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Jesus Ben Sira

Sirach

Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus

About this book

The Origin of Wisdom

Chapter 1

1 All wisdom comes from the Lord, and is with him forever.⁠ 2 Who can count the sand of the seas, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity?⁠ 3 Who will explore the height of the sky, the breadth of the earth, the deep, and wisdom? 4 Wisdom was created before all things,⁠ and prudent understanding from eternity. 6 To whom has the root of wisdom been revealed? Who has known her subtle thoughts? 8 There is one who is wise and greatly to be feared, the Lord, sitting on his throne. 9 He created her. He saw and measured her. He poured her out on all his works.⁠ 10 She is with all flesh according to his gift. He gave her freely to those who love him.

Reverence for God and Wisdom

11 The fear of the Lord is glory, jubilation, gladness, and a crown of rejoicing. 12 The fear of the Lord will delight the heart, and will give gladness, joy, and length of days. 13 For whoever fears the Lord, things will go well at the end. He will be blessed on the day of his death.

14 To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It was created together with the faithful in the womb. 15 She laid an eternal foundation among people. She will be trusted among their offspring. 16 To fear the Lord is the fullness of wisdom. She intoxicates people with her fruits. 17 She will fill all her house with desirable things, and her storehouses with her produce.

18 The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom,⁠ making peace and perfect health flourish. 19 He both saw and measured her. He rained down skill and knowledge of understanding, and exalted the honor of those who hold firmly to her. 20 To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom. Her branches bring long life. 21 The fear of the Lord drives away sins.⁠ Where it resides, it will turn away all anger.

Patience and Humility

22 Unjust anger can never be justified, for his anger tips the scale to his downfall.⁠ 23 A patient person will endure for a time, and afterward joy will spring up for him. 24 He will hide his words until the right moment, and the lips of many will tell of his understanding. 25 A wise saying is in the treasures of wisdom, but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.

26 If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments and the Lord will give her to you freely, 27 for the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction. Faith and humility are his good pleasure.⁠ 28 Don’t disobey the fear of the Lord. Don’t come to him with a double heart. 29 Don’t be a hypocrite in people’s sight. Keep watch over your lips. 30 Don’t exalt yourself, so that you do not fall and bring dishonor on your soul. The Lord will reveal your secrets and will cast you down in the middle of the congregation, because you didn’t come to the fear of the Lord and your heart was full of deceit.

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Texts in conversation

Compare Jesus Ben Sira, Sirach 1:27 and Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 2.15

Deuterocanon · Early Christian

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Summary

The Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria uses Sirach as an authoritative source when he repeats its teaching that wisdom begins with reverence and discipline. His use of Sirach shows how it shaped early Christian tradition.

Passages

Jesus Ben Sira, Sirach 1:27

Deuterocanon · Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
25 A wise saying is in the treasures of wisdom,
but godliness is an abomination to a sinner. 26 If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments
and the Lord will give her to you freely, 27 for the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction.
Faith and humility are his good pleasure. 28 Don’t disobey the fear of the Lord.
Don’t come to him with a double heart. 29 Don’t be a hypocrite in people’s sight.
Keep watch over your lips.
195–175 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Jesus Ben Sira, Sirach

Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 2.15

Early Christian
Thence one of the wise men among the Greeks uttered the maxim, “Pardon is better than punishment;” as also, “Become surety, and mischief is at hand,” is derived from the utterance of Solomon which says, “My son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou wilt give thine hand to thy enemy; for a man’s own lips are a strong snare to him, and he is taken in the words of his own mouth.” And the saying, “Know thyself,” has been taken rather more mystically from this, “Thou hast seen thy brother, thou hast seen thy God.” Thus also, “Thou shalt love the Load thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself;” for it is said, “On these commandments the law and the prophets hang and are suspended.” With these also agree the following: “These things have I spoken to you, that My joy might be fulfilled: and this is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” “For the Lord is merciful and pitiful; and gracious is the Lord to all.” “Know thyself” is more clearly and often expressed by Moses, when he enjoins, “Take heed to thyself.” “By alms then, and acts of faith, sins are purged.” “And by the fear of the Lord each one departs from evil.” “And the fear of the Lord is instruction and wisdom.”
195 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Clement of Alexandria, Stromata Book 2

References

"... The Hebrew of Ben Sira was not included in the Jewish biblical canon. Testimony to its survival, however, is found in the numerous quotations of the book in rabbinic literature. Of course, the medieval manuscripts discovered in the Cairo Genizah constitute prima facie evidence for its continued existence in Hebrew. The Greek translation seems to have been influential in early Christianity, and it eventually was included in the Christian Old Testament (only to be excised by Protestants in the sixteenth century). Sirach is not cited explicitly in the New Testament, and scholars differ as to how much influence it had on the New Testament writings. Those who see broad influence have argued for it primarily in Matthew, Luke, some of Paul’s letters and the Epistle of James (compare Harrington, Invitation, p. 90; Schürer, History, vol. III.1, pp. 205–208). In other early Christian literature, Didache 4:5 and Barnabas 19:9 bear a very close resemblance to, and perhaps are taken from, Sirach 4:31. If these texts do depend on Sirach, they would be the earliest examples of direct Christian use of the book. A healthy number of Greek and Latin church fathers, including Clement of Alexandria, Origen, John Chrysostom, Tertullian, Jerome and Augustine, use Sirach in their writings, and as early as Clement of Alexandria Sirach is cited as scripture, demonstrating the high regard the book came to have in Christian tradition ..."
Daniel Ryan, “Sirach (Ecclesiasticus),” in The T&T Clark Companion to the Septuagint, ed. James K. Aitken, Bloomsbury Companions (London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2015), 410–424.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Jesus Ben Sira, Sirach 1:27 and Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 2.15

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