Bradley C. Gregory, «Vice and Virtue in the Moral Vision of the Latin of Sirach.», Vol. 97 (2016) 41-61
Beginning in the Second Temple period some Jewish literature begins to reflect an increased influence from Hellenistic conceptions of virtue and vice. This paper analyzes the expansions and alterations found in the Latin version of Ben Sira to show how the vices of pride, desire, and avarice are elevated in importance and integrated into the larger contours of the moral theology of the book. Their content, amount, and distribution suggest that their piecemeal production arose from attempts to integrate the virtue/vice thinking prominent in late antiquity into the teaching already found in the Book of Sirach.
ViCe AnD VirTue 43
material and sorts the various changes and additions into three themes:
(1) the Latin emphasizes that God is Creator, omnipotent, and omni-
scient; (2) Wisdom is exalted and presented as the source of blessings;
(3) ethically, human conduct is increasingly oriented toward wisdom,
justice, truth, and humility and moderation 9.
implied in Legrand’s analysis of the third theme is that the classic
cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, and temperance increase in
prominence in the moral vision of the Latin version, but references to
the fourth classic virtue of fortitude are also frequent 10. The pervasive
concern for these virtues suggests that the influence of virtue/vice
thinking in this version deserves more attention 11. While lists of
particularly egregious sins can be found in the Hebrew Bible (e.g.
Prov 6,16-19), in the Second Temple period Hellenistic conceptions
of virtue and vice began influencing some Jewish (and Christian)
authors 12. For example, in Wis 8,7 the four cardinal virtues of temper-
ance, prudence, justice, and fortitude are listed as the characteristics
of righteousness (cf. 4 macc 1,18). regarding vices, Jewish texts from
the late Second Temple period show a great variety in the lists of the
most significant vices and in how these texts understand the relation-
ships of vices to one another 13. Consonant with this trend, when the
9
LeGrAnD, “La version latine”, 224-233. An alternate approach to studying
the changes and expansions is to study particular passages, seeking to assess how
these elements reshape the teaching of the pericope in which they are found. For
this approach see the study of m. GiLBerT, “Les additions grecques et latines
à Siracide 24”, Lectures et relectures de la Bible. Festschrift P.-m. Bogaert (eds.
J.-m. AuWerS – A. WÉnin) (BeTL 144; Leuven 1999) 195-207.
10
in the additions and alterations found in the Latin version, most often for-
titude is oriented toward waiting for God (e.g. 2,2-3 [3-4].17 [21]; 34,18 [22]). it
is practically equated with obedience to the commandments, even in difficulties,
and its opposite consists in moral compromise (e.g. 2,14 [16].17 [21]; 5,12; 17,24
[20].26 [23-24]; 22,18 [23]; 34,18 [22]). in a few places the figure of Wisdom is
the one that grants fortitude (e.g. 4,18 [20]; 27,8 [8-9]). Cf. keArnS, Expanded
Text, 75-76.
11
in kearns’ categorization of the additions related to “moral evil”, he has
lists of verses only for pride and sins of the tongue beyond general comments
about sin, wickedness, and impiety. However, in a footnote he notes that while
pride and speech sins are the two most condemned sins, there are two instances
of envy (6,1; 31,14 [16]) and one instance of greed (14,9). Further, even for these
categories kearns merely lists the additions without analyzing their significance.
See keArnS, Expanded Text, 79-82.
12
For a recent discussion of virtue/character ethics in the Hebrew Bible and
ancient Judaism see J. BArTOn, Ethics in Ancient Israel (Oxford 2014) 157-184.
13
For more see J. T. FiTZGerALD, “Virtue/Vice Lists”, ABD Vi, 857-859.
FOLLOW US