In a time when common sense is no longer so common, people today stand in greater need of wisdom than ever. The wisdom books of the Bible, written thousands of years ago, continue to speak to every age, offering timeless principles for living a good life in accordance with God’s purposes. The book of Sirach is a treasure trove of such enduring wisdom. Similar in style and content to Proverbs, it offers gems of practical advice for living well, in right relationship with God and neighbor. While originally addressed to Jews living in the †Hellenistic era, it continues to speak to people in every age and culture. As one of the deuterocanonical books in the Catholic Bible, Sirach is also a very Catholic book. Indeed, it has long been known as Ecclesiasticus, “the book of the Church,” largely due to its widespread use in the early Church as a handbook of moral training for catechumens.

The book of Sirach was written in Hebrew in Jerusalem at the beginning of the second century BC and translated into Greek by the author’s grandson in Egypt around 132 BC. The title of the book according to most Greek manuscripts is “The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach.” This matches the author’s self-identification as “Jesus [Hebrew Yeshua] the son of Sirach, son of Eleazar, of Jerusalem” in the Greek text of 50:27. Although the Hebrew text of this verse identifies the author as “Simeon, the son of Yeshua, the son of Eleazar, the son of Sira,”A postscript in the Hebrew text of 51:30 also includes this alternate name: “Thus far the words of Simeon, the son of Yeshua, who is called Ben Sira. The Wisdom of Simeon, the son of Yeshua, the son of Eleazar, the son of Sira.” tradition has followed the Greek text and the testimony of the author’s grandson, who refers to him in the prologue as “my grandfather Jesus.”
The book is known in Jewish tradition as Sepher Ben Sira (“The Book of Ben Sira”).Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah 13a; Niddah 16b; Berakhot 11b. In the †Vulgate and in Latin Christian tradition, it has been traditionally known as Ecclesiasticus, but this name has fallen into disuse today because it is easily confused with the book of Ecclesiastes. Today the book is commonly referred to as Sirach—the Greek form of the Hebrew Sira—or The Wisdom of Sirach. Scholars typically distinguish the author from the book by referring to the author as Ben Sira and the book as Sirach. We will follow the same convention in this volume.
We know about the author both from the prologue written by his grandson and from several autobiographical remarks sprinkled throughout the book. Ben Sira was a devout Jew, a †sage, and a scribe (38:24; 39:1–11), who “after acquiring considerable proficiency” in Israel’s sacred writings set out to write “something pertaining to instruction and wisdom” (prologue). It appears that he acquired his broad learning not only through study but also through extensive travel (34:9–12; 51:13) and a pious life of prayer and devotion to the law (51:13–22). He may have been a renowned teacher and head of an academy for the instruction of youth in Jerusalem (51:23). Yet his goal was not merely to convey “instruction and wisdom” to his students but also to anchor them firmly in the faith and religion of Israel, so that “those who love learning should make even greater progress in living according to the law” (prologue).
Ben Sira lived in Jerusalem and likely wrote his book there shortly after the priestly ministry of “Simon, son of Onias” (50:1–21). This figure is Simeon II, who was high priest in Jerusalem from 219 to 196 BC, near the end of the †Ptolemaic rule over Judea. Ben Sira’s vivid depiction of Simon’s liturgical ministry in the temple reads like the account of an eyewitness who personally observed the scene. Yet Simon had likely died by the time of the book’s writing (50:1). On the one hand, this implies that Ben Sira wrote sometime soon after Simon’s death in 196 BC. On the other hand, the book never alludes to the fierce persecution that Antiochus IV Epiphanes unleashed against the Jews in the years following his accession to the throne in 175 BC. This suggests that the book of Sirach was written sometime between 196 and 175 BC, with 190–180 BC being a commonly accepted range.
Ben Sira’s grandson informs us in the prologue that his grandfather wrote his book in Hebrew. The grandson later translated the book into Greek after coming to Egypt (most likely Alexandria) “in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Euergetes.” This Euergetes is King Ptolemy VIII Physcon (sometimes numbered VII), who reigned 170–116 BC.Ptolemy VIII Euergetes co-reigned over Egypt with his brother Ptolemy VI Philometor from 170 to 164. Euergetes briefly expelled Philometor in 164, but the people of Alexandria drove out Euergetes the following year and reinstated Philometor until his death in 145, during which Euergetes was king of Cyrene. After Philometor’s death, Euergetes regained the throne and co-reigned with Cleopatra II and Cleopatra III until his death in 116 BC. These dates indicate that Ben Sira’s grandson came to Egypt in 132 BC and began translating his grandfather’s book shortly thereafter, publishing the work sometime after Euergetes’s death in 116 BC.
A little-known alternate prologue, preserved in the King James Bible under the heading “A Prologue Made by an Uncertain Author,” provides more information about Jesus Ben Sira and his ancestry. Because it is not original to the text and found in only one Greek manuscript, it is omitted from most modern translations and commentaries.The alternate prologue is found in MS 248, one of the most important textual witnesses for the longer Greek text. Yet this prologue is very old: it stems from a work traditionally attributed to St. Athanasius (ca. AD 298–373) entitled Synopsis Scripturae Sacrae. Although some scholars today view this origin as spurious and date the work to the sixth century, it remains a valuable ancient witness that is worth reprinting here:

This Jesus was the son of Sirach, and grandchild to Jesus of the same name with him: this man therefore lived in the latter times, after the people had been led away captive, and called home again, and almost after all the prophets. Now his grandfather Jesus, as he himself witnesses, was a man of great diligence and wisdom among the Hebrews, who did not only gather the grave and short sentences of wise men, that had been before him, but himself also uttered some of his own, full of much understanding and wisdom. When as therefore the first Jesus died, leaving this book almost perfected, Sirach his son receiving it after him left it to his own son Jesus, who, having gotten it into his hands, compiled it all orderly into one volume, and called it Wisdom, entitling it both by his own name, his father’s name, and his grandfather’s; alluring the hearer by the very name of Wisdom to have a greater love to the study of this book. It contains therefore wise sayings, dark sentences, and parables, and certain particular ancient godly stories of men that pleased God; also his prayer and song; moreover, what benefits God had vouchsafed his people, and what plagues he had heaped upon their enemies. This Jesus did imitate Solomon, and was no less famous for wisdom and learning, both being indeed a man of great learning, and so reputed also.The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible with the Apocrypha: King James Version, rev. ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), 117. Translation modified.

Piecing together the names found in the two prologues and in the text, one arrives at the following genealogy:

1. Jesus Eleazar (author’s grandfather)
2. Sirach (author’s father)
3. Jesus, son of Sirach (the book’s author)
4. Unnamed (author’s son)
5. Unnamed Greek translator and author of the prologue (author’s grandson)

Figure 1. Map of the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Empires at the time of Sirach [Baker Publishing Group]

Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Persian Empire in 334–330 BC transformed the ancient Near East and ushered in the †Hellenistic period—the period of Greek rule and influence over the land of Israel. After Alexander’s death in 323, his four generals carved up his vast empire. Ptolemy I Soter ruled over Egypt, and Seleucus I ruled over Syria. Due to its strategic position as a passageway between Africa and Asia, Judea soon became a battleground between the †Ptolemies and the †Seleucids. The Ptolemies ruled over the area from 301 to 198 BC. This was a period of relative peace and stability for the Jews. Many sought better economic opportunities and resettled in Greek colonies around the Mediterranean. This voluntary dispersion in the Hellenistic world became known as the Jewish ^†Diaspora. As Greek became the lingua franca of the Mediterranean world, the Jews of the Diaspora learned the language and adopted Greek customs and ideas. It is during the Ptolemaic period, around 250 BC, that the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek in Alexandria, producing the Septuagint. Yet despite the proliferation of the Greek language and culture, the Jews were by and large able to preserve their faith and customs under Ptolemaic rule.
During the Fifth Syrian War (202–198 BC), the Seleucids, led by Antiochus III the Great, defeated the Ptolemaic army at Panias in 198 BC, establishing their control over the region and marking the end of the Ptolemaic rule over Judea. The Seleucid reign over the Jews began peaceably under Antiochus III and his son Seleucus IV Philopator (187–175). It was probably during this period that Ben Sira authored his book. Onias III was high priest, and the book of 2 Maccabees speaks of him in glowing terms: “The holy city was inhabited in unbroken peace and the laws were very well observed because of the piety of the high priest Onias and his hatred of wickedness” (2 Macc 3:1).
Nevertheless, the growing influence of Greek culture (^†Hellenism) was posing increasingly great challenges to Jewish society. The Seleucids promoted an aggressive policy of Hellenization, imposing Greek culture and mores upon the peoples under their rule. Many Jews embraced the Greek way of life, while others—including Ben Sira—perceived it as a threat to the Jewish religion and culture and set out to resist it. Indeed, the pressure of Hellenization would soon escalate into a full-fledged persecution against the Jews, probably a short time after Sirach was written.
The book of Sirach thus appears to be, at least in some respects, a defense of Judaism against the rising challenges of Hellenism in the early second century BC. The author attempts to counter the rising influence of Greek thought by insisting that true wisdom is found not in Greek philosophy but rather in Israel and in the observance of the ^†Torah. He drives home this point by closely integrating Israel’s salvation history into his wisdom teachings (see the section titled “Sirach within the Bible,” below).

Figure 2. Timeline of Ptolemaic and Seleucid rule over Judea around the time Sirach was written

Yet ironically, Ben Sira is not entirely immune to the influences of Hellenism and other Gentile sources of wisdom. Although his primary influence is certainly the Hebrew Bible, he also credits much of his learning and experience of the world to his travels abroad (34:9–12), and he encourages his disciples to do the same (39:4). Ben Sira does not have a problem borrowing from Greek ideas when these confirm the truth found in Judaism and in the Jewish Scriptures. Scholars have noted many parallels between Sirach and the Greek lyric poet Theognis, and (to a lesser degree) with writers such as Euripides, Xenophon, Hesiod, Homer, and Sophocles. Some identify traces of Stoic and Epicurean philosophies in his theology. According to Stoicism, the universe is ruled by the divine Logos (word or rationality) that is immanent (present) within it. To live well, people must reflect the Logos by conforming themselves to nature and reason. Thus, by obeying the natural laws of the cosmos, humans achieve harmony with the universe and attain a form of wisdom. Some find points of contact with Stoicism in Sirach’s ideal of human dignity (41:14–42:8), in the unity of the world (43:27) or of the human race (36:1–4). Others discern in Sirach hints of Epicureanism, which sought a balanced life ruled by reason, free of bodily pain and inner disquiet (14:11–16; 30:21–25; 31:27–29). Still others see Hellenistic features in Sirach’s association of virtue with knowledge and wickedness with folly, his adoption of Greek customs pertaining to banquets and medical practices, and his use of philosophical arguments to defend divine justice.On the relationship between Ben Sira and non-Jewish literature, see Patrick W. Skehan and Alexander A. Di Lella, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, AB (New York: Doubleday, 1987), 46–50; James L. Crenshaw, “The Book of Sirach,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, ed. Leander E. Keck (Nashville: Abingdon, 1994), 5:624–26; Richard J. Clifford, The Wisdom Literature, Interpreting Biblical Texts (Nashville: Abingdon, 1998), 117.

Like Proverbs, Sirach is a compilation of wisdom texts intended to serve as a handbook of moral behavior. Although its materials are organized in larger thematic units than Proverbs, it remains difficult to identify a clear structure in such a long book that is primarily composed of wisdom poems, moral exhortations, and words of advice for leading a good life. Nevertheless, the book can be divided into three main divisions (chaps. 1–23; 24–43; 44–50), framed by the prologue and an epilogue (chap. 51). The Greek text includes headings that confirm this basic division: “The Praise of Wisdom” at 24:1, and “Praise of Our Fathers” at 44:1. Some commentators divide the book into five parts, paralleling the structure of the Pentateuch, where each part consists of a doctrinal introduction followed by practical teachings (1:1–16:23; 16:24–23:27; 24:1–32:13; 32:14–42:14; 42:15–50:29).J. Gavigan, B. McCarthy, and T. McGovern, eds., The Navarre Bible: Wisdom Books (New York: Scepter, 2004), 383–84. Still others divide the book into eight major parts, each beginning with a poem on wisdom.Skehan and Di Lella, Wisdom of Ben Sira, xiii–xvi. The present commentary organizes the contents of the book by combining its three main divisions (Books One, Two, Three) with its eight major parts (Parts I–VIII):

Prologue

Book One (1–23)

Part I (1:1–4:10)

Part II (4:11–6:17)

Part III (6:18–14:19)

Part IV (14:20–23:28)

Book Two (24–43)

Part V (24:1–33:17)

Part VI (33:18–38:23)

Part VII (38:24–43:33)

Book Three (44–50)

Part VIII (44:1–50:29)

Epilogue (51)

Sirach’s literary features closely resemble those found in Proverbs. The entire book is written in poetic form, of which the most common feature is †parallelism—a pair of lines where the second completes the thought of the first. In a synonymous parallelism, the second line repeats and confirms the first using different words (e.g., 1:17). In a synthetic parallelism, the second line clarifies or develops the thought of the first (12:3; 35:1). In an antithetic parallelism, the second line expresses the opposite of the first, often highlighting the contrast between wise and foolish behavior (21:22).

The most common literary genre within the book is the mashal—a broad Hebrew term meaning “proverb,” “aphorism,” or “maxim.” The mashal is a brief, often catchy, and witty statement that typically expresses a widely recognized truth or self-evident observation about life that the hearer is expected to acknowledge as true or binding.
One common type of mashal is the saying—a sentence, based on experience, that is either observational or didactic. An observational saying does not prescribe how to act; it is a truth statement that observes reality “the way it is” and reminds readers of the laws and principles that govern human existence (6:14; 14:17). A didactic saying, by contrast, implies a good course of action and a bad one, though it stops short of commanding the former or prohibiting the latter (3:26–29). Sirach uses those extensively, including “good” sayings (13:24), “better” sayings (10:27; 19:24), numerical sayings (25:1; 26:28), “abomination” sayings (13:20), “blessed” sayings (14:1–2, 20), and their counterpart, “woe” sayings (2:12–14).
A second type of mashal is the instruction or admonition. Expressed in the imperative, often authoritatively addressing the reader as “my son” (or some other paternal address), it is a command, either positive (3:8) or negative (3:10), calling for a certain course of action and often reinforced by warnings, admonitions, promises of rewards, or other motivating clauses (35:12–13).
Less frequently, a mashal can also be expressed in the form of rhetorical questions (10:19) or apostrophe—a direct rhetorical address to a person or a personified thing (41:1–2; 47:14–21).
Yet the literary richness of Sirach is not limited to the mashal. The book also includes wisdom poems (1:1–10; 24:1–23), prayers (22:27–23:6; 36:1–17), hymns of praise (42:15–43:33; 51:1–12), disputations (16:17), didactic compositions (16:24–17:14; 39:12–35), autobiographical narratives (33:16–17; 51:13–30), and the “rewritten Bible” form, which revisits, adapts, or expands known biblical narratives (44:1–50:24).
In short, by virtue of its breadth of content and variety of literary forms, Sirach is a rich book that has as much to offer to modern readers as it did to its original audience.On the literary forms in Sirach, see Skehan and Di Lella, Wisdom of Ben Sira, 21–30; Alexander A. Di Lella, “Wisdom of Ben-Sira,” in Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 6:938–39; Crenshaw, “Book of Sirach,” 613–20.

Sirach is a long book. It covers so many topics in its fifty-one chapters that it is virtually impossible to summarize them under a few headings. Nevertheless, we can identify a few key themes and golden threads that underlie the book’s theology.

Wisdom

At the heart of the book lies the pursuit of wisdom. But what is wisdom, and how is it found? The problem of wisdom’s elusiveness has been raised before (Job 28:20–28). Wisdom is indeed difficult to define, and Ben Sira never provides a clear definition of the term. We might define Sirach’s wisdom as the practical knowledge and skills necessary to live a good and successful life in accordance with God’s purpose. Given that “wisdom” is a feminine noun in both Hebrew (hokhmah) and Greek (sophia),Wisdom is also a feminine noun in Latin (sapientia). she is personified as a woman, as in other books (Sir 24:1–2; Prov 8:1–36; 9:1–6; Wis 8:2–3). Ben Sira discloses her identity by means of wisdom poems (opening each of the eight parts of the book) that reveal her transcendent nature, and collections of practical exhortations and maxims that teach men how to acquire her through right thinking, right speaking, and right acting. Sirach’s teachings on wisdom reveal the following characteristics.

(a) Her Origin

Wisdom originates from God; she is the word that came forth from his mouth at creation (24:3). Although she has a beginning—she was “created before all things” (1:4, 9)—she will never cease to exist (24:9).

(b) Her Role in Creation and History

God created the universe in and through Wisdom. She thus plays an active role in God’s creative work. She sustains the world, having been “poured out” upon “all his works” (1:9; 24:3–6; compare Prov 8:22–31), and she steadfastly guides human history—especially Jewish history (16:24–18:14; 39:12–35; 42:15–50:24)—toward what is good and true.

(c) Her Nature

Wisdom is never equated with pure intellectual knowledge. Although study is necessary to acquire her, she is described in terms that are more relational and practical than speculative. She is personified as a wife and mother (4:11–19; 6:18–31; 14:20–15:8), and men are invited to enter into a loving relationship with her. This is not a sentimental romantic relationship, however, but one of “tough love” and strict discipline whereby she trains her followers to live a life of integrity and righteousness. Through this formative relationship, she grants her followers the ability to distinguish between good and evil and to choose the good so that they may live in right relationship with God and lead a blessed life.

(d) Her Acquisition

Wisdom is a gift from God; he bestows her freely upon those who love him (1:10). Yet humans must do their part to acquire her: they must have the fear of the Lord, which Ben Sira calls the “beginning,” “full measure,” “crown,” and “root” of wisdom (1:11–20). This disposition must translate into concrete action: the person who fears the Lord must pursue Wisdom with dedication and have both the willingness and the humility to submit to her discipline, even at the cost of great effort (4:17; 6:24–25), by studying the law and keeping God’s commandments (1:26).

(e) Her Rewards

Although the pursuit of wisdom is difficult, she turns out to be well worth the effort in the end. To those who find her she grants fruits and desirable goods, knowledge and glory (1:16–19), divine life, blessing, and love (4:11–14), rest, joy, a strong protection, a glorious robe, and a crown of gladness (6:28–31). Souls remain thirsty when they refuse to draw near to her (51:24).

Ben Sira identifies Wisdom with “the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the law which Moses commanded us” (24:23). More than the earlier wisdom books, such as Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes, Ben Sira emphasizes the close relationship between Wisdom and †Torah. This does not imply a legalistic view of wisdom, for the Hebrew term torah means not so much “law” as “teaching” or “instruction” on how to live a good and godly life. The identification of Wisdom with the Torah implies the preexistence of the Torah and its divine, eternal character. This idea would later become a common teaching in rabbinic Judaism: the rabbis believed that although the Torah was revealed to Israel at Mount Sinai during the exodus, its existence preceded the creation of the worldMidrash Genesis Rabbah 8. and would endure forever (Bar 4:1). It is no wonder, then, that for Ben Sira “he who holds to the law will obtain wisdom” (15:1).

Like Proverbs, Sirach subscribes to the classic theology of retribution as expressed in the book of Deuteronomy: pursuing wisdom by obeying God’s commandments brings blessings and prosperity (Deut 28:1–14); despising wisdom by disobeying the commandments leads to curses and misery (28:15–68). Every person has the freedom and responsibility to choose good over evil (Sir 15:11–20). Writing from the perspective of the late Old Testament period, Ben Sira has no clear concept of life after death—apart from the idea that the just live on through their good name, memory, and descendants (30:4–5; 37:26; 41:12–13). He believes that divine retribution takes place in this life, that death is final, and that †Hades is the destination of the deceased. Thus, a man must make the best of the few days he has on earth to establish his legacy (14:11–19; 38:16–23; 41:1–4)—though two prayers for the “revival of bones” (46:12; 49:10) seem to point toward the hope of a future resurrection.

Despite Wisdom’s universal presence at every time and place in the cosmos, she “sought a resting place” where she might lodge at a specific moment in history (24:7). Seemingly unsatisfied with her cosmic universality, she came down, as it were, to dwell in Israel, in Jerusalem, and in the sanctuary on Mount Zion, where she ministers before God (24:8–12). Wisdom is thus present and active in the liturgy of the Jewish temple, which itself recalls the garden of Eden (24:13–17). Many verbal parallels between chapters 24 and 50 also indicate that Wisdom is present in the ministry of the high priest (50:1–24). Ben Sira’s reverence for the temple service is further seen in his exhortation to honor the priests (7:29–31) and the sacrifices they offer (34:18–20). Although he tends to spiritualize some cultic requirements, so that keeping the Torah, performing acts of kindness, and acting justly are equivalent to offering sacrifices (35:1–3), he never treats the latter as dispensable but affirms their importance as integral to Israel’s worship (35:4–11).

The quest for wisdom is never an entirely secular pursuit but one grounded in the fear of the Lord. Accordingly, it must be constantly supported by prayer. Ben Sira exhorts his readers to petition God for mercy (21:1; 28:2–4; 39:5), wise counsel (37:15), healing (38:9, 13–14), and, of course, wisdom (51:13). Moreover, the wisdom seeker must keep God’s commandments if he or she wishes to be heard (3:5). Offering praises to God is an even higher form of prayer (17:10; 39:14–15; 43:30). The book includes three lengthy prayers: a petition asking God for control of one’s thoughts, words, and desires (22:27–23:6), a supplication for the redemption of Zion (36:1–17), and a psalm of thanksgiving (51:1–12).

Ben Sira’s moral teachings cover a wide range of situations and topics. Above all, he exhorts his readers (who in his day were primarily men) to live virtuously through the various challenges of life in society. Among the topics he treats, we find advice on honoring one’s parents (3:1–16), humility and pride (3:17–28; 7:16–17; 10:26–11:6), generosity and almsgiving (3:30–4:10; 29:1–20), wealth and poverty (10:30–31; 11:10–28; 13:1–14:19; 31:1–11), lending and borrowing (29:1–20), self-mastery and controlling the tongue (19:4–17; 20:1–8; 23:7–15), food and banquets (31:12–32:13; 37:27–31), leadership (9:17–10:18), strength of character (27:4–10; 27:30–28:12), diligence and hard work (40:28–30), true and false friendship (6:5–17; 9:10–16; 11:29–12:18), relationships with women (9:1–9; 25:13–26:27; 42:9–14), raising and disciplining children (30:1–13; 42:9–14), servants and slaves (33:24–31), sickness and health (38:1–15), and life and death (14:11–19; 38:16–23; 41:1–4).Michael Phua, “Sirach, Book of,” in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings, ed. Tremper Longman III and Peter Enns (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008), 723–24. See also the Index of Pastoral Topics.

Ben Sira is thoroughly versed in the traditions of the Hebrew Bible. As his grandson notes in the prologue, he composed his own work “after devoting himself especially to the reading of the law and the prophets and the other books of our fathers, and after acquiring considerable proficiency in them.” This proficiency is evident throughout his work. In contrast to older wisdom books such as Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, which rarely recall Israel’s history, Ben Sira frequently draws from the Old Testament to connect his wisdom with Israel’s religious traditions and heroes of the faith. Thus, he recalls the creation account (15:14; 39:16), the garden of Eden (24:25–27), Adam (33:10; 40:1) and Eve (25:24), the fallen angels (16:7), the flood (40:10), Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah (16:8; 39:23), the law of Moses (24:23), the tabernacle (24:10, 15), the Israelites in the wilderness (16:9–10; 38:5), and Zion (24:10; 36:13–15). His praise of Israel’s ancient heroes of the faith (chaps. 44–50), in particular, provides the most complete overview of salvation history in the Bible. Beginning with Enoch, it surveys the patriarchs, the exodus, the conquest, the judges, the period of the kingship, the prophets, and the ^†postexilic leaders up to the days of Simon the high priest.

Ben Sira also draws freely from earlier wisdom books, both in their doctrinal content and literary forms. He is most indebted to Proverbs, which he frequently alludes to, adapts, and develops for his own purposes. Compare, for example, the treatment of the origin of wisdom in both books (Prov 8:22; Sir 1:4), the connection between wisdom and the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7; Sir 1:14), folly as falling into a self-dug pit (Prov 26:27; Sir 27:25–26), the refining power of suffering (Prov 17:3; Sir 2:5), the imperative to trust the Lord (Prov 3:5–6; Sir 2:6–9), and the virtue of humility (Prov 3:34; Sir 3:18).

To a lesser extent, Sirach also shares points of contact with the books of Baruch and Tobit. Like Sirach, Baruch asserts that wisdom is found in the ^†Torah: she is manifest when Israel observes the commandments and forsaken when the nation disobeys them (Bar 3:9–4:4). Like Sirach, Tobit highlights the value of acts of piety, Torah observance, and personal prayer as expressions of wisdom and devotion to God. Both books address themes such as honoring parents (Tob 4:3; Sir 3:12), praising generosity and condemning stinginess (Tob 4:7; Sir 14:9–10), and being merciful to the righteous but not to sinners (Tob 4:17; Sir 12:4).Skehan and Di Lella, Wisdom of Ben Sira, 40–45; R. J. Coggins, Sirach, Guides to Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1998), 62–68.

Although Sirach is not quoted in the New Testament, several passages seem to allude to it. Jesus echoes Sirach in his teachings on forgiveness (Matt 6:14; Sir 28:2), on gathering heavenly treasures (Matt 6:19; Sir 29:12), and on how God will repay people for their earthly deeds (Matt 16:27; Sir 35:19). Most notably, Jesus’s invitation to take on his yoke, which is easy, and bear his burden, which is light (Matt 11:28–30), evokes Wisdom’s summons to submit to her bonds and bear her yoke (Sir 6:24–26; 51:26–27). His promise to the Samaritan woman that “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst” (John 4:13– 14) also reads like a response to Wisdom’s assertion that “those who drink me will thirst for more” (Sir 24:21). Generally, the personification of Wisdom in Sirach is a fitting preparation for the revelation of Jesus as Wisdom incarnate (John 1:1–18), and her role in creation prefigures Christ’s identity as the “firstborn of all creation,” through whom all things were made (Col 1:15–20; Heb 1:1–2).
The New Testament book that displays the closest parallels with Sirach is the Epistle of James. James echoes Sirach on topics such as double-mindedness (Sir 1:28; 2:12; James 1:6, 8), facing temptations (Sir 2:1; 15:11–20; James 1:2–4, 13–15), being quick to hear (Sir 5:11; James 1:19), the mirror as a reflection of the soul (Sir 12:11; James 1:23), controlling the tongue (Sir 28:12–26; James 3:1–12), humility (Sir 3:18; James 1:9), pride (Sir 10:7; James 4:6), and true wisdom (Sir 19:20–25; James 3:13–18).G. H. Box and W. Oesterley, “The Book of Sirach,” in Apocrypha of the Old Testament, ed. R. H. Charles (Oxford: Clarendon, 1913), 1:294–96; Phua, “Sirach, Book of,” 726–27.

Although Ben Sira seems at times to claim divine inspiration for himself (24:30–34; 39:6–11), and his grandson situates him in the tradition of “the law and the prophets and the other books of our fathers” (prologue), the book did not achieve canonical status in the Jewish Bible, probably because of its late date of composition and the traces of †Hellenistic influence in its theology.

Figure 3. The Ben Sira Scroll from Masada [Herman Pijpers / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons]

Nevertheless, the inclusion of Sirach in the Septuagint and the existence of multiple Hebrew and Greek versions indicate that the book was viewed as sacred in some ancient Jewish communities. Scrolls found at Masada and Qumran, in which Sirach is written stichometrically—a common practice in sacred writings, where each verse is written over a full line divided into two columns—also seem to confirm its early sacred status.

Even after Sirach was excluded from the Jewish canon by noted second-century Rabbi Akiba,Akiba even forbade the reading of the noncanonical books (including Sirach) under pain of losing one’s part in the world to come (Mishnah, Sanhedrin 10:1; †Tosefta, Yadayim 2:5; Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 28a; Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 100b). the book remained popular among Jews. The books of 2 Enoch, the Psalms of Solomon, the *Talmud, and *Midrash all show traces of its influence. It is quoted some eighty-two times in rabbinic writings, sometimes introduced by the formula “it is written,” an expression usually reserved for quoting the canonical Scriptures.Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah 13a; Niddah 16b. Sirach is even quoted several times by the great tenth-century rabbi Saadia Gaon.

The canonicity of Sirach was also disputed in the early Church. Sirach 4:31 is quoted as authoritative Scripture in the Didache 4.5 and the Epistle of Barnabas 19.9, but it is excluded from the first known Christian list of biblical books, attributed to Melito of Sardis (d. 180).Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 4.26. In the East, several Fathers quote Sirach and refer to it as “Scripture,” yet they tend to exclude it from the Old Testament canon. Clement of Alexandria (d. 220) frequently quotes Sirach and refers to it as “Scripture,” yet he places Sirach among the “disputed Scriptures.”Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 6.13. Origen (d. 254) speaks of Sirach as “authoritative Scripture,” “the Divine Word,” or “Holy Scripture” but counts only the twenty-two books of the Hebrew canon as Old Testament Scriptures.Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 6.25. The Jewish canon traditionally includes 24 canonical books—the same as the 39 books of the Protestant canon by combining 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, Ezra–Nehemiah, 1–2 Chronicles, and the twelve minor prophets. The most ancient authorities, such as Origen and the Jewish historian Josephus (Against Apion 1.38–40), count only 22 books—perhaps because Ruth was attached to Judges and Lamentations to Jeremiah. St. Athanasius (d. 373) adopts the same approach, occasionally referring to Sirach as “Holy Scripture” but counting only the twenty-two Hebrew books as inspired, and Sirach among other books “not indeed included in the Canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness.”Athanasius, Festal Letters 39.7 (NPNF² 4:552). Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386), Gregory of Nazianzus (d. 389), and Epiphanius (d. 404) also limit the canon of the Old Testament to the twenty-two Hebrew books, while John Chrysostom (d. 407) does quote from Sirach as “divine Scripture.” John of Damascus (d. 750) speaks of Sirach as “virtuous and noble, but not counted” among the books of the Old Testament canon (Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 4.17 [NPNF² 9:90]). On the status of Sirach in the early Eastern Church, see W. O. E. Oesterley, The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912), lxxviii–lxxx.

In the West, most Fathers viewed Sirach as canonical. Tertullian (d. 220), St. Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258), Methodius of Olympus (d. 311), and Hilary of Poitiers (d. 368) all quote the book liberally, often referring to it as “Scripture” or with the expression “it is written.” The notable exception is St. Jerome, who, after listing the books of the Hebrew canon, states that all other books—including the book of Jesus the son of Sirach—“must be placed amongst the Apocryphal writings” and “are not in the canon.”Preface to the Books of Samuel and Kings (NPNF² 6:490). Yet like the Greek Fathers, Jerome often quotes from the Apocrypha with the standard introductory formula used for the canonical books, “as it is written.” By contrast, St. Augustine (d. 430) firmly places Sirach in the canon. Of the books of Wisdom and Sirach, he writes: “They are to be reckoned among the prophetical books, since they have attained recognition as being authoritative.”On Christian Doctrine 2.8 (NPNF¹ 2:539). Likewise, John Cassian (d. 450) and Cassiodorus (d. 570) recognize Sirach as canonical. On the status of Sirach in the early Western Church, see Oesterley, Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, lxxx–lxxxii.

Early Church synods at Hippo (AD 393) and Carthage (397) included Sirach in the canon of Scripture, the latter counting it as one of the “five books of Solomon” (with Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Wisdom). This decision was confirmed at the Council of Carthage of 419. Sirach’s canonical status thereafter remained uncontested until the Protestant Reformation, when Martin Luther and the other Reformers relegated it to the Apocrypha and adopted the shorter Hebrew Bible as the Protestant canon of the Old Testament. In response, the Council of Trent reaffirmed at its fourth session (1546) the status of Sirach among the canonical books of Scripture.
In Catholic Bibles, the book of Sirach is placed last among the Old Testament wisdom books. Sirach is also accepted as canonical in the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Reading Sirach as Sacred Scripture—as an inspired book offering timeless wisdom to all people at all times—poses some challenges. Some of Ben Sira’s teachings are so embedded in his culture that they are not always applicable to our own day (e.g., his advice concerning dinner parties, or that unmarried women should avoid married women). More significantly, some of his advice comes across as harsh and even contrary to Christian teaching (e.g., his views on women, children, slaves, and corporal punishment). These views are often troubling, shocking, and even scandalous to the modern reader.
Can Christians still read the difficult passages of Sirach as the word of God that, like the rest of Scripture, communicates “divinely revealed realities” written “under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit”?Dei Verbum 11; Catechism 105. Indeed they can, if guided by the following principles:

1. The life experience on which Ben Sira draws is from the culture of his own time and place—the second-century BC Jewish world—not that of all cultures. His advice therefore must be adapted and applied to different cultural settings in an analogous rather than a literal manner. This requires wisdom in the interpreter, guided by the Holy Spirit, to apply correctly (Catechism 110).
2. The reader must be aware of the literary genres and devices used in Sirach (Catechism 110). For example, the book uses hyperboles and exaggerations to emphasize certain points—a technique that is common throughout the Bible, even in the teachings of Jesus.See Matt 5:27–30; 18:6; Luke 14:26. Thus, Sirach’s most shocking statements should not necessarily be taken literally. Instead, the reader must attempt to discern what timely principles the author intends to communicate via hyperboles and exaggerations for rhetorical effect.
3. Although all Scripture is inspired, we can distinguish different levels of inspiration and authority between books—even within the Old Testament. Not all books directly communicate divine speech. Whereas the †Torah (the Pentateuch) is the divinely revealed law given to Israel, and the prophets convey divine oracles (often introduced by the words “thus says the Lord”) urging Israel to be faithful to God’s covenant and law, the wisdom books function differently. Rather than directly communicating divine speech (apart from allusions to earlier Scriptures), they draw inferences from human experience. Rather than focusing on obedience to the covenant or the attainment of eternal life, they often focus on living well and achieving successful outcomes in this life. The teachings of wisdom books such as Proverbs and Sirach are thus not invariable rules or moral absolutes (like the Ten Commandments). They must be read in light of other books of Scripture and require wisdom from the interpreter to be understood and applied.
4. Like the rest of the Old Testament, the teachings of Sirach are incomplete, reflecting an earlier stage of divine revelation. Although these books “bear witness to the whole divine pedagogy of God’s saving love” and are “a storehouse of sublime teaching on God and of sound wisdom on human life,” they still “contain matters imperfect and provisional” (Catechism 122) to be fulfilled later in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of the Messiah, and in the teachings of the New Testament and of the Church. Consequently, Christian readers must interpret Sirach in the light of the fuller revelation of the New Covenant. In some cases, New Covenant revelation develops Sirach’s teaching (for example, his limited understanding of the resurrection) or even overturns it (for example, his recommendation of divorce).

Applying these principles to Sirach’s most difficult passages—on his treatment of women—the following points must be kept in mind:

1. The passages about women must take into account their cultural conditioning (Catechism 110). Sirach, like all books of Scripture, is written within a cultural context that did not fully value or recognize the dignity of women. Written by a man to other men about seeking and living according to wisdom, it is thus limited to a male perspective and does not generally take into account the perspective of women. In this discourse, often reflecting human fallenness and sin, the intra-male conversation about problems with women sometimes leads to unflattering generalizations, just as women sometimes make unflattering generalizations about men.
2. The passages about women seem to be largely a rhetorically forceful exhortation to young men to choose their wives carefully and to beware of being deceived by superficial qualities like beauty. A poorly chosen spouse can lead to a lifetime of unhappiness. A wife’s vice or virtue can have an enormous influence on her husband, for evil or for good. But this also applies in the other direction: a husband’s vice or virtue can make his wife either miserable or happy. These passages should be read from this broader perspective. Women readers can apply this teaching to themselves in an analogous manner. For example, the “dejected mind,” “gloomy face,” and “wounded heart” caused by “an evil wife” (25:23) can also be equally caused by an evil husband.
3. Though inspired, Ben Sira’s teachings on women do not directly communicate divine speech. While presupposing the previous (relatively sparse) teachings of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings on women and on marriage, they still reflect the limited perspective and experience of a Jew from the †Second Temple period who does not yet benefit from the teachings of the gospel. Ben Sira balances his negative comments to some degree by extolling the great value of a virtuous wife and by his portrayal of Wisdom as a noble lady. Yet sometimes his statements require contextualizing and balancing with truths from other texts of Scripture.For example, “From a woman sin had its beginning, and because of her we all die” (25:24) needs to be balanced by Rom 5:12, 17–19.
4. The passages about women must be read not only in light of the whole canon of Scripture but also in light of Christian tradition and the teachings of the Magisterium, which proclaim the equal dignity of women and men and decry the many ways that women have been devalued and disrespected.See Gal 3:28; Catechism 1938, 2387; John Paul II, Mulieris Dignitatem (1988). Moreover, the gospel offers a radically new and transcendent understanding of marriage that surpasses and even supersedes Sirach’s advice.See the Reflection and Application section for 25:13–26:27 on p. 217.

By keeping these interpretive principles in mind, the Christian reader can approach Sirach as an inspired book of Sacred Scripture while remaining aware of the author’s limited second-century BC perspective—not yet perfected by the teachings of the gospel and of the Church.

Anyone who reads a few translations of Sirach side by side will quickly notice significant discrepancies between them, including added or omitted verses and different verse numbers across translations. These differences point to the complicated history of the text, which involves many ancient manuscripts, written in several languages, that at times differ considerably from one another. Although these differences do not substantially alter Sirach’s message and theology, they do pose some challenges in terms of identifying and transmitting the most authentic text. Translators and editors of modern Bibles are faced with a choice: Should they prioritize the earliest and most original text, or should they favor expanded texts that are more theologically developed and have been historically more authoritative in Christian tradition? We will sketch this textual history here only in its broadest outline.

We know from the prologue that Ben Sira wrote his book in Hebrew, and his grandson translated the work into Greek. St. Jerome (ca. 347–420) was familiar with the Hebrew text in his own day; it is also quoted in the †Talmud and other early rabbinic texts. Yet because the book was excluded from the Jewish canon of Scripture, the Hebrew text was eventually lost.

Given the disappearance of the Hebrew text, the Greek version remained the primary text of Sirach throughout history. Yet the Greek text has come down to us in two forms: a shorter text (GI), which is the grandson’s translation of the original Hebrew text (HI), and a longer Greek text (GII) including some three hundred additional lines, apparently derived from an expanded Hebrew text (HII):

Hebrew I (original) → Greek I (shorter)

Hebrew II (expanded) → Greek II (longer)

While the shorter Greek text is preserved in the major manuscripts of the Septuagint, the longer text is preserved in just a few Greek manuscripts but also attested in the most important ancient translations, such as the Vetus Latina or Old Latin (ca. AD 200), the Syriac Peshitta (ca. AD 200), and the Syro-Hexapla (AD 617).
The Old Latin is an expanded translation from the Greek that reflects both GI and GII, with numerous additions of its own. It is preserved in the †Vulgate: St. Jerome, who did not regard Sirach as canonical, did not retranslate it but rather adopted the existing Old Latin text. For this reason—and because of its important role as the authoritative canonical text in the Catholic tradition—the Vulgate remains an important textual witness of the expanded text (as reflected in the RSV-2CE).
The Syriac is a translation of a Hebrew parent text (perhaps a fusion of HI and HII), though the translator (who may have been Jewish or Christian) also incorporates passages from the longer Greek text (GII) and what appear to be expansions of his own. The Syro-Hexapla is another, distinct Syriac version translated from the Greek text of the Septuagint in Origen’s Hexapla.The Hexapla was a parallel six-column arrangement of the Hebrew text and Greek translations of the Old Testament compiled by the Church Father Origen (third century AD). Both Syriac versions are important witnesses to the expanded GII text.
Together with other ancient (but less important) versions such as the Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, Slavonic, Arabic, and Palestinian-Christian Aramaic, these were the main textual witnesses of Sirach until the end of the nineteenth century. Between 1896 and 1900, long fragments of the Hebrew text were discovered in the Cairo Synagogue Geniza (a storeroom for discarded manuscripts). More Hebrew fragments were discovered in Qumran and Masada in the twentieth century, so that a little over two-thirds of the Hebrew text has now been recovered.The major sections of Sirach currently extant in Hebrew are the following: 3:8–16:26; 18:32–19:2; 20:5–7, 13, 22–23, 30–31; 21:22–23, 26; 22:11–12, 21–22; 25:8, 13, 17–24; 26:1–3, 13–17; 30:11–34:1; 35:9–38:27; 39:15–51:30 (some individual verses within these sections are still missing). See Skehan and Di Lella, Wisdom of Ben Sira, 51–53; Pancratius C. Beentjes, The Book of Ben Sira in Hebrew: A Text Edition of All Extant Hebrew Manuscripts and a Synopsis of All Parallel Hebrew Ben Sira Texts (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 1997), 181–83. See also the Index of Passages compiled by Joshua A. Blachorsky available at https://www.bensira.org/. These archaeological finds have confirmed the existence of different editions of the Hebrew text. In many instances, the Hebrew manuscripts agree with the Greek, Latin, and Syriac texts; in other instances, they disagree.

Figure 4. Flowchart of Sirach texts and translations
[Diagram: A flowchart depicting the transmission of Sirach texts and translations. Heb I leads to Gk I and Heb II. Heb II leads to Gk II. Gk I leads to Heb MSS, Gk II, and (via solid arrows) to NABRE, RSV, NJB, ESV-CE, and RSV-2CE. Heb MSS leads (via dashed arrows) to NABRE and NRSV. Gk II leads to Old Latin and Vulgate, and to Syriac (dashed), and (via solid and dashed arrows) to NABRE, NRSV, ESV-CE, and RSV-2CE. Old Latin and Vulgate leads to New Vulgate. New Vulgate leads to RSV-2CE, KJV, and Douay.]

To summarize, the textual witnesses attest that Sirach exists in a shorter text (considered more original) and a longer text (considered to be a later expansion). The Vulgate generally follows the longer Greek version, adding further expansions of its own. Yet the 1979 New Vulgate (upon which the translation used in this commentary, the RSV-2CE, is largely based) sometimes diverges from the Vulgate in order to follow the Greek text more closely (e.g., 3:10, 24).

This state of affairs explains the considerable variations among modern English translations. While older Protestant translations (e.g., KJV) follow the longer Greek text (GII) and older Catholic translations (e.g., Douay, Knox) follow the Vulgate, more recent translations (e.g., RV, RSV, NJB) rely primarily on the shorter Greek text (GI)—resulting in omissions of some verses from GII or their placement in footnotes. Other modern translations (e.g., NRSV, ESV-CE) also follow GI while incorporating more material from GII and the Hebrew manuscripts. The NABRE stands out in prioritizing the Hebrew text wherever it exists and is clear enough. The RSV-2CE—which the present volume follows—is eclectic: it sometimes follows the shorter Greek text (1:12, 18, 21; 24:18, 24), sometimes the longer Greek text (1:5, 7; 3:19), and sometimes the New Vulgate (4:17–18; 24:1–3, 8, 12, 20).
In the present commentary, “literally” refers to the Greek text. Additions specific to the Vulgate are marked in italics. Unless otherwise noted, translations of the Hebrew text are this author’s translation, based on the translation by Benjamin H. Parker and Martin G. Abegg.The Hebrew manuscripts of Sirach, along with Parker/Abegg’s translations, are available at https://www.bensira.org/, a site dedicated to the ancient and medieval Hebrew manuscripts of Sirach developed by Gary A. Rendsburg and Jacob Binstein from the Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University.
A list of textual variants—as reflected in modern English translations based on the original Hebrew text, the shorter and longer Greek texts, and the Latin and Syriac texts of Sirach—is posted online at https://www.catholiccommen taryonsacredscripture.com/sirach/.

Living wisely is living well. Acquiring wisdom, therefore, helps one to navigate through all situations of life, whether this be flourishing among family and friends, succeeding in business and trade, dealing with good and bad leaders, relating to the poor and the powerful, or coping with sickness and death. Yet wisdom is about much more than living a successful, worldly life. More importantly, wisdom concerns living according to God’s purposes.
The Christian life is not only concerned with believing the right things. It is also about acting in a certain way. Orthodoxy must be translated into orthopraxy. Wisdom gives one both the ability to recognize what is the true and highest good of human existence, and the will to pursue that good. For the Christian, the highest good is loving God and neighbor (Matt 22:35–40). In many ways, Ben Sira’s wisdom teachings provide practical ways by which we can live out the two greatest commandments. They also reflect God’s character, the image of the One who is eternal wisdom.
Although nearly 2,200 years old, the book of Sirach continues to convey invaluable wisdom lessons for today’s Christian readers. Although some of his advice—most notably his views on women, children, and slaves—reflects the cultural context of his time and should be interpreted and applied in light of the New Testament and teachings of the Church, his instruction remains as relevant and beneficial for life in the twenty-first century AD as it was in the second century BC. The wisdom of Ben Sira teaches the art of living well, communicating principles of a law for humanity that transcends all ages, places, and cultures.