Chapter Reflection

This chapter maps out a precarious world where a man’s survival depends on a disciplined gaze and carefully chosen company. It describes the human heart as highly flammable, easily ignited by the mere sight of beauty or the charm of a singer’s voice, suggesting that we are far more fragile than we care to admit. The imagery moves from the domestic danger of a foot placed upon one’s substance to the physical danger of walking upon high city battlements near those with the power to kill. There is a palpable tension between the stability of an old friend—compared to wine that must age to be enjoyed—and the volatile, temporary glory of the ungodly. Ultimately, the text paints a picture of life as a series of snares where wisdom is found not in self-reliance, but in the counsel of the wise and the sobering fear of the Lord. It reveals a God who oversees a moral order where actions have inherent ends and where the law provides a steadying rhythm amidst social chaos.

Disciplined GazeSocial SnaresTested Friendship

← Sirach

Sirach 9

1Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, and teach her not an evil lesson against thyself.

2Give not thy soul unto a woman to set her foot upon thy substance.

3Meet not with an harlot, lest thou fall into her snares.

4Use not much the company of a woman that is a singer, lest thou be taken with her attempts.

5Gaze not on a maid, that thou fall not by those things that are precious in her.

6Give not thy soul unto harlots, that thou lose not thine inheritance.

7Look not round about thee in the streets of the city, neither wander thou in the solitary place thereof.

8Turn away thine eye from a beautiful woman, and look not upon another’s beauty; for many have been deceived by the beauty of a woman; for herewith love is kindled as a fire.

9Sit not at all with another man’s wife, nor sit down with her in thine arms, and spend not thy money with her at the wine; lest thine heart incline unto her, and so through thy desire thou fall into destruction.

10Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him: a new friend is as new wine; when it is old, thou shalt drink it with pleasure.

11Envy not the glory of a sinner: for thou knowest not what shall be his end.

12Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in; but remember they shall not go unpunished unto their grave.

13Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill; so shalt thou not doubt the fear of death: and if thou come unto him, make no fault, lest he take away thy life presently: remember that thou goest in the midst of snares, and that thou walkest upon the battlements of the city.

14As near as thou canst, guess at thy neighbour, and consult with the wise.

15Let thy talk be with the wise, and all thy communication in the law of the most High.

16And let just men eat and drink with thee; and let thy glorying be in the fear of the Lord.

17For the hand of the artificer the work shall be commended: and the wise ruler of the people for his speech.

18A man of an ill tongue is dangerous in his city; and he that is rash in his talk shall be hated.

Who God is

How do you see God’s nature reflected in a law that prioritizes the preservation of your soul and inheritance over the fleeting allure of the moment?

The condition of man

If you are walking upon the high battlements of the city, as this chapter suggests, what does your choice of companions reveal about your awareness of the drop below?