What peace is there between a hyena and a dog? And what peace between a rich man and a poor man?: The first question in this verse may be rendered “Can there ever be peace between a hyena and a dog?” “Hyenas” are not closely related to dogs biologically, but they are dog-like in appearance and about the size of a fairly large dog. They are scavengers, animals that live off carcasses of dead animals. Hyenas were common in Palestine as late as the nineteenth century. The point of the comparison here lies in the fact that in ancient Israelite and Jewish society, dogs too were scavengers (see 1 Kgs 14.11; Psa 59.6, 14). They would have competed with hyenas for the same food, and people in Palestine would often have seen hyenas and dogs fighting over a dead animal. There could never be peace between them. It is also important for understanding the author’s point here to realize that hyenas were very much stronger than dogs, and would always win the fight. However, in cultures where “hyenas” are unknown, translators should include a footnote or a note in the glossary describing these creatures. An illustration would also be helpful. Otherwise, we may substitute some other large predator, for example, “wolves” or “bears.”

Both of the questions here are rhetorical, so the full sense of the verse is “Can there ever be peace between hyenas and dogs? No. Neither can there be peace between rich people and poor people.” Good News Translation translates this verse in such a way that it is exactly parallel to verse 17, but there is a serious problem with that. This verse does not simply restate the idea in verse 17; it advances it. In verse 17 we are told that wolves and lambs (rich and poor) have nothing in common. Here we are told that hyenas and dogs (rich and poor) are in constant conflict. The thought will be advanced further in verse 19. A way of translating this verse to match with Good News Translation‘s rendering of verse 17 would be:

• There can be no more peace between rich people and poor people than there can be between hyenas and dogs.

Contemporary English Version has a helpful model for this verse:

• Hyenas and dogs
are natural enemies,
just like the poor
and the rich.

Or the clauses may be reversed as follows:

• The poor and the rich are natural enemies,
just like dogs and hyenas.

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.