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SIRACH

Also called the Wisdom of Ben Sira, after the name of the author (Heb. ben sîrāʾ), or the Latin title, Ecclesiasticus (“the church [book]”). It is classified among the deuterocanonical or apocryphal works, absent from the Jewish and Protestant canon, but regarded as Scripture by Roman Catholics and the Orthodox. It was written in Hebrew ca. 180 b.c.e. and translated into Greek by the author’s grandson (who introduced it with an important prologue) ca. 130. Sirach has had an unusual history. From the time of Jerome to about 1900 the Hebrew text was practically unknown to the Western world, and the book was transmitted in Greek, Latin, and other ancient versions. The discoveries of portions of the Hebrew text in a Cairo geniza and recently at Masada and Qumran have yielded about two thirds of the Hebrew. This has resulted in better modern translations (e.g., NRSV, whose chapter/verse numbering is to be followed).

Ben Sira died before the critical Maccabean period convulsed Palestine. He was aware of the threat of Hellenism (cf. his prayer in 36:1-22), and his strategy was to meet it by a strong exhortation to be faithful to traditional Israelite belief. He does this in the form of wisdom teaching that resembles the book of Proverbs: short sayings (usually included in relatively smooth longer units), instructions (favoring 22 and 23 lines in length; e.g., 1:11-30), hymns of praise (e.g., 39:12-35; 42:15–43:33), and didactic historical narrative (“the praise of the ancestors,” 44:1–49:16). He was a scribe, most probably a Jerusalemite, who appreciated his craft, as his celebrated description of the various trades demonstrates (38:24–39:11).

Contents

The book does not lend itself to a simple outline. Here we can only select some of the more outstanding topics that he dealt with. Wisdom is, of course, the most important. The work opens with a poem on the origin of wisdom (1:1-10): She is from God, who has poured her out on all his works and lavished her upon friends. This succinct summary is developed at length in the famous ch. 24, where Wisdom is clearly personified as a woman. Before the members of the heavenly court she describes her origins “from the mouth of the Most High” before creation (cf. Prov. 8:22-31), and her dominion over all nature and peoples (24:5-6). But she wants to dwell somewhere, and the “Creator of all” gives her Jacob/Israel as her inheritance. In the holy city of Zion she ministers before God. She describes her excellence in terms of images of trees and plants, and issues an invitation to all to partake of her fruit, a fruit that will make them hunger for her all the more. When she finishes her speech Ben Sira identifies her outright with the “book of the covenant,” “the law that Moses commanded” (24:23). For the first time, the elusive figure of OT Wisdom is explicitly identified. This equation of Wisdom and Torah is hinted at in Deut. 4:6-8, but it is affirmed several times in Sirach (e.g., 15:1; 19:20).

Equally important is “fear of the Lord,” long a favorite concern in Wisdom Literature (Prov. 1:7). The very first chapter has a lengthy poem on fear of the Lord: it is “the beginning of wisdom”; indeed it is wisdom, and also the “root,” “crown,” and “fullness” of wisdom. “Those who fear the Lord will have a happy end; on the day of their death they will be blessed” (1:13). Because in modern times “fear” of God is usually considered a negative term, it is important to recognize that in the Wisdom Literature it has the sense of reverence, obedience, and even of love. In 2:15-16 fear and love appear together and indicate loving service, just as fear and love are frequently paired in the exhortations of Deuteronomy (Deut. 6:13, 24; 10:12-13; cf. Job 28:28).

Ben Sira shares the typical OT view on sin and suffering, and the doctrine of retribution. He does allow for periods of testing and adversity, but urges perseverance and steadfastness (2:1-6); things will right themselves in the end (11:26-27). He was not unaware of the difficulties in this doctrine, but he remained firm in his views: virtue is to be rewarded with health and prosperity, children and a long life, and an enduring “name” (41:12-13) or reputation. The wicked will lack these blessings. Despite appearances to the contrary, sooner or later they will receive their just punishment from God. Of course, the divine retribution had to take place in this life, since there was no real life after death; there was only Sheol, where everyone, good and bad alike, would find themselves on equal terms. There was no loving contact with the Lord (17:27-28), just as the psalmists also complained (Ps. 6:5[MT 6]; 30:9[10]).

The OT displays a certain ambivalence in the description of human acts. On the one hand, the agency of the Lord is always at work. As Jeremiah put it (Jer. 10:23), “the way of human beings is not in their control” (cf. Sir. 33:12; Prov. 16:9). But on the other hand, human responsibility is presumed and even affirmed. Sirach leaves no doubt: “Do not say, ‘It was the Lord’s doing that I fell away’. . . . It was he who created humankind in the beginning, and he left them in the power of their own free choice” (15:11-14). Sirach differs from the usual wisdom stance in that he explicitly envisions conversion for sinners (17:25-26). He shares in the OT warning that sacrifice is futile unless it is accompanied by moral integrity: “The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly, nor for a multitude of sacrifices does he forgive sins” (34:23). He shows admirable balance in judging ritual and morality: sacrifice is in order, but almsgiving is also a “sacrifice of praise” (35:1-11).

Less convincing is Sirach’s view of the polarities he finds in this world. He composes several beautiful hymns in praise of the works of the Lord (39:12-35; 42:15–43:33). Their strength lies in their lively imagery. But his boundless optimism is difficult to accept: “All the works of the Lord are very good. . . . The works of all (humankind) are before him. . . . No one can say, ‘What is this?’ or ‘Why is that?’ ” (39:16-21). However, there is the inevitable distinction between the virtuous and the sinner: good things for the good, but for the sinner, good things and bad (39:25). The second hymn (42:15–43:33) is in praise of creation, somewhat reminiscent of Pss. 144–145; Job 38–41. He plays with the idea that all things come in pairs (e.g., night and day) and this match catches his imagination. But when such a doctrine of opposites is applied to Providence, the weakness of his views appears, as in 33:7-15: “Why is one day more important than another?” After exemplifying several polarities he concludes that just as good is the opposite of evil, and life contrasts with death, so the sinner is the opposite of the godly person (33:14): “Look at all the works of the Most High; they come in pairs, one the opposite of the other” (33:15). His enthusiasm for the polarities is off the mark; they do nothing to solve the mystery which confronted both the author of Job and Qohelet in a traumatic way.

Sirach’s “Hymn in Honor of Our Ancestors” (an early title appended to 44:1–49:16) succeeds in covering a significant portion of Israelite traditions. He is the first sage to have incorporated historical material into wisdom teaching, and he is followed in this by the author of the Wisdom of Solomon (Wis. 10–19). The abrupt beginning with Enoch in 44:16 is followed by descriptions of people Sirach obviously favors, such as Moses and Aaron, Joshua, Samuel, David, Elijah and Elisha, Hezekiah (but the kings generally receive blame, 49:4-5), and Ezekiel. The mention of the prophet contains a reference to Job (cf. Ezek. 14:14, 20) so casual as to give the impression that Sirach never struggled with the problem of Job. Ch. 50, which is really apart from the hymn, gives full attention to the role of Simon, son of Onias, high priest ca. 200, whose priestly activities are described and admired by Ben Sira.

Finally, we may examine Sirach’s own view of his life and activity. As already noted, he exalted the work of the scribe (39:1-11), a class to which he doubtless belonged. He also betrayed an understandable pride in his own role as a wisdom teacher. After he identifies Woman Wisdom with the Torah in ch. 24, Sirach likens his role to a small stream that becomes a sea, and compares his teaching to prophecy (vv. 30-34). In the final chapter he offers a hymn of thanksgiving in the traditional style of a psalm, but we are unable to determine the situation that called it forth (51:1-12). There follows an acrostic poem, the text and meaning of which has been considerably enhanced by the discovery of its Hebrew form in Cave 11 at Qumran. Sirach describes his ardent pursuit of Woman Wisdom, and invites the reader to share in his teaching.

Bibliography. R. E. Murphy, The Tree of Life, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, 1996); P. W. Skehan and A. A. DiLella, The Wisdom of Ben Sira. AB 39 (New York, 1987).

Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm.

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

SIRACH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)