> ‎Chapter 1‎ > ‎Chapter 2‎ > ‎Chapter 3‎ > ‎Chapter 4‎ > ‎Chapter 5‎ > ‎Chapter 6‎ > ‎Chapter 7‎ > ‎Chapter 8‎ > ‎Chapter 9‎ > ‎Chapter 10‎ > ‎Chapter 11‎ > ‎Chapter 12‎ > ‎Chapter 13‎ > ‎Chapter 14‎ > ‎Chapter 15‎ > ‎Chapter 16‎ > ‎Chapter 17‎ > ‎Chapter 18‎ > ‎Chapter 19‎ > ‎Chapter 20‎ > ‎Chapter 21‎ > ‎Chapter 22‎ > ‎Chapter 23‎ > ‎Chapter 24‎ > ‎Chapter 25‎ > ‎Chapter 26‎ > ‎Chapter 27‎ > ‎Chapter 28‎ > ‎Chapter 29‎ > ‎Chapter 30‎ > ‎Chapter 31‎ > ‎Chapter 32‎ > ‎Chapter 33‎ > ‎Chapter 34‎ > ‎Chapter 35‎ > ‎Chapter 36‎ > ‎Chapter 37‎ > ‎Chapter 38‎ > ‎Chapter 39‎ > ‎Chapter 40‎ > ‎Chapter 41‎ > ‎Chapter 42‎ > ‎Chapter 43‎ > ‎Chapter 44-50‎ > ‎  

 

 

Author and Date: The work was originally written by Jeshua ben
Eleazar ben Sira (cf.50.27; 51.30). From internal evidence it
seems he completed his work in Hebrew after 190 BC.but before
175.BC. For he praises the high priest Simon II (220-195BC).He
prays to the Lord to deliver Jerusalem  - which fits the
situation after 190BC. In 189 BC At Magnesia (north of
Ephesus) the Roman army defeated Antiochus III (223-187). Yet
there is no sign of the reign of terror under Antiochus IV
(175-164 BC).

His grandson translated the work into Greek in Egypt in
132 BC,the 38th year of Ptolemy Euergetes. About three
quarters of the original Hebrew have been recovered from
manuscripts in Cairo, Masada and Qumran.

By about 200 B.C. there were more Jews living outside
Palestine than in there. Although Antiochus III was tolerant
of Jewish customs, yet Hellenistic influence continued to come
into Jewish society. Especially in Jerusalem,the upper classes
were tempted to look on their own literature as lower than
Greek drama,poetry,and philosophy. So Sirach aimed at the best
young Jews of his day to try to keep them from falling under
the spell of Hellenism.

The author was a well-traveled man, and seems familiar
with Greek and Egyptian literature. He reflects Homer in 14.18
and seems to reflect also the sayings of an Egyptian sage
Phibis, who probably lived in the third century B.C.

Unfortunately the numbering system in many
versions,including the RSV,which we are following, does not
match that of the either the Hebrew of the Greek(same is true
of the NAB and NEB,but not of the NRSV).

Most of the Hebrew text was discovered in a Genizah (a
storehouse for worn out copies of sacred books in Cairo in
1896. Other fragments came from Qumran and Masada. The Cairo
copy dates from probably 9-12 century AD.(For most of the
known Hebrew text cf. - The Hebrew Text of the Book of
Ecclesiasticus-in Semitic Studies III (Leiden,1951. A
translation based on the Hebrew,with notes comparing Greek and
Hebrew texts, is found in La Sagrada Escritura,Antiguo
Testamento V, Biblioteca de Autores Christianos,Madrid,1970).

Canonicity and inspiration: We distinguish canonicity from
inspired character. This book went through the usual
vicissitudes of the deuterocanonical books.

The Rabbis meeting at Jamnia in 90 AD,.after the ruin of
Jerusalem and trying to decide how to go on, did not accept
Sirach as canonical,even though it was originally written in
Hebrew.

It is not in the  canonical list of Melito of Sardes
(c.280AD) or Origen (321.AD) of the Council of Laodicea (
360AD).But it is in the list of the Apostolic Constitutions
middle of 3rd century,of Gelasius (382AD) and the African
Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397AD).But doubts about
its canonicity lasted into the Middle Ages,especially under
the influence of St.Jerome,who preferred the Palestinian
Canon.such doubts lasted even after the Council of Florence
(1441) which included it in the list of sacred books without
denying its canonicity. Is canonicity was finally defined at
the Council of Trent.

Yet is was used for devout reading,and was considered as
inspired not only by those Fathers who adopted the longer
Alexandrian Canon,but also by those who held only the shorter
Palestinian.They include even St.Jerome (In Epist.ad Jul.PL
22.961 and On Is 3.13:PL 24.67,and against Pelagians 2.5, PL
23.541. It was also accepted as inspired by Clement of 
Alexandria,in Paidagogos 1.1 and Stromata 10.3; by Origen Peri
archon 2.8; Against Celsus 6.7.12; On John 32.14; by
St.Athanasius Paschal Letter 39,and Against Arians 2.79; by
St.Cyril of Jerusalem  6.3; by St.Epiphanius,Against Heresies
3.1.76;and by St.Cyprian,Epistle 5.45.60; by Tertullian,
Against Marcion 1.16, and by St.Augustine, Speculum de
Scriptura sacra, PL 34.948ss.

Outline: Unlike Proverbs, which is so very miscellaneous, Some
think that Sirach does have some organization:
I.Nature,precepts and benefits of Wisdom: 1.1 - 23.37.
II.Excellence and social characteristics of wisdom: 24.1
- 42.14.
III.Wisdom and the nature of Israel: 42.15 - 50.28.
Epilogue: 50.29-31.

Yet the organization is rather loose if there at all..
And the book is long,having 51 chapters. We could not take the
space to comment on each chapter.But we can pick out certain
specially important and helpful things.