BIBLE CHAPTER STUDY
Sirach 1 — The Origin of Wisdom and the Fear of the Lord
A prose preface defending the author's Greek translation is followed by a hymn that locates all wisdom in the Lord and repeatedly equates the fear of the Lord with wisdom itself.
Scripture
1Whereas many great teachings have been given to us through the law and the prophets and the others that followed them, on account of which we should praise Israel for instruction and wisdom; and since it is necessary not only that the readers themselves should acquire understanding but also that those who love learning should be able to help the outsiders by both speaking and writing, my grandfather Jesus, after devoting himself especially to the reading of the law and the prophets and the other books of our fathers, and after acquiring considerable proficiency in them, was himself also led to write something pertaining to instruction and wisdom, in order that, by becoming conversant with this also, those who love learning should make even greater progress in living according to the law. You are urged therefore to read with good will and attention, and to be indulgent in cases where, despite out diligent labor in translating, we may seem to have rendered some phrases imperfectly. For what was originally expressed in Hebrew does not have exactly the same sense when translated into another language. Not only this work, but even the law itself, the prophecies, and the rest of the books differ not a little as originally expressed. When I came to Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Eu-er′getes and stayed for some time, I found opportunity for no little instruction. It seemed highly necessary that I should myself devote some pains and labor to the translation of the following book, using in that period of time great watchfulness and skill in order to complete and publish the book for those living abroad who wished to gain learning, being prepared in character to live according to the law. In Praise of Wisdom All wisdom comes from the Lord and is with him for ever.
2The sand of the sea, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity—who can count them?
3The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, the abyss, and wisdom—who can search them out?
4Wisdom was created before all things, and prudent understanding from eternity.
6The root of wisdom—to whom has it been revealed? Her clever devices—who knows them?
8There is One who is wise, greatly to be feared, sitting upon his throne.
9The Lord himself created wisdom; he saw her and apportioned her, he poured her out upon all his works.
10She dwells with all flesh according to his gift, and he supplied her to those who love him.
11Fear of the Lord Is True Wisdom The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation, and gladness and a crown of rejoicing.
12The fear of the Lord delights the heart, and gives gladness and joy and long life.
13With him who fears the Lord it will go well at the end; on the day of his death he will be blessed.
14To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; she is created with the faithful in the womb.
15She made among men an eternal foundation, and among their descendants she will be trusted.
16To fear the Lord is wisdom’s full measure; she satisfies men with her fruits;
17she fills their whole house with desirable goods, and their storehouses with her produce.
18The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish.
19He saw her and apportioned her; he rained down knowledge and discerning comprehension, and he exalted the glory of those who held her fast.
20To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom, and her branches are long life.
22Unrighteous anger cannot be justified, for a man’s anger tips the scale to his ruin.
23A patient man will endure until the right moment, and then joy will burst forth for him.
24He will hide his words until the right moment, and the lips of many will tell of his good sense.
25In the treasuries of wisdom are wise sayings, but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.
26If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will supply it for you.
27For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction, and he delights in fidelity and meekness.
28Do not disobey the fear of the Lord; do not approach him with a divided mind.
29Be not a hypocrite in men’s sight, and keep watch over your lips.
30Do not exalt yourself lest you fall, and thus bring dishonor upon yourself. The Lord will reveal your secrets and cast you down in the midst of the congregation, because you did not come in the fear of the Lord, and your heart was full of deceit.
What this passage means
Sirach 1 divides into two clearly marked halves. Verses 1–10 form a prose preface plus a poetic praise of wisdom: the author explains why a translation was needed (Hebrew originals lose exact sense in another language), then declares that wisdom was created before all things (verse 4), was poured out upon God's works (verse 9), and is supplied to those who love him (verse 10). The repeated verb 'created' (verses 4, 9, 14) presents wisdom as something brought into being by God, not as an attribute of God or a co-eternal person.
The second half (verses 11–30) is structured around the refrain 'the fear of the Lord.' This fear is called glory, gladness, a crown, the beginning of wisdom (verse 14), its full measure (verse 16), its crown (verse 18), and its root (verse 20). The chapter's logic is straightforward: wisdom comes from God, the fear of the Lord is how wisdom enters a human life, and obedience (verse 26: 'keep the commandments') is the practical form that fear takes. Verse 27 lists fidelity and meekness as what God delights in, linking wisdom to character.
The closing verses (22–30) shift from hymn to warning. Anger is condemned (verse 22), hypocrisy exposed (verse 29), and self-exaltation threatened with public downfall (verse 30). The reason given for judgment is the same opening theme: the person 'did not come in the fear of the Lord' and had a 'heart full of deceit' (verse 30). The chapter thus moves from the source of wisdom, to the path of wisdom, to the ruin that comes from rejecting it — all on the hinge term 'the fear of the Lord.'
Context
The provided full_chapter list is empty, so the context is drawn entirely from the verse text and the curated chapter note. The opening verse is unusually long for a chapter introduction: it functions as a translator's preface, paralleling in style the prefaces found in other Greek translations of Hebrew works. The author identifies himself as the grandson of Jesus, mentions arriving in Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of king Eu-er′getes, and explains that the Hebrew original loses precision in translation — a defense the writer expects some readers will need.
The chapter does not narrate events but sets the thematic foundation for the rest of Sirach: that all wisdom originates with God, is accessible through fearing the Lord, and is realized in keeping the commandments. The repeated equation of 'fear of the Lord' with wisdom itself establishes the keyword that recurs throughout the book.
Common questions
Why is Sirach 1 verse 1 so long compared to the other verses?
The first verse contains the author's preface rather than a single statement. It explains who wrote the book originally (his grandfather Jesus), why a Greek translation was produced, why translation inevitably changes the sense of Hebrew phrasing, and when in Egyptian royal chronology the author arrived. The remaining verses are short poetic lines that presuppose this preface has already been read.
Does Sirach 1 teach that wisdom is equal to God or co-eternal with God?
The chapter says wisdom was 'created' before all things (verse 4), was 'created with the faithful in the womb' (verse 14), and that 'the Lord himself created wisdom' (verse 9). The vocabulary of creation places wisdom among God's works — supplied to those who love him (verse 10) — rather than identifying wisdom as God's equal. The chapter locates the source of wisdom in the Lord, but presents wisdom itself as something brought into being by him.
How many times does 'the fear of the Lord' appear in Sirach 1, and why does it matter?
The phrase 'fear of the Lord' (or 'fear of the Lord' rendered as 'the fear of the Lord') anchors the second half of the chapter: verses 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 27, 28, and 30. Each occurrence ties a different result to this single posture — glory, gladness, blessing at death, the beginning of wisdom, wisdom's full measure, wisdom's crown, wisdom's root, fidelity and meekness, and the avoidance of hypocrisy and ruin. The repetition establishes the chapter's central claim: fearing the Lord is not one virtue among many but the form that wisdom takes in human life.