Ecclesiasticus 50

Simon the high priest, the son of Onias, in his lifetime he repaired the house of God, and in his days he made the temple strong.

1Simon the high priest, the son of Onias, who in his life repaired the house again, and in his days fortified the temple:

NoteSimon son of Onias is Simon II, high priest in Jerusalem around 219 to 196 BC, probably within the author's own memory. The high priest was the chief official of the temple, the only man permitted into its innermost room, and under Persian and Greek rule he was also the effective political head of the Jewish people. "The house" is the temple itself.

2He built up from the foundation the double height, the tall, fortified wall that surrounds the temple.

2And by him was built from the foundation the double height, the high fortress of the wall about the temple:

NoteThe temple stood on a raised platform. The walls described here are the massive supporting walls that held up that platform and enclosed the temple courts, built high enough to serve as fortification as well as foundation.

3In his days the water tank, as large around as the sea, was lined with sheets of brass.

3In his days the cistern to receive water, being in compass as the sea, was covered with plates of brass:

Note"The sea" was the name given to the enormous bronze basin that stood in Solomon's temple, roughly fifteen feet across, used for washing. The Greek can mean either that the new cistern was as big around as that famous basin, or that the cistern itself was a bronze-lined pool of that scale.

4He took thought for his people so that they would not fall, and he fortified the city against attack by an army camped around it.

4He took care of the temple that it should not fall, and fortified the city against besieging:

NoteAn attacking army in this period usually took a walled city by camping around it and cutting off food and water until it surrendered. Fortifying the city meant repairing walls and, above all, securing the water supply, which is why the cistern of verse 3 belongs to the same building program.

5How honored he was among the people when he came out of the sanctuary!

5How was he honoured in the midst of the people in his coming out of the sanctuary!

NoteThe Greek calls it "the house of the veil," the inner sanctuary screened off by a curtain. The moment described is the high priest emerging from the temple building into the courtyard where the people were waiting. Many readers take the scene to be the annual Day of Atonement, when the high priest alone entered the innermost room; the text itself does not say which service it was.

6He was like the morning star in the middle of a cloud, and like the moon when it is full,

6He was as the morning star in the midst of a cloud, and as the moon at the full:

NoteThe morning star is the planet Venus, the brightest thing in the sky before sunrise.

7like the sun shining on the temple of the Most High, and like the rainbow giving light in the bright clouds,

7As the sun shining upon the temple of the most High, and as the rainbow giving light in the bright clouds:

8and like the flower of the roses in the spring of the year, like lilies beside streams of water, and like the branches of the frankincense tree in summer,

8And as the flower of roses in the spring of the year, as lilies by the rivers of waters, and as the branches of the frankincense tree in the time of summer:

NoteFrankincense is a fragrant resin that oozes from cuts made in the bark of a desert tree; hardened into lumps, it was the main ingredient of the incense burned in the temple, and it was expensive.

9like fire and incense in the censer, and like a bowl of hammered gold set with every kind of precious stone,

9As fire and incense in the censer, and as a vessel of beaten gold set with all manner of precious stones:

NoteA censer is a metal pan or bowl in which incense was burned on live coals, so that scented smoke rose from it.

10and like a healthy olive tree putting out fruit, and like a cypress tree that grows up to the clouds.

10And as a fair olive tree budding forth fruit, and as a cypress tree which groweth up to the clouds.

11When he put on the robe of honor, and dressed himself in perfect splendor, and went up to the holy altar, he made the courtyard of the holy place glorious.

11When he put on the robe of honour, and was clothed with the perfection of glory, when he went up to the holy altar, he made the garment of holiness honourable.

NoteThe high priest's vestments were a fixed set described in Exodus 28: a blue robe hung with gold bells and woven pomegranates, a gold-and-jewel breastpiece holding twelve stones for the twelve tribes, and a turban with a gold plate across the forehead. The "courtyard" is the open temple court where the altar stood and where the crowd could see him.

12When he took the portions from the hands of the priests, he himself stood by the hearth of the altar with others gathered around him, like a young cedar in Lebanon; they stood around him like palm trees.

12When he took the portions out of the priests’ hands, he himself stood by the hearth of the altar, compassed about, as a young cedar in Libanus; and as palm trees compassed they him round about.

NoteThe portions are the cut pieces of the sacrificed animal, passed from priest to priest along a line and handed up to be burned on the altar. The hearth is the fire-bed on top of the altar. Lebanon (the King James spells it "Libanus") was famous for its forests of enormous cedars, the standard image for tall, straight timber; the other priests standing in a ring around him are the palm trunks.

13So all the sons of Aaron stood in their splendor, with the offerings for the Lord in their hands, in front of the whole assembly of Israel.

13So were all the sons of Aaron in their glory, and the oblations of the Lord in their hands, before all the congregation of Israel.

NoteOnly descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses, could serve as priests at the altar. "The sons of Aaron" is the ordinary term for the whole priesthood, not for one man's children.

14And as he finished the service at the altar, so that he might arrange the offering to the Most High, the Almighty,

14And finishing the service at the altar, that he might adorn the offering of the most high Almighty,

15he stretched out his hand to the cup and poured out the blood of the grape. He poured it out at the foot of the altar, a sweet-smelling gift to the Most High, the King of all.

15He stretched out his hand to the cup, and poured of the blood of the grape, he poured out at the foot of the altar a sweetsmelling savour unto the most high King of all.

NoteWine was poured out at the base of the altar as a drink offering accompanying the sacrifice. "The blood of the grape" is an old poetic term for wine, used in Genesis and Deuteronomy. Calling the offering a sweet smell is standard offering language: the rising smoke is described as pleasing to God.

16Then the sons of Aaron shouted and blew the hammered trumpets, and made a great sound to be heard, as a reminder before the Most High.

16Then shouted the sons of Aaron, and sounded the silver trumpets, and made a great noise to be heard, for a remembrance before the most High.

NoteThese were straight silver trumpets, each hammered from a single piece of metal, prescribed in Numbers 10 and sounded by priests at sacrifices and festivals. "A remembrance before the Most High" is a fixed phrase meaning that the sound was intended to bring the people to God's attention, not that it reminded the worshipers of anything.

17Then all the people together hurried and fell to the ground on their faces, to worship their Lord God Almighty, the Most High.

17Then all the people together hasted, and fell down to the earth upon their faces to worship their Lord God Almighty, the most High.

NoteDropping face down on the ground was the normal bodily posture of worship before a king or before God, not an expression of unusual emotion.

18The singers also sang praises with their voices, and with a great variety of sounds sweet music was made.

18The singers also sang praises with their voices, with great variety of sounds was there made sweet melody.

19And the people begged the Lord, the Most High, praying before him who is merciful, until the Lord's ceremony was over and they had finished serving him.

19And the people besought the Lord, the most High, by prayer before him that is merciful, till the solemnity of the Lord was ended, and they had finished his service.

20Then he came down and lifted up his hands over the whole assembly of the children of Israel, to speak the blessing of the Lord with his lips, and to rejoice in his name.

20Then he went down, and lifted up his hands over the whole congregation of the children of Israel, to give the blessing of the Lord with his lips, and to rejoice in his name.

NoteThe gesture is the priestly blessing of Numbers 6, spoken with both hands raised over the crowd. The last phrase is ambiguous in Greek: it can mean to rejoice or boast in God's name, and it can also be read as the high priest pronouncing the divine name aloud, which by this period was otherwise avoided.

21And they bowed down to worship a second time, so that they might receive a blessing from the Most High.

21And they bowed themselves down to worship the second time, that they might receive a blessing from the most High.

NoteThe Greek manuscripts differ over who bows here. Some read "they bowed down," the people worshiping a second time, as the King James has it; others read "he bowed down," the high priest, before delivering the blessing.

22So now bless the God of all, who alone does wonderful things everywhere, who lifts up our days from the womb, and treats us according to his mercy.

22Now therefore bless ye the God of all, which only doeth wondrous things every where, which exalteth our days from the womb, and dealeth with us according to his mercy.

Note"Lifts up our days from the womb" is a compressed Hebrew-style phrase: God raises a person up and makes his life great from birth onward.

23May he give us gladness of heart, and may there be peace in our days in Israel forever.

23He grant us joyfulness of heart, and that peace may be in our days in Israel for ever:

24May he keep his mercy with us, and rescue us when his time comes!

24That he would confirm his mercy with us, and deliver us at his time!

25There are two kinds of nations that my heart hates, and the third is not a nation at all:

25There be two manner of nations which my heart abhorreth, and the third is no nation:

NoteCalling a group "no nation at all" is a deliberate insult in this kind of writing: it denies that they count as a people with a legitimate ancestry, rather than saying they do not exist.

26those who live on the mountain of Samaria, those who live among the Philistines, and that foolish people who live in Shechem.

26They that sit upon the mountain of Samaria, and they that dwell among the Philistines, and that foolish people that dwell in Sichem.

NoteSamaria and Shechem both point to the Samaritans, who worshiped at a rival temple on Mount Gerizim above Shechem and whom Judean writers of this period refused to count as fellow Israelites. The Philistines had occupied the coastal plain to the southwest since before the time of the kings and were the traditional enemy in Israel's older stories; by the author's day the name stood for the Greek-speaking cities of that coast.

27Jesus the son of Sirach of Jerusalem has written in this book the teaching of understanding and knowledge, pouring out wisdom from his heart.

27Jesus the son of Sirach of Jerusalem hath written in this book the instruction of understanding and knowledge, who out of his heart poured forth wisdom.

Note"Jesus" here is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua or Joshua, a common name; it is the author signing his own book, which he wrote in Hebrew around 180 BC. This verse is the book's original closing signature. The chapter that follows was added on afterward.

28Happy is the one who trains himself in these things, and whoever stores them up in his heart will become wise.

28Blessed is he that shall be exercised in these things; and he that layeth them up in his heart shall become wise.

29For if he does them, he will be strong for anything, because the light of the Lord guides him, and the Lord gives wisdom to those who honor him. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever. Amen, Amen. A Prayer of Jesus the son of Sirach.

29For if he do them, he shall be strong to all things: for the light of the Lord leadeth him, who giveth wisdom to the godly. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. Amen, Amen. A Prayer of Jesus the son of Sirach.

Note"Amen" is a Hebrew word meaning "truly" or "so let it be," used to endorse a prayer that has just been spoken. The closing line and the title attached to it are a copyist's addition and vary from manuscript to manuscript; the King James follows a Greek text that carries them.