Catholic Commentary on Sirach 24

"I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist." (Sirach 24:3)

Wisdom's Self-Praise

Wisdom praises herself and tells of her glory in the midst of her people. She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High: I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist. I dwelt in the highest heavens, and my throne was in a pillar of cloud. Alone I compassed the vault of heaven and traversed the depths of the abyss. Over waves of the sea, over all the earth, and over every people and nation I have held sway. The Creator of all things gave me a command; he said: make your dwelling in Jacob, in Israel receive your inheritance. Wisdom pitched her tent among the people and dwelt in the holy city. Like a cedar on Lebanon, like a palm tree, like a terebinth she spread her branches. Her blossoms became glorious and abundant fruit.

The Catechism identifies Sirach 24 as the most developed Old Testament passage identifying Wisdom with the Torah and anticipating the Johannine Prologue: the Word who was in the beginning with God, who pitched his tent among us (CCC 702).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, I came forth from the mouth of the Most High. This is the voice of the eternal Word speaking through Wisdom: the divine Word that created the world pitching its tent in the midst of a particular people. The Incarnation is the fulfilment of this pitching of the tent - the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The glory of Sirach 24 is the glory of John 1.

Prayer

Lord God, the Word who came forth from your mouth pitched his tent among us in Jesus of Nazareth. We worship the incarnate Wisdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

24
1 Wisdom shall praise her own self, and shall be honoured in God, and shall glory in the midst of her people, 2 And shall open her mouth in the churches of the most High, and shall glorify herself in the sight of his power, 3 And in the midst of her own people she shall be exalted, and shall be admired in the holy assembly. 4 And in the multitude of the elect she shall have praise, and among the blessed she shall be blessed, saying: 5 I came out of the mouth of the most High, the firstborn before all creatures: 6 I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth: 7 I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud. 8 I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated into the bottom of the deep, and have walked in the waves of the sea, 9 And have stood in all the earth: and in every people, 10 And in every nation I have had the chief rule: 11 And by my power I have trodden under my feet the hearts of all the high and low: and in all these I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord. 12 Then the creator of all things commanded, and said to me: and he that made me, rested in my tabernacle, 13 And he said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect. 14 From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before him. 15 And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. 16 And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints. 17 I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree on mount Sion. 18 I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho: 19 As a fair olive tree in the plains, and as a plane tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted. 20 I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon. and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh: 21 And I perfumed my dwelling as storax, and galbanum, and onyx, and aloes, and as the frankincense not cut, and my odour is as the purest balm. 22 I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honour and grace. 23 As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches. 24 I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. 25 In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. 26 Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. 27 For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb. 28 My memory is unto everlasting generations. 29 They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst. 30 He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. 31 They that explain me shall have life everlasting. 32 All these things are the book of life, and the covenant of the most High, and the knowledge of truth. 33 Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel. 34 He appointed to David his servant to raise up of him a most mighty king, and sitting on the throne of glory for ever. 35 Who filleth up wisdom as the Phison, and as the Tigris in the days of the new fruits. 36 Who maketh understanding to abound as the Euphrates, who multiplieth it as the Jordan in the time of harvest. 37 Who sendeth knowledge as the light, and riseth up as Gehon in the time of the vintage. 38 Who first hath perfect knowledge of her, and a weaker shall not search her out. 39 For her thoughts are more vast than the sea, and her counsels more deep than the great ocean. 40 I, wisdom, have poured out rivers. 41 I, like a brook out of a river of a mighty water; I, like a channel of a river. and like an aqueduct, came out of paradise. 42 I said: I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruits of my meadow. 43 And behold my brook became a great river, and my river came near to a sea: 44 For I make doctrine to shine forth to all as the morning light, and I will declare it afar off. 45 I will penetrate to all the lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that sleep, and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord. 46 I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and will leave it to them that seek wisdom, and will not cease to instruct their offspring even to the holy age. 47 See ye that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all that seek out the truth.

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