He placed the fear of them in all living beings: The Revised Standard Version footnote would seem to indicate a textual problem, but in reality there is only a small problem of interpretation. The Greek does read a singular pronoun (“him”) rather than a plural one (them), but the singular pronoun can be easily taken to refer back to the word for “man” in verse 1. Several translations, such as Good News Translation, translate with this understanding, and with no footnote. We recommend this. However, if there is a possibility of readers misunderstanding the pronoun them, translators should make it clear that this pronoun refers to “humans”; for example, the whole line may be rendered “He made all other creatures afraid of humans.” All living beings refers to the animal creation. This expression is literally “all flesh,” and is a different phrase from that used in 16.30, but the meaning is the same. Good News Translation says “all other creatures” since the word “other” is really required by English; humans themselves are “creatures.”

And granted them dominion over beasts and birds: As in verse 2, the reference is to Gen 1.26, 28. Good News Translation uses “gave them authority over” in this verse as well as in verse 2. The wording in Greek is quite different, but the meaning is close enough that Good News Translation is not in error. Here the idea is that God gives humans “lordship” (New English Bible) over animals and birds. We could express this line as “and made them rulers [or, masters] of the animals and birds” or “and let us rule over all animals and birds.”

It is possible to reorder the lines as follows:

• He let us [or, them] rule over the animals and birds,
and made them afraid of us [or, them].

Some manuscripts add verse 5. It should be included in a footnote at the end of verse 4 (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation).

They obtained the use of the five operations of the Lord: This means, as Good News Translation translates in its footnote, “The Lord gave them the five senses,” referring to sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It is perfectly permissible for translators to make this clear as follows: “The Lord gave us the five senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.”

As sixth he distributed to them the gift of mind: Good News Translation provides a good model for this line, saying “but he also gave them a sixth—intelligence.” But we may also say “He also gave us a sixth sense—the ability to think.”

And as seventh reason, the interpreter of his operations: A problem here involves the Greek noun translated reason. It can mean this, and if so, Good News Translation is probably correct in making his operations refer to human “senses” as in the first line. Reason thus becomes the interpreter of “what comes to them through the senses” (Good News Translation). On the other hand, the Greek noun for reason can also be translated “language” (so Luís Alonso Schökel, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, La Bible Pléiade). If it is rendered “language,” his operations probably refers to God’s works in general. We could translate “and a seventh—language, with which to interpret God’s works.” The decision here is the translator’s choice, but the Handbook prefers “language,” since otherwise it is difficult to detect a difference between “intelligence” (line 2) and “reason” (line 3).

An alternative model for this verse is:

• The Lord gave us the five senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.
He also gave us a sixth sense—the ability to think,
and a seventh—language, with which to interpret God’s works.

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.