Texts in Conversation
Sirach portrays the wise ruler as one who educates the people, presenting instruction as the foundation of stable rule. Wisdom of Solomon uses similar language, underscoring a shared view that the defining mark of a good ruler is supporting the people and creating stability.
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Sirach 10:1
Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
Deuterocanon
1 A wise magistrate educates his people, and the rule of an intelligent person is well ordered. 2 As the people's judge is, so are his officials; as the ruler of the city is, so are all its inhabitants. 3 An undisciplined king ruins his people, but a city becomes fit to live in through the understanding of its rulers. 4 The government of the earth is in the hand of the Lord, and over it he will raise up the right leader for the time. 5 Human success is in the hand of the Lord, and it is he who confers honor upon the lawgiver.
Date: 195-175 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Wisdom of Solomon 6:24
Deuterocanon
22 I will tell you what wisdom is and how she came to be, and I will hide no secrets from you, but I will trace her course from the beginning of creation, and make knowledge of her clear, and I will not pass by the truth; 23 nor will I travel in the company of sickly envy, for envy does not associate with wisdom. 24 The multitude of the wise is the salvation of the world, and a sensible king is the stability of any people. 25 Therefore be instructed by my words, and you will profit.
Date: 100-50 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... In Sirach, since governance of the world and of humanity is ascribed to God, it is thought that this is a direct substitution for the rulership by Hellenistic kings. However, the first thing to note in these verses is the attention to the universal nature of divine rule. Solomon himself is said to have surpassed all other kings on the earth (1 Kings 10:23–24; compare 5:14), and we see in other texts attention to rulers over the earth. This reflects a theme that is to be found in Psalm 2 as a criticism of earthly monarchs as rulers of the earth. It is a phrase that is picked up in 1 Maccabees as a portrayal of the Hellenistic kingdoms: “He fought many battles, conquered strongholds, and put to death the kings of the earth. He advanced to the ends of the earth, and plundered many nations” (1 Maccabees 1:2–3). Later, in the Wisdom of Solomon (1:1; 6) it is a neutral and broadly applied term to all rulers, although it may have its basis in the language of Psalm 2:2. It is God who has rulership of the world according to Sirach, but it is explicitly stated that he appoints individuals to govern under him (10:4) ..."
Aitken, James K.
"Sirach and Imperial History: A Reassessment" in Adams, Samuel L., Matthew J. Goff (ed.) Sirach and Its Contexts: The Pursuit of Wisdom and Human Flourishing
(pp. 184-210) Brill, 2021
* 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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