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Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach." The Latin word ecclesiasticus is, properly speaking, not a name, but an epithet meaning " churchly," so that it would serve as a designation of any book which was read in See also:

church or received ecclesiastical See also:

SANCTION (Lat. sanctia, from sancire, to decree or ordain)

sanction, but in practice Ecclesiasticus has become a by-name for the Wisdom of Sirach. The true name of the book appears in the authorities in a variety of forms, the variation affecting both the author's name and the description of his book. The writer's full name is given in 1. 27 (Heb. See also:

TEXT (Lat. textum, woven fabric, from texere, to weave)

text) as " See also:

Simeon the son of Jeshua (i.e. Jesus) the son of Eleazar the son of Sira." In the See also:

Greek text this name appears as " Jesus son of Sirach Eleazar " (probably a corruption of the See also:

HEBREW

Hebrew See also:

READING

reading), and the epithet " of See also:

Jerusalem " is added, the translator himself being See also:

RESIDENT

resident in See also:

EGYPT

Egypt. The whole name is shortened sometimes to " Son of Sira," See also:

BEN (from Old Eng. bennan, within)

Ben Sira in Hebrew, See also:

Bar Sira in Aramaic, and sometimes (as in the title prefixed in the Greek See also:

cod. B) to Sirach. The See also:

WORK

work is variously described as the Words (Heb. text), the Book (See also:

TALMUD

Talmud), the See also:

PROVERBS, BOOK OF (Heb. Mishle Slzelomoh, " Proverbs of Solomon," abridged by the later Jews to Mishle; Septuagint, irapotpiai or II. EaX.; Lat. Vulg. Parabolae sal. and Liber proverbiorum)

Proverbs (See also:

Jerome), or the Wisdom of the son of Sira (or Sirach). Of the date of the book we have only one certain indication. It was translated by a See also:

PERSON, OFFENCES AGAINST THE

person who says that he " came into Egypt in the 38th See also:

YEAR

year of Euergetes the See also:

king " (See also:

PTOLEMY (CLAUDIUS PTOLEMAEUS)

Ptolemy VII.), i.e. in 132 B.C., and that he executed the work some See also:

time later. The translator believed that the writer of the See also:

ORIGINAL

original was his own grandfather (or ancestor, sr(airos). It is therefore reasonable to suppose that the book was composed not later than the first See also:

HALF

half of the 2nd See also:

CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century B.C., or (if we give the looser meaning to raw-nos) even before the beginning of the century.

Arguments for a pre-Maccabean date may be derived (a) from the fact that the book contains apparently no reference to the Maccabean struggles, (b) from the eulogy of the priestly See also:

house of Zadok which See also:

fell into disrepute during these See also:

WARS

wars for See also:

independence. In the Jewish Church Ecclesiasticus hovered on the border of the See also:

CANON

canon; in the See also:

Christian Church it crossed and recrossed the border. The book contains much which attracted and also much which repelled Jewish feeling, and it appears that it was necessary to pronounce against its canonicity. In the Talmud (Sanhedrin See also:

LOO (formerly called " Lanterloo," Fr. lanturlu, the refrain of a popular 17th-century song)

loo b) See also:

RABBI

Rabbi See also:

Joseph says that it is forbidden to read (i.e. in the See also:

synagogue) the book of ben Sira, and further that " if our masters had not hidden the book (i.e. declared it uncanonical), we might interpret the See also:

GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good things which are in it " (Schechter, J.Q. See also:

REVIEW (Fr. revue, from revoir, to see again, Lat. re and videre)

Review, iii. 691-692). In the Christian Church it was largely used by See also:

Clement of See also:

Alexandria (c. A.D. 200) and by St See also:

Augustine. The lists of the Hebrew canon, however, given by See also:

MELITO

Melito (c. A.D. 18o) and by See also:

ORIGEN (c. 185-c. 254)

Origen (c.

A.D. 230) rightly exclude Ecclesiasticus, and Jerome (c. A.D. 390-400) writes :"Let the Church read these two volumes (Wisdom of See also:

Solomon and Ecclesiasticus) for the instruction of the See also:

PEOPLE

people, not for establishing the authority of the dogmas of the Church " (Praefatio in libros Salomonis). In the See also:

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief MS. of the See also:

SEPTUAGINT, THE (Gr. of 0', Lat. LXX.)

Septuagint, cod. B, Ecclesiasticus comes between Wisdom and See also:

ESTHER

Esther, no distinction being See also:

DRAWN

drawn between canonical and uncanonical. In the See also:

VULGATE (from Lat. vulgus, the common people)

Vulgate it immediately precedes See also:

Isaiah. The See also:

COUNCIL (Lat. concilium, from cum, together, and the root cal, to call)

council of See also:

Trent declared this book and the See also:

REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest of the books reckoned in the See also:

THIRTY

Thirty-nine Articles as apocryphal to be canonical. The text of the book raises intricate problems which are still far from See also:

SOLUTION (from Lat. solvere, to loosen, dissolve)

solution. The original Hebrew (rediscovered in fragments and published between 1896 and 1900) has come down to us in a mutilated and corrupt See also:

FORM (Lat. forma)

form. The beginning as far as iii. 7 is lost.

There is a See also:

gap from xvi. 26 to See also:

xxx. 11. There are marginal readings which show that two different recensions existed once in Hebrew. The Greek version exists in two forms—(a) that preserved in cod. B and in the other uncial See also:

MSS., (b) that preserved in the cursive codex 248 (See also:

HOLMES, OLIVER WENDELL (18o9-1894)

Holmes and See also:

Parsons). The former has a somewhat briefer text, the latter agrees more closely with the Hebrew text. The See also:

MAJORITY (Fr. majorite; Med. Lat. majoritas; Lat. major, greater)

majority of Greek cursives agree generally with the Latin Vulgate, and offer the See also:

fuller text in a corrupt form. The See also:

SYRIAC

Syriac (Peshitta) version is paraphrastic, but on the whole it follows the Hebrew text. Owing to the See also:

MUTILATION (from Lat. mutilus, maimed)

mutilation of the Hebrew by the accidents of time the Greek version retains its See also:

PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place as the chief authority for the text, and references by See also:

CHAPTER (a shortened form of chapiter, a word still used in architecture for a capital; derived from O. Fr. chapitre, Lat. capitellum, diminutive of caput, head)

chapter and See also:

VERSE (from Lat. versus, literally a line or furrow drawn by turning the plough, from vertere, and afterwards signifying an arrangement of syllables into feet)

verse are usually made to it. Bickell and D. S.

Margoliouth have supposed that the Hebrew text preserved in the fragments is not original, but a retranslation from the Greek or the Syriac or both. This view has not commended itself to the majority of scholars, but there is at least a residuum of truth in it. The Hebrew text, as we have it, has a See also:

HISTORY

history of progressive corruption behind it, and its readings can often he emended from the Septuagint, e.g. See also:

XXXVII

xxxvii. 11 (read 5y See also:

KERN, JAN HENDRIK (1833– )

Kern for the meaningless 5H -See also:

eel). The Hebrew marginal readings occasionally seem to be See also:

TRANSLATIONS

translations from the Greek or Syriac, e.g. xxxviii. 4 (o'c u for gKTIUEP Ibhppwca). More frequently, however, See also:

STRANGE, SIR ROBERT (1721-1792)

strange readings of the Greek and Syriac are to be explained as corruptions of our See also:

PRESENT

present Hebrew. Substantially our Hebrew must be pronounced original. The restoration of a satisfactory text is beyond our hopes. Even before the Christian era the book existed in two recensions, for we cannot doubt, after reading the Greek translator's See also:

PREFACE (Med. Lat. prefatia, for classical praefatio, praefari, to speak beforehand)

preface, that the translator amplified and paraphrased the text before him. It is probable that at least one considerable omission must be laid to his See also:

charge, for the hymn preserved in the Hebrew text after ch. Ii.

12 is almost certainly original. See also:

Ancient translators allowed themselves much See also:

LIBERTY (Lat. libertas, from liber, free)

liberty in their work, and Ecclesiasticus possessed no reputation for canonicity in the 2nd century B.C. to serve as a See also:

PROTECTION

protection for its text. Much, however, may be done towards improving two of the recensions which now See also:

lie before us. The incomplete Hebrew text exists in four different MSS., and the study of the peculiarities of these had already proved fruitful. The Syriac text, made without doubt from the Hebrew, though often paraphrastic is often suggestive. The Greek See also:

TRANSLATION

translation, made within a century or half-century of the See also:

writing of the book, must possess See also:

GREAT

great value for the See also:

criticism of the Hebrew text. The work of restoring true Hebrew readings may proceed with more confidence now that we have considerable portions of the Hebrew text to serve as a See also:

MODEL (0. Fr. modelle, mod. modele; It. modello, pattern, mould; from Lat. modus, measure, standard)

model. For the restoration of the Greek text we have, besides many Greek MSS., uncial and cursive, the old Latin, the Syro-Hexaplar, the Armenian, Sahidic and Ethiopic versions, as well as a consider-able number of quotations in the Greek and Latin Fathers. Each of the two recensions of the Greek must, however, be separately studied, before any restoration of the original Greek text can be attempted. – The uncertainty of the text has affected both English versions unfavourably. The Authorized Version, following the corrupt cursives, is often wrong. The Revised Version, on the other See also:

hand, in following the uncial MSS. sometimes departs from the Hebrew, while the Authorized Version with the cursives agrees with it.

Thus the Revised Version (with codd. a*, A, B, C) omits the whole of iii. 19, which the Authorized Version retains, but for the clause, " Mysteries arerevealedunto the See also:

MEEK, FIELDING BRADFORD (1817—1876)

meek," the Authorized Version has the support of the Hebrew, Syriac and cod. 248. Sometimes both versions go astray in places in which the Hebrew text recommends itself as original by its vigour; e.g. in vii. 26, where the Hebrew is, Hast See also:

thou a wife ? abominate her not. Hast thou a hated wife ? See also:

TRUST

trust not in her. Again in ch. xxxviii. the Hebrew text in at least two interesting passages shows its superiority over the text which underlies both English versions. Hebrew. Revised Version (similarly Authorized Version). ver. 1. Acquaint thyself with a See also:

HONOUR (Lat. honos or lwnor, honoris; in English the word was spelled with or without the u indifferently until the 17th century, but during the 18th century it became fashion-able to spell the word " honor "; Johnson's and Webster's Dictionaries stereoty

Honour a physician according physician before thou have to thy need of him with the need of him. honours due unto him.

ver. 15. He that sinneth against He that sinneth before his his Maker will behave Maker, let him fall into the hands himself proudly against a of the physician. physician. In the second instance, while the Hebrew says that the See also:

man who rebels against his Heavenly Benefactor will a fortiori See also:

REBEL, JOHANN PETER (176o-1826)

rebel against a human benefactor, the Greek text gives a cynical turn to the verse, " Let the man who rebels against his true benefactor be punished through the See also:

TENDER

tender mercies of a See also:

QUACK

quack." The Hebrew text is probably See also:

SUPERIOR

superior also in xliv. 1, the opening words of the eulogy of the Fathers: " Let me now praise favoured men," i.e. men in whom See also:

God's See also:

grace was shown. The Hebrew phrase is " men of grace," as in v. to. The Greek text of v. 1, " famous men," seems to be nothing but a loose See also:

PARAPHRASE (Gr. irapa¢pavis, from rrapa4p4av, to relate something in different words, 'raga, beside, and ¢pai"eav, speak, tell)

paraphrase, suggested by v. 2, "The See also:

Lord manifested in them great See also:

GLORY (through the O. Fr. glorie, modern gloire, from Lat. gloria, cognate with Gr. KXebs, abets)

glory." In See also:

CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character and contents Ecclesiasticus resembles the book of Proverbs. It consists mainly of See also:

MAXIMS, LEGAL

maxims which may be described in turn as moral, utilitarian and See also:

SECULAR (Lat. saecularis, of or belonging to an age or generation, saeculum)

secular. Occasionally the author attacks prevalent religious opinions, e.g. the denial of See also:

FREE

free-will (xv.

11-20), or the assertion of God's indifference towards men's actions (See also:

XXXV

xxxv. 12-19). Occasionally, again, Ben Siratouches the highest themes, and speaks of the nature of God: "He is All" (xliii. 27); "He is One from See also:

EVERLASTING, or IMMORTELLE

everlasting" (xlii. 21, Heb. text); " The See also:

mercy of the Lord is upon all flesh " (xviii. 13). Though the book is imitative and secondary in character it contains several passages of force and beauty, e.g. ch. ii. (how to fear the Lord); xv. 11-20 (on free-will); See also:

XXIV

xxiv. 1-22 (the See also:

SONG

song of wisdom); xlii. 15-25 (praise of the See also:

WORKS

works of the Lord); xliv. 4-15 (the well-known praise of famous men).- Many detached sayings scattered throughout the book show a See also:

DEPTH

depth of insight, or a See also:

PRACTICAL

practical shrewdness, or again a See also:

POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power of concise speech, which stamps them on the memory.

A few examples out of many may be cited. " See also:

CALL (from Anglo-Saxon ceallian, a common Teutonic word, cf. Dutch kallen, to talk or chatter)

Call no man blessed before his See also:

DEATH

death " (xi. 28); " He that toucheth See also:

pitch shall be defiled " (xiii. I); " He hath not given any man See also:

LICENCE (through the French from Lat. licentia, licere, to be lawful)

licence to See also:

sin " (xv. 20); " Man cherisheth anger against man; and doth he seek healing from the Lord?" (See also:

XXVIII

xxviii. 3); "Mercy is seasonable . . . as clouds of See also:

RAIN (O.E. regn; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Regen, Swed. and Dan. regn; it has been connected with Lat. rigare, to wet, Gr. 13pixeav)

rain " (xxxv. 2o); " All things are See also:

double one against another: and he hath made nothing imperfect " (xlii. 24, the See also:

MOTTO (an Italian word, from Late Lat. muttum, a low sound, a mutter or murmur, cf. mutere, to mutter; the Latin word also gives Fr. mot, word)

motto of See also:

Butler's See also:

ANALOGY (Gr. avaXo-yLa, proportion)

Analogy); " Work your work before the time cometh, and in his time he will give you your See also:

REWARD

reward " (li. 30). In spite, however, of the words just quoted it cannot be said that Ben Sira preaches a hopeful See also:

religion. Though he prays, "Renew thy signs, and repeat thy wonders .

. . Fill See also:

SION [Ger. Sitten]

Sion with thy See also:

MAJESTY (Fr. majeste; Lat. majestas, grandeur, greatness, from the base mag-, as in magnus, great, major, greater, &c.)

majesty and thy See also:

Temple with thy glory" (See also:

XXXVI

xxxvi. 6, 14 [19], Heb. text), he does not look for a See also:

MESSIAH (Dan. x. 25, 26)

Messiah. Of the resurrection of the dead or of the See also:

IMMORTALITY (Lat. in-, not, mortalis, mortal, from mors, death)

immortality of the soul there is no word, not even in xli. 1-4, where the author exhorts men not to fear death. Like the Psalmist (Ps. lxxxviii. to, II) he asks, " Who shall give praise to the Most High in the See also:

GRAVE

grave? " In his maxims of See also:

LIFE

life he shows a somewhat frigid and narrow mind. He is a pessimist as regards See also:

WOMEN

women; " From a woman was the beginning of sin; and because of her we all See also:

die " (See also:

xxv. 24). He does not believe in See also:

home-spun wisdom; " How shall he become See also:

wise that holdeth the plough ? " (xxxviii. 25).

Artificers are not expected to pray like the wise man; " In the handy work of their. See also:

CRAFT (a word common to Teutonic languages for strength, or power; cf. Ger. Kraft)

craft is their See also:

prayer " (v. 34). Merchants are expected to cheat; " Sin will thrust itself in between buying and selling " (See also:

XXVII

xxvii. 2). The See also:

account given in the Synopsis attributed to See also:

ATHANASIUS (293-373)

Athanasius (See also:

MIGNE, JACQUES PAUL (1800-1875)

Migne, P.G., iv. 375-384) has an See also:

INTEREST

interest of its own. The beginning is given in the Authorized Version as " A See also:

PROLOGUE (from Gr. 7rpo, before, and Myer, a word)

prologue made by an uncertain author." (W. E.

End of Article: ECCLESIASTICUS (abbreviated to Ecclus.)

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