A man’s attire and open-mouthed laughter, and a man’s manner of walking, show what he is: Open-mouthed laughter is literally “laughter of teeth.” New Revised Standard Version translates “hearty laughter” and An American Translation has “broad smile,” but the idiom is probably negative; compare 21.20. Good News Translation restructures this verse well by saying “Their character shows in the way….” Another approach would be:

• If you want to know a person’s character, look at how he dresses, how he laughs, how he walks.

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.