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A Study on the Use of Old Testament Texts and Tradition Reception in Ben Sira: Focusing on the Praise of Moses (Sirach 45:1-5)

Park sunghyun 1

1우리말씀연구소

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study investigates how the Book of Ben Sira, a representative Second Temple wisdom text, receives and reinterprets Old Testament traditions. By analyzing the Praise of Moses (Sirach 45:1-5) within the broader ‘Praise of the Ancestors’ (44:16-50:21), this research illuminates Ben Sira's distinctive methods of appropriating biblical traditions and their theological implications for the development of priestly theology. Employing textual criticism and tradition criticism, this research compares Hebrew manuscripts (Ms. B) with the Septuagint to identify theological motivations behind textual modifications and examines how Ben Sira synthesizes diverse Old Testament traditions to construct his portrait of Moses. The verse-by-verse analysis reveals three interpretive layers. First, Ben Sira preserves core Mosaic traditions from Exodus and Deuteronomy. Second, he demonstrates creative reinterpretations through strategic intertextuality: appropriating ‘beloved by God and humans’ from Judges 9 to establish Moses as an ideal leader, incorporating priestly consecration language (h`gi,asen) from Exodus 28:41 to position Moses as the theological foundation of Aaronic priesthood, and describing the law as ‘wise’ (hnwbt) using tabernacle craftsmen terminology, thereby integrating wisdom, law, and priesthood into a unified system. Third, theological divergence emerges between Hebrew and Greek traditions, as the Septuagint adds ‘made him equal to the glory of the holy ones,’ explicitly positioning Moses as the foundation of Aaronic priestly tradition. This research demonstrates that Ben Sira systematically theologizes Moses to legitimize the Jerusalem priesthood through Mosaic authority, providing crucial insights for understanding biblical text transmission during the intertestamental period.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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* References for papers published after 2024 are currently being built.

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