Introductory Notes

Section XXVII

Page 34 of 468

¹¹⁸⁶⁸ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who would make a² reckoning with his servants.¹⁸⁶⁹ And when he began to make it, they brought to him one who³ owed him ten talents.¹⁸⁷⁰¹⁸⁷¹ And because he had not wherewith to pay, his lord ordered that he should be sold, he, and his wife, and children, and all that he⁴ had, and payment be made.¹⁸⁷² So that servant fell down and worshipped him, and said unto him, My lord, have patience with me, and I shall pay thee everything.⁵¹⁸⁷³ And the lord of that servant had compassion, and released him, and forgave him his⁶ debt.¹⁸⁷⁴ And that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him [Arabic, p. 104] a hundred pence;¹⁸⁷⁵ and he took him, and dealt severely with him, and said⁷ unto him, Give me what thou owest.¹⁸⁷⁶ So the fellow-servant fell down at his⁸ feet, and besought him, and said, Grant me respite, and I will pay thee.¹⁸⁷⁷ And he would not; but took him, and cast him into prison, till he should give him his debt.⁹¹⁸⁷⁸ And when their fellow-servants saw what happened, it distressed them much; and¹⁰ they came and told their lord of all that had taken place.¹⁸⁷⁹ Then his lord called him, and said unto him, Thou wicked servant, all that debt I forgave thee, because¹¹ thou besoughtest me:¹⁸⁸⁰ was it not then incumbent on thee also to have mercy on thy¹² fellow-servant, as I had mercy on thee?¹⁸⁸¹¹⁸⁸² And his lord became wroth, and delivered¹³ him to the scourgers, till he should pay all that he owed.¹⁸⁸³ So shall my Father which is in heaven do unto you, if one forgive not his brother his wrong conduct¹⁸⁸⁴ from¹⁴ his heart.¹⁸⁸⁵ Take heed within¹⁸⁸⁶ yourselves: if thy brother sin, rebuke him; and if he¹⁵ repent, forgive him.¹⁸⁸⁷ And if he act wrongly towards thee seven times in a day, and on that day return seven times unto thee, and say, I repent towards thee; forgive him.¹⁶¹⁸⁸⁸ And if thy brother act wrongly towards thee, go and reprove him between thee and¹⁷ him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.¹⁸⁸⁹ But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two, and so¹⁸⁹⁰ at the mouth of two or three every saying shall¹⁸ be established.¹⁸⁹¹ And if he listen not to these also, tell the congregation;¹⁸⁹² and if he listen not even to the congregation, let him be unto thee as a publican and a Gentile.¹⁸⁹³¹⁹¹⁸⁹⁴ Verily I say unto you, All that ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:²⁰ and what ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.¹⁸⁹⁵ I say unto you also, If two of you agree on earth to ask, everything shall¹⁸⁹⁶ be granted them from my Father²¹ [Arabic, p. 105] which is in heaven.¹⁸⁹⁷ For where two or three are gathered in my name, there²² am I amongst them.¹⁸⁹⁸ Then Cephas drew near to him, and said unto him, My Lord, how many times, if my brother act wrongly towards me, should I forgive him?²³ until seven times?¹⁸⁹⁹ Jesus said unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven; but, Until seventy²⁴ times seven, seven.¹⁹⁰⁰¹⁹⁰¹ And the servant that knoweth his lord's will, and maketh not²⁵ ready for him according to his will, shall meet with much punishment;¹⁹⁰² but he that knoweth not, and doeth something for which he meriteth punishment, shall meet with slight punishment. Every one to whom much hath been given, much shall be asked of him; and he that hath had much committed to him, much shall be²⁶ required at his hand.¹⁹⁰³ I came to cast fire upon the earth; and I would that it had²⁷ been kindled already.¹⁹⁰⁴¹⁹⁰⁵ And I have a baptism to be baptized with, and greatly am²⁸ I straitened till it be accomplished.¹⁹⁰⁶ See that ye despise not¹⁹⁰⁷ one of these little ones that believe in me. Verily I say unto you, Their angels at all times see the²⁹ face of my Father which is in heaven.¹⁹⁰⁸ The Son of man came to save the thing which was lost.

³⁰¹⁹⁰⁹ And after that, Jesus walked in Galilee; and he did not like to walk in Judæa,³¹ because the Jews sought to kill him.¹⁹¹⁰ And there came people who told him of³² the Galilæans, those whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.¹⁹¹¹ Jesus answered and said unto them, Do ye imagine that those Galilæans were sinners³³ more than all the Galilæans, so that this thing has come upon them?¹⁹¹² Nay. Verily I say unto you now,¹⁹¹³ that ye shall all also, if ye repent not, likewise perish.³⁴¹⁹¹⁴ Or perchance those eighteen on whom the palace fell in Siloam, and slew them, do ye imagine that they were to be condemned¹⁹¹⁵ more than all the people that dwell³⁵ [Arabic, p. 106] in Jerusalem? Nay.¹⁹¹⁶ Verily I say unto you, If ye do not all repent, ye shall perish like them.

³⁶¹⁹¹⁷ And he spake unto them this parable: A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard;³⁷ and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.¹⁹¹⁸ So he said to the husbandman, Lo, three years do I come and seek fruit on this fig tree, and find³⁸ none: cut it down; why doth it render the ground unoccupied?¹⁹¹⁹ The husbandman said unto him, My lord, leave it this year also, that I may dig about it, and dung³⁹ it;¹⁹²⁰ then if it bear fruit—! and if not, then cut it down in the coming year.

⁴⁰¹⁹²¹ And when Jesus was teaching on the sabbath day in one of the synagogues,⁴¹ there was there a woman that had a spirit of disease eighteen years;¹⁹²² and she was⁴² bowed down, and could not straighten herself at all.¹⁹²³ And Jesus saw her, and called⁴³ her, and said unto her, Woman, be loosed from thy disease.¹⁹²⁴ And he put his hand⁴⁴ upon her; and immediately she was straightened, and praised God.¹⁹²⁵ And the chief¹⁹²⁶ of the synagogue answered with anger, because Jesus had healed on a sabbath, and said unto the multitudes, There are six days in which work ought to be done;⁴⁵ come in them and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.¹⁹²⁷ But Jesus answered and said unto him, Ye hypocrites, doth not each of you on the sabbath day loose⁴⁶ his ox or his ass from the manger, and go and water it?¹⁹²⁸ Ought not this woman, who is a daughter of Abraham, and whom the devil¹⁹²⁹ hath bound eighteen years,⁴⁷ to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?¹⁹³⁰ And when he said this, they were all put to shame, those standing, who were opposing him:¹⁹³¹ and all the people were pleased with all the wonders that proceeded from his hand.

Notes

1
Parechein mikropsuchian, perhaps "causes you ill-feeling." The translation of Serapion's letter with this note is taken from Mr. Armitage Robinson's edition of the gospel.
1868
.
2
This translation is based on that which I published in The Gospel and Apocalypse of Peter: Two Lectures, etc. (Camb., 1892). It is now carefully revised in accordance with the photographic facsimile. A corrected Greek text will be found in Dr. Swete's edition (1893).
1869
.
3
Par[alem]phthenai is perhaps supported by paralabontes, .
1870
Lit. badras, an amount variously estimated.
1871
.
4
I know no other instance of stauriskein.
1872
.
5
cf. , where Syr. Pesch. reads: "They say, These bodies shall not remain on the cross, because the sabbath dawneth."
1873
.
6
The text here is corrupt: for epesanto I have provisionally read epesan te.
1874
.
1875
Lit. dinars.
7
For autos horas we must read autes horas (cf. Clem., Hom., xx., 16); aute is the equivalent in later Greek literature of ekeine, as in the modern tongue (cf. Lc. x. 7, 21, and xii. 12; || ekeine, Mt., Mc.)
1876
.
8
I have ventured to substitute meta, "together with" (cf. ), for kata, "down upon." Dr. Swete, however, keeps kata, and interprets it as "against," i.e., to guard the sepulchre against.
1877
.
9
The form of the question in the Greek suggests a negative answer.
1878
.
10
[cf. John passim.]
1879
.
11
[cf. .]
1880
.
12
[cf. ; .]
1881
The interrogative particle is lacking in the Arabic.
1882
.
13
[cf. .]
1883
.
1884
Or, folly.
14
[cf. ; .]
1885
.
1886
A very close reproduction of the Syriac.
15
[cf. .]
1887
.
16
[cf. .]
1888
.
17
For further explanation of the method followed see 20.
1889
.
1890
Or, for.
18
See notes to § 7, 47, and § 52, 36, of the present translation.
1891
.
1892
This word usually means synagogue in this work.
1893
Or, heathen.
19
See below, 12, (2).
1894
.
20
See also below, 6, and 20.
1895
.
1896
Or, to ask everything, it shall.
21
Bibl. Or., i., 619.
1897
.
22
Mai, Vet. script. nova. collect., iv., 14.
1898
.
23
cf. Zahn, Forschungen, i., 294 ff.
1899
.
24
See below, § 7, 47, note, and § 52, 36, note.
1900
So Vat. ms., following the Syriac versions; Borg. ms. has only one seven.
1901
.
25
See below, § 28, 43, note.
1902
.
26
See below, foot-notes, passim.
1903
.
27
The first leaf bears a more pretentious Latin inscription, quoted by Ciasca, p. vi.
1904
Lit. beforehand; and so often.
1905
.
28
Can this be a misprint for 95?
1906
.
1907
Or, repeating a letter, See that ye despise not.
29
See below, 13.
1908
.
30
He does not state, in so many words, that the list is absolutely exhaustive.
1909
.
31
See, e.g., below, § 13, 42, note, and § 14, 43, note.
1910
.
32
See the valuable article of Guidi, "Le traduzioni degli Evangelii in arabo e in etiopico" (Atti della R. Accademia dei Lincei; Classe di Scienze Morali, Storiche e filologiche. Serie Quarta, 1888, Parte Prima—Memorie, pp. 5-38). Some of his results are briefly stated in Scrivener, A Plain Introd. to the Crit. of the N.T., 4th ed., ii., 162.
1911
.
33
cf.the foot-notes passim, e.g., § 13, 14, § 14, 24.
1912
.
1913
Borg. ms. omits now.
34
See below, note to Subscription.
1914
.
1915
See note, § 10, 13.
35
See a glaring case in § 52, 11.
1916
.
36
The references to the readings of the Diatessaron in Ibn-at-Tayyib's own commentary on the gospels (see next note) are remarkably impersonal for one who had made or was to make a translation of it.
1917
.
37
A specially important part of the general question is this, What are the mutual relations of the following: (1) a supposed version of at least Matthew and John made from the Syriac by Ibn-at-Tayyib, mentioned by Ibn-al-Assal in the Preface to his scholarly recension of the gospels (ms. numbered Or. 3382 in Brit. Mus., folio 384b) and used by him in determining his text; (2) the gospel text interwoven with the commentary of Ibn-at-Tayyib on the gospels, a commentary which De Slane says the author wrote in Syriac and then translated into Arabic; (3) our present work. Of mss. testifying to No. 1 we have some dating from the time of Ibn-al-Assal himself; of No. 2 we have, in addition to others, an eleventh-century ms. in Paris, described by De Slane (catalogue No. 85) as being "un volume dépareillé du ms. original de l'ouvrage"; of No. 3 we have of course the Vatican and Borgian mss. What is the mutual relation of these texts; were any two of them identical? The Brit. Mus. ms. of the second has many points of contact with the third, but is dated 1805 a.d. Does the older Paris ms. stand more or less closely related? Did Ibn-at-Tayyib himself really translate any or all of these texts, or did he simply select or edit them? Space does not permit us to point out, far less to discuss, the various possibilities.
1918
.
38
The text is given below in full at its proper place.
1919
.
39
Prof. Gottheil, indeed, announced in 1892 in the Journal of Biblical Literature (vol. xi., pt. i., p. 71) that he had been privately informed of the existence of a complete copy of the Syriac Diatessaron. Unfortunately, however, as he has kindly informed me, he has reluctantly come to the conclusion that the ms. in question, which is not yet accessible, is "nothing more than the commentary of Ishodad" mentioned in the text. A similar rumor lately circulated probably originated simply in the pamphlet of Goussen mentioned in the next note. S. Bäumer, on the other hand, in his article, "Tatians Diatessaron, seine bisher. Lit. u. die Reconstruction des Textes nach einer neuentdeckten Handschrift" (Literarischer Handweiser, 1890, 153-169) which the present writer has not been able to see, perhaps refers simply to the Borgian ms.
1920
.
40
Attention was called to these by Profs. Isaac H. Hall and R. J. H. Gottheil (Journ. of Bibl. Lit., x., 153 ff.; xi., 68 ff.); then by Prof. J. R. Harris (Contemp. Rev., Aug., 1895, p. 271 ff., and, more fully, Fragments of the Com. of Ephr. Syr. on the Diatess., London, 1895) and by Goussen (Studia Theologica, fasc. i., Lips., 1895).
1921
.
41
Prof. Harris promises an edition of this commentary.
1922
.
42
Harris, Fragments, p. 14, where the Syriac text is quoted.
1923
.
43
Bib. Or., ii., 159 f. Most of them are repeated again by Bar Hebræus (d. 1286), although some confusion is produced by his interweaving some phrases from Eusebius of Cæsarea. (Bib. Or., i., 57 f., and a longer quotation in English in Contemp. Rev., Aug., 1895, p. 274 f.)
1924
.
44
Lagarde's statement (Nachrichten von der Königl. Gesellsch. der Wiss., etc., zu Göttingen, 1891, No. 4, p. 153) that a ms. had been discovered, appears to have been unfounded. Prof. Rahlfs of Göttingen kindly tells me that he believes this is so.
1925
.
1926
Lit. great (man).
45
Migne, Patrol. græc., tom. lxxxiii., col. 369, 372.
1927
.
46
Published at Venice in 1836.
1928
.
1929
Lit. calumniator.
47
The two Armenian mss. are dated a.d. 1195.
1930
.
1931
cf. Syriac versions.

Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 9, ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson and A. Cleveland Coxe (1885–96). Public domain. Text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Notes

Parechein mikropsuchian, perhaps "causes you ill-feeling." The translation of Serapion's letter with this note is taken from Mr. Armitage Robinson's edition of the gospel.

1868

This translation is based on that which I published in The Gospel and Apocalypse of Peter: Two Lectures, etc. (Camb., 1892). It is now carefully revised in accordance with the photographic facsimile. A corrected Greek text will be found in Dr. Swete's edition (1893).

1869

Par[alem]phthenai is perhaps supported by paralabontes, .

1870

Lit. badras, an amount variously estimated.

1871

I know no other instance of stauriskein.

1872

cf. , where Syr. Pesch. reads: "They say, These bodies shall not remain on the cross, because the sabbath dawneth."

1873

The text here is corrupt: for epesanto I have provisionally read epesan te.

1874

1875

Lit. dinars.

For autos horas we must read autes horas (cf. Clem., Hom., xx., 16); aute is the equivalent in later Greek literature of ekeine, as in the modern tongue (cf. Lc. x. 7, 21, and xii. 12; || ekeine, Mt., Mc.)

1876

I have ventured to substitute meta, "together with" (cf. ), for kata, "down upon." Dr. Swete, however, keeps kata, and interprets it as "against," i.e., to guard the sepulchre against.

1877

The form of the question in the Greek suggests a negative answer.

[cf. John passim.]

[cf. .]

[cf. ; .]

The interrogative particle is lacking in the Arabic.

1882

[cf. .]

1883

1884

Or, folly.

[cf. ; .]

1885

1886

A very close reproduction of the Syriac.

[cf. .]

1887

[cf. .]

1888

For further explanation of the method followed see 20.

1889

1890

Or, for.

See notes to § 7, 47, and § 52, 36, of the present translation.

1891

1892

This word usually means synagogue in this work.

1893

Or, heathen.

See below, 12, (2).

1894

See also below, 6, and 20.

1895

1896

Or, to ask everything, it shall.

Bibl. Or., i., 619.

1897

Mai, Vet. script. nova. collect., iv., 14.

1898

cf. Zahn, Forschungen, i., 294 ff.

1899

See below, § 7, 47, note, and § 52, 36, note.

1900

So Vat. ms., following the Syriac versions; Borg. ms. has only one seven.

1901

See below, § 28, 43, note.

1902

See below, foot-notes, passim.

1903

The first leaf bears a more pretentious Latin inscription, quoted by Ciasca, p. vi.

1904

Lit. beforehand; and so often.

1905

Can this be a misprint for 95?

1906

1907

Or, repeating a letter, See that ye despise not.

See below, 13.

1908

He does not state, in so many words, that the list is absolutely exhaustive.

1909

See, e.g., below, § 13, 42, note, and § 14, 43, note.

1910

See the valuable article of Guidi, "Le traduzioni degli Evangelii in arabo e in etiopico" (Atti della R. Accademia dei Lincei; Classe di Scienze Morali, Storiche e filologiche. Serie Quarta, 1888, Parte Prima—Memorie, pp. 5-38). Some of his results are briefly stated in Scrivener, A Plain Introd. to the Crit. of the N.T., 4th ed., ii., 162.

1911

cf.the foot-notes passim, e.g., § 13, 14, § 14, 24.

1912

1913

Borg. ms. omits now.

See below, note to Subscription.

1914

1915

See note, § 10, 13.

See a glaring case in § 52, 11.

1916

The references to the readings of the Diatessaron in Ibn-at-Tayyib's own commentary on the gospels (see next note) are remarkably impersonal for one who had made or was to make a translation of it.

1917

A specially important part of the general question is this, What are the mutual relations of the following: (1) a supposed version of at least Matthew and John made from the Syriac by Ibn-at-Tayyib, mentioned by Ibn-al-Assal in the Preface to his scholarly recension of the gospels (ms. numbered Or. 3382 in Brit. Mus., folio 384b) and used by him in determining his text; (2) the gospel text interwoven with the commentary of Ibn-at-Tayyib on the gospels, a commentary which De Slane says the author wrote in Syriac and then translated into Arabic; (3) our present work. Of mss. testifying to No. 1 we have some dating from the time of Ibn-al-Assal himself; of No. 2 we have, in addition to others, an eleventh-century ms. in Paris, described by De Slane (catalogue No. 85) as being "un volume dépareillé du ms. original de l'ouvrage"; of No. 3 we have of course the Vatican and Borgian mss. What is the mutual relation of these texts; were any two of them identical? The Brit. Mus. ms. of the second has many points of contact with the third, but is dated 1805 a.d. Does the older Paris ms. stand more or less closely related? Did Ibn-at-Tayyib himself really translate any or all of these texts, or did he simply select or edit them? Space does not permit us to point out, far less to discuss, the various possibilities.

1918

The text is given below in full at its proper place.

1919

Prof. Gottheil, indeed, announced in 1892 in the Journal of Biblical Literature (vol. xi., pt. i., p. 71) that he had been privately informed of the existence of a complete copy of the Syriac Diatessaron. Unfortunately, however, as he has kindly informed me, he has reluctantly come to the conclusion that the ms. in question, which is not yet accessible, is "nothing more than the commentary of Ishodad" mentioned in the text. A similar rumor lately circulated probably originated simply in the pamphlet of Goussen mentioned in the next note. S. Bäumer, on the other hand, in his article, "Tatians Diatessaron, seine bisher. Lit. u. die Reconstruction des Textes nach einer neuentdeckten Handschrift" (Literarischer Handweiser, 1890, 153-169) which the present writer has not been able to see, perhaps refers simply to the Borgian ms.

1920

Attention was called to these by Profs. Isaac H. Hall and R. J. H. Gottheil (Journ. of Bibl. Lit., x., 153 ff.; xi., 68 ff.); then by Prof. J. R. Harris (Contemp. Rev., Aug., 1895, p. 271 ff., and, more fully, Fragments of the Com. of Ephr. Syr. on the Diatess., London, 1895) and by Goussen (Studia Theologica, fasc. i., Lips., 1895).

1921

Prof. Harris promises an edition of this commentary.

1922

Harris, Fragments, p. 14, where the Syriac text is quoted.

1923

Bib. Or., ii., 159 f. Most of them are repeated again by Bar Hebræus (d. 1286), although some confusion is produced by his interweaving some phrases from Eusebius of Cæsarea. (Bib. Or., i., 57 f., and a longer quotation in English in Contemp. Rev., Aug., 1895, p. 274 f.)

1924

Lagarde's statement (Nachrichten von der Königl. Gesellsch. der Wiss., etc., zu Göttingen, 1891, No. 4, p. 153) that a ms. had been discovered, appears to have been unfounded. Prof. Rahlfs of Göttingen kindly tells me that he believes this is so.

1925

1926

Lit. great (man).

Migne, Patrol. græc., tom. lxxxiii., col. 369, 372.

1927

Published at Venice in 1836.

1928

1929

Lit. calumniator.

The two Armenian mss. are dated a.d. 1195.

1930

1931

cf. Syriac versions.