Shem and Seth were honored among men: Shem was a son of Noah; Seth was a son of Adam. Good News Translation adds “Enosh” to the list here on the authority of the Hebrew. Enosh does appear in 1 Chr 1.1 and in Luke 3.38, and it is possible that there could have been some confusion between the name Enosh in Hebrew and a word meaning among men in Hebrew. Enosh was the son of Seth, in whose day people began to call on the name of the Lord (Gen 4.26). He probably belongs to the list. We suggest including him, but have no quarrel with anyone who wants to leave him out. The line may be translated “Shem [and] Seth [and Enosh] were highly honored” or “People honored Shem, Seth, and Enosh highly.” If Enosh is included, a footnote may read “Hebrew includes Enosh; Greek does not.”

And Adam above every living being in the creation: New Revised Standard Version says “but above every other created living being was Adam,” which is better than Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation. We would suggest rewording this to say “but above every other being in all creation is Adam,” “but above every other being that the Lord created was Adam,” or even “but Adam was greater than all the other beings the Lord created.” Some translators will be forced to put Adam at the beginning of this line, but those who can put the name last in the verse (where it comes in Greek and Hebrew) will want to consider it seriously, because it makes a clear parallel between Adam, first in all creation to be honored, and Simon son of Onias, whom ben Sira is going to honor at greater length than anyone else in his list, beginning with the next line.

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.