| Ben Sira (ca. 245--175 B.C.E.) was a Jerusalem scribe, among whose functions was the instruction of young men. Near the end of his life Ben Sira collected his notes and reflections into a long Hebrew poem, that came to be known as the Wisdom of Ben Sira (the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical biblical book also known as Sirach or Ecclesiasticus). This study elucidates Ben Sira's incorporation of OT teachings about social justice into his instructions, in the religious and cultural context of Jerusalem in his time.; The introductory chapter surveys previous studies on social justice in Ben Sira, and the place of social justice in the ancient societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Israel. Then I consider Ben Sira's world and times; his authorship and social setting; theological themes; social ethics; literary aspects; textual questions. Finally, I outline my methodology.; Chapters 2--4 consider Ben Sira's three major pericopes on social justice: Sir 3:30--4:10; 34:21--31; 35:14--22a. In each chapter, the discussion begins with the text, my translation, and text-critical notes. I continue with delimitation of the pericope; poetic structure and analysis; context; and a verse-by-verse exegesis. Where Ben Sira's Hebrew is not extant, I use his grandson's Creek translation, with attention to the later Syriac and Latin versions. Chapter 5 provides a summary and conclusions.; Ben Sira's teaching focuses on four areas: (1) Israel's God hears and responds to cries and prayers from the poor and oppressed; (2) under Israelite faith and law, individual charity (almsgiving) toward the needy is not optional, but rather is commanded; (3) the needy are entitled to alms, access to the necessities of life, and a means of earning a living; (4) religious cult and sacrifice are not substitutes for fulfilling the law's requirements with respect to the poor and oppressed.; In the strongest language, Ben Sira asserts that to withhold food from the needy, to hold back a laborer's wages, or to deprive others of a means of earning a living is the equivalent of murder. Further, sacrifices and offerings, especially from goods earned by such exploitation and extortion, do not bring God's forgiveness. |
