1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

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Sirach 10:1 A wise judge shall judge his people, and the government of a prudent man shall be steady.

Judge. Greek, "instruct." (Challoner) --- The example of rulers is very powerful. (Worthington)
Sirach 10:2 *As the judge of the people is himself, so also are his ministers: and what manner of man the ruler of a city is, such also are they that dwell therein.

Proverbs 29:12.
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, (continentia.) (Cicero, Leg. 3.)
Sirach 10:3 *An unwise king shall be the ruin of his people: and cities shall be inhabited through the prudence of the rulers.

3 Kings 12:13.
Rulers. All who wish to live under just kings, Proverbs 29:4.
Sirach 10:4 The power of the earth is in the hand of God, and in his time he will raise up a profitable ruler over it.

It, as he did David, Job 34:30., and Daniel 2:20. (Calmet)
Sirach 10:5 The prosperity of man is in the hand of God, and upon the person of the scribe he shall lay his honour.

The scribe. That is, the man that is wise and learned in the law. (Challoner) --- It also denotes an officer, Judges 5:14. God must give light and success. (Calmet)
Sirach 10:6 Remember not any injury done thee by thy neighbour, *and do thou nothing by deeds of injury.

Leviticus 19:13.
Injury, out of revenge. (Haydock) (Leviticus 19:18.) --- "Caesar used to forget nothing but injuries." (Cicero, Ligar.) --- This at least is the character of a great man. (St. Augustine, ep. 138., and 54.)
Sirach 10:7 Pride is hateful before God and men: and all iniquity of nations is execrable.

Men. It invades the rights of the former, and disturbs the repose of mankind. --- All. Greek is obscure, "and from both proceeds injustice;" (Calmet) or, "it shall act unjustly." (Haydock) --- Pride attacks both God and man. (Grotius)
Sirach 10:8 *A kingdom is translated from one people to another, because of injustices, and wrongs, and injuries, and divers deceits.

Daniel 4:14.
Deceits. Hence kingdoms are changed. (Worthington) --- The ambition and luxury of subjects (Cato) and the negligence of the rulers, bring on confusion. (St. Augustine, City of God 5:13.)
Sirach 10:9 But nothing is more wicked than the covetous man. Why is earth and ashes proud?

Man. The desire of plunder, or of glory, occasions revolutions. (Haydock) --- Covetousness is the root of all evils, and causes people to abandon the faith, 1 Timothy 6:10. (Worthington)
Sirach 10:10 There is not a more wicked thing than to love money: for such a one setteth even his own soul to sale: because while he liveth, he hath cast away his bowels.

Bowels, and would have no compassion for others or for himself. Some Greek copies leave out as far as sale, but Grabe replaces the omission from the Complutensian.
Sirach 10:11 All power is of short life. A long sickness is troublesome to the physician.

Sirach 10:12 The physician cutteth off a short sickness: so also a king is to-day, and to-morrow he shall die.

Sirach 10:13 For when a man shall die, he shall inherit serpents, and beasts, and worms.

Sirach 10:14 The beginning of the pride of man is to fall off from God:

Beginning, or summit; arche. (Calmet) --- Thus Lucifer and Adam fell by pride. (St. Augustine, City of God 12:6.) All sin, being a contempt of God, springs from pride, (Prosper. contemp. 3:3.) and from an inordinate self-love. (Calmet)
Sirach 10:15 Because his heart is departed from him that made him: *for pride is the beginning of all sin: he that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end.

Proverbs 18:11.[12.?]
Sin, because man abandons God's law, and falls into all misery. (Worthington) --- The proud easily yield to all sorts of iniquity. (Menochius)
Sirach 10:16 Therefore hath the Lord disgraced the assemblies of the wicked, and hath utterly destroyed them.

Disgraced. Greek, "hath taken an exemplary vengeance, and hath," etc. (Haydock) --- Them, as he did the giants, Sodom, Nabuchodonosor, etc.
Sirach 10:17 God hath overturned the thrones of proud princes, and hath set up the meek in their stead.

Stead. Luke 1:52. (Calmet) --- "Thales being asked what was difficult to be seen; replied, a tyrant grown old." (Laertius 1.)
Sirach 10:18 God hath made the roots of proud nations to wither, and hath planted the humble of these nations.

Nations, the Chanaanites, who submitted to the yoke: or rather the Hebrews. (Calmet) --- Greek, "instead of them."
Sirach 10:19 The Lord hath overthrown the lands of the Gentiles, and hath destroyed them even to the foundation.

Foundation: overturning Sodom, Babylon, and even Jerusalem, for their sins. (Calmet)
Sirach 10:20 He hath made some of them to wither away, and hath destroyed them, and hath made the memory of them to cease from the earth.

Sirach 10:21 God hath abolished the memory of the proud, and hath preserved the memory of them that are humble in mind.

Sirach 10:22 Pride was not made for men: nor wrath for the race of women.

Sirach 10:23 That seed of men shall be honoured, which feareth God: but that seed shall be dishonoured, which transgresseth the commandments of the Lord.

Sirach 10:24 In the midst of brethren their chief is honourable: so shall they that fear the Lord, be in his eyes.

Sirach 10:25 The fear of God is the glory of the rich, and of the honourable, and of the poor:

Sirach 10:26 Despise not a just man that is poor, and do not magnify a sinful man that is rich.

Sirach 10:27 The great man, and the judge, and the mighty, is in honour: and there is none greater than he that feareth God.

Sirach 10:28 *They that are free, shall serve a servant that is wise: **and a man that is prudent and well instructed, will not murmur when he is reproved: and he that is ignorant, shall not be honoured.

Proverbs 17:2. --- ** 2 Kings 12:13.
Wise. When Diogenes was exposed to sale, and asked what he could do, he answered, "I know how to command free men." (Laertius 6.) --- Joseph and Daniel obtained authority by their wise conduct. (Calmet)
Sirach 10:29 Extol not thyself in doing thy work, and linger not in the time of distress.

Sirach 10:30 *Better is he that laboureth, and aboundeth in all things, than he that boasteth himself and wanteth bread.

Proverbs 12:9.
Sirach 10:31 My son, keep thy soul in meekness, and give it honour according to its desert.

Desert. Let not avarice deprive thee of the necessities of life, nor do any thing beneath thy dignity, Luke 21:19.
Sirach 10:32 Who will justify him that sinneth against his own soul? and who will honour him that dishonoureth his own soul?

Sirach 10:33 The poor man is glorified by his discipline and fear: and there is a man that is honoured for his wealth.

Glorified. Greek, "honoured on account of his knowledge, and the rich is, " etc. (Haydock)
Sirach 10:34 But he that is glorified in poverty, how much more in wealth? and he that is glorified in wealth, let him fear poverty.

And. Greek omits this sentence: (Calmet) yet Grabe has, And the man who is without honour in wealth, how much more so will he be in poverty? (Haydock) (Ecclesiastes 7:12.)