Bible Verse Lookup
Sirach 25:12-25
Chapter 25
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The Bad Woman 13Any wound rather than the wound of the heart; any wickedness rather than the wickedness of a woman;
any sadness rather than that inflicted by an enemy; any vengeance rather than the vengeance of a foe.
There is no poison worse than a snake’s venom, and no rage worse than an enemy’s.
It’s better to live with a lion and a snake than to share a house with a wicked woman.
Wickedness disfigures a woman’s appearance and saddens her face, making her look like a bear.
When her husband dines with his neighbor, he sighs bitterly, despite himself.
All wickedness is insignificant compared to a woman’s wickedness. Let her be a sinner if that’s her lot.
As a sandhill is to an old man’s feet, so is the talkative woman to her quiet husband.
Do not be deceived by a woman’s beauty or fall in love with her.
Expect anger, reproach, and plenty of shame when the wife dominates her husband.
Dejected spirits, sad faces, and hidden wounds are the result of a wicked woman. Idle hands and unsteady knees arise when a wife fails to bring her husband happiness.
For sin started with a woman, we all die due to the inheritance of the congregations of Israel.
Commentaries
The Bad Woman – The Good Woman – Exhortation.
Of course, a female reading of this passage must first consider its socio-cultural context before judging the author. This isn’t to justify it, but to recognize that everyone is influenced by their time, and Ben Sirach is no exception. This descriptive way of defining a good or evil woman reflects the social behaviors and cultural values of that era, which need to be understood and reexamined through Jesus’ teachings, especially his specific attitudes toward women. Passages like this should not be ignored or cause frustration; instead, we should keep them in mind to objectively compare—based on real facts—the differences, if any, between how women were viewed in that distant patriarchal era and how we see women today, along with modern women’s self-perception.