The Book of Sirach - CPDV

Purpose of The Book of Sirach:
The purpose of the book of Sirach was to give instructions on proper behavior in all areas of life. Some Christians have considered the twenty-fourth chapter of Sirach a foreshadowing of the Logos or Word of God in the first chapter of John’s Gospel.

Summary of The Book of Sirach:
The contents of the Book of Sirach are of a discursive nature, not easily divided into separate parts. Chapters 1–43 deal largely with moral instruction; 44:1–50:24 contain a eulogy of the heroes of Israel. There are two appendixes in which the author expresses his gratitude to God (51:1–12), and invites the unschooled to acquire true wisdom (51:13–30).

Author and Dates of The Book of Sirach:
Joshua ben Sirach, or, according to the Greek text "Jesus the son of Sirach of Jerusalem", was a Jewish scribe who had been living in Jerusalem, and may have authored the work in Alexandria, Egypt ca. 180–175 BCE, where he is thought to have established a school. Ben Sirach is unique among all Old Testament and Apocryphal writers in that he signed his work.
The Prologue, attributed to Ben Sira's grandson and dated to 132 BCE, is generally considered the earliest witness to a canon of the books of the prophets. Thus the date of the text, has been the subject of intense scrutiny by biblical scholars

Outline of The Book of Sirach:

1. Christ and the seven lamp stands (ch. 1 - 3).
2. The Creation (16:24–17:24, 18:1–14; 33:7–15; 39:12–35; and 42:15–43:33).
3. Death (11:26–28; 22:11–12; 38:16–23; and 41:1–13).
4. Friendship (6:5–17; 9:10–16: 19:13–17; 22:19–26: 27:16–21; and 36:23–37:15).
5. Happiness (25:1–11; 30:14–25; and 40:1–30).
6. Honor and shame (4:20–6:4; 10:19–11:6; and 41:14–42:8).
7. Money matters (3:30–4:10; 11:7–28; 13:1–14:19; 29:1–28; and 31:1–11).
8. Sin (7:1–17; 15:11–20; 16:1–17:32; 18:30–19:3; 21:1–10; 22:27–23:27; and 26:28–28:7).
9. Social justice (4:1–10; 34:21–27; and 35:14–26).
10. Speech (5:6,9-15; 18:15–29; 19:4–17; 20:1–31; 23:7–15; 27:4–7; 27:11–15; and 28:8–26).
11. Women (9:1–9; 23:22–27; 25:13–26:27; 36:26–31; and 42:9–14).

Themes of The Book of Sirach:
Search for and attainment of wisdom.
Reflections on wisdom and fear of God.
Extended praise of God's glory.
Celebration of the heroes of ancient Israel's history dating back to before the Great Flood through contemporary times.