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Moralia

About this book
Chapter 10

Only after the erring brother has been defended in this manner should the other turn to him and rebuke him somewhat sharply,⁠ pointing out with all frankness his errors of commission and of omission. For one should neither give free rein to brothers, nor, again, should one trample on them when they are at fault (for the latter is the act of one who gloats over the sinner, the former that of one who aids and abets him), but should apply his admonition as one who cares for his brother and grieves with him. Otherwise he who has been the most zealous advocate before his parents becomes before the brother himself the most vehement of accusers. But if a brother is guiltless when he is accused, though it is right to be subservient to parents in everything else and to endure all their wrath and displeasure, yet pleas and justifications offered to parents on behalf of a brother who is being undeservedly criticized or punished are honourable and not reprehensible; nor must one be afraid that the words of Sophocles will be addressed to him: Most shameless son, who with his father dare To litigate, when one is speaking with all frankness on behalf of a brother who seems to be receiving unfair treatment. For to the parents themselves, when they are proved wrong, such a "litigation" makes defeat sweeter than victory.

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Compare Sirach 19:15 and Plutarch, Moralia 483

Deuterocanon · Classical

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Summary

In Sirach, a reader is told to question a friend before believing an accusation, since the report is often slander. The Greek philosopher Plutarch puts that same step first in a family argument, where a brother is defended before he is rebuked.

Passages

Sirach 19:15

Deuterocanon · Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
13 Question a friend; it may be he didn’t do it. If he did something, it may be that he may do it no more. 14 Question your neighbor; it may be he didn’t say it. If he has said it, it may be that he may not say it again. 15 Question a friend; for many times there is slander. Don’t trust every word. 16 There is one who slips, and not from the heart. Who is he who hasn’t sinned with his tongue? 17 Reprove your neighbor before you threaten him; and give place to the law of the Most High.
195–180 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Sirach

Plutarch, Moralia 483

Classical
Only after the erring brother has been defended in this manner should the other turn to him and rebuke him somewhat sharply, pointing out with all frankness his errors of commission and of omission. For one should neither give free rein to brothers, nor, again, should one trample on them when they are at fault (for the latter is the act of one who gloats over the sinner, the former that of one who aids and abets him), but should apply his admonition as one who cares for his brother and grieves with him. Otherwise he who has been the most zealous advocate before his parents becomes before the brother himself the most vehement of accusers. But if a brother is guiltless when he is accused, though it is right to be subservient to parents in everything else and to endure all their wrath and displeasure, yet pleas and justifications offered to parents on behalf of a brother who is being undeservedly criticized or punished are honourable and not reprehensible; nor must one be afraid that the words of Sophocles will be addressed to him:
75–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Plutarch, Moralia

References

“... Forgiveness, reconciliation, patience. Finally, ancient moralists stress the importance of practicing forgiveness within the kinship group, of bearing patiently with one another and seeking reconciliation wherever a breach occurs. Plutarch advises that a brother ought to rebuke a brother with all frankness when he errs, “but should apply his admonition as one who cares for his brother and grieves with him” (“On Fraternal Affection” 10 [Mor. 483B], LCL). Gentleness and forbearance are to characterize a sibling’s approach to the fault or injury caused by another. [...] See also Wisdom of Ben Sira 19:13-15 on the possibility that the friend or family member has been slandered and is not truly guilty of the offense of which one suspects him or her ...”
David A. deSilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000), 172–174.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Sirach 19:15 and Plutarch, Moralia 483

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