sī ́rak, or The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach:
Sirach is the largest and most comprehensive example of Wisdom Literature (see WISDOM LITERATURE), and it has also the distinction of being the oldest book in the Apocrypha, being indeed older than at least two books (Daniel, Esther) which have found a place in the Canon alike of the Eastern and Western churches.
The Hebrew copy of the book which Jerome knew bore, according to his explicit testimony (see his preface to his version of Libri Sol.), the same title as the canonical Proverbs, i.e. משׁלים, meshālīm, “Proverbs” (Parabolae is Jerome’s word). It is quoted in rabbinical literally, by the sing. of this name, נשׁל, māshāl = Aramaic מתלא, mathlā', but in the Talmud it is cited by the author’s name, “Ben Sira” (סירא בּן, ben ṣīā'). The Hebrew fragments found in recent years have no title attached to them. In the Greek manuscripts the heading is Σοφία Ἰησοῦ υἱοῦ Σιράχ (or Σειράχ), Sophía Iēsoú huioú Sirách (or Seirách), “The Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach” (so “A”); or simply Σοφία Σειράχ, Sophía Seirách (B), “The Wisdom of Sirach.” The Fathers called it either (as Euseb., etc.) ἡ πανάρετος σοφία, hē panáretos sophía, “the all virtuous wisdom,” or simply ἡ πανάρετος, hē panáretos, “the all virtuous (one),” or (Clement of Alexandria) παιδαβωβός, paidagōgós, “teacher.” The first Hebrew and the several Greek titles describe the subject-matter, one Hebrew title (ben ṣīrā') the author. But the Latin name Ecclesiasticus was given the book because it was one of the books allowed to be read in the Ecclesia, or church, for edification (libri ecclesiastici), though not one of the books of the Canon (libra canonici) which could be quoted in proof or disproof of doctrine. The present book is called Ecclesiasticus by way of preeminence since the time of Cyprian (Testimon. 2, etc.). The Syriac (Peshitta) title as given in the London Polyglot is “The Book of Jesus the son of Simon אסירא,‘Āṣīrā', called also the Book of the Wisdom of Baruch (= Hebrew ben, “son of”) ‘Āṣīrā'.” There can be no doubt that Asira (sometimes translated “bound”) is but a corrupted form of Sira. For other explanations see Ryssel in Kautzsch, AT Apocrypha, 234.
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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia
Keywords: Sirach Book of, Apocrypha, Evil inclination, Yetzer hara, Yetser hara, Yetzer ha ra, Yetser ha ra
Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.
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