SHS/not checked/05/02/2017
The second part of Sir 6:18-37 (vv. 23-31) is a continuation of the pericope’s first part (vv. 18-22). Unlike the first part devoted to wisdom formation, however, the second part focuses on yielding to wisdom and its consequences. Sir 6:23-31 may be divided into three sections. The first one (vv. 23-25) is characterized by the deployment of images connected with servitude, the second one (vv. 26-28) employs the imagery of hunting, whilst the third section (vv. 29-31) returns to the slavery imagery of part one. The second part of Sir 6:18-37 thus has a concentric structure with vv. 6:26-28 as its centre. The fragments framing the central part evince the development of the sage’s thought: while section one (vv. 23-25) concentrates only on yielding to wisdom, of giving up on personal freedom and of the hardships the search for wisdom entails, section three in its allusions to section one depicts the glorious future awaiting those willing to make an effort to acquire wisdom.
|To acquire wisdom, it is necessary to yield to it fully, the way a slave does to his master. A failure to do so prevents one from the acquisition of wisdom. The second prerequisite is a persistent search for wisdom that should encompass all spheres of life. The sage also indicates the fruits the search for wisdom brings, which include rest, joy, and happiness that wisdom imparts to all those that attain it. In the concluding section Sirach presents the highest distinctions available to those who make an effort and acquire wisdom.