Sirach 19:17-30: a reflection

17Reprove your neighbor before you threaten him; and give place to the law of the Most High. 20All wisdom is the fear of the Lord. In all wisdom is the doing of the law. 22The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom. The prudence of sinners is not counsel. 23There is a wickedness, and it is an abomination. There is a fool lacking in wisdom. 24Better is one who has little understanding, and fears God, than one who has much intelligence and transgresses the law. 25There is an exquisite subtlety, and it is unjust. And there is one who perverts favor to gain a judgment. 26There is one who does wickedly, who hangs down his head with mourning; but inwardly he is full of deceit, 27bowing down his face, and pretending to be deaf in one ear. Where he isn’t known, he will take advantage of you. 28And if for lack of power he is hindered from sinning, if he finds opportunity, he will do mischief. 29A man will be known by his appearance. One who has understanding will be known by his face when you meet him. 30A man’s attire, grinning laughter, and the way he walks show what he is.

This passage from Sirach reflects on true wisdom, and it draws a striking comparison: Better is one who has little understanding and fears God, than one who has much intelligence and transgresses the law. It insists that the knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, and that the cleverness of sinners is not good counsel. Real wisdom, it says, is bound up with the fear of the Lord and the doing of his will; cleverness without that fear is not wisdom at all.

Notice the comparison the passage makes. On one side is a person of little understanding who fears God; on the other, a person of much intelligence who transgresses. And the passage declares the first to be better. It is not raw intelligence, cleverness, or knowledge that makes a person wise; it is the fear of God, the reverence that leads to doing his will. A simple person who fears God is wiser than a clever one who does not, for wisdom is not mere brightness of mind, but a heart rightly related to God.

That reorders how we measure wisdom. We are prone to admire intelligence, cleverness, quickness of mind, and to equate them with wisdom. But this passage reminds us that cleverness without the fear of God is not wisdom, and that a humble person who fears God has a wisdom the clever transgressor lacks. Do not mistake mere intelligence for wisdom, in yourself or others. Prize the fear of God above cleverness; seek to be one who reverences God and does his will, even if you count yourself simple, rather than one who is clever but does not fear him. True wisdom begins in the fear of the Lord, not in brightness of mind; a God-fearing heart is wiser than a clever one without it.

Lord, this passage declares that one with little understanding who fears you is better than one with much intelligence who transgresses; true wisdom is bound up with the fear of you and the doing of your will, not with cleverness. Reorder how I measure wisdom. I am prone to admire intelligence, cleverness, quickness of mind, and to equate them with wisdom. But cleverness without the fear of you is not wisdom, and a humble person who fears you has a wisdom the clever transgressor lacks. Keep me from mistaking mere intelligence for wisdom, in myself or others. Help me prize the fear of you above cleverness, and to be one who reverences you and does your will, even if I count myself simple, rather than one who is clever but does not fear you. True wisdom begins in the fear of you, not in brightness of mind; give me a God-fearing heart, which is wiser than a clever one without it.