Introductory Notes

Section XLII

Page 49 of 468

¹²⁸⁸¹ But when ye see Jerusalem with the army compassing it about, then know that² its desolation is come near.²⁸⁸² Those then that are in Judæa at that time shall flee to the mountain; and those that are within her shall flee; and those that are in the³ villages shall not enter her.²⁸⁸³ For these days are the days of vengeance, that all that⁴ is written may be fulfilled.²⁸⁸⁴ And when ye see the unclean sign of desolation,²⁸⁸⁵ spoken of in Daniel the prophet, standing in the pure place, he that readeth shall understand, [5, 6]²⁸⁸⁶ and then he that is in Judæa shall flee in to the mountain:²⁸⁸⁷ and let him that is on the⁷ roof not go down, nor enter in to take anything from his house:²⁸⁸⁸ and let him that is in⁸ [Arabic, p. 159] the field not turn behind him to take his garment.²⁸⁸⁹ Woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! there shall be great⁹ distress in the land, and wrath against this nation.²⁸⁹⁰ And they shall fall on the edge of the sword,²⁸⁹¹ and shall be taken captive to every land: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the nations, until the times of the nations be ended.

¹⁰²⁸⁹² Then if any man say unto you, The Messiah is here; or, Lo, he is there; believe¹¹ him not:²⁸⁹³ there shall rise then false Messiahs and prophets of lying, and shall do signs and wonders, in order that they may lead astray even the elect also, if they¹² be able.²⁸⁹⁴ But as for you, beware: for I have acquainted you with everything¹³ beforehand.²⁸⁹⁵ If then they say unto you, Lo, he is in the desert; go not out, lest ye¹⁴ be taken: and if they say unto you, Lo, he is in the chamber; believe not.²⁸⁹⁶ And as the lightning appeareth from the east, and is seen unto the west; so shall be the¹⁵ coming of the Son of man.²⁸⁹⁷ But first he must suffer much and be rejected by this¹⁶ generation.²⁸⁹⁸²⁸⁹⁹ Pray therefore that your flight be not in winter, nor on a sabbath:¹⁷²⁹⁰⁰ there shall be then great tribulation,²⁹⁰¹ the like of which there hath not been from the¹⁸ beginning of the world till now, nor shall be.²⁹⁰² And except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would have lived: but because of the elect, whom he elected,¹⁹ he shortened those days.²⁹⁰³ And there shall be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and upon the earth affliction²⁹⁰⁴ of the nations, and rubbing of hands for the confusion²⁹⁰⁵²⁰ [Arabic, p. 160] of the noise of the sea, and an earthquake:²⁹⁰⁶ the souls of men shall²¹ go forth from fear of that which is to come upon the earth.²⁹⁰⁷ And in those days, straightway after the distress of those days, the sun shall become dark, and the moon shall not shew its light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers²² of heaven shall be convulsed:²⁹⁰⁸ and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and at that time all the tribes of the earth shall wail, and look unto the Son²³ of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory.²⁹⁰⁹ And he shall send his angels with the great trumpet, and they shall gather his elect from the four²⁴ winds, from one end of heaven to the other.²⁹¹⁰²⁹¹¹ But when these things begin to be, be of good cheer, and lift up your heads; for your salvation²⁹¹² is come near.

²⁵²⁹¹³ Learn the example of the fig tree: when it letteth down its branches,²⁹¹⁴ and putteth²⁶ forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is come;²⁹¹⁵ so ye also, when ye see these things begun to be, know ye that the kingdom of God hath arrived at the²⁷ door.²⁹¹⁶ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, until all these²⁸ things shall be.²⁹¹⁷ Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my sayings shall not pass away.

²⁹²⁹¹⁸ Take heed to yourselves, that your hearts become not heavy with inordinate desire,²⁹¹⁹ and drunkenness, and the care of the world at any time, and that day come³⁰ upon you suddenly:²⁹²⁰ for it is as a shock that shocks all the inhabitants that are on the³¹ face of the whole earth.²⁹²¹ Watch at all times, and pray, that ye may be worthy to escape [Arabic, p. 161] from all the things that are to be, and that ye may stand before the Son of³² man.²⁹²² Of that day and of that hour hath no man learned, not even the angels³³ of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.²⁹²³ See ye, and watch and pray: for ye know³⁴ not when that time will be.²⁹²⁴ It is as a man, who journeyed, and left his house, and gave his authority to his servants, and appointed every man to his work, and³⁵ charged the porter to be wakeful.²⁹²⁵ Be wakeful then:²⁹²⁶ since ye know not when the lord of the house cometh, in the evening, or in the middle of the night, or when the³⁶ cock croweth, or in the morning;²⁹²⁷ lest he come unexpectedly, and find you sleeping.³⁷²⁹²⁸ The thing that I say unto you, unto all of you do I say it, Be ye watchful.

³⁸²⁹²⁹ For as it was in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.³⁹²⁹³⁰ As they were before the flood eating and drinking, and taking wives, and giving⁴⁰ wives to men,²⁹³¹ until the day in which Noah entered into the ark, and they perceived not till the flood came, and took them all; so shall the coming of the Son of man⁴¹ be.²⁹³² And as it was in the days of Lot; they were eating and drinking, and selling⁴² and buying, and planting and building,²⁹³³ on the day in which Lot went out from Sodom, and the Lord rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them [43, 44] all:²⁹³⁴ so shall it be in the day in which the Son of man is revealed.²⁹³⁵²⁹³⁶ And in that day, whosoever is on the roof, and his garments²⁹³⁷ in the house, let him not go down to⁴⁵ take them: and he that is in the field shall not turn behind him.²⁹³⁸ Remember Lot's⁴⁶ wife.²⁹³⁹ Whosoever shall desire to save his life shall destroy it: but whosoever shall⁴⁷ destroy his life shall save it.²⁹⁴⁰ Verily I say unto you, In that night there shall be two on⁴⁸ [Arabic, p. 162] one bed; one shall be taken, and another left.²⁹⁴¹ And two women shall be grinding⁴⁹ at one mill; one shall be taken, and another left.²⁹⁴² And two shall be in the⁵⁰ field; one shall be taken, and another left.²⁹⁴³ They answered and said unto him, To what place, our Lord? He said unto them, Where the body is, there will the eagles [51, 52] gather.²⁹⁴⁴ Be attentive now: for ye know not at what hour your Lord cometh.²⁹⁴⁵ Know this: if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have been attentive, and would not make it possible that his house should be⁵³ broken through.²⁹⁴⁶ Therefore be ye also ready: for in the hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.

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.
2881
.
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).
2882
.
3
Par[alem]phthenai is perhaps supported by paralabontes, .
2883
.
4
I know no other instance of stauriskein.
2884
.
2885
So Vat. ms., following the Peshitta. Ciasca follows Borg. ms., which by a change of diacritical points has the hardly grammatical reading, see that it is the desolation, the unclean thing spoken of. Ibn-at-Tayyib's Commentary supports Vat. ms.
2886
.
2887
.
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.)
2888
.
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.
2889
.
9
The form of the question in the Greek suggests a negative answer.
2890
.
2891
This word has a Syriac meaning given to it. In Arabic it means war.
10
[cf. John passim.]
2892
.
11
[cf. .]
2893
.
12
[cf. ; .]
2894
.
13
[cf. .]
2895
.
14
[cf. ; .]
2896
.
15
[cf. .]
2897
.
16
[cf. .]
2898
cf. § 16, 2.
2899
.
17
For further explanation of the method followed see 20.
2900
.
2901
Same Arabic (and Syriac) word as in § 41, 50.
18
See notes to § 7, 47, and § 52, 36, of the present translation.
2902
.
19
See below, 12, (2).
2903
.
2904
Same Arabic (and Syriac) word as in § 41, 50.
2905
So the Borg. ms. The Vat. ms., followed by Ciasca, has grief.
20
See also below, 6, and 20.
2906
a.
21
Bibl. Or., i., 619.
2907
a; .
22
Mai, Vet. script. nova. collect., iv., 14.
2908
.
23
cf. Zahn, Forschungen, i., 294 ff.
2909
.
24
See below, § 7, 47, note, and § 52, 36, note.
2910
Lit. the end of heaven unto its end.
2911
.
2912
Or, deliverance.
25
See below, § 28, 43, note.
2913
.
2914
cf. Peshitta, which text the translator seems to have misread.
26
See below, foot-notes, passim.
2915
.
27
The first leaf bears a more pretentious Latin inscription, quoted by Ciasca, p. vi.
2916
.
28
Can this be a misprint for 95?
2917
.
29
See below, 13.
2918
.
2919
cf. Peshitta.
30
He does not state, in so many words, that the list is absolutely exhaustive.
2920
.
31
See, e.g., below, § 13, 42, note, and § 14, 43, note.
2921
.
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.
2922
.
33
cf.the foot-notes passim, e.g., § 13, 14, § 14, 24.
2923
.
34
See below, note to Subscription.
2924
.
35
See a glaring case in § 52, 11.
2925
.
2926
cf. § 9, 21.
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.
2927
.
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.
2928
.
38
The text is given below in full at its proper place.
2929
.
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.
2930
.
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).
2931
.
41
Prof. Harris promises an edition of this commentary.
2932
.
42
Harris, Fragments, p. 14, where the Syriac text is quoted.
2933
.
2934
.
2935
Or, appeareth.
2936
.
2937
cf. § 14, 24 note.
45
Migne, Patrol. græc., tom. lxxxiii., col. 369, 372.
2938
.
46
Published at Venice in 1836.
2939
.
47
The two Armenian mss. are dated a.d. 1195.
2940
.
48
Evangelii Concordantis Expositio, facta a S. Ephraemo (Ven., 1876).
2941
.
49
Forschungen zur Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons, I. Theil.
2942
.
50
Edited by Ernestus Ranke, Marb. and Lips., 1868.
2943
.
2944
.
2945
.
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).
2946
.

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.