Contents:
These precepts are arranged in verses, which are grouped according to their outward form in case their content is not intrinsically coherent.
The sections are preceded by eulogies of wisdom which serve as introductions and mark the divisions into which the collection falls. Wisdom, in Ben Sira's view, is synonymous with the fear of God, and sometimes is confounded in his mind with the Mosaic law. It is essentially practical, being a routine knowledge; and it would be vain to seek to find in it any hypostasis, since mysticism is utterly opposed to the author's thought.
The maxims are expressed in exact formulas, and are illustrated by striking images. They show a profound knowledge of the human heart, the disillusionment of experience, a fraternal sympathy with the poor and the oppressed, and an unconquerable distrust of women. Throughout the work are scattered pure and elevated thoughts; and the whole is dominated by a sincere, enlightened piety—what is now called a liberalism of ideas.
As in Ecclesiastes, two opposing tendencies war in the author: Occasionally Ben Sira digresses to attack theories which he considers dangerous; for example, the doctrines that divine mercy blots out all sin; that man has no freedom of will; and that God is indifferent to the actions of mankind, and does not reward virtue.
Some of the refutations of these views are developed at considerable length. Through these moralistic chapters runs the prayer of Israel imploring God to gather together His scattered children, to bring to fulfilment the predictions of the Prophets, and to have mercy upon His Temple and His people.
The book concludes with a justification of the Divinity, whose wisdom and greatness are revealed in all His works hence is inserted a description of the beauties of creation , and also in the history of Israel; this form of sacred history, however, is little more than a panegyric on the priests, terminating in an enthusiastic delineation of the high priest Simon ben Onias.
These chapters are completed by the author's signature, and are followed by two hymns, the latter apparently a sort of alphabetical acrostic.
The Wisdom of Jesus marks an epoch in the history of Jewish thought, on account both of what it teaches and of what it silently ignores. While the author advocates the offering of the prescribed sacrifices and the veneration of priests, he condemns all hypocrisy and urges the union of the outward practise of religion with a pure conscience and with the doing of charity. However, he never mentions the dietary laws, which are set forth at great length in Daniel and Tobit, and especially in Judith. In like manner, while he awaits the return of Elijah to reassemble the tribes of the past and to reconcile the fatherswith the children, and while he prays for the coming of a time which can be called Messianic, though without a Messiah—when Jerusalem and the Temple shall be restored to the divine favor and Israel delivered forever from the dominion of the stranger—he never alludes to a Messiah who will be the son of David; on the contrary, he asserts that the house of David has rendered itself unworthy of the divine favor, since of all the kings of Judah three alone remained faithful to God.
God indeed made a solemn compact with the race of David; but it was one that differed widely from that into which He entered with Aaron, and which alone was to endure for eternity.
Ben Sira never speaks of the resurrection of the dead nor of the immortality of the soul, but, on the contrary, declares that in Sheol there will be no joy, wherefore man should taste delight in this world in so far as it is compatible with an upright life. The view has been expressed that this work, early in date as it is, bears traces of Hellenic influence.
The author, in his travels, may possibly have come in contact with Greek civilization, since he speaks of foreign poets and moralists whose fame was spread abroad. The customs which he describes are taken from Greek rather than from Hebrew society; thus he mentions banquets accompanied by brilliant conversation, at which musical instruments were heard, and over which presided "the masters [of the feasts]"; and the customs of the Sybarites also aroused his interest.
The fatalistic philosophers whose opinions he contests were doubtless the Stoics; and the philosophical discussions instituted by him were innovations and probably borrowed. His criticisms of skeptics and would-be thinkers are further evidences of his knowledge of Hellenism; and some of his views find close analogues in Euripides. Not only does he share characteristic ideas with the Greek tragedians and moralists, but he even has the same taste for certain common topics, such as false friendship, the uncertainty of happiness, and especially the faults of women.
The impression of Greek influence is strengthened by the presence of a polish quite foreign to Hebrew literature. The author composes his aphorisms with care; he makes his transitions with skill; and he inserts the titles of chapters, such as "Concerning Shame," "Proper Deportment at Table," and "The Hymn of the Patriarchs"; and the signing of his own name in full is a usage theretofore absolutely unknown. The exclusion of Ecclesiasticus from the Hebrew canon was due in part to this imitation of the Greeks and these literary affectations.
Joseph, a Babylonian rabbi of the fourth century, in commenting on the view of R. Akiba, adds, "It is also forbidden to read the works of Ben Sira" Sanh. In his questions to R. Abaye indicated some of the reasons for the exclusion of Ecclesiasticus from the canon. Abaye's citations are distinctly frivolous, being those relating to the anxiety caused by a young girl before and after her marriage, the uselessness of repining, and the danger of introducing strangers too freely into one's home.
Abaye then condemns the misanthropy, misogyny, and Epicureanism of the author. To Ben Sira's Epicurean tendency must be attributed his denial of a future life, and, perhaps, also his pre-Sadducean spirit of reverence for the priesthood, with which the panegyric on his brethren is animated.
Curiously enough, the book retained its popularity among the Jews despite its exclusion from the canon. It was cited at a very early period: It is cited by name in Sanh. Coronel, 7c, and in the Wilna edition of the Talmud. It is cited also by R. Irai, of whom nothing is known. In another part of this work p. This is the more remarkable since Saadia speaks of Ben Sira in his introduction, and cites no less than seven of his maxims.
The "Sefer ben Irai" contained also passages two of them copied by Saadia not found in Ecclesiasticus, and which were totally dissimilar to it both in form and in content. As Saadia himself says: The popularity of Ecclesiasticus among the Jews of the Talmudic period is shown by the citation of a number of verses in Aramaic, with an allusion to Ben Sira, which proves that it must have been translated into that dialect, this Aramaic collection being subsequently enriched with numerous additional aphorisms in that language Sanh.
The Baraita Kallah even restricts its citations from Ben Sira to Aramaic verses which are not found in Ecclesiasticus. Another proof of his popularity is found in the two alphabets ascribed to him see Ben Sira, Alphabet of , especially the second, in which he is the hero of a series of marvelous events. The Book of Ecclesiasticus has been honored still more highly among the Christians, being cited in the Epistle of James Edersheim, in Wace, "Apocrypha," p.
In the Western Church, Cyprian frequently appeals to it in his "Testimonia," as does Ambrose in the greater number of his writings. In like manner the Catalogue of Cheltenham, Damasus I. This is contrary, however, to the opinions of the Council of Laodicea, of Jerome, and of Rufinus of Aquileia, which authorities rank it among the ecclesiastical books.
It was finally declared canonical by the Council of Trent; and the favor with which the Church has always regarded it has preserved it in its entirety. Until recent years Ecclesiasticus was known only from the Greek and Syriac versions—the sources of all other translations—and from the Hebrew quotations already mentioned. At present the greater part of the original is known.
In Agnes Smith Lewis and Margaret Dunlop Gibson brought from the East a sheet of parchment covered with comparatively antiquated Hebrew characters. At Cambridge this was shown to S. Schechter, who recognized in it Ecclus. The book itself is the largest wisdom book from antiquity to have survived. Sirach is accepted as part of the Christian biblical canons by Catholics , Eastern Orthodox , and most of Oriental Orthodox. The Anglican Church does not accept Sirach as protocanonical , and says it should be read only "for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth not apply them to establish any doctrine.
It was cited in some writings in early Christianity.
There are claims that it is cited in the Epistle of James , and also the non-canonical Didache iv. Sirach is not part of the Jewish canon , once thought to have been established at the hypothetical Council of Jamnia , perhaps due to its late authorship, [10] although it is not clear that the canon was completely "closed" at the time of Ben Sira. Some Jews in the diaspora considered Sirach scripture. For instance, the Greek translation made by Ben Sira's grandson was included in the Septuagint , the 2nd-century BCE Greek version of the Jewish scriptures used by Diaspora Jews, through which it became part of the Greek canon.
The multiplicity of manuscript fragments uncovered in the Cairo Genizah evidence its authoritative status among Egyptian Jewry until the Middle Ages. Because it was excluded from the Jewish canon, Sirach was excised from the Protestant canon following the Reformation. As with other wisdom books , there is no easily recognizable structure in Sirach; in many parts it is difficult to discover a logical progression of thought or to discern the principles of arrangement.
Despite the lack of structure, there are certain themes running through the Book that reappear at various points. The New Oxford Annotated Apocrypha identifies ten major recurring topics:. This is a direct challenge against the traditional idea that illness and disease was seen as penalty for sin. The Wisdom of Sirach is a collection of ethical teachings. Thus Ecclesiasticus closely resembles Proverbs , except that, unlike the latter, it is presented as the work of a single author, not an anthology of maxims drawn from various sources, presented in verse form. The question of which apothegms actually originated with Sirach is open to debate, although scholars tend to regard him as a compiler or anthologist.
The teachings are applicable to all conditions of life: Many of them are rules of courtesy and politeness; and a still greater number contain advice and instruction as to the duties of man toward himself and others, especially the poor, as well as toward society and the state, and most of all toward God.
Wisdom, in Ben Sira's view, is synonymous with the fear of God, and sometimes is identified in his mind with adherence to the Mosaic law. The maxims are expressed in exact formulas, and are illustrated by striking images. They show a profound knowledge of the human heart, the disillusionment of experience, a fraternal sympathy with the poor and the oppressed.
By contrast, Sirach exhibits little compassion for either women or slaves, and advocates distrust and possessiveness over women, [16] and the harsh treatment of slaves which presupposes the validity of slavery as an institution , [17] positions which are not only difficult for modern readers, but cannot be completely reconciled with the social milieu at the time of its composition. As in Ecclesiastes , two opposing tendencies war in the author: Occasionally Sirach digresses to attack theories which he considers dangerous; for example, that man has no freedom of will, and that God is indifferent to the actions of mankind and does not reward virtue.
Some of the refutations of these views are developed at considerable length. Through these moralistic chapters runs the prayer of Israel imploring God to gather together his scattered children, to bring to fulfilment the predictions of the Prophets, and to have mercy upon his Temple and his people.
The book concludes with a justification of God, whose wisdom and greatness are said to be revealed in all God's works as well as in the history of Israel. These chapters are completed by the author's signature, and are followed by two hymns, the latter apparently a sort of alphabetical acrostic. Of particular interest to biblical scholars are Chapters 44—50, in which Ben Sira praises "men of renown, and our fathers in their generation", starting from the antediluvian Enoch and continuing through to "Simon, the high priest, son of Onias" — BCE.
Within this recitation, Ben Sira identifies, either directly or indirectly, each of the books of the Old Testament that would eventually become canonical, with the apparent exception of only Ezra, Daniel, Ruth, Esther, and perhaps Chronicles. Joshua ben Sirach, or, according to the Greek text "Jesus the son of Sirach of Jerusalem", was a Jewish scribe who had been living in Jerusalem , and may have authored the work in Alexandria , Egypt ca. The Prologue, attributed to Ben Sira's grandson and dated to BCE, is generally considered the earliest witness to a canon of the books of the prophets.
Thus the date of the text, has been the subject of intense scrutiny by biblical scholars. Joshua ben Sirach's grandson was in Egypt, translating and editing after the usurping Hasmonean line had definitively ousted Simon's heirs in long struggles and was finally in control of the High Priesthood in Jerusalem. Comparing the Hebrew and Greek versions shows that he altered the prayer for Simon and broadened its application "may He entrust to us his mercy" , in order to avoid having a work centered around praising God's covenanted faithfulness that closed on an unanswered prayer. The Greek translator states in his preface that he was the grandson of the author, and that he came to Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of " Euergetes ".
This epithet was borne by only two of the Ptolemies. He dated his reign from the year in which he received the crown i. The translator must therefore have gone to Egypt in BCE. Set up a giveaway. Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us. Would you like to report poor quality or formatting in this book? Click here Would you like to report this content as inappropriate?
Amazon Rapids Fun stories for kids on the go. He conceives of the various classes of society, of the poor and the rich, the learned and the ignorant, as able to become endowed with wisdom xxxvii, This thesis is worth considering, and potentially adds more weight to the already numerous contributions of Zoroastrianism to world culture. Neubauer, who also soon published them Oxford, Next followed the identification by Professor Schechter, first, of seven leaves of the same Codex B , containing xxx, xxxi, 11; xxxii, 1b-xxxiii 3; xxxv, xxxvi, 21; xxxvii, xxxviii, 28b; xlix, 14c-li, 30; and next, of four leaves of a different manuscript called A , and presenting iii, 6e-vii, 31a; xi, 36d-xvi, Besides the fact that many scholars deny the existence of any interpolations, there are portions in which it is easy to recognize the author's hand; for he has a characteristic technique, style, vocabulary, and syntax which are evident in all the versions. Learn more about Amazon Prime. The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion".
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