Sirach
Chapter 44
History
Let us now honor the illustrious men, our ancestors.
The Lord bestowed upon them great glory according to his own greatness from the beginning.
Some ruled kingdoms and were renowned for their achievements, others were wise and able to counsel, or spoke as prophets.
They guided the people through their warnings or their familiarity with popular writings.
Some cultivated in music and poetry,
while others were wealthy and influential men living peacefully in their homes.
All were highly respected in their time and honored by the people they lived among.
Some names of people still live on and are praised today;
others are forgotten and have vanished as if they never existed. The same goes for their children.
But now consider the godly men whose good deeds have not been forgotten.
Those who came after them benefited from the rich legacy they left;
their race remained faithful to the Covenant, and their children followed their example.
Their family will endure forever, and its glory will never be tarnished.
Their bodies were buried in peace, but their memory lives on through generations.
People will speak of their wisdom, and the assembly will celebrate their praise.
Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up, calling future generations to repentance.
Noah was found to be perfectly just; at the time of divine anger, he was the ransom; through him, a remnant was left on earth after the flood.
Eternal Covenants were made with him to ensure that the flood would never again destroy life.
No one has been found to compare to Abraham in glory, the great ancestor of many nations.
He was faithful to the Law of the Most High, who made a Covenant with him—a Covenant that was marked on his flesh. On the day he was tested, he was found faithful.
That is why God promised by oath to bless all the nations through his descendants, making them as numerous as the dust of the earth and exalting his posterity like the stars. He also promised that their land would stretch from sea to sea, from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
The Lord renewed his Covenant with Isaac for the sake of his father, Abraham.
This Covenant and the blessing of humanity he made to rest on the head of Jacob. He assured Jacob of his blessing, promising him the land that would be his and determining the portions to be shared among the twelve tribes.
Commentaries
History.
The hymn of praise to the Creator and the subsequent expression of thanksgiving and admiration for the wonders of creation serve as an introduction to this extensive praise or exaltation of the key figures in Israel’s history. The goal is to demonstrate how God’s power and greatness, as revealed through creation, ultimately find expression in Israel’s long historical journey, from Enoch to Simon (or Simeon), the high priest whom Ben Sirach deeply respects and reveres.
Introduction.
A list of notable men who brought glory and honor to Israel by the grace of the Most High (2). This first general mention only refers to the gifts or charisma with which God endowed those ancestors, which is why their names endure forever, unlike those who left no memory, whose names vanished when their lives ended (9). We must remember the fate of many figures who, despite being well-known in their time, were, in the view of historians, contrary to God’s will, and their names were permanently erased as a symbol of oblivion. For example, the deliberate erasure of all the rulers of the Northern Kingdom and those of Judah who “did evil in the sight of the Lord.”
First Ancestors.
The praise or commendation of Israel’s heroes begins with Enoch (16), who is said to have been taken up to heaven (Genesis 5:24); he is presented as an example of faith for all time because he dealt with God face to face. Noah (17) is seen as the earliest ancestor of the small “remnant of Israel,” because with him and his family, the people began to be born after the great destruction (cf. Gn 9:8-17). Several aspects of Abraham (19-21) are highlighted, especially his fulfillment of the Law of the Lord, which occurred before the Torah was written. Still, according to Jewish rabbinism, before the creation of the world, God Himself took pleasure in reading the Torah! God made a covenant with him, blessed him, and made him the father of many nations, also promising him a territory. Isaac (22), his father’s heir, receives his father’s blessing—the promise of numerous descendants—and the covenant and the promise of a territory. In Israel—Jacob—(23b), the covenant continues, and the blessing and promise of many descendants and a territory are reaffirmed, which was divided among the twelve tribes. From this, countless people descend. Moses (23c), whom the historian describes as the most beloved figure among all the people, is endowed by God with extraordinary gifts to lead His people.