Part 3: Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus

Wisdom Literature

The Revelation of God’s Love

Part 3: Wisdom and

Ecclesiasticus

Document#: TX004689

The Book of Wisdom

• Wisdom, Book OF, one of the deutero-

canonial writings of the Old Testament..

© bobbieo / iStockphoto.com

The Book of Wisdom

Back ground: • The Book of Wisdom was written about fifty years

before the coming of Christ. Its author, whose name is not known to us, was probably a member of the Jewish community at Alexandria, in Egypt.

• He wrote in Greek, in a style patterned on that of Hebrew verse. At times he speaks in the person of Solomon, placing his teachings on the lips of the wise king of Hebrew tradition in order to emphasize their value.

© bobbieo / iStockphoto.com

The Book of Wisdom

Back ground contnues

• His profound knowledge of the earlier Old

Testament writings is reflected in almost every

line of the book, and marks him, like Ben Sira,

as an outstanding representative of religious

devotion and learning among the sages of

postexilic Judaism.

© bobbieo / iStockphoto.com

The Book of Wisdom

Purpose:

• The primary purpose of the author was the

edification of his co-religionists in a time

when they had experienced suffering and

oppression, in part at least at the hands of

apostate fellow Jews. © bobbieo / iStockphoto.com

The Book of Wisdom

Emphases: To convey his message he made use

of the most popular religious themes of his time,

namely the splendor and worth of divine wisdom

(6:22–11:1), the glorious events of the exodus

(11:2–16; 12:23–27; 15:18–19:22), God’s mercy

(11:17–12:22), the folly of idolatry (13:1–15:17),

and the manner in which God’s justice operates

in rewarding or punishing the individual (1:1–

6:21). © bobbieo / iStockphoto.com

The Book of Wisdom - Content

• The book contains two general parts:

• The first nine chapters treating of Wisdom

under its more speculative aspect.

• The last ten chapters dealing with Wisdom

from an historical stand-point.

© bobbieo / iStockphoto.com

The Book of Wisdom – Principal Divisions

• The principal divisions of the Book of Wisdom

are:

• The Reward of Righteousness (1:1–6:21).

• Praise of Wisdom by Solomon (6:22–11:1).

• Special Providence of God During the Exodus

(11:2–16; 12:23–27; 15:18–19:22) with

digressions on God’s mercy (11:17–12:22) and

on the folly and shame of idolatry (13:1–15:17). © bobbieo / iStockphoto.com

Wisdom Personified

• Personification uses human characteristics to

describe something that is abstract.

• In the Book of Wisdom, wisdom is personified

as a female.

• The ultimate embodiment

of God’s wisdom is Jesus

Christ.

© michaeljung / Shutterstock.com

Teacher, Counselor, and Preserver

• In the Book of Wisdom, we learn

that wisdom instructs us in the

ways of God.

• Wisdom reminds the people that

God is both Creator and

rescuer.

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Wisdom Personified

• Personification uses human characteristics

to describe something that is abstract.

• In the Book of Wisdom, wisdom is

personified as a female.

• The ultimate

embodiment of

God’s wisdom is

Jesus Christ.

© michaeljung / Shutterstock.com

The Book of Wisdom and the New

Testament

• The first ten chapters in particular provide

background for the teaching of Jesus and

for some New Testament theology about

Jesus. Many passages from this section of

the book, notably 3:1–8, are used by the

church in the liturgy. © bobbieo / iStockphoto.com

THE BOOK OF

SIRACH (ECCLESIASTICUS)

THE BOOK OF SIRACH

The Book of Sirach derives its name from the author, Jesus, son of Eleazar, son of Sirach (50, 27). Its earliest title seems to have been “Wisdom of the Son of Sirach.”

The designation “Liber Ecclesiasticus,” meaning “Church Book,” appended to some Greek and Latin manuscripts was due to the extensive use which the church made of this book in presenting moral teaching to catechumens and to the faithful.

THE BOOK OF SIRACH - Background

• Written in Hebrew between 200 and 175 B.C., the text was translated into Greek sometime after 132 B.C. by the author's grandson, who also wrote a Foreword which contains information about the book, the author, and the translator himself.

• Until the close of the nineteenth century Sirach was known only in translations, of which this Greek rendering was the most important.

THE BOOK OF SIRACH – Background

Continues

• From it the Latin version was made. Between

1896 and 1900, again in 1931, and several times

since 1956, manuscripts were discovered

containing in all about two thirds of the Hebrew

text, which agrees substantially with the Greek.

• One such text, from Masada (a southeastern

ancient place and fortification of Israel overlooking

the Dead Sea), is pre-Christian in date.

THE BOOK OF SIRACH

Though not included in the Hebrew Bible

after the first century A.D., nor accepted

by Protestants, the Book of Sirach has

always been recognized by the Orthodox

and Catholic Churches as divinely

inspired and canonical..

THE BOOK OF SIRACH

• The author, a sage who lived in Jerusalem,

was thoroughly imbued with love for the law,

the priesthood, the temple, and divine

worship.

• As a wise and experienced observer of life he

addressed himself to his contemporaries with

the motive of helping them to maintain

religious faith and integrity through study of

the holy books, and through tradition.

THE BOOK OF SIRACH

• The book contains numerous maxims

formulated with care, grouped by affinity,

and dealing with a variety of subjects such

as the individual, the family, and the

community in their relations with one

another and with God.

• It treats of friendship, education, poverty and

wealth, the law, religious worship, and many

other matters which reflect the religious and

social customs of the time.

THE BOOK OF SIRACH

• The contents of Sirach are of a discursive nature, not easily divided into separate parts.

• Chapters 1-43 deal largely with moral instruction; chapters 44, 1-50, 24 contain a eulogy of the heroes of Israel and some of the patriarchs.

• There are two appendices in which the author expresses his gratitude to God, and appeals to the unlearned to acquire true wisdom.

Quotations in the New Testament • Sir.11,19 ”When he says: ”I have found

rest, now I will feast on my possessions,” He does not know how long it will be till he dies and leave them to others.”

• Luke 12,19-20 “And I will say to my soul, “Soul you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry”. But God said to him,” fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”

Sirach and the New Testament

Quotations in the New Testament:

• Sir. 28,2 “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice;

then when you pray, your own sins will be

forgiven”.

• Mark 11,25 “and whenever you stand praying,

if you have anything against anyone, forgive

him, that your Father in heaven may also

forgive you your trespasses”.

Quotations in the New Testament

• Sir. 5,13 “Be swift to hear, but slow to

answer”.

• James 1,19 “So then, my beloved

brethren, let every man be swift to hear,

slow to speak, slow to wrath”.

Quotations in the new testament

• Sir. 7,34 “Avoid not those who weep, but mourn with those who mourn”.

• Romans 12,15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”.

• Sir. 10,17 “The traces of the proud God sweeps away and effaces the memory of them from the earth”.

• Luke 1,52 “He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly”.