Thus despite the Greek influences what Ben Sira wrote was an essentially Jewish book. Ben Sira used gentile sources other than Greek as well. Egyptian and other influences are found in Sirach but again, each time they are used only when Ben Sira considers them to be true and therefore conformable to Jewish doctrine. Ben Sira used gentile sources not because he had given in to the spirit of compromise and syncretism that was rampant at the time, but because he felt he had to show his fellow Jews that the best of foreign thought is no danger at all to the true faith but could even be incorporated into an authentically Jewish book, the purpose of which was to encourage fidelity to the ancestral religion. Sirach is a Wisdom Book.
Hymns of praise occur with frequency in Sirach.
This kind of prayer is found only twice in Sirach. This type of narrative or confessional statement occurs in the Wisdom Literature when the sage appeals to his own authority and experience in order to emphasize a point for his students or readers. A narrative with the purpose of teaching a particular point. He dealt with some of the same topics in different parts of the book. Since the book is basically a com0pilation of class notes that Ben Sira accumulated over many years of teaching, it is not surprising that there is little order in the presentation of topics.