Początkowa koncepcja mądrości według Syracha. Syr 1,1-10 jako perykopa programowa

The present article discusses Sirach’s original concept of wisdom as presented in the first pericope of his book. It is argued that Sir 1:1-10 functions as the opening pericope that introduces the subject matter to be developed later in the book. The structure of the original version of Sir 1:1-10 (G-I) is lucid: the pericope can be divided into two halves of exactly the same length (verses 1-4 and 6-10). The textual additions in G-II recension disrupted the symmetry of the pericope but did not alter its meaning. The first part of the pericope focuses on the origins of wisdom and its relation to the created world, while the second part shows wisdom to be inaccessible in any other way than as God’s gift for his creatures, especially the people who love him. Sir 1:1-4 emphasizes the distance between wisdom and people, which is gradually reduced in the second part of the pericope (vv. 6-10). Due to God’s intervention wisdom is transformed from a distant and inaccessible entity to one close to human beings. As an intermediary between God and people, it brings people closer to God, yet it is not an inherent part of their nature, but rather Yahweh’s gift to them.