Екклезиастик (Книга Премудрости Иисуса, сына Сирахова), Глава 39, стих 15. Толкования стиха

CONFESSION IN PRAISE OF GOD. AUGUSTINE: The confession of sins is that ordinary confession that is known to you. It is therefore unnecessary to speak of the reasons for its use. We must rather look into confession in praise of God and the proofs that demonstrate it. People are so habituated to calling “confession” the confession of sins that every time they hear the reader say the words, “Confess yourselves,” they beat their breasts, and a kind of noisy buzz arises in their consciences as they are reminded of their duty. This almost always happens, and yet one is not always speaking of the confession of sins. At times, in fact, one speaks of the confession of praise, as in that passage of Scripture where it says, “Confess to the Lord, and in your confession you will say, ‘All the works of the Lord are very good.’” When you hear, “In your confession you will say, ‘All the works of the Lord are very good,’” it is clear that this is a confession of praise to God and not of your guilt. In this case, you confess that all the works of the Lord are good, not that your actions are bad. And here is another passage about which, as with the previous one, there can be no doubt. The Lord Jesus certainly committed no sin, yet in the Gospel it says, “I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” And he continues with praise: “Because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to the little ones. Yes, Father, because that is what it pleased you to do.” This is the confession of one who praises God, not of one who accuses himself. Since, therefore, one who confesses either accuses himself or praises God, you should reflect a bit about the advantages of each type of confession. SERMONS 8.2.

Признавая навык необходимым для приобретения надлежащаго, уменья в каком ни- будь искустве и запятии, Сирах говорит, что и для приобретения книжной мудрости нужно занятие книгами и свободное к тому время (24). Но, указывая на важность и необходимость для общественной жизни—земледельца, скотовода, рещика, кузнеца и горшечника, Сирах замечает, что эти лица не пользуются в обществе таким почетом и такими правами, как человек образованный, изучавший закон Всевышняго, размышлявший о делах Его и прославившийся мудростью (25—39). Собственным примером он побуждает к прославлению Бога и к размышлению о Его делах, в которых проявляется Его мудрость, всеведение и правосудие (15 — 42).