章节研读
Sirach 3 — Honor, Humility, and Almsgiving
Sirach 3 gathers three wisdom instructions: honoring father and mother, practicing humility, and giving alms as atonement for sin.
经文
- 1.听从我，你的父亲，孩子们，并且遵行，这样你们就可以安全。Duties toward Parents Listen to me your father, O children; and act accordingly, that you may be kept in safety.
- 2.因为主尊敬父亲高于子女，并且他确认了母亲对儿子的权利。For the Lord honored the father above the children, and he confirmed the right of the mother over her sons.
- 3.凡尊敬父母的，赎罪得福Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
- 4.凡尊敬母亲的，好像积蓄财宝。and whoever glorifies his mother is like one who lays up treasure.
- 5.凡尊敬自己父親的，必得子女的喜樂；他祈禱的時候，也必蒙垂聽。Whoever honors his father will be gladdened by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard.
- 6.凡是荣耀他父亲的，必得长寿，凡是听从主的，必使母亲欢喜；Whoever glorifies his father will have long life, and whoever obeys the Lord will refresh his mother;
- 7.他将像侍奉主人一样侍奉他的父母。he will serve his parents as his masters.
- 8.用言语和行为孝敬你的父亲，这样你的父亲就会给你带来祝福。Honor your father by word and deed, that a blessing from him may come upon you.
- 9.父亲的祝福使子女的家园坚固，但母亲的咒骂却会毁坏他们的根基。For a father’s blessing strengthens the houses of the children, but a mother’s curse uproots their foundations.
- 10.不要以侮辱父亲为荣，因为父亲的羞辱对你来说也不是荣耀。Do not glorify yourself by dishonoring your father, for your father’s dishonor is no glory to you.
- 11.人的荣耀在于尊敬他的父亲，儿女不尊敬母亲是可耻的。For a man’s glory comes from honoring his father, and it is a disgrace for children not to respect their mother.
- 12.儿子啊，你要在父亲年老的时候帮助他，不要让他一生都忧虑；O son, help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he lives;
- 13.即使他缺乏理解，也要容忍他；凭着你所有的力量，不要轻视他。even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance; in all your strength do not despise him.
- 14.对父亲的仁慈不会被忘记，对你的罪过也会被算为你的功德；For kindness to a father will not be forgotten, and against your sins it will be credited to you;
- 15.在你受苦的日子里，这将成为你的恩典；就像好天气里的霜一样，你的罪孽将消失。in the day of your affliction it will be remembered in your favor; as frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away.
- 16.抛弃父亲的，好像亵渎神的；惹母亲生气的，必受耶和华的咒诅。Whoever forsakes his father is like a blasphemer, and whoever angers his mother is cursed by the Lord.
- 17.谦逊 我的儿子，你要以谦卑的心去做事，这样你就会被上帝所悦纳的人所爱戴。Humility My son, perform your tasks in meekness; then you will be loved by those whom God accepts.
- 18.你越是伟大，就越要谦卑自己，这样你才能在主的眼中蒙恩。The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so you will find favor in the sight of the Lord.
- 20.因为主的能力甚大，他被谦卑的人荣耀。For great is the might of the Lord; he is glorified by the humble.
- 21.不要追求超出你能力的事，也不要探究超出你力量的事。Seek not what is too difficult for you, nor investigate what is beyond your power.
- 22.反思你所拥有的，因为你不需要隐藏的东西。Reflect upon what has been assigned to you, for you do not need what is hidden.
- 23.不要干预超出你职责范围的事，因为已经向你显现了超出人类理解的奥秘。Do not meddle in what is beyond your tasks, for matters too great for human understanding have been shown you.
- 24.他们草率的判断使许多人误入歧途，错误的观念使他们的思想发生偏差。For their hasty judgment has led many astray, and wrong opinion has caused their thoughts to slip.
- 26.固执自己的心必然受苦，爱好危险的人必然被危险所灭。A stubborn mind will be afflicted at the end, and whoever loves danger will perish by it.
- 27.固执的思想会被烦恼所困扰，罪人会一罪又一罪。A stubborn mind will be burdened by troubles, and the sinner will heap sin upon sin.
- 28.骄傲人的祸患无人医治，因为邪恶的根已经长在他里面。The affliction of the proud has no healing, for a plant of wickedness has taken root in him.
- 29.聪明人的心思会思考一个比喻，谨慎的耳朵是智慧人所渴望的。The mind of the intelligent man will ponder a parable, and an attentive ear is the wise man’s desire.
- 30.施舍给穷人 水能浇灭烈火：施舍也能赎罪。Alms for the Poor Water extinguishes a blazing fire: so almsgiving atones for sin.
- 31.报答恩惠的人必为将来着想，到了他跌倒的时候必得支持。Whoever requites favors gives thought to the future; at the moment of his falling he will find support.
这段经文的意思
The opening unit (vv. 1–16) frames filial honor as a religious duty with tangible consequences. Honoring one's father and mother is linked to atonement for sins (v. 3), stored-up treasure (v. 4), answered prayer (v. 5), long life (v. 6), and the stability of one's household (v. 9). The text uses symmetrical language for father and mother while also distinguishing their roles: the father is honored by the Lord, and the mother has a confirmed right over her sons (v. 2). Disrespect is presented in severe terms — compared to blasphemy and divine curse (v. 16). Caring for an aging parent who is mentally diminished is included as part of this duty (vv. 12–13), and kindness to a father is said to be credited against one's sins (v. 14).
The middle section (vv. 17–29) shifts from family relationships to inner disposition. Meekness in one's tasks brings divine favor (v. 17), and the greater one becomes, the more one should humble oneself (v. 18). The warning against overreaching inquiry — 'Seek not what is too difficult for you' (v. 21) — is grounded theologically in v. 20: the Lord's might is great and is glorified by the humble. The chapter then describes the consequences of a stubborn mind: affliction, accumulated sin, and a 'plant of wickedness' that cannot be healed (vv. 26–28). Intelligence and attentiveness are presented as the positive counterpart to stubbornness (v. 29).
The closing unit (v. 30) is brief but theologically striking: 'almsgiving atones for sin,' set beside the proverb that 'water extinguishes a blazing fire.' Verse 31 extends this by promising that one who requites favors will find support at the moment of falling. This makes almsgiving not merely charity but a moral transaction with eschatological effect, integrated into the chapter's broader concern with atonement that began in the honor-of-parents section.
背景
The provided chapter falls into three labeled units: 'Duties toward Parents' (vv. 1–16), 'Humility' (vv. 17–29), and 'Alms for the Poor' (vv. 30–31). The 'Alms for the Poor' heading supplied with verse 30 indicates a thematic break that aligns with the shift from family ethics to the atoning power of almsgiving. The omission of vv. 19 and 25 from the supplied text, and the absence of any supplied cross-references or original-language entries, means the discussion here is limited strictly to what the chapter itself says. The curated chapter note simply records that this chapter was backfilled from Sirach outside a priority tier, with no additional interpretive content.
Within the chapter, the theological logic linking family honor, humility, and almsgiving is internal rather than dependent on outside tradition. The atoning language of v. 3 ('atones for sins') and the near-identical formula of v. 30 ('almsgiving atones for sin') create a frame: both honor within the household and mercy toward the poor are presented as channels through which sin is addressed. The humility section provides the inner disposition that grounds the outer acts — the same person who humbles himself before God (v. 18) is the one who honors parents and gives alms.
常见问题
Why does Sirach say honoring parents 'atones for sins'?
In the chapter's own logic, honoring father and mother is presented as an act with the same atoning weight as other deeds of righteousness (see v. 3, where the phrase parallels v. 30 on almsgiving). The text frames this as a divine ordinance: the Lord honored the father above the children (v. 2), so disrespect is a serious offense, while honor brings blessing, answered prayer, and long life (vv. 5–6). Without external sources, the chapter treats filial honor as one of the pathways through which sin is addressed, alongside almsgiving and humility.
How are the sections on parents, humility, and alms connected?
The chapter connects them through a shared concern with how sin is handled. Filial honor 'atones for sins' (v. 3), humility pleases the Lord whose might is great (v. 20), and almsgiving 'atones for sin' (v. 30). Together they form a triad: right relationships in the household, right posture before God, and right action toward the needy — all presented within the chapter as responses that address sin and secure favor.
What is the chapter's warning against inquiring into things 'too difficult'?
Verses 21–24 caution the reader not to pursue inquiries beyond human capacity. The stated reason is pastoral: many have gone astray through hasty judgment, and wrong opinion has caused thoughts to slip (v. 24). The theological grounding is given in v. 20 — the Lord's might is great — so humility, not intellectual overreach, is the appropriate posture. The chapter presents this as a matter of moral and spiritual safety, not merely intellectual modesty.