Cap. 7, Vers. 8-10
Commentarius in Ecclesiasten · Capitulum VII
Secundo, documenta quatuor ad habendam constantiam.
Calumnia conturbat sapientem. Supra posuit documenta ad habendam modestiam; hic sequitur secunda pars, in qua ponit documenta ad habendam constantiam; et quoniam constantia perditur per calumniam et per iracundiam, et conservatur per patientiam et per perseverantiam: ideo hic quatuor documenta ponuntur. In primo ostenditur vitanda calumnia; in secundo, amanda perseverantia; in tertio, servanda patientia; in quarto, fugienda iracundia.
(Vers. 8.). In primo igitur documento ostenditur vitanda calumnia, quia perturbando hominem p. 57 inconstantem reddit. Propterea dicit: Calumnia perturbat sapientem. Calumnia est criminatio litigiosa, et ideo ab ea recedendum; Isaiae quinquagesimo quarto1: « Recede procul a calumnia, quia non timebis ». Et perdet robur cordis illius, id est fortitudinem caritatis; Matthaei vigesimo quarto: « Quoniam abundabit iniquitas, refrigescet caritas multorum ».
(Vers. 9.). Melior est finis etc. Hic notatur secundum documentum, in quo praefertur perseverantia iustitiae inchoatae. Propter hoc dicit: Melior est finis orationis quam principium; melius est in bono perseverare quam tantum inchoare; Matthaei decimo2: « Qui perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit »; unde Bernardus: « Perseverantia est omnium virtutum consummatio ».
Melior est patiens etc. Hic notatur tertium documentum, in quo commendatur patientia, quia sine illa non potest esse constantia; ideo dicit: Melior est patiens arrogante; abusiva est comparatio, quia patiens est bonus, sed arrogans malus; Proverbiorum decimo sexto3: « Melior est patiens viro forti » etc.
(Vers. 10.). Ne sis velox etc. Tangitur hic quartum documentum, in quo docetur fugienda iracundia, quia non bene stat cum constantia; ideo dicit: Ne sis velox ad irascendum; Iacobi primo4: « Sit autem omnis homo velox ad audiendum, tardus ad loquendum et tardus ad iram ». Et subiungitur ratio: Quia ira in sinu stulti requiescit; Iob quinto: « Virum stultum interficit iracundia, et parvulum occidit invidia ». Bene dicit requiescit, propter diuturnitatem; nam sapiens, etsi irascitur, non debet diu servare; ad Ephesios quarto: « Sol non occidat super iracundiam vestram »; sed non sic stultus; Proverbiorum vigesimo septimo: « Onerosa arena » in sinu stulti.
Quaestiones.
I. Sed dubitatio est de hoc quod dicit: Calumnia conturbat sapientem.
Contra: Non contristabit iustum, quidquid ei acciderit, habetur Proverbiorum duodecimo5: ergo si sapiens iustus est, non conturbatur per calumniam.
Ad hoc respondetur uno modo, quod est conturbatio impatientiae, et hac non conturbatur iustus; et compassionis, et hac conturbatur, sicut dicebat Apostolus secundae ad Corinthios undecimo6: Quis scandalizatur, et ego non uror? quasi dicat: nullus. — Sed littera sequens tollit hanc expositionem et subdit: Et perdet robur cordis eius.
Ideo solvendum est, sicut dicitur in Glossa7, quod est sapiens et iustus perfectus, et de hoc intelligitur illud Proverbiorum; et imperfectus, et de hoc intelligitur hic.
II. Item, quid est quod dicit hic: Ne sis velox ad irascendum?
Contra: In Psalmo8: Irascimini, et nolite peccare.
Respondeo: dicendum, quod est ira multiplex9.
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Secondly, four teachings for having constancy.
Calumny troubleth the wise man. Above he set down teachings for having modesty; here follows the second part, in which he sets down teachings for having constancy; and since constancy is lost through calumny and through wrath, and is preserved through patience and through perseverance: therefore four teachings are set down here. In the first it is shown that calumny is to be avoided; in the second, that perseverance is to be loved; in the third, that patience is to be kept; in the fourth, that wrath is to be fled.
(Vers. 8.). In the first teaching, then, it is shown that calumny is to be avoided, because by perturbing a man it renders him p. 57 inconstant. Therefore he says: Calumny perturbeth the wise man. Calumny is litigious accusation, and therefore one must withdraw from it; Isaias, the fifty-fourth chapter1: « Depart far from calumny, for thou shalt not fear ». And shall destroy the strength of his heart, that is, the fortitude of charity; Matthew, the twenty-fourth chapter: « Because iniquity shall abound, the charity of many shall grow cold ».
(Vers. 9.). Better is the end etc. Here is noted the second teaching, in which perseverance is preferred to justice begun. On account of this he says: Better is the end of a speech than the beginning; it is better to persevere in good than only to begin; Matthew, the tenth chapter2: « He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved »; whence Bernard: « Perseverance is the consummation of all the virtues ».
Better is the patient man etc. Here is noted the third teaching, in which patience is commended, because without it there cannot be constancy; therefore he says: Better is the patient man than the arrogant; the comparison is abusive, because the patient man is good, but the arrogant man bad; Proverbs, the sixteenth chapter3: « The patient man is better than the valiant » etc.
(Vers. 10.). Be not swift etc. Here is touched the fourth teaching, in which it is taught that wrath is to be fled, because it does not stand well with constancy; therefore he says: Be not swift to be angry; James, the first chapter4: « But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger ». And the reason is subjoined: For anger resteth in the bosom of a fool; Job, the fifth chapter: « Wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the little one ». He says well resteth, on account of its long duration; for the wise man, even if he is angry, ought not to keep it long; to the Ephesians, the fourth chapter: « Let not the sun go down upon your wrath »; but not so the fool; Proverbs, the twenty-seventh chapter: « Weighty sand » in the bosom of a fool.
Questions.
I. But there is a doubt concerning what he says: Calumny troubleth the wise man.
On the contrary: It shall not make the just man sad, whatsoever shall befall him, is had in Proverbs, the twelfth chapter5: therefore if the wise man is just, he is not troubled by calumny.
To this it is answered in one way, that there is a troubling of impatience, and by this the just man is not troubled; and of compassion, and by this he is troubled, as the Apostle said in the second epistle to the Corinthians, the eleventh chapter6: Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire? as if to say: no one. — But the following text removes this exposition and adds: And shall destroy the strength of his heart.
Therefore it is to be solved, as is said in the Gloss7, that there is a wise and just man who is perfect, and of him that text of Proverbs is understood; and one who is imperfect, and of him it is understood here.
II. Likewise, what is it that he says here: Be not swift to be angry?
On the contrary: In the Psalm8: Be ye angry, and sin not.
I respond: It must be said that anger is manifold9.
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- 1Vers. 14. — Sequitur Matth. 24, 12. August., Qq. in Lev. q. 68: Calumnia non est, nisi quando falsi criminis obiectione proximus laeditur. Iustinian., Dig. lib. XLVIII. tit. 16. leg. 1: Calumniari est falsa crimina intendere.V. 14. — There follows Matt. 24:12. Augustine, Questions on Leviticus q. 68: It is not calumny, except when one's neighbour is harmed by the imputation of a false crime. Justinian, Digest bk. XLVIII, tit. 16, law 1: To calumniate is to bring false charges.
- 2Vers. 22. — Bernard., Epist. 129. n. 2: Prorsus absque perseverantia nec qui pugnat victoriam, nec palmam victor consequitur. Vigor virium, virtutum consummatio est... soror est patientiae, constantiae filia... denique non qui coeperit, sed qui perseveraverit usque in finem salvus erit [Matth. 10, 22].V. 22. — Bernard, Letter 129, n. 2: Plainly, without perseverance neither does he who fights attain the victory, nor the victor the palm. The vigour of strength, it is the consummation of the virtues… the sister of patience, the daughter of constancy… finally, not he who shall have begun, but he who shall have persevered unto the end shall be saved [Matt. 10:22].
- 3Vers. 32. — De abusiva comparatione cfr. supra pag. 42, nota 6.V. 32. — On abusive comparison cf. above, p. 42, note 6.
- 4Vers. 19. — Sequuntur Iob 5, 2: Vere stultum etc.; Eph. 4, 26. et Prov. 27, 3: Grave est saxum et onerosa arena, sed ira stulti utroque gravior.V. 19. — There follow Job 5:2: Vere stultum [Truly the foolish man] etc.; Eph. 4:26; and Prov. 27:3: A stone is heavy, and sand weighty, but the anger of a fool is heavier than them both.
- 5Vers. 21.V. 21.
- 6Vers. 29. Cfr. I. Sent. d. 48. a. 2. q. 2. et dub. 4.V. 29. Cf. I Sent. d. 48, a. 2, q. 2, and dub. 4.
- 7Scilicet ordinaria in v. 6. (sumta ex Hieron. in v. 8.): Sapiens perfectus nulla argutione indiget, nulla calumnia turbatur. Ergo de sapiente in profectu posito est accipiendum, qui aliquando turbatur de iniquitafe iudicii, cum Deus statim non punit.Namely the ordinary [Gloss] on v. 6 (taken from Jerome on v. 8): The perfect wise man needs no reproof, is troubled by no calumny. Therefore it is to be taken of the wise man set in progress, who is sometimes troubled at the iniquity of judgement, when God does not punish at once.
- 8Psalm. 4, 5.Ps. 4:5.
- 9Quae Vat., ut supra pag. 56, nota 9. insinuavimus, illo loco addidit, hic congruentius ponuntur; sed quia ea desunt in codd., ea posuimus ad calcem: Nota, quod est ira permissione, et haec culpae venialis: Irascimini, et nolite peccare [Ps. 4, 5.]; et haec necesse est, quod praecedat. Prohibitione. et haec culpae mortalis: Ira non habet misericordiam nec erumpens furor [Prov. 27, 4.]. Praeceptione, et haec iustitiae et zeli; et de hac supra [7, 4.] dictum est: Melior est ira risu, moderanda, ne excedat. — Cfr. III. Sent. d. 15. a. 2. q. 3. et Alex. Hal., S. p. II. q. 140. m. 2, ubi secundum Glossam ordinariam (ex Gregor., V. Moral. c. 45. n. 82.) in Iob 5, 2. distinguitur ira impatientiae et ira zeli: Alia ira est, quam impatientia, alia, quam zelus facit; illa ex vitio, haec ex virtute. Cfr. Aristot., IV. Ethic. c. 5, ubi dicit: Nam qui et ob quae oportet, et sicut oportet, et quando et in quos oportet, non irascuntur, hi profecto esse stolidi videntur etc.The things which the Vatican edition, as we intimated above at p. 56, note 9, added in that place are more fittingly placed here; but because they are lacking in the codices, we have placed them at the foot: Note that there is anger by permission, and this is of venial fault: Be ye angry, and sin not [Ps. 4:5]; and this must necessarily precede. By prohibition. and this is of mortal fault: Anger hath no mercy, nor fury when it breaketh forth [Prov. 27:4]. By precept, and this is of justice and zeal; and of this it was said above [7:4]: Anger is better than laughter, to be moderated, lest it exceed. — Cf. III Sent. d. 15, a. 2, q. 3, and Alexander of Hales, Summa p. II, q. 140, m. 2, where, following the ordinary Gloss (from Gregory, Moralia V, c. 45, n. 82) on Job 5:2, the anger of impatience and the anger of zeal are distinguished: One anger is that which impatience produces, another that which zeal produces; the former from vice, the latter from virtue. Cf. Aristotle, Ethics IV, c. 5, where he says: For those who are not angry at the things at which they ought to be, and as they ought, and when and with whom they ought, these are surely thought to be stolid etc.