Sirach 26:29b
In a context where Ben Sira expresses his anger
about those who turn from righteousness (δικαιοσύνη) to sin (ἁμαρτία) he stresses that a shopkeeper cannot be
separated from sin: οὐ δικαιωθήσεται κάπηλος ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας. This proverb refers to the common moral
danger involved in commerce and mainly denotes cheating. Kάπηλος refers to a
retail dealer or tavern keeper, and in antiquity, the conduct of a κάπηλος was
synonymous for cheating. The author uses the very same expression that Paul
also uses: δικαιοῦσθαι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας. The verb δικαιοῦσθαι appears parallel to the verb ἐξαιρεῖσθαι
(to be moved from)
in a context where also eschatological punishment is mentioned (Sir 26:28 cf.
23:11). As such, the semantics of δικαιοῦσθαι in
Sir 26:29b are very close to the semantics of Rom 6:7, although here sin is not
a personified power. In both cases, δικαιοῦσθαι means
primarily to be separated from but
also to be justified.
The original forensic meaning of δικαιόω remains in the background of both
statements. Furthermore, the same forensic metaphor δικαιωθῆναι ἀπὸ occurs
in T.Sim. 6:1. The patriarch Simeon gives the reason for his predictions, i.e.
to get justified from
the sin of their souls: ὅπως δικαιωθῶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν (cf.
Herm. Vis. 3.9.1). (Athanasios Despotis, "ο γαρ αποθανων δεδικαιωται απο της αμαρτιας:
Rethinking the Application of the Verb δικαιουσθαι in
Baptismal Contexts from the Perspective of Rom 6:7,” in Participation,
Justification, and Conversion: Eastern Orthodox Interpretation of Paul and the
Debate between "Old and New Perspectives on Paul," ed. Athanasios
Despotis [Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe 442;
Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2017], 34)
