Texts in Conversation
Sirach, similar to Proverbs, echoes Deuteronomy and Exodus to emphasize justice for the poor, widows, and orphans. This connection shows how Sirach grounds its teaching in tradition, connected to the Torah and its emphasis on caring for the vulnerable.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Deuteronomy 10:18
Hebrew Bible
16 Therefore, circumcise your hearts and stop being so stubborn! 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who is unbiased and takes no bribe, 18 who justly treats the orphan and widow, and who loves resident foreigners, giving them food and clothing. 19 So you must love the resident foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Date: 750–400 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Sirach 35:15
Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
Deuterocanon
13 For the Lord repays, and he will repay you sevenfold. 14 Don’t plan to bribe him with gifts, for he will not receive them. 15 Don’t set your mind on an unrighteous sacrifice, For the Lord is the judge, and with him is no respect of persons. 16 He won’t accept any person against a poor man. He will listen to the prayer of him who is wronged. 17 He will in no way despise the supplication of the fatherless or the widow, when she pours out her tale. 18 Don’t the tears of the widow run down her cheek? 19 Isn’t her cry against him who has caused them to fall?
Date: 195–180 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Search:
Notes and References
"... the text of James echoes texts like Deuteronomy 10:17-18 and Sirach 35:10-15 ... Sophie Laws is right: "James is not here concerned with the definition of Christology [which the theophanic view emphasizes] but with the relation between faith and behavior" ..."
Scot McKnight, The Letter of James (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2011), 178–179.
* 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.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.
User Comments
,