He has removed some of them and destroyed them, and has extinguished the memory of them from the earth is literally “he removed from them and destroyed them and erased from earth their memory.” Extinguished the memory of them from the earth means that people have forgotten they ever existed. Good News Translation provides a good model: “He destroyed some so completely that they are not even remembered any more.” But if translators use the suggested combination of verses 15-16 just above, this verse will need to begin “The Lord has destroyed some nations so completely….” Otherwise, the word “some” in Good News Translation would refer to the “weaker nations” mentioned in that model. And has extinguished the memory of them from the earth may also be expressed as “and no one remembers that those people [or, nations] ever lived.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.