Translation commentary on Sirach 36:20

Bear witness to those whom thou didst create in the beginning: The meaning of this line is not certain. What is certain is that grammatically it need not refer to people; it can mean “Bear witness to the things you did in the beginning.” We believe that scholars have been misled here by two factors. For one thing, the reading “people” in the previous line, although mistaken, sets us up to expect people to be meant in the reference here. For another thing, there is an ancient rabbinic idea that before God created the world, certain things already pre-existed (Israel, Torah, the name of Messiah, and so on), and it is easy for someone aware of this idea to see a reference here to Israel as the first of God’s creation. Rather, we suggest that the phrase in the beginning here has the same reference as in verse 11, to the establishment of the Israelites in the land during the time of Joshua. God is called on to reaffirm (Bear witness to) his marvelous deeds at that time by doing it again, establishing Israel on the land again by fulfilling the prophecies that Israel would be restored to the land (next line). This interpretation is consistent with the Hebrew, and gives unity to the two lines of this verse. See the models at the end of the discussion.

And fulfil the prophecies spoken in thy name: This refers to any of the many prophecies of God’s victory over Israel’s enemies. When prophets spoke “in the name of the Lord,” they were speaking on his authority and on his behalf. “Prophets” in a number of languages is expressed as “God’s spokesmen” or “people who proclaim God’s message.” So we may translate this line as “and cause the things to come true that your spokesmen promised.”

A possible model for this verse is:

• Confirm your actions of long ago by fulfilling the promises that the prophets have spoken in your name.

This could be expanded as follows:

• Show the world that you were serious when you gave Israel its land long ago; fulfill the promises that the prophets have spoken in your name.

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.