Proverbs 17:1
Better is a dry morsel with joy, than a house full of victims with strife.
Open Proverbs 17:1 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Melior est buccella sicca cum gaudio quam domus plena victimis cum jurgio.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- κρείσσων ψωμὸς μεθ᾽ ἡδονῆς ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἢ οἶκος πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ ἀδίκων θυμάτων μετὰ μάχης. ⸆
- Hebrew (WLC)
- ט֤וֹב פַּ֣ת חֲ֭רֵבָה וְשַׁלְוָה בָ֑הּ מִ֝בַּ֗יִת מָלֵ֥א זִבְחֵי רִֽיב
Haydock's commentary
Victims. Of which part was used for a feast, chap. vii. 14. (Calmet)
Septuagint add, "of many goods, and unjust victims." (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter XXI. To defend the weak, or to help strangers, or to perform similar duties, greatly adds to one's worth, especially in the case of tried men. Whilst one gets great blame for love of money; wastefulness, also, in the case of priests is very much condemned
108. It is sweet, then, to seek not for money but for grace. It is true that this evil has long ago entered into human hearts, so that money stands in the place of honour, and the minds of men are filled with admiration for wealth. Thus love of money sinks in and as it were dries up every kindly duty; so that men consider everything a loss which is spent beyond the usual amount. But even here the holy Scriptures have been on the watch against love of money, that it might prove no cause of hindrance, saying: “Better is hospitality, even though it consisteth only of herbs.” And again: “Better is bread in pleasantness with peace.” For the Scriptures teach us not to be wasteful, but liberal.