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1 Simon the high priest, the son of Onias, who in his life repaired the house again, and in his days fortified the temple: 2 And by him was built from the foundation the double height, the high fortress of the wall about the temple: 3 In his days the cistern to receive water, being in compass as the sea, was covered with plates of brass: 4 He took care of the temple that it should not fall, and fortified the city against besieging: 5 How was he honoured in the midst of the people in his coming out of the sanctuary! 6 He was as the morning star in the midst of a cloud, and as the moon at the full: 7 As the sun shining upon the temple of the most High, and as the rainbow giving light in the bright clouds: 8 And as the flower of roses in the spring of the year, as lilies by the rivers of waters, and as the branches of the frankincense tree in the time of summer: 9 As fire and incense in the censer, and as a vessel of beaten gold set with all manner of precious stones: 10 And as a fair olive tree budding forth fruit, and as a cypress tree which groweth up to the clouds. 11 When he put on the robe of honour, and was clothed with the perfection of glory, when he went up to the holy altar, he made the garment of holiness honourable. 12 When he took the portions out of the priests' hands, he himself stood by the hearth of the altar, compassed about, as a young cedar in Libanus; and as palm trees compassed they him round about. 13 So were all the sons of Aaron in their glory, and the oblations of the Lord in their hands, before all the congregation of Israel. 14 And finishing the service at the altar, that he might adorn the offering of the most high Almighty, 15 He stretched out his hand to the cup, and poured of the blood of the grape, he poured out at the foot of the altar a sweetsmelling savour unto the most high King of all. 16 Then shouted the sons of Aaron, and sounded the silver trumpets, and made a great noise to be heard, for a remembrance before the most High. 17 Then all the people together hasted, and fell down to the earth upon their faces to worship their Lord God Almighty, the most High. 18 The singers also sang praises with their voices, with great variety of sounds was there made sweet melody. 19 And the people besought the Lord, the most High, by prayer before him that is merciful, till the solemnity of the Lord was ended, and they had finished his service. 20 Then he went down, and lifted up his hands over the whole congregation of the children of Israel, to give the blessing of the Lord with his lips, and to rejoice in his name. 21 And they bowed themselves down to worship the second time, that they might receive a blessing from the most High. 22 Now therefore bless ye the God of all, which only doeth wondrous things every where, which exalteth our days from the womb, and dealeth with us according to his mercy. 23 He grant us joyfulness of heart, and that peace may be in our days in Israel for ever: 24 That he would confirm his mercy with us, and deliver us at his time! 25 There be two manner of nations which my heart abhorreth, and the third is no nation: 26 They that sit upon the mountain of Samaria, and they that dwell among the Philistines, and that foolish people that dwell in Sichem. 27 Jesus the son of Sirach of Jerusalem hath written in this book the instruction of understanding and knowledge, who out of his heart poured forth wisdom. 28 Blessed is he that shall be exercised in these things; and he that layeth them up in his heart shall become wise. 29 For if he do them, he shall be strong to all things: for the light of the Lord leadeth him, who giveth wisdom to the godly. Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever. Amen, Amen. [A Prayer of Jesus the son of Sirach.]
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[AD 253] Origen of Alexandria on Sirach 50:16
When our Lord Jesus comes (his coming was prefigured by the ancient son of Nun) he sends his priests, the apostles, who carry trumpets hammered out of metal, that is, the magnificent, heavenly teaching of their preaching. Matthew, in his Gospel, first sounded the priestly trumpet. Mark, Luke and John also each blew their priestly trumpets. Peter also makes the trumpets resound in his two epistles, as do James and Jude. John continues to sound the trumpet in his epistles, as does Luke when he describes the deeds of the apostles. And finally the one arrives who says, “I believe that God has placed us, the apostles, in the last place,” and hurling lightning bolts with the trumpets of his fourteen epistles, he makes the walls of Jericho—the contrivances of idolatry and the opinions of philosophers—collapse on their foundations.

Source: HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 7:1
[AD 856] Rabanus Maurus on Sirach 50:25
He says that he hated two peoples. One of these is the Jewish people subject to the letter of the law, which was also known by the name of Seir, which means “shaggy” or “hairy.” Seir is Esau, whose name means “red,” the older son of Isaac and Rebecca; the younger was called Jacob. But why was Esau all red and hairy, if not because the first people was stained by the blood of the prophets and of Christ and lived in the squalor of sin and wickedness? For this reason the younger one grabbed onto his heel, since the younger people would mysteriously surpass the older. This is in fact “a perverse and adulterous generation,” according to the truthful voice of the Gospel, that “kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to them.” In the last days they did not fear to raise their impious hands against the heir, killing the Son of God. … The other people are the Philistines, whose name means “double ruin” and symbolizes the people of the nations, contaminated by both idolatry and perverse conduct and thus making themselves hateful, since in error they have strayed far from the way of truth. The third is then the assembly of heretics, the foolish people living at Shechem, in the sides of the mountain and in discomfort, because, writing and teaching perverse things every day, they foolishly waste their effort. The fact that they are not even considered a people shows that heretics do not have a single origin or a single error but have arisen in many different places and fallen into many errors. And they even contradict each other.

Source: ON ECCLESIASTICUS 10:30
[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Sirach 50:29
All of the works of the divine art show in themselves a certain unity, form and order. Each constitutes something of a unity, such as bodily natures and the characters of souls. And they are constituted according to a certain form, like the figures and qualities of bodies or the theories and techniques of the soul. And they follow or have a specific order, like the weights and positions of bodies or the loves and pleasures of the soul. It is necessary, therefore, that knowing the Creator through his works, we rise to the Trinity, of whom the creation, in a sure and just proportion, bears the traces.

Source: ON THE TRINITY 6:10.12