Sirach · WEB-C
Sirach
37
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Every friend will say, “I also am his friend”; but there is a friend which is only a friend in name. Isn’t there a grief in it even to death when a companion and friend is turned into an enemy? O wicked imagination, why were you formed to cover the dry land with deceit? There is a companion who rejoices in the gladness of a friend, but in time of affliction will be against him. There is a companion who for the belly’s sake labors with his friend, yet in the face of battle will carry his buckler. Don’t forget a friend in your soul. Don’t be unmindful of him in your riches. Every counselor extols counsel, but some give counsel in their own interest. Let your soul beware of a counselor, and know in advance what is his interest (for he will take counsel for himself), lest he cast the lot against you, and say to you, “Your way is good.” Then he will stand near you, to see what will happen to you. Don’t take counsel with one who looks askance at you. Hide your counsel from those who are jealous of you. Don’t consult with a woman about her rival, with a coward about war, with a merchant about business, with a buyer about selling, with an envious man about thankfulness, with an unmerciful man about kindliness, with a sluggard about any kind of work, with a hireling in your house about finishing his work, or with an idle servant about much business. Pay no attention to these in any matter of counsel. But rather be continually with a godly man, whom you know to be a keeper of the commandments, who in his soul is as your own soul, and who will grieve with you, if you fail. Make the counsel of your heart stand, for there is no one more faithful to you than it. For a man’s soul is sometimes inclined to inform him better than seven watchmen who sit on high on a watch-tower. Above all this ask the Most High that he may direct your way in truth. Let reason be the beginning of every work. Let counsel go before every action. As a token of the changing of the heart, four kinds of things rise up: good and evil, life and death. That which rules over them continually is the tongue. There is one who is clever and the instructor of many, and yet is unprofitable to his own soul. There is one who is subtle in words, and is hated. He will be destitute of all food. For grace was not given to him from the Lord, because he is deprived of all wisdom. There is one who is wise to his own soul; and the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy in the mouth. A wise man will instruct his own people. The fruits of his understanding are trustworthy. A wise man will be filled with blessing. All those who see him will call him happy. The life of a man is counted by days. The days of Israel are innumerable. The wise man will inherit confidence among his people. His name will live forever. My son, test your soul in your life. See what is evil for it, and don’t give in to it. For not all things are profitable for all men. Not every soul has pleasure in everything. Don’t be insatiable in any luxury. Don’t be greedy in the things that you eat. For overeating brings disease, and gluttony causes nausea. Because of gluttony, many have perished, but he who takes heed shall prolong his life.
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Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)17 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 37:1
Ver. 1. Death. Gr. explains this: (C.) I mean (2.) "a companion and friend turned?" &c. H. ---
True friendship is most necessary, and false most dangerous. W.
↑ 1Sirach 37:5
Ver. 5. Will. Grotius suspects that not is wanting. Yet, if a false friend take up arms, it will only be (C.) for his own belly. M. --- Not is ill-omitted in the Comp.
edit. in the last part of the following verse.
↑ 5Sirach 37:7
Ver. 7. Snare. Greek Rom. and Alex. has at the end (C.) of v. 11, "with him that suspecteth thee."
H.
↑ 7Sirach 37:10
Ver. 10. Stake, or stumbling-block. C.
↑ 10Sirach 37:12
Ver. 12. Treat not. The negation is omitted in the Vulg. (H.) which speaks ironically in the three following verses. Gr. "consult not with him who suspecteth thee, and hide thy counsel from those who are jealous of thee.
With a woman," &c. Consult not, is always understood. Among the Jews, polygamy occasioned much jealousy. --- Envious miser. C.
↑ 12Sirach 37:13
Ver. 13. Nor. Gr. "with the merciless concerning kindness, with the sluggard concerning any work. With one hired for the year, concerning coming to an end:" sunteleias. H. --- He will never finish his work, or think he has sufficient wages.
↑ 13Sirach 37:15
Ver. 15. God, and is enlightened, as well as a good friend, v. 16. C.
↑ 15Sirach 37:17
Ver. 17. It. Gr. "more faithful than it," the well regulated heart. H. --- It will give the best counsel, if we be not guided by passion.
↑ 17Sirach 37:18
Ver. 18. Holy is not in Gr. but must be understood. C. --- The soul or heart, which is attentive to God, (v. 17.) will be the best guide. H. --- All good advice proceeds from the Lord. S. Aug. Doct.
prol. 7. --- We must always have recourse to him, though we must use our best endeavours. W.
↑ 18Sirach 37:20
Ver. 20. In. Gr. "Reason is chief of every work, and counsel must go before every action." H. ---
We must distrust our own lights.
↑ 20Sirach 37:21
Ver. 21. Them. The heart gives birth to good or evil, which the tongue utters.
Matt. xii. 34. and xv. 18. --- Soul. What will science, without charity, profit him, if he should even gain the world?
Matt. xvi. 26. and 1 Cor. xiii. 1.
↑ 21Sirach 37:23
Ver. 23. Hateful. His sophisms are soon discovered. Gr. "there is one wise, hateful in his discourses: he shall be devoid of all wisdom."
↑ 23Sirach 37:25
Ver. 25. Soul. Being replenished with wisdom, he communicates it to others, and obtains an eternal reward. C.
↑ 25Sirach 37:28
Ver. 28. But. Gr. "And." The wisest must soon die: Even the race of Israel shall end: But the virtuous shall be for ever remembered. v. 29. H. --- The blessed in heaven live for ever. W.
↑ 28Sirach 37:30
Ver. 30. Life. Attempt nothing above thy strength: or Gr. try what agrees with thy health or soul, (C.) and see thou give it not what is hurtful to it." H. --- S.
Paul (1 Cor. xi.) exhorts every one to prove or try himself and his own conscience. W.
↑ 30Sirach 37:31
Ver. 31. Soul. "We must not dispute about tastes." H. --- They are as various as men's faces. All conditions do not suit every person.
↑ 31Sirach 37:33
Ver. 33. Choler, or indigestion. "Gluttony has slain more than the sword." C.
↑ 33License: 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