Do not deprive yourself of a wise and good wife: The Greek word translated deprive yourself of is open to a wide range of interpretation. Good News Translation takes this line to mean “Don’t miss your chance to marry a wise and good woman.” An American Translation translates, with equal justification, “Do not fail a wise, good wife.” New Revised Standard Version reads “Do not dismiss a wise and good wife,” with a note that it is reading the Hebrew verb; the note interprets the Greek as did Revised Standard Version. New American Bible, reading the whole line in Hebrew, says “Dismiss not a sensible wife.” Actually, we can probably stretch the Greek far enough to mean “dismiss.” As much as the Handbook admires the thought in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, we think it is not correct. The verse should be understood in the context of verse 18, where one was advised not to do anything to lose a good friend. This verse is advising men not to do anything to lose a good wife. In that culture the wife had no option to divorce her husband, but the husband had great latitude in dealing with his wife, or deciding whether or not to keep her. Considering what the Hebrew says, and in the context of verse 18, we suggest that translators follow the New Jerusalem Bible translation of the Greek here; in fact, New Jerusalem Bible makes a good model with “Do not turn against a wise and good wife,” or we may say “Do not do anything that will cause a wise and good wife to have to leave you.”

For her charm is worth more than gold: Here too, one of the Greek words in this line is open to wide interpretation. The word for charm could refer to a gracious attitude (so Good News Translation) or to beauty (so Revised English Bible).

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Do not turn against a wise and good wife; a gracious woman like that is worth more than gold.

But we may also reorder the clauses in the verse as follows:

• If your wife is wise and good and gracious, she is more valuable than gold. So do not turn against her [or, do anything that will make you lose her].

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.