Sirach · WEB-C
Sirach
39
Bible textSynthetic voice (AI)
Not so he who has applied his soul and meditates in the law of the Most High. He will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients and will be occupied with prophecies. He will keep the sayings of the men of renown and will enter in amidst the subtleties of parables. He will seek out the hidden meaning of proverbs and be conversant in the dark sayings of parables. He will serve among great men and appear before him who rules. He will travel through the land of foreign nations, for he has learned what is good and evil among men. He will apply his heart to return early to the Lord who made him, and will make supplication before the Most High, and will open his mouth in prayer, and will ask for pardon for his sins. If the great Lord wills, he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; he will pour forth the words of his wisdom and in prayer give thanks to the Lord. He will direct his counsel and knowledge, and he will meditate in his secrets. He will show the instruction which he has been taught and will glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord. Many will commend his understanding. So long as the world endures, it won’t be blotted out. His memory won’t depart. His name will live from generation to generation. Nations will declare his wisdom. The congregation will proclaim his praise. If he continues, he will leave a greater name than a thousand. If he finally rests, it is enough for him. Yet more I will utter, which I have thought about. I am filled like the full moon. Listen to me, you holy children, and bud forth like a rose growing by a brook of water. Give a sweet fragrance like frankincense. Put forth flowers like a lily. Scatter a sweet smell and sing a song of praise. Bless the Lord for all his works! Magnify his name and give utterance to his praise with the songs on your lips and with harps! Say this when you utter his praise: All the works of the Lord are exceedingly good, and every command will be done in its time. No one can say, “What is this?” “Why is that?” for at the proper time they will all be sought out. At his word, the waters stood as a heap, as did the reservoirs of water at the word of his mouth. At his command all his good pleasure is fulfilled. There is no one who can hinder his salvation. The works of all flesh are before him. It’s impossible to be hidden from his eyes. He sees from everlasting to everlasting. There is nothing too wonderful for him. No one can say, “What is this?” “Why is that?” for all things are created for their own uses. His blessing covered the dry land as a river and saturated it as a flood. As he has made the waters salty, so the heathen will inherit his wrath. His ways are plain to the holy. They are stumbling blocks to the wicked. Good things are created from the beginning for the good. So are evil things for sinners. The main things necessary for the life of man are water, fire, iron, salt, wheat flour, and honey, milk, the blood of the grape, oil, and clothing. All these things are for good to the godly, but for sinners, they will be turned into evils. There are winds that are created for vengeance, and in their fury they lay on their scourges heavily. In the time of reckoning, they pour out their strength, and will appease the wrath of him who made them. Fire, hail, famine, and death— all these are created for vengeance— wild beasts’ teeth, scorpions, adders, and a sword punishing the ungodly to destruction. They will rejoice in his commandment, and will be made ready upon earth when needed. In their seasons, they won’t disobey his command. Therefore from the beginning I was convinced, and I thought it through and left it in writing: All the works of the Lord are good. He will supply every need in its time. No one can say, “This is worse than that,” for they will all be well approved in their time. Now with all your hearts and voices, sing praises and bless the Lord’s name!
Reflections
No reviewed reflections for this passage yet.
Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)27 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 39:1
Ver. 1. Ancients. The Essenes (Jos. Bel. i. 7.) and Therapeuts (Philo. Comtemp.) were most famous of all for doing so. In general the Jews despise the learning of foreign nations: but some have applied themselves to it, particularly Philo, Josephus, &c. 1 Mac. i. 11. and 2 Mac. vi. 11.
--- Prophets. These required the utmost study, before the coming of Christ. 1
Pet. i. 11. Dan. ix 9. C. --- The virtuous must follow both an active and contemplative life. W.
↑ 1Sirach 39:2
Ver. 2. Sayings, or history of Abraham, &c. --- Parables. This was most in vogue. 3 K. x. ---
But mechanics abstained from this study. C. xxxviii. 38. C. --- To meditate well, 1. knowledge; 2. virtue; 3. humility; and 4. hope, are requisite. W.
↑ 2Sirach 39:4
Ver. 4. Governor or the province or army. The most enlightened were chosen, like Joseph.
Daniel i. 4. &c.
↑ 4Sirach 39:5
Ver. 5. Men. Travelling was very requisite, (C. xxxiv. 11.) and history records the actions of the bad as well as the good, for the instruction of the public.
↑ 5Sirach 39:6
Ver. 6. Pray. Diligence and prayer are the means to acquire wisdom. C. iv. 13.
↑ 6Sirach 39:9
Ver. 9. Lord, being in a sort of rapture, and enlightened by Him.
↑ 9Sirach 39:13
Ver. 13. Generation. With what care de we not preserve the Scripture? &c.
↑ 13Sirach 39:15
Ver. 15. Thousand. Children or other men. --- Rest, in death. C.
↑ 15Sirach 39:16
Ver. 16. With. Gr. "as the moon in the first quarter," dichomenia. H. --- The Vulg.
has read Diomenia, "divine transport." The author declares that he was inspired. C.
↑ 16Sirach 39:17
Ver. 17. By. Gr. "Hear me, ye holy children." --- Offspring. Lit. "fruits." H. --- He speaks to the children of Israel, the people of God: whom he exhorts to bud forth and flourish with virtue. Ch.
↑ 17Sirach 39:19
Ver. 19. Bring. Gr. "praise a canticle."
↑ 19Sirach 39:20
Ver. 20. Voice. Gr. "songs of your lips, (H.) and with ancient lyres," &c. C.
↑ 20Sirach 39:22
Ver. 22. Waters. At the world's creation, or at the passage of the Israelites. C.
↑ 22Sirach 39:23
Ver. 23. Salvation. None can prevent the salvation of God's elect. H.
↑ 23Sirach 39:25
Ver. 25. Wonderful, or new. C. --- The greatest miracles cost him nothing. H.
↑ 25Sirach 39:26
Ver. 26. Time. The veil shall be withdrawn, and Providence will appear. Gr. "all things are made for their use."
↑ 26Sirach 39:28
Ver. 28. That. Gr. "as he changed the waters into saltness," (H.) at Sodom, (C.)
"his ways are plain for the saints: so to sinners they are stumbling-blocks." v.
30. The Red Sea gave a passage to Israel, and overwhelmed the Egyptians. H.
--- Him. God does all with grandeur. He poured his graces upon Israel, and overwhelmed the giants in the deluge. C.
↑ 28Sirach 39:30
Ver. 30. Good and, is omitted in Gr. Before the fall, all was happiness. Now, the wicked have still some mixture of good. v. 32. Bossuet.
↑ 30Sirach 39:31
Ver. 31. Water and fire. These are requisite to prepare bread. The Romans refused them to the enemies of the state. --- Cluster. Gr. "blood," as Deut. xxxii.
14. C. --- God gives the necessaries of life, which the virtuous use well, for their reward; and the wicked ill, to their ruin. W.
↑ 31Sirach 39:32
Ver. 32. Evil. The good or bad use of them decides all. Wisd. xiv. 11. Rom. viii.
18. Tit. i. 15.
↑ 32Sirach 39:33
Ver. 33. Spirits. Storms (Ps. x. 7. and cxlviii. 8.) good angels, (Gen. xix. 11. Is.
xxxvii. 36.) or rather devils: who, though created in holiness, fell, and became executioners of the wicked. C. ---
They abused their free-will, and are eternally punished. W.
↑ 33Sirach 39:34
Ver. 34. Destruction, and final ruin of the impious, or at the least day. C. ---
Appease. God is pleased with the execution of justice. M. --- Yet the devils cannot obtain a reconciliation; neither do they act to please God, having their wills obstinately bent against his, though they be forced to obey. H.
↑ 34Sirach 39:36
Ver. 36. Beasts. Wolves, &c. with which the country was infested. Deut. vii. 22.
and xxii. 24. ---
Sword. War.
↑ 36Sirach 39:37
Ver. 37. Feast. Gr. "rejoice," as at a feast. Ezec. xxxix. 16. --- Word. They will be ready at the first sign. C. --- All creatures, but the rebel angels and man, obey God. H.
↑ 37Sirach 39:38
Ver. 38. Resolved. Lit. "confirmed" in this opinion by a divine light. v. 16. 21.
↑ 38Sirach 39:39
Ver. 39. Time. If we receive not at first, we must have patience.
↑ 39Sirach 39:40
Ver. 40. That. Even sin contributes to manifest the justice and mercy of God; and we are not to judge of his works, but to praise him; as every thing is created for wise purposes, and evil proceeds from our abuse of things. C.
↑ 40License: 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