What does Ecclesiasticus Chapter 23 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The prayer continues the preceding mouth-and-lips request through separate edition notes. Swearing, sacred names and indiscreet speech warnings retain their distinct conditions. Adultery assertions and public inquiry remain attributed, with eyes brighter than the sun.

Chapter breakdown

Ecclesiasticus 23 prays to the Lord, father and sovereign life-ruler, against falling by their counsel. The separate note identifies tongue and lips from 22's last verse. Scourges over thoughts and wisdom-discipline over heart are requested; a second note explains restraining tongue and lip slips and offenses. The speaker fears increasing ignorance, multiplied sins and enemies' rejoicing, and asks protection from devices, haughtiness, coveting, belly-greed, flesh-lust and shameless foolish mind.

Children must hear mouth-discipline, promising protection against wicked works; sinners are caught by vanity and proud evil speakers fall. Do not habitually swear or continually name God or meddle with saints' names. A constantly questioned slave's blue mark illustrates swearing and naming not wholly free of sin. Much swearing fills iniquity and leaves a household scourge. Making an oath void bears sin, dissembling doubles offense, vain swearing fails justification and fills punishment. These distinct conditions are not combined into automatic doubled guilt for every sacred-name invocation. Another speech opposite to death is forbidden in Jacob; mercy removes these things without wallowing in sins. Avoid indiscreet speech and remember parents among great people, lest forgotten and infatuated one suffer reproach, wish not to be born and curse birth. Habitually abusive speech is said to remain uncorrected.

Two sorts multiply sins and a third wrath/destruction. A hot soul is fire until devouring, flesh-mouth wickedness kindles fire and a fornicator finds bread sweet without tiring. One crossing his own bed asks who sees, trusting darkness and walls against man and God's remembrance. The chapter rejects this: God's eyes are far brighter than the sun, beholding human paths, depths and hidden hearts, knowing all before creation and afterward. No ten-thousand multiplier appears. Such a man will be punished in city streets, chased like a colt, taken unexpectedly and disgraced for lacking divine fear.

A woman leaving husband for another man's heir violates divine law, husband and marriage through adultery. She will face assembly and inquiry about children; the text says children do not root and branches bear no fruit. Her memory remains cursed and infamy unerased, without transferring the stated memory-curse to children. Survivors learn God-fear best and commandments sweetest. Following the Lord brings great glory and length of days, not an added eternal-honor promise. These severe predicted judgments remain the speaker's assertions rather than fabricated completed prosecutions.

The story inside

Opening: The prayer continues the preceding mouth-and-lips request through separate edition notes. Development: Swearing, sacred names and indiscreet speech warnings retain their distinct conditions. Conclusion: Adultery assertions and public inquiry remain attributed, with eyes brighter than the sun.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The prayer continues the preceding mouth-and-lips request through separate edition notes.
2
Swearing, sacred names and indiscreet speech warnings retain their distinct conditions.
3
Adultery assertions and public inquiry remain attributed, with eyes brighter than the sun.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 75458–75466
23:1. O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them. By them.... Viz., the tongue and the lips, mentioned in the last verse of the foregoing chapter. 23:2. Who will set scourges over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over my heart, that they spare me not in their ignorances, and that their sins may not appear:
Lines 75500–75505
23:11. For as a slave daily put to the question, is never without a blue mark: so every one that sweareth, and nameth, shall not be wholly pure from sin. 23:12. A man that sweareth much, shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house.
Lines 75544–75557
23:25. Every man that passeth beyond his own bed, despising his own soul, and saying: Who seeth me? 23:26. Darkness compasseth me about, and the walls cover me, and no man seeth me: whom do I fear? the most High will not remember my sins. 23:27. And he understandeth not that his eye seeth all things, for such a man’s fear driveth him from the fear of God, and the eyes of men fearing him: 23:28. And he knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun, beholding round about all the ways of men, and the bottom of the deep, and looking into the hearts of men, into the most hidden parts.