Section II.
[1] [Arabic, p. 7] 173
Now
174
| 174 This is preceded
in Vat. ms. by the genealogy,
Matt. i.
1–17 (see
Introduction, 13), with the marginal note The Beginning of the
Gospel of Matthew. (Lagarde, op. cit., 1886, p.
154.) The text presents nothing worthy of note in this place
except that verse 16, construed on the same principle as the preceding
verses, to which, except in the words printed in italics, it is
strictly parallel in construction, reads thus: “Jacob begat
Joseph, the husband of Mary, who of her begat Jesus, the
Messiah” (cf. the remarkable reading of Sin.
Syriac). As it stands, this is the only possible interpretation
of the words, for who is masculine. But a mistake in the
gender of a relative pronoun is very common in Arabic among illiterate
people, while in Syriac there is, to begin with, no distinction.
If then we correct the relative, who of her will become of
whom (fem.), and begat will of course be construed as
passive. We thus get the text followed in Ibn-at-Tayyib’s
Commentary, the ordinary reading of the Peshitta, of whom was born
Jesus. |
the
birth of
Jesus the
Messiah was on this
wise: In the time when his mother was given in
marriage to
Joseph, before they came together, [2] she was found with
child of the
Holy Spirit.
175
And
Joseph her
husband
was a just
man and did not wish to expose her, and he purposed
to put her away secretly. [3]
176
But when he
thought of this, the
angel of the
Lord appeared unto him in a
dream,
and said unto him,
Joseph, son of
David,
fear not to take
Mary thy
wife, for that [4] which is begotten
177
| 177 The Arabic might
even more naturally be rendered born, thus giving us the reading
that Isho‘dad tells us was that of the Diatessaron
(Harris, Fragments, p. 16 f.); but throughout the whole
genealogy (see § 1, 81, note) this word has been used by the Vat.
ms. in the sense of begat. Here
the Borg. ms. has of her for in
her; but Ibn-at-Tayyib in his Commentary discusses why
Matthew wrote in and not of. |
in her is of the
Holy Spirit.
178
She shall bear a son,
and thou shalt [5] call his name
Jesus, and he shall
save179
his people from their
sins.
180
And all this was that the saying from the
Lord
by the
prophet might be fulfilled:
[6] 181
Behold, the
virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son,
And they shall call his name Immanuel,
[7] which is, being interpreted, With us is our God. 182
And when
Joseph arose from his [8]
sleep, he
did as the
angel of the
Lord commanded him, and took his
wife;
183
and knew her not until she brought forth her
firstborn son.
[9] 184
And in those days
there went forth a
decree from
Augustus Cæsar that all the
[10] people of his
dominion185
| 185 The Arabic expression is
clearly meant to represent that used in the Peshitta. |
should be enrolled.
186
This first enrolment was
187
| 187 This is the most
natural meaning of the Arabic sentence; which, however, is
simply a word-for-word reproduction. |
while Quirinius [11, 12] was
governor of Syria.
188
And every man went to be enrolled in his
city.
189
And
Joseph went up
also from
Nazareth, a city of
Galilee, to Judæa, to the city of
David [13] which is called Bethlehem (for he was of the
house of
David
and of his
tribe),
190
with [14] [Arabic, p.
8]
Mary his
betrothed, she being with
child, to be enrolled
there.
191
And while [15] she was
there the days for her being
delivered were accomplished.
192
And she brought forth her
firstborn son; and
she wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a
manger, because
there was no place for them where they were staying.
[16] 193
And there were in that
region shepherds abiding, keeping their
flock in the watch [17] of the
night.
194
And behold, the
angel
of
God came unto them, and the
glory of the [18]
Lord shone upon them;
and they were greatly
terrified.
195
And
the
angel said unto them, Be not
terrified; for I bring you tidings of
great
joy which shall be to the [19] whole
world;
196
there is
born to you this day a Saviour, which
is the
Lord the
Messiah, [20] in the city of
David.
197
And this is a sign for you: ye shall
find a
babe wrapped [21] in swaddling cloths and laid in a
manger.
198
And there appeared
with the
angels suddenly many heavenly forces praising
199
| 199 The Arabic represents
Syr. idiom. |
God and saying,
[22] 200
Praise be to
God in
the highest,
And on the earth peace, and good hope to men.
[23] 201
And when the
angels
departed from them to
heaven, the
shepherds spake to one another and
said, We will go to Bethlehem and see this word which hath been, as
[24] the
Lord made known unto us.
202
And
they came with
haste, and found
Mary and [25]
Joseph, and the
babe laid
in a
manger.
203
And when they saw,
they
reported the word [26] which was spoken to them about the
child.
204
And all that heard
wondered at the [27] description which the
shepherds described
205
to them.
206
But
Mary kept these
207
| 207 Borg. ms. inserts all above the line, after
these. The meaning ought then to be, these things,
namely, all the sayings. |
sayings [28] and
discriminated
208
| 208 The Arab. might
mean set them apart; but the Syriac is against this. |
them in her
heart.
209
And those
shepherds
returned, magnifying and praising
God for all that they had seen and
heard, according as it was described unto them.
[29] [Arabic, p. 9] 210
And when eight
days were fulfilled that the
child should be circumcised, his name was
called
Jesus, being that by which he was called by the
angel before his
conception in the
womb.
[30] 211
And when the days of
their purification according to the
law of
Moses were [31] completed,
they took him up to
Jerusalem to present him before the
Lord 212
(as it is written in the
law of the
Lord,
Every male opening the
womb shall be called the [32] holy
thing
of the
Lord),
213
and to give a
sacrificial victim as it is said in the
law of [33] the
Lord, A pair of
doves or two young pigeons.
214
And there was in
Jerusalem a man whose name was
Simeon; and this man was upright and
pious, and expecting [34] the consolation of
Israel; and the Holy
Spirit was upon him.
215
And it had been said
unto him by the
Holy Spirit, that he should not see
death till he had
seen with [35] his
eyes the
Messiah216
of the
Lord.
217
And this man came by
the Spirit to the
temple; and at the time when his
parents brought in
the
child Jesus, that they might [36] present for him a
sacrifice, as
it is written in the
law,
218
he bare him in his
arms and
praised God and said,
[37] 219
Now loosest thou
the
bonds of thy
servant, O
Lord, in
peace,
220
| 220 For order
cf. (in part) Sin. Syriac. |
According to thy saying;
[38] 221
For mine
eye hath
witnessed thy
mercy,
[39] 222
Which thou hast made
ready because of the whole
world;
[40] 223
A
light for the
unveiling
224
| 224 i.e., becoming
manifest. |
of the
nations,
And a glory to thy people Israel.
[41] 225
And
Joseph and his
mother were marvelling at the things which were being said [42]
concerning him.
226
And
Simeon blessed
them and said to
Mary his mother, Behold, he is set for the
overthrow
and rising of many in
Israel; and for a sign of
contention; [43]
227
and a
spear228
| 228 So also in Syriac
versions and the quotation of Isho’dad from Ephraem (Harris,
Fragments, p. 34), but not the Armenian version. |
shall
pierce
229
| 229 The Arabic sides
with the Peshitta and Ibn-at-Tayyib’s Commentary, against the
remarkable reading of Sin. supported by Isho’dad, as in last note
(Syriac text), and the Armenian in Hill, p. 336. See now
also The Guardian, Dec. 18, 1895. |
through thine own
soul; that the thoughts of
the [44] [Arabic, p. 10]
hearts of
many may be
revealed.
230
And Anna the
prophetess, the
daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of
Asher, was also
advanced in years (and she dwelt [45] with her
husband seven years from
her
virginity,
231
and she remained a
widow about eighty-four years); and she left not the
temple, and served
night and day with [46]
fasting and prayer.
232
And she also rose in that hour and thanked the
Lord, and she [47] spake of him with every one who was expecting the
deliverance of
Jerusalem.
233
And when they had
accomplished everything according to what is in the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to Nazareth their city.
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