The life of a man is numbered by days, but the days of Israel are without number: At first, this verse seems to have no relation to the context, but it is closely bound to verse 26. The idea is that a person’s life, even that of someone who is wise, is limited, but the people, Israel, continue even though individuals die. But as Israel goes living on, the wise are never forgotten, so that their influence reaches far beyond their own lifetimes. A model for this verse is provided at the end of the discussion on verse 26.

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.