Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) — Chapter 32

Have they made thee ruler? Be not lifted up; be among them as one of them. The master of the feast—and by extension all who hold authority—must not be puffed up by their position but serve with humility. Lapide applies this to princes, prelates, and all who exercise authority: leadership is service, not domination.

Speak, thou that art elder, for it becometh thee; but with sound judgment; and hinder not music. The privilege and responsibility of the elderly: they should speak wisely but not dominate. The allowance for music and convivial pleasures must not be suppressed by excessive solemnity.

Young man, speak hardly in thy own cause; and if thou art asked twice, let thy answer be as one. The young should speak sparingly and only when asked. Lapide teaches that restraint in speech is the mark of wisdom's beginning and the foundation of all social virtue.

He that feareth God will do good; and he that possesseth justice shall lay hold on her. The fear of God is the source of all good action; those who possess justice will retain wisdom. Lapide treats this as the theological center of the chapter: all the social virtues described flow from the fundamental orientation of the soul toward God.

Son, do thou nothing without counsel, and thou shalt not repent when thou hast done. The great principle of counsel: nothing should be done without deliberation. Lapide applies this to all major decisions—vocation, marriage, business, war—and expounds the virtue of prudence as the formal principle of all good moral action.