Blessed is the man who meditates on wisdom: This line is clearly an echo of Psa 1.1-2, but it focuses on Wisdom rather than the Law. The Greek word rendered Blessed is translated “happy” by Good News Translation and New Revised Standard Version. This word is usually, if not always, used of human beings who come into this happiness or blessedness from their association with God. Translators must be careful to distinguish blessedness as it applies to God—praiseworthiness—from blessedness or happiness as it applies to people. “Fortunate” will sometimes work, but never where it can be interpreted as “lucky.” At 14.1-2 the same word was translated “to be congratulated” by Good News Translation. That would work here, if it were not for the fact that this verse is clearly intended to bring Psa 1 to mind, and the translation should reflect that (Good News Translation does not). Meditates on is a poor choice of words. Good News Translation “is concerned with” is better. For languages that cannot personify wisdom, a possible model for this line is “People who are constantly concerned with how to become wise are fortunate [or, happy].”

Who reasons intelligently: Good News Translation expresses this well with “who uses good sense.” Other acceptable renderings are “who uses his intelligence” and “who thinks things through intelligently.” New English Bible is also good with “who … uses his brains to think.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• People who are constantly concerned with Wisdom [or, how to be wise], and who think about it intelligently are fortunate [or, happy].

The textual variant noted in the Revised Standard Version footnote (“dies in”) may be ignored. It is the reading of some important manuscripts, but it is certainly an error. A scribe with failing eyesight or who was letting his attention wander could easily mistake one word for the other. The Hebrew supports the Greek text that we are reading.

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.