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Wisdom of Ben Sira 42:15
New Catholic Bible
Wisdom of Ben Sira 42:15
New Catholic Bible
Praise to the Lord of Nature and of Israel[a]
The Canticle of Creatures[b]
The Works of the Lord Are Full of His Glory
15 Now I will recall the works of the Lord
and declare what I have seen.
By the word of the Lord his works came into existence
and all his creatures do his will.
Footnotes
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 42:15 The inaccessible thought of God and his wondrous work are nothing else but the sign of supreme wisdom. It is wisdom that the sage, filled with admiration, contemplates in such a well-ordered universe, and it is wisdom that he discerns even more clearly in the destiny of human beings. In these lengthy pages of contemplation and praise, the author thus invites the Jews, his brothers and sisters, to revive in themselves a deeper sense of God and better discern the vocation of their people in the face of the Greek paganism threatening to overcome them.
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 42:15 The chant of creation springs forth more than once in the Bible. These chapters form part of such a group of texts. Paul the Apostle will later affirm that the glory of God is visible in the universe that he offers for our contemplation (Rom 1:20): e.g., God’s creation and preservation of the universe (Sir 42:15ff, 23, 25; 43:1-26); his omniscience (v. 18ff); his perfect wisdom (vv. 21-22); and his eternity (v. 23). The author concludes the passage with a hymn of praise (Sir 43:27-33). See also Sir 16:24—18:14.
