Texts in Conversation
Sirach describes wisdom as a teacher whose yoke brings discipline that leads to joy and rest. Matthew uses the same imagery of the yoke, describing Jesus' teaching as humble and also bringing rest.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Sirach 6:28
Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
Deuterocanon
22 For wisdom is according to her name. She isn’t manifest to many. 23 Give ear, my son, and accept my judgment. Don’t refuse my counsel. 24 Bring your feet into her fetters, and your neck into her chain. 25 Put your shoulder under her and bear her. Don’t be grieved with her bonds. 26 Come to her with all your soul. Keep her ways with your whole power. 27 Search and seek, and she will be made known to you. When you get hold of her, don’t let her go. 28 For at the last you will find her rest; and she will be turned for you into gladness. 29 Her fetters will be to you for a covering of strength, and her chains for a robe of glory. 30 For there is a golden ornament upon her, and her bands are a purple cord. 31 You shall put her on as a robe of glory, and shall put her on as a crown of rejoicing.
Date: 195–180 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Matthew 11:29
New Testament
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”
Date: 70–90 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Rather than invite his audience to bear the yoke of wisdom, Jesus presents his own yoke to the humble and the weak (Matthew 11:29). Another difference from Sirach is a Jesus’ insisting on himself as a higher authority than the Wisdom in Sirach. Jesus promises He will provide rest to the one who willing to bear the yoke of Jesus and to learn from Him, whereas Sirach conditionally promises that one will find rest as long as he/she takes hold of wisdom (Sirach 6:28). Thus, Jesus’ role has more initiative than the Sirach’s, which is more similar to that of God ..."
Juheon Kim, “Christology of Q and Wisdom: The Case Study on the Johannine Thunderbolt Pericope” (diss., Chongshin University, 2015), 53.
* 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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