Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) — Chapter 17
Chapter 17 is a meditation on God's creation of man—made in His image, endowed with intelligence, given dominion, and bound by covenant—and on God's omniscient gaze upon all human actions. It concludes (vv. 21-31) with an urgent call to conversion and penitence while life remains, since the dead cannot praise God.
Verse 1
God created man of the earth, and made him after His own image. Man is made of earth (Adam = adamah) yet bears God's image. Lapide expounds the natural image (intellect, will, dominion) and the supernatural image (grace, faith, hope, charity) as the dual foundation of human dignity.
Verse 2
He gave him the number of his days and time, and gave him power over all things on the earth. God has measured man's days and given him dominion over creation. Lapide connects this to the Psalmic teaching that man is made \"little less than the angels\" and set over all God's works (Ps. 8).
Verse 5
He created of him a helpmate like to himself; He gave them counsel, and tongue, and eyes, and ears, and heart to devise. The creation of woman as man's equal partner, and the endowment of both with the specifically human gifts of counsel, speech, sight, hearing, and the reasoning heart. Lapide treats these as constituting human rationality as such.
Verse 9
He gave them discipline, and the law of life for an inheritance. The gift of the law (natural, moral, and eventually Mosaic) is a privilege unique to Israel among the nations. Lapide traces the progressive revelation of divine law from creation through Moses and the prophets.
Verse 13
Their eyes saw the majesty of His glory, and their ears heard His honourable voice. Israel's theophanic experience at Sinai: sight of divine glory and hearing of the divine voice. Lapide treats this as the paradigmatic moment of special covenant relationship, unparalleled among the Gentile nations.
Verse 20
To the penitent God hath given the way of justice, and He hath strengthened those that were failing in patience, and hath appointed for them the lot of truth. God's special gift to the penitent: the way of justice, strengthening in weakness, and the lot of truth. Lapide sees here the doctrine of divine grace sustaining the sinner in his return.
Verse 21
Return to the Lord, and forsake thy sins. The direct call to conversion. Lapide treats this verse as summarizing the entire chapter: all the preceding meditations on creation, covenant, and divine omniscience serve to motivate the reader's repentance.
Verse 26
Tarry not in the error of the ungodly; give glory before death. Delay in conversion is dangerous; the dead cannot praise God or merit. Lapide cites the Fathers extensively on the impossibility of merit after death and the urgency of using the present moment of grace.