What does Ecclesiasticus Chapter 22 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Sloth, offspring and instruction comparisons preserve edition meaning of fool. Sound counsel and fearful-heart images remain attributed rather than psychological guarantees. Friendship cautions preserve possible return, serious breaches, loyalty and tongue prayer.

Chapter breakdown

Ecclesiasticus 22 depicts a sluggard pelted with dirty stone and ox dung, disgraced and making touchers shake their hands. Ill-taught sons confuse fathers, foolish daughters cause loss, wise daughters bring husbands inheritance, confounding daughters disgrace fathers and bold daughters shame father and husband. Untimely tales resemble music during mourning; wisdom's stripes and instruction are never untimely.

Teaching a fool resembles gluing a potsherd, speaking to a nonlistener waking a sleeper, and imparting wisdom a sleeping listener who ends asking who this is. Weep for failed light of the dead and failed understanding of fools. A separate edition note restricts fool here to one leaving God for vanity and sin. Dead rest merits little weeping, wicked foolish life is worse than death; mourning is seven days for dead and lifelong for ungodly fools. Avoid much conversation and company to escape trouble, defilement and weariness. Lead's weight is questioned and sand, salt and iron deemed easier than a wicked senseless man.

Advised counsel establishes a heart like bound foundation timbers, wise thought not corrupted by fear. High pales and cheap plaster do not resist wind, like fearful foolish imagination under fear's violence. The difficult next line juxtaposes that fearful-heart wording with continual commandment-keeping and not fearing; it is not independently proven emotional immunity. Pricking eyes brings tears, hearts resentment; stones scatter birds and reproach breaks friendship. Even drawing sword permits possible return, a sad mouth possible reconciliation, except upbraiding, reproach, pride, revealed secrets and treacherous wound, where friend flees. This does not say forever irreparable. Keep fidelity during poverty and trouble to share prosperity and inheritance. Smoke precedes fire as threats, reproach and injurious words blood. The speaker will greet friends openly and bear evil from them; hearers beware such a person. The chapter closes requesting mouth-guard and lips-seal against tongue's destruction.

The story inside

Opening: Sloth, offspring and instruction comparisons preserve edition meaning of fool. Development: Sound counsel and fearful-heart images remain attributed rather than psychological guarantees. Conclusion: Friendship cautions preserve possible return, serious breaches, loyalty and tongue prayer.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Sloth, offspring and instruction comparisons preserve edition meaning of fool.
2
Sound counsel and fearful-heart images remain attributed rather than psychological guarantees.
3
Friendship cautions preserve possible return, serious breaches, loyalty and tongue prayer.

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 75374–75383
22:10. Weep for the dead, for his light hath failed: and weep for the fool, for his understanding faileth. For the fool.... In the language of the Holy Ghost, he is styled a fool, that turns away from God to follow vanity and sin. And what is said by the wise man against fools is meant of such fools as these. 22:11. Weep but a little for the dead, for he is at rest. 22:12. For the wicked life of a wicked fool is worse than death.
Lines 75377–75379
For the fool.... In the language of the Holy Ghost, he is styled a fool, that turns away from God to follow vanity and sin. And what is said by the wise man against fools is meant of such fools as these.
Lines 75428–75431
22:27. If thou hast opened a sad mouth, fear not, for there may be a reconciliation: except upbraiding, and reproach, and pride, and disclosing of secrets, or a treacherous wound: for in all these cases a friend will flee away.