Ecclesiasticus 44

Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers who gave us life.

1Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us.

NoteThis verse opens a long set piece running to the end of chapter 50, a roll call of Israel's ancestors taken in the order they appear in scripture. "Famous men" renders a Greek phrase meaning men of renown or glory; the surviving Hebrew of this book reads instead "men of faithful love," which matches the "merciful men" of verse 10. "Our fathers that begat us" means simply our ancestors, the generations we descend from.

2The Lord has brought about great glory through them by his great power, from the beginning.

2The Lord hath wrought great glory by them through his great power from the beginning.

3There were men who ruled in their kingdoms, men famous for their power, who gave advice out of their understanding, and who spoke prophecies.

3Such as did bear rule in their kingdoms, men renowned for their power, giving counsel by their understanding, and declaring prophecies:

Note"Declaring prophecies" means speaking as prophets: delivering messages understood to come from God. In Israel that role was as much public warning and blunt advice to kings as it was prediction.

4There were leaders of the people who led by their advice, and by their knowledge of learning that suited the people. Their teaching was wise and well spoken.

4Leaders of the people by their counsels, and by their knowledge of learning meet for the people, wise and eloquent are their instructions:

Note"Meet" in 1611 English means fitting or suitable. "Knowledge of learning meet for the people" is learning suited to what the people needed, not learning that meets them.

5There were men who worked out tunes for music, and who set verses down in writing.

5Such as found out musical tunes, and recited verses in writing:

NoteThe Greek behind "recited verses in writing" covers composing poetry and setting down written accounts. The verse is pointing at two crafts: those who made the tunes and those who supplied the words.

6There were rich men, well supplied with ability, living in peace in their own homes.

6Rich men furnished with ability, living peaceably in their habitations:

Note"Furnished with ability" uses "ability" in its older sense of means and resources, so the phrase describes men well supplied with wealth. "Habitations" are dwelling places, homes.

7All of these were honored in their own generations, and they were the glory of their times.

7All these were honoured in their generations, and were the glory of their times.

8Some of them have left a name behind them, so that their praises might be told.

8There be of them, that have left a name behind them, that their praises might be reported.

9And there are some who have nothing to keep their memory alive. They have perished as though they had never existed, and have become as though they had never been born; and their children after them are the same.

9And some there be, which have no memorial; who are perished, as though they had never been; and are become as though they had never been born; and their children after them.

Note"Memorial" here is not a monument. It means anything at all that keeps a memory alive: a record, a remembered name, descendants who carry it.

10But these were men who showed mercy, and their right deeds have not been forgotten.

10But these were merciful men, whose righteousness hath not been forgotten.

Note"Merciful men" translates a Greek word covering acts of mercy and loyal kindness toward others. "Righteousness" in this book takes in right conduct toward other people, generosity included, not only right standing before God.

11A good inheritance will stay with their descendants without a break, and their children are inside the covenant.

11With their seed shall continually remain a good inheritance, and their children are within the covenant.

Note"Seed" is the King James word for offspring or descendants, and it is used that way throughout this chapter. A covenant is a binding agreement carrying sworn obligations; in Israel's scriptures the word names the formal arrangements made between God and Noah, Abraham, and the nation at Sinai.

12Their descendants stand firm, and their children stand firm for their sake.

12Their seed standeth fast, and their children for their sakes.

13Their descendants will remain forever, and their glory will not be wiped out.

13Their seed shall remain for ever, and their glory shall not be blotted out.

14Their bodies are buried in peace, but their name lives on forever.

14Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.

Note"Buried in peace" points to the honor of a proper burial in one's own place among one's own people, which ancient readers counted as the mark of a life brought to a settled end, as opposed to dying unburied or far from home.

15The people will tell of their wisdom, and the gathered assembly will declare their praise.

15The people will tell of their wisdom, and the congregation will shew forth their praise.

Note"The congregation" is the assembled community of Israel, the people gathered as a single body, often for worship. "Shew forth" is simply show forth, declare in public.

16Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken away, and he is an example of repentance to all generations.

16Enoch pleased the Lord, and was translated, being an example of repentance to all generations.

NoteGenesis 5:24 says that Enoch "walked with God: and he was not; for God took him," which was widely read to mean he never died. "Translated" is the King James word for that carrying across, being taken from earth directly. This verse is missing from some Greek manuscripts and from the surviving Hebrew of the book; Enoch is named again at 49:14.

17Noah was found perfect and righteous. In the time of anger he was taken in exchange for the world; so he was left as what remained on the earth when the flood came.

17Noah was found perfect and righteous; in the time of wrath he was taken in exchange for the world; therefore was he left as a remnant unto the earth, when the flood came.

Note"Taken in exchange for the world" renders a Greek word meaning a ransom or a substitute handed over in place of something else: Noah was what was accepted instead of the whole human race. "A remnant" is the standard term for the small part of a people left alive after a disaster.

18An everlasting covenant was made with him, that no living thing would ever again be destroyed by a flood.

18An everlasting covenant was made with him, that all flesh should perish no more by the flood.

Note"All flesh" is a Hebrew idiom carried through Greek into English meaning every living creature, animals as well as people. The covenant referred to is the one in Genesis 9, with the rainbow as its sign.

19Abraham was a great father of many peoples. In glory there was no one like him.

19Abraham was a great father of many people: in glory was there none like unto him;

Note"A great father of many people" echoes Genesis 17:5, where the name Abraham is explained as "father of many nations."

20He kept the law of the Most High, and was in covenant with him. He set the covenant in his own flesh, and when he was tested he was found faithful.

20Who kept the law of the most High, and was in covenant with him: he established the covenant in his flesh; and when he was proved, he was found faithful.

Note"He established the covenant in his flesh" means circumcision, the cutting away of the male foreskin, which Genesis 17 makes the bodily sign of the agreement between God and Abraham's line. "When he was proved" means when he was put to the test, pointing to Genesis 22, where Abraham is told to sacrifice Isaac.

21So the Lord gave him a promise confirmed by an oath: that he would bless the nations through his descendants, and multiply him like the dust of the earth, and lift his descendants high like the stars, and give them land to inherit from sea to sea, and from the River to the farthest part of the land.

21Therefore he assured him by an oath, that he would bless the nations in his seed, and that he would multiply him as the dust of the earth, and exalt his seed as the stars, and cause them to inherit from sea to sea, and from the river unto the utmost part of the land.

NoteThe promises gathered into this one sentence come from Genesis 12, 13, 15 and 22. "The river" with no name attached is the Euphrates, the standard marker for the far edge of the promised territory, and "from sea to sea" is the wording of Psalm 72:8. "Seed" again means descendants.

22With Isaac he made the same firm arrangement, for the sake of Abraham his father: the blessing of all people, and the covenant. He made it rest on the head of Jacob. He acknowledged him in his blessing, and gave him a heritage, and divided out his portions; he shared them among the twelve tribes.

22With Isaac did he establish likewise for Abraham his father’s sake the blessing of all men, and the covenant, And made it rest upon the head of Jacob. He acknowledged him in his blessing, and gave him an heritage, and divided his portions; among the twelve tribes did he part them.

Note"He acknowledged him in his blessing" means the blessing given to Abraham and Isaac was confirmed to Jacob in turn; see Genesis 27 and 28. The "portions" divided among the twelve tribes are the allotted shares of land, one for each tribe descended from Jacob's sons. Most modern editions split this material into two verses, 22 and 23, so numbering in this chapter can run one behind other Bibles. The sentence breaks off unfinished, and chapter 45 carries straight on to Moses.