Sirach

Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture

Series Editors

Mary Healy

Mark Giszczak

Peter S. Williamson

Consulting Editors

Gary Anderson, University of Notre Dame

John Bergsma, Franciscan University of Steubenville

Michael Byrnes, Archbishop of Agaña

Nuria Calduch-Benages, Secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission

Scott Hahn, Franciscan University of Steubenville

Michael Kolarcik, SJ, Pontifical Biblical Institute

Jan Liesen, Bishop of Breda

Gregory Polan, OSB, Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation

Stephen D. Ryan, OP, Dominican House of Studies

André Villeneuve

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Ebook edition created 2025

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 9781540965899 (paperback) | ISBN 9781540968692 (casebound) | ISBN 9781493449552 (ebook) | ISBN 9781493449569 (pdf)

Ecclesiastical approval for printing was granted by the Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit, 17 September 2024, Prot. N. CS24-0047.

Unless indicated otherwise, Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible—Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Edition) Copyright © 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations labeled ESV-CE are from The ESV Catholic Edition with Deuterocanonical Books, copyright © 2017 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NABRE are from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC, and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cover art of mosaic from Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, Italy, showing Abel, Melchizedek, Abraham, and Isaac; De Agostini, A. De Gregorio, Superstock

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To my mother,
Loretta Biamonte Villeneuve (1943–2023),
of blessed memory

The man who fears the Lord will do this,
and he who holds to the law will obtain wisdom.
She will come to meet him like a mother,
and like the wife of his youth
she will welcome him. (Sir 15:1–2)