Ecclesiasticus 26

Happy is the man who has a good wife, for the number of his days will be doubled.

1Blessed is the man that hath a virtuous wife, for the number of his days shall be double.

Note"Blessed" in older English means fortunate or happy, a statement about someone's good situation rather than a blessing spoken over him. The whole chapter is a string of separate proverbs, spoken by a male teacher to a young male student, which is why the wife is always described from the husband's side and never the reverse.

2A capable wife makes her husband glad, and he will finish out the years of his life in peace.

2A virtuous woman rejoiceth her husband, and he shall fulfil the years of his life in peace.

Note"Virtuous" here does not mean chaste or morally pure in the narrow modern sense. The Greek word carries the idea of courage and capability, the same picture as the strong household manager of Proverbs 31.

3A good wife is a good share, and she is given as part of the portion of those who fear the Lord.

3A good wife is a good portion, which shall be given in the portion of them that fear the Lord.

NoteA "portion" was the share of land or goods assigned to a person, either as an inheritance or as a division of spoils. The proverb treats a good wife as part of what a man is allotted in life rather than as something he earns.

4Whether a man is rich or poor, if his heart is good toward the Lord, he will be glad at all times, with a cheerful face.

4Whether a man be rich or poor, if he have a good heart toward the Lord, he shall at all times rejoice with a cheerful countenance.

5There are three things my heart is afraid of, and for a fourth I was very afraid: a city speaking evil of someone, a crowd gathering out of control, and a false accusation. All of these are worse than death.

5There be three things that mine heart feareth; and for the fourth I was sore afraid: the slander of a city, the gathering together of an unruly multitude, and a false accusation: all these are worse than death.

Note"Three things ... and for the fourth" is a standard form in ancient wisdom writing: a list is announced at one number and then capped at the next, so the last item lands with the most weight. The same device appears at verse 28. The "slander of a city" is ambiguous in the Greek and can mean gossip running through a whole town about one person or an accusation leveled against a city. An "unruly multitude" is a mob or riot, and a false accusation in a court that could impose death was not a figure of speech.

6But a woman who is jealous over another woman is grief of heart and sorrow, and so is a whipping tongue that tells it to everyone.

6But a grief of heart and sorrow is a woman that is jealous over another woman, and a scourge of the tongue which communicateth with all.

NoteA "scourge" was a whip, often knotted or weighted, used for punishment. The image is of a tongue that lashes, and "communicateth with all" means it carries the story to everyone.

7An evil wife is a yoke that shakes back and forth; the man who takes hold of her is like a man holding a scorpion.

7An evil wife is a yoke shaken to and fro: he that hath hold of her is as though he held a scorpion.

NoteA yoke was the wooden beam laid across the necks of a pair of oxen. If it was badly fitted, or if the two animals pulled unevenly, it rocked and rubbed the neck raw. The proverb pictures a burden that will not sit still.

8A drunken woman, and a woman who roams about, cause great anger, and she will not cover her own shame.

8A drunken woman and a gadder abroad causeth great anger, and she will not cover her own shame.

NoteA respectable woman's movements outside the household were closely limited in this society, so "a gadder abroad", a woman who goes out and about, is being named as a scandal in itself, not simply as restlessness.

9A woman's sexual sin can be known by her proud looks and her eyelids.

9The whoredom of a woman may be known in her haughty looks and eyelids.

NoteEyes were painted with dark powder, and the lifting and lowering of the painted lids was recognized flirtation. The proverb claims the signs are legible on the face.

10If your daughter is shameless, keep close watch over her, so that she does not misuse herself through too much freedom.

10If thy daughter be shameless, keep her in straitly, lest she abuse herself through overmuch liberty.

11Watch out for a bold eye, and do not be surprised if she does wrong to you.

11Watch over an impudent eye: and marvel not if she trespass against thee.

12She will open her mouth like a thirsty traveler who has found a spring, and drink from every water near her. She will sit down by every hedge, and open her quiver to every arrow.

12She will open her mouth, as a thirsty traveller when he hath found a fountain, and drink of every water near her: by every hedge will she sit down, and open her quiver against every arrow.

NoteA quiver is the case a soldier or hunter wore to hold arrows. Every image in this verse is a sexual euphemism: drinking from any water, sitting down beside roadside hedges where travelers pass, and opening the quiver to receive any arrow at all.

13The charm of a wife delights her husband, and her good sense puts fat on his bones.

13The grace of a wife delighteth her husband, and her discretion will fatten his bones.

Note"Fatten his bones" is an idiom of health and vigor, not of weight. In a world where food could be scarce, fat stood for strength and prosperity, and dry or wasted bones stood for misery.

14A quiet and loving woman is a gift of the Lord, and nothing is worth as much as a mind that has been well taught.

14A silent and loving woman is a gift of the Lord; and there is nothing so much worth as a mind well instructed.

Note"Silent" translates a word closer to quiet or not quarrelsome than to literally speechless. It is the opposite of the scolding woman of verse 27.

15A modest and faithful woman is a double grace, and no price can be set on her self-controlled mind.

15A shamefaced and faithful woman is a double grace, and her continent mind cannot be valued.

Note"Shamefaced" in 1611 meant modest or reserved, with no suggestion of embarrassment or disgrace; the modern word "shamefaced" has shifted since. "Grace" here means charm or attractiveness, and "continent" means self-controlled, especially in sexual matters.

16Like the sun when it rises high in the sky, so is the beauty of a good wife in the ordering of her house.

16As the sun when it ariseth in the high heaven; so is the beauty of a good wife in the ordering of her house.

17Like the clear light on the holy lampstand, so is the beauty of a face at a ripe age.

17As the clear light is upon the holy candlestick; so is the beauty of the face in ripe age.

NoteThe "holy candlestick" is the lampstand that stood inside the temple, a seven branched stand of gold holding oil lamps that were kept burning. It held no candles. "Ripe age" means maturity, so the comparison is about beauty that belongs to later years.

18Like golden pillars set on bases of silver, so are beautiful feet with a steady heart.

18As the golden pillars are upon the sockets of silver; so are the fair feet with a constant heart.

NoteThis borrows the furnishings of the wilderness tabernacle described in Exodus, where the upright posts were overlaid with gold and set into heavy silver bases. The point of comparison is a fine thing standing on a solid footing.

19My son, keep the flower of your years sound, and do not give your strength to strangers.

19My son, keep the flower of thine age sound; and give not thy strength to strangers.

Note"The flower of thine age" is the prime of youth, and "thy strength" is a discreet term for a man's sexual vigor and the children it could produce. "Strangers" means women outside his own household. Verses 19 to 27 are missing from the oldest Greek manuscripts of this book and survive in a longer text tradition; the King James translators included them, and some modern editions print them separately or omit them.

20When you have gotten a fruitful piece of ground anywhere in the field, sow it with your own seed, trusting in the goodness of your own stock.

20When thou hast gotten a fruitful possession through all the field, sow it with thine own seed, trusting in the goodness of thy stock.

NoteThe field and the seed are a standard ancient image for the wife and the husband's children. "Thy stock" means his own family line, so the advice is to father children within marriage and rely on the quality of his own descent.

21Then the family line you leave behind will be honored, sure of their good descent.

21So thy race which thou leavest shall be magnified, having the confidence of their good descent.

22A prostitute will be counted as spit, but a married woman is a tower against death for her husband.

22An harlot shall be accounted as spittle; but a married woman is a tower against death to her husband.

NoteSpit was the everyday example of something worthless, fit only to be thrown away. A "tower" was the fortified strong point of a town's defenses, the place people retreated into when attacked.

23A wicked woman is given as a portion to a wicked man, but a godly woman is given to the man who fears the Lord.

23A wicked woman is given as a portion to a wicked man: but a godly woman is given to him that feareth the Lord.

24A woman without honor thinks nothing of shame, but an honest woman will respect her husband.

24A dishonest woman contemneth shame: but an honest woman will reverence her husband.

Note"Dishonest" and "honest" in 1611 refer to honor and chastity rather than to truth telling: a dishonest woman is one who has lost her good name, an honest one is one who keeps it. "Contemneth" means despises or thinks nothing of.

25A shameless woman will be counted as a dog, but the modest woman will fear the Lord.

25A shameless woman shall be counted as a dog; but she that is shamefaced will fear the Lord.

NoteDogs in this world were scavengers around towns and rubbish heaps, not pets. To call a person a dog was among the harshest insults available.

26A woman who honors her husband will be judged wise by everyone, but the woman who dishonors him in her pride will be counted ungodly by everyone.

26A woman that honoureth her husband shall be judged wise of all; but she that dishonoureth him in her pride shall be counted ungodly of all.

27A woman who shouts loudly and scolds will be sought out to drive the enemies away.

27A loud crying woman and a scold shall be sought out to drive away the enemies.

NoteA "scold" was a woman with a loud, quarrelsome tongue, a recognized social type in older English. The line is sarcastic: her voice is fit for one use only, being sent out to frighten off an approaching army.

28There are two things that grieve my heart, and the third makes me angry: a fighting man who lives in poverty, men of understanding who are not valued, and one who turns back from doing right to sin. The Lord makes such a person ready for the sword.

28There be two things that grieve my heart; and the third maketh me angry: a man of war that suffereth poverty; and men of understanding that are not set by; and one that returneth from righteousness to sin; the Lord prepareth such an one for the sword.

NoteA "man of war" is a soldier or veteran, and the complaint is that a man who fought is left destitute. "Not set by" means not valued or taken seriously. "Prepareth such an one for the sword" is deliberately open in the Greek and can mean either that God hands the man over to violent death or that he is being readied for it.

29A merchant will find it hard to keep himself from doing wrong, and a small trader will not be free from sin.

29A merchant shall hardly keep himself from doing wrong; and an huckster shall not be freed from sin.

NoteA "huckster" was a small retailer or peddler who bought goods to sell on at a profit. Ancient writers commonly distrusted the trade because the profit came from the gap between what was paid and what was charged, and because weights and measures were easy to manipulate.