A hymn to the works of God in the heavens. The sun at noon parches the country and burns the mountains three times hotter than a furnace; the moon marks the feasts and gives its name to the month; the stars keep their watches at the Holy One's command. 'Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it.' Snow, lightning, hail, frost and ice obey his word, and sailors tell of the wonders of the sea. Words fall short: 'in sum, he is all.' However much we exalt him, he is greater still, for we have seen but a few of his works.
Sirach 43 - Summary
Summary
Read Sirach Chapter 43 Summary
Original
Characters in This Chapter
Noah
Found perfect and righteous, kept as a remnant when the flood came, with an everlasting covenant
Abraham
Father of many nations, faithful when tested, to whom God swore to bless the nations in his seed
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
Given an everlasting priesthood; his vestments are described at length
David
Chosen out of Israel, slayer of Goliath, singer who set singers before the altar, given a covenant of kings
Solomon
Wise king of peace who built the temple, then stained his honour through his women
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
Author and sage of Jerusalem, who signs the book, praises the fathers and closes with his own prayer
Places in This Chapter
Jerusalem
View on MapCity where Wisdom finds her rest, for which the author prays, and whose walls and temple the Praise of the Fathers recalls
The Temple
View on MapRebuilt after the exile and repaired by the high priest Simon, whose liturgy there crowns the Praise of the Fathers
The Wilderness
View on MapThe wilderness refers to the desert regions of Sinai and Judea. Israel wandered here for 40 years after the Exodus. John the Baptist preached in the wilderness of Judea, and Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days. It represents testing, preparation, and encounter with God.
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
Counsellors, Physicians and the ScribeChapters 37-39
Life, Death and the Glory of CreationChapters 40-43
The burdens of human life, the sentence of death, true and false shame, a father's care for his daughter, and a great hymn to sun, moon, stars and weather.
The Praise of the FathersChapters 44-50
Thanksgiving and the Search for WisdomChapters 51