Sirach (Ecclesiasticus): Wisdom Rooted in Covenant

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus): Wisdom Rooted in Covenant

The Book of Sirach—also called Ecclesiasticus or The Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach—is one of the great treasures of the Bible of the Early Church. Written around 200–175 BC, it bridges the Hebrew wisdom tradition with the world of the New Testament. For centuries it was considered Scripture by Jews and Christians alike, though most Protestant Bibles now omit it.

Its message: Godly wisdom is inseparable from obedience to His covenant.

Title, Authorship, and Canonical Status

• Hebrew Title: Wisdom of Yeshua ben Sira

  
  

• Greek Title: Sirach or Ecclesiasticus (“Church Book”), since it was widely used in Christian teaching and liturgy.

  
  

• Author: Jesus ben Sira, a Jewish sage from Jerusalem. His grandson translated it into Greek around 132 BC.

  
  

• Canonical Status:

  • Included in the Septuagint.

  • Canonical for Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

  • Read and cited by early Christians (Church Fathers like Clement, Origen, Cyprian, Augustine).

  • Placed in the Apocrypha by later Protestants but still read devotionally in early English Bibles.

Structure

Sirach is a long book (51 chapters), resembling Proverbs but written in the style of extended sermons.

It contains:

1. Praise of Wisdom – Wisdom’s role in creation and covenant (1–4, 24).

2. Practical Instructions – Family life, speech, wealth, friendship, almsgiving, humility, and justice.

3. Praise of Ancestors – Chapters 44–50 rehearse Israel’s history, showing wisdom embodied in the faithful.

4. Prayer of Praise – Closing prayer (ch. 51).

Themes and Theology

1. The Fear of the Lord

Sirach begins like Proverbs:

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge.” (Sirach 1:14; cf. Proverbs 1:7)

But unlike secular wisdom, Sirach insists that fear of the Lord is covenantal—not philosophy but obedience.

2. Wisdom Rooted in Torah

Unlike Greek philosophy, Sirach identifies Wisdom with the Law of Moses:

“All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the law that Moses commanded us.” (Sirach 24:23)

This makes Sirach unique—it locates wisdom in God’s revealed law, not in speculation.

3. Practical Instruction

Sirach emphasizes daily holiness:

• On speech: “Do not accustom your mouth to coarse talk, for it involves sinful speech.” (23:13)

• On almsgiving: “Water extinguishes a blazing fire: so almsgiving atones for sin.” (3:30)

• On humility: “The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so you will find favor in the sight of the Lord.” (3:18)

These teachings sound strikingly like the Sermon on the Mount.

4. Praise of Ancestors

Chapters 44–50 form a “Hall of Fame of Faith,” recounting heroes of Israel. This is echoed in Hebrews 11, which presents its own “faith hall of fame.”

Christological Connections

Sirach prepares the way for Christ by presenting wisdom as divine, eternal, and incarnated in history.

• Sirach 24 personifies Wisdom as descending to dwell among God’s people:

  
  

  “Then the Creator of all things gave me a command, and my Creator chose the place for my tent. He said, ‘Make your dwelling in Jacob, and in Israel receive your inheritance.’” (24:8)

This anticipates John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

• Jesus quotes Sirach indirectly in His teaching. For example:

  • Sirach 28:2: “Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.” → Matthew 6:14–15.

  • Sirach 7:32: “Do not neglect to visit the sick.” → Matthew 25:36.

• New Testament echoes:

  • Sirach 3:20 (“Humble yourself more, the greater you are”) resonates with Matthew 23:12.

  • Sirach 5:11 (“Be swift to hear, but with patience make your answer”) resembles James 1:19.

Early Christians understood Jesus as the embodiment of the Wisdom Sirach longed for.

Reception in the Early Church

• Liturgical Use: Sirach was read in Christian worship (hence Ecclesiasticus).

• Patristic Citations:

  • Clement of Alexandria quoted Sirach to support Christian morality.

  • Augustine defended it as Scripture in City of God.

  • The Council of Carthage (AD 397) listed Sirach as canonical.

Its place in the Septuagint—the Bible of the apostles—guarantees its authority for the early Church.

Why It Matters Today

Sirach reminds us that:

• Wisdom is not free-floating philosophy—it is covenantal obedience.

• Practical holiness matters. Daily speech, generosity, and humility reflect eternal truths.

• Christ is the true Wisdom who dwells among us. Sirach’s vision of Wisdom pitching her tent in Israel is fulfilled in the Incarnation.

Conclusion

The Book of Sirach is a manual of wisdom, a covenantal sermon, and a prophecy of Christ. Its removal from modern Bibles has left many believers with a gap in understanding how the Old Testament prepared the way for Jesus.

For the Bible of the Early Church, Sirach was not “extra”—it was essential. It calls us to humility, charity, and reverence, all fulfilled in Christ, the Wisdom of God.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and she was created with the faithful in the womb.” (Sirach 1:14)