Therefore a covenant of peace was established with him: Instead of a covenant of peace, Good News Translation has “a covenant … valid for all time to come.” Good News Translation apparently is translating the reading of a few manuscripts, which is “an eternal covenant.” We think this is wrong. The covenant of peace is mentioned in Num 25.12. Since this covenant (agreement) is one-sided, it is the same as a promise. It is described as of peace to signify that it is a gracious promise, a promise of well-being, a promise of good things. This line could be rendered “And so the Lord made him a gracious promise.”

That he should be leader of the sanctuary and of his people: The sanctuary was the place of worship, the Tabernacle during the early period and the Temple from the time of Solomon (see 36.13). Sanctuary may also be expressed as “place where they worshiped the Lord.”

That he and his descendants should have the dignity of the priesthood for ever: Good News Translation is correct in interpreting the Greek words translated the dignity of the priesthood as “the office of High Priest.” This is the clear sense of the Hebrew.

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.