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Wisdom of Ben Sira 23:19-21
New Catholic Bible
Wisdom of Ben Sira 23:19-21
New Catholic Bible
19 He fears only human eyes
and does not realize that the eyes of the Lord
are ten thousand times brighter than the sun,
observing every aspect of human behavior
and gazing into the most secret corners.
20 All things were known to him before they were created,[a]
and they still are, now that they are finished.
21 This man will be punished in the streets of the city;
when he least expects it, he will be seized.[b]
Footnotes
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 23:20 Known to him before they were created: God’s antecedent knowledge of creation is divine wisdom itself (Prov 8:22f). And they still are, now: after creating the world, God continues to watch over it. Indeed, the Lord knows all things, both past and future (see Sir 42:18; Ps 139:1-16).
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 23:21 Capital punishment for the adulterer is not mentioned. Hence, it appears that the death penalty decreed in Lev 20:10; Deut 22:22-24 had been replaced in the author’s time, possibly by scourging (see Prov 5:11-14; 6:32f).
