The father may die, and yet he is not dead, for he has left behind him one like himself: Revised Standard Version‘s footnote here is not necessary, but the Greek does briefly shift the focus to the son. This would be close to the sense of verse 4: “When this boy’s father dies, it will seem as if he were still living, since he has left a son who is like him.” He is not dead (Good News Translation “He is not really dead”) is not quite right; An American Translation correctly translates “it is as though he were not dead.” It is also possible to express this as “he lives on in his son.” An alternative model for verse 4 is:

• The father may die, but actually he lives on in his son, who is like him.

While alive he saw and rejoiced, and when he died he was not grieved: When he died refers here to the time just before death, not after death, an important point that Good News Translation also misses. Revised English Bible is good with “on his deathbed.” The verse means that during the father’s lifetime, seeing his son made him happy, and when he came to die, his son caused him no grief or embarrassment. He saw can be understood in the next line as well. An alternative model for verse 5 is:

• As long as such a father lives, he can look at his son with happiness. Even at the time of his death, he can look at his son and feel no regret.

Good News Translation combines verses 4-5, but this is effective only because of its misleading translation “He is not really dead.” Translators are urged to keep these verses separate.

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.