Sirach
Chapter 25
What Causes Delight and What Causes Disgust
Three things delight me and are also pleasing to God and people: harmony among brothers, friendship between neighbors, and perfect unity between husband and wife.
There are three kinds of people I detest and want nothing to do with: a poor man full of pride, a wealthy man who is a liar, and an adulterous old fool.
Old Age
If you haven’t saved anything in your youth, what will you have in old age?
What a wonderful thing old age with sound judgment is, especially an old man who can give counsel!
Wisdom in the elderly or understanding and prudence in great people are truly admirable qualities.
Rich experience is the crown of the old; their pride is the fear of the Lord.
Ten Blessings
I think of nine things I consider happy, and a tenth which I will also mention: the man who finds happiness in his children; the man who sees the ruin of his enemies in his lifetime.
Blessed is the man who lives with a sensible wife; he who does not plow with a donkey and an ox; he who has done no wrong in speech; he who does not serve an unworthy master.
Happy is he who has gained good sense and can speak confidently before an attentive audience!
Great is the person who gains wisdom, but no one surpasses the man who fears the Lord.
Since the fear of the Lord surpasses everything, who can compare with the one who possesses it?
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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.
Do not let water escape or give free rein to a wicked woman. If she does not obey your commands, get rid of her.
Commentaries
What Causes Delight and What Causes Disgust.
A new numerical proverb compares things that bring joy to the wise with those that annoy. The wise person should find delight in what pleases God: brotherhood, loyalty, and harmony between spouses. They should also avoid or reject extremes that contradict true human virtues, exemplified by the detestable figures of the proud poor man, the stingy rich man, and the foolish old womanizer (often called a “dirty old man”).
Old Age.
The goal for everyone should be to reach old age rich in life experience so that, even with limited physical strength, their thoughts and words can serve as a light and guide for those just beginning to live. However, this goal is not automatically achieved in old age; it must be cultivated from youth.
Ten Blessings.
There are many ways to find happiness, and one of the secrets of the wise is knowing how to discover joy and contentment in every situation in life. The author states that he holds nine blessings in his heart and wishes to add a tenth, suggesting that every aspiring sage can continue to accumulate blessings or, in other words, reasons to feel happy in this life. The significance of these beatitudes is that, once again, we see that happiness does not come from having or possessing, but from being and making a daily effort to give this unique life the best possible meaning.
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.