Sirach
Chapter 43
Creation
The pride of the heights above is the clear firmament. How magnificent is the view of the heavens!
When the sun rises and appears, it declares: “I am your marvelous work, Most High!”
At noon, it dries up the land; who can withstand its burning heat?
You may stoke a furnace to produce heat, but three times greater is the heat of the sun burning the mountains and sending out fiery vapors, blinding the eyes with its rays.
How magnificent is the Lord who created it and whose word guides its swift path!
He also created the moon, precisely marking the months and the passage of time.
As its full light gradually dims, the moon governs the feast days.
The month also gets its name from the moon. How marvelously it changes through its phases, signaling the heavenly hosts as they shine brightly across the sky!
The bright radiance of the stars explains the beauty of the sky. What a brilliant ornament they are for the heights of the Lord!
At the command of the All Holy, they stand as appointed and never fail to keep watch.
Look at the rainbow and praise the One who created it. How magnificent it is in its splendor!
It creates a circle of glory in the sky, a bow that is bent by the hands of its Maker.
At his command, snow falls and lightning strikes as he decrees.
The heavens’ storerooms are opened, and clouds fly away like birds.
It is his power that thickens the clouds, causing them to freeze and break into hailstones.
He only has to look, and the mountains are shaken. At his will the south wind blows.
The voice of his thunder terrifies the earth,as do cyclones and hurricanes from the north.
The snow falls like birds and settles on the ground like locusts. The eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness, and the mind is amazed to see it fall.
He sprinkles frost on the ground like salt; it freezes and turns into thorny spikes.
The cold north wind blows and freezes the water. Ice covers all still water, forming a freezing coat of armor.
He wears down mountains and scorches deserts, withering green grass as if by fire.
A mist offers a timely remedy, and dew after the heat revives everything.
According to his plan, he calmed the great deep and created islands within it.
Those who cross the seas tell of its dangers, and we listen in amazement to what they share:
It is all about strange and marvelous adventures with marine animals and monsters of all kinds.
Thanks be to God; everything turns out well and is held together by his word.
We won’t provide any more examples; one final word: He is everything.
Where will we find the strength to praise him? For he is the Mighty One, greater than all his works.
The Lord is awesome, sovereignly great, and admirable in his power.
Let your praise lift the Lord as high as you can; he is greater than you can even put into words. Honor him with all your strength and don’t grow tired, for you can never praise him enough.
Who has seen him and can describe what he has observed? Who can praise him as he deserves?
Many greater mysteries still remain, for we have only seen a fraction of his works.
The Lord has created all things, and to the godly he has given wisdom.
Commentaries
Creation.
This section of the hymn of praise, which begins in 42:15, highlights the marvels of the heavens and the harmonious roles of each creature that adorns the sky: the vault of heaven (1); the sun and its purpose (2-5); the moon, which not only illuminates the night but also marks festivals and dates (6-8); the stars (9s); the rainbow (11s); and finally, the natural phenomena originating from the sky or celestial vault: lightning and thunder (13-16), storms, hurricanes, and snow (17-21). Still, all of this, observed with admiration, aims to emphasize the greatness of the Creator: “God is everything,” not in a pantheistic sense, but as Maker and Lord, as understood biblically. There is a clear awareness of human inability to grasp the wisdom with which God created everything fully, and it is best to praise and bless the Lord for all His wonders (32f).