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Wisdom of Ben Sira 1:9-11
New Catholic Bible
Wisdom of Ben Sira 1:9-11
New Catholic Bible
9 He is the one who created her,[a]
observed her, and recognized her value,
and so poured her forth upon all his works,
10 upon all flesh as he chose,
lavishing her upon those who love him.
[b][The love of the Lord is glorious wisdom;
he apportions her to those to whom he appears, that they may see him.]
The Beginning of Wisdom Is Fear of the Lord[c]
11 The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation,
happiness and a crown of joy.
Footnotes
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 1:9 Created her: the Vulgate adds “in the Holy Spirit.”
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 1:10 Added by some early MSS.
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 1:11 The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord. But this fear is no longer the terror in the face of Yahweh’s terrifying power that appears in the Historical Books. It is close to love, reverence, admiration, and the freedom of children who entrust themselves to their father and are showered with wondrous gifts. In short, it is the true religious sense, the happiness of believing. Indeed, fear of the Lord is an important ingredient of faith (see Deut 4:9f; 8:5f; 10:12; 2 Chr 19:7; 26:5; Job 28:28; Ps 111:10; Prov 1:7; 9:10). And the expression, or its equivalent, occurs twelve times in this Book, since twelve was a sacred number for the ancients (e.g., twelve tribes of Israel, twelve months of the year).
