Read & explore together
Grace, self-control, and beauty are praised in a wife
This wisdom passage from Sirach, a book in the Catholic additional books, praises qualities seen in a wife. It joins inner qualities such as knowledge and self-control with poetic descriptions of beauty, using comparisons to show their worth.
Understanding the passage
Listening in context
Sirach 26:13–18 is wisdom poetry, not a story. In this part of Sirach, the speaker gives sayings about a wife and uses similes to describe her value. Because Sirach belongs to the Catholic additional books, this passage should be read as wisdom teaching from that collection, tracing these verses in order.
Sirach 26:13–27 (source bridge 19–27)Main takeaway
This passage praises a wife by honouring grace, knowledge, instruction, modesty, self-control, beauty, and steadfastness together.
Look closely at the words
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Grace and knowledge are praisedThe passage opens by naming two blessings connected with a wife. Her grace delights her husband, and her knowledge strengthens his bones.
Explanation
The passage opens by naming two blessings connected with a wife. Her grace delights her husband, and her knowledge strengthens his bones. The image of strengthened bones points to deep support and vigour. The verse directly praises grace and knowledge as gifts that bring delight and strength.
02Silence, instruction, modesty, and self-controlThe next sayings speak highly of a silent woman and call her a gift of the Lord. The text then says nothing is worth as much as a well-instructed soul.
Explanation
The next sayings speak highly of a silent woman and call her a gift of the Lord. The text then says nothing is worth as much as a well-instructed soul. It continues by praising modesty as “grace upon grace” and saying a self-controlled soul has a value beyond weighing.
03Beauty in order, light, and proportionThe poem then turns to similes. The beauty of a good wife in her well-organised home is like the sun rising in the highest places of the Lord.
Explanation
The poem then turns to similes. The beauty of a good wife in her well-organised home is like the sun rising in the highest places of the Lord. Her face on a well-proportioned body is like a lamp on a holy lampstand. These images connect beauty with brightness, order, and fitting form.
04Beauty joined with steadfastnessThe final comparison is more bodily. Beautiful feet and breasts are likened to golden pillars on silver bases.
Explanation
The final comparison is more bodily. Beautiful feet and breasts are likened to golden pillars on silver bases. Yet the verse does not speak of appearance by itself. It adds that the woman is steadfast, so the closing image joins physical beauty with firmness and constancy.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What two benefits are named first, and how are they described?
Read the opening verse closely and note what grace does and what knowledge does.
02Which qualities are described as especially valuable, and what words show that value?
Look for the phrases “gift of the Lord”, “nothing worth so much”, “grace upon grace”, and “cannot be weighed”.
03How do the poem’s comparisons help describe beauty in these verses?
List the images in order and connect each one to the feature or setting it describes.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Sirach 26:13–18
13The grace of a wife will delight her husband. Her knowledge will strengthen his bones.
14A silent woman is a gift of the Lord. There is nothing worth so much as a well-instructed soul.
15A modest woman is grace upon grace. There are no scales that can weigh the value of a self-controlled soul.
16As the sun when it arises in the highest places of the Lord, so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-organized home.
17As the lamp that shines upon the holy lampstand, so is the beauty of the face on a well-proportioned body.
18As the golden pillars are upon a base of silver, so are beautiful feet with the breasts of one who is steadfast.
Source passages
Source: Sirach 26 ↗Translation and source notes
Some verse numbers are represented by textual notes in World English Bible Classic. The reading below follows the text printed in the main passage.