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Reverence for the Lord is wisdom’s root and crown

Sirach 1:11–20 presents reverence for the Lord as wisdom’s beginning, fullness, crown, and root. Through repeated images, the passage connects this reverence with joy, peace, honour, and enduring blessing.

Sirach 1:11–21Older students and adultsWisdom and dialogueCatholic additional books
A lamp and scroll beside a path, companion artwork for wisdom and teaching

Understanding the passage

Listening in context

This passage is from Sirach, part of the Catholic additional books. The reading in World English Bible Classic includes Sirach 1:11–20; verse 21 is represented by a textual note. The teaching is given as wisdom instruction, repeating “the fear of the Lord” and describing wisdom with poetic images such as foundation, fruit, crown, root, and branches.

Sirach 1:11–21

Main takeaway

In Sirach 1:11–20, the fear of the Lord is presented as central to wisdom and linked with joy, peace, honour, and length of days.

Look closely at the words

Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.

01Reverence for the Lord is linked with joyThe passage opens with a surprising description. The fear of the Lord is called “glory, exultation, gladness, and a crown of rejoicing”.

Explanation

The passage opens with a surprising description. The fear of the Lord is called “glory, exultation, gladness, and a crown of rejoicing”. It “will delight the heart” and give “gladness” and “joy”. In these verses, fearing the Lord is described with words of honour and happiness, not with words of despair.

Sirach 1:11Sirach 1:12
02It brings blessing and begins wisdomSirach then says that for whoever fears the Lord, “it will go well with him at the last”, and he “will be blessed in the day of his death”.

Explanation

Sirach then says that for whoever fears the Lord, “it will go well with him at the last”, and he “will be blessed in the day of his death”. Next, the passage says, “To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Reverence for the Lord is shown as wisdom’s starting point, not a side issue.

Sirach 1:13Sirach 1:14
03Wisdom is pictured as established and fruitfulWisdom is spoken of as “she”, using poetic language. She “laid an eternal foundation with men” and “will be trusted among their offspring”.

Explanation

Wisdom is spoken of as “she”, using poetic language. She “laid an eternal foundation with men” and “will be trusted among their offspring”. The fear of the Lord is also called “the fullness of wisdom”, and wisdom’s fruits fill a house with “desirable things” and storehouses with “produce”. These are pictures of abundance and stability.

Sirach 1:15Sirach 1:16Sirach 1:17
04Wisdom has a crown, a giver, and deep rootsThe passage returns to its major image by saying, “The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom”, making “peace and perfect health to flourish”.

Explanation

The passage returns to its major image by saying, “The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom”, making “peace and perfect health to flourish”. God “saw and measured her” and “rained down skill and knowledge of understanding”. He also “exalted the honor of those who hold her fast”. Finally, the fear of the Lord is “the root of wisdom”, with branches of “length of days”.

Sirach 1:18Sirach 1:19Sirach 1:20

Questions to explore

Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.

01Which words in the opening verses describe the results of fearing the Lord?

Answer by listing the passage’s own terms such as glory, exultation, gladness, delight, joy, and length of days.

Sirach 1:11Sirach 1:12
02How does Sirach show that the fear of the Lord is central to wisdom?

Trace the repeated descriptions: beginning, fullness, crown, and root.

Sirach 1:14Sirach 1:16Sirach 1:18Sirach 1:20
03What picture in this passage helps you understand wisdom most clearly?

Choose one image such as foundation, fruits, house, storehouses, crown, root, or branches, and explain what the text connects with it.

Sirach 1:15Sirach 1:16Sirach 1:17Sirach 1:18Sirach 1:20

Read the Bible passage

World English Bible Classic

Scripture quotation · Public domain

Sirach 1:11–20

11The fear of the Lord is glory, exultation, gladness, and a crown of rejoicing.

12The fear of the Lord will delight the heart, and will give gladness, joy, and length of days.

13Whoever fears the Lord, it will go well with him at the last. He will be blessed in the day of his death.

14To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It was created together with the faithful in the womb.

15She laid an eternal foundation with men. She will be trusted among their offspring.

16To fear the Lord is the fullness of wisdom. She inebriates men with her fruits.

17She will fill all her house with desirable things, and her storehouses with her produce.

18The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish.

19He both saw and measured her. He rained down skill and knowledge of understanding, and exalted the honor of those who hold her fast.

20To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom. Her branches are length of days.

Source passages

Source: Sirach 1 ↗
Translation and source notes

Some verse numbers are represented by textual notes in World English Bible Classic. The reading below follows the text printed in the main passage.

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