Texts in Conversation
The Christian theologian Dionysius of Alexandria uses Sirach as an authoritative source to teach about the order and harmony of creation, repeating its account of how God created everything to last forever.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Sirach 16:26
Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
Deuterocanon
24 My son, listen to me, learn knowledge, and heed my words with your heart. 25 I will impart instruction with precision, and declare knowledge exactly. 26 In the judgment of the Lord are his works from the beginning. From the making of them he determined their boundaries. 27 He arranged his works for all time, and their beginnings to their generations. They aren’t hungry or weary, and they don’t cease from their works. 28 No one pushes aside his neighbor. They will never disobey his word.
Dionysius of Alexandria, Dionysius Miscellaneous Writings
Early Christian
After a short break he proceeds thus:— Moreover, those stars which form a community so multitudinous and various, which these erratic and ever self-dispersing atoms have constituted, have marked off by a kind of covenant the tracts for their several possessions, portioning these out like colonies and governments, but without the presidency of any founder or house-master; and with pledged fealty and in peace they respect the laws of vicinity with their neighbours, and abstain from passing beyond the boundaries which they received at the outset, just as if they enjoyed the legislative administration of true princes in the atoms. Nevertheless these atoms exercise no rule. For how could these, that are themselves nothing, do that? But listen to the divine oracles: The works of the Lord are in judgment; from the beginning, and from His making of them, He disposed the parts thereof. He garnished His works for ever, and their principles unto their generations.
Date: 248–264 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... In the Bible, the angels are mentioned in several places, but nothing is said about their creation. Many ancient interpreters, therefore, found it necessary to speak about their creation sometime during the first six days. (See, e.g, Sirach 16:26-30; 11Q5 xxxi 'Hymn to the Creator'; 2 Enoch 29:3; Targum Pseudo-Jonathan 1:26; Genesis Rabbah 1:3; Pirke De'Rabbi Eliezar ...) According to Jubilees, the angels were even created on the first day of creation. It occurs as the fourth work of creation on that day (2:2–3), and hence it occupies a central position ..."
van Ruiten, Jaques T. A.
"Angelic Authority: Continuities and Transformation in the Angelic World of the Book of Jubilees" in Tefera, Amsalu (ed.) Representations of Angelic Beings in Early Jewish and in Christian Traditions
(pp. 47-78) Mohr Siebeck, 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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