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The interpretation timeline

Sir 45:24

How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.

From the early Church Fathers to now.

Sir 45:24 · Douay-Rheims
“He wrought wonders upon them, and consumed them with a flame of fire.”
Medieval c. 750 – 1100
856
A.D.
Rabanus Maurus Medieval
c. A.D. 780–856
“In a mysterious sense, it is right that the dignity of the eternal priesthood is promised to Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, for the zeal that he had against the fornicators. Indeed, whoever, moved by godly zeal, makes an effort to suppress the impulses of his flesh or reproves and restrains those under him, so as to not let them deviate from the truth out of lust and sexual desire, will have the dignity of the eternal priesthood in the church of God, which rightly belongs to that priest of whom it is written, "Like Melchizedek, you are a priest forever." He will possess, with him, the eternal kingdom in heavenly light.”
Source
Modern · 1953 →

The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.