Sirach 36:20 - A froward heart will cause heaviness: And a man of experience will recompense him.

Generated Verse: Sirach 36:20

What does "Sirach 36:20" mean?


Sirach 36:20 states: "A froward heart will cause heaviness: And a man of experience will recompense him."

Let's break this down:

"A froward heart": "Froward" means willfully stubborn, disobedient, rebellious, or perverse. A "froward heart" refers to someone who is deliberately difficult, resistant to instruction, and prone to doing wrong.

"will cause heaviness": This means that a froward or rebellious attitude will bring sorrow, grief, trouble, or difficulty to the person who has it and possibly to those around them. It suggests that stubbornness and disobedience lead to negative consequences.

"And a man of experience": This refers to a wise, seasoned, or knowledgeable person who has learned from their own past and has an understanding of the ways of the world and/or God.

"will recompense him": "Recompense" can mean to reward, repay, or compensate, but it can also mean to punish or repay for wrongdoing. In this context, it likely means that a man of experience will bring about the deserved consequences for the person with the froward heart. This could manifest in a few ways:

Guidance/Correction: The experienced man might try to guide or correct the froward person, offering wisdom to help them change their ways.
Consequences: The experienced man, due to his wisdom, might be able to see the inevitable negative consequences that the froward person is bringing upon themselves and others, and he might allow those consequences to unfold as a form of necessary correction.
Imposition of Justice: In some scenarios, the experienced man may have a position of authority and be the one to administer the appropriate consequences for the froward person's actions.

In Summary
The verse is essentially saying that stubbornness and disobedience lead to sorrow or difficulty. A wise, experienced person can help lead to the consequence or correction of a rebellious individual. This could be through guidance, allowing the natural consequences of actions to unfold, or, if necessary, imposing a just penalty.

The verse encourages humility and a willingness to learn from those who are wiser and more experienced, and it warns against the dangers of being stubbornly resistant to good counsel.