Ecclesiasticus 30

A man who loves his son often makes him feel the rod, so that in the end he will have joy in him.

1He that loveth his son causeth him oft to feel the rod, that he may have joy of him in the end.

Note"The rod" is a stick used for beating. Physical punishment of children is a standing theme in ancient Jewish wisdom writing, and the book returns to the image several times in this chapter.

2A man who corrects his son will have joy in him, and will be glad about him among the people he knows.

2He that chastiseth his son shall have joy in him, and shall rejoice of him among his acquaintance.

NoteIn 1611 English, to "chastise" meant to discipline or correct, and it usually carried the sense of punishing physically rather than merely scolding.

3A man who teaches his son makes his enemy jealous, and he will be glad about him in front of his friends.

3He that teacheth his son grieveth the enemy: and before his friends he shall rejoice of him.

Note"Grieveth the enemy" does not mean makes him sad. The Greek says the man provokes his enemy to jealousy, that is, the sight of a well-taught son galls the rival who has none.

4Though his father dies, it is as if he had not died, because he has left behind him one who is like himself.

4Though his father die, yet he is as though he were not dead: for he hath left one behind him that is like himself.

5While he lived, he saw his son and was glad in him. When he died, he had no regret.

5While he lived, he saw and rejoiced in him: and when he died, he was not sorrowful.

6He left behind him someone to pay back his enemies, and someone to repay kindness to his friends.

6He left behind him an avenger against his enemies, and one that shall requite kindness to his friends.

NoteIn this society a man's grown son inherited his father's quarrels and his debts of gratitude alike. He was expected to pursue redress for wrongs done to the family, including killing, and to repay those who had been loyal to it.

7A man who makes too much of his son will be binding up his wounds, and his heart will be troubled at every cry.

7He that maketh too much of his son shall bind up his wounds; and his bowels will be troubled at every cry.

NoteThe King James says "his bowels will be troubled." In older English the bowels were spoken of as the seat of deep feeling, roughly where a modern speaker would say the heart or the gut.

8A horse that has never been broken in becomes stubborn, and a child left to do as he pleases will be headstrong.

8An horse not broken becometh headstrong: and a child left to himself will be wilful.

9Spoil your child, and he will frighten you. Play with him, and he will bring you grief.

9Cocker thy child, and he shall make thee afraid: play with him, and he will bring thee to heaviness.

Note"Cocker" is an old English verb meaning to pamper or indulge. "Heaviness" in the King James means low spirits, grief or depression, not weight.

10Do not laugh along with him, or you will share his sorrow, and in the end you will grind your teeth.

10Laugh not with him, lest thou have sorrow with him, and lest thou gnash thy teeth in the end.

NoteGrinding the teeth together was a recognized sign of bitter distress or helpless rage, not of anger at the child alone.

11Give him no freedom while he is young, and do not look the other way when he does something foolish.

11Give him no liberty in his youth, and wink not at his follies.

NoteTo "wink at" something in older English meant to close your eyes to it on purpose, to let a fault pass without comment.

12Bend his neck while he is young, and beat him on the sides while he is a child, or he will grow stubborn and disobey you, and so bring sorrow to your heart.

12Bow down his neck while he is young, and beat him on the sides while he is a child, lest he wax stubborn, and be disobedient unto thee, and so bring sorrow to thine heart.

Note"Bow down his neck" borrows the language of putting a yoke on a young ox so it learns to pull. Beating "on the sides" means on the flanks or ribs, the same place a driver struck an animal.

13Correct your son and keep him at work, so that his shameless behavior does not become an offense to you.

13Chastise thy son, and hold him to labour, lest his lewd behaviour be an offence unto thee.

NoteIn 1611 "lewd" meant unruly, worthless or shameless in general, without the narrowly sexual sense the word has today. An "offence" here is a cause of public disgrace to the father.

14Better off is a poor man who is healthy and strong in body than a rich man whose body is diseased.

14Better is the poor, being sound and strong of constitution, than a rich man that is afflicted in his body.

15Health and a body in good condition are worth more than all gold, and a strong body is worth more than wealth without limit.

15Health and good estate of body are above all gold, and a strong body above infinite wealth.

Note"Good estate of body" uses estate in its older sense of state or condition. It means bodily condition, not property, even though the verse goes on to speak of gold.

16There is no wealth greater than a healthy body, and no gladness greater than the joy of the heart.

16There is no riches above a sound body, and no joy above the joy of the heart.

17Death is better than a bitter life, and better than sickness that never ends.

17Death is better than a bitter life or continual sickness.

NoteThe Greek behind this verse runs a little longer: death is better than a bitter life, and everlasting rest better than a sickness that does not end. The King James compresses the second half.

18Fine food poured out for a mouth that stays shut is like dishes of food set on a grave.

18Delicates poured upon a mouth shut up are as messes of meat set upon a grave.

Note"Delicates" are delicacies, choice foods. A "mess of meat" is simply a serving of food; in 1611 "meat" meant food of any kind. Food was commonly set out at a tomb for the dead, and the point is that the dead cannot eat it, so the offering is wasted.

19What good does an offering do for an idol? It can neither eat it nor smell it. That is what a man is like who is punished by the Lord.

19What good doeth the offering unto an idol? for neither can it eat nor smell: so is he that is persecuted of the Lord.

NoteOfferings to an image included food placed before it and incense burned in front of it, which is why the verse says the idol can neither eat nor smell. "Persecuted of the Lord" uses persecute in its older, wider sense of pursued or afflicted.

20He sees it with his eyes and groans, like a eunuch who holds a young woman in his arms and sighs.

20He seeth with his eyes and groaneth, as an eunuch that embraceth a virgin and sigheth.

NoteA eunuch is a castrated man. Such men were common as servants in royal households and were trusted around women precisely because they could not father children, so the image is of desire with no possible outcome.

21Do not hand your mind over to sadness, and do not torment yourself by your own choice.

21Give not over thy mind to heaviness, and afflict not thyself in thine own counsel.

Note"Afflict not thyself in thine own counsel" means do not bring misery on yourself by your own deliberate reasoning, by talking yourself into it.

22Gladness of heart is a man's life, and a man's cheerfulness makes his days longer.

22The gladness of the heart is the life of man, and the joyfulness of a man prolongeth his days.

23Love your own life, comfort your heart, and put sorrow far away from you, because sorrow has killed many people and there is nothing to be gained from it.

23Love thine own soul, and comfort thy heart, remove sorrow far from thee: for sorrow hath killed many, and there is no profit therein.

Note"Love thine own soul" does not set the soul against the body. In this idiom the soul is the self or the living person, so the line means value your own life.

24Envy and anger make life shorter, and worry brings old age before its time.

24Envy and wrath shorten the life, and carefulness bringeth age before the time.

Note"Carefulness" in the King James means being full of care in the old sense: anxiety and worry, not attentiveness.

25A heart that is cheerful and good will take care over its food and its diet.

25A cheerful and good heart will have a care of his meat and diet.

Note"Meat and diet" means food and the regimen of eating. The Greek versions and the Latin divide this part of the book differently, so in some Bibles this verse is numbered elsewhere or appears at the head of a different chapter.