Sirach · WEB-C
Sirach
29
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He who shows mercy will lend to his neighbor. He who strengthens him with his hand keeps the commandments. Lend to your neighbor in time of his need. Repay your neighbor on time. Confirm your word, and keep faith with him; and at all seasons you will find what you need. Many have considered a loan to be a windfall, and have given trouble to those who helped them. Until he has received, he will kiss a man’s hands. For his neighbor’s money he will speak submissively. Then when payment is due, he will prolong the time, return excuses, and complain about the season. If he prevails, the creditor will hardly receive half; and he will count it as a windfall. If not, he has deprived him of his money, and he has gotten him for an enemy without cause. He will pay him with cursing and railing. Instead of honor, he will pay him disgrace. Many on account of fraud have turned away. They are afraid of being defrauded for nothing. However be patient with a man in poor estate. Don’t keep him waiting for your alms. Help a poor man for the commandment’s sake. According to his need don’t send him empty away. Lose your money for a brother and a friend. Don’t let it rust under a stone and be lost. Allocate your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High and it will profit you more than gold. Store up almsgiving in your store-chambers and it will deliver you out of all affliction. It will fight for you against your enemy better than a mighty shield and a ponderous spear. A good man will be surety for his neighbor. He who has lost shame will fail him. Don’t forget the kindness of your guarantor, for he has given his life for you. A sinner will waste the property of his guarantor. He who is thankless will fail him who delivered him. Being surety has undone many who were prospering and shaken them as a wave of the sea. It has driven mighty men from their homes. They wandered among foreign nations. A sinner who falls into suretiship and undertakes contracts for work will fall into lawsuits. Help your neighbor according to your power, and be careful not to fall yourself. The essentials of life are water, bread, a garment, and a house for privacy. Better is the life of a poor man under a shelter of logs than sumptuous fare in another man’s house. With little or with much, be well satisfied. It is a miserable life to go from house to house. Where you are a guest, you dare not open your mouth. You will entertain, serve drinks, and have no thanks. In addition to this, you will hear bitter words. “Come here, you sojourner, set a table, and if you have anything in your hand, feed me with it.” “Leave, you sojourner, for an honored guest is here. My brother has come to be my guest. I need my house.” These things are grievous to a man of understanding: The scolding about lodging and the insults of creditors.
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Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)20 notes
Notes in English 19th-century Catholic commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock, shown as published.
These notes keep the polemics of their time: some speak harshly of the Jewish people or of other Christians. The Church teaches otherwise today. The Jewish people may not be blamed for the death of Christ (Nostra Aetate 4; Catechism 597–598), and Christians of other communities are our brothers and sisters in the Lord (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Christian unity
Sirach 29:1
Ver. 1. Hand. That is, he that is hearty and bountiful in lending to his neighbour in his necessity.
Ch. --- Fœnus, in this book means simply "lending." Rondet. --- This is a work of mercy, and a sort of alms. Justice requires that the thing should be restored, and if any refuse on purpose, he is as bad as a thief. W. -- He who lends will receive usury from the Lord. Prov. xix. 17. Ps. xxxvi.
21. --- In hand. Rich.
↑ 1Sirach 29:2
Ver. 2. Time. The neglect of this causes many to be unwilling to lend. C.
↑ 2Sirach 29:5
Ver. 5. Hands. Like slaves. Macrob. 1. --- Others kiss the face, neck, &c. Acts xx. 37.
↑ 5Sirach 29:7
Ver. 7. Found it. Seeming to make thee partaker of his good fortune, (Jans.) or he will keep the other half as his own. Grot.
↑ 7Sirach 29:9
Ver. 9. Injuries. Thus one loses both money and friends. Must we then never lend? If the person be poor, we must be ready to give. C.
↑ 9Sirach 29:11
Ver. 11. And delay. Or lit. "and for an alms, drag him not along." H. --- Let not the fraud of many deter thee from assisting the poor, for the sake of God and justice. C. --- Si fraudaris pecunia acquiris justitiam. S. Amb. Tob. iii. n. 11.
↑ 11Sirach 29:12
Ver. 12. Commandment. Deut. xv. 7. Else where is your merit?
↑ 12Sirach 29:13
Ver. 13. Friend. He is entitled to partake of all thy goods. If he be only thy fellow-creature, assist him; and God will reward thee. Mat. vi. 19.
↑ 13Sirach 29:15
Ver. 15. Heart. Gr. "thy store-houses," the poor. C. --- I never read that one who was liberal to the poor came to an evil death, as he has so many to intercede for him, whose prayers must be heard. S. Jer. ad Nepot. --- Works of mercy produce the best fruits. W.
↑ 15Sirach 29:18
Ver. 18. Himself. Yet he will not engage his word for more than he can pay, (v.
27. c. viii. 16.) nor encourage the negligence of debtors. Prov. vi. 1.
↑ 18Sirach 29:19
Ver. 19. Life. Or his subsistence, (c. xix. 28.) though some answered for the person of another. 3
K. xx. 39.
↑ 19Sirach 29:20
Ver. 20. And. Gr. "will turn away the goods of his surety, (21.) and the ungrateful in mind will abandon his redeemer." H. --- "All hate the ungrateful,"
(Cic. off. ii.) and the Persians punished such with death. Xenop. Cyr. i. --- Him.
Gr. subjoins v. 23. H.
↑ 20Sirach 29:23
Ver. 23. Estate, ( dirigentes) whose affairs were prosperous. M. --- Hence Solomon dissuades any rash engagements.
↑ 23Sirach 29:25
Ver. 25. Things. Tax-gatherers may deserve to fall into this misery. C.
↑ 25Sirach 29:26
Ver. 26. Not. Prudence requires that we should not ruin ourselves to help others. W.
↑ 26Sirach 29:27
Ver. 27. Shame. Clothing is like a portable house. Grot. --- Man stands in need of little, and those who are content will not need to borrow. v. 29.
↑ 27Sirach 29:31
Ver. 31. Shall. Or "has formerly entertained" those, who now reproach him, make him serve in the meanest offices, and at last cast him forth. It may also signify that people who receive ungrateful vagabonds, will be required to serve them, and had better keep them out. v. 33. C. ---
Gr. "thou shalt entertain and give drink to the most disagreeable things." H.
↑ 31Sirach 29:32
Ver. 32. Others. Gr. "me." M. --- Travellers carried their provisions with them. C.
↑ 32Sirach 29:33
Ver. 33. Give. Gr. "depart, stranger, from the face of glory; for," &c. H.
↑ 33Sirach 29:34
Ver. 34. Lender. Who demands his money, and upbraids his debtor. M.
↑ 34License: Notes by Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), from the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock's commentary (first ed. Thomas Haydock, Manchester/Dublin, 1811–1814; New York: Edward Dunigan & Brother, 1859); New Testament notes compiled with Fr. Benedict Rayment. Public domain. Digital text: "The Haydock Bible", Internet Archive (archive.org/details/TheHaydockBible), uploaded 2011 under the Public Domain Mark. · Credits and licenses