Sirach 39:6-11
Chapter 39
6
If it is the will of the great Lord, he will be filled with the spirit of discernment. He will then speak words of wisdom and praise the Lord in prayer.
7
He will acquire just judgment and knowledge, and reflect on the Lord’s hidden mysteries.
8
In his teaching, he shares what he has learned and takes pride in the Law of the Lord’s Covenant.
9
Many people praise his discernment, and he will never be forgotten. his memory will endure, and his name will live on from generation to generation.
10
Nations will proclaim his wisdom, and the assembly will praise him.
11
As long as he lives, his name will be more glorious than a thousand others, and when he dies, that fame will be enough.
Commentaries
The Wise Man.
Unlike those who spend their days working with their hands from sunrise to sunset, Ben Sirach describes the life of those dedicated entirely to study and research. Of course, he does not refer to scholars of other sciences; he is not talking about intellectuals in general, but to those who focus on learning and studying the Law of the Lord, and ultimately, the content of the Scriptures and their best interpreters (1-3). This wise man or scribe has a much broader outlook: he can serve great leaders and travel to foreign countries, gaining more knowledge and wisdom (5). However, amid all this, prayer and the wisdom of the Torah must be present, as God is the ultimate source of all wisdom (5-8). A sort of final reward for this disciplined life is public recognition and fame, which ensures the wise man’s enduring memory after his death (9-11).