Whoever loves her loves life: In the wisdom literature, Wisdom is often associated with life; compare Pro 3.16, 18; 8.35; Wis 8.16-17. Another way to express this clause is “Whoever loves God’s truths [the Torah] loves life itself.”

And those who seek her early will be filled with joy is literally “and those who rise up early to her will be filled with joy.” Early here means “early in the morning,” not “early in life.” Seek is implied in “rise up early to her.” Good News Translation expresses filled with joy as “pure joy.” An alternative model for this line is “those who get up early and study wisdom [or, learn to be wise] will have complete joy [or, happiness].”

Notice that Good News Translation maintains the formal parallelism in this verse by structuring both clauses with verbal nouns: “Loving … is/rising early … is.” Also parallel is “life itself / pure joy.”

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.