Msgr. Beaulieu – Sirach

The Book of Sirach

The Book of Sirach (its older name) is an Old Testament book variously known as Sirach, the Wisdom of Jesus, Ben Sira, or Ecclesiasticus, not to be confused with another similarly-sounding book entitled Ecclesiastes in the ancient Hebrew Canon of the Old Testament. The earliest of those titles appears to be The Wisdom of Ben Sira derived from this colophon, “I have written in this book—I, Yeshua Ben Eleazar Ben Sira—as they poured forth from my heart’s understanding” (Sir 50:27). The Latin designation Liber Ecclesiasticus meaning “Church Book,” while appended to some Greek and Latin manuscripts, the title is likely due to the extensive use the Church made of this book in presenting moral teaching to both catechumens and the faithful.

Sirach is one of longest and one of the most important books of the deuterocanonical literature. Originally written in Hebrew but better known by its Greek version that bears the title Σοφία ̓Ιησοῦ υἱοῦ Σιράχ (Eng. The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach) abbreviated to Σοφία Σιράχ (Eng. The Wisdom of Sirach) and, occasionally known by its Latin title Siracides. Deuterocanonical (vs. Apocryphal) books include: Tobit, Baruch, Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus), Wisdom, First & Second Maccabees and often the Greek additions to the predominantly Hebrew editions of Esther and Daniel. After the ruin of Jerusalem and trying to decide how to go on, the rabbis in Jamnia did not accept Sirach as canonical, even though it was originally written in Hebrew.

Most of its Hebrew text was discovered in a Genizah (a storehouse for worn out copies of Jewish texts, usually in a synagogue or cemetery) in Cairo in 1896. Other fragments came from Qumran texts and from the Jewish fortress known as Masada. After the destruction of Jerusalem, while gathered in 90 AD, those holy men tried to determine how Judaism could go on without the destroyed Temple and its sacrifices. They fixed the canon of the Bible for Judaism. 

Sirach 1:1-10

These opening verses of the Book establish the concept that all wisdom originates from God and is eternally present with Him, emphasizing the importance of “fear of the Lord” All the advice in Sirach can be summarized as the practical explication of one great verse which is itself a cardinal biblical doctrine often misunderstood because of the word fear. “The fullness of wisdom is to fear the Lord” (Sir 1:16). Fear of the Lord includes within itself faith, hope, reverence, awe and love. Note, in its biblical understanding, fear of the Lord does not refer to the secular notion of fear, but rather refers to a deep respect, awe, and reverence for God’s power and authority.

Sirach 2:1-11

The chapter opens by urging individuals to “prepare yourself for trials” (Sir 2:1) meaning to be ready for those testing situations which may come your way when serving God. Its primary focus is that serving God, inevitably, will involve trials and tribulations. However, by remaining steadfast and enduring them with patience, you will ultimately be rewarded with God’s mercy and lasting joy. This passage essentially advises individuals to prepare themselves mentally and spiritually for challenges, accepting hardship as a means of purification and trusting in God’s plan even during difficult times. The author admonishes those who heed wisdom’s call to maintain their unwavering trust in God, believing that He will provide support and ultimately deliver those who remain faithful.

Sirach 4:11-19

The precious fruits of wisdom—life, favor, glory, blessings, God’s love—are meant to arouse an insatiable desire for her (Sir 4:11–14). Wisdom’s disciples are devoted servants of the Holy One and the Lord’s obedient “will judge the nations” and, then, the descendants of those who are faithful will have Wisdom for their heritage (Sir 4:14-16). They enjoy happiness and learn her secrets after surviving her tests. Those who fail her are abandoned to destruction (Sir 4:17-19). Wisdom breathes life into her children and, in tandem, admonishes those who seek her.

Sirach 5:1-8

This passage serves as a warning against setting the heart on earthly wealth. Instead, it endorses the spiritual practice of detachment, the sort of thing  that St. Paul calls for by saying, “…using the world as not using it fully” (1 Cor 7:31). In other words, do not let the things of the world get such a hold upon you that they could draw you into sin or imperfection. Thus, the freer you find yourself from worldly attractions, the better will your spiritual eyesight be, for then the promptings of grace toward doing God’s will are picked up by the mind. It is a mistake (Sir 5:4-7) to say that since God is slow to anger sin can more freely be done. God is mercy and wrath; presumption can be dangerous.

Sirach 6:5-17

In these verses, the sacred author talks about friendship and how to choose friends both cautiously and assuredly. Sirach also notes the kind of trouble that can come by choosing the wrong friends, countering that caution with the beauty of finally choosing good and faithful friends. He writes: “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds; for he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself” (Sir 6:14-17). This is one of the several poems on friendship extolling true friends in the Book of Sirach. True friends like that are gifts from God and discerned not by prosperity, but through the multiple forms of human adversity: distress, quarrels, sorrow, or misfortune.