Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Prooemium from the Greek Codices
In the Greek codices there is a Prooemium which is wanting in the Latin ones. It reads as follows: "This Jesus was indeed the son of Sirach; but the grandson of Jesus, who bore the same name; and he lived in the times closer to the captivity and restoration that followed it; and therefore after almost all the Prophets. Moreover his grandfather, Jesus, as he himself attests, was an industrious man among the Hebrews, and most prudent, who not only collected the wisely spoken words of other prudent men before him, but also himself privately uttered many things, full of knowledge and wisdom. After therefore that first Jesus departed from life, leaving behind this largely compiled book, this Sirach, having received it after him in turn, left the same to his son Jesus. He at last, having obtained it, neatly gathered the whole into one volume and inscribed it with the name Wisdom, under his own and his father's, and therefore his grandfather's name: namely, so that by the very name of wisdom he might entice the reader to engage with the book itself with greater desire and meditation. It therefore contains sayings of Wisdom, and riddles and similitudes; and certain particular ancient and divine histories of men approved by God; also prayers and hymns; and moreover, with what benefits God deigned to honor His people, and with what evils He overwhelmed their enemies. Indeed this Jesus was a follower of Solomon, no less approved than he in the name of wisdom and learning, as one who was truly and was called a man of great knowledge."
Note: This prooemium was added from St. Athanasius in the Synopsis of Sacred Scripture on Ecclesiasticus; for there, word for word in the Greek, the same sentences are found. Therefore this prooemium is not from Jesus Sirach the elder or the younger; but long after them, indeed after Christ, it was transcribed from St. Athanasius, as a prelude and summary of Ecclesiasticus; just as in other books of Sacred Scripture, prooemia from St. Jerome are prefixed. For which reason the Greek edition of the Bible, corrected by the Romans, lacks this prooemium.
The Prologue of Jesus the Younger
From this title it is clear that this prologue was added to Ecclesiasticus by Jesus the younger, who was the translator of Ecclesiasticus. You may ask whether this prologue has the same authority as Ecclesiasticus itself, and whether it is canonical Scripture. Some answer affirmatively. But more probably others answer negatively. The reason is that Jesus the younger was only the translator of the book, not the author; translators do not compose Sacred Scripture, but only translate it.
"Much and great wisdom has been shown to us through the Law and the Prophets, and others who followed them: for which Israel ought to be praised for learning and wisdom, because not only is it necessary that the speakers themselves be skilled, but also that strangers be able, both by speaking and writing, to become very learned. My grandfather Jesus, after he had given himself more fully to diligent reading of the Law, and the Prophets, and the other books which were handed down to us by our ancestors, wished also himself to write something concerning those matters which pertain to learning and wisdom: so that those desiring to learn, and having become versed in these things, might more and more apply their minds and be strengthened for a lawful life. I exhort you therefore to come with good will, and to read with more attentive study, and to have indulgence in those matters in which we may seem, following the image of wisdom, to fall short in the composition of words. For Hebrew words are deficient when they have been translated into another language. And not only these, but also the Law itself, and the Prophets, and the rest of the other books have no small difference when they are spoken among themselves. For in the thirty-eighth year, in the times of King Ptolemy Evergetes, after I came into Egypt, and when I had been there a long time, I found there books left behind, of no small nor contemptible learning. And so I thought it good and necessary also myself to add some diligence and labor in translating this book: and with much watchfulness I brought forth learning in a space of time, to publish this book for those things which lead to the end, and for those who wish to apply their mind, and to learn how they ought to order their conduct, who have proposed to live their life according to the law of the Lord."
Commentary on the Prologue
"Much and great wisdom has been shown to us." — Clearly you may translate from the Greek thus: "Since much and great wisdom has been handed down to us through the Law and the Prophets, and others who followed them, on account of which the Israelites are rightly praised in the name of learning and wisdom, and whence not only can the readers themselves become learned, but, if they are studious, they can also be useful to strangers both by speaking and by writing, my grandfather, when he had given himself much to the reading of the Law and the Prophets, wished also himself to write something of these things." He gives the reason why his grandfather wrote this book, namely the example of predecessors who wrote similar works, which brought great praise and benefit to the Jews; so that not only did they themselves become learned by reading them, but they were also useful to strangers by speaking and writing.
"He wished also himself." — So it must be read with the Roman edition; for this is what the Greek signifies. Incorrectly some codices read, "I wished also myself": which reading deceived some into thinking that Jesus the younger was the author of the book; whereas he was merely the translator.
"So that those desiring to learn." — Vatablus translates clearly: "Whence the studious, and those who had devoted themselves to these things, would make much greater progress toward living lawfully."
"I exhort you therefore to come, and to have indulgence" — that is, to grant pardon, to forgive; for this is what the Greek means.
"In which we may seem, following the image of wisdom, to fall short in the composition of words." — The Greek clearly reads: "You will pardon us, if anywhere we may seem, while we labored in translation, not to have attained the force of certain expressions." To follow the image of wisdom is to endeavor to express that wisdom which displays itself more clearly in the original Hebrew text: for to attain and match this is difficult for a translator.
"For Hebrew words are deficient when they have been translated into another language." — In Greek: "they do not have the same force." The original words of the author, namely the Hebrew words, differ greatly from the Greek or Latin into which they are converted.
"For in the thirty-eighth year, in the times of Ptolemy Evergetes." — After Alexander the Great, his generals divided the empire, and Ptolemy, son of Lagus, seized Egypt. Ptolemy Lagus was succeeded by his son Ptolemy Philadelphus, who summoned the Seventy Translators from Judea and had the Old Testament translated from Hebrew into Greek. Philadelphus was succeeded by Ptolemy Evergetes, that is, "benefactor," who preceded Judas and the Maccabees by about fifty years.
From this the age of each Jesus is clear: the grandson says he lived under Ptolemy Evergetes; hence the grandfather must have lived under Ptolemy Lagus and Philadelphus. As for the thirty-eighth year, it is most plausible that these years should be started from the freedom granted to the Jews by Ptolemy Philadelphus, who ordered over one hundred and twenty thousand Jewish captives to be released as free men to their homeland. The Jews established an era from this event, just as Daniel reckons his years from the release of the Babylonian captivity by Cyrus.
"I found there books of no small nor contemptible learning." — He found in the library of Philadelphus books collected from the whole world, and among them the Greek version of the Seventy Translators. This was of great use to him for preparing the translation of Ecclesiasticus into Greek: for he usually follows the version of the Seventy. From this it is clear that the Seventy did not translate Ecclesiasticus from Hebrew into Greek, but that Jesus the younger did so.
"To add some diligence and labor." — The Greek reads: "I applied much watchfulness and study."
"For those who wish to apply their mind, and to learn how they ought to order their conduct, who have proposed to live their life according to the law of the Lord." — He translated this book from Hebrew into Greek so that he might give it to the studious and those eager to learn, both to neighboring Greeks and to Jews sojourning or exiled in Egypt, who, living among Greeks, had lost the habit of the Hebrew language and spoke Greek rather than Hebrew.
I shall cite from time to time the maxims of the wise men of the Hebrews, of the Syrians, Greeks, and Latins — maxims very similar to those of Sirach. I shall also cite two centuries of Arabic Proverbs, published in Arabic with a Latin translation. The same exist in Syriac in a manuscript codex of the Maronite college in Rome, collected by Gregory, a Syrian monk, about 400 years ago, who affirms that some of them were received from Pythagoras. It is plausible that the Arabs received these from the Syrians: for very many Syriac books have been translated into Arabic, but few Arabic books into Syriac. Therefore these Proverbs are Syriac or Pythagorean rather than Arabic.