Sirach 4 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this commentary was originally compiled by priest and biblical scholar rev. Sirach is very similar to proverbs in that the majority of the material is presented in short sayings. The navarre bible wisdom books the books of job proverbs ecclesiastes qoheleth the wisdom of solomon and sirach ecclesiasticus book summary. The hebrew text of the book of ecclesiasticusin semitic. We invite you to explore, peruse the website, and learn more about the book of ben sira, its contents, and its textual history. Those who honor their father atone for sins, and those who respect their mother are like those who lay up treasure. Sirach is a book that raises a very distinctive set of problems. It is manifestly connected with and possibly derived from, the following subscription which appears at the end of recentlydiscovered hebrew fragments of. The usual title of the book in greek manuscripts and fathers is sophia iesou uiou seirach, the wisdom of jesus, the son of sirach, or simply sophia seirach the wisdom of sirach. Ecclesiasticus sirach chapter 1 bible catholic online. Whereas the book of wisdom has a strong belief in immortality, it is clear that ben sirach has no hope except for a dismal survival in sheol beyond the presence of god. So sirach aimed at the best young jews of his day to try to keep them from falling under the spell of hellenism.
The book of sirach or ecclesiasticus selfdefinition. If your book club wanted to start reading a book of the bible for a year, sirach would be a good one. Those who walk with wisdom are blessed by her father. Oct 27, 2019 overall, sirach is a fascinating book, filled with helpful aphorisms, reinterpreted traditions, all in the service of trying to help people live their lives. Sirach overview, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this commentary was originally compiled by priest and biblical scholar rev.
Sirach was originally written in hebrew, as the greek translator says in the prologue. Sirach still has not been privileged to see what we see. Jul 01, 2001 sirach, which is sometimes called ecclesiasticus, was written in hebrew between 200 and 175 b. Sirach 15 commentary, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this commentary was originally compiled by priest and biblical scholar rev. I was reading the wisdom book of sirach the other day, and i came across a puzzling texta text in chapter 42 which appears to be violently prejudiced against women. We need something that will help us read the biblical texts and not just about the text. Use highlighting, underlining, and take notes while you study the bible. Jan 02, 2020 the book of sirach is not part of the recognized canon of scripture, and it is not the inspired word of god. Catholic online is a project of your catholic voice foundation, a notforprofit corporation. The wisdom of sirach is a collection of ethical teachings.
Feb 18, 2020 this new work is an excellent commentary written by dr. Sirach was written by a jewish scribe who lived in jerusalem in the early third century bc. The purpose of the book was to give instructions on proper behavior in all areas of life. The author was jesus the son of sirach of jerusalem, who flourished about two hundred years before christ. Sirach ecclesiasticus the wisdom of jesus the son of sirach,or ecclesiasticus a prologue made by an uncertain author this jesus was the son of sirach, and grandchild to jesus of the same name with him. Sirach is the largest and most comprehensive example of wisdom literature see wisdom literature, and it has also the distinction of being the oldest book in the apocrypha, being indeed older than at least two books daniel, esther which have found a place in the canon alike of the eastern and western churches. The last book of the apocrypha is known by many names.
Commentaries on the book of wisdom of sirach bible commentaries and studies. Sirach collegeville bible commentary old testament 21 vol. He is also coauthor of the anchor bible commentary. These are collected interpretations and commentaries for each chapter of the holy bible by various authors english bible search arabic bible search. Now it is time to give sirach its place in my series on the books of the. The book of sirach or ecclesiasticus chapter 1 1 all wisdom is from the lord god, and hath been always with him, and is before all time. This is the purpose of this simple bible reading guide.
Some commentaries refer to it as sira, which is the hebrew family name of the author. William most on the book of sirach patristic bible commentary. The author was a welltraveled man, and seems familiar with greek and egyptian. This book is so called from a greek word that signifies a preacher. While originally written in hebrew, the book was read only through its greek translation, known as. Bible commentary early church fathers medieval patristic. The designation liber ecclesiasticus, meaning church book, appended to some greek and latin manuscripts, is perhaps due to the extensive use the church made of this book in presenting moral teaching to catechumens and to the faithful. Commentaries on the book of wisdom of sirach for various. He has published books and articles on biblical topics, especially the book of sirach, and now teaches scripture at st. Jesus, son of eleazar, son of sirach, is believed to have written this book between 200175 bc.
Sirach contain a textual displacement in which the order of 30. Ben sira uses the expression fear of the lord twelve times and the noun wisdom seven times to emphasize the connection between the two ideas. For the lord honors a father above his children, and he confirms a mothers right over her children. Many of its verses have old testament antecedents, especially from the book of proverbs.
The book has taken several different titles including the wisdom of jesus ben sira and liber ecclesiasticus church book. What should we call it sirach, ecclesiasticus, ben sira. This episode introduces us to the book of sirach ecclesiasticus. Sirach is a deuterocanonical book of wisdom literature. Ecclesiasticus sirach chapter 15 bible catholic online. The father william most collection commentary on sirach ecclesiasticus. The ignatius catholic study bible also includes topical essays, word studies, and charts. This new work is an excellent commentary written by dr. It is unusual for an old testament book to bear the name of its author, since the books usually contain the words or deeds of individualsfor example, a book about jonah, not a book by jonah. William most on the book of sirach haydock bible on sirach. The author was jesus, son of eleasar, son of sirach. Sirach 15 commentary george leo haydocks catholic bible.
We have aimed to please those who prefer simple reading, as well as to make it easy for the studious who wish to commit things to memory, and to be helpful to all 2 mc 2. Library the father william most theological collection. Duties toward parents listen to me your father, o children. Commentaries on the book of wisdom of sirach for various authors. This commentary uses the name ben sira for the author, and sirach for the book. The wisdom of jesus, the son of sirach is one of the wisdom books of the bible, and is one of the so called books of the apocrypha. As such, although it may have some historicalcultural significance, it is not godbreathed and does not possess the qualities of divinely inspired scripture 2 timothy 3. If you wanted to start a book club reading a particular book of the bible, sirach would be a good one. Jeremy corley, one of the foremost experts on sirach the wisdom of ben sira. Sirach is not only the longest book in the apocrypha, but it is also the only book named for its author, jesus ben which means son of sira. Did the book of sirach pinpoint the churchs abuse crisis.
The word studies explain the background of important biblical terms, while the charts summarize crucial biblical information at a glance. Golden threads of wisdom in the book of sirach catholic culture. The greek translator tried to insert a more hopeful expectation 19. It received this name from the fact that, after the psalms, it was the book most used in the liturgy. Sirach overview george leo haydocks catholic bible commentary. This book went through the usual vicissitudes of the deuterocanonical books. Your catholic voice foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under section 501c3 of the internal revenue code. For example, chapter 4 offers a remarkable commentary on how we all.
Thus sirach, sometimes called 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. In his writings, ben sira manages to combine secular wisdom with biblical wisdom. Skehans and alexander di lellas anchor bible commentary follow ziegler in giving the text in its proper order. Sirach 4 commentary george leo haydocks catholic bible. The book of sirach, also known as ecclesiasticus, is part of the wisdom literature of the greek septuagint and the latin vulgate bible. Sirachecclesiasticus deuterocanonapocrypha commentaries. Most of the book consists of short blocks of sayings on a variety of topics. Corleys familiarity with the vast literature on this fascinating wisdom book shines through his concise comments.
The wisdom of jesus, the son of sirach or ecclesiasticus 1. Commentary on sirachecclesiasticus catholic culture. The anchor yale bible commentary series is a project of international and interfaith scope in which protestant, catholic, and jewish scholars from many countries contribute individual volumes. The book of ecclesiasticus also known as the book of sirach. Some christians have considered the twentyfourth chapter of sirach a foreshadowing of the logos or word. Those who honor their father will have joy in their own children. Commentaries on the book of wisdom of sirach for various authors these are collected interpretations and commentaries for each chapter of the holy bible by various authors exposition of the book of wisdom of sirach. The topical essays explore the major themes of wisdom and sirach, often relating them to the teachings of the church. In late august, i examined one of the difficult passages in the book of sirach see did the book of sirach pinpoint the churchs abuse crisis. The book of sirach possesses a wealth of varied expressions of wise and foolish behavior reminiscent of the book of proverbs. The book of daniel, and contributed articles to the anchor bible dictionary.
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