What does Ecclesiasticus Chapter 9 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Marital and visual cautions remain attributed ancient instructions. New friendship’s wine image accompanies unknown sinner ruin and lethal-person warning. Just guests, divine thought and speech comparisons close the chapter.

Chapter breakdown

Ecclesiasticus 9 cautions against jealousy over one's wife lest a wicked lesson result, and against giving soul's power to a woman lest strength and confidence fail. It warns of a woman minded toward many, frequent dancing-company and listening to charms, gazing on maidens, giving soul to harlots and resulting destruction of self and inheritance. Avoid city wandering, adorned women and others' beauty; the text compares lust kindled through beauty to fire and says harlots will be trodden like dung. These are attributed ancient instructions rather than added universal psychological laws.

Admiring another man's wife is said to bring reprobation and burning conversation. Do not sit with her or repose on her bed, or strive over wine lest heart incline and destruction come through blood. The text does not narrow sitting to a banquet, replace bed with couch, or call her conversation inherently seductive. Keep old friends; a new friend resembles new wine aging toward pleasure. Do not envy sinner glory and wealth because the ruin is unknown, or enjoy unjust wrong. Keep away from one with killing power; if approaching, avoid fault lest life be taken. Death-communication and snares describe danger, without limiting the figure to autocrats or forced royal summons.

According to power beware neighbors, associate with wise prudent people, host just guests and glory in God-fear. Keep God in thought and discuss commandments. Works praise artificers' hands, princes' speech-wisdom and elders' meaning; a talkative man is terrible in his city and rash speech hateful. The text's warnings do not certify prompt downfall or achieved safety and domestic peace.

The story inside

Opening: Marital and visual cautions remain attributed ancient instructions. Development: New friendship’s wine image accompanies unknown sinner ruin and lethal-person warning. Conclusion: Just guests, divine thought and speech comparisons close the chapter.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Marital and visual cautions remain attributed ancient instructions.
2
New friendship’s wine image accompanies unknown sinner ruin and lethal-person warning.
3
Just guests, divine thought and speech comparisons close the chapter.

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 74075–74079
9:1. Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson. 9:2. Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.
Lines 74096–74100
9:8. Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon another’s beauty. 9:9. For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a fire.
Lines 74108–74112
9:12. Sit not at all with another man’s wife, nor repose upon the bed with her: 9:13. And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline towards her and by thy blood thou fall into destruction.
Lines 74114–74117
9:14. Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like to him. 9:15. A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and thou shalt drink it with pleasure.
Lines 74125–74126
9:18. Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.
Lines 74141–74146
9:23. And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy discourse on the commandments of the Highest. 9:24. Works shall be praised for the hand of the artificers, and the prince of the people for the wisdom of his speech, but the word of the ancients for the sense.