Section IV.

[1] 229    John i. 18.No man hath seen God at any time; the only Son, God,230    cf. Peshitta, etc. (not Cur.); cf. also Gildemeister, op. cit., p. 29, on Luke ix. 20. which is in the bosom of his Father, he hath told of him.

[2] 231    John i. 19.And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent to him from Jerusalem priests [3] and Levites to ask him, Who art thou?  232    John i. 20.And he acknowledged, and denied not; [4] and he confessed that he was not the Messiah.  233    John i. 21.And they asked him again, What then?  Art thou Elijah?  And he said, I am not he.  Art thou a prophet?  He [5] said, No.  234    John i. 22.They said unto him, Then who art thou? that we may answer them that [6] sent us.  What sayest thou of thyself?  235    John i. 23.And he said, I am the voice that crieth in [7] the desert, Repair ye the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.  236    John i. 24.And they [8] that were sent were from237    Lit. from the side of. the Pharisees.  238    John i. 25.And they asked him and said unto him, Why baptizest thou now, when thou art not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor a prophet?  [9] 239    John i. 26.John answered and said unto them, I baptize with240    Or, in. water:  among you is standing [10] one whom ye know not:  241    John i. 27.this is he who I said cometh after me and was before [11] me, the latchets of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose.  242    John i. 28.And that was in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

[12] 243    Matt. iii. 4.Now John’s raiment was camel’s hair, and he was girded with skins, and his food [13] [Arabic, p. 15] was of locusts and honey of the wilderness.244    On the original Diatessaron reading, honey and milk of the mountains, or, milk and honey of the mountains, which latter Ibn-at-Tayyib cites in his Commentary (folio 44b, 45a) as a reading, but without any allusion to the Diatessaron, see, e.g., now Harris, Fragments of the Com. of Ephr. Syr. upon the Diat. (London, 1895), p. 17 f.   ^{245    Matt. iii. 5.}Then went out unto him the people of Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region which is about the [14, 15] Jordan; 246    Matt. iii. 6.and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  247    Matt. iii. 7.But when he saw many of the Pharisees248    The translator uses invariably an Arabic word (name of a sect) meaning Separatists. and Sadducees249    Lit. Zindiks, a name given to Persian dualists and others. coming to be baptized, he said unto them, Ye children of vipers, who hath led you to flee from the wrath to come?  [16, 17] 250    Matt. iii. 8.Do now the fruits which are worthy of repentance; 251    Matt. iii. 9.and think and say not within yourselves, We have a father, even Abraham; for I say unto you, that God is able to [18] raise up of these stones children unto Abraham.  252    Matt. iii. 10.Behold, the axe hath been laid at the roots of the trees, and so every tree that beareth not good fruit shall be taken and [19] cast into the fire.  253    Luke iii. 10.And the multitudes were asking him and saying, What shall we do?  [20] 254    Luke iii. 11.He answered and said unto them, He that hath two tunics shall255    Grammar requires this rendering, but solecisms in this kind of word are very common, and in this work (e.g., § 48, 21) the jussive particle is sometimes omitted.  We should therefore probably render let him give, let him do, etc. give to him that [21] hath not; and he that hath food shall256    Grammar requires this rendering, but solecisms in this kind of word are very common, and in this work (e.g., § 48, 21) the jussive particle is sometimes omitted.  We should therefore probably render let him give, let him do, etc. do likewise.  257    Luke iii. 12.And the publicans also came [22] to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what shall we do?  258    Luke iii. 13.He said unto [23] them, Seek not more than what ye are commanded to seek.  259    Luke iii. 14.And the servants260    cf. Peshitta, where the word has its special meaning, soldiers. of the guard asked him and said, And we also, what shall we do?  He said unto them, Do not violence to any man, nor wrong him; and let your allowances satisfy you.

[24] 261    Luke iii. 15 .And when the people were conjecturing about John, and all of them thinking [25] in their hearts whether he were haply262    Our translator constantly uses this Arabic word (which we render haply, or, can it be? or, perhaps, etc.) to represent the Syriac word used in this place.  The latter is used in various ways, and need not be interrogative, as our translator renders it (cf. especially § 17, 6). the Messiah, 263    Luke iii. 16.John answered and said unto them, I baptize you with water; there cometh one after me who is stronger than I, the latchets of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen; he will baptize you with the [26] Holy Spirit and fire:  264    Luke iii. 17 .who taketh the fan in his hand to cleanse his threshing-floors, [Arabic, p. 16] and the wheat he gathereth into his garners, while the straw he shall burn in fire which can265    Or, shall. not be put out.

[27] 266    Luke iii. 18.And other things he taught and preached among the people.

[28] 267    Matt. iii. 13.Then came Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized of him.  [29] 268    Luke iii. 23a.And Jesus was about thirty years old, and it was supposed that he was the son of [30] Joseph.269    The Vat. ms. here gives the genealogy (Luke iii. 23–38), of which we shall quote only the last words:  the son of Adam; who (was) from God.  If this were not the reading of the Peshitta (against Sin.) and Ibn-at-Tayyib’s Commentary, one might explain from as a corruption of the Arabic son of, the words being very similar.  On the Borg. ms. see § 55, 17, note.  270    John i. 29.And John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, This is the Lamb of [31] God, that taketh on itself the burden of the sins of the world!  271    John i. 30.This is he concerning whom I said, There cometh after me a man who was before me, because he was [32] before me.272    cf. § 3, 54, note.  273    John i. 31.And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, [33] for this cause came I to baptize with water.  274    Matt. iii. 14.And John was hindering him and [34] saying, I have need of being baptized by thee, and comest thou to me?  275    Matt. iii. 15.Jesus answered him and said, Suffer this now:  thus it is our duty to fulfill all righteousness.  [35] Then he suffered him.  276    Luke iii. 21b.And when all the people were baptized, Jesus also [36] was baptized.  277    Matt. iii. 16b.And immediately he went up out of the water, and heaven opened [37] [Arabic, p. 17] to him,278    For the statement of Isho’dad (see above, Introduction, 10), “And straightway, as the Diatessaron testifieth, light shone forth,” etc., see Harris, Fragments, etc., p. 43 f.279    Luke iii. 22a.and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the similitude of the [38] body of a dove; 280    Matt. iii. 17.and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved [39] Son, in whom I am well pleased.  281    John i. 32.And John bare witness and said, I beheld the [40] Spirit descend from heaven like a dove; and it abode upon him.  282    John i. 33.But I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt behold the Spirit descending and lighting upon him, the same is he that [41] baptizeth with the Holy Spirit.  283    John i. 34.And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God.

[42, 43] 284    Luke iv. 1a.And Jesus returned from the Jordan, filled with the Holy Spirit.  285    Mark i. 12.And immediately the Spirit took him out into the wilderness, to be tried of the devil;286    Lit. calumniator.287    Mark i. 13b.and he [44] was with the beasts.  288    Matt. iv. 2a.And he fasted forty days and forty nights.  289    Luke iv. 2b.And he ate nothing [45] in those days, and at the end of them he hungered.  290    Matt. iv. 2b, 3.And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, speak, and these stones shall become [46] bread.  291    Matt. iv. 4.He answered and said, It is written, Not by bread alone shall man live, but [47] by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  292    Matt. iv. 5.Then the devil293    Lit. calumniator. brought [48] him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 294    Matt. iv. 6.and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down:  for it is written,

He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:

And they shall take thee on their arms,

So that thy foot shall not stumble against a stone.

[49] 295    Matt. iv. 7.Jesus said unto him, And296    Borg. ms. omits and. it is written also, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy [50] God.  297    Luke iv. 5.And the devil298    Lit. backbiter, a different word from that used above in § 4, 43, 47. took him up to a high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms [51] [Arabic, p. 18] of the earth, and their glory, in the least time; 299    Luke iv. 6.and the devil300    Lit. backbiter, a different word from that used above in § 4, 43, 47. said unto him, To thee will I give all this dominion, and its glory, which is delivered to [52] me that I may give it to whomsoever I will.  301    Luke iv. 7.If then thou wilt worship before me, all of it shall be thine.

Caput IV.

18. Deum nemo vidit unquam: unigenitus Dei, qui est in sinu Patris, ipse enarravit.

19. Et hoc est testimonium Ioannis, quando miserunt Iudaei ab Ierosolymis Sacerdotes et Levitas ad eum, ut interrogarent eum: Tu quis es?

20. Et confessus est, et non negavit, et confessus est, ipsum non esse Christum.

21. Et iterum interrogaverunt eum : Quid ergo ? Elias es tu ? Et dixit: Non sum. Propheta es tu? Respondit: Non.

22. Dixerunt ei: Quis ergo es, ut responsum demus his, qui miserunt nos? quid dicis de teipso?

23. Ait: Ego vox clamantis in deserto: Dirigite viam Domini, sicut dixit Isaias propheta.

24. Et qui missi fuerant, erant ex Pharisaeis.

25. Et interrogaverunt eum, et dixerunt ei: Quid ergo baptizas cum non sis Christus, neque Elias, neque Propheta ?

26. Respondit Ioannes, et dixit illis; Ego baptizo in aqua: medius vestrum stat, quem vos nescitis.

27. Hic est, de quo dixi, quoniam post me venturus est, et ante me factus est, cuius ego non sum dignus, ut solvam corrigiam calceamenti eius.

28. Haec in Bethania facta sunt trans Iordanem, ubi Ioannes baptizabat.

Matth. III. 4. Porro Ioannes habebat vestimentum de pilis camelorum, et zonam pelliceam; esca autem eius erat locustae, et mei silvestre.

5. Tunc exibat ad eum populus Ierosolymae, et omnis Iudaea et omnis regio circa Iordanem;

6. et baptizabantur ab eo in flumine Iordanis, confitentes peccata sua.

7. Videns autem multos Pharisaeorum et Sadducaeorum venientes baptizari, dixit eis: Progenies viperarum, quis demonstravit vobis fugere a ventura ira?

8. Facite ergo fructus dignos poenitentiae.

9. Et ne existimetis, et dicatis intra vos: Patrem habemus Abraham; dico enim vobis, quoniam potens est Deus de lapidibus istis suscitare filios Abrahae.

10. Ecce securis ad radicem arboris posita est. Omnis ergo arbor, quae non facit fructum bonum, tolletur, et in ignem mittetur.

Luc. III, 10. Et interrogabant eum turbae, dicentes: Quid faciemus?

11. Respondens, dicebat illis: Qui habet duas tunicas, det non habenti; et qui habet escam, similiter faciat.

12. Venerunt autem et publicani ut baptizarentur, et dixerunt ad illum: Magister, quid faciemus?

13. Ait illis: Nihil amplius, quam quod constitutum est vobis, petatis.

14. Interrogabant autem eum milites, dicentes: Quid faciemus et nos? Ait illis: Neminem concutiatis, neque iniuste erga aliquem agatis, et contenti estote stipendiis vestris.

15. Existimante autem populo, et cogitantibus omnibus in cordibus suis de Ioanne, ne forte ipse esset Christus,

16. respondit Ioannes, et dixit illis: Ego aqua baptizo vos: veniet post me, qui fortior est me, cuius non sum dignus solvere corrigias calceamentorum eius: ipse vos baptizabit in Spiritu sancto et igni:

17. qui ventilabrum apprehendens in manu sua ad purgandam aream suam, congregabit triticum in horreum suum, paleas autem comburet igni inextinguibili.

18. Et alia docebat, et evangelizabat populo.

Matth. III, 13. Tunc venit Iesus a Galilaea in Iordanem ad Ioannem, ut baptizaretur ab eo.

Luc. III, 23. Et Iesus erat quasi natus annorum triginta, et putabatur filius Ioseph.

Ioan. I, 29. Ioannes autem vidit Iesum venientem ad se, et ait: Hic est Agnus Dei, qui tollit peccatum mundi.

30. Hic est, de quo dixi: Post me veniet vir, qui est ante me, quia prior me est.

31. Et ego nesciebam eum, sed ut manifestetur Israeli, propterea veni ego in aqua baptizans.

Matth. III, 14. Ioannes autem prohibebat eum, dicens: Ego indigeo a te baptizari, et tu venis ad me?

15. Respondens ei Iesus, dixit: Sine modo: sic decet nos implere omnem iustitiam. Tunc dimisit eum.

Luc. III. 21. Et cum baptizaretur omnis populus, baptizatus est et Iesus.

Matth. III, 16. Et confestim ascendit de aqua, et apertum est ei caelum.

Luc. III, 22. Et descendit Spiritus sanctus sub specie corporis columbae super ipsum:

Matth. III, 17. et ecce vox de coelo dicens: Hic est filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi complacui.

Ioan. 1, 32. Et testimonium perhibuit Ioannes, dicens: Porro ego vidi Spiritum descendentem quasi columbam de caelo, et mansit super eum.

33. Et ego nesciebam eum, sed qui misit me baptizare in aqua, ille mihi dixit: Super quem videris Spiritum descendentem et manentem, hic est, qui baptizat in Spiritu sancto.

34. Et ego vidi, et testimonium perhibui, quia hic est Filius Dei.

Luc. IV, 13. Iesus autem plenus Spiritu sancto regressus est a Iordane.

Marc. I, 12. Et statim Spiritus impulit eum in desertum,

13b. ut tentaretur a Satana; eratque cum bestiis.

Matth. IV, 2a. Et ieiunavit quadraginta diebus, et quadraginta noctibus,

Luc. IV, 2b. nihilque gustavit in diebus illis ;

Matth. IV, 2b. et postea esuriit.

3. Et accedens tentator dixit ei: si filius Dei es, dic, ut lapides isti panes fiant.

4. Respondit et dixit: Scriptura est: Non in solo pane vivit homo, sed in omni verbo, quod procedit de ore Dei.

5. Tunc adduxit eum diabolus in sanctam civitatem, et statuit eum super pinnaculum templi,

6. et dixit ei: Si filius Dei es, mitte te deorsum. Scriptum est enim: Quia Angelis suis mandavit de te, et in brachiis suis tollent te, ne forte offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum.

7. Ait illi Iesus: Rursum scriptum est: Non tentabis Dominum Deum tuum.

Luc. IV, 5. Assumpsit autem illum diabolus in montem excelsum, et ostendit illi omnia regna terrae, et gloriam eorum in momento temporis,

6. et ait illi diabolus: Tibi dabo potestatem hanc universam, et gloriam eius; quae mihi tradita sunt, ut dem illa cui voluero.

7. Si ergo adoraveris coram me, erunt tua omnia.