Texts in Conversation
Early Christian tradition in the Didache incorporates Jewish wisdom traditions, such as in Sirach, by teaching that you should not be double-tongued, highlighting the destructive power of deceptive speech.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Sirach 5:14
Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
Deuterocanon
12 If you have understanding, answer your neighbor; but if not, put your hand over your mouth. 13 Glory and dishonor is in talk. A man’s tongue may be his downfall. 14 Don’t be called a whisperer. Don’t lie in wait with your tongue; for shame is on the thief, and an evil condemnation is on him who has a double tongue. 15 Don’t be ignorant in a great or small matter.
Date: 195–180 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Didache 2:4
Early Christian
2 You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not corrupt boys; you shall not commit fornication; you shall not steal; you shall not practice magic; you shall not use love potions; you shall not cause abortion, nor kill newborns; you shall not desire your neighbor's possessions. 3 You shall not commit perjury; you shall not lie; you shall not speak ill; you shall not bear grudges. 4 You shall not be double-minded or double-tongued, because that leads to death. 5 Your words shall not be false or meaningless but followed by actions. 6 You shall not be greedy or exploitative, nor a hypocrite, nor evil-minded, nor arrogant; you shall not plan evil against your neighbor.
Date: 90–120 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... It is specifically this duality of speech that biblical tradition rejects. This rejection was carried on in later Judaism (the apocryphal work Sirach 5:14 speaks of the 'double-tongued sinner') and Christianity (e.g., Didache 2:4, 'Do not be double-minded nor double-tongued, for the double tongue is a snare of death') ..."
Peter H. Davids, James (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011), 90.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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