Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and a memorial portion of fine flour: The reference here is to the grain offering described in Lev 2.1-3. A sweet-smelling sacrifice refers to “incense” (Good News Translation), which was part of the grain offering. In some languages “incense” will be expressed as “sweet-smelling substances [or, herbs/things].” The memorial offering, which is sometimes rendered “token offering,” refers to a small portion of the grain offering which was placed on the altar; the priests ate the rest of the offering. Since it was part of the grain offering, Good News Translation simply says “grain offering.” It would be distracting to spell out the details of the grain offering here since they are not in focus here. So we may translate this line as “Offer sweet-smelling substances to the Lord, and the finest flour.” For fine flour, see 35.2.

And pour oil on your offering, as much as you can afford: Lev 2.1-3 says that oil (olive oil) was to be poured over the grain offering, but oil is not specifically mentioned here. For pour oil on your offering, both the Greek and the Hebrew say literally “make your offering fat.” This can refer to pouring oil on the offering, but also to the richness of the offering. Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation attempt to interpret the Hebrew for the last clause. In Hebrew as much as you can afford is literally “in the wings/skirts of your wealth.” The Greek is literally “as not being,” which both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation correctly say is unclear. The Latin omits this clause, probably because the translator did not understand it. This may be the wisest course.

We recommend the following honest but conservative approach for this verse:

• Offer incense; make a grain offering and pour oil on it. *
* make a grain offering and pour oil on it; or make a rich grain offering. An additional clause in both Greek and Hebrew is unclear.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.