Font Size
Wisdom of Ben Sira 24:1-2
New Catholic Bible
Wisdom of Ben Sira 24:1-2
New Catholic Bible
The Praise of Wisdom[a]
Chapter 24
Wisdom Sings Her Own Praises[b]
1 Wisdom sings her own praises
and proclaims her glory in the midst of her people.
2 In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth,
and in the presence of the heavenly host she declares her glory:
Footnotes
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 24:1 In imitation of the sages who preceded him (Job 8; Prov 1:20-33; see also Bar 3:9—4:4), while deepening their thought, the author sings the praises of wisdom and introduces us truly into the heart of his work.
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 24:1 In a lyrical mode, Wisdom, presented once again as a person, recounts her origin and history. She comes from God, of whom she is the word and Spirit (v. 3). She collaborates in creation; then leaving heaven, she has traversed the earth to live with human beings. She has finally established herself in the midst of the chosen people; in the temple of Jerusalem. She invites all to the infinite quest for the true life. We immediately think of Christ, whom John will present to us as the way, the truth, and the life, as the bread of heaven and the living water.
Such a discovery of Wisdom, revelation of God to human beings and divine inspiration of their conduct, already prefigures the Word (the Speech and Revelation of God) and the Holy Spirit. Christians are fond of reading in this beautiful text a sketch of their thought concerning the mystery of the Divine Persons (Jn 1:1-18; Acts 2:1-4).
