Full of Praise: An Exegetical Study of Sir 39, 12-35

This volume deals with the book of Ben Sira, discussing his self-understanding and his relation to Wisdom and God. Point of departure is the hymnic instruction in Sir 39, 12-35.
The study opens with an examination of its text-critical situation, structure and literary format. In the first part the diptych on the trades, Sir 38-39, is examined as context for the hymn. The second part focuses on the frame of the hymn and investigates the role of sage and disciples; the third part considers the sapiential teaching (39, 16-31) in detail.
The section on the "work of God", the use of the first-person singular, and the nature of text-forms are of special interest for scholars of Old Testament wisdom literature, the intertestamental period and the history of Judaism.

Jan W.M. Liesen, S.S.D. (1998) from Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, lectures in Scripture at Rolduc Seminary, The Netherlands.