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The Book of Sirach, also known as Ecclesiasticus, was written in the second century BC by Jewish authors in Alexandria.
To understand the text, we should remember:
I follow the translation in the Jerusalem Bible, Darton, Longman & Todd, London 1966, pp.1070-1071. The subheadings in the text are my own. I have put into italics the phrases which are most often (mis)quoted!
“Any wound rather than a wound of the heart!
Any spite rather than the spite of woman!
Any evil rather than an evil caused by an enemy!
Any vengeance rather than the vengeance of a foe!
There is no poison, worse than the poison of a snake,
there is no fury worse than the fury of an enemy.
I would sooner keep house with a lion or a dragon
than keep house with a spiteful wife.” (verses 13-16)
“A woman’s spite changes her appearance
and makes her face as
grim as any bear’s.
When her husband goes out to dinner with his
neighbours,
he cannot helps heaving bitter sighs. ” (verses
17-18)
“No wickedness comes anywhere near the wickedness of a woman,
may a sinner’s lot be hers!” (verse 19)
“ As climbing up a sandhill is for elderly feet
such is a garrulous wife for a quiet husband.
Do not be taken in by a
woman’s beauty,
never lose your head over a woman.” (verses
20-21)
“ Bad temper, insolence and shame hold sway
where the wife supports the husband.
Low spirits, gloomy face, stricken
heart:
such the achievements of a spiteful wife.
Slack hands and
sagging knees
indicate a wife who makes her husband wretched.”
(verses 22-23)
“Sin began with a woman,
and thanks to her we all must die.
Do not let water find a leak,
do not allow a spiteful woman free
rein for her tongue.
If she will not do as you tell her,
get rid of
her.” (verses 24-26)
“ Happy the husband of a really good wife;
the
number of his days will be doubled.
A perfect wife is the joy of her
husband,
he will live out the years of his life in peace.
A good wife
is the best of portions,
reserved for those who fear the Lord;
rich
or poor, they will be glad of heart,
cheerful of face, whatever the
season.” (Chapter 26, verses 1-4)
“There are three things my heart dreads,
and a fourth which terrifies
me:
slander by a whole town, the gathering of a mob,
and a false
accusation—these are all worse than death;
but a woman jealous of a
woman means heartbreak and sorrow,
and all this is the scourge of the
tongue.” (verses 5-6)
“A bad wife is a badly fitting ox yoke,
trying to master her is
like grasping a scorpion.
A drunken wife will goad anyone to fury,
she makes no effort to hide her degradation.” (verses 7-8)
“ A woman’s wantonness shows in her bold
look,
and can be recognised by her sidelong glances.
Keep a headstrong
daughter under firm control,
or she will abuse any indulgence she receives.
Keep a strict watch on her shameless eye,
do not be surprised if she
disgraces you.
Like a thirsty traveller she will open her mouth
and
drink any water she comes across;
she will sit in front of every peg,
and open her quiver to any arrow. ” (verses 9 - 12)
“The grace of a wife will charm her husband,
her accomplishments will
make him the stronger.
A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,
no
price can be put on a well-trained character.
A modest wife is a boon
twice over,
a chaste character cannot be weighed on scales.
Like the
sun rising over the mountains of the Lord
is the beauty of a good wife in a
well-kept house.
Like the lamp shining on the sacred lamp-stance
is a
beautiful face on a well-proportioned body.
Like golden pillars on a
silver base
are shapely legs on firm-set heels.” (verses 13 -
18)
Additional text found in some manuscripts:
“Search the whole plain for a fertile field,
sow our own seed there, trusting in your own good stock.
Thus your
offspring will survive,
they will grow great, confident of their breeding,
A woman for hire is not worth spitting at,
but a lawful wife is as
strong as a tower.
A godless wife is assigned to a transgressor as his
fortune,
but a devout wife given to the man who fears the Lord.
A
shameless wife takes pleasure in disgracing herself,
a modest wife is
diffident even with her husband.
A headstrong wife is no more respected
than a dog,
but one with a sense of shame fears the Lord.
A wife who
respects her husband will be acknowledged wise by all.
but one who proudly
despises him will be known by all as wicked.
Happy the husband of a good
wife,
for the number of his days will be doubled.
A loud-mouthed,
gossiping wife is like a trumpet sounding the charge,
and any man saddled
with one spends his life in the turmoil of war.” (chapter
26,19-27)
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