What does Sirach 7 mean about having a care of your daughters' bodies?
A viewer asks the meaning of Sirach 7, especially the phrase about not showing a cheerful countenance toward one's daughters.
Answer
It really depends on your translation. The Douay-Rheims here has, hast thou daughters, have a care of their body, and show not thy countenance cheerful toward them. The RSV reads it more clearly: do you have daughters? Be concerned for their chastity, and do not show yourself too indulgent with them. Now that makes more sense. Being the father of six daughters, I would say this is one of the most important verses any father needs to pay attention to. A father has two worries: that his daughter will not be attractive enough to bring companionship and never marry, or that she will be so beautiful that the first man who comes along seduces her and she marries too young and unwisely. You want her to fill the middle. The one thing we try hardest to teach in our family is chastity, and there is nothing better you can teach your daughter, because if she has that virtue everything else falls into place. And do not show yourself too indulgent with them means this: once a girl thinks she can wrap a man around her finger, she thinks she can do anything and get anything she wants, so you do not want to train her that way. We are not making anything up; we are just telling them what life is like before they go out and discover it.