The Old Testament Apocrypha

17 Pages·2005·0.16 MB·English

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CHAPTER ONE
The Old Testament Apocrypha
OldTestamentApocrypha
1Esdras Susanna
2Esdras BelandtheDragon
Tobit PrayerofManasseh
Judith 1Maccabees
AdditionstoEsther 2Maccabees
WisdomofSolomon 3Maccabees(seeOldTestament
Ecclesiasticus(Sirach) Pseudepigrapha)
Baruch 4Maccabees(seeOldTestament
EpistleofJeremiah Pseudepigrapha)
PrayerofAzariahandtheSongofthe Psalm151(seeOldTestament
ThreeChildren Pseudepigrapha)
FifteenbooksmakeuptheOTApocrypha.SomeeditionsoftheBibleincor-
porate the Epistle of Jeremiah into Baruch as its sixth and final chapter. These
editions,therefore,havefourteenbooks.WhereasProtestantsdonotregardthe
booksoftheApocryphaasinspiredorascanonical,theRomanCatholic,Greek
Orthodox,RussianOrthodox,andCopticChurchesacceptmostofthem.(Fora
listingoftheirrespectivecanonsoftheApocrypha,seeappendix1.)
The word “apocrypha” is a Greek word literally meaning “hidden away.”
Why “hidden”?Overthecenturiesthosewhoappreciatedandapprovedof these
booksasauthoritativethoughtofthemashiddenfromtheuninitiatedandsimple.
Theywerereservedforthewiseandlearned.Ontheotherhand,thosewhoviewed
thesebooksasspuriousandaspossessingnoauthorityhaveunderstoodthemas
hiddenbecauseofperceivedhereticaltendencies.Itisprobablyforthisreasonthat
theword“apocrypha”hascometomean“false.”Forexample,whenastoryabouta
well-knownpersonissuspectedofbeinguntruewesaythatitis“apocryphal.”
10 The Old Testament Apocrypha
TheApocrypha(thewordisactuallyplural—thesingularisapocryphon—
butpeopleoftenthinkofitassingular)representseveraltypesofwriting.Someof
thewritingsarehistorical(e.g.,1Esdras,1and2Maccabees),someareromantic
(e.g.,Tobit,Judith,Susanna,AdditionstoEsther),somearedidactic(e.g.,Wisdom
ofSolomon,Ecclesiasticus),somearemoralistic(e.g.,Baruch,EpistleofJeremiah,
BelandtheDragon),andsomearedevotional(e.g.,PrayerofAzariahandtheSong
oftheThreeYoungMen,PrayerofManasseh).Oneisapocalyptic(2Esdras).
TheGreektextoftheApocryphaisfoundintheLXX(seech.4).Thebest
EnglishtranslationisB.M.Metzger,OAA.Thiseditioncontainsseveralhelpful
notes and tables. Metzger has also edited A Concordance to the Apocryphal/
Deuterocanonical Books of the Revised Standard Version (Grand Rapids: Eerd-
mans,1983).SeealsotheEnglishtranslationeditionoftheApocryphaintheNew
RevisedStandardVersion(New York:Oxford,1989).For current introductions,
see D. A. deSilva, IAMCS, and D. J. Harrington, InvA. For current one-volume
commentariesontheApocrypha,seeJ.L.Maysetal.,eds.,HBC,W.R.Farmeret
al.,eds.,IBC,andO.Kaiser,OTApo.
Summaries
1Esdras.FirstEsdrasisnotacceptedascanonicalbytheRomanCatholicChurch.
(ItwasrejectedbytheCouncilofTrent,8April1546.)TheRomanCatholicBible
includesitinanappendix.(IntheVulgateitiscalled3Esdras.)Itis,however,ac-
ceptedbytheGreekOrthodoxandRussianOrthodoxChurches.Itisahistorical
writing based upon 2 Chr 35:1–36:23, Ezra, and Neh 7:38–8:12 (see the table
below). However, the story of the three men in the court of Darius (3:1–5:6),
which has no parallel in the OT, may represent the author’s chief concern
(Metzger,IA18),perhapstoencouragetherenewalofGod’speople(Harrington,
InvA153)andtohighlightthequalitiesofZerubbabel(deSilva,IAMCS286–87).
The book follows neither the MT nor the LXX.The unknown author apparently
intended to emphasize the religious reforms of Josiah (1:1–24), Zerubbabel
(5:47–6:34),andEzra(8:1–9:55).Itwaswrittenprobablyinthesecondcentury
B.C.E.FirstEsdrasrelatestobiblicalliteratureasfollows(Klein,769):
1Esdr1:1–22 = 2Chr35:1–19
1Esdr1:23–24 = (noparallel)
1Esdr1:25–58 = 2Chr35:20–36:21
1Esdr2:1–5a = 2Chr36:22–23/Ezra1:1–3a
1Esdr2:5b–15 = Ezra1:3b–11
1Esdr2:16–30 = Ezra4:7–24
1Esdr3:1–5:6 = (noparallel)
1Esdr5:7–73 = Ezra2:1–4:5
1Esdr6:1–9:36 = Ezra5:1–10:44
1Esdr9:37–55 = Neh7:73–8:13a
Text:R.HANHART,Esdraeliber1(Septuaginta8/1;Göttingen:Vandenhoeck&Ruprecht,
1974).Survey:H.W.ATTRIDGE,“Historiography,”JWSTP157–60;D.A.DESILVA,IAMCS
Summaries 11
280–95;D.J.HARRINGTON,InvA152–65;O.KAISER,OTApo24–29;B.M.METZGER,IA
11–19;G.W.E.NICKELSBURG,“StoriesofBiblicalandEarlyPost-biblicalTimes,”JWSTP
131–35;W.O.E.OESTERLEY,IBA133–41;Z.TALSHIR,“1Esdras,”DNTB341–42.Com-
mentary:R.J.COGGINSandM.A.KNIBB,TheFirstandSecondBooksofEsdras,4–75;S.A.
COOK,“IEsdras,”APOT1:1–58;J.C.H.HOW,“I.Esdras,”NCHSA2:30–32;R.W.KLEIN,
“1Esdras,”HBC769–75;J.M.MYERS,IandIIEsdras,1–104;Z.TALSHIR,1Esdras:AText
CriticalCommentary(SBLSCS50;Atlanta:SocietyofBiblicalLiterature,2000);H.G.M.
WILLIAMSON,“1Esdras,”ECB851–58.CriticalStudy:T.C.ESKENAZI,“TheChronicler
andtheCompositionof1Esdras,”CBQ48(1986):39–61;A.E.GARDENER,“ThePurpose
andDateofIEsdras,”JJS37(1986):18–27;Z.TALSHIR,1Esdras:FromOrigintoTransla-
tion(SBLSCS47;Atlanta:ScholarsPress,1999).
2Esdras.SecondEsdrasisnotacceptedbytheRomanCatholicChurcheither,al-
thoughitisincludedinaformoftheLatinVulgatewith1Esdras.Itis,however,
acceptedbytheRussianOrthodoxChurch.IntheVulgateitis4Esdras.(Partof
2Esdrasisalsoknownas4EzraandissometimesincludedintheOTPseudepig-
rapha.OntheconfusingEsdras-Ezranomenclature,seethetablesbelow.)Second
Esdrasdoesnotresumethehistoricalnarrativeof1Esdras,asonemightsuppose,
but is called “2 Esdras”because of the opening verse: “The second book of the
prophetEzra....”Thebookisanapocalypseconsistinglargelyofsevenrevela-
tions(3:1–5:20;5:21–6:34;6:35–9:25;9:38–10:59;11:1–12:51;13:1–58;14:1–48)
which are primarily concerned with moral themes. Apparently, at least three
authors are responsible for 2 Esdras. The original author was probably a first-
centuryPalestinianJewwho,writinginAramaicorHebrew,producedchapters
3–14(theoriginal4Ezra).ItwassubsequentlytranslatedintoGreek.Asecond-
centuryChristianaddedaGreekintroduction(chs.1–2,alsocalled5Ezra).Fi-
nally, a third-century Christian added the last two chapters (15–16, also called
6Ezra)inGreek.TheSemiticoriginalislost,andonlyafragmentof theGreek
has survived (15:57–59). The purpose of the original author was to show that
God is just,despite the evil of the Rome of his day and the calamities that had
befallenJerusalem(Metzger,IA30).
TableofEsdrasNomenclature
HebrewBible Septuagint Vulgate EnglishApocrypha
Ezra 1Esdras
Nehemiah 2Esdras
1Esdras 3Esdras 1Esdras
4Esdras 2Esdras
TableofEzraNomenclature
1Ezra Ezra-NehemiahoftheHebrewBible
2Ezra 4Esdras(Vulgate)=2Esdras(EnglishApocrypha)chaps.1–2
3Ezra 1Esdras(Septuagint)=3Esdras(Vulgate)=1Esdras(EnglishApocrypha)
4Ezra 4Esdras(Vulgate)=2Esdras(EnglishApocrypha)chaps.3–14
5Ezra 4Esdras(Vulgate)=2Esdras(EnglishApocrypha)chaps.15–16
(adaptedfromH.W.Attridge,“Historiography,”JWSTP,158)
12 The Old Testament Apocrypha
Text:R.L.BENSLY,TheFourthBookofEzra,theLatinVersionEditedfromtheMSS(Texts
and Studies 3/2; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1895); B. VIOLET, Die Über-
lieferung,vol.1ofDieEsra-Apokalypse(IV.Ezra)(GCS18;Leipzig:Hinrich,1910).Sur-
vey: D. A. DESILVA, IAMCS 323–51; D. J. HARRINGTON, InvA 185–206; R. A. KRAFT,
“EzraMaterialsinJudaismandChristianity,”ANRW19.1:119–36;B.W.LONGENECKER,
2Esdras(GAP;Sheffield:Sheffield,1995);B.M.METZGER,IA21–30;W.O.E.OESTERLEY,
IBA142–60;M.E.STONE,“ApocalypticLiterature,”SJWSTP412–14;J.E.WRIGHT,“Ezra,
Booksof,”DNTB337–40.Commentary:R.J.COGGINSandM.A.KNIBB,TheFirstand
SecondBooksofEsdras,76–305;J.M.MYERS,IandIIEsdras,107–354;W.O.E.OESTERLEY,
II Esdras (The Ezra Apocalypse) (London: Methuen, 1933); IDEM, “II. (IV.) Esdras,”
NCHSA2:32–42;J.J.SCHMITT,“2Esdras,”ECB876–87;M.E.STONEandT.A.BERGREN,
“2Esdras,”HBC776–90.CriticalStudy:G.K.BEALE,“TheProblemoftheManfromthe
SeainIVEzra13andItsRelationtotheMessianicConceptinJohn’sApocalypse,”NovT
25(1983):182–88;T.A.BERGREN,FifthEzra:TheText,Origin,andEarlyHistory(SBLSCS
25;Atlanta:ScholarsPress,1990);IDEM,SixthEzra:TheTextandOrigin(Oxford:Oxford
UniversityPress,1998);E.BREECH,“TheseFragmentsIHaveShoredagainstMyRuins:
TheFormandFunctionof4Ezra,”JBL92(1973):267–74;G.N.STANTON,“5Ezraand
MattheanChristianityintheSecondCentury,”JTS28(1997):67–83.Seebibliographyon
4Ezrainchapter2.
Tobit. Tobit is accepted by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Russian
OrthodoxChurches.Thebookof Tobitisaromance(deSilva,IAMCS70;Har-
rington, InvA 11) relating a moralistic story of the adventures of Tobit and his
son Tobias in Nineveh shortly after the exile of the northern kingdom (2 Kgs
17:1–6).ItwasoriginallywritteninAramaicorHebrew—asattestedbytheDead
Sea Scrolls (i.e., 4Q196–200; cf. Fitzmyer)—sometime in the second century
B.C.E. by an unknown author. Subsequently it was translated into Greek. Tobit
emphasizespiety(suchasattendingtotheburialofthedead)inthefaceofpa-
ganism.Tobit’sprophecyoftherebuildingofthetemple(14:5–7)hasreceivedat-
tention in recent scholarship concerned with the place of the temple in first-
centuryeschatologicalexpectations.
Text:R.HANHART,Tobit(Septuaginta8/5;Göttingen:Vandenhoeck&Ruprecht,1983).
Survey:D.A.DESILVA,IAMCS63–84;R.DORAN,“NarrativeLiterature,”EJMI296–99;D.
J.HARRINGTON,InvA10–26;L.R.HELYER,“Tobit,”DNTB1238–41;O.KAISER,OTApo
30–39;B.M.METZGER,IA31–41;C.A.MOORE,“Tobit,Bookof,”ABD6:585–94;G.W.E.
NICKELSBURG,“StoriesofBiblicalandEarlyPost-biblicalTimes,”SJWSTP40–46;W.O.E.
OESTERLEY, IBA 161–71. Commentary: J. CRAGHAN, Esther, Judith, Tobit, Jonah, Ruth,
127–62;C.F.DEVINE,“Tobias,”CCHS393–402;J.A.FITZMYER,Tobit(CEJL;NewYork:
deGruyter,2003);L.L.GRABBE,“Tobit,”ECB736–47;C.A.MOORE,Tobit(AB40A;New
York:Doubleday,1996);G.W.E.NICKELSBURG,“Tobit,”HBC791–803;I.NOWELL,“The
BookofTobit,”NIB973–1071;IDEM,“Tobit,”IBC687–95;H.SCHÜNGEL-STRAUMANN,
Tobit(HTKAT;FreiburginBreisgau:Herder,2000);D.C.SIMPSON,“TheBookofTobit,”
APOT1:174–241;H.St.J.THACKERAY,“Tobit,”NCHSA2:42–58;F.ZIMMERMANN,The
BookofTobit(JAL;NewYork:Harper,1958);E.ZENGER,JuditundTobit.CriticalStudy:
A.DILELLA,“TheDeuteronomicBackgroundoftheFarewellDiscourseinTobit14:3–11,”
CBQ41(1979):380–89;J.A.FITZMYER,“TheAramaicandHebrewFragmentsofTobit
fromCave4,”CBQ57(1995):655–75;D.MCCRACKEN,“NarrationandComedyinthe
Summaries 13
BookofTobit,”JBL114(1995):401–18;C.A.MOORE,“ScholarlyIssuesintheBookof
Tobit before Qumran and After: An Assessment,” JSP 5 (1989): 65–81; A. PORTIER-
YOUNG,“AlleviationofSufferingintheBookofTobit:Comedy,Community,andHappy
Endings,”CBQ63(2001):35–54;W.SOLL,“TheFamilyasScripturalandSocialConstruct
inTobit,”inTheFunctionofScriptureinEarlyJewishandChristianTradition(ed.C.A.
EvansandJ.A.Sanders;JSNTSup154;SSEJC6;Sheffield:Sheffield,1998),166–75;IDEM,
“MisfortuneandExileinTobit:TheJunctureofaFairyTaleSourceandDeuteronomic
Theology,”CBQ 51 (1989): 209–31; R. A. SPENCER, “The Book of Tobit in Recent Re-
search,”CurBS7(1999):147–80.
Judith.JudithisacceptedbytheRomanCatholic,GreekOrthodox,andRussian
OrthodoxChurches.Notwithstandingseveralseriousanachronismsandhistori-
cal blunders, the book tells a heroic tale of the beautiful Judith whose courage
and faith in God saved her village from destruction at the hands of one of
Nebuchadnezzar’sgenerals.Inmanywaysthebookstandsinthetraditionofthe
heroesinJudges(see4:4–22).Originallyasecond-centuryB.C.E.Hebrewcompo-
sition, probably reflecting the tensions and fears of the Maccabean struggle
(Metzger,IA43;thoughseethecautionsindeSilva,IAMCS93–95),theworksur-
vives in Greek, Latin, Syriac, and several later Hebrew recensions. Nothing is
knownoftheauthor.
Text:R.HANHART,Iudith(Septuaginta8/4;Göttingen:Vandenhoeck&Ruprecht,1979).
Survey:D.A.DESILVA,IAMCS85–109;R.DORAN,“NarrativeLiterature,”EJMI302–4;D.
J.HARRINGTON,InvA27–43;L.R.HELYER,“Judith,”DNTB624–27;O.KAISER,OTApo
39–45; B. M. METZGER, IA 43–53; C. A. MOORE, “Judith, Book of,” ABD 3:1117–25;
G.W.E.NICKELSBURG,“StoriesofBiblicalandEarlyPost-biblicalTimes,”SJWSTP46–52;
W. O. E. OESTERLEY, IBA 172–82. Commentary: L. ALONSO-SCHÖKEL, “Judith,” HBC
804–14;N.D.COLEMAN,“Judith,”NCHSA2:58–62;A.E.COWLEY,“TheBookofJudith,”
APOT1:242–67;J.CRAGHAN,Esther,Judith,Tobit,Jonah,Ruth,64–126;A.-M.DUBARLE,
Judith(2vols.;AnBib24;Rome:PontificalBiblicalInstitute,1966);M.LEAHY,“Judith,”
CCHS403–7;C.A.MOORE,Judith(AB40;GardenCity,N.Y.:Doubleday,1985);R.J.RAJA,
“Judith,”IBC696–706;G.WEST,“Judith,”ECB748–57;L.M.WILLS,“TheBookofJudith,”
NIB 1073–1183;E.ZENGER,JuditundTobit.CriticalStudy: T.S.CRAVEN,Artistryand
FaithintheBookofJudith(SBLDS70;Chico,Calif.:ScholarsPress,1983);M.S.ENSLIN
andS.ZEITLIN,TheBookofJudith(JAL7;Leiden:Brill,1972);R.HARRIS,“AQuotation
fromJudithinthePaulineEpistles,”ExpTim27(1915–1916):13–15;J.W.VANHENTEN,
“JudithasaFemaleMoses:Judith7–13intheLightofExodus17,Numbers20,andDeu-
teronomy33:8–11,”inReflectionsonTheologyandGender(ed.F.vanDijk-Hemmesand
A.Brenner;Kampen,Neth.:KokPharos,1994),33–48;P.J.MILNE,“WhatShallWeDo
withJudith?AFeministReassessmentofaBiblical‘Heroine,’”Semeia62(1993):37–58;
P.W.SKEHAN,“TheHandofJudith,”CBQ25(1963):94–109;IDEM,“WhyLeaveOutJu-
dith?”CBQ24(1962):147–54;J.C.VANDERKAM,ed.,“NoOneSpokeIllofHer”:Essayson
Judith(SBLEJL2;Atlanta:ScholarsPress,1992);L.M.WILLS,“TheJewishNovellas,”in
GreekFiction:TheGreekNovelinContext(NewYork:Routledge,1994),223–38.
AdditionstoEsther.SixadditionstoEsther,comprising107verses,havebeenac-
ceptedbytheRomanCatholic,GreekOrthodox,andRussianOrthodoxChurches.
WhentranslatingtheHebrew,Jeromecollectedtheseadditions,whicharefound
14 The Old Testament Apocrypha
only intheGreekversion(theLXX),andplacedthemattheendof theoriginal
HebrewEstheras10:4–16:24(whichisfollowedbytheRheimsandDouayedi-
tion), thus confusing the chronological sequence. The order of the LXX, which
containsthetranslationoftheoriginalHebrew,aswellastheGreekadditions,is
as follows: (1) Addition 1 (11:2–12:6); (2) Hebrew 1:1–3:13; (3) Addition 2
(13:1–7);(4)Hebrew3:14–4:17;(5)Addition3(13:8–14:19);(6)Hebrew5:1–2
(=Addition4[15:1–2]);(7)Addition4(15:1–16);(8)Hebrew5:3–8:12;(9)Ad-
dition 5 (16:1–24);(10) Hebrew 8:13–10:3; (11) Addition 6 (10:4–11:1).Esther
mayhavebeentranslatedintoGreekby“LysimachusthesonofPtolemy”(11:1),
whoclaimsthat the entire document—additionsand all—isgenuine.The pur-
poseof theadditionsistointroduceGodandreligionintoabookwhichorigi-
nallydidnotoncementionthenameofGod.
Text:R.HANHART,Esther(2ed.;Septuaginta8/3;Göttingen:Vandenhoeck&Ruprecht,
1983).Survey:D.A.DESILVA,IAMCS110–26;D.J.HARRINGTON,InvA44–54;J.JARICK,
“Daniel,Esther,and Jeremiah,Additions to,”DNTB 250–52; O.KAISER,OTApo 45–48;
B.M.METZGER,IA55–63;G.W.E.NICKELSBURG,“TheBibleRewrittenandExpanded,”
SJWSTP135–38,155;W.O.E.OESTERLEY,IBA183–95;J.C.VANDERKAM,AnIntroduc-
tion to Early Judaism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), 85–88. Commentary: C. M.
BECHTEL,Esther(Interpretation;Louisville:JohnKnox,2002);D.J.A.CLINES,“TheAddi-
tionstoEsther,”HBC815–19;S.W.CRAWFORD,“TheAdditionstoEsther,”NIB943–72;J.
A.F.GREGG,“TheAdditionstoEsther,”APOT1:665–84;J.C.H.HOW,“TheRestofthe
ChaptersoftheBookofEsther,”NCHSA2:63–64;J.JARICK“GreekEsther,”ECB758–62;
C.A.MOORE,Daniel,Esther,andJeremiah,153–252;S.PAGÁN,“Esther,”IBC707–21;O.
H.STECK,DasBuch Baruch,derBrief desJeremia,Zusatze zu Esterund Daniel.Critical
Study: W. H. BROWNLEE, “Le livre grec d’Esther et la royauté divine: Corrections
orthodoxesaulivred’Esther,”RB73(1966):161–85;D.J.A.CLINES,TheEstherScroll:The
StoryoftheStory(JSOTSup30;Sheffield:Sheffield,1995);L.DAY,ThreeFacesofaQueen:
CharacterizationintheBooksofEsther(JSOTSup186;Sheffield,Eng.:SheffieldAcademic
Press,1995);M.V.FOX,TheRedactionoftheBooksofEsther(SBLMS40;Atlanta:Scholars
Press,1991).
WisdomofSolomon.TheWisdomofSolomonisacceptedbytheRomanCatholic,
GreekOrthodox,andRussianOrthodoxChurches.Itisapseudepigraphonthat
claimstohavebeenwrittenbyIsrael’scelebratedmonarch(see7:1–14;8:17–9:18;
compare1Kgs3:6–9;2Chr1:8–10).Thisbookispartofthelatewisdomtradi-
tionandiscomparabletoSirach(seebelow)andpartsofProverbs.Itwasorigi-
nallywritteninGreekandprobablyderivesfromAlexandriaofthefirstcentury
B.C.E. It warns the wicked, praises wisdom, provides examples of God’s mighty
actsinhistory,andridiculesidolatry.ItalsoexhortstheJewishpeopletoremain
faithfultoitsreligiousheritage,eschewingtheenticementsofpaganism.Atsome
pointstherearecloseparallelstoPaul’sthought.BruceMetzger(IA163)remarks
that“therecanbelittledoubtthattheApostlehadatonetimemadeaclosestudy
of”thebookofWisdom.
Text:J.ZIEGLER,SapientiaSalomonis(2ded.;Septuaginta12/1;Göttingen:Vandenhoeck
&Ruprecht,1980).Survey:D.A.DESILVA,IAMCS127–52;M.GILBERT,“WisdomLitera-
Summaries 15
ture,”SJWSTP301–13;L.L.GRABBE,WisdomofSolomon(GAP;Sheffield,Eng.:Sheffield,
1997);D.J.HARRINGTON,InvA55–77;O.KAISER,OTApo104–25;B.L.MACKandR.E.
MURPHY, “Wisdom Literature,” EJMI 380–87; B. M. METZGER, IA 65–76; W. O. E.
OESTERLEY, IBA 196–221; D. WINSTON, “Solomon, Wisdom of,”ABD 6:120–27. Com-
mentary:E.G.CLARK,TheWisdomofSolomon(CBC;Cambridge:CambridgeUniversity
Press,1973);W.J.DEANE,SOFIASALWMWN,TheBookofWisdom:TheGreekText,the
LatinVulgateandtheAuthorisedEnglishVersion(Oxford:Clarendon,1881);J.GEYER,The
WisdomofSolomon (TBC;London:SCMPress,1963);A.T.S.GOODRICK,TheBookof
Wisdom, with Introduction and Notes (Oxford Church Bible Commentary; London:
Rivingtons,1913);J.A.F.GREGG,TheWisdomofSolomon(CambridgeBibleforSchools;
Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress,1909);C.HARRIS,“TheWisdomofSolomon,”
NCHSA2:64–78;A.P.HAYMAN,“TheWisdomof Solomon,”ECB763–78;S.HOLMES,
“TheWisdomof Solomon,”APOT 1:518–68;H.HÜBNER,DieWeisheitSalomons:Liber
sapientiaeSalomonis(ATD:Apokryphen4;Göttingen:Vandenhoeck&Ruprecht,1999);
M.KOLARCIK,“The Book of Wisdom,”NIB 5:435–600; C.LATTEY,“The Book of Wis-
dom,”CCHS504–11;W.O.E.OESTERLEY,TheWisdomofSolomon(TEDII:Hellenistic
JewishTexts1;London:SPCK,1918);J.M.REESE,“WisdomofSolomon,”HBC820–35;J.
REIDER,TheBookofWisdom(JAL;NewYork:Harper,1957);J.VÍLCHEZ,“Wisdom,”IBC
908–22; D. WINSTON, The Wisdom of Solomon (AB 43; Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday,
1979).CriticalStudy:S.CHEON,TheExodusStoryintheWisdomofSolomon(JSPSup23;
Sheffield,Eng.:SheffieldAcademicPress,1997);P.E.ENNS,ExodusRetold:AncientExege-
sisoftheDeparturefromEgyptinWis15–21and19:1–9(HSM57;Atlanta:ScholarsPress,
1997);IDEM,“ARetellingoftheSongoftheSeainWisdom10.20–21,”inTheFunctionof
Scripture in Early Jewish and Christian Tradition (ed. C. A. Evans and J. A. Sanders;
JSNTSup 154; SSEJC 6; Sheffield, Eng.: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998), 142–65; M.
KOLARCIK,TheAmbiguityofDeathintheBookofWisdom1–6(AnBib127;Rome:Pontifi-
cal Biblical Institute, 1991); S. LANGE, “The Wisdom of Solomon and Philo,” JBL 55
(1936): 293–306; J. M. REESE, Hellenistic Influence on the Book of Wisdom and Its Con-
sequences (AnBib 41; Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1970); R. T. SIEBENECK, “The
MidrashofWisdom10–19,”CBQ22(1960):176–82;J.P.WEISENGOFF,“DeathandIm-
mortalityintheBookofWisdom,”CBQ3(1941):104–33;IDEM,“TheImpiousinWis-
dom2,”CBQ11(1949):40–65;A.G.WRIGHT,“TheStructureoftheBookofWisdom,”
Bib48(1967):165–84;IDEM,“TheStructureofWisdom11–19,”CBQ27(1965):28–34.
Ecclesiasticus.Commonlycalled(Jesusben)Sira,ortheWisdomofJesustheson
of Sirach, though in the Latin tradition it is known as Ecclesiasticus (i.e., the
“churchbook”).SirachisacceptedbytheRomanCatholic,GreekOrthodox,and
RussianOrthodoxChurches.Theoriginaldocument waswritteninHebrewby
Joshua ben Sira (ca. 180 B.C.E.) and was later introduced and translated into
Greekbyhisgrandsonaround132B.C.E.OnlyfragmentsoftheHebrewtextre-
main, most of which date from the Middle Ages, though fragments have been
recoveredfromtheregionoftheDeadSea(seeYadin).Theseinclude2QSir(or
2Q18), which preserves portions of chapters 1 and 6; MasSir, which preserves
portionsofchapters39–44;and11QPsa,whichpreservesaportionofthepoem
inchapter51.Sirachisprobablyintendedtobetwovolumes,consistingofchap-
ters1–23and24–51,witheachvolumebeginningwithanencomiumonwisdom
(see 1:1–10; 24:1–34). In many respects the book resembles Proverbs. It is, as
16 The Old Testament Apocrypha
BruceMetzgerhasremarked,“thefirstspecimenofthatformofJudaismwhich
subsequentlydevelopedintotherabbinicalschoolsofthePhariseesandtheSad-
ducees”(OAA128).Thenatureof theodicyinSirachremainsatopicof debate
(seedeSilva,IAMCS187–92).Sirach24isofspecialinterestfortheinterpretation
ofJohn1:1–18.
Text: P. C. BEENTJES, The Book of Ben Sira in Hebrew (VTSup 68; Leiden: Brill, 1997);
I.LÉVI,TheHebrewTextoftheBookofEcclesiasticus(SSS3;Leiden:Brill,1904);M.SEGAL,
Book of Ben Sira, Complete (Jerusalem: Mosad Bialik, 1953) (pointed Hebrew text);
Y.YADIN,TheBenSiraScrollfromMasada,withIntroduction,Emendations,andCommen-
tary (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society and Shrine of the Book, 1965) (Hebrew);
J.ZIEGLER,SapientiaIesufiliiSirach(2ded.;Septuaginta12/2;Göttingen:Vandenhoeck&
Ruprecht,1980)(Greek).Survey:R.J.COGGINS,Sirach(GAP;Sheffield:Sheffield,1998);
D.A.DESILVA,“Sirach,”DNTB1116–24;IDEM,IAMCS153–97;A.A.DILELLA,“Wisdom
of BenSira,”ABD6:931–45;M.GILBERT,“WisdomLiterature,”SJWSTP290–301;D.J.
HARRINGTON, InvA 78–91; O. KAISER, OTA 88–104; B. L. MACK and R. E. MURPHY,
“WisdomLiterature,”EJMI373–77;B.M.METZGER,IA77–88;W.O.E.OESTERLEY,IBA
222–55.Commentary:G.H.BOXandW.O.E.OESTERLEY,“TheBookofSirach,”APOT
1:268–517;J.L.CRENSHAW,“TheBookofSirach,”NIB5:601–867;IDEM,“Sirach,”HBC
836–54;D.J.HARRINGTON,“Sirach,”IBC923–50;C.J.KEARNS,“Ecclesiasticus,”CCHS
512–26;W.O.E.OESTERLEY,TheWisdomofBen-Sira(TEDI:PalestinianJewishTexts2;
London:SPCK,1916);IDEM,“TheWisdomofJesus,theSonofSirach,orEcclesiasticus,”
NCHSA 2:79–102; G. SAUER, Jesus Sirah, Ben Sira (ATD: Apokryphen 1; Göttingen:
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2000); P. W. SKEHAN and A. A. DI LELLA, The Wisdom of
BenSira(AB39;NewYork:Doubleday,1987);J.G.SNAITH,Ecclesiasticus(CBC;Cam-
bridge:CambridgeUniversityPress,1974);IDEM,“Sirach,”ECB779–798;Y.YADIN,The
BenSiraScrollfromMasada,withIntroduction,Emendations,andCommentary(Jerusalem:
Israel Exploration Society, 1965). Critical Study: J. BLENKINSOPP, Wisdom and Law in
the Old Testament (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995), 151–82; J. L. CRENSHAW,
“TheProblemofTheodicyinSirach:OnHumanBondage,”JBL94(1975):47–64;D.A.
DESILVA,“TheWisdomofBenSira:Honor,Shame,andtheMaintenanceoftheValuesof
aMinorityCulture,”CBQ58(1996):433–55;A.A.DILELLA,“ConservativeandProgres-
siveTheology:SirachandWisdom,”CBQ28(1966):139–54;R.EGGER-WENZEL,ed.,Ben
Sira’sGod:ProceedingsoftheInternationalBenSiraConference(BZAW321;NewYork:de
Gruyter,2002);E.JACOB,“WisdomandReligioninSirach,”inIsraeliteWisdom:Theologi-
cal and Literary Essays in Honor of Samuel Terrien (ed. J. Gammie et al.; Homage 3;
Missoula,Mont.:ScholarsPress,1978),247–60;T.R.LEE,StudiesintheFormofSirach
44–50 (SBLDS 75; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1986); B. L. MACK, Wisdom and the Hebrew
Epic:BenSira’sHymninPraiseoftheFathers(Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,1985);
H.MCKEATING,“JesusbenSira’sAttitudetoWomen,”ExpTim85(1973–1974):85–87;
O.MULDER,SimontheHighPriestinSirach50:AnExegeticalStudyoftheSignificancetothe
PraiseoftheFathersinBenSira’sConceptoftheHistoryofIsrael(JSJSup78;Leiden:Brill,
2003);J.T.SANDERS,BenSiraandDemoticWisdom(SBLMS28;Chico,Calif.:Scholars
Press, 1983); E. J. SCHNABEL, Law and Wisdom from Ben Sira to Paul (WUNT 2.16;
Tübingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1985), esp. 8–92; R. T. SIEBENECK, “May Their
Bones Return to Life! Sirach’s Praise of the Fathers,” CBQ 21 (1959): 411–28; W. C.
TRENCHARD,BenSira’sViewofWomen:ALiteraryAnalysis(BJS38;Chico,Calif.:Scholars
Press,1982);B.G.WRIGHT,NoSmallDifference:Sirach’sRelationshiptoItsHebrewParent
Text (SBLSCS26;Atlanta:ScholarsPress,1989).
Summaries 17
Baruch.Baruch,or1Baruch,purportstobetheworkofBaruch,friendandsecre-
taryoftheprophetJeremiah(seeJer32:12;36:4).OriginallyaHebrewwriting,it
hassurvivedinGreek,Latin,Syriac,andotherlanguagesoftheMediterranean.It
appearstohaveatleasttwoparts,thefirstconsistingofprose(1:1–3:8),thesec-
ondpoetry(3:9–5:9).Thepurposeofthefirstpartistobringanawarenessofsin
and the need for repentance, while the purpose of the second part is to offer
praise to wisdom and comfort to an oppressed Jerusalem. The two parts were
probablybroughttogetherabout100B.C.E.
Text: J. ZIEGLER, Jeremias, Baruch, Threni, Epistula Jeremiae. Survey: D. A. DESILVA,
IAMCS198–213;D.J.HARRINGTON,InvA92–102;O.KAISER,OTA54–62;B.L.MACK
andR.E.MURPHY,“Wisdom Literature,”EJMI 377–78(onBar3:9–4:4);METZGER,IA
89–94;G.W.E.NICKELSBURG,“TheBibleRewrittenandExpanded,”SJWSTP140–46;W.
O.E.OESTERLEY,IBA256–67;J.E.WRIGHT,“Baruch,Booksof,”DNTB148–51.Com-
mentary:D.J.HARRINGTON,“Baruch,”HBC855–60;L.HERIBERTORIVAS,“Baruch,”IBC
1043–47;C.A.MOORE,Daniel,Esther,andJeremiah,255–316;A.J.SALDARINI,“TheBook
ofBaruch,”NIB927–82;P.P.SAYDON,“Baruch,”CCHS596–99;J.J.SCHMITT,“Baruch,”
ECB799–802;O.H.STECK,DasBuchBaruch,derBriefdesJeremia,ZusatzezuEsterund
Daniel; H. St. J. THACKERAY, “Baruch,” NCHSA 2:102–11; O. C. WHITEHOUSE, “I
Baruch,”APOT 1:569–95.CriticalStudy: D.G.BURKE,ThePoetryofBaruch:ARecon-
structionandAnalysisoftheOriginalHebrewTextofBaruch3:9–5:9(SBLSCS10;Chico,
Calif.:ScholarsPress,1982);W.HARRELSON,“WisdomHiddenandRevealedaccordingto
Baruch (Baruch 3.9–4.4),”in Priests,Prophets,and Scribes: Essays onthe Formationand
Heritage of Second Temple Judaism in Honour of Joseph Blenkinsopp (ed. E. Ulrich;
JSOTSup149;Sheffield:JSOTPress,1992),158–71;R.R.HARWELL,ThePrincipalVersions
ofBaruch(NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress,1915);J.R.LUNDBOM,“Baruch,Seraich,and
ExpandedColophonsintheBookofJeremiah,”JSOT36(1986):89–114;C.A.MOORE,
“TowardtheDatingoftheBookofBaruch,”CBQ36(1974):312–20;E.TOV,TheBookof
Baruchalsocalled1Baruch(SBLTT8;Pseudepigrapha6;Missoula,Mont.:ScholarsPress,
1975)(onBar1:1–3:8);IDEM,TheSeptuagintTranslationofJeremiahandBaruch:ADis-
cussion of an Early Revision of Jeremiah 29–52 and Baruch 1:1–3:8 (HSM 8; Missoula,
Mont.:ScholarsPress,1976);J.E.WRIGHT,“Baruch:HisEvolutionfromScribetoApoca-
lypticSeer,”inBiblicalFiguresoutsidetheBible(ed.M.E.StoneandT.A.Bergren;Harris-
burg,Pa.:TrinityPressInternational,1998),264–89.
Epistleof Jeremiah.The Epistle of Jeremiah (or Jeremy) appears as chapter 6 of
BaruchintheLXX,whichisfollowedbytheVulgate(andtheRheimsandDouay
version). The letter is accepted by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and
Russian Orthodox Churches. The document purports to be a letter from the
prophetJeremiah,exhortingtheJewishexilestoeschewidolatry.Theapocryphal
lettermayhavebeeninspiredbyJer10:11,anAramaicversethatreads:“Thegods
whodidnotmaketheheavensandtheearthshallperishfromtheearthandfrom
under the heavens” (Oesterley, IBA 269; Metzger, IA 96). But this is disputed
(deSilva, IAMCS 218 n. 6). Several OT passages have been drawn upon (Isa
40:18–20;41:6–7;Jer10:3–9,14;Ps115:4–8).Theletterwasprobablyoriginally
writteninGreek,perhapsasearlyas300B.C.E.AsmallGreekportion(vv.43–44)
hasbeenfoundatQumran(i.e.,7QpapEpJergr).
18 The Old Testament Apocrypha
Text: J. ZIEGLER, Jeremias, Baruch, Threni, Epistula Jeremiae. Survey: D. A. DESILVA,
IAMCS214–21;D.J.HARRINGTON,InvA103–8;J.JARICK,“Daniel,Esther,andJeremiah,
Additionsto,”DNTB250–52;O.KAISER,OTA62–64;B.M.METZGER,IA95–98;G.W.E.
NICKELSBURG, “The Bible Rewritten and Expanded,” SJWSTP 146–49, 156; W. O. E.
OESTERLEY,IBA268–71.Commentary:C.J.BALL,“EpistleofJeremy,”APOT1:596–611;
D.J.HARRINGTON,“LetterofJeremiah,”HBC861–62;L.HERIBERTORIVAS,“LetterofJer-
emiah,”IBC1048–49;C.A.MOORE,Daniel,Esther,andJeremiah,317–58;A.J.SALDARINI,
“The Letter of Jeremiah,”NIB 983–1010; P. P. SAYDON, “Baruch,”CCHS 599–600; J. J.
SCHMITT,“Baruch,”ECB802;O.H.STECK,DasBuchBaruch,derBriefdesJeremia,Zusatze
zuEsterundDaniel;H.St.J.THACKERAY,“TheEpistleofJeremy,”NCHSA2:111–16.Criti-
calStudy:G.M.LEE,“ApocryphalCats:Baruch6:21,”VT18(1968):488–93;W.NAU-
MANN,UntersuchungenüberdenapokryphenJeremiasbrief(Giessen:Töpelmann,1913).
PrayerofAzariahandtheSongoftheThreeChildren.ThePrayerofAzariahand
the Song of the Three Children is an addition inserted between Dan 3:23 and
3:24.ItisacceptedbytheRomanCatholic,GreekOrthodox,andRussianOrtho-
doxChurches.ThereareseveraladditionstoDaniel,thethreemajoronesbeing
the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Children (or Young Men),
Susanna,and Bel and the Dragon.These additions were probably composed in
Greek,althoughAramaicispossible.Inthecaseoftheadditionunderconsider-
ation,theoriginallanguageofcompositionmayhavebeenHebrew.ThePrayer
ofAzariahandtheSongoftheThreeChildrenitselfprobablyrepresentsacombi-
nation of two additions. The Prayer of Azariah is uttered by one of the young
meninthefurnace(i.e.,Abednego;cf.Dan1:7).ItconfessesIsrael’ssinandpeti-
tionsGodthatIsrael’senemiesbeputtoshame.Itisfollowedbyasongofpraise
and exhortation to praise. It owes much of its inspiration to Ps 148:1–2, 7–12
(Metzger,IA103).
Text:J.ZIEGLER,Susanna,Daniel,BeletDraco.Survey:D.A.DESILVA,IAMCS225–31;D.J.
HARRINGTON,InvA109–13;J.JARICK,“Daniel,Esther,andJeremiah,Additionsto,”DNTB
250–52; O. KAISER, OTA 48–53; B. M. METZGER, IA 99–105; G. W. E. NICKELSBURG,
“TheBibleRewrittenandExpanded,”SJWSTP149–52;W.O.E.OESTERLEY,IBA272–79.
Commentary: W. H. BENNETT, “Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Children,”
APOT1:625–37;N.D.COLEMAN,“AdditionstotheBookofDaniel,”NCHSA2:117–23;
A.LACOCQUE,“Daniel,”IBC1094–95;C.A.MOORE,Daniel,Esther,andJeremiah,39–76;
J. W. ROGERSON, “Additions to Daniel,” ECB 803–4; P. P. SAYDON, “Daniel,” CCHS
642–43;D.L.SMITH-CHRISTOPHER,“The Prayer of Azariah andthe Songof the Three
Jews,”NIB158–70;O.H.STECK,DasBuchBaruch,derBriefdesJeremia,ZusatzezuEster
undDaniel.CriticalStudy:E.HAAG,“DiedreiMännerimFeuernachDan.3:1–30,”in
Die Entstehung der jüdischen Martyrologie(ed. J. W. van Henten; SPB 38; Leiden: Brill,
1989),20–50;J.W.VANHENTENandF.AVEMARIE,MartyrdomandNobleDeath,59–62;
C.KUHL,DiedreiMännerimFeuer(Daniel,Kapitel3undseineZusätze):EinBeitragzur
israelitisch-jüdischenLiteraturgeschichte(BZAW55;Giessen:Töpelmann,1930).
Susanna.SusannaisacceptedbytheRomanCatholic,GreekOrthodox,andRus-
sianOrthodoxChurches.IntheLXXandVulgateSusannaischapter13ofDaniel.
Inotherversions,however,Susannaappearsasanintroductiontochapter1(per-