‹ Back

Sirach 23:22 "So it is with a woman who leaves her husband and provides an heir by a stranger."

 

Such a woman, Sirach says, has first disobeyed God's law; has second committed an offense against her husband; and has third "committed adultery through harlotry and brought forth children by another man." (Sirach 23:23) "[S]he will leave her memory for a curse, and her disgrace will be not be blotted out" (Sirach 23:26), and her punishment, he says, will fall on her children, who will not take root, for "her branches will not bear fruit" (Sirach 23:25);  

 

This is pretty harsh, to be sure. I'm assuming Sirach is talking about a non-repentant adulteress who raises the fruit of her adultery as her husband's child(ren) without disclosure. In such a case, I can see why her disgrace would linger and be an example to others not to do the same thing. But what about the children being punished? I think such children not taking root is really just a statement of likely reality.* Children in such a situation will most likely have dysfunctional lives. It would be hard for them to take root while being passed off as another man's offspring.

 

This is really a statement of the effects of sin, which are real and do affect other people's lives. Even if the adulteress repents and is forgiven, there will be damage to the relationship and difficulties in the children's lives. Sirach's words, while harsh, are a good reminder that our sin has consequences, and major sin has significant ones. 

 

____________________________

*See also "Some Harsh Wisdom"