Ben Sira

By Mary Jane Chaignot

Categories: Men in the Apocrypha

Ben Sira was a wisdom teacher in Jerusalem in the late third and early second century BCE.
His first name was Jesus, which is a form of Joshua, meaning “the Lord saves.”
His Hebrew family name was Sira; in Greek, it is spelled Sirach.
The Greek version of his book has his name as “Jesus son of Eleazar son of Sirach of Jerusalem.” That would mean his father’s first name was Eleazar and Sira would have been his grandfather’s name.
“Ben” means “son of,” so that’s why scholars refer to the author as Ben Sira.
The Latin translation is called “Eccleasiasticus,” which means “church book.”
Though Ben Sira wrote in Hebrew, the best manuscripts are in Greek.
His nephew (or grandson) compiled a Greek translation sometime between 132-117 BCE.
He worked on the translation because there was a large Jewish population in Egypt at that time.
According to this person, Ben Sira was more than a wisdom teacher; he was also the recipient of divine revelation and wanted to help his fellow Jews to become better and wiser.
The grandson/nephew was not a professional translator, but he wanted to do this for Ben Sira and called his translation a “labor of love.”
He admitted that translations are never perfect from one language to another, but claimed his translation “differed not a little.”
All we know about Ben Sira comes from his own writings.
If he wrote his book between 200-180 BCE, he was alive during the Second Temple period (from 538 BCE-70 CE). This was a very turbulent time for Jews.
In 538 BCE, Cyrus, king of Persia, gave permission for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.
The restoration of both the city and the temple was oftentimes a frustrating, if not laborious, undertaking.
The prophets, Ezra and Nehemiah, were leaders in this endeavor, operating during the fifth century BCE.
In 331 BCE, Alexander the Great defeated the Persians and took over the land.
Upon his untimely death in 323 BCE, Alexander’s territory was divided into four areas – one for each of his generals.
Egypt was given to Ptolemy; Syria was under Seleucid control. Palestine was under the Ptolemys, though the Seleucid kings were never satisfied with this arrangement.
For almost 100 years, the Seleucids continued to war over Palestine. They finally succeeded in adding it to their territories in 198 BCE.
This marked the zenith of Seleucid power.
Seleucus IV reigned from 187-175 BCE, when he was replaced by Antiochus IV (175-163 BCE).
If Ben Sira was writing around 180 BCE, he would have witnessed the change from Ptolemaic to Seleucid rule. It was a time of turmoil, but it would be nothing compared to the dark days that would ensue once Antiochus IV took the throne.
Still, by 180 BCE, change was already in the air, and Ben Sira was a traditionalist.
In this case, being a traditionalist means he continued to make certain assumptions about the world he lived in.
His station in life was probably among the upper-class, and he was a wisdom teacher.
He had many opinions about almost everything and did not hesitate to share them.
He probably opposed Hellenization, but it was already a fact of life and he was surely influenced by it.
He probably lived in the city, though most Jews did not.
He lived in a society that was driven by the concepts of honor and shame.
That means one’s significance was determined by how others viewed him: if positively, that was honor; if negatively, that resulted in shame.
Ben Sira lived in a hierarchical society, but there was not much upward movement among the classes. One’s status was pretty much determined by the pedigree of one’s family.
In all social situations, it was inherently important not to “lose face,” which would result in shame.
Shame meant that one’s reputation was damaged, which might result in public rejection.
To have honor meant that others valued one as a person and a contributing member of society.
As a teacher, this was one of Ben Sira’s important goals: to prepare young men to live successfully in a culture that revolved around others’ opinions of them.
Part of what he compiled was a list of things that brought honor and a list of things that took it away.
Rather than have these elements fluctuate with the changing political scene, he rooted them all in the commandments and the covenant.
He was adamant that each person was given a free will and could choose which path to follow. Whether one acted wisely or foolishly would affect his standing of honor or shame.
But, it wasn’t just a matter of following society’s norms; the best behavior was moral and was theologically based in “the fear of the Lord.”
Hence, many of his admonitions involve the proper use of speech. Words can oftentimes lead to honor or shame.
He addresses the notion that the wealthy are under God’s favor. His counterpoint is that all who obey God are blessed by Him. (Had he been writing 20 years later, when observant Jews were being killed for their beliefs, he might have struggled with this.)
While he lists many things that lead to shame, he highlights one that doesn’t, for sure – the following of God’s commands and adhering to the law of the Most High and His covenant.
Within the home, the father would have had absolute power and authority.
Of course, that required the subordination of wives to their husbands. Children and slaves were naturally subordinate.
Knowing these parameters doesn’t entirely offset some of his most egregious statements about women and children, but it might make them more understandable.
Much of his sage advice in this realm can be classified under “household codes.” They are similar to legal codes of conduct that determine how members of the family should be treated.
These “codes” are usually addressed to the subordinates (wives, children, slaves) and indicate how they should act toward their master.
There is rarely a similar code for the “master.” (Maybe everyone assumed he would know how to act towards the subordinated people in his household; more likely, however, is the notion that it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. He had the authority to do whatever he chose.)
According to these codes, adult children should honor their parents as commanded. When they do, they will experience a long life. But this also fits with God’s divine plan and His sense of order.
And, if someone didn’t honor his parents, he would bring much shame on his head.
Women are never addressed directly. Ben Sira’s instruction is meant for young males in society. But, of course, women will be a factor in their lives.
He does acknowledge that a good wife can truly enrich a man and be a positive force in his life.
However, most of his advice involves wives that are “bad.”
If a wife makes the man unhappy, he will “lose face” (be shamed) before his colleagues.
If he is completely miserable, he should divorce the woman.
Still, he urged his readers to marry, and admonished them to choose carefully and wisely. (Women had no say regarding whom they married.)
Regarding children, Ben Sira is all about strict discipline. Sons should be whipped; daughters should be isolated until they are ready to get married.
Daughters are a constant source of anxiety for their fathers; naturally, having a daughter in the first place is seen as a “loss.”
A man must keep his slaves very busy or their thoughts will turn to wanting freedom.
But if a man only has one slave, then he should treat him with respect. Otherwise, the slave might run away, and this would be very shameful.
All of these relationships are discussed in relation to their potential to bring honor or shame to a man. Naturally, a man wants to increase his honor and avoid any sense of shame. That’s really the only thing that matters.
In Ben Sira’s society, there was no higher position than a sage, who engaged in the pursuit of and was a purveyor of wisdom.
Even kings must rely upon their “wise” advisors.
Ben Sira ran a school for young men. He probably taught them to read and write, but also to imbibe the wisdom traditions.
These were the potential leaders of the future community. They would hold leadership positions in all areas of society.
They would also devote much time to the study of the law and preserve the religious traditions.
A sage was also expected to travel. In so doing, he would not only gain much in new experiences, but he would also meet and greet foreign dignitaries. He might even arbitrate disputes among nations.
Much of Ben Sira’s curriculum involves how to handle oneself in social situations.
Because the words of a sage were given special weight, they had to carefully watch what they said.
Gossip was never acceptable and “lies were a blot on a man’s character.”
His section on manners includes moderation in all spheres – eating, drinking, and conversation.
Since he was a member of and interacting with those of the upper class, Ben Sira’s advice regarding money is to enjoy it and share it appropriately.
One should never boast about what he doesn’t have or live above his means.
Giving to the poor was one of the tenets of Judaism, but giving loans should be done with much forethought. It would be very shameful not to repay a loan, but shame didn’t matter as much to people of the lower classes. So the lender needed to be “wise.”
The goal of all this is, of course, to be happy. (And he lists ten things that make people happy. At the top of the list is to have good family relations.)
Physical health and a good disposition are also factors on the happiness chart.
Despite all his advice regarding social situations, however, Ben Sira put the search for wisdom and “the fear of the Lord” above everything – including any and all material possessions.
He ends his book by describing his own search for wisdom, and he prays that people will listen to what he has to say.
At the very end of his writing, he extends an invitation for people to come to his school to learn more.

Bible Characters