SIR

Sirach 36 - Summary

Summary

Read Sirach Chapter 36 Summary

The first half is a prayer for Israel: 'Have mercy upon us, O Lord God of all.' The teacher asks God to lift his hand against the strange nations so they may know there is no God but him, to show new signs and remember the covenant, to gather all the tribes of Jacob, and to have mercy on Israel his firstborn and on Jerusalem, 'the place of thy rest'. The second half returns to discernment: the palate tastes meats as a wise heart tests false speeches, and a good wife is a help and 'a pillar of rest'; without one, a man wanders mourning.

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Characters in This Chapter

Noah
Noah

Found perfect and righteous, kept as a remnant when the flood came, with an everlasting covenant

Abraham
Abraham

Father of many nations, faithful when tested, to whom God swore to bless the nations in his seed

Moses
Moses

Beloved of God and men, brought into the cloud and given the law of life; the law he commanded is identified with Wisdom

Aaron
Aaron

Given an everlasting priesthood; his vestments are described at length

David
David

Chosen out of Israel, slayer of Goliath, singer who set singers before the altar, given a covenant of kings

Solomon
Solomon

Wise king of peace who built the temple, then stained his honour through his women

Elijah
Elijah

Prophet 'as fire', taken up in a chariot of fire and appointed to turn the heart of the father to the son

Ben Sira
Ben Sira

Author and sage of Jerusalem, who signs the book, praises the fathers and closes with his own prayer

Jacob
Jacob

Father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel

Places in This Chapter

Jerusalem
Jerusalem

City where Wisdom finds her rest, for which the author prays, and whose walls and temple the Praise of the Fathers recalls

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The Temple
The Temple

Rebuilt after the exile and repaired by the high priest Simon, whose liturgy there crowns the Praise of the Fathers

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The Tabernacle
The Tabernacle

Holy tent where Wisdom ministered before God before settling in Sion

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Position in Book

The Fear of the LordChapters 1-2
Parents, the Poor and Wisdom's DisciplineChapters 3-4
Speech, Friendship and PrudenceChapters 5-9
Pride, Wealth and GenerosityChapters 10-14
Free Will and God's MercyChapters 15-18
The Tongue and the FoolChapters 19-23
Wisdom Praises HerselfChapters 24
Wives and the HouseholdChapters 25-26
Honest Dealing and ForgivenessChapters 27-32
God's Order, True Worship and a Prayer for IsraelChapters 33-36

God sets all things in pairs; dreams are vain; sacrifice from unjust gain is rejected; the prayer of the humble pierces the clouds; Israel's deliverance is begged.

Counsellors, Physicians and the ScribeChapters 37-39
Life, Death and the Glory of CreationChapters 40-43
The Praise of the FathersChapters 44-50
Thanksgiving and the Search for WisdomChapters 51