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Introductory Notes

Section XXXV

Page 42 of 468

12389 And on the great day, which is the last of the feast, Jesus stood, crying out and2 saying, If any man is thirsty, let him come unto me, and drink.2390 Every one that believeth in me, as the scriptures said, there shall flow from his belly rivers of pure3 water.2391 He said that referring to the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet granted; and because Jesus had not yet been4 [Arabic, p. 133] glorified.2392 And many of the multitude that heard his words said, This is5 in truth the prophet.2393 And others said, This is the Messiah. But others6 said, Can it be that the Messiah will come from Galilee?2394 Hath not the scripture said that from the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the village of David, the7 Messiah cometh?2395 And there occurred a dissension in the multitude because of him.82396 And some of them were wishing to seize him; but no man laid a hand upon him.

92397 And those officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees: and the priests said10 unto them, Why did ye not bring him?2398 The officers said, Never spake man thus11 as speaketh this man.2399 The Pharisees said unto them, Perhaps ye also have gone [12, 13] astray?2400 Hath any of the rulers or the Pharisees haply believed in him?2401 except14 this people which knows not the law; they are accursed.2402 Nicodemus, one of them,15 he that had come to Jesus by night,2403 said unto them, Doth our law haply condemn16 a man, except it hear him first and know what he hath done?2404 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also haply from Galilee? Search, and see that a prophet riseth not from Galilee.

[17, 18]2405 And when the Pharisees assembled, Jesus asked them, and said,2406 What say ye of19 the Messiah? whose son is he? They said unto him, The son of David.2407 He said unto them, And how doth David in the Holy Spirit call him Lord? for he said,

202408 The Lord said unto my Lord,

Sit on my right hand,

That I may put thine enemies under thy feet.

[21, 22]2409 If then David calleth him Lord, how is he his son?2410 And no one was able to answer him; and no man dared from that day again to ask him of anything.

232411 And Jesus addressed them again, and said, I am the light of the world; and he that24 followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall find the light of life.2412 The Pharisees [Arabic, p. 134] said unto him, Thou bearest witness to thyself; thy witness is not true.2413 Jesus25 answered and said unto them, If I bear witness to myself, my witness is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye know not whence I came, or [26, 27] whither I go.2414 And ye judge after the flesh; and I judge no man.2415 And even if I judge, my judgement is true; because I am not alone, but I and my Father which [28, 29] sent me.2416 And in your law it is written, that the witness of two men is true.2417 I am he that beareth witness to myself, and my Father which sent me beareth witness to30 me.2418 They said unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye know not me, nor my Father: for did ye know me, ye would know my31 Father.2419 He said these sayings in the treasury, where he was teaching in the32 temple:2420 and no man seized him; because his hour had not yet come. Jesus said unto them again, I go truly, and ye shall seek me and not find me, and ye shall die33 in your sins: and where I go, ye cannot come.2421 The Jews said, Will he haply kill34 himself, that he saith, Where I go, ye cannot come?2422 He said unto them, Ye are from below; and I am from above: ye are of this world; and I am not of this35 world.2423 I said unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: if ye believe not that I am36 he, ye shall die in your sins.2424 The Jews said, And thou, who art thou? Jesus said37 unto them, If I should begin to speak unto you,2425 I have concerning you many words and judgement: but he that sent me is true; and I, what I heard from him is what [38, 39] I say in the world.2426 And they knew not that he meant by that the Father.2427 Jesus [Arabic, p. 135] said unto them again, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then ye shall know that I am he: and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father40 taught me, so I speak.2428 And he that sent me is with me; and my Father hath not41 left me alone; because I do what is pleasing to him at all times.2429 And while he was saying that, many believed in him.

422430 And Jesus said to those Jews that believed in him, If ye abide in my words, truly43 ye are my disciples;2431 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.442432 They said unto him, We are the seed of Abraham, and have never served any man45 in the way of slavery: how then sayest thou, Ye shall be free children?2433 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Every one that doeth a sin is a slave of46 sin.2434 And the slave doth not remain for ever in the house; but the son remaineth [47, 48] for ever.2435 And if the Son set you free, truly ye shall be free children. I know that ye are the seed of Abraham; but ye seek to slay me, because ye are unable for my49 word.2436 And what I saw with my Father, I say: and what ye saw with your father,50 ye do.2437 They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus said unto them, If ye were the children of Abraham, ye would do the deeds of Abraham.512438 Now, behold, ye seek to kill me, a man that speak2439 with you2440 the truth, that I52 heard from God: this did Abraham not do.2441 And ye do the deeds of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication;2442 we have one Father, who is53 God.2443 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: I proceeded and came2444 from God; and it was not of my own self that I came,2445 but he sent54 [Arabic, p. 136] me.2446 Why then do ye not know my word? Because ye cannot hear my word.552447 Ye are from the father, the devil,2448 and the lust of your father do ye desire to do, who from the beginning is a slayer of men, and in the truth standeth not, because the truth is not in him. And when he speaketh untruth, he speaketh from56 himself: for he is a liar, and the father of untruth.2449 And I who speak the truth, ye57 believe me not.2450 Who of you rebuketh me for a sin? And if I speak the truth, ye58 do not believe me.24512452 Whosoever is of God heareth the words of God: therefore do59 ye not hear, because ye are not of God.2453 The Jews answered and said unto him,60 Did we not say well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast demons?2454 Jesus said unto them, As for me, I have not a devil; but my Father do I honour, and ye dishonour61 me.2455 I seek not my glory: here is one who seeketh and judgeth.

Notes

  1. 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.

  2. 2389

    .

  3. 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).

  4. 2390

    .

  5. 3

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

  6. 2391

    .

  7. 4

    I know no other instance of stauriskein.

  8. 2392

    .

  9. 5

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

  10. 2393

    .

  11. 6

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

  12. 2394

    .

  13. 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.)

  14. 2395

    .

  15. 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.

  16. 2396

    .

  17. 9

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

  18. 2397

    .

  19. 10

    [cf. John passim.]

  20. 2398

    .

  21. 11

    [cf. .]

  22. 2399

    .

  23. 2400

    .

  24. 2401

    .

  25. 14

    [cf. ; .]

  26. 2402

    .

  27. 15

    [cf. .]

  28. 2403

    .

  29. 16

    [cf. .]

  30. 2404

    .

  31. 2405

    .

  32. 2406

    .

  33. 19

    See below, 12, (2).

  34. 2407

    .

  35. 20

    See also below, 6, and 20.

  36. 2408

    .

  37. 2409

    .

  38. 2410

    .

  39. 23

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

  40. 2411

    .

  41. 24

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

  42. 2412

    .

  43. 2413

    .

  44. 25

    See below, § 28, 43, note.

  45. 2414

    .

  46. 2415

    .

  47. 2416

    .

  48. 2417

    .

  49. 30

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

  50. 2418

    .

  51. 31

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

  52. 2419

    .

  53. 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.

  54. 2420

    .

  55. 33

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

  56. 2421

    .

  57. 34

    See below, note to Subscription.

  58. 2422

    .

  59. 35

    See a glaring case in § 52, 11.

  60. 2423

    .

  61. 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.

  62. 2424

    .

  63. 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.

  64. 2425

    .

  65. 2426

    .

  66. 2427

    .

  67. 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).

  68. 2428

    .

  69. 41

    Prof. Harris promises an edition of this commentary.

  70. 2429

    .

  71. 42

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

  72. 2430

    .

  73. 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.)

  74. 2431

    .

  75. 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.

  76. 2432

    .

  77. 45

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

  78. 2433

    .

  79. 46

    Published at Venice in 1836.

  80. 2434

    .

  81. 2435

    .

  82. 49

    Forschungen zur Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons, I. Theil.

  83. 2436

    .

  84. 50

    Edited by Ernestus Ranke, Marb. and Lips., 1868.

  85. 2437

    .

  86. 51

    For other forms of the Diatessaron, of no critical importance, see S. Hemphill, The Diatessaron of Tatian (London, 1888), Appendix D and the refs. there.

  87. 2438

    .

  88. 2439

    Lit. speaketh, according to Arabic idiom.

  89. 2440

    Borg. ms. omits with you.

  90. 52

    Further references, chiefly repetitions in one form or another of the statements we have quoted, may be found in a convenient form in Harnack, Gesch. d. altchrist. Lit. bis. Euseb., 493-496; cf. also the works mentioned by Hill (op. cit.) p. 378 f.

  91. 2441

    .

  92. 2442

    Borg. ms. has an adulteress, mistaking the less common Arabic word for a clerical error.

  93. 53

    cf. the words of Aphraates, senior contemporary of Ephraem: "As it is written in the beginning of the Gospel of our Vivifier: In the beginning was the Word." (Patrol. Syr., pars i., tom. i., 21, lines 17-19).

  94. 2443

    .

  95. 2444

    Different words are used in the Arabic; so in the Greek, but not in the Peshitta. Sin. and Cur. are wanting.

  96. 2445

    Different words are used in the Arabic; so in the Greek, but not in the Peshitta. Sin. and Cur. are wanting.

  97. 54

    Nachrichten von der Königl. Gesellsch. der Wiss., etc., March 17, 1886, No. 4, p. 151 ff.

  98. 2446

    .

  99. 55

    See notes to § 1, 81, and § 4, 29.

  100. 2447

    .

  101. 2448

    Lit. backbiter.

  102. 56

    See note to § 55, 17.

  103. 2449

    .

  104. 57

    The Armenian version of Ephraem is supposed to date from the fifth century.

  105. 2450

    .

  106. 58

    Mai, Script. vet. nov. Coll., x., 191.

  107. 2451

    This is probably simply a clerical error for the ordinary reading, why have ye not believed me? The Arabic words why and not having the same consonants, one of them was purposely or accidentally omitted by a copyist.

  108. 2452

    .

  109. 59

    Overbeck, S. Ephraemi, etc., Opera Selecta, p. 220, lines 3-5.

  110. 2453

    .

  111. 60

    Phillips, Doct. Add., p. 36, 15-17 [E. Tr. p. 34].

  112. 2454

    .

  113. 61

    Moesinger, Evang. Concord., etc., p. xi.

  114. 2455

    .

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.