Abstract

The text of Sir 25,1–27,3 is organized in four major units: living conditions in harmony with man (25,1-11), the evil wife and the good wife (25,13–26,4), the evil woman and the good woman (26,5-18), the evil man in diverse situations of social life (26,28–27,3). After having studied the first two parts in a preceding article, we have dealt with an analysis of 26,5-18 and 26,28–27,3 in this section. The harsh images used by Ben Sira highlight the relevance of this theme for the education of young future leaders. The alternation of positive and negative images, as well as the link with previous chapters, demonstrate the depth of the analysis of Ben Sira and his attention to an integrated vision of the person and of the relationship between couples.