HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT

ECCLESIASTICUS 3

CHAPTER III.

Ver. 1. Love. The progeny of God's children brings forth the fruits of obedience and love. W. --- Wisdom teaches every virtue. C. --- This verse is not in Greek.

Ver. 3. Seeking. Greek, "and hath confirmed the judgment," &c. H. --- God will revenge any disrespect shewn to parents. M.

Ver. 7. Father. Greek, "Lord...mother (8.) and will serve them," &c. H. --- Though you may feed your parents, you are still much in their debt. S. Amb. in Lu. ii. and xviii. Ex. xx. 12. Job iv. 3.

Ver. 9. Father. Greek adds, "and thy mother." C. --- Grabe marks this in another character, and substitutes "them" for him. v. 10. --- And his, &c. is wholly omitted. H.

Ver. 11. Foundations. S. Aug. (de Civ. Dei. xxii. 8.) gives a memorable instance. The pagans deemed such curses most terrible. Orpheus. Gen. ix. 25. --- They are executed upon the wicked.

Ver. 12. Thee. Boast not of thy superior talents, nor say any thing disrespectful.

Ver. 13. A father. Greek, "mother." Alexander was ashamed of having Philip for his father, pretending that he was the son of Jupiter Ammon. His mother Olympias, with much ingenuity, wrote to him, that he would thus make Juno her powerful rival!

Ver. 15. Fail. Bis pueri senes. They do not lose the character of fathers, how infirm soever, (C.) and those can never truly serve the invisible Deity, who despise their fathers, his visible images on the earth. Philo. Decal.

Ver. 16. Sin. Or ill-nature. Greek, "instead of sins, (17.) a house shall be built up for thee." H. --- Thy family shall increase. Ex. i. 21. C. --- Alms, prayer, and sacrifice for parents merit reward. W.

Ver. 18. Of. Greek, "Like a blasphemer is," &c. C. --- He who reviles his father, meditates blasphemy against the Deity. Menander.

Ver. 19. Meekness. Here a new subject begins. Goodness begets love. S. Amb. Off. ii. 7.

Ver. 20. Greater. The dignity of a person should be the measure of his humility, (S. Amb. de virg. 31.) as the most elevated are the most exposed to pride. Humility is taught only by true wisdom and the gospel. Matt. xi. 29. Philosophy may inspire us with the contempt of riches, &c. C. --- Yet humility is the most indispensable duty, and no less essential than delivery to an orator. S. Aug. ep. 118. ad Diosc. --- All human greatness comes from God, who requires us to shew our gratitude by humility. W.

Ver. 22. In, &c. The mysterious nature of God and providence, cannot be comprehended: and in many things we must confess our ignorance. Life is often spent in idle researches.

Ver. 26. Suspicion. Gr. Comp. "their vain suspicion hath deceived many and their wicked thought has ruined their judgment. Not having the apples of the eye, thou wilt be deprived of light; and being ignorant, do not speak." The latter sentence is marked by Grabe as wanting in his copy, as it is in the Vat. if we may believe the London edit. (H.) which, however, is not an exact copy, no more than any of the other editions, of that famous MS. Grabe.

Ver. 27. Heart. Which fears neither God nor man. S. Bern. cons. 1. --- Those who have not shewn mercy, can expect none. H. --- The impenitent see their folly, like Antiochus, when it is too late. C. --- They have loved the danger, which shall overtake them. Prov. i. 26. He seems to refute those who believed in fate, and would take no precautions. C. --- Those who live in sin, tempting God to the last hour, generally perish. W.

Ver. 29. Wicked. Greek, "hard," obdurate in sin, like Pharao. Rom. ii. 5. H. --- Sorrows. Or crimes, as the word often implies, and the punishment thereof. C. --- "Sin, by its own weight, leads to another, (S. Greg. Mor. xxv. 12.) and while custom is not resisted, a necessity arises." S. Aug. Conf. viii. 5.

Ver. 30. Congregation. The proud or obstinate sinner will take no advice. Prov. xviii. 3. C.

Ver. 31. Understand. Greek, "shall devise a parable, and the ear of the hearer is the desire of a wise man." H.

Ver. 33. Water, &c. He delights to instruct the attentive. C. --- Resist. Greek, "shall expiate, or obtain pardon for sins." Dan. iv. 24. and Lu. xi. 41. "Alms-deeds are a sort of baptism, which may be often repeated" to advantage. S. Amb. or. Max. --- "When we bestow any thing, it is not of our own, but the gift of Christ. We give bread...He, the poor, renders us the kingdom of heaven." S. Jerom in Ps. cxxxiii. God becomes our debtor. S. Chrys. hom. liii. and lviii. --- Our inheritance is secured. S. Cyp. de Op. --- But then charity and repentance must accompany our alms. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei. 21. ult.