware so little, that whether you will or not you are compelled to love her in return, and therefore she herself will at length subject you to herself, and will so captivate you with love of her, that she will make you do whatever she wishes; as women led Solomon to idolatry, Delilah betrayed Samson to the Philistines, etc. Therefore "wickedness," that is, malignity, trouble, vexation, injury of a man, is better than a woman bland and beneficent; because she herself is a sweet poison, and by blandishing and doing good she inflames the concupiscence of a man, and leads him to disgrace and ruin, according to that: A woman to whom one does good prostitutes herself to him. Solomon describes this graphically, Proverbs cap. VII, 10. But the malice and unjust vexation of a man indeed exercises patience, but does not create danger; whence it may be gathered that a woman, especially one benign and beneficent, is to be more guarded against than a man austere, troublesome, rude and fierce. That this is the sense is clear from what he adds: "And a woman confounding into disgrace." For τὸ and is causal, signifying because, as if to say: Because a beneficent woman by her allurements subjects a man to herself, and confounds him, that is, affects him with ignominy, and leads him to present and eternal disgrace; therefore she is to be guarded against more than a malign man. From which words it is clear, says Jansenius, that Sirach does not absolutely reject every beneficence of a woman; but only that which is an occasion of confusion and disgrace. For otherwise the beneficence of St. Cecilia was for the salvation, honour and glory of St. Valerian; because she made him a Christian, a saint and a Martyr. Thus Clotilda by her courtesy tamed Clovis, and made him faithful. The same was done by many other queens, and holy virgins. Whence some from the Greek translate thus: "The wickedness of a man is better than a woman beneficent; for a woman is shameful with disgrace;" the Zurich version: "The wickedness of a man is better than a woman showing herself benign; a woman which is the same author of shameful baseness." Which Vatablus expounding says: "Better," that is, "less evil," as if to say: "There is more danger of turning to base loves from the benignity and courtesy even of women, than from the harsh wickedness of men." Thus Palacius: It is better, he says, to associate with a wicked man, than with a bland woman. For his wickedness casts you out and repels you from him; but her blandishments provoke and draw you to her. Everyone hates a wicked man, there is scarcely anyone who does not love a bland woman. And Dionysius: The wickedness of a man is better, he says, than a woman beneficent, not directly, but incidentally, that is, a wicked man is less dangerous and harmful than a good woman; since he allures less to the inflammation of concupiscence; for the better and more charming a woman is, the more concupiscible she is. That this is the sense is evident from what is added: "And a woman confounding into disgrace," that is, drawing to shameful lust, and to great disgrace, which follows from it. This is Dionysius.
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See Anastasius of Nicaea in Questions on Holy Scripture, Question LXIII (found in vol. I of the Library of the Holy Fathers) where among other things he gives to this woman from St. John Chrysostom these praises or epithets: "What is woman? a shipwreck on land, a fountain of wickedness, a treasure of slaughters, a deadly encounter, a stumbling of the eyes, the destruction of souls, a lance to the heart, the ruin of youths, the scepter of hell, a headlong desire. What is woman? the calumny of the saints, the rest of the serpent, the consolation of the devil, an inconsolable sickness, a kindled furnace, a scandal to those who are saved, an incurable vice, daily toil, a lodging for the prodigal, a workshop of demons. What is woman? an amorous evil, an impudent potion, an unconquerable beast, an impulse and appetite, an unbridled mouth, the triumph of mysteries, the leader of darkness, the mistress of crimes, a wicked delight, an insatiable desire, at once sleeping intemperance, at once waking solicitude, a clothed viper, which chooses battle of her own accord, a daily loss, a house of tempest, a man's shipwreck, a cruel beast, a receptacle of adulterers, the weapons of the devil, a rage that is desired, the death of the whole world. With reason did the Wise Man say: All malice is small compared to the malice of woman." He then adds that the remedy for that concupiscence is, if one seriously considers that woman is a whitewashed sepulcher, which beneath a colored and ruddy skin conceals filth, menstrual discharge, filthiness, and all putrefaction; which after a short time in old age and death will drip from everywhere—from the eyes, ears, nose, and the whole body—with intolerable stench and horror.
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The same truth, taught by experience, was taught by philosophers. Socrates: When a woman, he says, shall have said that she loves and desires you, then she is to be feared more than when she reviles you. Whence he preferred his Xanthippe reviling, and even beating him, to another applauding him. He used to say that he had acquired three evils, grammar, poverty, and a pernicious wife; of which he could have escaped two, but could not escape the third. Pythagoras, when asked why he had given his daughter in marriage to an enemy? Because, he said, I could give him nothing worse. Plautus, in the Truculentus: "It is better," he says, "to do evil to a woman than good," that is to say, a woman will much more easily do evil than good. Mystically, St. Augustine, in the book On Spirit and Soul, chapter XLI, or whoever is the author; for it does not appear to be truly St. Augustine; for in chapter XXXVII, he cites Boethius, who lived nearly a hundred years after St. Augustine; yet it is pious and learned. This author, I say, understands by man the superior reason in man, which rules; but by woman the inferior reason, which is ruled. "There is therefore," he says, "in reason something tending toward things above and heavenly, and this is called wisdom; and there is something looking toward transitory and perishable things, and this is called prudence. These two are from reason, and consist in reason. And reason divides itself into two, namely upward and downward: upward into wisdom, downward into prudence, as it were into man and woman; so that man may be superior and rule, and woman inferior and be ruled. Whence it was said: The iniquity of a man is better than the beneficence of a woman. For it is indeed better, he who, inflamed by heavenly desire, afflicts the flesh, even depriving it of necessities; than he who, dissolved by carnal affection, strives to satisfy it in all things that are convenient." Secondly, St. Gregory, book XI of the Morals, chapter XXVI, whom Rabanus here and the Gloss follow, understands by man strong and discreet minds, but by woman weak and indiscreet ones: "The iniquity of a man," he says, "is better than the beneficence of a woman. For any man, strong and discreet, is called a man; but a woman is understood to be a weak or indiscreet mind. And it often happens that even a discreet person suddenly falls into fault; and another indiscreet and weak person exhibits a good work. But he who is indiscreet and weak is sometimes more elevated by that which he has done well, and falls more gravely into fault; whereas a discreet person, from the fact that he understands he has acted badly, reduces himself more strictly to the rule of discretion; and hence rises higher to justice, from which he appeared to have fallen for a time. In which matter it is rightly said: The iniquity of a man is better than the beneficence of a woman; because sometimes even the fault of the strong becomes an occasion of virtue, and the virtue of the weak an occasion of sin." Thirdly, St. Bernard, sermon XII on the Canticles, understands by man preachers, and those who procure the salvation of others; who, although they sometimes sin, are nevertheless better than women, that is, hearers and disciples living holily for themselves alone, and doing good to their own souls. "For you indeed," he says, "watching in your own keeping do good; but he who helps many does better and more manfully. But if he cannot fulfill this without some iniquity, that is, without some inequality of life and conduct, remember that charity covers a multitude of sins." Wherefore an apostolic man is better and more pleasing to God, even if he falls into some defects, than a solitary or nun devoted to God and herself alone, and therefore free from the defects of the active life. Just as a hunting dog, which catches hares, is better, even if sometimes running through thorns it bloodies its feet; than a beautiful puppy, which is kept in the lap of its mistress, and is delicately fed by her, as Christ revealed to a certain Saint. Fourthly, our Alvarez de Paz, book IV On the Dignity of Perfection, chapter XVI, understands by men the perfect, by women the imperfect and lukewarm; whose goodness, he says, is therefore subordinated to their iniquity, because the perfect man gains great humility from a small fall, and the imperfect man is often raised up in vain glory and pride from a good work. Finally, a man is better who is wicked, that is, a public penitent, than a woman who does good, that is, a Pharisee boasting of his fastings and prayers. Morally, let Christians learn here, even priests and Religious, how much they ought to guard themselves against women, even those who do good, pious and devout (indeed more against these than against others); lest from this fire they conceive either a flame, or certainly smoke. St. Francis knew this, who (as the Annals of Wadding have it, in the year of Christ 1219, nos. 43 and 47) foreseeing dangers to the reputation and spirit of his brothers from the care and familiarity of the Poor Clares threatening them (which a little later under Urban IV the event proved), earnestly begged and obtained from Cardinal Hugolino (who was later created Pontiff and called Gregory IX) that his brothers be absolved from it. Indeed, drawing his own away from them, he often said with troubled mind: "I fear lest, while God has taken wives from us, the devil has procured sisters for us." Nay, even rebuking one of his brothers who visited the nuns, he ordered him to be immersed in the river, clothed as he was, in the coldest time of year in December, adding: "Extinguish with this water the sparks which in you, gentle and mild, but dangerous fire has kindled; wash and cleanse with these waves the secret filth which perhaps has adhered to you without your knowledge." Blessed Richerius, companion of St. Francis, had received from God the gift of remarkable chastity, and yet he carefully avoided women. Asked why? he answered: "Unless I did this, perhaps by just judgment of God I would be deprived of so great a gift." Thus the Annals of Wadding, in the year of Christ 1220, no. 8. The same thing was said and done by St. Thomas Aquinas, as his Life has it. A memorable example exists in the Annals of the same, in the year of the Lord 1217, no. 24. Sanchia, it says, sister of Alfonso II, king of Portugal, had in her court a noble and devout maiden whose name was Maria Garcia; she desired to visit a certain Franciscan Father, pious and religious (so much so that after his death, St. Anthony of Padua saw his soul ascending into heaven), and to be nourished by his pious conversations; and while she frequently sought this with tears, the Father, being importunately asked, went to her, carrying fire in one hand and straw in the other; when he brought the straw to the fire, and it suddenly burst into flames, he added: "Lady, for this reason I refuse your company, however pious,
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and familiar conversation; because that which the straw obtained from access to the fire, Religious also obtain when they converse with women more often or more familiarly; and they lose that great fruit which they can receive from holy prayer and divine discourse. St. Ignatius, founder of our Society, as Ribadeneira says in his Life, book V, chapter XI, said that the familiarity of all women, even those who are spiritual or wish to appear so, ought to be avoided; but especially those who are more dangerous by age, condition, and status. From the custom of which, for the most part either smoke follows or flame. "For from garments proceeds the moth, and from a woman the iniquity of a man." The same man strictly forbade all followers of his Religion the care of nuns, as Ribadeneira has it, book XIII, chapter XIV. Which being done and said, the handmaiden, suffused with blush, departed, nor did she any longer seek the conversation of Religious men. Let our cenobites and priests note this and imitate it. namely, lest natural desire should incite me to return to them, which loves to revisit its origin.
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St. Louis, of the same Order of St. Francis, and from there created Archbishop of Toulouse, so much avoided women that he did not even sustain conversing more familiarly and alone with his own mother. When they marveled and objected: "How do you avoid women, you who were born of a woman?" He answered wisely: "For this reason I avoid them, because I was born of one of them;" namely, lest natural desire should incite me to return to them, which loves to revisit its origin.
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St. Francis Xavier used to say that women are approached with greater danger and lesser fruit. See Tursellinus, in his Life, book VI, chapter XVII. 15. I WILL THEREFORE BE MINDFUL OF THE WORKS OF THE LORD, AND I WILL DECLARE THE THINGS THAT I HAVE SEEN. — This is the conclusion of the work, and of the book on moral precepts (as is evident from the therefore); for Sirach concludes it with a doxology and praise of God, as religious men are accustomed to conclude their works with thanksgiving and glorification of God: among whom Titelmann excels, who concludes each of his books on Physics with a pious hymn, in which he causes the physical things treated in that book to celebrate the great works of their Creator. The sense therefore is, as if to say, I have completed my Ethics, I have finished my precepts concerning morals; it remains that I offer and return the same to God, who suggested them to me. Therefore, to conclude, I will commemorate and celebrate the works of God, and God in His works. I began from God, in God I shall end, and to Him I shall say: "From Thee is the beginning, to Thee it shall end." This is evident from the Greek, which for therefore has δή (or, as others wish, δὲ), which is a particle of transition from one matter and part of discourse to another, signifying moreover, finally, certainly, now, come, otherwise, at length, indeed. Whence the Zurich version translates: I shall indeed commemorate the works of the Lord; others, I will now remember the works of the Lord; others: Moreover, finally, or at length I shall recount the works of the Lord, and I will declare the things that I have seen. "The things I have seen," that is, which I have inspected with my eyes, or read in books, or contemplated and beheld with my mind, or heard and learned from others. Sight, because it is the principal of the senses, is put for any sense, as I have often noted. "I have seen" therefore is the same as "I have known." IN THE WORDS OF THE LORD ARE HIS WORKS. — Thus it should be punctuated with the Romans and Greeks, so that here a new sentence begins and ends. Understand "were created, are preserved and are governed," as if to say, By the Word and command of the Lord all His works were created, and, as they were created by Him, so likewise they are preserved and ruled by the same. For the preservation of a creature is nothing other than the continuation of its creation. Whence creatures in each moment in which they are preserved by God are, as it were, created by God; for they depend continually on the influx of God, who gives them their being and by giving preserves them, just as rays depend on the influx of the sun, so that if the sun withdraws itself, the rays immediately vanish: so likewise, if God were to withdraw His influx, immediately the whole world would return and relapse into its nothingness, from which it was drawn forth by God through creation. This is what the Psalmist sings, Psalm XXXII, 6: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established: and all the power of them by the spirit of His mouth." And verse 9: "He spoke, and they were made: He commanded, and they were created." Jansenius and others connect this sentence with the preceding ones in this way and sense: "I will declare the things I have seen in the words of the Lord, His works," that is, I will preach the works of the Lord which I have seen in His words, that is, described in Genesis and the other sacred books. Or: I will declare not so much in my own as in the Lord's words those works which I have seen and observed. Whence the Zurich version translates: The things I have seen I will set forth in the divine words, His works, which Palacius explains of prophecy, and from this concludes that Sirach was a Prophet, as if to say, I will set forth those things which I have seen with my mind illuminated by prophetic light. Thus Isaiah says, chapter I, verse 1: "The vision of Isaiah which he saw," etc. But the punctuation of the Romans and Greeks demands the former sense already given. 16. THE SUN ILLUMINATING ALL THINGS LOOKED UPON IT (in Greek ἐπέβλεψε, that is, he inspected, that is he inspects, he beholds); AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS FULL OF HIS WORK. — He explains what I saw and what I saw I will announce, as if to say: I will announce and celebrate the glorious works of the Lord; because I saw them by the light of the sun; for the sun illuminating all things inspects, and what it illuminates it sets before all to be inspected, from which illumination of the sun it comes to pass that to each appear the works of the Lord, and their beauty and comeliness; and therefore in them the glory and majesty of the Lord shining forth clearly is seen and beheld by each; so that all, if they wish to speak truly, are compelled to exclaim: "The glory of the Lord is full of His work;" and with the Seraphim: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, all the earth is full of His glory," Isa. VI, 3. Whom Isaiah followed and the other Prophets likewise exclaimed the same, and even now holy and religious men contemplating these things exclaim. Whence the Zurich version translates: The bright sun illuminates all things, and the magnificence of the Lord is full of His work. He indicates the end and use of the sun; for the sun was created among other things by God for this purpose, that it might make all His works conspicuous to men, and might demonstrate to them their splendor and glory, and thus might stir them up to perpetual love and praise of God, according to that Psalm XVIII, 6, concerning the sun: "He hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way: his going out is from the highest heaven. And his circuit even to the highest heaven: and there is no one that can hide himself from his heat." Thus David, stirred up by the contemplation of the sun and sky to the praise of God, sings: "O Lord our Lord, how admirable is Thy name in the whole earth! For Thy magnificence is elevated above the heavens, etc. For I will behold Thy heavens, the works of Thy fingers: the moon and the stars which Thou hast founded," Psalm VIII, 1. And Habacuc cap. III, 3: "His glory covered the heavens: and the earth is full of His praise. His brightness shall be as the light, horns in His hands;" and verse 11: "The sun and the moon stood still in their habitation, in the light of Thy arrows, they shall go in the brightness of Thy glittering spear." Indeed, as often as we behold the sun, we ought to break forth into these or similar praises of God. Note τὸ looked upon: for some of the ancients thought the sun to be the soul, indeed to be God, who looks upon all things; hence it was called the eye of the world. Hence also the Poet said God to be the sun, who sees all things and hears all things. Wherefore the Persians worshipped the sun as God, and called it Mithras. The ancient Romans greeted the rising sun; indeed even the Manichaeans defined the Holy Trinity thus: "Saying that the Father dwells in a certain secret light; but in the Son the power, in the moon wisdom; but the Holy Spirit in the air," says St. Augustine, lib. XX Against Faustus, cap. VI. The same, lib. I On Genesis Against the Manichaeans, cap. III: "The sun," he says, "they (the Manichaeans) worship in such a way that they say it is a particle of that light in which God dwells." But this is an error, indeed a blasphemy. Metaphorically therefore is it said that the sun looks upon; because namely it scatters the rays of its light now into this place, now into that, and thus when it illuminates and makes visible. Palatius notes that God is not less in a worm than in the sun and sky, although in the sun the glory of God appears greater to men than in a worm: for truly a worm, indeed a fly, is more excellent than the sun; because a fly is animated, the sun inanimate. Thus St. Augustine, lib. I On Two Souls Against the Manichaeans, cap. III: "And here," he says, "if perhaps those troubled by me should ask: Do you also think that a fly's soul surpasses this light? I would answer: Yes, and a fly, which is small, would not terrify me, but what is living would confirm me. For it is asked what animates those members so tiny, what drives such a tiny body hither and thither according to natural appetite, what moves running feet in number, what moderates and vibrates the flying wings? Whatever that is, to those considering well, so great a thing stands out in so small a thing, that it is to be preferred to any brightness that strains the eyes." Note, secondly: The sun rising in the dawn, looking upon all creatures, but especially birds, stirs them up to joy, song, and praise of the glory of God. Whence birds are called solar birds, especially the nightingale, which surpasses other birds most sweetly in modulation, so that it might invite men from sleep to sing with it the praise of God. Whence St. Ambrose, lib. V Hexaem. cap. XII: "I do not doubt," he says, "that among singing birds it cannot feel sleep, but is provoked to wakefulness by such grace." And soon after: "Whence for me the voice of the parrot and the sweetness of the blackbirds? Would that at least the nightingale might sing, which might stir the sleeper from sleep. For that bird is accustomed to signify the rising of the coming day, and to bring forth more abundant joy at dawn." The same St. Ambrose, in his sermon on Malachi chapter I, which is found at the end of volume II, teaches us that like birds both morning and evening we ought to praise God and give Him thanks: "Do we not see," he says, "the tiniest birds, when the dawn brings forth the brightening day, resounding with various delight in certain chambers of their nests, and doing this studiously before they proceed, so that their Creator, since they cannot speak, they may soothe with sweetness? And just as each of them, since it cannot confess, may show obedience through modulations; so that it seems to give thanks more devoutly, which has resounded more sweetly: this also being completed through the course of the day, to do similarly. What then does this song arranged at certain times and constant attention mean to itself, except that it is a kind of immoderate confession of thanks? For the innocent bird to its Shepherd, since it cannot speak, flatters with sweetness." And after some things: "Birds therefore give thanks for vile food: you are fed with the most precious feasts, and you are ungrateful! Who therefore would not blush, having human sense, to close the day without the celebration of psalms, when the very birds leap about to give thanks with the sweetness of the psaltery? not to resound his glory with the sweetness of verses, whose praise the birds pronounce with modulated song? Imitate therefore, brother, the tiniest birds, morning and evening giving thanks to the Creator. And if you are more devout, imitate the nightingale, to which, since the day alone is not sufficient for uttering praises, it runs through the nocturnal spaces with sleepless song. And you therefore, surpassing the day with your praises, add nocturnal courses to your work, and console the sleepless industry of your undertaken labor with the series of the psaltery." Moreover, how wonderful in the nightingale is the grace of praising and modulating, by which it invites men to imitate it, Pliny describes graphically, book X, chapter XXIX: "First," he says, "the voice is to be admired, so great in so small a body, so persistent a spirit. persistent a spirit. Then in one perfect knowledge of music the sound is uttered modulated: and now it is drawn out in a continuous breath at length, now it is varied with inflection, now it is distinguished with cutting, coupled with twisting; it is promised with recalling, it is darkened from the unexpected; sometimes it even murmurs with itself; full, grave, acute, frequent, extended, where it seemed good vibrating, highest, middle, lowest. In short, all things in so small a throat, which human art has devised with so many exquisite torments of pipes. It has often been seen, ordered to sing, to have begun, and to have alternated with symphony." Allegorically, Rabanus: "The sun," he says, "is Christ, who is both the light of divine wisdom and the splendor of justice. Of whom it is read elsewhere: There shall arise unto you that fear my name, the sun of justice, and health in his wings. He is the true light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world, and sees all things; because there is no creature invisible in his sight; for the glory of the Lord is the fullness of his work, because his wisdom shines forth in his deeds. Whence by the Prophet it is said: How great are thy works, O Lord! thou hast made all things in wisdom." Finally the Syrian understands mercy of God by glory. For thus he translates: As the sun which rises above all things, the mercies of the Lord are made manifest above all his works.
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17. DID NOT THE LORD COMMAND THE SAINTS TO DECLARE ALL HIS WONDERFUL WORKS, WHICH THE LORD ALMIGHTY HATH ESTABLISHED TO BE CONFIRMED IN HIS GLORY? — Thus it is to be read with the Romans and Greeks corrected at Rome by an interrogative mark, although the Complutensian edition reads these assertively and translates: The Lord did not lead the saints to declare all his wonderful works. For no one is able to declare all things, because they are indescribable, according to that in Job V, 9: "Who doth great things and unsearchable, and wonderful things without number." But as I have said, these are to be read by the mark of interrogation; for although no one is sufficient to declare the works of God individually and to celebrate them according to their dignity, yet each one is sufficient to declare and celebrate them generally, or through their kinds and more illustrious species. For "confirmed" in Greek it is ἐστερέωσε, that is, he made firm, he stabilized; whence στερέωμα is called the firmament. For "almighty," in Greek it is παντοκράτωρ, that is, conquering all things, containing all things, powerful in all things, ruling over all things. For "to be confirmed" in Greek it is, στηριχθῆναι τὸ πᾶν, that is, so that the universe might be stabilized. Therefore Rabanus, Dionysius and Lyra read less correctly for "to be confirmed" "stable." Therefore the sense is, as if to say, God almighty made his works not fleeting, but firm, stable and enduring, so that he might establish and stabilize his glory and magnificence in them throughout the whole universe. For "his" in Greek it is αὐτοῦ, that is, of himself, namely of the Lord. Whence Vatable translates clearly: Did not the Lord establish for the saints to proclaim all his miracles (for all the works of God are miracles, and therefore as it were miracles), which the Lord himself almighty founded, and with his glory confirmed all things?
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others: Did not the Lord work in the saints, so that they might be able to declare His wonders, which the Lord almighty established, whereby all this glory of His might be made stable? Moreover, this glory is the glorious power, wisdom and goodness of God, by which He created all things and each thing out of nothing, and thus preserves, increases and multiplies them. Phidias so skillfully inserted his own image into the shield formed by himself, that one could not be erased or abolished without the other. Thus God inserted this glorious image of Himself into each created thing, and especially into man, so that it cannot be erased; indeed, so that this work of His cannot be seen otherwise; nay, if you look more deeply, you immediately see in the author's work the author Himself, God the Creator. See what is said in Genesis chapter I and II. Most excellently St. Gregory, XXVI Moral. VIII: "If we carefully observe, he says, external things, through these very things we are recalled to internal things. For the works of visible creation are the wonderful footprints of our Creator: we cannot yet see Him Himself; but we already tend toward His vision, if we marvel at Him in those things which He made: therefore we call His footprints creation, because by following these things which are from Him, we go to Him." And a little later: "The ways, he says, to the Creator are the considered works of the Creator. When we perceive these things made, we marvel at the power of the maker: in these ways all wisdom and providence meet us from the Creator; because the virtue of the maker is proposed to us for inquiry in all that we see made wonderfully; and wherever the soul turns itself, if it attends carefully, it finds God in those very things through which He left His traces; and it knows His power from the consideration of those things, whose love it abandoned; and through those things by which it fell perversely, through these converted it is recalled." Anagogically, the holy Angels and blessed men in heaven continually declare the wonders of God, saying with unceasing voice: "Holy, Holy, Holy," etc. If you ask: What are these "wonders"? I answer: They are certainly those which the Lord almighty confirmed and made stable in His glory. Indeed, many are the wonders of God in this world! but God did not confirm these to be stable: but the glory of the Blessed, the vision of the divine essence, His love, the heavenly city, the vault of heaven, the order of the stars, these are wonders, and as stable, so most worthy, which are continually declared by the holy angels. This Theologian has a reason why God created the Saints; namely, that they might declare the wonders of God. St. Paul gave another, namely, that in them He might show the riches of the glory of His grace. He has, secondly, the Saints in glory to declare all the wonders of God, inasmuch as they know in God all creatures, which God created. For it is a common teaching in the school that the Blessed know all things which God contains eminently, although not those which He contains formally, as Palacius says; which is to be discussed elsewhere. Finally the Syriac version renders it: The Saints of the Lord do not cease to number the gigantic deeds (that is, the prodigious magnitudes) of His wonders. He gave strength to those who fear Him to stand before His glory. 18. HE HATH SEARCHED OUT THE ABYSS AND THE HEART OF MAN, AND IN THEIR CUNNING HE HATH THOUGHT, — that is, by thinking out their cunning he knew it. It is a Hebraism. He passes from the majesty, power and glory of God to celebrating his wisdom, omniscience and providence. The Greeks do not have τὸ hominum; whence τὸ eorum ought to be referred to "abyss and heart." For thus they have it: Ἄβυσσον καὶ καρδίαν ἰχίγνευσε, καὶ ἐν πανουργεύμασιν αὐτῶν διενοήθη, that is, He searches out the abyss and the heart, and understands and considers their cunning; the Romans, he meditates; others, he thinks about their craftiness. Wherefore by cunning some understand subtle reasons, and the secret counsels of divine wisdom and providence, which shine forth in created things, but especially in the abyss and the human heart, or rather are truly hidden. Lyran understands by abyss the devil, as if to say, God has known their cunning, namely both of the devil and of the human heart. But this is mystical. Wherefore our Interpreter rightly read in the Greek, or at least understood τὸ hominum; for cunning is proper to them, that is, cunning counsels, machinations and frauds, which no one but God penetrates and searches out. Or certainly τὸ cor is put distributively for the heart of each and all men, so that "heart" is the same as "hearts." Whence the Zurich Bible translates: He searched out the deep and hearts, and knew their tricks. By abyss therefore is understood any depth, such as the center of the earth, in which is hell, demons and the damned; but especially the depth of waters and the sea: for this is properly called abyss, Gen. I, 2, as if ἀδύθω or βύσσω, that is, without bottom; because the bottom of the sea is unknown to man, and scarcely traceable: God nevertheless searches it out, that is, knows it, and penetrates and sees through to the very bottom; for God knows precisely how deep the sea is everywhere and in all places, how many drops of water are in it, how many fish, shells, gems, etc., what is in its bottom, which in number are sand, pebbles, metals, etc. It is a metalepsis; for "to search out" means to see through; because from searching and scrutiny men arrive at knowledge and evidence of a thing. Thus "he hath thought" is the same as knowing by thinking, as I said a little before. Similarly God searches out, that is, penetrates and sees through, the heart of man otherwise depraved and inscrutable, as Jeremiah says, cap. XVII, 9, so much so that he sees and surveys all its hiding places, recesses and corners right to the bottom from every side; and therefore he inspects and knows all its cunning, that is, deceits, frauds, simulations, craftiness, machinations. Fittingly the heart of man is compared with the abyss; because like an abyss it is deep, dark, obscure and impervious, penetrable and visible to no man or angel, but to God alone. Whence some take here by abyss literally the heart of man, so that τὸ and is exegetical meaning that is, as if to say, The abyss and (that is) the heart of man deep and inscrutable like an abyss, is searched out by God alone and intimately known. Whence the Syriac translates: He searches out the abyss and the heart, and all the hidden things of men are as manifest as the sun before him.
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19. FOR THE LORD KNOWETH ALL KNOWLEDGE, AND HATH LOOKED INTO THE SIGN OF THE AGE, DECLARING THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN, AND THE THINGS THAT ARE TO COME, REVEALING THE TRACES OF HIDDEN THINGS; — τὸ enim gives the reason for the preceding, as if to say, God knows the abyss and the hearts of men, because he himself is all-knowing and knows all that is knowable. For by all knowledge understand all that is knowable, or all that is known, or can be known, whether by angels or by men; God knows all this, and sees it in one stroke of his mind. It is a metonymy; for the habit is put for the object, namely knowledge for what is knowable. You will ask: What is the "sign of the age" which God looks upon? Isidore Clarius and Palacius read sinus for sign; but in Greek it is σημεῖον, that is, sign. The Complutensian edition reads in the plural σημεῖα, that is, signs. First, Lyran understands by sign of the age the course of the age; and Rabanus: The Lord looks upon, he says, the sign of the age, because all the ages of the world both past and also present, or future are in his presence: when with him nothing is past, nothing is future, but he sees all things presentially. Second, Dionysius understands by sign of the age the measure of the age, and by measure metonymically understands all things measured, which are measured by the age. "He hath looked into the sign of the age," that is, he says, into the measure of eternal or perpetual things, knowing all things which are measured by the age; of which Boethius says: "Thou who commandest time to go forth from eternity." And Job cap. XXVIII, vers. 3: "He himself considereth the end of all things." Whence the Syriac translates: All things that happen in the world are manifest before him.
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Thirdly, Palacius understands by the sign, or, as he himself reads it, the bosom of the age, eternity; for this is the bosom and sign of all things that are done throughout every age and century. Where note, he says, that the object of the divine intellect is its own eternity: eternity moreover is one indivisible point, yet comprehending in itself every age and all times; for it is as it were a bosom, where all times and every age are enclosed. That same eternity is a sign and indivisible point, whence every age begins and ends. That same therefore is the object into which God looks; that same bosom of the age; that same signs and sign of the age. It is therefore a most illustrious praise of God, that He looks upon eternity, in which all things are seen most presently. Whence the fifth praise of God proceeds, namely that He "announceth" with certainty "the things that have been, and the things that are to come." Fourthly, astrologers understand by signs the heavenly signs or stars, and their constellations, namely the concourse, motion and influence of the stars upon these lower things. Whence some of them think that God has described and foreshown in the stars, as it were in signs, all the future changes and events of things on earth: wherefore they themselves conjecture future things from the stars, as from prognostics. But this is an error, which I refuted at Genesis I, 14. I confess however, as I said there, that the stars are signs of certain natural events. For this is said at Genesis I, 14, to which Sirach here alludes. Fifthly therefore, the genuine sense is, as if to say: God knows by what sign, or by what preceding signs the ages, times and all things in them are changed, change their turns, and one succeeds another. For God, sweetly disposing and connecting the series of ages, has established certain signs known to Himself, but unknown to us, which indicate future changes of things, and dispose and prepare for them, for example God has established that in such an age after so many centuries or thousands of years Christ would come, and afterwards Antichrist; for He Himself designated precisely this age, indeed the year, month and day in which it would be. From the year therefore and age designated by Himself, as from a sign provided by Himself, God knows at what time Christ would come, and at what time Antichrist would come. Thus in the translations of kingdoms and monarchies God has established for each a certain measure of time and years, or period, from which as from a sign He knows when this translation would be. Again in the kingdoms themselves God has established certain signs of future translation, establishing for example that, when the Assyrians, Greeks, Persians, Romans have filled up the measure of their sins appointed by God for the end of their monarchy; and when seditions and internecine schisms have begun to arise among themselves, then they are overthrown, and the monarchy or kingdom passes to their successors. For this was, and still is, the natural and common cause and sign of the translation of kingdoms. The a priori reason is the connection of the universe and of all things in it; for God has joined together all things of the world and of the passing age in a fitting and certain series and order among themselves, so that one thing would be the preceding sign, indeed the cause, of what follows and will follow. Hear Boethius, book IV of the Consolation of Philosophy, prose 6: "Providence," he says, "is the divine reason established in the highest prince of all things, which disposes all things; but fate is the disposition inherent in movable things, through which Providence binds each thing in its own orders, etc. For the order of fate proceeds from the simplicity of Providence." And further below: "Therefore as reason is to understanding, as that which is generated is to that which is, as time is to eternity, as a circle is to the center of a point; so is the mobile fatal series to the stable simplicity of Providence, etc. This also constrains the acts and fortunes of men in an indissoluble connection of causes; which, since they proceed from the beginnings of immobile Providence, must themselves also be immutable; for thus things are ruled most excellently, if the simplicity remaining in the divine mind brings forth an undeviating order of causes; but this order constrains mutable things, and otherwise flowing rashly, by its own immutability: whence it comes to pass that, although to you unwilling to consider this order, all things appear confused and disturbed; nevertheless its own mode directing all things to good disposes them. " And near the end: "For a certain order embraces all things, so that whatever has departed from the assigned reason of order, this same, though into another, nevertheless falls back into order, so that nothing in the kingdom of Providence is permitted to rashness." This therefore infallible order of causes and connection of things is the sign of the age; for from the cause as from an infallible preceding sign God sees what will certainly follow and come to pass; for all the disposition of his Providence is certain. Furthermore, by the sign or signs of the age or of the world, understand metonymically the very designation of the world itself. Whence the Zurich version translates: He beholds the designation of the age; for God designated from eternity what was to be done and come to pass at any time, and from this designation of his mind, by secret and decree, as it were from an infallible sign, indeed as it were from a most certain cause, he knows what will come to pass at any time and in any place. For by designation he understands metonymically the things designated to come to pass in any age, namely the course of the age and of things through individual ages, as Rabanus and Lyra said. Sirach speaks anthropopathically, or in human manner, and alludes to Genesis 1, 14: "Let there be lights (the sun and moon, etc.), and let them be for signs and seasons;" whence he himself, in the following chapter, verse 6, calls the moon "the sign of the age."
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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the teaching of the Savior (it suffices to cite the sixth beatitude: "blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God" [Mt. 5, 8]), and a whole series of praises proclaimed by Sacred Scripture either to the virtue itself (Tob. 3, 16; Wis. 3, 13; Sir. 42, 9-10; Is. 56, 4-5) or to the persons who distinguished themselves in it (Joseph [Gen. 39, 6-12]; Judith [Jud. 16, 26]; Susanna [Dan. 13, 63]); d) chastity was commonly called in …
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… In Gen. 1:1-27 the creation is described as the work of the Words of God with the repeated formula "And God said." This concept is reaffirmed in Ps. 32 (33): "He spoke and it was done, he commanded and it was created" (v. 9, cf. v. 6; Eccli. 42:15; Sap. 9:1-2 with the term λόγος). …
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.