Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 24:1-12

THE PRAISE OF WISDOM [Text note b: ‘This heading is included in the Gk. text.]

24:1 Wisdom praises herself,

and tells of 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 his hosts she tells of her glory:

3 “I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,

and covered the earth like a mist.

4 I dwelt in the highest heavens,

and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.

5 Alone I compassed the vault of heaven

and traversed the depths of the abyss.

6 Over waves of the sea, over all the earth,

and over every people and nation I have held sway.

7 Among all these I sought a resting place;

in whose territory should I abide?

8 “Then the Creator of all things gave me a command,

and my Creator chose the place for my tent.

He said, ‘Make your dwelling in Jacob,

and in Israel receive your inheritance.’

9 Before the ages, in the beginning, he created me,

and for all the ages I shall not cease to be.

10 In the holy tent I ministered before him,

and so I was established in Zion.

11 Thus in the beloved city he gave me a resting place,

and in Jerusalem was my domain.

12 I took root in an honored people,

in the portion of the Lord, his heritage. (Ecclesiasticus 24:1-12, NRSV)

On October 31, 2006 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year Two), comments were repeated with revision and supplement from October 26, 2004, (Tuesday of the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year Two); they are repeated again here:

Ben Sira introduces Lady Wisdom (Ecclus. 24:1-2; cf. Prov. 8:1-30; 3:13-20). She “praises herself, / and tells of her glory in the midst of her people” (Ecclus. 24:1), that is, “Israel,” and “in the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, / and in the presence of his hosts she tells of her glory” (v. 2), that is, “the heavenly council (cf. Ps. 82:1, 6-7)” (Harold C. Washington, NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Sir. 24:1-2). According to Burton L. Mack, revised by Benjamin G. Wright III, the words “praises herself [are] Ben Sira’s acknowledgment of the distinctive characteristic of the poem, called an aretalogy (a recital of one’s virtues or achievements), a genre associated primarily with the Egyptian goddess Isis” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Ecclus. 24:1).

So, in what Mack and Wright call “the first stanza” (ibid., on vv. 3-7), Lady Wisdom speaks, “I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,” she says (v. 3), and Washington refers for comparison to Gen. 1:1-3; Ps. 33:6; Prov. 2:6; and Wisd. 9:1-2 (op. cit., on v. 3). The analogy sees the Lord’s spoken word as an expression of his wisdom. “By the word (lovgoV, logos, Ps. 32:6 LXX = rb!D!, dāvār, Ps. 33:6 Heb.) of the LORD the heavens were made, / and all their host by the breath of his mouth” (cf. Jn. 1:3-4). Lady Wisdom describes her divine perspective. “I dwelt in the highest heavens, / and my throne was in a pillar of cloud” (Ecclus. 24:4). This cosmic reach covers not only the natural universe, as she says, “Alone I compassed the vault of heaven / and traversed the depths of the abyss. / Over waves of the sea, over all the earth” (vv. 5, 6a), but in particular, humankind, for she adds, “and over every people and nation I have held sway” (v. 6b). “Held sway,” according to Mack and Wright, means she “ruled as queen” (ibid., on v. 6). But this universal influence leaves something to be desired, for Wisdom says, “Among all these I sought a resting place; / in whose territory should I abide?” (v. 7). Washington says, “The theme of wisdom’s abode or resting place is taken up also in Job 28; Bar. 3:14-37; 1 Enoch 42. For the cosmic reach of wisdom,” he adds, “see Prov. 8:27-29; Job 38:`6; Wis. 8:1” (op. cit., on vv. 5-7).

By the analysis of Mack and Wright, the second stanza (vv. 8-12) concludes today’s reading, but another stanza (vv. 13-17) and conclusion (18-22) are found in tomorrow’s reading (op. cit., on vv. 1-22, 8-12, and 13-17, respectively.) In response to Wisdom’s search for “a resting place” (v. 7), God selects Israel. “Then the Creator of all things gave me a command, / and my Creator chose the place for my tent. / He said, ‘Make your dwelling in Jacob, / and in Israel receive your inheritance’ ” (v. 8). Mack and Wright say that “my Creator domesticates the preceding mythological imagery by using the preferred language of creation Cf. 1:4; Prov. 8:22.” And they become specific in the connection with Israel, for they add, “my tent [is] the tabernacle in the wilderness (Ex. 25:8-9); cf. v. 10” (ibid., on v. 8). Ben Sira’s voice of Wisdom clearly alludes her origin from God, as stated in Proverbs 8:22, saying, “Before the ages, in the beginning, he created me” (Ecclus. 24:9a), but adds reference to her immortality, “and for all the ages I shall not cease to be” (v. 9b). But Wisdom clearly relates to her designated place within Israel. “In the holy tent I ministered before him, / and so I was established in Zion” (v. 10). Mack and Wright say, “Ministered before him as priest is a rare attribution and shows Ben Sira’s support for the Judean temple state. The traditional social location of wisdom was the palace or the school; but see 4:13. Zion [is] a designation for Jerusalem as the location for God’s house and presence in Israel; see 36:18-19” (ibid., on v. 10). According to Bruce M. Metzger and Roland E Murphy, “eternal Wisdom ministers to the Lord in the Jerusalem temple” (NOAB, 2^nd ed. on Ecclus. 24:9-10). In early Jewish thought there was a relationship, if not an identification, of Wisdom and Torah (Law/Instruction). “Long before the 1st cent., the torah had been identified with Wisdom, which was both pre-existent and the agent of creation. Thus the torah came to be conceived as the ground plan of the universe, which God himself had studied and made the very instrument of creation itself” (W. D. Davies, Peake’s Commentary, 1962, rev. printing 1972, “Contemporary Jewish Religion,” sec. 617a, p. 708). And through Ben Sira, the voice of Wisdom continues: “Thus in the beloved city he gave me a resting place, / and in Jerusalem was my domain. / I took root in an honored people, / in the portion of the Lord, his heritage” (vv. 11-12). This understanding of Wisdom, which in Judaism comes to be understood in terms of Torah, underlies the Christian conception of Christ as the Word (LovgoV, Logos, Jn. 1:1-4). Judaism calls for a serious commitment to Torah; in a similar way, Christianity calls for a serious commitment to Christ.

Jonah 3:1-4:11 (Presbyterian and Lutheran traditions–see the comments for Thursday, October 16, 2008, twelve days ago.)

Revelation 11:14-19

14 The second woe has passed. The third woe is coming very soon.

The Seventh Trumpet

15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord

and of his Messiah,

and he will reign forever and ever.”

16 Then the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 singing,

“We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty,

who are and who were,

for you have taken your great power

and begun to reign.

18 The nations raged,

but your wrath has come,

and the time for judging the dead,

for rewarding your servants, the prophets

and saints and all who fear your name,

both small and great,

and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. (Revelation 11:14-19, NRSV)

On November 6, 2007 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 2, Year One), comments were repeated from October 31, 2006 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year Two), when they were combined with revision and supplement from October 26, 2004 (Tuesday of the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year Two), and from the relevant portion of comments on Revelation 11:1-19 of November 1, 2005 (Tuesday of the week of the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Year One). The comments are repeated again here with editing and supplement:

The reading begins by announcing that “the second woe,” that is, the plague announced by the sixth trumpet (Rev. 9:13), “has passed,” and “the third woe is coming very soon” (11:14; cf. the fifth trumpet, 9:1 and the passing of the first woe, 9:12). The seventh trumpet (11:14-19) would be the third of three woes (9:12; cf. 8:13); a new series, of the seven bowls of the wrath of God, comes later (15:1-16:21).

John tells us that when “the seventh angel blew his trumpet . . . there were loud voices in heaven saying,

‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord

and of his Messiah (“Gk. Christ” NRSV text note b)

and he will reign forever and ever’.” (Rev. 11:15 NRSV)

According to Bruce M. Metzger, “the seventh trumpet announces the consummation of God’s Kingdom (10:7)” (NOAB, 2^nd ed.1994, on Rev. 11:14-19). In response to this announcement, “the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones [cf. 4:4] before God fell on their faces and worshipped God” in song (v. 16). The song rejoices in God’s victory: “We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty, / who are and who were (oJ w]n kai; oJ h\n, ho ōn kai ho ēn), / for you have taken your great power / and begun to reign (v. 17). To the words “who are and who were,” compare the description of God at the outset, “the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come (oJ w]n kai; oJ h\n kai; oJ ejrcovmenoV, ho ōn kai ho ēn kai erchomenos), the Almighty” (1:8). The song continues: “The nations raged, / but your wrath has come, / and the time for judging the dead, / for rewarding your servants, the prophets, / and saints and all who fear your name, / both small and great, / and for destroying those who destroy the earth” (vv. 17-18). So, in spite of the beast and the woes, God is in control, and there is blessing for those who belong to Him. This good news for the saints and the vision of the redeemed (14:1-5) bracket the account of the atrocities of the dragon and the two beasts (chaps. 12-13). I take comfort in this song of victory and reference to the redeemed.

After the song, we see that “God’s temple in heaven [is] opened, and the ark of his covenant [is] seen within,” but “flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail” (v. 19) introduce the vision of chapter 12.

Luke 11:27-36

True Blessedness

27 While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”

The Sign of Jonah (Mt 12.38-42)

29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here! 32 The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!

The Light of the Body (Mt 6.22-23)

33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar, but on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays.” (Luke 11:27-36, NRSV)

On October 31, 2006 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year Two), comments were repeated with revision and supplement from October 26, 2004, (Tuesday of the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year Two); they are repeated again here.

In the comments for October 25, 2008 (last Saturday), attention was called to Luke’s sequence in presenting the Lord’s Prayer (Lk. 11:1-4; cf. Mt. 6:9-13), the Importunate Friend at Midnight (Lk. 5-8, no parallel); and Encouragement to Pray (Lk. 11:9-13; cf. Mt. 7:7-11). Yesterday’s reading included Jesus and Beelzebul (Mt 12.22-30; Mk 3.19b-30; Lk. 11:14-23) and the Return of the Unclean Spirit (Mt 12.43-45; Lk. 11:24-26). From these and from today’s texts with the parallel readings, True Blessedness (Lk. 11:27-28, no parallel), the Sign of Jonah (Lk. 11:29-32; Mt. 12:38-42), and the Light of the Body (Lk. 11:33-36; Mt. 6:22-33), it is clear that Luke’s sequence of materials is independent, closely following neither Mark nor Matthew. We have previously noted the beginning of his Travel Narrative in 9:51. This independent narrative continues here, though it clearly uses material from Mark and from the source also used by Matthew.

When a woman in the crowd responds to Jesus’ comments on exorcism (Lk. 11:24-26) with the words “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” (Lk. 11:27), she praises his mother. But Jesus responds that the ones who are blessed “are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” (v. 28). To that we may compare Jesus’ statement in another context, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Lk. 8:21; cf. Mk. 3:35; Mt. 12:50), in a Markan context where in Mark, it follows the Beelzebul controversy (Mt 12.22-30; Mk 3.19b-30; Lk. 11:14-23) and the Sin against the Holy Spirit (Mt. 12:31-37; Mk. 3:28-30; Lk. 12: 10; 6:43-45). Jesus emphasizes discipleship and obedience, his spiritual family in contrast to, but without rejecting, his physical family.

For comparison of the parallel passages as related to the Request for a Sign (Mk. 8:11-12), and the Sign of Jonah (Mt. 12:38-42; Lk. 11:29-32), consider the following table.

In the passage about the request for a sign and Jesus’ response by reference to Jonah and the queen of the South (Lk. 11:29-32; cf. Mt. 12:38-42), Matthew’s version continues in the Markan context noted above, to which he connects by quoting the question of “some of the scribes and Pharisees,” that is, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you” (Mt. 12:38). Luke’s version does not report such a question at this point, but assumes as much. He has Jesus say, “This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah” (Lk. 11:29; cf. Mt. 12:39; cf. also Mk. 8:12; Mt. 16:4). In Mark, Jesus refers disparagingly to “this generation,” but it is not characterized as evil and adulterous (cf. Mt. 12:39; 16:4; Lk. 11:29).

Reference to the Sign of Jonah occurs in material from the hypothetical sayings source “Q” used by Matthew and Luke. In Matthew, Jesus says, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth” (Mt. 12:40). In Luke, Jesus’ statement is abbreviated considerably, even severely. “For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation” (Lk. 11:30). Only Matthew relates Jonah’s “three dates and three nights in the belly of the sea monster” to Jesus’ coming time “in the heart of the earth,” that is, his burial, after crucifixion and before his resurrection. The parallels drawn between “this generation,” on the one hand, and “the queen of the South” and “the people of Nineveh,” on the other hand, have essentially the same wording (except “with this generation” in Mt. 12:42, vs. “with the people of this generation” in Lk 11:31). But they are presented in reverse order (Mt. 12:41 & Lk. 11:32; Mt. 12:42 & Lk. 11:31; cf. the different sequence of temptations in the Temptation Narrative, Mt. 4:1-11; Lk. 4:1-13). According to G. W. H. Lampe, “The search for a sign is wicked. The only sign to be given is that of Jonah, who was a sign to heathen Nineveh, as Jesus is to Israel [which] will be condemned by the eager response of a Gentile queen and the repentance of the Gentile Ninevites” (Peake’s Commentary on the Bible, 1962, reprinted 1972, sec. 728h, p. 834 on Lk. 11:29-32).

In the sayings about light and the eye as the lamp of the body, Luke appears to have combined material from different sources, and to have developed the metaphor of the lamp of the body. Consider the following table.

Mark presents the saying about the lamp as a rhetorical question, but Matthew and Luke present it as a statement, though their wording differs some. Matthew follows Mark with “under the bushel basket” (uJpo; to;n movdion, hypo ton modion, Mk. 4:21; Mt. 5:15), but Luke has “under a jar (skeuvei, skeuei) or under a bed (uJpokavtw klivnhV, hypokato klinēs)” (Lk. 8:16) and “in a cellar” (eijV kruvpthn, eis kryptēn, 11:33). Luke clearly emphasizes the need for spiritual light, as given forth by Jesus and his faithful followers, and spiritual darkness with which Jesus charges the Pharisees in following verses (Lk. 11:37-52), but that’s tomorrow’s reading. By the sayings on light and the lampstand with which today’s reading closes, we are reminded of the promise in 1 John 1:7, “If we walk in the light as he himself [God, cf. v. 6] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net