Cap. 9, Vers. 13-18
Commentarius in Ecclesiasten · Capitulum IX
Secundo ostenditur defectus ordinis in regimine providentiae in speciali, et hoc tripliciter.
Hanc quoque vidi sub sole sapientiam. Determinavit supra defectum regiminis providentiae in generali; hic intendit ostendere in speciali, scilicet circa praelationem, quia sapientes contemnuntur, et stulti promoventur. Sunt igitur in hac parte tres partes. In prima ostendit sapientis depressionem; in secunda subiungit depressi commendationem, ibi: Et dicebam ego meliorem etc.; in tertia vero subinfert stulti promotionem, ibi6: Si spiritus potestatem habentis etc.
Sapientis igitur depressio hoc ordine describitur. Primo praemittitur sapientiae laus; secundo exprimitur casus, in quo est potentiae defectus; tertio notatur sapientiae succursus; quarto vero, sapientis contemptus.
(Vers. 13.). Praemittitur ergo sapientiae laus, cum dicit: Hanc vidi sub sole sapientiam, id est, in rebus mundanis per effectum cognovi; et probavi maximam, id est, approbavi et laudavi tanquam magnam valde. Magna enim sapientia est in vincendo inimicum inferiorem; maior, in vincendo aequipollentem; maxima, in vincendo fortissimum; unde dicitur Iob vigesimo sexto7 de summe sapiente: « Prudentia eius percussit superbum ».
(Vers. 14.). Civitas parva etc. Notatur hic secundo potentiae defectus, et hoc ad resistendum insurgenti; ideo dicit: Civitas parva, et pauci in ea p. 78 viri, et debet suppleri hoc verbum: erat, vel construi cum verbo sequenti. Perfecta est obsidio1. Et quia parva et paucos habens viros, ideo debilis est ad se defendendum; unde dicebat Iosaphat secundi Paralipomenon vigesimo: « In nobis non est tanta fortitudo, ut possimus resistere huic multitudini » magnae, quia scilicet erant pauci. Maxime tunc non possunt, quando est fortis oppugnator; propter quod dicit: Venit contra eam rex magnus, scilicet per potentiam; et vallavit eam, per multam malitiam; exstruxitque munitiones per gyrum, ad pugnam; et perfecta est obsidio, per resistendi impotentiam. Exemplum huius habetur Iudith septimo de Bethulia, quae fuit ab Holoferne obsessa. Hoc etiam praedixit Dominus Ierusalem Lucae decimo nono: « Circumdabunt te inimici tui vallo et coangustabunt te undique ».
(Vers. 15.). Inventusque est in ea etc. Notatur hic tertium, scilicet sapientiae succursus, ubi erat potentiae defectus: Propterea dicit: Inventusque est in ea vir pauper, et ita impotens; et sapiens et liberavit urbem per sapientiam suam. Exemplum huius, quomodo sapiens liberavit, habetur de Iudith in libro suo2, quomodo liberavit Bethuliam ab Holoferne sapientia sua, cum esset infirma. Exemplum aliud habetur secundi Regum vigesimo, ubi dicitur, quod sapiens in Abela liberavit urbem ab impetu Ioab. Quocontra dicitur Baruch tertio: « Et quia non habuerunt sapientiam, perierunt propter suam insipientiam »; dicitur de fortibus.
Et nullus deinceps etc. Tangitur hic quartum, scilicet sapientis liberantis contemptus, cuius signum est oblivio. Ideo dicit: Nullus deinceps recordatus est hominis illius pauperis. Ecce, contemptus et ingratitudo; quocontra dicitur Ecclesiastici vigesimo nono3: « Gratiam fideiussoris tui ne obliviscaris; dedit enim pro te animam suam » etc.
Spiritualiter sunt quatuor hic consideranda: quae civitas, quis rex magnus, quis pauper sapiens, quomodo nullus eius recordatur. — Civitas est Ecclesia; Psalmus4: « Gloriosa dicta sunt de te, civitas Dei ». Haec civitas parva per humilitatem, quia in his solus Dominus habitat; Isaiae ultimo: « Ad quem respiciam nisi ad pauperculum et contritum spiritu et trementem sermones meos »? Pauci in ea viri, comparatione malorum; Matthaei vigesimo: « Multi sunt vocati, pauci vero electi ». — Rex magnus est diabolus, de quo dicitur Iob penultimo5: « Ipse est rex super omnes filios superbiae »; est etiam magnus, secundum quod dicitur ibidem: « Non est potestas super terram, quae possit ei comparari ». Hic rex contra civitatem venit, per suggestiones; vallat, offerendo multipliciter delectationes; exstruxit munitiones, procurando peccatorum occasiones; et perfecte obsidet, cum implicat in mandatorum transgressiones. De his Lucae decimo nono: « Circumdabunt te inimici tui vallo et coangustabunt te et ad terram prosternent et non relinquent lapidem supra lapidem ». — Vir pauper et sapiens, qui est Christus, qui est vir a virtutis robore; Ieremiae trigesimo primo6: « Mulier circumdabit virum ». Ipse etiam pauper; secundae ad Corinthios octavo: « Cum esset dives in omnibus, propter vos egenus factus est »; sapiens, immo ipsa Sapientia; primae ad Corinthios primo: « Christum dicimus Dei virtutem et sapientiam ». Iste est a quaerentibus inventus; Matthaei septimo: « Omnis enim, qui petit, accipit, et qui quaerit, invenit ». Ipse liberavit populum, Isaiae-decimo nono: « Clamabunt ad Dominum a facie tribulantis, et mittet ei salvatorem et propugnatorem, qui liberet eos »; liberavit per suam sapientiam, cum tamen posset per potentiam; Iob vigesimo sexto: « Prudentia eius percussit superbum ». — Et nullus eius deinceps recordatus est, quia paupertas contemnitur; Proverbiorum decimo nono7: « Fratres hominis pauperis oderunt eum, insuper et amici procul recesserunt ab eo ». Nullus recordatus est compatiendo, secundum quod dicitur Threnorum tertio: « Recordare paupertatis et transgressionis meae, absynthii et fellis »; sed econtra, Amos sexto: « Nihil patiebantur super contritione Ioseph ». Gratias agendo; Lucae decimo septimo: « Et non est inventus qui rediret et daret gloriam Deo nisi hic alienigena ». In opere imitando; Isaiae decimo septimo: « Eris deserta, quia oblita es Dei salutaris tui, et fortis adiutoris tui non es recordata ». In ore confitendo; Genesis quadragesimo: « Succedentibus prosperis, pincerna est oblitus interpretis sui ».
Et dicebam ego etc. Ostensa est sapientis despectio et oblivio; ostenditur hic secundo despecti commendatio. Commendat autem sapientiam triplici p. 79 praeeminentia: primo praemittendo eam fortitudini potentiae; secundo, munimini armaturae; tertio, altitudini mundanae gloriae.
(Vers. 16. 17.). Praemittit ergo primo sapientiam fortitudini suo iudicio. Propterea dicit: Et dicebam ego, meliorem esse sapientiam fortitudine; Sapientiae sexto1: « Melior est sapientia quam vires, et vir prudens melior quam fortis ». Et quia est melior, ideo non deberet despici; et tamen nihilominus est despecta. Propterea dicit: Quomodo ergo sapientia pauperis contempta est? quasi non deberet esse contempta; sed propter paupertatem vilipenditur; unde Ecclesiastici decimo tertio dicitur de paupere: « Locutus est sensate, et non est datus ei locus; dives locutus est, et omnes tacuerunt, et verbum illius usque ad nubes perducunt ». Et signum contemptus sapientiae subditur: Et verba eius non sunt audita; et tamen sunt multum audienda; Proverbiorum octavo2: « Nunc ergo, filii, audite me: Beati, qui custodiunt vias meas ». Et quod verba sapientis sint audienda, subiungit: Verba sapientium audiuntur in silentio, id est, digna sunt audiri in silentio; Ecclesiastici trigesimo secundo: « Audi tacens, et pro reverentia accedet tibi bona gratia »; unde et subditur: « Et loqui in medio magnatorum ne praesumas ». Plus quam clamor principis inter stultos, et plus clamosa eius oratio, quia, quantumcumque homo clamet, stultus non attendit; Ecclesiastici vigesimo secundo3: « Cum dormiente loquitur qui narrat stulto sapientiam, et in fine narrationis dicit: Quis est hic »? Quod ergo sapientia sit contempta, hoc est propter audientium stultitiam; ideo Matthaei septimo: « Nolite sanctum dare canibus ». Et ratio huius redditur ab Apostolo primae ad Corinthios secundo: « Animalis homo non percipit ea quae sunt spiritus Dei ».
(Vers. 18.). Melior est sapientia etc. Hic secundo praemittit sapientiam munimini armaturae, dicens: Melior est sapientia quam arma bellica, quia bellica arma sunt ad protectionem; similiter sapientia protegit; Proverbiorum secundo4: « Consilium custodiet te, et prudentia servabit te, ut eruaris a via mala et ab homine, qui perversa loquitur ». Et quod melius protegat, patet: quia qui amittit sapientiam per culpam non potest se defendere per armaturam, quin amittat multa bona; unde dicit: Et qui in uno peccaverit, recedendo a sapientia, secundum quod dictum est supra octavo5: « Ne festines recedere a facie eius, neque permaneas in opere malo ». Multa bona perdet; peccando enim in uno, perdit sapientiam; et illam amittendo, perdit multa bona; Sapientiae septimo: « Venerunt mihi omnia bona pariter cum illa »; et ideo, illa perdita, perduntur multa bona. Vel: qui peccaverit in uno, contra caritatem, perdet multa bona, secundum illud Iacobi secundo: « Qui in uno peccaverit factus est omnium reus ». — Et illud manifestat per metaphoram, quia peccati cognitio comparatur muscae morienti, quia reddit et facit abominationem affectui et conscientiae.
---
Secondly, the failure of order in the government of providence is shown in particular, and this in three ways.
This wisdom also I have seen under the sun. He determined above the failure of the government of providence in general; here he intends to show it in particular, namely in regard to prelacy, because the wise are despised, and fools are promoted. There are therefore in this part three parts. In the first he shows the abasement of the wise man; in the second he adds the commendation of the one abased, there: And I said that better etc.; but in the third he infers the promotion of the fool, there6: If the spirit of him that hath power etc.
The abasement, then, of the wise man is described in this order. First the praise of wisdom is set forth; secondly the case is expressed in which there is a failure of power; thirdly the succour of wisdom is noted; but fourthly, the contempt of the wise man.
(Vers. 13.). The praise of wisdom, then, is set forth when he says: This wisdom I have seen under the sun, that is, I have known it by its effect in worldly things; and I proved it greatest, that is, I approved and praised it as very great. For great is wisdom in overcoming an inferior enemy; greater, in overcoming an equal; greatest, in overcoming the strongest; whence it is said in Job, the twenty-sixth7, of the supremely wise: « His prudence hath struck the proud ».
(Vers. 14.). A little city etc. Here is noted secondly the failure of power, and this for resisting one who rises up against it; therefore he says: A little city, and few men in it, p. 78 and this word must be supplied: was, or it must be construed with the following verb: The siege was perfect1. And because it is little and has few men, therefore it is weak for defending itself; whence Josaphat said, in the second of Paralipomenon, the twentieth: « In us there is not so great strength, that we may be able to resist this multitude » great, because namely they were few. Most of all they cannot then, when the assailant is strong; on account of which he says: There came against it a great king, namely by power; and invested it, by much malice; and built bulwarks round about it, for the fight; and the siege was perfect, by impotence of resisting. An example of this is had in Judith, the seventh, of Bethulia, which was besieged by Holofernes. This too the Lord foretold to Jerusalem in Luke, the nineteenth: « Thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee and straiten thee on every side ».
(Vers. 15.). Now there was found in it etc. Here the third is noted, namely the succour of wisdom, where there was a failure of power: On account of this he says: Now there was found in it a poor man, and so impotent; and wise, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. An example of this, how a wise one delivered, is had of Judith in her book2, how she delivered Bethulia from Holofernes by her wisdom, though it was weak. Another example is had in the second of Kings, the twentieth, where it is said that a wise woman in Abela delivered the city from the onslaught of Joab. Against which it is said in Baruch, the third: « And because they had not wisdom, they perished through their folly »; it is said of the strong.
And no man afterward etc. Here the fourth is touched upon, namely the contempt of the wise man who delivered, whose sign is forgetfulness. Therefore he says: No man afterward remembered that poor man. Behold, contempt and ingratitude; against which it is said in Ecclesiasticus, the twenty-ninth3: « Forget not the kindness of thy surety; for he hath given his life for thee » etc.
Spiritually there are four things to be considered here: what city, who the great king, who the poor wise man, how no man remembers him. — The city is the Church; the Psalm4: « Glorious things are said of thee, O city of God ». This city is little by humility, because in these alone the Lord dwells; Isaias, the last: « To whom shall I have respect but to the poor little one and to him that is contrite of spirit and trembleth at my words »? Few men in it, in comparison with the evil; Matthew, the twentieth: « Many are called, but few chosen ». — The great king is the devil, of whom it is said in Job, the last but one5: « He is king over all the children of pride »; he is also great, according to what is said in the same place: « There is no power upon earth that can be compared with him ». This king comes against the city by suggestions; invests it, by offering delights in manifold ways; built bulwarks, by procuring occasions of sins; and besieges it perfectly, when he entangles it in transgressions of the commandments. Of these, Luke, the nineteenth: « Thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee and straiten thee and shall beat thee flat to the ground and shall not leave stone upon stone ». — A man poor and wise, who is Christ, who is man (vir) from the strength of power (virtus); Jeremias, the thirty-first6: « A woman shall compass a man ». He is also poor; the second to the Corinthians, the eighth: « Since he was rich in all things, for your sakes he became needy »; wise, nay Wisdom itself; the first to the Corinthians, the first: « We call Christ the power of God and the wisdom ». He is found by those who seek; Matthew, the seventh: « For every one that asketh, receiveth, and he that seeketh, findeth ». He delivered the people, Isaias, the nineteenth: « They shall cry to the Lord because of the oppressor, and he shall send them a saviour and a defender, to deliver them »; he delivered by his wisdom, though he could have done so by power; Job, the twenty-sixth: « His prudence hath struck the proud ». — And no man afterward remembered him, because poverty is despised; Proverbs, the nineteenth7: « The brethren of the poor man hate him: moreover also his friends have departed far from him ». No man remembered him by suffering with him, according to what is said in Lamentations, the third: « Remember my poverty and transgression, the wormwood and the gall »; but on the contrary, Amos, the sixth: « They suffered nothing over the affliction of Joseph ». By giving thanks; Luke, the seventeenth: « And there was no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger ». In imitating him in work; Isaias, the seventeenth: « Thou shalt be desolate, because thou hast forgotten God thy saviour, and hast not remembered thy strong helper ». In confessing him with the mouth; Genesis, the fortieth: « When prosperous things followed, the butler forgot his interpreter ».
And I said etc. The despising and forgetting of the wise man has been shown; here secondly is shown the commendation of the one despised. Now he commends wisdom by a threefold p. 79 pre-eminence: first by setting it before the strength of power; secondly, before the defence of armour; thirdly, before the height of worldly glory.
(Vers. 16. 17.). First, then, he sets wisdom before strength in his own judgement. On account of this he says: And I said that wisdom is better than strength; Wisdom, the sixth1: « Wisdom is better than strength, and a prudent man is better than a strong man ». And because it is better, therefore it ought not to be despised; and yet nonetheless it is despised. On account of this he says: How then is the wisdom of the poor man despised? as if it ought not to be despised; but on account of poverty it is held cheap; whence in Ecclesiasticus, the thirteenth, it is said of the poor man: « He spoke wisely, and no place was given him; the rich man spoke, and all held their peace, and they carry his word even to the clouds ». And the sign of the contempt of wisdom is added: And his words are not heard; and yet they are much to be heard; Proverbs, the eighth2: « Now therefore, ye children, hear me: Blessed are they that keep my ways ». And that the words of the wise man are to be heard, he adds: The words of the wise are heard in silence, that is, they are worthy to be heard in silence; Ecclesiasticus, the thirty-second: « Hear in silence, and for thy reverence good grace shall come to thee »; whence also it is added: « And presume not to speak in the midst of great men ». More than the cry of a prince among fools, and his speech more clamorous, because, however much a man cries out, the fool does not attend; Ecclesiasticus, the twenty-second3: « He speaketh with one that is asleep, who telleth wisdom to a fool, and in the end of the telling he saith: Who is this »? That wisdom is despised, then, is on account of the folly of the hearers; therefore Matthew, the seventh: « Give not that which is holy to dogs ». And the reason of this is given by the Apostle in the first to the Corinthians, the second: « The animal man perceiveth not the things that are of the spirit of God ».
(Vers. 18.). Better is wisdom etc. Here secondly he sets wisdom before the defence of armour, saying: Better is wisdom than weapons of war, because weapons of war are for protection; likewise wisdom protects; Proverbs, the second4: « Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee, that thou mayest be delivered from the evil way and from the man that speaketh perverse things ». And that it protects better is plain: because he who loses wisdom through fault cannot defend himself by armour from losing many good things; whence he says: And he that shall offend in one, by departing from wisdom, according to what was said above, the eighth5: « Be not hasty to depart from his face, and do not continue in an evil work ». Shall lose many good things; for by sinning in one thing, he loses wisdom; and by losing it, he loses many good things; Wisdom, the seventh: « All good things came to me together with her »; and therefore, she being lost, many good things are lost. Or: he that shall offend in one, against charity, shall lose many good things, according to that of James, the second: « He that shall offend in one is become guilty of all ». — And this he makes manifest by a metaphor, because the knowledge of sin is compared to a dying fly, because it renders and makes abomination to the affection and the conscience.
---
- 6Cap. 10, 4.Chap. 10:4.
- 7Vers. 12.V. 12.
- 1Codd. hic obsessio, sed infra cum Vulgata obsidio. — Sequuntur II. Paral. 20, 12; Iudith 7, 1. seqq.; Luc. 19, 43, ubi Vulgata post vallo addit et circumdabunt te.The codices here have obsessio [besieging], but below, with the Vulgate, obsidio [siege]. — There follow II Par. 20:12; Judith 7:1 ff.; Luke 19:43, where the Vulgate after vallo [with a trench] adds et circumdabunt te [and compass thee round].
- 2Cap. 8. seqq. — Sequuntur II. Reg. 20, 16. seqq.: Et exclamavit mulier sapiens de civitate etc.; Baruch 3, 28.Chap. 8 ff. — There follow II Kings 20:16 ff.: And a wise woman cried out from the city etc.; Baruch 3:28.
- 3Vers. 20.V. 20.
- 4Psalm. 86, 3. — Sequuntur Isai. 66, 2; Matth. 20, 16.Ps. 86:3. — There follow Isa. 66:2; Matt. 20:16.
- 5Vers. 25; ibid. v. 24. est seq. locus, in quo pro possit ei comparari Vulgata comparetur ei; tertius locus est Luc. 19, 43. et 44, ubi Vulgata plura interserit.V. 25; ibid. v. 24 is the following place, in which for possit ei comparari [can be compared to him] the Vulgate has comparetur ei [is compared to him]; the third place is Luke 19:43 and 44, where the Vulgate inserts more.
- 6Vers. 22; Vulgata: Femina circumdabit virum. Cfr. tom. III. pag. 380, nota 1. Isidor., XI. Etymolog. c. 2. n. 17. ait: Vir nuncupatus, quod maior in eo vis est, quam in femina; unde et virtus nomen accepit etc. (vide supra pag. 63, nota 5.) — Sequuntur II. Cor. 8, 9. et I. Cor. 1, 24; Matth. 7, 8; Isai. 19, 20. et Iob 26, 12V. 22; the Vulgate: Femina circumdabit virum [a woman shall compass a man]. Compare vol. III, p. 380, note 1. Isidore, Etymologies XI, c. 2, n. 17, says: Man (vir) is so called because there is greater force (vis) in him than in woman; whence also virtue (virtus) took its name etc. (see above, p. 63, note 5.) — There follow II Cor. 8:9 and I Cor. 1:24; Matt. 7:8; Isa. 19:20 and Job 26:12
- 7Vers. 7. — Sequuntur Thren. 3, 19; Amos 6, 6; Luc. 17, 18; Isai. 17, 9. seq. et Gen. 40, 23, ubi pro pincerna Vulgata praepositus pincernarum.V. 7. — There follow Lam. 3:19; Amos 6:6; Luke 17:18; Isa. 17:9 f. and Gen. 40:23, where for pincerna [the butler] the Vulgate has praepositus pincernarum [the chief butler].
- 1Vers. 1. — Seq. locus est Eccli. 13, 27. et 28, in cuius fine Vulgata legit perducent.V. 1. — The following place is Ecclus. 13:27 and 28, at whose end the Vulgate reads perducent [they will carry].
- 2Vers. 32. — Sequitur Eccli. 32, 9. et 13: In medio magnatorum non praesumas, et ubi sunt senes, non multum loquaris.V. 32. — There follows Ecclus. 32:9 and 13: In the company of great men take not upon thee, and when the ancients are present, speak not much.
- 3Vers. 9. Vulgata enarrat pro narrat. — Sequuntur Matth. 7, 6. et I. Cor. 2, 14.V. 9. The Vulgate has enarrat [uttereth] for narrat [telleth]. — There follow Matt. 7:6 and I Cor. 2:14.
- 4Vers. 11. et 12. — Inferius post patet Vat. omittit quia, et deinde se.V. 11 and 12. — Below, after patet [is plain], the Vatican edition omits quia [because], and then se [himself].
- 5Vers. 3. — Duo loci seqq. sunt Sap. 7, 11. et Iac. 2, 10: Quicumque autem totam legem servaverit, offendat autem in uno, factus est omnium reus.V. 3. — The two following places are Wis. 7:11 and Jas. 2:10: And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.