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Sirach

Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus

About this book
Chapter 45

1 a man loved by God and men, even Moses, whose memory is blessed. 2 He made him equal to the glory of the saints, and magnified him in the fears of his enemies. 3 By his words he caused the wonders to cease. God glorified him in the sight of kings. He gave him commandments for his people and showed him part of his glory. 4 He sanctified him in his faithfulness and meekness. He chose him out of all people. 5 He made him to hear his voice, led him into the thick darkness, and gave him commandments face to face, even the law of life and knowledge, that he might teach Jacob the covenant, and Israel his judgments. 6 He exalted Aaron, a holy man like Moses, even his brother, of the tribe of Levi. 7 He established an everlasting covenant with him, and gave him the priesthood of the people. He blessed him with stateliness, and dressed him in a glorious robe. 8 He clothed him in perfect splendor, and strengthened him with symbols of authority: the linen trousers, the long robe, and the ephod. 9 He encircled him with pomegranates; with many golden bells around him, to make a sound as he went, to make a sound that might be heard in the temple, for a reminder for the children of his people;⁠ 10 with a holy garment, with gold, blue, and purple, the work of the embroiderer; with an oracle of judgment—Urim and Thummim; 11 with twisted scarlet, the work of the craftsman; with precious stones engraved like a signet, in a setting of gold, the work of the jeweller, for a reminder engraved in writing, after the number of the tribes of Israel; 12 with a crown of gold upon the mitre, having engraved on it, as on a signet, “HOLINESS”, an ornament of honor, the work of an expert, the desires of the eyes, fine and beautiful. 13 Before him there never have been anything like it. No stranger put them on, but only his sons and his offspring perpetually. 14 His sacrifices shall be wholly burned, twice every day continually. 15 Moses consecrated him, and anointed him with holy oil. It was an everlasting covenant with him and to his offspring, all the days of heaven, to minister to the Lord, to serve as a priest, and to bless his people in his name. 16 He chose him out of all living to offer sacrifice to the Lord— incense, and a sweet fragrance, for a memorial, to make atonement for your people. 17 He gave to him in his commandments, authority in the covenants of judgments, to teach Jacob the testimonies, and to enlighten Israel in his law. 18 Strangers conspired against him and envied him in the wilderness: Dathan and Abiram with their company, and the congregation of Korah, with wrath and anger. 19 The Lord saw it, and it displeased him. In the wrath of his anger, they were destroyed. He did wonders upon them, to consume them with flaming fire. 20 He added glory to Aaron, and gave him a heritage. He divided to him the first fruits of the increase, and prepared bread of first fruits in abundance. 21 For they eat the sacrifices of the Lord, which he gave to him and to his offspring. 22 However, in the land of the people, he has no inheritance, and he has no portion among the people, for the Lord himself is your portion and inheritance. 23 Phinehas the son of Eleazar is the third in glory, in that he was zealous in the fear of the Lord,⁠ and stood fast when the people turned away, and he made atonement for Israel. 24 Therefore, a covenant of peace was established for him, that he should be leader of the sanctuary and of his people, that he and his offspring should have the dignity of the priesthood forever. 25 Also he made a covenant with David the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah. The inheritance of the king is his alone from son to son. So the inheritance of Aaron is also to his seed. 26 May God give you wisdom in your heart to judge his people in righteousness, that their good things may not be abolished, and that their glory may endure for all their generations.

Texts in conversation

Compare Exodus 28:35 and Sirach 45:9

Hebrew Bible · Deuterocanon

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Summary

Exodus describes Aaron’s priestly robe with gold bells and pomegranates, noting their sound as a safeguard when he enters the sanctuary. Sirach recalls these details but omits the warning about the bells, instead presenting them as a sign of honor.

Passages

Exodus 28:35

Hebrew Bible
33 You are to make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet all around its hem and bells of gold between them all around. 34 The pattern is to be a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe. 35 The robe is to be on Aaron as he ministers, and his sound will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he leaves, so that he does not die. 36 “You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it the way a seal is engraved: ‘Holiness to the Lord.’ 37 You are to attach to it a blue cord so that it will be on the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Exodus

Sirach 45:9

Deuterocanon · Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
7 He established an everlasting covenant with him, and gave him the priesthood of the people. He blessed him with stateliness, and dressed him in a glorious robe. 8 He clothed him in perfect splendor, and strengthened him with symbols of authority: the linen trousers, the long robe, and the ephod. 9 He encircled him with pomegranates; with many golden bells around him, to make a sound as he went, to make a sound that might be heard in the temple, for a reminder for the children of his people; 10 with a holy garment, with gold, blue, and purple, the work of the embroiderer; with an oracle of judgment—Urim and Thummim; 11 with twisted scarlet, the work of the craftsman; with precious stones engraved like a signet, in a setting of gold, the work of the jeweller, for a reminder engraved in writing, after the number of the tribes of Israel;
195–180 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Sirach

References

"... It is beyond doubt that the description of Aaron’s garments in Sirach 45:6–12 stems from Exodus 28 and has not been borrowed from the narratives in Exodus 39 and Leviticus 8 which are, to a large extent, to be considered parallels. There are several observations to make for a reasonable case in favor of Exodus 28. First, Klaus Koch has demonstrated the narrative of Exodus 28 to be more original in relation to Exodus 39 and Leviticus 8. Second, John Snaith refers only to Exodus 28 without even mentioning the other two narratives in discussing the description of Aaron’s garments. Of more importance, however, are some textual data: 1) the curious collocation (‘breastplate of judgement’) in Sirach 45:10c is found only in Exodus 28:15, 29, 30, and not in the other two texts; 2) the ringing of the bells at the hem of Aaron’s outer garment (Sirach 45:8–9) is absent in Exodus 39 and Leviticus 9 but is found in Exodus 28:35. In this respect, it is notable that Ben Sira dropped the odd motivation found in Exodus 28:35 (“so that he may not die”), substituting it instead with the motivation given in Exodus 28:12 concerning the two stones on the shoulder straps of the ephod ..."
Pancratius C. Beentjes, “Ben Sira's Portrayal of Aaron and Phinehas (Sir 45:6–25): An Interaction between Tradition and Innovation,” in Ben Sira in Conversation with Traditions: A Festschrift for Prof. Núria Calduch-Benages on the Occasion of Her 65th Birthday, ed. Núria Calduch-Benages et al. (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2022), 51–63.

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Exodus 28:35 and Sirach 45:9

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