לפירושו של ספר בן-סירא

The article tries to clarify obscure verses in Ben Sira through investigation of the text, its language and subject-matter, with the aid of the Hebrew MSS and translations. 1. The text: The writer cites a number of examples of corruptions common to several early versions, or sometimes to all extant versions (41:2; 44:2, 9; 40:18; 37:4; 43:13). Textual problems of the Hebrew original and of the translations of Ben Sira are discussed in the course of the interpretation of various verses. 2. Language: The language of Ben Sira is intermediate between biblical Hebrew on the one hand, and Aramaic and Mishnaic Hebrew on the other. The influence of Aramaic is especially strong. In the present writer's opinion Ben Sira's idiom is not to be considered an unsuccessful attempt at imitating biblical Hebrew. The language deliberately chosen by Ben Sira is not the spoken language of his day, but a literary idiom — partly reflecting contemporary speech — for which we scarcely have any sources. Ben Sira was a linguistic virtuoso, making much use of puns of various types, some extremely sophisticated. His work contains many rare words which were incomprehensible to readers as early as two or three generations after his time. These factors, in addition to the textual problems, have caused a number of passages to become obscure. Many verses which have not been understood adequately are clarified here, with the aid of Second-Temple and Talmudic sources, Aramaic expressions and, sometimes, parallel Semitic words. 3. Theology: In a number of instances, terms which subsequently became key concepts in later literature are found for the first time in Ben Sira. Similarly, there are some implicit polemics in this book. Thus, we have in Ben Sira the first use of the term gevura, allusions to the concept of the immanent Deity expressed in Talmudic literature by the term shekhina, and allusions to the relationship between the will of God, His word and His angels. Ben Sira takes issue with the doctrine of the Logos — or, more accurately the Sophia, that endows the concept of Divine wisdom with particular theological significance. 4. Parallels: The present writer cites a number of interesting parallels in Ben Sira to sources from the period of the Second Temple, including Baruch, Syrian Baruch, Testaments of the Patriarchs, the Septuagint and Philo (as well as Acts of the Apostles and the Genesis Apocryphon). Also noted are parallels to Ben Sira and quotations of this book in the Talmudic literature, as well as parallels to some benedictions and Targumic interpretations. 5. Use of biblical passages: Ben Sira makes wide use of biblical quotations. These yield information relevant to the biblical text and its meaning, and sometimes make it possible to reconstruct a midrash on a certain verse which Ben Sira had in mind. All the words and linguistic combinations discussed are listed in an index at the end of the article.