1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

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Sirach 43:1 The firmament on high is his beauty, the beauty of heaven with its glorious shew.

Shew. We cannot behold these things without admiration of God.
Sirach 43:2 The sun, when he appeareth shewing forth at his rising, an admirable instrument, the work of the Most High.

High. The sun is the most excellent of all irrational creatures, affording light (Worthington) and heat for the production of things; (Haydock) whence Aristotle (de Anima ii.) styles it "father of men and of gods." Yet it is inferior to man, being devoid of reason. All creatures manifest God's majesty; the little as well as the great. (Worthington)
Sirach 43:3 At noon he burneth the earth; and who can abide his burning heat? As one keeping a furnace in works of heat:
Sirach 43:4 The sun three times as much, burneth the mountains, breathing out fiery vapours, and shining with his beams, he blindeth the eyes.
Sirach 43:5 Great is the Lord that made him, and at his words he hath hastened his course.

Hastened. Some Greek copies read "slackened," alluding to Josue 10:13.
Sirach 43:6 And the moon in all in her season, is for a declaration of times and a sign of the world.

In all. Complutensian Greek, "to stand guard." Other copies agree with the Vulgate, though embarrassed. --- World. To mark out the seasons, Genesis 1:14., and Psalm 103:19.
Sirach 43:7 From the moon is the sign of the festival-day, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.

Day. The lunar system prevailed only after the captivity. The Passover was celebrated on the 14th of the moon of Nisan.
Sirach 43:8 The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her perfection.

Name. Meni is used for the moon, (Jeremias 65:11.) which resembles the Greek men, "month." This is also derived from mene, "the moon." We know not what Hebrew words were used, Ecclesiasticus 6:23. The two former may both come from manah, "to divide."
Sirach 43:9 Being an instrument of the armies on high, shining gloriously in the firmament of heaven.

Armies. The stars, etc., are compared to a camp or army.
Sirach 43:10 The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven; the Lord enlighteneth the world on high.
Sirach 43:11 By the words of the holy one they shall stand in judgment, and shall never fail in their watches.

Judgment. The angels are not pure before God; (Job 4:18., and 15:15.) or rather the stars obey his orders, Baruch 3:34., Judges 5:20., and Psalm 118:91. (Calmet)
Sirach 43:12 Look upon the rainbow, and bless him that made it: *it is very beautiful in its brightness.

Genesis 9:13. 		Brightness. Mille trahit varios adverso sole colores. (Virgil, Aeneid 5.)
Sirach 43:13 It encompasseth the heaven about with the circle of its glory, the hands of the Most High have displayed it.
Sirach 43:14 By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall apace, and sendeth forth swiftly the lightnings of his judgment.

Judgment, to punish the wicked, Exodus 14:24., and Isaias 37:36. (Calmet)
Sirach 43:15 Through this are the treasures opened, and the clouds fly out like birds.

Birds, sent to give information by letters, as the Egyptians still do. (Bochart 1:2.) (Isaias 60:8.) --- Tempests execute God's judgments, Job 38:22.
Sirach 43:16 By his greatness he hath fixed the clouds, and the hailstones are broken.

Broken, as from huge mountains, Job 38:39. (Calmet)
Sirach 43:17 At his sight shall the mountains be shaken, and at his will the south wind shall blow.
Sirach 43:18 The noise of his thunder shall strike the earth, so doth the northern storm, and the whirlwind:

Strike. Greek, "upbraid, (Drusius) or make the earth fall in labour," odinesen. (Grabe) (Haydock)
Sirach 43:19 And as the birds lighting upon the earth, he scattereth snow, and the falling thereof is as the coming down of locusts.

Lightning. Greek, "flying, he." (Haydock) --- Locusts. "They cover the cornfields with a destructive cloud." (Pliny, [Natural History?] 11:29.)
Sirach 43:20 The eye admireth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the shower thereof.

Shower, as if God were about to drown the world. The melting of snow occasions dreadful inundations. (Calmet) --- Its whiteness sometimes deprives people of their sight. (Xenophon, Anab. iv.)
Sirach 43:21 He shall pour frost as salt upon the earth: and when it freezeth, it shall become like the tops of thistles.

Thistles. Greek, "stakes," pointed as it were with steel. (Menochius)
Sirach 43:22 The cold north wind bloweth, and the water is congealed into crystal: upon every gathering together of waters it shall rest, and shall clothe the waters as a breastplate.

Crystal, or ice. (Calmet)
Sirach 43:23 And it shall devour the mountains, and burn the wilderness, and consume all that is green as with fire.

Burn. Cold destroys verdure no less than fire, Genesis 31:40.
Sirach 43:24 A present remedy of all is the speedy coming of a cloud, and a dew that meeteth it, by the heat that cometh, shall overpower it.

Overpower it. Greek, "give joy; (25.) with," etc. (Haydock) --- Warmth and rain restore beauty to the earth, after the horrors of winter.
Sirach 43:25 At his word the wind is still, and with his thought he appeaseth the deep, and the Lord hath planted islands therein.

Still. Literally, "silent," Matthew 8:26. --- Lord. Roman Greek, "Jesus planted it;" which is a mistake for nesous, islands. (Calmet) --- "He planted islands in it." Grabe thus corrects the Alexandrian copy, though it agree with the Roman and Aldine editions. (Haydock)
Sirach 43:26 Let them that sail on the sea, tell the dangers thereof: and when we hear with our ears, we shall admire.

Thereof. Psalm 106:23. "He who has not sailed has seen nothing evil." (Possidip.)
Sirach 43:27 There are great and wonderful works: a variety of beasts, and of all living things, and the monstrous creatures of whales.

Monstrous. Greek, "creation of whales." (Haydock)
Sirach 43:28 Through him is established the end of their journey, and by his word all things are regulated.

Is. Greek, "his angel gives a prosperous journey." --- Regulated. Greek, "blended." (Haydock) --- If God be angry, all will go to the bottom. (Grotius)
Sirach 43:29 We shall say much, and yet shall want words: but the sum of our words is, He is all.

All. Literally, "in all." Every thing obeys God, Ecclesiasticus 42:15., and Ecclesiastes 12:13.
Sirach 43:30 What shall we be able to do to glorify him: for the Almighty himself is above all his works.

Him. So the Greek reads. Vulgate seems to say, "boasting in all, what shall we be able to do?" What is man, fighting against the Lord! (Calmet)
Sirach 43:31 The Lord is terrible, and exceeding great, and his power is admirable.
Sirach 43:32 Glorify the Lord as much as ever you can, for he will yet far exceed, and his magnificence is wonderful.

His. Greek, "exalting the Lord, exert your power; and labour, for you will not come up to him: (35.) who," etc. (Haydock) --- He is above all praise, Psalm 144:3. (Calmet)
Sirach 43:33 Blessing the Lord, exalt him as much as you can: for he is above all praise.
Sirach 43:34 When you exalt him, put forth all your strength, and be not weary: for you can never go far enough.
Sirach 43:35 *Who shall see him, and declare him? and who shall magnify him as he is from the beginning?

Psalm 105:2. 		From. Greek, "many hidden things are," etc. (Haydock) --- The angels, and many secrets of nature, have not been mentioned. (Calmet)
Sirach 43:36 There are many things hidden from us that are greater than these: for we have seen but a few of his works.
Sirach 43:37 But the Lord hath made all things, and to the godly he hath given wisdom.