The apocryphal text dubbed "Eccleasiaticus" (also known as The Book of Sirach) is purported to be written by a man by the name of Ben Sira or Shimon ben Yeshua ben Eliezer ben Sira. I was looking into the meaning of the name of Sirach but could not find anything. Does anyone know what Sirach means? (Bonus: Could you explain what Sira means as well if able?)
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1 Answer
According to Wikipedia:
Sirach is the Greek form of the family name Sira. It adds the letter Chi, an addition like that in Hakel-dama-ch in Acts 1:19.
According to Da'at Mikra on Ezra 2:61, footnote 103:
פירוש השם הקוץ כמשמעו: קוץ. והשווה אליו את השם בן-סירא, שאף הוא כנראה נגזר מלשון סירים - קוצים.
Translation: The meaning of the name "Hakotz" is as it is: a thorn. And compare to it the name "Ben-Sira", which was also probably derived from "sirim" - thorns*.
* Sirim are a type of thorn in Hebrew, such as in Nachum 1:10 - "כִּי עַד סִירִים סְבֻכִים וּכְסָבְאָם סְבוּאִים אֻכְּלוּ כְּקַשׁ יָבֵשׁ מָלֵא" and in Tehillim 58:10 - "בְּטֶרֶם יָבִינוּ סִּירֹתֵיכֶם אָטָד כְּמוֹ חַי כְּמוֹ חָרוֹן יִשְׂעָרֶנּוּ".
