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HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT

ECCLESIASTICUS 9

CHAPTER IX.

Ver. 1. Lest. "A husband should teach his wife to be chaste by his own example." Lact. Relig. vi.

Ipse miser docui quo posset ludere pacto

Custodes eheu! nunc premor arte meâ. Tibul.

Ver. 4. Dancer. Gr. "musician, lest," &c. H. --- The same person is often given to both music and dancing, (M.) and these arts are very dangerous. Met. xiv. 6. --- The dances in the East were more licentious than ours.

Ver. 5. Gaze. It is not always possible to avoid seeing them; but the greatest caution is requisite. Job xxxii. 1. Mat. v. 28. C. --- Jealousy and all dangerous occasions must be avoided. W.

Ver. 7. Streets. Gr. "retired parts," where bad women dwell. C.

Ver. 8. Up. Gr. "of a fine appearance." Grabe substitutes, "who has found favour." H. --- The Fathers condemn too much dressing as a mark of levity and incontinence.

Ver. 12. Nor, &c. is also admitted in many copies, though found in the Comp. and Ald edit. C. --- Grabe replaces it on the authority of Clem. (Pæd. ii. 7.) as he does many other passages, which are erroneously left out in several editions. Prolog. t. 4. c. 3. It would therefore be injurious to the word of God, if we were always to reject the additions in the Vulg. which are not in the Vat. Gr. copy; and they must not all at least be considered as interpolations.

Ver. 16. Envy not. If thou hast faith and wisdom, thou wilt rather dread his punishment. Ps. xxxvi. 1. and Prov. iii. 31. C. --- He is like a summer flower, that is quickly cut down. W.

Ver. 17. Wrong. Gr. "applauses of the unjust. Remember that they will not be justified even to hell." H. --- The world itself will finally approve only of virtue. C. --- The wicked will be condemned both by God and man. H.

Ver. 20. It. Gr. "Know what thou art...walking on the pinnacles of the city." H. --- The same sense is given in the Vulg. as people walking among armed men in a rage, are exposed to imminent danger. M.

Ver. 21. Beware. Gr. "aim at." Examine the person to whom thou intrusteth a secret.

Ver. 24. Artificers. All strive to excel in their profession.

Ver. 25. Hateful. Satirists are dangerous. C. ---

Dummodo risum

Excutiat sibi, non cuiquam parcet amico. Hor. i. sat. 4.

ECCLESIASTICUS 10

CHAPTER X.

Ver. 1. Judge. Gr. "instruct." Ch. --- The example of rulers is very powerful. W.

Ver. 2. Therein. Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis. Claud. --- As a whole city is infected with the vices of princes, so it may be corrected by their good behaviour, (continentiâ.) Cic. Leg. 3.

Ver. 3. Rulers. All who wish to live under just kings. Prov. xxix. 4.

Ver. 4. It, as he did David. Job xxxiv. 30. Dan. ii. 20. C.

Ver. 5. The scribe. That is, the man that is wise and learned in the law. Ch. --- It also denotes an officer. Judg. v. 14. God must give light and success. C.

Ver. 6. Injury, out of revenge. H. Lev. xix. 18. --- "Cæsar used to forget nothing but injuries." Cic. Ligar. --- This at least is the character of a great man. S. Aug. ep. 138. and 54.

Ver. 7. Men. It invades the rights of the former, and disturbs the repose of mankind. --- All. Gr. is obscure, "and from both proceeds injustice;" (C.) or, "it shall act unjustly." H. --- Pride attacks both God and man. Grot.

Ver. 8. Deceits. Hence kingdoms are changed. W. --- The ambition and luxury of subjects (Cato) and the negligence of the rulers, bring on confusion. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei. v. 13.

Ver. 9. Man. The desire of plunder, or of glory, occasions revolutions. H. --- Covetousness is the root of all evils, and causes people to abandon the faith. 1 Tim. vi. 10. W.

Ver. 10. Bowels, and would have no compassion for others or for himself. Some Gr. copies leave out as far as sale, but Grabe replaces the omission from the Comp.

Ver. 14. Beginning, or summit; arch. C. --- Thus Lucifer and Adam fell by pride. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei. xii. 6. All sin, being a contempt of God, springs from pride, (Prosper. contemp. iii. 3.) and from an inordinate self-love. C.

Ver. 15. Sin, because man abandons God's law, and falls into all misery. W. --- The proud easily yield to all sorts of iniquity. M.

Ver. 16. Disgraced. Gr. "hath taken an exemplary vengeance, and hath," &c. H. --- Them, as he did the giants, Sodom, Nabuchodonosor, &c.

Ver. 17. Stead. Lu. i. 52. C. --- "Thales being asked what was difficult to be seen; replied, a tyrant grown old." Laert. 1.

Ver. 18. Nations, the Chanaanites, who submitted to the yoke: or rather the Hebrews. C. --- Gr. "instead of them."

Ver. 19. Foundation: overturning Sodom, Babylon, and even Jerusalem, for their sins. C.

Ver. 28. Wise. When Diogenes was exposed to sale, and asked what he could do, he answered, "I know how to command free men." Laert. 6. --- Joseph and Daniel obtained authority by their wise conduct. C.

Ver. 31. Desert. Let not avarice deprive thee of the necessities of life, nor do any thing beneath thy dignity. Lu. xxi. 19.

Ver. 33. Glorified. Gr. "honoured on account of his knowledge, and the rich is, " &c. H.

Ver. 34. And. Greek omits this sentence: (C.) yet Grabe has, And the man who is without honour in wealth, how much more so will he be in poverty? H. Eccle. vii. 12.

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