Uczony w Piśmie – ideał człowieka poszukującego mądrości (Syr 38,24; 39,1-11)
The Scribe – The Model of a Wisdom-Seeker (Sir 38:24; 39:1-11)

Summary/Abstract: Sir 38:24–39:11 presents the scribe as a model of a person striving to acquirewisdom. The present article focuses on the second part of the pericope (39:1-11), whichrefers directly to the figure of the scribe. The fragment can be divided into five sections.In the first one (39:1-3) the sage describes the scribe’s intellectual pursuits and thetexts he peruses. The second section (39:4) concentrates in turn on the scribe’s socialcommitments, while the third one (39:5) – on his attitude towards God. The fourth part(39:6-8) depicts the gift that the scribe may receive from God and the consequences itwill have for his life. The final section (39:9-11) is devoted to the scribe’s fame, whichhe may achieve due to the acquisition of wisdom.Sirach emphasizes in his text the necessity to thoroughly study the Law and otherbiblical traditions (cf. 39:1). He also recommends learning from other nations to acquirewisdom (cf. 39:2-3; travel may serve such a purpose – cf. 39:4cd). However, the acquisitionof wisdom does not stem only from a person’s intellectual efforts, but is primarily a giftfrom God (cf. 39:6ab). The sage stresses the role that prayer plays in one’s acquisitionof wisdom. In the final part of his reflections the sage pays particular attention to theresults the acquisition of wisdom brings (39:6cd-11), primarily the scribe’s everlastingfame that will transcend Israel’s borders.

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