Do not hate toilsome labor, or farm work: The interpretive problem here is the intent of the Greek verb rendered hate. Good News Translation translates “Don’t try to avoid farm work or other hard labor.” Other translations understand it the same way (for example, New Jerusalem Bible “shirk”). And this was good rabbinic doctrine; there is this saying in The Mishnah: “Excellent is the study of the Law together with worldly occupation, for toil in them both puts sin out of mind. But all study of the Law without [worldly] labour comes to naught at the last and brings sin in its train” (Aboth 2.2). There is a big problem with this line of interpretation, however; it is in harsh conflict with 38.24-34. There it is assumed that as honorable as occupations like farming might be, they do not provide the leisure necessary to become learned in Wisdom. The Handbook suggests that something like the following would be closer to the author’s thinking: “Don’t look down on people who do farm work or other hard labor.” This can easily be stated in positive form by saying “Have respect for…,” but it would be out of keeping with the section in general, where the admonitions are all in negative terms. Using a negative expression here, however, is not absolutely necessary; see the comments on the section heading.

Which were created by the Most High: Created may also be expressed as “provided these kinds of work for us to do.” When God is referred to as the Most High, the emphasis is on his great majesty, not on his being tall or big (see verse 9 and 4.10)

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Don’t look down on people who do all kinds of hard work, including farming, because the Lord who is above everything provided these kinds of work for us to do.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.