'77
FROM THE LIBRARY OF
REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D.
BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO
THE LIBRARY OF
PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
gcction l6b\
V
>>
FEB 5 1936
Till. \%
HKPENTANCE OF NINEVKII
A METRICAL HOMILY ON THE MI 8810 N OP
EPHRAEM SYRUS.
AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE, AND SOME SMALLER
I'IIj
I'mnslntpi from \\)i nrigmnl £ tjrinr,
T H A N INT B O D DCTI N AND NO T I
BY
THE REV. HENRY BURGESS, PH.D..
<>F (kjTTIN'<;r.\. ODBATB <>K BT. MART'S, BLACKBURN, AND TRANSLATOR 01
•.-Et.F.rr KXTRICAl ITYMX3 AND HOMILIES OF BPHKA1
" Nineveh hath been spoiled : Who will grieve for thee ?"
m iii 7
Innkit:
ROBERT B. BLACKADER, 13 PATERNOSTER ROW;
BAMPSON LOW. BON AM) CO.,
kOtam VOB Tin: 0W1TO state.-:
BERLIN: ASHEB AM) I
1853.
LONDON I
PKINTKD BY WALTON AND MITCHELL, 24, WARDOL'R STREET, OXFORD BTBBBT.
TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT,
d'lir.^ntnm,
TO AUSTEN II. LAYARD, ESQ., D.C.L.,
AND TO THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY
FOR EXPLORING THE
RUINS OF ASSYRIA AND BABYLON;
WITH THE CONVICTION THAT THEIR LABOURS
WILL TEND TO CONFIRM
THE TRUTH OF DIVINE REVELATION,
vTIjio l»nlmnr
IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.
•• f.piiraem, the mental euphrates of tne citcbcn, from whom the
whole company of believers bbikg watered, tnev pbodtjcb a hundred-
fold the fruit of faith.— ei'iiea em, that fertile vine of god. i uttinc.
fobti1 the fruits of the sweet clustkbs of doctrine, and rejoicing the
children of the ohubch with the fulness uf divine love.'
Gregorius Nvssents
CONTENTS.
PAOB
Dedication ;;;
Preface X1
Introduction : —
I. On the probablo Origin and Intention of the " Ke-
i'entaxce of Nineveh ;" II. On its literary charac-
teristics x i x
(TIjb Ilrpnttnnrr nf iUittrnrlj,
PrOCEJIIUM
PABT THE PIKST.
Jouah preaches in Nineveh.— His testimony is received and
credited.— The effects on public morals.— Jonah compared
to a faithful physician.— The king sets an example of
repentance, and his subjects follow ,;
PABT THE SECOND.
The terror and lamentation of children and young persons
caused by the message of Jonah.— Their parents try to
comfort them.— They act as Abraham did when soothing
the fears of Isaac.— They hold out hope to their little
ones bnt cannot themselves entertain it 16
V1 CONTENTS.
PART THE THIRD.
The king comes forth to the people weeping and clothed with
sackcloth.— A description of the misery of the city.—
The king addresses his armies and gives them his coun-
sel.— He refers to God's government of the world, that
He is merciful as well as just, and suggests repentance.
—He illustrates his advice by the case of the flood in the
days of Noah.— A description of that event 28
PART THE FOURTH.
The king relates his interview with Jonah, his contempt both
of threatenings and promises.— He compares the prophet
to a faithful physician who prescribes painful remedies,
and contrasts him with those who predict good things for
the sake of gain.— He suggests fasting and prayer.— He
refers to the temptation of Job by Satan, and exhorts to
a general and entire humiliation 40
PART THE FIFTH.
I'lir kin- Beta the example, the people follow, and put on
sackcloth.— He sends to his subjects, and himself goes
through the city urging all to repentance.— Jonah is
filled with wonder, and contrasts the reformation of the
Ninevites with the impenitence of his own people. —
Divine grace taught Nineveh that by fasting the threat-
ened doom might be averted 55
PART THE SIXTH.
Jonah contemplates from a distance the altered state of Nine-
vcli.— He compares its repentant inhabitants with the
rebellions and obdurate Israelites. -The crimes of Israel
are enumerated.— The predicted day a1 length arrives. —
The fears of all classes are described.— Preternatural
portents indicate the coming doom 72
\ii
PABT THE SEVENTH.
The day predicted by Jonafa passes, and Nineveh is not over-
thrown. — Jonafa is disappointed, the Ninevites begin to
hope. — They give thanks to God, expostulate with Jonah,
and invite him to rejoice with them. — They flock to hifl
bower, and hear the conversation between him and God.
TART THE EIGHTH.
The Ninevites praise God for pleading their cause. — Jonali
ceases from his vexation. — lie is carried in triumph by
the people, who load him with presents which they had
vowed in their trouble. — Jonah's humiliation in the fish
and Ins honour among the Ninevites are contrasted. — The
king orders him to be conducted home in royal state. —
The nations he passes through treat him with reverence. . 98
PART THE NINTH.
The Ninevites accompany Jonah to the borders of his own
country. — They wish to enter it and to conduct the pro-
phet home. — Jonah, fearful lest they should witness the
iniquities of the Israelites, endeavours to divert them
from their purpose. — His anxiety on this subject de-
scribed. — He is guilty "1" falsehood and deceit. — The Ni-
nevites yield, but having parted from Jonah they ascend
a hill to get a distant view of the land L06
PART THE TENTH.
From the top of the hill the Ninevites behold the abominations
of the Israelites. — They see the calves of Jeroboam, nu-
merous idolatrous altars, and the licentiousness of the
worshippers. — All Beem given up to Satan. — They are
horrified at the sight. — Their conversation on the sub-
ject lis
VI 11 CONTENTS.
PART THE ELEVENTH.
I'AG I
Saving Been the wickedness of the Israelites, the Ninevites
resolve to return to their own country. — While honour-
ing Jonah, they condemn his countrymen, who boast
themselves of their relation to Abraham, while they are
idolaters. — They sing a song of praise to God, and call
upon all classes of the people to join them 132
THE CONCLUSION.
Ephraem compares the repentance of the Ninevites with that
of his hearers, and concludes by blessing God 141
%n (0ijrnrtfltnra tn llrjiriitnnrr.
PART THE FIRST.
The great value of repentance illustrated by the cases of the
rich man and Lazarus and the wise and foolish virgins.—
The repentant are encouraged to apply to Christ by the
numerous examples of those who sinned, and vet were
saved by faith. — Christ compared to a physician, and the
penitent to B sick man 1 17
PART THE SECOND.
The anarea of Satan arc deprecated. — The victories of David
referred to.— He conquered the lion and the bear, but was
jvercome by temptation.— His repentance an encourage-
ment to Others. — Chrisl is a sure physician. — Hispro-
• are quoted.— The BOUl WOUld imitate David's re
pentance and faith, thai it may employ Ins Language of
praise 158
I'Ul.l A( I . XY11
covered by myself) which my sense of the value of truth
will qoI allow me to conceal, though it is very probable
that without my own confession it might never have been
discovered, unless indeed the Syriac of Ephraem shall
receive a larger portion of studious attention than it is
likely to meet with at present. I allude to the expression,
Son of the kingdom, as applied to Jesus Christ, in the
first and seventh Hymns of the Select Metrical Hymns
and Homilies. In each case the phrase should be, Son
of a, or the King ; and I beg the possessors of the volume
to make the necessary correction in the text, the notes,
and the Index, in the places thus indicated.
This mistake is one of pure oversight, since the words
confounded together are most elementary and of constant
occurrence. I saw the error the moment I cast my eye
on the Syriac text, after the work was published. That
it should be committed twice will not appear very remark-
able to those who know the influence of a tenacious
memory upon mental associations. The word was read
kingdom in the first instance, from a somewhat dingy
page on a winter's day, and the memory, more than the
eye, afterwards perpetuated the mistake. Had I read
the Latin translation, I should have been set right at
once, but its paraphrastic character has prevented its being
consulted by me so much as might have been expected.
T have noticed many expressions, which, as a matter of
taste, 1 should perhaps alter in a second edition, but this
is the only erratum of which I am conscious, and, from
principle, I feel bound to point it out to my readers.
xv m PREF.u E.
I now take my leave of the very numerous patrons
by whose generous assistance these volumes have been
completed ; and, while thanking them for their kindness,
would express a hope that they may find personal gratifi-
cation in these results of my labours, and also be the
instruments of calling more attention to the great claims
of Syriac literature.
Henry Burgess.
Blackburn. Nov. 24, 1853.
INTRODUCTION.
The Repentance of Nineveh, now first presented in an
English dress, is printed in the original Syriac in the
Roman edition of the works of Ephraera, published by
the learned Asseman." At the end of the Commentary
on the Old Testament, written in prose, there are found
some metrical homilies, with the title, In selecta divince
Scriptural loca Sermones Exegetici (Exegetical Discourses
on select passages of Holy Scripture), of which this is
the longest and most important. They are twelve in
number, although by an error, only eleven arc mentioned
in the index. Each one has a text of Scripture as its
theme, of which a free and practical exposition is given.
In the Bibliotheca Orientalis, Asseman catalogues thirty-
one of these homilies, the whole of which are hepta-
« Duuiits bare been ax proseod aa to the p ropriety of spelling thlfl name with-
out the final i, as it is often written in English books, [f the name li
the final I would lie Inseparable from it ; but ire consider it as an Italian name,
ami Anglicise it accordingly.
XX INTRODUCTION.
syllabic ; but only twelve are found here, the others
being distributed under various heads in the collected
works. In this catalogue, the homily now translated is
marked as the third, with only this short notice : " Con-
cerning the prophet Jonah and the Ninevites ;" the two
first verses being added, as is customary with Asseman.
There is therefore nothing to call special attention to this
piece, and it was only by an inspection of the whole col-
lection, as printed in the Roman edition, that we became
aware of its great claims upon our attention.
Asseman mentions fifty-one hymns, De Virginitate^ of
which the forty -first and eight following are said to be
concerning Jonah and the Ninevites. " These," says
Asseman (Bibliotheca Orientalis, torn, i., p. 98), " are
different from that which begins, ' Behold, Jonah preached
in Nineveh.' " He gives the first verse, " I flee for refuge
to Thy mercy ;" from which we may presume these hymns
were more devotional than historical. We can find no-
thing like them in the printed works. Asseman then
comments on a passage in one of them in the following
manner: — "The Marcionists affirmed that it was lawful
to baptize a Christian man twice ; St. Ephracm here
refutes the error by teaching that sins committed after
baptism required the remedy of repentance. He says,
* Because men should not be baptized again, they should
not sin again. But since there i* defilement, there is also
a cleansing, lie who gave hope in baptism will not cut
it off; — He gives forgiveness.' " We have translated from
the Syriac and not from Asseinan's Latin, for the obvious
INPIDBLITX OP LSSEMAM B TRANSLATION. xxi
reason, that the latter is not trustworthy. The sentiment
of Ephraem is simple enough, and quite scriptural, but
Asseman gives it a turn purely papistical by as gross an
abuse of words as perhaps was ever perpetrated in con-
troversy. Ephraem says that (Jod gives forgiveness
|1 OnOj, a word of constant occurrence, and concerning
which there can be no difference of opinion. Yet Asseman
renders the sentence, " Indulgentiam adjecit, id est, Cla-
vhun potestatem, — lie adds indulgence, that is, the power
of the keys I" This specimen of infidelity will justify
the animadversions we have often felt it our duty to
make on the Latin translation of Ephraem, and shew- how
impossible it is to get at his real opinions by any
Roman Catholic medium.
These nine homilies are evidently altogether different in
character from The Repentance of Nineveh, for it is re-
markable that in this composition Ephraem never alludes
to purely Christian matters, but confines himself rigidly to
the measure of knowledge possessed under the Old Testa-
ment in the days of Jonah. While, therefore, we should
have been glad to have been able to consult them, we have
no reason to believe that much light would be derived
from them to our present task. The mission of Jonah and
its results is a very common topic in the Syrian Church,
and forms a part of their liturgical services. Thus we arc
informed by Mr. Badger (The Nestorians and their liituals,
vol. i., p. 78), that a piece called Baootha d' Ninwaye
(The Supplication of Nineveh) still enters into the service
of the Nestorians.
XX11 INTKODUCTIOX.
AYe expected to derive great advantages in the prosecu-
tion of our task from the Commentary on Jonah, which is
mentioned in the catalogue of Asseman as existing in Sy-
riac. Having seen the minor prophets in the printed
works, we took it for granted that Jonah would be there,
especially as it receives rather a lengthy notice in the
Bibliotheca. We had found Ephraem's expositions of
great use in other cases, and felt sure that his homily must
receive great illustration from his calm and prosaic exe-
gesis of the scriptural account of Jonah. AVe confess we
were deeply disappointed, when, on turning to the Com-
mentary on the Prophets, Jonah was not to be found. As
Asseman gives extracts from the MS., which, for some
unstated reason, has not been printed, we will, as far as
possible, make up for the loss by translating what is there
furnished. (Bibliotheca Orientalis, torn, i., p. 70.)
"Jonah," says Ephraem, "sprung from the city of
Naharin, and when he returned from Nineveh, he retired
with his mother to T}Te. 'For by doing this,' he said.
' I shall not be exposed to the derision of men, who taunt
me with my false prophecy concerning the destruction of
Nineveh.' " Asseman adds, that this account is also given
by Epiphanius. On the text, " Nineveh was a (/raft city
of 'three days journey '," Ephraem thus comments: "The
three days' journey does not allude to the length of the
city, but to the fact thai in that time the preaching of Jonah
had pervaded the whole of it. On the first day it reached
the ears of the people ; on the second, the nobles ;*and the
third, the king and all his servants." The same view,
■STENTS. IX
PABT THE THIRD.
PAGE
God'a mercy is to be greatly magnified. — The words of Christ,
like those of a physician, comfort the penitent. — Repent-
ance should lead to stedfast reformation. — The Christian
should labour for an incorruptible crown, as men do for
one which is corruptible 17"
PART THE FOURTH.
The freedom of man's will to repent or continue hi sin. — God's
appeals to that effect by the prophets. — There is joy in
heaven over penitent sinners. — God has abundantly done
his part. — From all its evils and dangers the soul flees for
refuge to the cross of Christ 178
a |fanpr nf tjp pniM iss
Sto (toning |fanpr m
ilrantiriatinn nf tjp tt»arl& 193
Indices : —
I. Of Syriac words illustrated ; II. Of Texts of Scripture;
III. Of Subjects 201
■ to mv faint and sickly soul,
Which hitter troubles have afflicted,
Come, Thou mighty One of renown;
Expel them, and I shall be at rest.
O Lord, I am a field of thorns,
Kven OF SINS OF LONG STANDING;
holy Husbandman,
Root out the tabes fbom Thy gbgund.
Satan hath bound me -with ins v<»ke.
That 1 may WORK fob him in SERVITUDE;
<) MY KIND AND LAWFUL MASTER,
Free me, that I may be indeed Thine ow» I"
Parcenetica, Tom. vi.. p. ;:«.is.
PREFACE.
It is with no ordinary satisfaction that I now present to
English readers a second volume of translations from
Ephraem Syras. The approbation bestowed on the
Hymns and Homilies by the almost consentient voice
of the Subscribers to the work, was sufficient encourage-
ment to me to incur the great labour of compiling a
similar volume. The admiration expressed of the piety
and genius of Ephraem, as discerned amidst all the dis-
advantages of a translation, proceeded from the highest
of minds, and strikingly confirmed the opinion I
had myself formed from the independent study of my
author. I believe thai the longer and more elaborate
pieces which I now present to my readers will deepen
the impressions produced byEphraem's minor productions,
I think I may Bay, without any hesitation, that these
two small volumes present a father of the Church in a form
far more attractive- than printed patristic literature has
yet given to the noble band of Christian writers to whom
Xll PREFA< E.
Ephraem belongs. While acknowledged by all sensible
persons to be of inestimable value, the writings of the
fathers have been thought to be destitute of attractions
for general readers, and they have been used more as
defences and illustrations of divine truth than as having
an interest as readable productions. This opinion i-
partly erroneous, for how much that is eloquent and
beautiful is found in the early apologists and homilists
and commentators of the Church ! But it is also partly
true; for the fathers are generally treated rather as part
of the literary apparatus of the learned than as intended
for common readers, and a large portion of their produc-
tions really have a very recondite character. Athanasius's
treatises against the Arians are full of instructive matter,
but never can become popular ; and the same remark may
be made respecting a very large proportion of the writ-
ings of the fathers. Much might still be done to render
many of their pieces acceptable to English readers ; but
with regard to the bulk of them, such a result would
be impossible. They will remain monuments of sancti-
fied genius, and supply important materials for Church
history and casuistical divinity, but cannot enter very
Considerably into the ordinary literature of the people.
But the case is quite different with the greater part of
the writings of Ephraem Syrus. They were originally com-
posed adpoptdum, and have those qualities which fit them
to be read with pleasure by Christian people of every age
:ui(l condition. They are mostly /><>cui}>, possessing great
variety of outward form, much spirit and fancy in their
PREFA4 I.. xui
style, and of general interest in the topics they treat of.
They come home to the heart hy their recognition of
the events of every-day life, and by their constant refer-
ence to the joys and sorrows which are identified with
our humanity. Many of them indeed are polemical, but
even those abound with the literary qualities which can
make controversy pleasing. But the greater part are
meditative and hortatory, sounding the depths of human
passions, both in their storms and conflicts and in their
seasons of tranquillity and calm. Over the whole there
is spread the air of an unaffected piety, caught from the
divine models of the Holy Scriptures, and from intimate
and daily communion with God. We are much mistaken
in our estimate of human nature, if the contents of these
two volumes are not found to vibrate in unison with
some of the most concealed and delicate chords of the
heart.
My first design extended no further than the transla-
tion of the Repentance of Nineveh, but finding it of less
extent than I had calculated upon, I added the Exhorta-
tion t<> Repentance, as being a kindred subject, though
treated in an entirely different style. I am glad that
this opportunity was furnished me of giving a specimen
of Ephraem's meditative and pathetic manner, as exhi-
bited in the last named Homily. In the former volume
the pieces arc short, and do not test the capacity of the
writer for sustained and lengthy composition. The
Repentance of Nineveh is a narrative wrought up with
an evident reference to effect, as addressed to a popular
X1V PREFACE.
audience, and proves how exhaustless were the stores
of imagination which the Deacon of Edessa possessed at
his command. But the Exhortation to Repentance is
humble, plaintive, and subdued ; more like the utterance
of the writer's own heart before God than an artistic
attempt to move others. In Nineveh, we see Ephraem
as the eloquent orator carrying with him his audience,
like Isaiah or Ezekiel ; in the Exhortation, he comes
before us more in the spirit of Jeremiah when he wrote
his « Lamentations." The smaller pieces possess nothing
different from those inserted in the Hymns and Homilies,
to which they may be considered as supplemental.
My execution of this volume has deepened the convic-
tion I before felt, that Ephraem can only have justice
done to him by the metrical form of his writings being
recognized, in any version which may be given of them.
It is true I have not attempted to retain his metre, but
have been satisfied with a free rhythm, yet even this is
sufficient to convey a far better idea of the original, than
a purely prosaic arrangement of his sentiments 'could
possibly do. In almost all cases the matter is gi ve n y me
for line as it exists in the original ; the unavoidable ex-
ceptions to this rule being too few to merit notice. This
gives the reader a good idea of the force, the brevity,
and the elliptical eharaeter of the heptasyllabic verses
which Ephraem employed. I hope indeed, notwithstand-
ing every drawback rendered inevitable by my translation,
thai I have succeeded in giving, in the two volumes, a
life-like representation of the principal characteristics of
PREFA( i:. xv
Ephraem, and of that metrical literature which musl have
formed so potent an instrument for instructing the Church,
in the age and country in which he lived. My task has
been one of great interest to myself, and the pleasure
I have found in reading my author has enabled me, I
hope, to catch some of his spirit, and transfuse it into
the language in which I have clothed his thoughts.
I have found, even more than in the former volume,
how great are the philological stores awaiting arrange-
ment in this vast magazine of Syriac learning. The
number of words, or modifications of meanings, which
I have marked and catalogued as being at present unre-
presented in existing Lexicons, represent only a part
of this material, so abundant in its resources as develop-
ing the wealth of the language. My hand was contin-
ually held back from annotation by the recollection that
I intended my volume, in a great measure, for English
readers, otherwise the notes would have been far more
extensive than they now are. Grammatical forms not yet
chronicled abound in the pieces now translated, and we
have a pleasing conviction that a language which has
been described as rugged and barren has its delicate
beauties as well as its hoary sublimities. At a distance
indeed, we see nothing but the mountain tops and the
craggy steeps destitute of verdure ; but a nearer acquaint-
ance with the country brings us into familiarity with
fertile and variegated regions, and even with little sunny
spots enamelled with the choicest flowers.
A wish has been expressed to me by some whose opi-
XVI PREFACE.
nions I highly respect, that I had accompanied both
volumes with such a portion of commentary as would
point out what I might consider Ephraem's departures
from scriptural truth. I have glanced at this subject in
the former volume, a and can only say that my judgment
is decidedly in favour of allowing each reader to form his
own opinion on the points alluded to. I am far from
being satisfied that the free utterance of my own opinions,
upon matters of a doubtful complexion, would give satis-
faction to those who have wished to have them. AYhile
it can be easily gathered by an attentive reader of these
volumes that I am not disposed to yield implicit credence
to patristic tradition, I must at the same time confess,
that I think the historical development of the Gospel
revelation is too often ignored and undervalued, from the
fear of certain evils which attended the Church of the
first ages, as they have, more or less, accompanied it in
every century of its existence. My object, besides, has
been a literary one, although having sacred themes for
its basis ; and I have felt that I could not, with propriety,
ask for aid in publishing the writings of Ephraem, while
making them the vehicle for airy peculiar views of my
own.
I have received a few suggestions from friends respect-
ing the former volume, but they are not of sufficient
importance to demand more than this general recognition
and acknowledgment. An error has, however, been dis-
. ffymna «>,<< / p. w L,
DI8CBEPAM4 V OP THE BEBREW TEXT AND THE I. XX. xxiii
nji Asseman, is given, aa derived from Ephraem, by
Gregory Bar ETebneua in his Horreum Mysteriorum. On
the passage, " within forty days Nineveh shall be <
thrown," Ephraem has these observations on the Hebrew
text and the version of the Seventy: —
" Jonah began to enter into Nineveh, a journey of three
days, and he preached and said, Within, or yet, FOBTT
days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. The Greek reads
There are yet thbee days and Nineveh shall be over-
thrown. Now both of these is true ; for it is written in
the Hebrew copies thus, — Jonah began to enter into the
city in forty days. It must be perceived that it was not
possible the city should be of forty days' journey, neither
that Jonah shoidd remain there forty days, until he saw
what would happen to the city. Had such been the case,
where would Jonah have made his home? Besides, when
the heat of the sun smote upon the head of Jonah, it is
written, that a gourd came up over his head, to form a
shade for him. But if this gourd remained for forty days
to keep the heat of the sun from Jonah, why do we read
in the same text, that it came up in a night and perished in
a night* The Seventy therefore rightly render, Within
three days and Nineveh shall be overturned; reckoning the
forty days from the time Jonah escaped from the belly of
the fish, and took his journey towards Nineveh : but the
three days they expound of his preaching in that city,
declaring that that was the time allotted to the Ninevites
for repentance. Thus both statements are true: there
XXIV INTRODUCTION.
were forty days of travel, and three days of Jonah's
preaching and of God's forbearance."
"From this passage," proceeds Asseman, "we learn
that Ephraem was not ignorant of the Greek language,
for he mentions the version of the Seventy ; or at least,
that he had read that translation turned into Syriac. [Two
entirely different things, by the way.] As to what he
says of the Hebrew text, I suspect that he either used a
very incorrect copy, or that, by the carelessness of the
transcriber, the words forty days were joined to the enter-
ing of Jonah into Nineveh. For in the Hebrew text it
reads thus : And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's
journey, and he cried and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh
shall be overthrown. See Ribera on this place, who thinks
the difficulty scarcely soluble. Augustine thinks that the
Hebrew reading is to be followed."*
This is a remarkable passage on many accounts, and it
will strike the reader of the Repentance of Nineveh as
extraordinary, that if such were the view of Ephraem as
to the term of three days, he should so constantly presume
on the longer period being the correct one, in this compo-
sition. We cannot stay to reconcile these discrepancies,
but will leave them for future meditation. Let the reader
however compare the extract just given by Asseman from
b Augustine discusses this remarkable discrepancy between the Hebrew text
and the Septuagint, from which no various readings relieve us, in his work, De
OivitaU Dei, lib. .wiii.. cap. n. Bee also the note of Coquaus, cm the passage.
The Codex Byriaco-HaeaplariB, reads tkret daps,
LATIN TRANSLATION OP Tills HOMILY.
the Corm ' <h. with the following \.
its connection, on page 11 of this volume : —
That they fated from :
But will this Hebrew prophet
Thus fast, as long as they did y"
It may be asked, how it was possible for Ephraem thus
ave the idea of forty days s intimately into hia nar-
rative, if he possessed so strong a conviction that three
days was the appointed time ? One thing is quite clear,
that the Syrians generally entertained the view cow
by the Hebrew received text, or Ephraem would not have
constructed his homily so exclusively on the presumption
that Nineveh was allowed a probation of forty d
There is a Latin translation of this piece executed by
as from a Greek version, and it is printed in the
third volume of the Roman edition of the worl
Ephraem, p. .301. The conclusion of it, not found in the
Syriac original, is given on p. 143 of this work. Asseman
fit: " This is edited by Vossius, from Greek c
as is plain from the various readings in the margin. We
have not access to the Greek version, but it is tin
discourse as we have published in vol. ii. in Syriac Bv
that the good faith of Vossins is confirmed. How much
reek translator wandered from the Syriac may be
seen by any one comparing them.'' It is curious to collate
this Latin version, made from a Greek one, with the
original Syriac; in most oases, the differences are •
b
x.N vi INTRODUCTION.
than might be expected. Large portions are omitted. If
any exact revision of the Syriac text were needed, valuable
aid might in some cases be afforded by this version.
Having thus stated all we are able to produce regarding
the text of the Repentance of Nineveh, we propose to con-
sider the homily under the following heads. We shall
first inquire what was the probable origin and intention of
this production of Ephraem, and then give an estimate of
its literary characteristics.
I. On the probable Origin and Intention of the
"Repentance of Nineveh."
There is abundant proof that the metrical homilies of
Ephraem were composed for popular audiences. At a
period of the history of the world when books were pro-
duced by a slow and expensive process, there is a priori
evidence of this, which receives- confirmation from the
pieces themselves. Their metrical form is indeed an
aryumentum ad popidum, an evident expedient to catch
the ear and assist the memory. Then there are direct
appeals to a listening auditory, found everywhere in these
writings, presenting Ephraem to us as sustaining the rela-
tion of a careful pastor to an attentive and admiring
(lock.
In our former volume, we have brought forward all that
can be gleaned from history which is illustrative of this
subject. Ephraem found the metrical capabilities of his
native tongue had been successfully used for the propaga-
BPHBAEM 8 YOUTHFUL IMP]
lion of false doctrine, and that, in union with the charms
of music, Bardesanes and Harmoninfl had made it a pow-
erful instrument for moulding the popular mind. Se
enlisted these agencies on the side of truth, and soon ex-
celled his predecessors in the arts he borrowed from them.
There is a very remarkable passage in his testament, or
last will, which shews how zealously he had given himself
to this work, and how strong was his conviction that he
was divinely called to execute it. This production, in
heptasyllabics, is contained in the second volume of the
i :i edition of his works, among the Greek translations.
necessary to mention this, because we searched in
vain for it in the three folios of Syriac works, and only
met with it by accident in the volumes appropriated to the
Greek versions. The extract is from p. 40 : —
" When I was but a little child,
Yet reposing on my mother's breast,
I saw as it were in a vision,
What turned out to be truth;
A vine sprung forth frum my tongue.
Which grew and touched the heaven:
It produced fruit without measure,
And branches also innumerable ;
The people gathered from it without stint.
Yet its clustera became mure abundant.
■ bunches of fruit were Hymns.
And these branches were H sullies;
i-r of them,
j I*' to Him for His goodn
iw to me according t" 1 1 i — pi .
Prom the house of II is treeusui
With this simple piece of autobiography, all the k;
b a
XXVlll INTRODUCTION.
circumstances of the life of Ephraem perfectly agree. He
was a monk, but not a solitary one ; he had renounced
some human ties, but only to link himself in closer union
with mankind. He might live in a cell, but it was the
centre of holy influences, going forth from day to day
through a long life, to bless a populous country, whose
inhabitants acknowledged his ministerial control. Some
men of the same ecclesiastical grade with him, have com-
posed treatises for the learned few, and chosen posterity
for their audience ; but it was not so with Ephraem. It
was the people whom he knew, his disciples and the great
body of his fellow-citizens, who stretched out their bands
to pluck the grapes of that fruitful vine, and pressed
around to drink in with their ears the hymns and homilies
of his lips.
The fact then is generally established, that Ephraem" s
poetical pieces were written for popular audiences ; but it
is not so easy to define their precise use as instruments of
religious instruction. We must look in vain for those
pictures of real life, which in later ages seem to bring us
into contact with the great and the good, and we most real
satisfied with such an imaginative filling up of colour as
we can give to the dim historic outlines of this antique
cartoon. We know not in what sacred buildings these
homilies were delivered, or under the shadow of what
luxuriant trees. We cannot tell how often they were
repeated, whether on the Lord's days alone, or in the cool
of ordinary days, when the workman left his employ, and
the declining shadows brought home the tiller of the
PUBLIC EVENTS IMPROVED nv EPHRAEM. x.\i\
soil. But, in the absence of such precise and graphic
information, we have what is really more valuable, tin-
clear discovery that Ephraem made all events which were
interesting to humanity, the occasions of his pious and
eloquent instructions. It is remarkable that we find 00
traces of the first outward event of the Christian life, the
dedication of the infant or the adult to God in baptism,
being celebrated with a holy song; but abundant are the
compositions intended to arouse the professed Christian to
duty, to cheer his death-bed, or to stimulate survivors by
the examples of the departed. Ephraem acted as though
he had continually sounding in his ears the exhortation of
St. Paul, " Preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season; reprove, rebuke,' exhort, with all long-suffering and
doctrine."
The great events of national history, especially such as
in those times so frequently agitated society, were seized
by Ephraem as affording occasions for producing or deep-
ening religious impressions. The pestilence, or the irrup-
tion of savage hordes, attracted by the treasures of a
civilized and refined people, often spread gloom and deso-
lation around God's altars, and called forth Ephraem's
most pathetic strains. In the Twenty-second Hymn of our
former volume, the ravages of the plague caused him to
Bay, —
•• Who would not weep, my brethren,
With bitter woilinj
Who docs not sin • i. and sigh,
For the iword which is iii
Young men, beloved ami comely,
Wither suddenly like floi
XXX INTRODUCTION.
Then again, in the Evening Prayer, on p. 188 of this
work, the still worse scourge of war and invasion is re-
ferred to : —
" The altars which are destroyed pray with us,
And the churches which are devastated,
Which the children of Ilagar have laid waste."
What led Ephraem to write the Repentance of Nineveh?
This is a question we can only answer conjecturally, as an
allusion or two in the body of the work are the only data
to guide us to a conclusion. That it was composed for a
season of fasting, appears from a passage beginning at
verse 61, Part I. : —
" When compared with that repentance,
This of ours is like a dream;
In the presence of that supplication,
This of ours is hut a shadow;
Compared with that humiliation,
This of ours is hut the outward form ;
For they were generous to forgive
Their dehts In thai
The same thought is reiterated in the conclusion, and
thus no doubt can be entertained that some season of humi-
liation gave Ephraem an opportunity of writing this
homily. There is no internal evidence to shew that any
special public event had occurred, any calamity which a
general fosi was intended to lessen or remove; a staled
9eaSOD, Occurring every year, seems rather to be indicated.
iVrhaps tradition may here lend us a helping hand, and
enable us to arrive at some definite conclusion.
Now, among the fasts of the Syrian Christians, continued
to the present day, there is one called the fast of the Nine-
THE SYRIAN PAST OP THE NINEVITES. XXXI
vites, which is of great antiquity, and is observed with
great regularity and solemnity. Mr. Etheridgc, in his
highly interesting work, The Syrian Churches, their Early
History, Liturgies and Literature, says, that the fast of
the Ninevites began on the Monday, and lasted till the
Thursday before Lent; and we learn from Mr. Badger,
that among the Nestorians, it is observed in the most
solemn manner by all classes, and very few take food
during the three days that it lasts, until sunset. But we
have more ancient authority on this subject, carrying up
the fast to the early centuries of the Christian era, when
its origin is lost amidst uncertain traditions.
Amrus, a Syrian writer of the fourteenth century, is
quoted by Asseman (P^bliotheca Orientalis, torn, ii., p. 413)
as relating that a pestilence broke out in the East during
the primacy of Ezekiel, in the sixth century ; but that a
fast having been kept, it desisted from its ravages. His
words are : " The reason why the above-named pestilence
ceased, is this : The Metropolitan of Beth-Garma and the
Bishop of Nineveh agreed among themselves to proclaim a
fast, and made known their intention to Ezekiel. He, ap-
proving of their design, wrote letters throughout the East,
urging all to be of one mind, and to fast and pray for the
space of three days, and beseech God, that having pity
upon them, He would receive their prayers, as He did
those of the Ninevites, and avert death from His people.
He moreover decreed that this fast of three days should
be observed for ever. When they had done this, God
heard them and took away the plague. From that time it
XXXn INTRODUCTION.
called the fast of the Mnevdes, because they had said,
I At as imitate the Ninevites, and because, like them, they
were delivered from the scourg
A somewliat similar testimony is found in Arabic, being
the narration of Elias Damascenes, a Nestorian bishop.
He says : " Some persons contended with Abulabbasus
Alphadlus, the son of Solomon, concerning the fast which
is called of the Ninemtes, and this happened at the time
of the said fast, in the two hundred and ninetieth year
of the Arabs, and the twelve hundred and fourteenth of
the Greeks, on the eleventh day of January. Abulabbasus
wrote to our father John, the Catholic/ by whose prayers
may we find help from God, asking him the origin of the
Ninevite fast, and of the fast of virgins. This is a copy
of the question and the answer. Question : ' Why
Catholic father, honoured of God, is the fast of three di
kept, called the fast of the Ninevites, which is observed
as sacredly as Lent? For that matter between Jonah
and the Ninevites relates to the old law, which we as sons
of the Church are not bound by. Which of the fathers
first instituted it, or brought it among us? For I re-
member, when about thirty years of age, to nave heard
lan more than a hundred years old say to me, that he
and all the inhabitants of Cascara neglected that Ninevite
. and did not then abstain from eating flesh,' &c
A.NSWBB :— ' We return an answer to your questions in
Arabic, because your letter to us is written in that lan-
I i the primate or patriarch by the Neatorians.
■ IN OP lilt: FA8T OP THE KINEYITE8. x.win
e, in order that without an interpreter yon ma;
our reply as to the contention which agitates you. What
you Bay regarding the children of the Church, that they
are not bound to the observance of the old law. is indeed
true. But we do not fast on those days on that account,
although, by a fignre of speech, the name of Nineveh
is given to the fast, but from another cause, which we
will now explain to you. There broke out in old time a
pestilent disease, by which many of the inhabitants of
Beth-Garma were affected and died. Sabar-Jesu, the
bishop of that place, through whose prayers may God
protect the Church, having called together his flock To
prayer, exhorted them, saying, ' If Almighty God,
through pity for the Ninevites, averted from them the
punishment threatened by the mouth of his prophet Jonah,
how much more will He have mercy upon us, wh
Hi- people, and who believe in Him and in His Christ,
and in His true Spirit!' The people therefore ol
nimands of their bishop, and, an assembly being
convened, celebrated a Beason of supplication with the
greatest possible seriousness; imitating those who. in
former times, deprived their children and cattle of drink,
and clothed their bodies in sackcloth. The memory of
ent has come down to our own day. Tn this
God removed the scourge from them. And further, when
Mar Tiinotheus. by whose prayers may God guard us,
attained to the honour of the primacy, he decreed that
this time of supplication should be kept, whic!, from that
time to this we have observed as a sacred custom. The
XXXIV INTRODUCTION.
name of this fast is not the Fast of the Ninevites, but the
Fast of the Decree, and the mention of Nineveh is made
for the reason above given, on account both of the simi-
larity of the threat and of the proclamation. In both
cases they were delivered from somewhat the same scourge.
Whoever then eats flesh on this fast, must pay the same
penalties as if he should eat flesh in Lent.' " (Dibliotheca
Orientalis, torn, ii., p. 427.)
These traditions have an air of probability about them,
but they leave the time of the institution of the fast some-
what doubtful. We can scarcely think that the fast men-
tioned by Ephraem, as the occasion for his composing his
homily, is the same as that now alluded to ; yet the
enquiry suggests itself, whether it was older than the
time of Ephraem, or took its rise from the recital of his
celebrated work on Jonah and the Ninevites. We have
already intimated that the internal evidence of the piece
seems to refer to some settled celebration, rather than to
a great public calamity for which a fast was specially ap-
pointed ; but such a priori reasonings must not be pressed
too far. Let us collect the evidence together, and see
whether any consistent hypothesis can be constructed
upon it.
The site of ancient Nineveh appertained to those Syrians
among whom the Gospel effected such an abundant en-
trance, and, no sooner were the Scriptures circulated
among them than they began to attach importance to the
spot, and invest it with all the interest which the preach-
ing of Jonah and the deliverance of the condemned people
H0N0UB8 PAID TO THE TOMB OF -Jonah.
could give to it. It is not necessary to em] *t any
tradition had existed from the time of Jonah to the era
of the reception of the Christian religion; it is quite
enough to know that the Old Testament was translated
and circulated in Syria, to account for any degree of vene-
ration attached to Nineveh and its past history, as far a<
it related to Jonah. In the vicinity of Mosul the tomb
of Jonah has long been shewn, and the name Nebi-
Yoonas, the prophet Jonah, is given to the village around
it. The way in which Jonah is there honoured is well
described in Mr. Badger's work, and we are sure the fol-
lowing extract on the subject will be interesting to our
readers : —
" Directly opposite to Mosul, and about half a mile
from the Tigris, is the large Moslem village of Nebi-
Yoonas, built upon one of the principal mounds of Nineveh,
and in a line with Koyoonjuk. It can scarcely be doubted
that many valuable relics lie buried under the modern
village, but the veneration of the Mohammedans for the
tomb of the prophet Jonah would deem sacrilegious and
profane any attempt to excavate near the mosque which
covers it, or among the graves which are scattered over
the surface of the mound. The mosque itself is held to
be so sacred that no Christian is allowed to enter its
precincts. Through the influence of one of the pashas,
my sister was permitted to visit it, and from her I received
the following description of the interior : — ' After passing
through a spacious court to a fine open terrace, ire de-
scended into the mosque, which is a square building lighted
XXXV1 INTRODUCTION.
several windows of stained glass. The eastern end
is separated from the nave by a row of noble arches, giv-
ing it the appearance of an aisle/ At the southern ex-
tremity there is a pulpit of elaborate workmanship, and
the floor is covered with rich carpets. A door, which is
always kept locked, opens into a narrow passage about
thirty feet long, from which we descended through ano-
ther entrance into a square and lofty apartment with a
concave roof. In the centre of this stands a box or coffin,
measuring ten feet by five, and raised about five feet from
the ground, on the south end of which is placed an enor-
mous turban composed of the most costly silks and shawls.
The coffin itself is also covered with equally rich mate-
rials, and is encircled by a railing surmounted with large
silver knobs, on which, as also on the walls around, are
suspended a number of embroidered towels and silk bathing
cloths. The walls are further decorated with mirrors,
party-coloured porcelain, and sentences from the Koran
written in the florid style of Arabic caligraphy. In one
corner are placed a gilt ewer and basin, a ball of French
Boap, a comb, and a pair of scissors, for the use of the
prophet Jonah, who, the Mohammedans believe, rises
from his tomb at the set times of prayer, and performs
liis ablutions according to the strict injunctions of their
law. The Mohammedans in general deem the tomb far
•'- "ie Christies say th,t this building was onoe a church. The order of
^^teriorftgftbove described, the plan general In mosques, m
our the common tradition. The separation of the eastern end indicates the
■ I the benia."
rRADlTIONS CONCERNING JONAH'S TOMB. xxxvii
crcd ;m object t<> be approached, and for the most
part content themselves with looking at it from a grated
window in the body of the mosqui
Although antiquity is not consentient as to the place of
Jonah's burial, we feel no hesitation in attributing tic
tradition which places it at Mosul to the Christians of
that locality. We see precisely the process by which
other worthies have had attributed to them tombs which
they never occupied, in places where they never lived.
Nothing can be more antecedently improbable than that
• Jonah should reside at Nineveh,/ and if he did not, what
possible reason could there be for his being buried there?
The tradition is only important to our present object, as
shewing how early his name and history were associated
with the site of Nineveh by the Syrian Christians. There
can be little doubt that this feeling was anterior to the
time of Ephraem, and that the great popularity of the
prophet at Edessa led that father to use the events of his
life for the purpose of instructing the people.
•
ething far more valuable than the bonea of the son ol amittai maybe
, t., lie found whenever it -hall be practicable .th his reputed
t " I " ,, • ' ed to by tli, Rev. W. Drake, in the Introduction to his
H ea, Just published:—" Whenever th< i the part
population, which has hitherto been an obsl
Nebl-Ynnus, shall have been overcome, it maj • maybe
thrown hi""' U , to Nineveh. Colon* 1 Bawllnaon Infers,
from hnrks found at Nebi-Yunus, that i;
I mme leca II.. the grandson of Divannl .... irho
■f the four kings t>> whose n Igns thi
XXXV111 INTRODUCTION.
After Ephraem's death, his works were held in such
high estimation that they were read in the services of the
Church, and to this day they form important portions of
the Syrian rituals. We have seen that one on Nineveh,
a portion, no doubt, of the piece now translated, is used
by the Nestorians. A mere floating tradition thus became
fixed and almost hallowed by pious literary associations,
and we can easily imagine that the Repentance of Nineveh
would be used whenever public calamities called for seasons
of special fasting. The Syriac mind was thus prepared,
and at length, on an occasion like that already referred
to, the breaking out of a pestilence at Beth-Garma and
other places led to a periodical observance of a season of
fasting and humiliation. The process, according to our
theory, was simply this : — Jonah and Nineveh, before the
time of Ephraem, had become hallowed names in the
Syrian Church, and this gave occasion to this father to
compose the Repentance of Nineveh. This in its turn,
by its popularity and its use on occasions of fasting, led
to the transferring the name of Nineveh to a Christian
solemnity.
The homily, thus suggested by the return of an ap-
pointed season of penitence and prayer, or by some special
calamity, demanding the pitying aid of heaven, was
written by Ephraem with an eye to popular eftcct, aa the
means of improving the hearts of his people. It might
have been somewhere about the year a.d. 360, when his
mental powers were in their prime. How highly interest-
ing would be the MS. of such a composition were it pos-
LT ANTIQ1 [T1 OF BT RIAK M
Bible to obtain it; but although nil our Syriac MSS. are
of later date, \vc may nevertheless have some conception
of the outward form which Ephraem's codex would take.
There are now .MSS. in the British Museum brought from
the Nitrian Lakes, which are only a few years younger
than the copy of Ephraem would be were it now in ex-
istence, lor example, the MS. of the Syriac version of
tin- Theopkania of Eusebius, the text of which was printed
under the editorship of Ur. S. Lee, is stated by Mr.
< uivton, on unquestionable authority, to be, at this time,
one thousand four hundred and forty-one years old ! As
Ephraem died in a.d. 372, this MS. must have been
written about forty years after that event, a time too
short to make much difference in the art of writing, and
we may therefore conclude that the Repentance of Nineveh,
as it first came from the hands of the scribe, had an out-
ward form not unlike that of the Theophania. A calcu-
lation like this is pleasing, because it shews us that the
recovery of the autographs of the master minds of an-
tiquity is not so hopeless as it sometimes appears. We
are aware that authors did not always write their own
compositions, but still they must often have done so, and
in most cases would make the first draught from which a
more artist-like copy was taken. Especially in the case
of metrical compositions, it is difficult to conceive of a
scribe writing from dictation. Any one who studies the
heptasyllabics of Ephraem must see at once that the \
are often laboured, and that many attempts most have
been sometimes made to bring the line into its proper
xl
INTRODUCTION.
dimensions. When it is remembered further that these
ancient MSS. are often very perfectly preserved, the
vellum white, the characters distinct, and the whole ex-
hibiting the freshness of this century rather than the hoar
age of the fifth or sixth, we shall be pardoned for hoping
that from the debris of oriental libraries may yet proceed
even greater treasures than have been hitherto gained from
them.
Ephraem had his choice of metres, but we cannot say
that he had to decide between poetry and prose. As far
as his literary remains can give us information, all his
homilies took the form of verse, and we may therefore
conclude that such was the established mode of public
address. His commentaries certainly are prosaic, but
the} T do not seem to have been intended for public delivery.
This however is an open question, which future researches
may decide. He chose verse however, and from those
different kinds which were in common use he selected the
heptasyllabic. As we have said in the Introduction to
the Hymns and Homilies, this metre is more used in
stately and mournful subjects, although by no means con-
fined to them. Ephraem has shewn, in this piece, how
well it is adapted for an address to a popular audience,
combining historical relation with ethical instruction. He
also preferred a continuous and uniform flow of the verses,
to those variations in the strophes which he often employs
with good effect in the hymns and shorter homilies.
We have no evidence that Ephraem's literary apparatus
extended beyond the Holy Scriptures, when he applied
l.rilRAi.M s KNOWLEDGE OF Tin: s. &1PTUBE8 xli
himself to the task of writing the Repentance of Nineveh.
We do no1 mean to intimate thai he was destitute of other
resource 9, for he shews in his commentaries and contro-
versial works that he had access to numerous sources of
information, and it is more likely that abundance of books
were at his command than that he was short of them.
But there is a close adherence to the biblical account of
Jonah and the Xinevites, with an occasional use of tra-
dition, as is pointed out in the Notes. With the Old and
New Testaments Ephraem was thoroughly familiar, and
lii> quotations, either from memory or actual reference,
are constant, and very numerous.
That Ephraem used the Peschito translation is made
evident by the parallel passages we have so frequently
exhibited in the Notes, but it is more than probable that
he also had at hand a Syriac version of the Septuagint.9
From his criticism on a passage of Jonah before referred
t<». Asseman argues that he understood Greek, but the
conclusion is by no means a self-evident one. Such criti-
cisms might be current in Syriac literature, as they are
in our own. With us a vast amount of learning may be
displayed by a man who knows very little of any tongue
but that which his mother taught him. That Ephraem
could read Hebrew need not be questioned, for it was Imt
a dialectical variation of his own language ; but tradition,
confirmed by many circumstances, affirms that he was
ignorant of Greek. In the Acta Ephraemi, in Syriac,
xlii INTRODUCTION.
prefixed to the sixth volume of his works, he is said to
have been miraculously taught Greek, in answer to the
prayer of Basil, on his ordination as Deacon. This is to
us a proof that the common opinion of his ignorance of
that language is correct, and that the legend was invented,
in later centuries, to account for the abundance of his
works translated into Greek.
Whatever doubts may be entertained of Ephraem's
literary resources, there can be none that he applied to the
Fountain of all wisdom for ability to devise and execute
the work he had undertaken. Nothing is more charac-
teristic of this great man than his habitual and undisguised
dependence on an intellect superior to his own. This
feeling is not so much exhibited in formal prayers for
guidance, at the commencement of his tasks, as in the
habitual tone of his compositions, which unmistakeably
prove him to have been a man of earnest prayer. It will
be interesting to quote a few illustrations of our remark.
The following are all taken from the homilies, Adversus
Scridatores (Opera, torn, vi.) : —
" O Lord, I will knock at Thy door,
That Thy gift may rest upon me in righteousness;
That my poverty may be quickly made inch,
POT it owes B myriad of talents;
O Lord, make me Thy creditor,
That I may lend to Thee that which is Thine own."
Sermo v.. i>. 11
•• Thou, Lord, hast written this,—
• i ►pen thy moutb end I will till it :'
Behold, Thy servant opens his mouth,
bphbaem's dependence on DIVINE AID. xliii
Ami his understanding also, to Thee
Till him. Lord, with Thy gift,
Thai according to Thy will
I may hymn Thy praise.'"
Bermo x., p. •_'•_'.
- () Lord, how can Thy servant i
From giving praise t<> Thee !
How can my tongue refrain its.it
Prom retarnlng Thee thanks !
How can I conceal the sweet abundant stream
Which Thou hast opened for my thirsty spirit !
I will sing to Tlieo of that which is Thine own,
Even Thy glory, from Thine own gift;
For by Thee, O Lord, 1 am enriched,
And by Thee I receive increase."
Sermo xvi., p. 31.
If the writer thus habitually felt and acknowledged his
entire dependence upon God, in his minor productions, we
cannot doubt that he did so when about to preach to the
people, at a time of public interest and excitement.
The homily is now prepared, and its author proceeds to
deliver it. Was this done in a sacred temple, long since
crumbled into dust? Or did Ephraem go out to the forum,
and deliver his teaching to vast crowds in the open air?
His great popularity at Edessa demanded a large audience,
and he doubtless had one ; but where, we cannot tell.
Neither can we inform our readers, on good authority, of
the personal appearance of him who ascended the rostrum ;
of the proportions of the body which formed the vehicle of
BTich a soul, we must be contented to remain in tin- Bame
ignorance which refuses to solve a thousand similar ques-
tions. In the Acta Ephraem^ Basi] is said to have de-
x li v INTRODUCTION.
scribed him as meek and simple in appearance, and badly
clothed ; but the last characteristic, though it may be true.
is probably a monkish ornament, arbitrarily put upon him.
Gregory Nyssa, in his encomium on Ephraem after his
death, says properly, that "it is not necessary to speak of
the bodily form of godly men ;" yet he afterwards tells us
that he had such a marvellous eloquence, that his speech
alone, even if his countenance were not seen, " was a
divinely formed key to open the treasures of the wealthy ;"
and that " his visage was angel-like, moving hard men to
pity and kindness." A full-length portrait of him is pre-
fixed to the Roman edition of his works, taken from a
painting on the wall of a monastery, but nothing is known
as to its fidelity. The figure is tall and commanding, but
the face is "meek and simple" in its expression, and
breathes kindness. The eyes are rather heavy. The head
is narrow, and the forehead remarkably high, lie wears
the garment of a monk, over which is a mantle, in the
hood of which the head is partly enveloped. His right
hand holds a scroll, on which is written, in Greek, "Charity
and temperance purify the soul."
After those religious services which always formed an
important part of the public engagements of the early
church, accompanied by the musical performances of those
bands of young persons whom he had trained to the duties
of the choir, 7 ' Ephraem delivered the oration which was
intended to deepen the emotions of penitence, and give
[ntrodnction, i>. w.wiii.
LENG in OP nil SERMONS OF EPHBAEM. \1\
them a practical bearing. Prom a calculation we have
made, it appears that the homily would occupy nearly two
hours in the recitation; a long time, according to our
modern customs, and far beyond the general length of the
sermons of those days. But then the occasion was an ex-
traordinary one, and the style of the sermon highly attrac-
tive" and interesting. A narrative is always more capable
of fixing the thoughts than a merely didactic composition,
and this would be especially the case in an address to an
audience. The attention might flag with some, when
Ephraem touched on deep and mysterious themes, but
would again be aroused, as he returned to the story, and
urged on his way to the final result. Especially would a
deep interest be developed, if, as is probable, some public
calamity impended over the hearers. Their sympathies
would be awakened as they listened to the descriptions of
the mortal dread of the Ninevites ; while their hope would
gather strength from the marvellous display of God's
mercy to the repentant.
In the whole history of the church, no scene would per-
haps be more intensely attractive, than that of which
Ephraem was the centre while delivering this homily, had
the pencil of a contemporary caught its features, and per-
petuated its strangely varying colours. That the audience
was intellectual, even above the average of such assemblies,
we gather from the whole of Ephraein's ministrations to
the people of Edessa. They could enter into and under-
stand the subtle and recondite heresies of their day, as we
learn from the pieces of Ephraem written to put them on
xlvi INTRODUCTION.
their guard against the foe. They were highly susceptible
to the charms of music, modulated to poems which treated
of holy mysteries, and expounded sublime doctrines. A
people must have been refined who could take part in, and
enjoy, the very peculiar species of liturgical forms provided
far them. Besides all this, Ephraem had a school at
Edessa, and many men, destined to be mighty in the
Church, were his pupils and hearers. Probably Zenobius,
Isaac, Simeon, and Abraham heard him that day, men who
afterwards enriched the Church with their discourses and
expositions, as well as by their virtues. A population
hung upon the lips of the preacher, capable of enjoying his
eloquent heptasyllabics, and among them the future minis-
ters of the sanctuary caught the inspiration which was to
fit them for their future labours.
As all classes are alluded to in the Repentance of
Nineveh, so all would be moved by turns, as their stations
in life, their ages, or their characters, became the subject
of the remarks of the "preacher. Kings and nobles felt
they were not spared ; the rich would learn the vanity of
their wealth, and the poor be made more contented with
their lot. How would the hard-hearted usurer tremble, as
Ephraem so graphically described the misery of both the
debtor and creditor, in whose transactions justice and bene-
volence might be forgotten ! The tender emotions would
be excited, as the feelings of parents and affianced lovers
were portrayed so vividly by the speaker. The mother
clasped her infant closer to her breast, as she thought on
the agonies of the parents among the Ninevites : and the
PROBABLE RESULTS OF mis HOMILY, xlvii
children and young persons felt thankful, th.it no doom like
that threatened by Jonah awaited them. But all was not
favourable to the preacher's object, for there, as in all
similar ass< mblies, were found the obdurate, whose seared
consciences were past feeling, and refused to be renewed.
In the midst of almost general contrition these would eye
the speaker with dislike, and even hatred, depicted in their
looks, because he did not prophecy soft words, or allow
tin in to be undisturbed in their sins.
But the conclusion at length w r as reached, and the chil-
dren of the east dispersed to their homes, or went in the
cool of the day to converse on what they had listened to,
by the banks of the Daison. Ephraem returned to his
cell, and prayed to God for a blessing upon his labours.
In conversation with his disciples the day closed ; a day
soon forgotten among men, but always to be remembered
in the secret annals of the spiritual Church of God The
seed had been broad-cast among multitudes of thoughtful
human beings ; in whose hearts did it take root and
become fruitful '? That the great day of the Lord shall
declare, when, among all the other resuscitated events
of this world's history, an account will have to be ren-
dered of the results of Ephraem's homily, The Repentance
of Nineveh!
It is worthy of enquiry, how far this homily may be
considered the normal form of Ephraem's pulpit orations ;
although there are not materials enough to guide to a
-at i -factory reply. The other exegetical discourses, printed
Xlviil INTRODUCTION.
with this, are of various lengths, the most extended
being not more than a fourth part of the length of this
one, occupying probably twenty minutes in the delivery.
Throughout Ephraem's metrical works, there are numerous
pieces of similar compass, and such may reasonably be
looked upon as his pulpit efforts, the shorter compositions
taking less prominent parts in various religious services.
In the Exhortations to Repentance, there is a homily of
great length, which comes nearer to the style of the
Repentance of Nineveh than any other we have seen. It
is the fourth piece in that collection, and is nearly as long
as the latter work ; like that also, it is heptasyllabic. No
text of Scripture is affixed to it, but it is really a comment
on the beautiful episode of Simon and the sinful woman,
in the seventh chapter of St. Luke. There is necessarily
less of history, and more of doctrine and exhortation, than
in the work on Nineveh ; but still the characteristics of
both are alike, and point them out as destined to the same
purpose as addresses to an audience. We give a few
verses, which have presented themselves ad aperturam
libri, although they are highly suggestive of important
matters (Opera, torn, vi., p. 402) : —
■' To the baptistery of fa
She descended, that she might be purified;
rfshe bad been ashamed of publicity,
She had come up without forgh
She took ointment and I
drew near to the Lord of the holy,
That all the rites of baptism,
bing;
The i it were tew,
EPHBABN i'Hi.A< BSD IN METRE, xlix
And she mixed thi-in with precious < >i 1 1 tn i«mi t.
She there accomplished the mystery
Of holy baptism."' ,"
We ueed only add, under this head of our subject, that
in the first part of a German translation of Kphraem's
lift-, recently published as a specimen of a version of his
Syriac workv' the Serrnones Exegetici are spoken of as
being probably fragments of a larger exegetical work. To
tin- opinion we are unable to give our concurrence, as the
pieces have, individually, too much completeness to sustain
the theory.
II. On the literary characteristics of the
" Repentance of Nineveh."
A sermon in metre, constructed on the plan of some
popular poem, would, with us, appear almost ridiculous ;
and, by any one ignorant of the existence of Kphraem's
metrical homilies, considered a task which no wise person
would think of accomplishing. But, like many other pre-
sumptions founded on existing customs and manners, this
i In the second and fourth verses of this extract, the allusion is plain to the
/(which adheres to the notion of baptism; but the ninth vi use plainly
expresses what was the practice in the time of Ephraem. She comjihud all the
rites, among which was the application of a small portion of water, the Bhadding
of her tears Imitating the current iii.kIc of its application. The Syriaewi.nl
rendered f»r : /ict MM in the fourth vrr»r, is that falsely translated indulgence by
AaeeBsan, referred to in p. .\-\i above. Sere the woman is said to raoain
tism, what Assouan makes to be something designed n meet the difflonll
after baptism '.
j Das Leben lies htiliyn I ^jrers, von J. Al-dcKn. licrlin, 1853.
C
1 INTRODUCTION.
opinion is proved to be ill-founded. Such a work has
been executed, and in a style to excite admiration and
applause ; and, more than this, the whole Christian people
of Syria in the early centuries were publicly instructed in
metre.
And yet, with the Old Testament in our hands, why
should a rhythmical or metrical pulpit discourse seem such
an impossibility ? Among the ancient Jews, inspired pro-
phets instructed the people in highly poetical language,
and in an external form strongly contrasted with prose*
The sacred writers employed the speech of ordinary life in
their histories and chronicles ; but, when they were called
to reprove the vices of their countrymen, to proclaim the
wrath of God to guilty nations, or to utter predictions of
things to come, they ascended to a higher region of ora-
tory, and discoursed in parallelisms and in rhythm. It is
true that we meet with no uniformly measured verses in
the Hebrew prophets, but metre is only a variety of poetic
form, and not a distinct genus. Admit the possibility and
propriety of preaching in poetry, and its various forms
come as a matter of course. The free parallelisms of the
Hebrews, our own blank verse, or the Syrian measures of
a fixed number of syllables, are but different modifications
of the same principle.
But while we can see no antecedent reason why a
sermon should not be composed in measures, or in rhyme,
even in these more cold and precise northern regions ; such
a course is necessarily exceptional, and never could come
into general use. As in the case of Ephraem, there must
BPHBAXM COMPARED WITH LATEB wi:n I li
l»c a tit occasion, and a competent man, to warrant any
Striking deviation from established customs. In his case,
the occasion was the previous use of metres to counteract
the heresy of Bardesanes and others ; and he possessed the
true poetic faculty, which gave life to outward form- : bo
that while his verses were measured, the soul which ani-
mated them was free. To write a homily in metre or in
rhyme would not be difficult to any one with a good flow
of words and a correct ear at command ; but this would be
merely the casket to contain the gem, and not poetry it -elf.
Our meaning cannot be better illustrated than by a refer-
ence to Ephraem, and those who came after him as imita-
tors of his style of public instruction. In him, body and
soul were united ; the form and the substance, the mea-
sured line and the breathing thoughts which animated it,
were both alike in his power, and he skilfully employed
them. But his successors, less eminently endowed, re-
tained the measure, but lost all the valuable things it
circumscribed and controlled. Hence, while Ephraemjs
metrical homilies are admirable productions of genius.
those of many of the Syrian writers are inane and common-
place ; imitating the outward form, but scarcely making
an attempt to catch the spirit of the great master in this
branch of literature.
So long a homily as the Repentance of Nineveh, all
written in verses of seven syllables, would be in danger of
becoming very monotonous. The short lines, although, in
most cases, destitute of rhyme, would necessarily fall upon
the ear with almost a soporific influence, and lull to inat-
Hi INTRODUCTION.
tention, instead of arousing to energy and lifer But this
tendency, more or less affecting all rhythmical composi-
tions, was counteracted in the case of Ephraem by the
great variety he gave to his matter, both in its subjects
and in the forms they assumed. He used rapid transitions,
passing easily " from grave to gay, from lively to severe,"
and, by the introduction of new topics, allows no opportu-
nity for the attention to become weary. Thu*, the descrip-
tions he gives of the fears and great miseries of the Nine-
vites, would, if collected together and read without any
break or interval, become irksome from the very accumu-
lation of images of apprehension and sorrow. But they
are dispersed by Ephraem very skilfully over the whole
piece ; being interrupted by interesting, but contrasted
circum stances, so that the mention of them again is rather
a relief than a burden.
Thus, at the commencement of the homily, we are in-
troduced at once to the results of Jonah's preaching ; the
fears of the people, and their consequent efforts at refor-
mation. After proceeding to some length, this description
is relieved by the reference to the intended sacrifice of
Isaac by Abraham, and the curious parallel presented be-
tween the reasoning of the father of the faithful, and the
parents in Nineveh. At the appearance of the king in
public, the lamentations of the people burst out afresh, and
another succession of mournful images is brought before
us, to be interrupted by the advice given the people by the
monarch, his description of the flood, and of his interview
with Jonah. While listening to the account given of the
DIFFUSIVENESS OP EPHBAEM. liii
stern uncompromising fidelity of the Hebrew prophet, and
ery interesting way in which it is illustrated, we
forget the Ninevites from the attraction of quite a different
suhject. But the king putting on sackcloth, is the signal
for another outbreak of popular grief ; until, after several
of these alternations in the story, the final result is
arrived at.
If Ephraem's individual descriptions are looked at, they
will be found to exhibit an exuberance of poetic figures,
which cooperate with the artistic arrangement of the parts
of the piece in preventing the whole from being dull and
wearisome. Again and again he presents the same idea
in different forms, employs new epithets, and fresh verbal
arrangements. He appears to have aimed at exhausting
the scenes he depicted, so as to leave nothing undescribed
which belonged to the picture presented to his intellect.
This seems sometimes carried to excess when we read the
piece ; but the effect was very different when it was deli-
vered as an oration to the people. The eloquence of
public speakers depends for its excellence, as measured by
the effect produced, not upon the condensation of the
thoughts so much as on their being amplified and presented
in various lights, until they seize hold of the mind of the
hearer and make a permanent impression. Some of the
most successful preachers have owed their popularity to
tin- feature of their discourses. Indeed, a book to be
read, and a -pecch to be recited to an audience, can never
be properly judged by the same rules. Works whieh
enchain us at the fire-side, would fail to -to BO if delivered
liv INTRODUCTION.
from the rostrum ; and, vice versa, sermons which have
produced wonders when accompanied by the living voice,
have proved comparatively uninteresting when printed
and published. Ephraem therefore must be estimated, in
this work, as a preacher, or his proper value will not be
understood. We hope the homily will be found striking
and valuable in the form of a printed translation, but
we beg our readers to criticise it as a sermon from the
pulpit. Reiterations, and a certain excessive diffusive-
ness, which may here look like blemishes, were real
adaptations to produce that noblest of all ends — the reli-
gious reformation of a Christian congregation.
The epic completeness of this work will be obvious to
every reader. As the wrath of Achilles forms the real
subject of the Iliad, to which all other characters and
events are subsidiary, so the repentance of the Ninevites
is the centre to which, in this homily, all other matters
converge. It is brought under our notice before anything
else. In the order of time Jonah should have been pre-
sented to us, as confronted and examined by the king,
but that would have delayed the introduction of the
affrighted and penitent people. They are first brought
before us, and afterwards, when joining in the common
consternation, the king relates what he had seen and what
he thought of Jonah. Even the reference to the hardened
-t;it«' of the Jews, near the end, is intended to subserve
the one ruling idea of the whole composition. AVhat the
Ninevites ^;i\v of the intense wickedness of the land of*
promise, tended to make them more thankful for the deli-
vr.si ! BJUSTIAM EDBJJ 1CC0UNTBD FOB. lv
verance which their hearty repentance and amendment
liad accomplished for them.
The unity pervading the homily will also satisfactorily
account for the almost entire absence of Christian ideas
and associations which will be observed by the reader.
Both Jonah and the Ninevites lived hundreds of years
before the advent of our Lord, and therefore could have
known nothing of Him ; it could thus only have been
by perpetrating anachronisms that Ephraem could have
introduced thoughts peculiar to the Christian dispensation.
But as regards the application of his discourse to the
auditory, the case was different. Nothing in the nature
of the subject prevented him from enforcing repentance
and reformation on Christian principles, but as this was
not necessary, the length of the homily afforded sufficient
excuse for the almost abrupt conclusion. Ephraem doubt-
less felt, as all preachers should do, that it was not neces-
sary in every sermon to furnish a body of divinity ; that
hi- views of Christian doctrine were sufficiently known ;
that his hearers were Christian men and women, taught
by him continually in the peculiar doctrines of their
faith ; and that, consequently, it was better to confine
himself to the plain explication of his text than to de-
viate from it. There is no general cause of complaint
■gainst Ephraem for avoiding the ideas and language of
the New Testament; on the contrary, his works plainly
indicate that there his best affections were given, and
that Christ and His Gospel constituted the grand topics
lvi INTRODUCTION.
of his ministrations, and had the warmest affections of
his heart.
Respecting the metre of this homily there is little to
be added to the information given on the subject in the
former volume. It is uniformly heptasyllabic, and ex-
hibits few anomalies of a striking character, although
abundant materials are furnished by it for the study of
the nicer prosodical variations and peculiarities, which
we may presume were attended to by Ephraem. Much
more study than we are able to give to the subject is
requisite before anything like completeness can be given
to a system of Syriac prosody. We have received com-
munications on the subject which prove that it has ex-
cited some degree of interest. The following hints are
too excellent and practical to be lost, and we supply them
here for the guidance of any who may wish to enter
fully into the investigation of the metres : —
" It may perhaps be worth your while to pursue your
enquiry into the metres of the Syriac hymns, by assuming
that they are copies from Greek models. If you would
take the trouble to compare them, especially as regards
the pentasyllabic and heptasyllabic verse, with the mono-
metric liypcrcatalectic and the d'unctric catalectic varieties
of the iambic and trochaic metres of Greek poetry, you
might very probably find them derived from these. By
paying attention to the recurrence of the same words in
the same places of the verse, combined with observation
of emphatic words and syllables clogged with consonants
THE SYKlAe HBTRE8. lvii
as indications of lung quantity : and of the reverse as
connected with short quantity : it is not improbable that
you might master a good deal of the prosody ; and in
this investigation, the known rules of the Greek metres,
including those of the certain and uncertain feet, and of
the caesura, would, on the foregoing assumption, be a
great help. This assumption is itself a very reasonable
one. If Bardesanes borrowed the Greek music, there
is every probability that he borrowed, at the same time,
the Greek metres. We are told that xVmbrose borrowed
music for Milan from Edessa ; — here again is a proba-
bility that he took the Syrian measures with their music ;
but we know that Ambrose's metres were the short iambic
and trochaic of the Greeks. In this class of metre
there is not that difference between a measurement by
feet or syllables (through a system of equivalents) which,
as you remark, prevails in the longer measures of Greek
poetry. Fortunatus's hymn, beginning, ' Pange lingua
gloriosi,' in trochaic measure, consists of a regular alter-
nation of lines of eight and seven syllables, and Ambrose's
iambics all consist of eight syllables (dimeter acatelectic
=four feet)."
We have divided the homily into parts, and feel no
doubt that the arrangement will be satisfactory to the
reader. The ancients appear to have been unaware of
the advantages to be derived from the division of their
compositions, or perhaps we should rather say, from those
artificial pauses which both relieve the eve and the
lviii INTRODUCTION.
mind. At all events we have, by this plan, made the
homily more attractive to the generality of those who
will peruse it. Its proportions are better perceived, and
the harmony of the whole is pointed out by the short
headings of the separate parts.
List of Authors.
Besides the works mentioned in the Hymns and Homi-
lies, most of which have been used in the compilation of
this volume, the following deserve notice.
11 Die heilige Muse der Syrer. — Gesange des heiligen Kirchenvaters
Ephraem. Gewahlt und aus dem Syrischen iibersetzt von P. Pius
Zingerle, Benedicktiner des Stiftes Mariaberg und Religionslebrer am
k. k. Gymnasium in Meran. Innsbruck, 1833,"
" Gesange gegen die Griibler iiber die Gebeimnisse Gottes. — Aus dem
heiligen Ephraem gewahlt und raetrisch aus dem Syrischen iibersetzt von
P. Pius Zingerle, etc., etc. 1834."
These are the works we tried in vain to procure before
the publication of the former volume. They contain many
of Ephraem' s best pieces, some in prose, others in free
rhythm, and others in metres in imitation of the original.
The whole is pervaded by great taste and learning. Many
of the pieces are accompanied with notes, in a form similar
to those appended to the Hymns and Homilies.
" Festkranze aus Libanons Garten. Aus dem Syrischen, von P. Pius
Zingerle, etc., etc. Villengen, 18-16."
This is a collection of pieces in prose and verse, taken
from various sources, which are not generally indicated.
LI81 Of A.UTHOB8. li\
Many of them are from the Syrian Liturgies. It is unac-
oompanied with aotes.
" Thesaurus Hymnologicus, sive Hymnorum, Canticorum, Sequen-
tiarum, circa annum M.D. usitataruni Collectio amplissima. Carmina
collegit, apparatu critico ornavit, veterum interpretum notas selectas
suasque adjecit Ilenn. Adalbert Daniel, Ph. D. Halis, 1841."
This valuable work is in three volumes, the last of
which contains the Hymns of the Greek and Syriac
Churches. The latter are only partially translated. They
are of all ages, and a comparison of them will exhibit the
great decline in the genius and spirit of the writers since
the time of Ephraem.
" Codex Syriaco-Hexaplaris. Liber quartus regnm e Codice Pari-
siensi ; Isaias, duodecim prophetae minores, Proverbia, Jobus, Canti-
cum, Threni, Ecclesiastes, e Codice Mediolanensi. Edidit, et com-
mentariis illustravit Ilenricus Middeldorpf. Pars L, Textus Syriacus.
Berolini, 1835."
" The Syrian Churches, their Early History, Liturgies and Literature.
With a literal translation of the four Gospels from the Peschito, by
J. W. Etheridge. London, 1846."
A very interesting collection of various matters relating
to the Syrian Churches.
" Das heilige Evangelium des Johannes. Syrisch in Harklensischer
Uebersetzung, mit vocalen und den Puncten Kuschoi und Rucoch,
nach einer Vaticanischcn handschrift ; nebst kritischen Anmerkungen
von Georg Ileinrich Bernstein. Leipzig, 1853."
A most beautifully printed volume, of great value, as
exhibiting many variations of the common use of the
Syriac vowel points.
Who can now he astonished
That we wander from the way.
That error should become strong through our weakness?
Our infirmity is indeed great. —
But if the power of union should return to us,
And our harmonious lots,
Who could then overcome us?
Since both on earth and in heaven
Our stedfast faith would loose and bind !"
Adversus Scrvbatorts.
O Lord, I ask not for gold,
For it is the Mammon of unrighteousm.— j
Neither for treasures and possessions,
For tiiey procure not salvation.
Forgiveness is better than gold,
And the remission of sins than much silver.
*****
O Lord, I have escaped from iniquity,
Like a bird from the midst of the snare ;
In the nest of thy cross I will make my refuge
Which the serpent cannot approach.
Behold, O Lord, I have fled from my bins,
Like a dote from the meshes of the net;
i "will dwell on high in thy cross,
to which the dragon cannot beach."
Parceneses ad PcerriU ntiam.
THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
i BOM lHK PEOPHE4 v or JONAH.—" LBISE, <;<> TO mnkvi.ii. THE
l [TT, and PBEAOB AGAIVST it THE PBBAX HOG ru v r i TELL im.i:.
UTDJOHAB LB08S, \M> wi.M TO MNKVKll ACCORDING TO THE
WOBD OF Tin: [/•
^rnirmimn.
Behold, Jonah preached in Nineveh,
A Jew among the wicked.
That mighty one ascended to the city;
And disturbed it with words of terror.
The heathen city c was made sorrowful 5
By means of the Hebrew preacher,
And became tumultuous like the ocean
Through Jonah, who came up from the sea.
Yea, tempests beat upon it
Like waves in the midst of the deep. 1 ( )
Jonah went down to the sea and troubled it j
He ascended to the dry land and terrified it :
The sea raged when he fled away j
When he preached the dry land was agitated.
By prayer' the sea was quieted, 1 5
b 2
4 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
The dry land also by repentance.
He offered prayer in the great fish/
And the Ninevites in the mighty city.
Prayer set Jonah at liberty,
And supplication the Ninevites. 20
Jonah fled from God,
And the Ninevites from holiness.
Justice placed them in fetters,
Yea, both of them, like criminals.
They offered repentance to her, 25
And were both delivered/
She preserved Jonah in the sea,
And the Ninevites in the midst of the dry land.
From his own case* 7 Jonah learned
That it was proper the penitent should live. 30
Grace gave to him, in himself,
An example on behalf of sinners ;
That as he was drawn out of the sea
He should draw out the sinking city.
Thus Nineveh, that stagnant lake/' was moved 35
By Jonah who sprang from the deep.
" This is the title of the Syriac copy, but we cannot say how
far it has authority. The quotation literally agrees with the
PescJtito.
b " The city." — Two words are used for city by Ephraem,
\L I tJLO and t^jJD, the latter having, in general use, the more
NOTES.
specific sense of citadel This gives a variety to the tfyriac text
which we cannot oopy in English, though in a few instance! wt
have given to jA i ^Vn the rendering state.
c '* The heathen city." — This might he rendered the vitij of nations,
and would then convey an idea of the great size and influence of
Nineveh. But the context seems rather to require that |V)V)S
should he here used, as frequently in the New Testament, for gen-
tiles, ethnki; — a heathen city is made sad hy a Jew. Thus Bene
diet translates, ethnica civitas.
<' "By prayer." — The printed text reads j/oV>\ > an error,
evidently for |/o\ > ; a rare instance of mistake in the Roman
edition.
• " The great fish." — |^5 |JQJ, the words used in the Bu
r/iito, wliich Bphraem probably employed in composing this piece,
as all the principal terms agree with that version. In the Codes
Syriaco-Hexaplaris, edited by Middledorpf (Berlin, 1835), the great
fish is \d) kCDQ-^^O, the Greek ktJtos.
f " Were both delivered." — Sy., ^00"Li5Z. f-^-ii their two sides,
or jxirts ; Michaelis in Castell gives the phrase, and renders it
f/traijuepar8, but without an example.
9 " From his own case." — Sy., (7LO0 01 \ V) from him andby
him. Benedict, " A suo ac in suo Jonas didieit, miserkordiam /><i
■ bus esse tribuendam.
A •• That stagnant lake." — The Syriac word is |ASO_i lacut,
staynvm, piscina. It is worthy of notice that this expression i>
applied to Nineveh by the prophet Nahum (ii. 9, or ii. 8 English
translation), " Nineveh is like a pool of water;" and there can be
bo doubt that Ephraem had that passage in view. The Peechito
uses the word for the Hebrew, nona. The tliought here seems to
be, "Although Nineveh was at ease, like a stagnant lake, the
eloquence of Jonah disturbed and agitated her." Perhaps this fa
the sense of the Hebrew text, " lint Nineveh is of old like g pool
• ii' water, yet they thaU flee away:" and the idea is oonnrmed by
the I. XX.
#rrt tire fitst.
JONAH PBBACHE8 IN NINEVEH.-,,,* testimony IB EBCEITBD am,
< KKDITED.-THE EFFECTS ON PUBLIC MORALS._,oN A M COMPARED
TO A FAITHFUL PIIYSICIAN.-THE KING SETS AN EXAMPLE OF
REPENTANCE. AND HIS SUBJECTS FOLLOW.
The just man, Jonah, opened his mouth ;
Nineveh listened and was troubled.
A single Hebrew preacher
Made the whole city a to fear.
His mouth spake* and delivered its doom/ 5
And distributed death to his hearers.
The feeble herald'' stood up,
In a city* of mighty men/
His voice broke the heart of kings
He overturned the city upon them. 10
By one word which cut off hope,
He made them drink the cup of wrath,"
Kings heard him and were humbled,
They fchrew away their crowns and became lowly;
Noblemen listened and w(>rc filled with consternation, 15
Instead of robes they clothed themselves with sackcloth;
EXCITEMENT Of THE M \ i:\iTES. 7
\ enerable old meu heard him,
And covered their heads with ashes ;
Rich men heard him and laid open
Their treasures before the poor; 20
Those heard him who had lent to others/'
And gave their bills as alms ;*
Debtors 7 heard him and became just,
So as not to deny their obligation ;*
Borrowers returned what they owed ; 25
Creditors' became forgiving ;
Every man, respecting his salvation,
Became righteously solicitous.
No man was found there,
Who contrived how he might defraud ; 30
They contended in a holy strive,
How each should gain his soul.™
Robbers listened to Jonah,
And men of rapine left that which was their own.
Every man judged himself, 36
And was merciful to his fellow ;
No one judged his companion,
For each one judged himself."
Every man reproved himself,
For wrath was reproving all men. W)
Murderers heard him and made confession,
For they cast off the fear of judges ;
Judges also heard him and neglected their qffi<
Through the impending wrath plaints were silent ;
They were unwilling to judge, even righteously, 15
O THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Lest they should be righteously condemned.
Every man sowed mercy,
That from it he might reap salvation.
Sinners listened to Jonah,
And each one confessed his sins. 50
The polluted city heard him,
And quickly put off its abominations.
Masters also heard him,
And proclaimed freedom to their bondsmen ;
Slaves heard him in righteousness, 55
And increased their respect for their masters.
At the voice of Jonah honourable women
Brought down their pride in sackcloth j
The repentance was indeed sincere,
When haughty women put on humility \° 60
When compared with that repentance/
This of ours is like a dream ;
In the presence of that supplication,
This of ours is but a shadow ;
Compared with that humiliation, 65
This of ours is but the outward form.?
For they were generous to forgive
Their debts in that fast.
The Nincvites gave alms,
Let us desist from oppressions ; r 70
The Nincvites set their slaves at liberty,
Do you have pity on freemen.
DESIGN 01 THE PREACHING 01 JONAH. \)
Now inasmuch as Jonah was sent
To that city full of crimes,
Justice armed him with severity ;• 75
She commissioned him with words of terror ;
She gave him a stern decree' against the city.
With searching medicines"
He was sent, a terrible physician,
To a state abounding in evil deeds. 80
He opened and displayed his medicines —
They were terrible and penetrating.
For Grace on this condition
Had commissioned the Prophet —
Not that the city should be destroyed, 85
Bat should be saved when penitent ; v
Yet the preacher did not give counsel
To the citizens, that they should repent ;
For he would shew that whoever is afflicted
Should be anxious respecting his health ; 90
He held the door before them,
To indicate how they should knock at it.
Jonah preached a sentence of doom ;
They assented to and approved it j
That it might be seen how powerful 95
Was repentance, to obtain conciliation ;
And how strong was a penitent man
Who could obtain mercy by importunity.
For the malady was one of sin,
Of the free will and not of necessity. 100
A voice of terror made them fear,
B 3
10 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Like the appearance of a drawn sword.
That the presumptuous by terror
Might be cured of his folly,
This physician, who went that he might heal, 105
Displayed the sword to his patient j
The city saw it and was alarmed.
Like an executioner he rose up,
The sick fell prostrate through fear ;
They arose and hasted to repentance. 110
The voice of Jonah, like a sword,
Decreed the pains of torture ;
He was a physician whose rod healed
More than the medicine of other men.
A physician heals by blandishments; 115
Jonah healed by preaching.
This healer whose visitation
Inflicted terror upon his patients/
By administering rebuke sharply
Wisely accomplished a cure. 120
The sick man left his bed
When he looked upon the rod of wrath ;
Those became healthy who were sick
With the distemper of their lusts.
Every man rebuked his concupiscence, 1 25
Having become a physician to him sol f,
The feast of the kings ceased,
And the banquet of the princes.
If sucking children fasted from their milk,
Who would order a convivial meal? 130
REFORMATION 01 THE PEOPL1 . I 1
They made tin" beasts abstain from water,
Who then would drink wine ?
If the king clothed himself with sackcloth,
Who would put on his robes ?
If unchaste women became holy, 1 35
Who would contemplate marriage ?
If the jovial were made to tremble,
Who would indulge in laughter?
If those who were merry wept,
To whom could folly be pleasing ? 140
If robbers became righteous,
Who could defraud his companion ?
If the city was altogether shaken,
Who would protect his own home ?
Throw away the gold 145
And no man will steal it ;
Lay open the treasure
And none will violently enter it.
The gay laid restraint upon their eyes.
That they might not gaze on women ; 150
Women laid aside their ornaments,
That those who looked on them might not stumble.
For they were persuaded of this,
That the ruin was a common one ;
If they became a stumbling-block to others, 155
They themselves would not escape.
The beautiful would not disturb
The penitence of the men of the city ;
12 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
For they knew that on their behalf
The repentant were mourning. 160
They thus both healed and were healed,
The one by the other, through repentance.
No one caused his neighbour to sin,
For every man was persecuting unrighteousness ;
Every one drew on his companion 165
To prayer and supplication.
The whole city became one body,
Every one was watching every one,
Lest one should sin against his kinsman.
Each one instructed his neighbour, 170
That he might be clear from his fellow-member.
No man there offered up petitions,
That he might alone be saved ;
They were alike as fellow-members,
For each prayed the one for the other. 175
All the city had been summoned
To destruction, as though it were one body.
Nor were the sober among them able
To live apart from sinners ;
For as members they were bound together, 180
The good and the evil equally.
Their righteous men were offering prayers
For sinners, that they might be saved ;
And sinners again were intreating
For the righteous, that they might be heard. 185
The just among them prayed
NOTES. 13
For the unrighteous, that they might be saved ;
And the unjust, on the other hand, made supplication
That the prayer of the just might be accepted.
The whole city." — By., made the city to fear OIUCD _iO
from its end or boundary. The form is not given in the Lexicons.
It occurs again in, verse 143 of this Part.
* " His mouth spake." — Or, lie filed his mouth, for there is room
for doubt as to the meaning of |jSD in this passage. Castell and
Bohaaf give to it the explanation, locutus est, but always in the
phrase, j*^ \*^ jJlP he spake to the heart, i.e., he comforted.
Michaelis supposes that this word was confounded with \^lc in
the early history of the written language. Benedict renders, " Os
suum minis iimpL
•• Delivered its doom."' — Sy., gave Woe to it; not the noun
but the interjection |_»0-
d "The feeble herald.'" — The Sy. |10^ which we have gene-
rally rendered preacher, is of as wide signification as the Greek
K-ripvt, a public messenger, or herald; this should be remembered,
although we hare more often used the more technical term,
pn '"-Jier.
< " In a city." — This is a clear example of the use of \^*j as
the indefinite article ; a usage not defined in the Lexicons. It is
possible Ephraem chose the word for the sake of the metre, but
certainly he could not have used it in its ordinary sense of one.
/ •• Mighty men." — Sy., | ; *"*) 1 , ■ the word used in Gen. vi. 4
for the Hebrew En2>n men of renown. Benedict, in urbe gigantum.
n •• The cup of wrath." — The Jlu«o5> |rao is the expression
employed in the PesckUo for the Hebrew nor? co (Isa. li. 17. 29 .
" The enp of trembling " of the English version is the rendering
of a different word in both languages.
A ■• Who had lent to others."— Sy.. ]^)Q-k» .-i^lO masters of
a debt.
14 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
" And gave their bills as alms. "-Benedict, " Audierunt credi-
tors, conscissisque tyngrapfa, in opera misericord^ mcubuerunt.
The word rendered bills is 1(^) which Castell renders syngrapha
on the authority of Bar Bahlul. But under the root j^. an illus-
tration is given from the New Testament (Col. ii. 14), the bill of
our debts. But the word there is ^. Bernstein gives examples
of the form in our text with the ) prosthetic. The Syriac is, lite-
rally, with their bills they wrought righteousness, i.e., alms, as in
Matt. vi. 1.
3 " Debtors heard him."_Sy.,^o^, mutuum aceipientes, Czs-
tell. Benedict renders fceneratores, which would require 1'i^nVp
as in Isa. xxiv. 2.
* "So as not to deny their obligation. "-Literally, that they
should not rise up against their debt. Benedict, led apparently by
the error noticed in the last note, translates, « Obedlerunt fcenera-
tores ne ultra sortem exigerenV
1 "Creditors."— Neither of the words used before is here em-
ployed, but tecL^ Jl±a>, either the makers, or the visitors or
enquirers of a debt; the latter appearing more suitable to the idea
of a creditor.
» "How each should gain his soul. "-Probably an allusion to
Matt. xvi. 26, although the word we have rendered gain is not em-
ployed there. Ephraem uses i^ZAiO to trade with, use as mer-
chandise, as suggested by the preceding verses.
» " For each one judged himself."_This verse is the same aa
the thirty-fifth just above, and is an instance of tautology leading
us to suspect some error of a copyist.
o " When haughty women put on humility."— This is a severe
remark of Ephraem, but it is borne out by the general rule of
human nature, that vices put on their worst form when they ap-
pear in the gentler sex. The allusion is also to the laying aside
personal ornaments; a proceeding indicating some powerful mo-
tivc, when the passion of the women Of the East lor rich dress is
considerei-See Hymns and HomUiee, p. 37, two last stanzas."
v " When compared with thai repentance." s y .. in the eyes of.
NOTES. L5
This passage proves that this piece was composed for s -
-don. — Sec Introduction.
I "The outward form." — f » ^ n ), the word employed by the
i for the Greek ^6p<pucns in Rom. ii. 2<>, " Which hast the
of knowledge and of the truth in the law."
"Oppressions." — Sy., jAn i| gtona . o i{ tutpiravk ex an
guetid, as the lleh., p:st. As the constant sense is groammg^ the
word must be used here by a metonymy of the cause tor the
effect. Benedict, appreMkmSme pauperum. Perhaps the Syriac is
the same as the Greek dvayicri, force, violence, bonds, &c.
■Justice armed him with severity." — 8y., Z.OOT <T\£*Q'>\
|Z.QJ(^, winch at first sight would he rendered, Justin j
<<r made him righteous^ which will not suit the context. Although
the sens,, made vigorously just or secere, is not sustained by any
example we can find, either in Syriac or the cognate languages,
we think such must be the meaning here. Benedict has, "Jew-
titiu dura ilium severitate munivit."
t "A stern decree." — pV\t from >|-i absridit, conveying the
idea of fixedness and irrevocability.
With searching medicines." — (_21_»;-k>. rendered searching,
is the translation of the Peschito for rofiurrcpos in Heb. iv. 12. It
is also used for a iharp decree. B thorp fever, etc.
• But should be saved when penitent." — We have supplied
this line to fill up an ellipsis in the original, which looks more like
an omission of a verse by accident than a genuine figure of speech.
Benedict supplies, ut laborantem curard. The suspicion of an
error is confirmed by the division of the printed text containing
an mid number of renee, contrary to the rule.
By importunity." — An apparent allusion to Luke wiii. 1.
•• Inflicted terror upon his patients.'— This and the three
following verses are somewhat in different order from the Syriac,
vrhosc terse intricacy we tried in vain to render in order, line by
line.
|tori tlit Icrnnh.
THE TERROR AND LAMENTATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS
CAUSED BY THE MESSAGE OF JONAH. THEIR PARENTS TRY TO
COMFORT THEM. THEY ACT AS ABRAHAM DID WHEN SOOTII1NC
THE FEARS OF ISAAC. THEY HOLD OUT HOPE TO THEIR LITTLE
ONES BUT CANNOT THEMSELVES ENTERTAIN IT.
The gentle wailing of the little ones,
Caused the whole city to shed tears ;
The voice of children as it rose up,
Affected the heart with pity. a
Old men sprinkled themselves with ashes j 5
Aged women plucked and threw away
Their grey hairs, 6 which were their honour,
Putting upon themselves degrading suffering.
When the youths looked upon their old men,
They wailed louder in their anguish ; 1
Aged men wept for the youths,
The fair supports of their old age.
They mourned that they should be buried together,
The buriers and those about to be interred/
The heads of chaste men and women/ 1 5
Became bald through their mourning/
BBIIf 01 PAMNTfl and CHILDREN. 17
The mother rose up in the midst,
And her beloved ones surrounded her,
Clinging to the borders of her garment,
That she might save them from death. 20
The young child, at the sound of the earthquake/
Fled for refuge to his mother's breast ;
And in the bosom of its nurse,
The suckling hid itself with terror.
Day dawned, it became night, and they numbered 25
The days which every hour shortened ;
As the days departed they counted them ;
And as each day ended they groaned aloud,
Because it was subtracted from their life.
For with the day as it declined, 30
Their breath also was departing.^
The children enquired, while weeping,
Of their fathers, in the midst of their tears :
u Narrate to us, O parents,
How many days yet remain 35
From the time which that Hebrew preacher
Hath determined for us ?
And what hour he hath indicated,
AVhen we shall go down below to Sheol ? A
And in what day will it be 10
That this fair city shall be destroyed ?
And, further, when will the last day be
After which we shall not exist?
When will the season arrive
When mortal pangs 1 shall seize on all of Ufl 16
18 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
And when throughout the 'world
Shall fly the tidings of our ruin ?
And the passing spectators shall gaze upon
The city overthrown upon its masters ?"
When the parents listened to these things 50
From the mouth of their little ones,
Their tears most bitterly
Overflowed and suffused their children,
And dropped, at the same time, on the persons
Of the speakers and the hearers. 55
And the fathers were not able
To find utterance through sighing ;
For their grief had closed up
The straight path of words ;*
And their speech was interrupted 60
By the weeping of their beloved ones.
Lest, therefore, the fathers should increase
The torment of their children,
And before the day decreed
They should die of sorrow; 65
The fathers checked their tears,
And fought with, and restrained', their tenderness,
That they might wisely console
The young ones™ respecting their enquiry.
For the fathers were afraid 70
To reveal the truth to their children,
That the coming day was nigh at hand,
According to the declaration of the prophet.
mi: SACRIFICE OF Isaac i\\ ABRAHAM. 10
Like Abraham then, with a prophecy,
They comforted their children. 75
For Isaac enquired concerning the sacrifice,
" Where is the lamb for the burnt offering V H
Lest he should return an answer with a groan,
And there should be a blemish in his offering,
He soothed while he bound his firstborn, 80
Until his knife was unsheathed.
For Abraham, in regard to his son,
Saw that the question was too hard for him ;
Yet he did not use silence,
Lest he should make his spn sorrowful j 85
Neither did he disclose'' his own suffering,
Lest the offering should be saddened.
Abraham deliberated with himself
How he might satisfy his beloved one ;
While avoiding plain discoveries, 90
He prophesied a hidden mystery ;
And while seeking not to reveal the truth,
He plainly declared it to him.
He feared to tell him, " Thou art it !"
He prophesied that there was another. 95
He thought that he was the sawifice ;
He at the same prophesied that he was not.
For the tongue of Abraham
Was more knowing than his heart,
His mouth before took lesson from his heart, 100
His heart now learned from it.''
His wise intellect was quiet.
20 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
His tongue became a prophet ;
And his intellect which possessed wisdom,
Was made wiser by the tongue. 105
" I and the lad will go up," r
Said Abraham to his young men,
" And we will return again to you."
He thought to deceive, and he prophesied.
Yet he did not become a liar, 110
For he contended for the truth ;
His speech became prophetic,
While he thought to help Isaac. 3
Thus also the Ninevites acted,
While studying to satisfy their children. 115
They proceeded, in the midst of weeping,
To speak' in this manner to their beloved ones : —
" God is good and gracious,
And will not destroy the image he hath made.
A painter who designs a picture," 120
Preserveth it with care ;
How much rather will the Good protect
His living and rational image !
My children, the city shall not be ruined,
Nor shall the state be overthrown. 125
By the threatenings of perdition
He calls us to repentance,
And by this fierce indignation,
Would convert us to holiness.
For you, beloved children, 130
Have ofttimes been chastened by us;
THE PARENTS CONSOLE THEIR CHILDREN. 2\
¥e have even been scourged and have borne it,
And have been made wise when punished.
For the rod was not lifted up
In anger, to destroy you; 135
Wc corrected because ye acted foolishly,
And we rejoiced because ye were reformed.
Even ye yourselves acknowledged
That in love ye had been afflicted.
Even ye yourselves perceived 140
That in tender pity ye were chastened.
From the correction yc derived benefit,
And became richer" through it.
The sorrow, because ye endured stripes,
Became a source of great joy ; 145
And the endurance of the rod
Proved a treasury of sweetness.
Your anguish was changed,
And became altogether pleasant.
" Learn then, O beloved ones, 150
From your experience of punishment ;
And acknowledge, from the rod
Applied in wisdom by your parents,
That the Father who wisely deals with us,
Is correcting us for our welfare. L55
His rod is lifted up in terror,
That we may tremble and obtain wisdom.
For as we, who are fathers,
Instructed you with rebuke,
That we might improve and gain you — L60
22 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
That we might make you suffer and do you good —
So He, the Good and Gracious
Teaches by His reproof,"
That by His goodness we may save us,
And abundantly bestow the treasure of His mercy. 165
By His rod He makes known to us His love ;
By His stroke He opens His treasure to us.
If this is true regarding yourselves,
That from love to you we inflicted stripes,
How can we think, respecting God, 170
That He does not correct us in kindness ?
Let then this correction on our part,
Be to you as a mirror ;
In which you may view this chastisement
Of Grace and Goodness. 175
For all this our love to you,
Is not so great, beloved ones,
As is the love of God
In His Grace to the children of men.
Our love to you is little, 180
Compared with His love to us j
And though His chastisement is severe,
His goodness far exceeds it ;
For His chastisement is administered
As a gift to the children of men. 185
" Be comforted, ye mourning children,
And desist a little from your tears ;
Soon the earthquake will leave us,
And the fierce anger will pass from us ;
DAN0B1 DISPOSES To PASTING AM) PRAYER. 23
The city will soon be consoled, 100
It will quickly exhibit gladness;
And the Chastiser will rejoice as He sees
That yon, His children, are reformed."
Such things as these the Ninevites
Made mention of to their loved ones ; 195
And while desiring to console,
They prophesied concerning peace.
Because their repentance was speedy, 1
They predicted like true prophets ;
Their repentance was in deed, 200
Their prophecy was in truth.
But although they said these things,
They desisted not from weeping ;
And although they thus administered consolation,
They did not cease from mourning. 205
Danger disposed them more to fasting,
And fright led them to prayer.
For they prudently considered,
That if the righteous did not desist from grief,
How much ought sinners to mourn, 210
When destruction was standing at the door !
a " Affected the heart with pity/' — The Syriae is a strong
orientalism, turned t],, heart amd the bowels; scarcely admitting
an exact rendering in English.
h " Their grey hairs."— (JO-Kj, the adjective vh\U\ is here used
24 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
in the plural, without a noun, for canities, the hoary head. The
PescJiito used the same form in Isa xlvii. 2.
c " The buriers and those about to be interred." — This is an ex-
cellent example of terse description, conveying an affecting senti-
ment in the fewest possible words. The old men, who in the
ordinary course of things would be carried to the tomb by their
sons, and who, like Joseph, would wish on the bed of death to
give commandment concerning their bones, now saw a preternatural
doom impending ; young and old together were to descend into the
same yawning grave !
d " The heads of chaste men and women." — This is a passage
of some difficulty, and we are obliged to leave it sub judice. The
Syriac is |Zl21QJ0 (-2L2J, from the adjective f ^^V to which
Castell gives the meanings, verecundus, sobrius, castus, continens,
temperans. Michaelis, in a note to Castell, says, "Ab ecclesiasticis
scriptoribus ut epitheton monachi poni solet ;" the word was used as
an epithet of a monk. Perhaps Ephraem merely meant, that modest
and reputable men and women, not accustomed to court the public
eye, now displayed their heads denuded of the hair through their
deep grief; but we feel doubtful whether more than this is not in-
tended. Benedict, according to his subjective Romanism, trans-
lates, " Casti castwque cozlibes," chaste monies and nuns ; or, not to
strain his words too much, chaste single persons of both sexes. It is
certainly possible that Ephraem, clothing the past with the ideas
of the present, may have committed the anachronism of supposing
monastic institutions at Nineveh in the days of Jonah, as a great
Italian painter introduces Dominican friars and other mediaeval
paraphernalia in a picture of the prodigal son. It should be men-
tioned that {-SHU, rendered sober, occurs in verse 178 of Part I.
and from the connection may admit of an ascetic idea. — See
Metrical Hymns, &c, p. 108, note b.
e " Became bald through their mourning." — The Sy., |ZLk>3CLD
from «~K> r -0. depilavit, is used several times in the Fuchito for the
Ileb. rrrnj? (which Michaelis thinks is the same as the Syriac word,
the 5 and 1 being interchanged), and, like that, designates the
artificial baldness inilicted on themselves by the Orientals as a
NOTES. 26
token of grief. (OtdvUium in oocipUe quote sibi tondere eoUbani h
Gesenins.) Bee Esa. ixii. 12.
/ " The earthquake."— From this passage, and a similar one at
verse 188 of this Part, it appears that Ephraem presumed that the
preaching of Jonah was corroborated by miracles. The marvellous
and altogether unparalleled effects of his mission seem to demand
such a presumption.
" Their breath also was departing." — A particle is here found.
ASo|£)i often used in the later Syriac, but, as Michaelis says, not
employed in the biblical usage. An excellent article on it is given
by Bernstein. Michaelis remarks (in Castell), " Est particula scepe
redundant, '/nam nos aUquando per nempe exprimere possumus."
We have rendered it by also ; perhaps even so would be as proper.
Benedict has partter.
h " Sheol." — We prefer leaving this word untranslated to decid-
ing what idea Ephraem intended to convey. The word we have
rendered beloiv is t—iZdjoZ. Benedict seems to have derived
it from J._i_kj to live, for he renders the verse, " Quando virentea
in internum descendemus."
* " Mortal pangs." — Sy., fj >0_, , used by the Peschito in Isaiah
xiii. 8 and xxi. 3 for the Ileb. enra tormenta parturientium. Bene-
dict translates, " Quonum tempore operiet nos cal'ujof but the
word will not admit the idea of darkness, as Michaelis shews in
( astcll. It occurs again in verse 25, Part III., the pangs of death,
which Benedict has allowed to slip out altogether from his transla-
tion.
* "The straight path of words." — By., f » c ^ m is level, straight,
plain, and well expresses the ease wit li which words are uttered
when their passage is not interrupted by grief.
1 "Restrained their tenderness." — The idea of repression and
restraint if certainly conveyed here by the Sy. (J |, although no
such meaning is found in the I. exit. .us. It seems allied to the
llel». nS?, which, in Iliphil. is "jurejurando adstrinmt eum;"
Benedict, " infernal qffeetut repn ts< runt.' 1
c
26 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
* " The young ones." — The Syriac is |Z.Oj^L», boyhood or
childhood.
» ''Where is the lamb for the burnt-offering ?" — Gen. xxii. 7.
This extract, and all the terms used in this place in reference to
the sacrifice of Isaac, are literally the same as those found in the
Peschito.
" Lest there should be a blemish." — Referring to the prevalent
idea, that a sacrifice should not go unwillingly to the altar. The
same thought is beautifully expressed in the Hymns and Homilies,
p. 2.
v " Disclose." — Sy., •<**> * ^ This meaning is not given in
Castell, except so far as it may be deduced from the general sense
of the word, which is, to explain, interpret, and thus to disclose
what was hidden. Bernstein gives the signification among others,
declaravit.
q " His heart now learned from it." — Abraham uttered some-
thing at random, and without the clear concurrence of his judg-
ment, since he did not expect the divine interference which ac-
tually occurred. His tongue is thus said to have been wiser than
his heart (or mind) and to have learned from it.
r " I and the lad will go up." — Unlike the quotation above, this
from Gen. xxii. 5, differs greatly from the Peschito in the words
employed.
* " While he thought to help Isaac." — The thought condensed
in the few verses in reference to Abraham, furnishes an admirable
example of the flexibility of the Syriac and of the skill of Ephraem.
The passage also illustrates the way in which Scripture was used
by the early fathers, as supplying images and similitudes in their
ordinary compositions.
1 u To speak." — The verbs OOOI jlo|V)\ furnish an unusual
combination of the infinitive with the indicative. The OOOI is
plainly expletive.
« " A picture." — Picture and image are renderings of the same
Syriac word, ] V)\ . •
\ud became richer." — Sy., became heirs; inherited some-
thing they did not before possess.
N0T1-. :!7
» "Teaches by his reproof." — The Latin version of this and the
five previous verses, will give a good idea of the best style- of
Benedict i — " Scilicet quemadmodum ro ttri ros parentis verba et ver-
1„ n ccutigavimtu, dum vos erudire et lucrari studc remits, et modicum
pa88os admodum juvctre; sic et illc OptimiM d Mitunmtu not argtrii
> t , rudii." It will be seen how comparatively easy our task would
have been if we could have allowed ourselves to express thus freely
the terse thoughts of the Syriac. The modicum and admodwn, for
instance, introduced into the 161st verse, have nothing, in the
original, to warrant their use.
x -• Because their repentance was speedy." — We have rendered
\i_,*JLO by its usual meaning — speedy, but confess the sense of
the passage is not very clear to us. Benedict translates, " Ei quia
eitra modum resipuerunt citra erroremfittowaproBdizerunt."
i 2
^nrt tijE 4:(jinY
THE KING COMES FORTH TO THE PEOPLE WEEPING AND CLOTHED
WITH SACKCLOTH. A DESCRIPTION OF THE MISERY OF THE CITY.
— THE KING ADDRESSES HIS ARMIES AND GIVES THEM HIS COUN-
SEL. — HE REFERS TO GOD'S GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD, THAT
HE IS MERCIFUL AS WELL AS JUST, AND SUGGESTS REPENTANCE.
—HE ILLUSTRATES HIS ADVICE BY THE CASE OF THE FLOOD IN
THE DAYS OF NOAH. — A DESCRIPTION OF THAT EVENT.
The King came forth and shewed himself/
The city was moved when it saw his sackcloth ;
What noble then hesitated*
Whether he should put off his fine linen ?
Even the king wept when he saw 5
That the whole city was mourning.
The city wept before the King,
When it saw the ashes on his head ;
The King wept in the presence of the city,
Because it had become black with sackcloth. 10
The whole city shed tears,
And excited the stones of the wall" to weep.
Whoever prayed in this manner ?
Whoever thus made supplication ?
THE DEEP MISERY OF THE CITY. N
Whoever became so lowly ? 1 5
Whoever to this degree humbled himself?''
Whoever thus cast off his abominations,
Both the secret and the known ones ?
Whoever thus threw from him,
His pleasures as though they were his members ? e 20
Whoever at the sound of a voice alone/
Thus broke his heart for his sins ?
Whoever, listening to a word of mouth,
Became thus agitated^ in his conscience ?
Whoever at the voice of a feeble man, 2~>
Was thus seized with mortal agonies ?
Whoever thus, by repentance,
Pictured^ God before his eyes?
Whoever thus saw the Just One,
Unsheathing his hidden sword ? 30
One might then see that great city
Thus given up to sighs and weeping.
W^ho was there able to endure
The plaintive voice of children,
Who, loving a long life, 35
Had heard that their days were cut off?
Who, further, could contain himself
To hear the groaning of the aged men ?
For those desiring the grave,' and those who should
bury them,
Had heard that the city should be overthrown. 10
Who was able to endure
The great weeping of the young men,
30 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Who, while anticipating their nuptials,
Were invited, as guests, to their deaths?
Who was able to endure 45
The weeping voice of the brides,
Who, when sitting in their bridal chambers,
Were invited to the depths of the earth ?
Who could refrain from tears,
Before the King who was weeping ? 50
Who, instead of his royal palace,
Was invited to descend to Sheol ;
And who, now King among the living,
Should be but dust among the dead ;
WTio, in place of his chariot of state, 55
Had heard that his city should be overwhelmed ;
In place of his delicacies and pleasures,
It was reported that death should swallow him up';
And, instead of his couch of ease,
Both the city and its King, suddenly, 60
W^ere invited to the abyss of wrath !
The King convoked his armies,
He wept with them and they with him.
The King rehearsed in their presence
The battles in which they had been crowned ; 65
He also brought to their remembrance
In what perils they had conquered.
But now his soul was feeble, and he was humbled,
For there was none to redeem nor help.
He began thus to address them : — 70
" This, my friends, is not a war
PHI KING ADDKESSl-s his BOST8. 31
That wc can go forth and conquer as wc have been
wont,
And triumph according to our pleasure ;
For even heroes are now trembling
At the mighty rumour which is proclaimed abroad. 7f>
One Hebrew now conquers us
"Who have conquered many :
He hath made kings, even us, to tremble ;
And his word hath greatly disturbed us.
We have overthrown many cities, 80
But in our own city he vanquishes us.
Nineveh, the mother of heroes,
Is afraid of a solitary feeble one.
The lioness in her lair
Trembles at the Hebrew. 85
Asshuiv has roared against the world/
But the voice of Jonah roars against her.
Behold ! the race of Nimrod — the mighty one —
Is altogether brought low !"
The King offered good advice 90
To his mighty hosts :
" I counsel you, my beloved friends,
That even now ye be not cast down j
Let us contend like the brave,
That we perish not as men of no spirit. 95
For whoever, when he is tried,
Taketh heart and acts with courage:
If he dies, it is as a hero,
If he lives, it is as a conqueror.
32 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Thus, death being one of renown to him, 100
And on the other hand, life being illustrious,
The magnanimous, through his bravery,
Earns two advantages.
Even as the faint-hearted
Gains a double evil; 105
For his deatli is altogether ignominious,
And his life inglorious.
Let us then be armed and brave ;
Let us act like men and become renowned.
For although we should not gain our purpose, 110
We shall have the fame of men of courage.
" It hath been reported to us by tradition/
Which came of old time from our fathers,
That there is righteousness with God,
But that His property also is goodness; 115
And that by His justice He threatens,
And by His goodness He has pity.
Let us therefore placate His justice,
And His goodness will favourably regard us.
For if His justice is reconciled, 120
His goodness will afford us aid.
Let His righteousness be placated,
And His loving-kindness will abound to all men.
But even if His justice is indignant,
Our prayer will not be blamed ; 125
Although it is not appeased,
Our supplication will not be complained of.
Between justice and goodness,
THE KI\<; REFERS TO THE D1LUO] 38
Etepentance will not be spurned.
Let us then fabricate a new weapon, 130
For a new city, 771 my beloved ;
Since a secret war calls upon us,
Let us take to ourselves hidden weapons.
" This hath been told us, by those of old time,
Who have proclaimed the truth in the world, 135
Whose words have descended by tradition,
And the rumours of their renowned deeds —
(For the human race is not deprived
Of a knowing discretion,)
The fame hath walked through the earth, 1 10
Of just men who have been delivered in this manner;
It hath also filled the world
That the foolish shall be condemned.
We have also heard of the unjust,
How they, acting daringly, have been destroyed. 1 15
And we may see as in a mirror,"
That the presumptuous shall be rebuked.
A standard is set up in the earth
That the spectators may contemplate it.
Goodness, further, has been published to us, 150
That those who hear may look upon it ;
And repentance is pictured in the eartli
That sinners may view it.
" Who is there, my friends, who is not acquainted'
With the overwhelming deluge? 155
The history is familiar to us
c 3
34 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Of the inundation in the days of Noah ;
When, by the breaking forth of justice/
The whole human race was drowned/
Then, no one was deprived of discretion, 160
And no one was blinded as to knowledge.
My sons, the wicked were condemned,
That generation in the days of Noah.
Even then a voice made proclamation
Concerning the flood which was coming. 165
The ungodly who heard it, provoked to wrath,
They treated that voice with derision.
The sound of the axe and the hammer,
Preached respecting that deluge ;
The noise of the saw in its sawing, 1 70
Cried aloud of the inundation.
They derided the voice of the axe,
They mocked at the voice of the hammer,
Till the ark being completed,
Then justice was revealed ; s 1 7T>
And justice being revealed
Presumption was condemned.
The fountains were opened and roared
A.gainst the wicked mockers.
Suddenly the flood cried out 1 80
Against the ungodly who had derided.
Those who scoffed at the sound of the axe
Were tormented with the voice of thunders ;
Those who laughed at the sound of the saw
Were blinded by earthquakes and lightnings ! 1 85
They began to hasten to the ark,
NOTES.*
At which they had once mocked j
Its door was shut in their faces
For they had derided its building."
a " The king came forth and shewed himself.'" — This is probably
intended by Ephraem as a remarkable result of Jonah's preach-
ing, since the kings of most eastern countries maintain a cautious
with their subjects, and are generally secluded from
them.
'' -• What noble then hesitated." — The By., ^\-k»5 is to fear, to
terrify : but here it has the meaning of to doubt, hesitate, like the
</• ne of the Latins,
The stones of the wall." — The same figure is employed in
Hab. ii. 11 : " For the stone shall cry out of the wall," etc.. and
the same Syriac words are used in the Pesehito.
'' -Whoever to this degree humbled himself ?" — This and the
former verse are omitted by Benedict ; a fault of no uncommon
occurrence in this piece. He appears to have aimed more at
giving a poetical rotundity to his Latin, than at faithfully render-
ing the word- of the Syriac text.
* " As though they were his members." — The reference is to
the command of our Lord in Matt. v. 30. The meaning appears
to be, — he laid aside his lusts, although it <-<>*t him as much pain at
the abscision of a member of his body.
f •• At the Bound of a voice alone." — That is, of Jonah. It is
taken for granted by Ephraem, that the preaching of Jonah wafl
confined to the few words attributed to him in the Scriptures,
forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown !"
'J " Thus agitated in his conscience." — The By., o^JL-i is us.-. I
in Acts ii. 37, for the Greek KaTevvyycrav, WOT (heir
heart. Mieharlis. in CttteH, has a note intimating that the word
had not occurred to him anywhere bill in the Scriptures, and he
6b THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
doubts respecting the real meaning, but inclines to that of being
moved or agitated.
h " Pictured God before his eyes." — The Sy., 5o_« is used in
the same sense in Gal. iii. 1, and that text was, no doubt, in the
mind of Ephraem. In both cases a vivid perception of God or
Christ, as though actually present, is said to produce repentance
and faith.
i " Those desiring the grave.'' — A sense of the great import-
ance of the rites of sepulture is conveyed frequently by Ephraem
in the manner now before us. It was an element of the misery
of old men, in the threatened destruction of Nineveh, that there
should be none to bury them. The days having arrived to them,
in which, from the decay of their powers they could find no
pleasure, they could even desire the grave, were it but accom-
panied with its customary solemnities.
j " Asshur." — Sy., 50Z.| Athoor. This word is taken from
the Hebrew of Gen. x. 11, "W&*, treated as the name of a man
by the English version ; but it more properly signifies the region
in which Nineveh and other towns were situated. Gesenius says
of it in reference to this place in Genesis, " Assyria vetus et pro-
pria easdem fere regiones comprehendisse vidctur, quas Assyria?
propria? tribuit Ptolemoim.' 1 '' In Syrian church literature Athoor
is the name of Mosul, on the bank of the Tigris opposite to
Nineveh ; but it also designates a metropolitan see, including
Mosul, Nineveh, and other towns. Ephraem appears to have
used it in this large sense, for the region of which Nineveh was
the capital. In a letter sent from Mosul to the Pope in the year
1552, by a Nestorian, is the sentence, " Mozal, hoc est Attur,
in vicinia Xineves." (Assemani BibUotheca Orientatis, vol. i., p.
520.) Mr. Badger, in his interesting work. Thi Nettoriam and
tin ir Btiuah, says on this subject, " In many Syriac MSS. Mosul
i^ styled Athoor, and it is not an uncommon practice with eccle-
siastical writers of the present day to use the same phraseology,
1 Mosul, which is Athoor f but this mnsl be regarded rather as
a traditional commemoration of the title of one of the oldest
dioceses in these parts (which was also called 'Nineveh' long
NOTS8. 37
iftei tli.it name had censed to denote the capital of the Anyxiao
kings) than as the common appellative of a particular town then
ssktrng." ; Vol. i., p. 78.)
k " The world." — Syr., ]A_ij_0 from |;_0 creavit, tJ». creature,
like the New Testament, kt'ktis.
I •• By tradition." — By., jlOQ-» drditctio. dcrivatio, series, tra-
Castell.
m •• A new city." — This is at first sight obscure, but the mean-
ing seems to be as follows : — The Xinevites were brought into
an entirely new position, in which their former prowess availed
them nothing. The king says in verse 72, above,
•• This, my friends, is not a war
That we can go forth and conquer as we have been wont,
And triumph according to our pleasure."
It remained, then, that new circumstances demanded new re-
sources, and he says, " Let us devise a new weapon (repentance)
for a new state of things ;" here figuratively called a city.
■ " May see as in a mirror." — Literally, a mirror also is placed.
» Goodness." — The text here has |Zo*^i i {, goodness, but
Benedict has pomitentia, as though he read |Zo*") %L. But this
produces a tautology, which we have avoided by considering
the text as the correct reading. Divine goodness and mans re-
pentance together form a ground of hope for the sinner.
P " Who is not acquainted." — The Syriac word is . * it H
eon st rued with *^5, a form on which some observations are
made in the Hymns aid HomSieo^ p. 180, note h. But the sense
here is somewhat different, and is not noticed in the Lexicons.
Benedict, " Ou&nam ignotnt ttt OcdaolyimuBp*
1 " The breaking forth of justice." — The only meaning given
in the Lexicons to |Z(1HCL» is memta; but the verb _£}_•
is descend, re /• >-it ; hence a coming down, breaking forth, in allu-
sion to the descent of the water-floods from heaven, is properly
the meaning of the noun.
r •• Was drowned." — The printed text, j; V)\, is plainly ,:n
trior for |,V)S, the word generally appropriated to baptism.
38 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
• " Then justice -was revealed." — The particle _3 aftcricards.
tfien, is not of common occurrence.
In his Commentary on Genesis (vol. i. of the Roman edition of
his Syriac works), Ephraem uses many interesting illustrations,
to magnify the mercy and forbearance of God towards the guilty
antediluvians. The following extract will interest our readers : —
" When therefore the men of that generation were reformed,
neither by the congregation of the animals at one time, nor by
the agreement which existed between creatures of opposite
natures, the Lord said to Noah, ' There are yet seven days and
I will blot out all flesh which I have made.' He then who had
given them a hundred years while the ark was preparing, and
yet they repented not ; and who gathered the creatures which
they had never seen, and which had no concord between them,
and put a covenant of peace between the tame and the savage,
so that the former feared not : yet further, after Noah and all
flesh had entered into the ark, the Spirit extended to them seven
days, during which the door of the ark remained open to them,
and they saw this wonderful thing, that the lions did not require
their wild gambols, nor the other beasts and birds their accus-
tomed practices. Yet were they not even then persuaded to leave
off their evil deeds."
The above breathes a tender and truly Christ -like spirit. It
is remarkable that the Peschito, in the reference to the flood in
1 Peter iii. 20, to the words, tvhen once tlie long-suffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, adds, in the hope of their repentance.
This would probably be the authority on which Ephraem would
rest his beautiful amplifications of the divine forbearance.
We will add another short extract from this Commentary, as
it is very little known : —
"The forbearance of God for one hundred and twenty years,
was intended, first, that they should repent. Further, that holy
men might remain among them, and thai thus their conduct
might condemn them. Also, thai the righteous might fill up
their appointed days and die, lest men Bhould say a\ 1 1 Ii regard
to those who were not guilty, Why did He not spare them?
Thus when the trial of that generation had lasted one hundred
\oi 39
Hi- cut off the twenty jean. For the seven dayi which
He granted to them after the animals h.ul entered the ark, ware
more in value than the twenty years which lie took away, be-
eanas of the marvellous events which to,«k place in them. For
if they would not repent after tho signs of the seven days, it
It plain they would not after the signs of the twenty years which
were cut off. lie thus sent them to death le-s hardened with
many offences, hy cutting off from their life twenty years."'
(JSphrtk ml < >}n m. vol. iv., p. 53.)
From this passage it appear-. 1. That Kphraem thought that
the text (Gen. V. 32,) •• Noah was five hundred years old." was
the date of the divine threatening in the first instance ■ and 2. That
he iiit« rpreted Gen. vi. :). •■ his days shall he a hundred and twenty
not of the shortening of human life in general, hut oi
the time which was to intervene between the five hundredth
year <<i' Noah and the actual infliction of the flood. Compare
Cell. vii. li.
^urt tjjt /aitrtlj.
THE KING RELATES HIS INTERVIEW WITH JONAH, HIS CONTEMPT BOTH
OF THREATENINGS AND PROMISES. — HE COMPARES TDK PROPHET
TO A FAITHFUL PHYSICIAN WHO PRESCRIBES PAINFUL REMEDIES,
AND CONTRASTS HIM WITH THOSE WHO PREDICT GOOD THINGS
FOR THE SAKE OF GAIN. HE SUGGESTS FASTING AND PRAYER. —
HE REFERS TO THE TEMPTATION OF JOB BY SATAN. ANI> EXHORTS
TO A GENERAL AND ENTIRE HUMILIATION.
" My Brethren ! let us not despise
The voice of Jonah the Hebrew.
It does not become us, foolishly,
To look down upon" his preaching ;
Let us rather consider it discreetly, 5
And view it on all sides.
I have fallen into great perplexity,
From the words of his proclamation.
It may be thought to be audacity —
It may be considered as madness — 10
But if one should call him mad,
He is yet a treasure of great wisdom. 6
In him there is perception^ and intellect,
interview with JONAH. 11
Intelligence springs up in him as a fountain.
Ili— appearance is contemptible and unadorned/ 15
But his speech is powerful and weighty.
I have questioned him in your presence,
Making such enquiries as we thought fit;
As though tried in the furnace,
Were the words spoken by him. 20
But he neither trembled nor feared,
He neither hesitated nor displayed agitation.
He varied not the word of his mouth,
Which was restricted by the truth.
He departed not from his narration, 25
For very tenacious is his memory.
" I flattered' him but he was not enticed/
I sought to terrify him, but he trembled not ;
I shewed him riches, but he laughed at them,
A sword also, but he altogether despised it ; 30
He was a stranger 17 to the sword,
He was superior to a gift.
There are some who will be allured by a treasure,
While others will tremble at a sword;
But to him punishment had no terror, 35
Nor a gift any attractions.
Between flattery and fear*
We placed this Hebrew ;
But he escaped from both of them,
For both of them he despised. 1<)
I shewed him wealth, he laughed it to scorn,
And on the sword he looked contemptuously.'
42 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
The love of moneys' was conquered by him,
The fear of death was despised.
Every word which he uttered, 15
Cleft the stone by its sword/
He neither feared my power,
Nor respected' my majesty.
All our honour was considered by him,
As filth thrown upon the ground ; 50
So greatly did he scorn our wealth,
So much did he despise our sword.
He prepared a brow of brass,
And thus came to our coasts ;
So that nothing could make him willing 55
To respect our royalty. 7 "
" His word thus becomes to us a mirror,
In which we may contemplate our blemishes."
In it we may look upon God,
Who is angry at our abominations ; 60
In it we may see impartial justice,
Who is wrathful on account of our trespasses ;
In it also we may see our city,
On which a stern sentence has come ;
We may see in it the proclamation 65
Which hath proceeded from the mouth of the Just One.
For this is no cunning device,
Nor an ensnaring contrivance.
Had he preached to us prosperity,
We might have thought him a cunning man, 70
Who by the good tidings which he brings
JONAH COMPARED TO A PHYSICIAN. 48
Would earn a fair reward.
For whosoever desires profit
Makes a favourable augury ;
And a soothsayer/ because he is avaricious, 75
Gives a flattering promise.
A Chalda3an also, because he lacks bread/
Proclaims a good horoscope/
That he may receive the more from the foolish.
He tells him of a wealthy lot, 80
Not because he is solicitous to give it to him,
(For indeed he bestows nothing,)
But by the promise of wealth he leads him captive,
And takes from him even what he hath.
" But this is a very faithful physician ; 85
He speaks the truth to his patient ;
He enters and proclaims a stern decree,
In the midst of the house/ to the sick man ;
He prescribes to him a sharp fiery caustic,
Openly, in the midst of his chamber / 90
He does not fear whether one can bear it,
When he announces the extraction of a tooth/
Yea, he fearcth not the King
To tell him the thought of his heart ;"
He fears not the son of the King !).">
To make him drink sharp medicine ;•
He fears not a man who is terrible,
But binds him and employs the knife."'
He trembles not at a giant,
To humble his strength by his caustics, 100
44 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Who will brand as a deceiver
A prophet who proclaims wrath?
For he is not a liar
Whose voice causes perturbation ;
But if his speech is searching, 105
His spirit is sincere.
" But though a good physician is not fearful,
He exercises his art for profit f
But this Hebrew is superior
To the grade of those who practise healing; 110
For not even his daily bread^
Will he eat from our city :
From the day that he came among us
He hath fasted and suffered much.
Now what urges him, without advantage, 115
To preach great wrath against us ?
How is it that he is not afraid
To proclaim this against our city ?
It hath been reported to us by the Hebrews
Respecting Moses and Elias, 1 20
That they fasted from food
Each of them forty days. 3
But will this Hebrew prophet
Thus fast as long as they did ? a
But if he fasts, being a righteous man, 125
Come ! let us fast because we are sinners ;
And if he, being a righteous man, makes supplication,
Let us strew* 3 for ourselves sackcloth and ashes.
And perhaps he is fasting and praying,
Tin: \i\i:viTES ACCUSED r>v SATAN. 15
Tlmt he may not prove false respecting us ;> 180
Or strives to overturn the city,
That his preaching may obtain credit.
Since then by fasting he fights against us,
By fasting let us contend with him.
Yet not against the prophet 135
Shall we strive by our repentance ;
For it is not he who does us harm,
But our sins have injured us.
The Hebrew does not overthrow our city,
But its iniquity is destroying it. 140
" There is among you, my friends,
Another and invisible enemy,
Against whom it behoves us
To contend most courageously.
Among us there is the history 145
Of righteous Job — that ancient man,
Even the dumb brute creatures
Must have heard, as I may say, 6 concerning his
triumphs ;
For his temptation, like a trumpet,
Hath proclaimed his victory through the world. 150
It was Satan who accused 6 him,
According to the relation of our fathers.
Now if the Wicked One accused
That righteous ancient man,
How much must he open his mouth 155
To bring a charge against sinners?
Different, and yet alike, is his wickedness
10 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Towards the righteous and the evil ;
For he persecuteth the righteous,
If peradventure he may make him a sinner ; 160
And he slayeth the sinner lest he should repent.
It was he who went forth and overthrew
The house of the sons of Job ;
He mingled their blood with their wine,^
And their goblets with their bodies. 165
He overthrew the banquet,
And the house upon its habitants.
" Perhaps he has received a mission,
And will overturn our city and state. 11
In battles ye have conquered kings, 170
Now conquer Satan by prayer.
Bring forth therefore your battle array
To contend in war with him ;
Put off and throw aside your mantles/
And arm yourselves with sackcloth against him. 1 75
Break and throw away your bows
And take refuge in prayers ;
Lay down the sword — that feeble weapon,
And choose the triumphal sword,
Whose edge, even fasting, will inflict a wound 1 180
Upon the hidden wicked one in our city.
For that victory is as nothing
Which ye have borne away in the battle ;
But now, if we should conquer,
It will be greater than all our triumphs ; 1 85
And since I have entered into the ranks
NOTES. 17
In wars and dangers,"
I will now take the precedence
In this mighty battle.
Arm yourselves, then, like me, 190
And advance, my beloved soldiers \"
«■ " To Lookjdown upon."' — 5gl_k» is generally, to look upon, con-
template; but the context demands the rendering we have given.
A like use of it is found in Gregorian Ablins, quoted in A
Bib. 0r. t vol. i., p. 172, ^on i, i^Nkl ^05Q-kj2 ]], ye shall
not despise your disciples.
b " Great wisdom." — Sy., wisdoms, a plural emphatic.
c " Perception." — Sy., jVlS^ gustus, sapor, referred to the
mind, like the Hebrew DSTp.
d " His appearance is unadorned." — (V) > kk-» is properly sim-
wrus, without any admixtwre. According to Michaelis, it
may be rendered, without ornament, as in 1 Kings vi. 33, where
there is nothing corresponding in the Hebrew text; and also
common, in opposition to that which is holy, as common bread, in
distinction from that which is appropriated to the eucharist.
« " I flattered him." — » o .^— 9 is properly to more, agitate; then,
mentally; and, as in the text, to flatter, or at least, to
move by blandishments.
f •• He was not enticed." — wkjAj*» does not ocur as a verb in the
Lexicons, nor can we find it m Arabic. The noun |A>jZQ->«j
is in 2 Tim. iv. 3 for the Greek, KwnQ6ixevoi, having itching ears.
The idea of pleasing inducement seems to pervade the few examples
which occur, and this sense is confirmed by the verb in this place.
Bee the note of Michaelis in Castcll.
§ •• lie was a stranger to the sword." — That is, he treated it as
a thing with whose fearful uses he was unacquainted, or which he
did not recognize.
48 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
h " Between flattery and fear." — This whole description given
of Jonah by the king, contrasts favourably with the apparent pu-
sillanimity of the prophet, depicted in the brief account of the
Holy Scriptures. It was customary with the fathers, as it is now
with certain schools of divinity, to attribute nothing but excellence
to the characters of the Old Testament, and to explain away their
obvious faults. Ephraem is very much exposed to this charge,
for, in the seventh hymn, on the Nativity, he speaks of shameless
women as justified through a faith in the coming Messiah which
he attributes to them. Thus he says of Tamar, " Holy was the
adultery of Tamar on thy account."
i On the sword he looked contemptuously." — Sy., he pouted out
his lip. On the Syriac phrase see Michaelis in Castell, under
It is scarcely possible for any one writing on Jonah to avoid
imagining the trials to which his courage must have been exposed
while delivering his message ; but Ephraem has here accumulated
his temptations with much skill. Two short extracts from a work
of great eloquence and power* will illustrate the position of the
prophet as described in the text.
" He must have been the subject of strange and conflicting
emotions, when he entered the gates of that proud capital. The
stern soldiers upon the battlements, armed with swords and shields,
helmets and spears ; the colossal images of winged compound ani-
mals that guarded the gates ; the gorgeous chariots and horsemen
that rattled and bounded through the streets ; the pomp and state
of the royal palaces; the signs of trade and commerce, of wealth
and luxury, of pleasure and wickedness, on every hand ; must
have amazed and perplexed the prophet, conscious of his utter
loneliness amidst a mighty population, of his despicable poverty
amidst abounding riches, of his rough and foreign aspect amidst
a proud and polished community, — there was enough to shake his
faith and to cowardizc his bold, haughty, and scornful spirit.
Yet he dared not a second time abandon bis mission. He there-
fore passed along the broadways and great places of concourse
* Nineveh, its Rise and Fall. By the Rev. J. Blackburn. London, 1850.
NOTES. 1!)
crying in solemn tones, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be
overthrown I"
Jonah, as might naturally be expected, was sent for by the
king, who was approached with the reverence exacted hy oriental
monarohs : —
44 Seated on his throne of state, his eunuchs, ministers, and
other great officers stood around him, while those who were brought
before him, forgetting the erect dignity of human nature, pros-
trated themselves in the most abject manner at his feet. Imagine
Jonah introduced into the royal palace, and you will see that the
scene and circumstances must have sorely tried his faith and sted-
Esstness. As he passed along the lengthened corridors towards
the hall of audience, he must have been struck with the air of
uncommon splendour that surrounded him. On the walls he be-
held the sculptured figures of priests and eunuchs, of kings, heroes,
and ministers of state, of genii and idol gods, of battles and hunting
scenes, — all elaborately and gorgeously coloured ; while there stood
at the angles of the passages colossal statues of strange, winged,
compound creatures, like the guardian spirits of the place."
j " The love of money." — Sy., (^CD^ silver, the precious
metal generally used when the circulating medium is spoken of.
* "Cleft the stone by its sword." — A bold figure, but with modi-
fications found in most languages. Benedict, " tier mo tumen tektm
erat, findebat marmora."
i " Nor respected my majesty." — Sy., accepted the faces of.
»» " To respect our royalty." — Sy., to accept the faces of our king-
dom.
n "In which we may contemplate our blemishes." — Many
writers would have said, " In which we may see our sins ; v but
Bphraem uses the figure with precision. The term blemishes, or
spots, describes what alone could be seen in the mirror, and the
moral application of the metaphor is left to the reader.
o " A soothsayer." — jiDO^Q,like the Ileh. crp, is always used
in a had sense, as far as we have met with it. Hut Castell gives
as one of its meanings, " taeerdot officio suo fungent."
I)
50 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
F ** A Chaldaean also, because he lacks bread." — Literally, be-
cause he is hungry. The Chaldseans are constantly mentioned in
Ephraem's controversial works. The term means astrologers, and
Chaldaza is astrology, because the study of the heavens was culti-
vated in that region. In allusion to Ephraem's reprehension of
this class of men, Asseman says, " Hoiking is better known than
that the Chaldees greatly delighted in the study of astrology from
the very beginning of their nation. Study begat knowledge, and
knowledge superstition. Thence all kinds of evil acts proceeded,
so that what Tertullian says of the doctrine of Plato may be pro-
perly applied to the philosophy of the Chaldees, viz., that it be-
came the seasoner (condimentariumj of all superstitions. (The
quotation from Tertullian in Andrew's edition of Freund is omnium
hozreticorum.) Hence the name of Fate began to be published
abroad, so destructive to human society and liberty, and the occa-
sion for offering impunity to all crimes." (Bibliotheca Orltutclis,
vol. i., p. 122.)
The curious description here given of the soothsayers and as-
trologers implies that however numerous they might be in the
time of Ephracm, they practised without much emolument. For
this their numbers might account. In a discourse intended for a
public congregation, the sarcasm of Ephracm would not be thrown
away.
q "A good horoscope." — |r— *-» A_i_0, literally, the house of
the birth, signifies in the Peschito, naialis dies, a birthday, or na-
talitia, a birthday feast, (Matt. xiv. 6 ; Mark vi. 20.) The reason
of the term is thus explained by De Dieu on the place in Matthew
as quoted by Michaelis : " The stars are divided by astrologers
into certain houses, as the house of Mars, of Venus, etc. Thus,
when the horoscope or moment of birth was observed, it was cus-
tomary to notice the position of the Btara aa existing at the time of
the birth in this or that heavenly house. When, therefore, that
celestial house occurred in which the horoscope of Herod was reck-
oned, his birthday feast was celebrated."
r « In the midst of the house." — A proceeding contrasted with
the muttered tones and sly movements by which the soothsayers.
NOTES. 51
etc., Imposed upon the ignorant, to whom the expression always
applies, " Oinne ignotvmpro maffmfico."
J M In the midst ofliis chamber." — Sy., ]jQ_^ulJD, which C.i-t. 11
renders, cubicidum, cuhile hominum ct ferrarum, din r.-mrinm. but
without an example.
' " The extraction of a tooth."'— A homely illustration, bringing
before us the existence of a painful disease, and a sharp remedy,
in earlier days. The word 1-»^L is by Castell rendered dens rno-
lari*. and as Ephraem would naturally use a term which would
sharpen the operation, our text may be considered as confirming
that meaning.
■ •• The thought of his heart." — That is, of Jonah, as is clear in
the Syriac, but we found it impossible to prevent the ambiguity
in English.
v ki To make him drink sharp medicine.'' — In this statement,
and the preceding one, the negatives are placed peculiarly, yet
correctly. We should say. ''lie feared not to tell the king the
thought of his heart ;" but the object of fear being the king, the
Byriac is more precise and exact.
w " Employs the knife." — Literally, binds and ads him. The
whole of the expressions of these verses are technical, and, in a
few words, bring before us the whole routine of a surgical opera-
tion.
* •• He exercises his art for profit." — The By. , *^> \t m V) is
here used peculiarly. t °^ * is subdidit, subjeeU, hum&avit; but
none of these meanings will rait the context. As this verb is only
a form of the more simple .^ V it is proper to seek there for an
explanation. Now Michaelis says that t *^> V is sometimes munere
]>r>iji<; r< <, erean : e. g., conavlt m, epwcopum, etc., although the name
of the office is not added. Thus the word before us may mean, to
subject himself to, or practise his art. So in English we Bay of
the medical profession, that it proeftMt, without adding a noun.
y '• His daily bread." — As there is no scriptural authority for the
fasting of donah, it is probable that Ephraem draws the infer-
ence that he did so from the mention of/offy d<n/*, which suggested
the period during which our Saviour, and Moses and Elias, fasted.
d2
52 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
To those historical events the fast of Lent must be ascribed, which,
unknown to the earliest Christian times, gradually became estab-
lished in the Church. Thus Neander says, under the second and
third centuries ; " It became by degrees a more universally pre-
vailing custom, to prepare for the feast of Easter by a season of
penitence and fasting. This fast was compared with the forty
days' fast of Christ, although the whole time of forty days was by
ii" means observed so generally as the name was applied." (Chard
History, vol. iii., p. 408, Clarke's edition.)
2 " Each of them forty days."— Sy., days, forty forty numbers, a
Semitic form for distributive pronouns.
«■ " Fast as long as they did ?"— This confirms the observation
made above in note y. Ephraem supposes in the king the same
process of induction which originally led to the forty days' fast of
Lent.
£ " Let us strew for ourselves." — Benedict renders, " Depri-
mant nos saccus et cinis," Let sackcloth and ashes dejiress us. But
this would require a plural verb, whereas this, ^QiDJ. if the
third person, must be singular. We make it the first person plural
from ^D stravit. Sackcloth and ashes were often strewn for the
mourner upon the ground.
y " That he may not prove false respecting us." — The jealousy
of Jonah for his credit as a prophet, which, in the mode of its
manifestation, gives such an unamiable view of his character, is
here supposed to have developed itself early in the forty days.
There is no reason to think that Jonah prayed that Nineveh might
perish ; this would indicate a far worse disposition than his chagrin
at the non-fulfilment of his prediction.
s " As I may say." — This rendering we have given to j-CID,
which is generally forsan, fortassis. It qualifies the very bold
statement of this verse, as the w? cnos imeiv of the Greeks.
■ "It was Satan who accused him." — The Syriac expression
for to accuse is to eat the pieces of any one; comedere frustra alicujus.
(Jesenius. On this singular phrase, common to the Semitic tongues,
much has been said by philologists. Schaaf says, that "calnm-
niators were accustomed to eat some food before they accused
NOTE8.
others." Btorr, quoted by Gesenius, says that to /serf o* atfumny
is to labour to fill tin- desire of an envious mind. In Arabic the
phrase Lb to eat tfo flesh of any one. See Psalm xxvii. 2 ; .Inl> x'w.
M. May not the expression mean that a detractor or calum-
niator eats up the character which he has first torn to pieces?
i "lie mingled their blood with their wine." — The Syriac we
have rendered wine is |J}2iQ>j, a form we cannot find in the I.
icons. Perhaps it is an error for ^OTL^kbj their vines.
v •• Our city and state." — The words P^).. and \t 1 i;V> are
here used in a way which indicates that they designated two sepa-
rate things. Perhaps the first was the city itself, and the latter
the raborbfl and the country round about. See note t } Tart V.
It may be useful in this place to introduce the following obser-
vations on ancient Nineveh, from the Cyclopcedia of Biblical Lite-
rature, edited by Dr. Kitto. — See the article Nineveh.
•• The three mounds of Khorsabad, Koyunjik, and Nimrud stand
at three comers of a trapezium sixty miles in circuit, and if to
these we take the great Karamles mound, near the great Zab,
about twelve miles from Nimrud, as the remaining corner, the tra-
pezium is mapped out in this once fertile plain. It is not at once
intelligible how this large tract should be coincident with the
former site of the Assyrian metropolis, but it coincides with Jo-
nah's statement, that Nineveh was an exceeding great rit// of three
days' journey ; and we are to dismiss ideas founded on compactly
built European towns, with houses closely packed together in
narrow streets, and to understand that Nineveh was. as many
great eastern cities are at this day, a collection of scattered houses
interspersed with green pastures, extensive gardens, and fruitful
vineyards. In Jonah it is stated that the city contained not only
numerous people, but 'also much cattle.' The king's palace
had its park stocked with game and animals of the ohas 1
this, together with the pasture-grounds, the kitchen and pleasure
gardens, and the vineyards, would all be included within the sixty
mile- of circuit. An ancient eastern city, when once surrounded
by a strong and high wall, was deemed to be secure of being taken
by an enemy, unless by a siege long enough to produce famine
54 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
among the inhabitants ; and to guard against this, it was endea-
voured to include within the city the means of rearing cattle and
of raising such vegetable produce as required to be grown every
season, and could not, like corn, be stored away in granaries to be
kept for many years. This adequately explains the vast extent
ascribed to Nineveh, Babylon, and other ancient cities."
" Your mantles." — Sy., pQJZ.. As we can find no meaning
to this, except that of furnace, with different vowels, we give that
of Benedict, which indeed, or something like it, is required by the
connection. He gives diploides, double robes or mantles, apparently
with an etymological reference to the Syriac word.
1 " Will inflict a wound." — This may be rendered, " icill ampu-
tate, or cut off the hidden wicked one."
* " Dangers." — \- r » • *■>. No such word is to be found, as far
as our search has extended. Benedict omits it altogether. Perhaps
it is a derivative from ;_*>-* compulit, coegit, by a transposition of
letters.
f«t \\)t jFiffjj.
THE KIM. BETS I Hi: EXAMPLE, THE PEOrLE FOLLOW, AND PUT ON
SACKCLOTH. — in. tSMKOB T<> HOB -ri;.ii:< ts, AND HIMSELF GOES
THBOUGH THE (I IV DBOnm ALL TO REl'ENTANc E. JOFAB 1-
1 Il.I.KD WITH WiiNDKll, AM) CONTRASTS THE REFORMATION OF
tiii: mm:yiti:s with thk impenitence of his own people. —
divot (.k\( l: 1 luqht nineveh that by fasting the threat-
ENED DOOM MIGHT I5E AVERTED.
The King" arose and laid aside his robes,
They all put off their attire.
The King hastened, and clothed himself with sackcloth,
And his troops, like him, put on blackness.
The Assyrians, so sumptuously adorned, 5
Were suddenly clothed in mourning.
By the hair upon their garments,
The mystery of Jacob was illustrated ; b
For they by remorse prostrated themselves,
And chose his victory by his repentance/ 10
For, like Esan, Satan was foiled of his expectation/
The master like his pupil;
And these conquered, like Jacob,
56 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
The disciples like their master.
The King called the chief of his mighty men, 15
To go and visit his encampments ;
Messengers went among the hosts,
To the intent that every man should be penitent. —
" Let the impure/' they said, " put off his uncleanness,
Lest it should vanquish him in the battle ; 20
Let the miser cast off his covetousness,
Lest he should be impeded* in the conflict ;
Let the angry man be reconciled to his neighbour,
Let there be no wrath in his heart,
Lest his salvation be put in peril ; 25
And let not his lips contrive^ strife,
That the city may be blessed by acts of kindness.
Let no man falsely accuse^ nor oppress another,
Neither let him be guilty of perjury j*
Lest the sentence of doom which hath proceeded
against us, 30
Should justly prove to be true.
Let the fetters on our hearts be broken,
That our supplication be not impeded ;
Let no man pursue after folly,
Lest a greater torment should overtake us." — 35
Such things, and others like them,
The heralds proclaimed in the great city.
The King remained in trouble,
And diligently inspected the city ;
He decreed a fast for his camp, 40
And supplied it with the armour of truth ;
OR] \r (ii LNG1 l\ Tin: KINO. 57
He called his regiments to prayer,
For that was their only safety.
He proclaimed an earnest supplication,
A bow whose arrows would be victorious ; 45
Armour which would surround the oppressed,
And a fierce 1 sword for those wielding it.
When the King had inspected these,
And carefully armed his regiments ;
He turned himself to give weapons to the city, 50
The men and the women together j
That the whole people unitedly,
Might do battle for their safety.
By his own sackcloth he set an example ;
He armed the city with sackcloth. 55
It was the son of Nimrod/ the mighty one,
It was a warrior, and a hunter/
Who leaving off to slay great wild beasts,
Slew, in the place of the beasts of the field,
The hateful sins of his people. 60
Instead of things hunted in the field,
He purged the city from crimes.
He let alone the wild creatures without,
And killed the iniquities within.
He rejected the poison of dragons,* 05
And sweetened his disposition'" by fasting.
In place of the chariot of his majesty,
He visited the city on foot ;
He called on all his people,
That he might awaken them to repentance. 70
d3
58 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
The King wandered in a private manner,
That he might purge them from impurity ;
He walked about in humility,
That he might establish the agitated city ;
In places of low resort" 75
He sowed tranquillity among the streets.
Jonah saw this, and wonder seized him j
He blushed for the children of his own people.
He saw the Ninevites were victorious,
And he wept for the seed of Abraham ; 80
He saw the seed of Canaan in sound mind,
While the seed of Jacob was infatuated ;
He saw the uncircumcised cut to the heart,
While the circumcised had hardened it ;
The former gloried in the Sabbath, 85
While they of the circumcision despised it,
And placed it between death and life/
The King of Nineveh knew
That the cause of wrath was folly ;
He cut off the evil occasions, 90
And quickly composed the storms.?
As a physician he had visited his city ;
And knew the medicine which was proper for it ;
By fasting, that powerful physic,
He healed the malady of the city ; 95
And by sackcloth and ashes,
Drove sin from the midst of it.
Because they forsook their crimes
WHO TAUGHT Till: NINEVITES TO FAST? 59
The Good magnified his gift;
They gave up accumulation and usury/ 100
And the city and its suburbs' were delivered.
Jonah was an avenger of iniquities,
But fasting remitted their sins.
The Ninevites gathered themselves together,
And took counsel how they might be saved ; 105
The whole people appointed a fast,
That by it they might propitiate God.
Who made known to the Ninevites
These hidden divine mysteries ?
That fasting was able to remit 110
The stern decree of God ?
Jonah did not give them this information,
For he feared lest they should be pardoned ;
Jonah had proclaimed to the Ninevites,
That the stern decree was true. 115
The Ninevites believed Jonah's words,
But made his sentence of no effect ;
For they recognized a distinction/'
Between God and man j
That man was but as man, 120
Whereas God was gracious.
They saw that the prophet was severe,
They concluded that God was gentle.
They argued not against him who was severe,
But they sought the favour of the Gracious; 125
They attributed justice to the prophet,
But goodness to God.
60 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
While Jonah cut off hope,
In fasting much hope was found ;
While Jonah broke the heart, 130
Prayer afforded it support ;
And "while the indignation was fierce,
Its heat grew cold by sackcloth.
The cloud lowered with thick darkness,
At the sight of the sackcloth it was dissipated/ 135
The sky was dark before,
By repentance it became serene.
The inhabitants of Asia, who were affrighted,
Were now assured by temperance ;
The city tottered to its fall;" 140
But the giving of alms strengthened its pillars.
Mammon, which had multiplied crimes,
Now obtained pardon for trespasses ;
The iniquitous were preserved by the pious,
For they taught them to fast and pray. 145
Old men prayed loudly as they sat in sackcloth,
And became assured as to their salvation.
Young men who had wept in affliction,
Now retained their crowns f
And betrothed virgins who had put on sadness, 150
Were preserved for their bridals.
The beasts who had fasted from water,
Uttered cries in their different manners. y
There was a loud wailing in all voices,
Both of human beings and brute creatures. 155
THE 1 -:.\H\i:sT REPENTANCE 01 THE PEOPLE. 61
Justice heard their groaning,
And Grace redeemed their city.
From the day Jonah pronounced the sentence,
Great had been their diligence f
Supplication was without intermission, 160
And fasting still urged to fast ;
Sackcloth was doubled to sackcloth,
And ashes in abundance were on them.
No eye there refrained
From repentant weeping, 165
No tongue there kept silence
From loudly imploring for mercy ;
The ear there heard nothing
But the sound of wailing and grief,
Which arose from all sides ; 1 70
The eyes a there looked not upon
The shining form of the countenance,
Nor upon a laughing mouth ;
For the tears of the sad and contrite* 5
Were renewed every hour, 175
And descended like showers through repentance.
Alms of all varieties,
Were daily there administered ;
And intercessions of every kind,
Were daily there renewed ; 180
Earnest entreaty for all benefits,
Was every day witnessed there;
For a fountain of all consolations,
Was there opened by Mercy.
62 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Then sobriety, without restraint, 185
Clothed both men and women ;
A stedfast purity
Was maintained there by fasting.
Benignity towards each other,
Gave sweetness to their tongues; 190
By unity and concord,
Like fellow-members they were mingled together.
Grace bowed itself down to them,
And upon them mercy shed its dew.
Love existed among the children, 195
And truth between a man and his friend.
Among the angry there was reconciliation,
And unity took the place of discord.
With the women there was quietness,
But a silence full of good services. 200
The old men made intercession,
And gave counsel full of profit.
The youths were continent,
The virgins were modest.
Between maidens and their mistresses 205
One harmony was established.
There was no look of haughtiness,
For garments of humility girded them ;
There were no angry excitements,
And jealousy was destroyed by impending wrath. 210
There was one feeling of kindness,
With servants and their lords ;*
There was one equal drink,
With masters and their slaves;
DESCRIPTION OF THE FEAR OF THE CITY. 63
And the same humble food, 215
To the rich and the poor.
One sackcloth was placed beneath
The hired servants and noblemen.
The whole city had but one yoke ;
It was occupied by repentance. 6 220
One work was carried on,
For a common salvation was to be received ;
Lamentations, in various voices,
Were uttered there every day ;
And the groaning of different sufferers, 225
Was always found there ;
And the loud cry of various pains,
Was heard from them all.
By astonishment of every kind
The whole city was moved ; 230
It altogether experienced
The surprise of various apprehensions ;
Like a sparrow upon a thorn,
The city sat in fear ;
It was moved and tottered to and fro, 235
Like a reed among the winds.*
When the day dawned, they did not think
That to them it would become evening ;
It became night, and they were not assured
That the morn would rise upon them. 240
Bach day death was present,
And the whole people trembled;
64 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
The whole city with one consent,
Was knocking at the gates of the grave
« " The King arose."— The excellent qualities ascribed to this
king of Assyria make us wish that his character had some foun-
dation in historical truth ; but, apart from the biblical fact that
he proclaimed a fast, and suggested the possibility of the wrath
of God being averted by repentance, we have no reason to sup-
pose that Ephraem drew his matter from any source but his ima-
gination. Yet, after all, his details may be said to have a legiti-
mate origin in the brief statement of the Scriptures.
It has always been doubtful who this king was, but probability
is on the side of Pul, the first king of Assyria mentioned in the
Bible. This is the opinion of Archbishop Usher, and has gene-
rally been adopted. Hales thinks that it was the father of Pul
who reigned when Jonah was sent to Nineveh. Others have fixed
on Sardanapalus. Of Pul we leam in 2 Kings xv. 19, that in the
wicked reign of Menahem the king of Israel, ' ; Pul the king of
Assyria came against the land ; and Menahem gave Pul a thou-
sand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm
the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money of
Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty
shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria.. So the king of
Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land." He is
again mentioned in 1 Chron. v. 26, " And the God of Israel stirred
up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria," etc.
In these short notices of Pul there is nothing which does not
harmonize with the kin^ mentioned in Jonah, He had been into
the territories of the Israelites, and might there have become suf-
ficiently acquainted with their former history to make him attach
importance to the message of the prophet. Tims the absence of
any knowledge of his after history allows us to hope thai his
NOTES. 68
repentance was permanent as well as sincere at the time. I'ut
if it had been Bardanapalus instead of Pol, we should have the
painful fact before us, that such a remarkable event in his history
had been productive of only transient results. In that remark-
able work. The Chronicles of OartapkHut (he wandering Jew, by-
Mr. Hoffman, the presumption that Sardanapalus was king of
Nineveh when .Jonah preached in it, is worked up in very striking
language. A short extract will not be inappropriate in this
place : —
• \oi will it ever be forgotten that there reigned Sardanapalus,
a name infamously immortal for sensuousness ! Inebriated by
voluptuousness, even to madness, that king, beyond all other
mortals, shewed the ultimate point of fatuous licentiousness to
which man attains when Jehovah's presence is utterly extin-
guished in the soul. . . . But the holy prophet came to him at last :
Jehovah's words can melt a soul of adamant, quicker than light-
ning shall rive the oak ! — a deadly fear seized on the king when
Nineveh and all its glories were doomed to ruin, should the pro-
phet's warning remain unheeded.
"Forty days, nevertheless, were yielded to the king and t«>
all his people, in which they might return to their allegiance to
the only One-God, and thereby escape the terrific woes de-
nounced against them ! Sardanapalus was early in sackcloth and
ashes ! — his many perfumes were forgotten, — his soul seemed to
recoil from his myriad sins and follies. '■From the greatest of them
even unto the least,' his people obeyed their king's decree, which
commanded that neither man nor beast should eat or drink for a
time: but that all, yea, even the beasts, should be clothed in
sackcloth ; and that all having speech should cry out mightily
until .Jehovah's fierce anger should be averted. And so was it
done in Nineveh, and the Lord's mercy prevailed!
11 But, alas ! ashes and sackcloth, and pallid fear, and starving
abstinences may not reach the inner soul; such forced repentance
fadee from memory, and, when the fearfully comminated evils
ire withdrawn, and the oblivious veil of time lias slowly arisen,
men again become bold, and soon thereafter as daring SI ever j
or, with a larger confidence in mercy, they still rely on a further
66 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
forgiveness, should the threateuings hang but remotely over
them !" (Vol. ii., p. 78.)
b " The mystery of Jacob was illustrated.'' — A remarkable
instance of the fanciful way in which early Christian writers
employed the Old Testament. The reference is to Gen. xxvt. 16,
" And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands,
and upon the smooth of his neck." The application is as follows : —
As Jacob by the hairy skins of the kids deceived his father Isaac,
and obtained a blessing, so the Ninevites by clothing themselves
in sackcloth of hair deceived Satan. By the former procedure,
Esau was foiled of his expectation of the privileges of primogeni-
ture ; by the latter, Satan lost the Ninevites, his expected prey.
Further, Satan is said to be the master of Esau, and Jacob the
master of the Ninevites ; master being used in the sense of
teacher or instructor. This is a wild kind of exegesis, by which
almost anything may be proved from the Bible. "We turned to
Ephraem's Commentary on Genesis in the hope of obtaining some
illustration of this passage, but although this part of the life of
Jacob is mentioned there, this subject is not referred to.
c " And chose his victory by his repentance." — That is, by re-
penting like Jacob, they, like Jacob, obtained blessings. But to
what does the i*epentance of Jacob refer ? Is it possible that in
the hairy skins with which Jacob deceived his father, Ephraem
discerned an emblem of mental compunction accompanying his
deceitful act, and at the same time atoning for it ? This seems
to be the meaning, and yet we are unwilling to attribute to
Ephraem a system of ethics so like the abuse of penance in the
Church of Rome in modern times. The Syriac is very terse and
elliptical, and will perhaps admit another meaning.
d " Satan was foiled." — The word here used «^lk» is, generally,
reus, debitor fuit, but the rendering now given is required by the
context. Benedict, victus est. Castell gives the precise idea
which we think the text conveys, spe victorias frustratus est, but
it does not appear that the text he quotes in illustration (Hos. v.
15) is an example in point.
« " Lest he should be impeded." — 30}, which is more fre-
quently turbavit, ar/itavit, occurs in this sense in Gal. v. 7, " Ye
NOTES. G7
did run well; who hath hindered you?"' ^Q£5505. Benedict
makes covetousness the nominative, ne perturbet pugnantem.
f " Contrive strife." — The verb Z.Q^ is conjunxit, consociavit,
hut, like the Latin compono, is used in a bad sense. Benedict,
neque os componat jurgia.
9 " Falsely accuse.'' — The Peschito uses -<"*> * ^ for the Greek
<rvKo<pcu/Tcii/ in Luke iii. 14 ; but Michaelis endeavours to throw
doubt on its having the sense of calumny, or false accusation, in
that passage, on the plea that the Greek word there has a much
wider sense. But the peculiarity of the word (rvKofyavretv, and
its rare occurrence, would naturally make the Syriac translator
careful in rendering it, as far as possible, according to its peculiar
use.
h " Perjury." — This is expressed by a periphrasis, neither let
him swear and lie.
» " A fierce sword." — Or, a devouring sword. The adjective
\l » ^*~i does not occur in the Lexicons. \- vo/ | according to
Castell, is ferus /actus est.
j ■• Nimrod the mighty one." — From the commentary of Ephraem
on Gen. x. 8 — 10, we are able to present to our readers an expla-
nation of the character and conduct of Nimrod not found, we be-
lieve, in any modern exposition. " It is said of Nimrod, that he
was a mighty hunter before tlie Lord, because, in accordance with
the will of God, he contended with each of the families (to whom
the earth was apportioned), and drove them thence, that they
might go to the regions which the Lord had divided to them.
And on this account it was said, ' Like Ximrod, the mighty hunter
before the Lord,'' because a man who would pronounce a gTeat
blessing upon his master or prince said, ' Be thou like Nimrod the
mighty hunter, who was renowned in the wars of the Lord.' He
reigned in Arach, which is Edessa, and in Achar, which is Nisibis,
and in Calaja, which is Ctesiphon, and in Rahabot, which is Ha-
diab, and in Calaja, which is Hethra, and in Rasa, called also Ris-
Haina. which at this day is a great city." (Opera, vol. iv., p. 58,
and also p. 154). This explanation is at least as reasonable as
those which currently give Nimrod a bad name, for, as observed
68 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
by Dr. Kitto {Pictorial Bible in loco), " it would be hard to find
anything against Nimrod in these verses, unless by inference,
founded principally on his name, which signifies a rebel.' 11 But as
the names of the men who figure in early Scripture history were
generally given them at their birth, it is difficult to see how the
character of Nimrod can be associated witli his.
k " A hunter." — The By., f ^ ; - m »■»■ V is the word employed
in the Peschito. Ephraem in his Commentary says, " By this name
the Persians call a hunter." But Michaelis says he had never
found the word in Persian. Ephraem adds (Opera, vol. iv., p. 153),
" Nimrod was called a hunter because when the tower of Babel
was building, he hunted all kinds of game, and brought it for the
sustenance of the builders." This seems a little contradictory to
the explanation given in the former note, but it may be said that
he obtained the name hunter in this way, and was called a mighty
hunter before the Lord on the above account.
I " He rejected the poison of dragons." — In the margin of the
Syriac text is this note, Deut. xxxii. 33, i. e., vinum. That pas-
sage is, in the English version, " Their wine is the poison of
dragons;" but while Ephraem has f 1 V iZ ZjiO, the Peschito
reads, jj—ujZ} ]ASq_k», of nearly the same meaning. Certainly
the connection here makes wine a good interpretation of the very
strong phrase, the poison of dragons. The passage also receives
illustration from what is said of wine in Prov. xxiii. 32, " At the
last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder."
™ " His disposition." — This seems the most fit rendering of
rnAo m t.Vi though the word is more frequently applied to the
understanding.
« " In places of low resort." — Sy., in its humble pathways.
o " The former gloried in the Sabbath." — An intimation that, in
the opinion of Ephraem, tin- Sabbath was observed by the Nine-
vites ; unless this is a mere conventionalism, to express the idea
of piety. But it must be noticed that Benedict gives quite a dif-
ferent turn to the words : " Those who formerly gloried in the Sab-
bath, noio make light <>f and neglect circumcision.'' 1 The Syriac cer-
tainly will admit this version, but we think the contrast we have
NOTES. 09
cm Y.n in tin- two verses is demanded by the connection. Betides,
is it historically true that the Jews did make light of circum-
dskm? That they neglected the Sabbath in its spirit if
known to he charged against them by the prophets. But we may
he wrong in our view.
And placed it between life and death." — That is, as we
understand it, treated it with hulitft rtnee, neglected the blessings
and penalties connected with the due observance or the neglect
of the Sabbath.
q " Composed the storms." — Either allayed the mental agita-
tions of the people, or caused the preternatural concussions of
the earth, which are alluded to in other places, to cease.
r " Which was proper for it." — By., 0"L_1 \ \c*i i y which fell to
it ; i. e., which belonged to it, as a portion allotted. This meaning
is not given in the Lexicons. Benedict, morbo prazsentaneiim
medicinam, a medicine cpuickly operating.
s " They gave up accumulation and usury." — The Syriac is
horn and increase, (Z_»_o5o (Jj-O, the latter being of very
common occurrence, while the former is not often used in this
sense. The Lexicons give us no aid in obtaining the above ren-
dering ; but another instance, from Ephraem, sufficiently estab-
lishes it. It is found in the second Homily In Xatalcm Domini
(Opera, vol. v., p. 435), in a passage which is translated and
printed in the Hymn* <nul Jlomilies, p. xcvi. : —
•• How will thy servant be condemned
Both in principal and interest;"
where the word rendered principal is P;-Q. The derivation of
the idea of accumulation, principal, capital sum, is easy enough
from horn, which signifies the head, top, or extremity; like our
capital and princijjr/J from caput and princtpium ; yet we have
searched in vain for an example of this >en>e in all the Lexicons
we have been able to command. Perhaps the Arabic _f
jum U unam rem all, ri may suggest a derivation. Benedict in this
place renders the word by oomu, in the other by caput.
t "The city and its suburbs."— See note h t<> the ProoBmiom,
70 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
and note 1, Part IV. The occurrence of the two words together
certainly indicates a specific difference, and suburbs is probably
a correct version. Benedict, suburbia.
u " They recognized a distinction." — Sy., for like discerners or
dividers, they recognized.
The verses in this paragraph are very coincident in sentiment
with the following passage from Dr. Kitto's Daily Bible Illustra-
tions, already quoted : — " The prophet had not called them to
repentance, but had warned them of impending doom ; but this
they still trusted might not be irrevocable, and they ventured to
seize hold of a hope which the prophet had not extended to them :
' Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from
us His fierce anger that we perish not ?' Blessed was that thought
of theirs. The Lord, abundant in mercy, had inspired them, at
that time, with a conception of Him which His prophet had not
taught. It was not yet too late. All was not yet lost. God
beheld their acts ; He saw that they turned from their evil ways ;
and then ' God repented of the evil that He said He would do
unto them, and He did it not.' "
» " At the sight of the sackcloth it was dissipated." — One of
those strange conceits which Ephraem loved to indulge occasion-
ally. A dark cloud would be more naturally dissipated by a
bright beam, but here sackcloth is the instrument of putting it
to flight.
» " The city tottered to its fall."' — By., the city moved as through
faffing. The phrase Q— ^5 ^*_» | as though lest, is not found in the
Lexicons.
* "Now retained their crowns." — In verse 43 of Part III.
bridegrooms and bride- air representee! se losing sight of their
nuptials in the general distress ; they are here exhibited as again
Contemplating the onions wliieli had been interrupted. The allu-
sion i< to the onstom of crowning the bride and bridegroom on the
occasion of their wedding.
y "Uttered cries in their different manners.'' — Sy.. cried out
<OlD} \P^°? iiidinnrs manners; ■ distributive form before al-
luded to. On the compulsory fasting of brute animals, Dr. Kitto
NOTBS. 71
bs:— "H Beemfl i remarkable circumstance that tbe Nine-
vites should have extended the acta of lasting and humiliation t<>
their rattle We find nothing of this among the Hebrews, but
- ■ custom frith the ancient heathen nations to withhold
food from their cattle in times of mourning, and in some instances
they cut off the hair of their beasts, as well as their own. The
Mninials which were, in this instance, covered with sackcloth,
doubtless horses, mules, asses, and camels, which were di-
vested of their usual caparisons and ornaments, and invested with
sackcloth for the occasion, — a custom having some analogy to
that of our clothing with black the horses employed in funereal
solemnities." (I)<iil;i Bible Illustrations.)
Their diligence.'' — We have found this meaning given to
j-£oi5 only in the Lexicon attached to Halm's Chrestomathy. He
there renders it, afacritcu, velociteu, pr o mptitudo, ttudivm. The
word clearly has this meaning in the Hymn On the Death of a
Monk. (Opera, torn vi., p. 253.)
•• In diligence of fasting thou didst excel others,
And obtain great renown."
See remarks on this word in Hymns and Homilies, note 6, p. 148.
a " The eyes." — By., thepupUs.
"The tears of the sad and contrite."' — Literally, the broken, as
in Luke iv. 18, {*~> ^ ]; » *~v broken in heart.
y •• Their lords." — Literally, their kings, a clear instance of that
term extending to others than men of royal station.
5 "It was occupied by repentance." — The description of refor-
mation of manners which this verse closes is of great beauty, ami
one which we think we may say no one could have drawn who
had not dipped his pencil in the colour- of inspiration. We axe
reminded by it of the divine ethics exhibited in the twelfth and
thirteenth chapters of the Bpistle to the Romans ; a passage which
of itself is sufheient to proclaim the heavenly origin of the record.
I among the u ind>." — Not shaken /'//the wind merely,
but moved hither and thither, like a reed exposed to Contrary
currents.
|Mrt tlje lixtji.
JONAH CONTEMPLATES FROM A DISTANCE THE ALTERED STATE OF
NINEVEH. HE COMPARES ITS REPENTANT INHABITANTS WITH THE
REBELLIOUS AND OBDURATE ISRAELITES. — THE CRIMES OF ISRAEL
ARE ENUMERATED. THE PREDICTED DAY AT LENGTH ARRIVES. —
THE PEAKS OF ALL CLASSES ARE DESCRIBED. PRETERNATURAL
PORTENTS INDK ATE THE COMING DOOM.
Jonah numbered up the days,
And the Ninevites counted their sins ;
Jonah kept a reckoning of the nights,
Nineveh wept for her offences.
She laboured hard for six weeks, 5
With tears, and watching, and groaning.
While Jonah was in his bower/
The Ninevites were weeping in the city.
When Jonah saw their tears,
He feared much at their fastings. 10
To him the gourd'' afforded shade.
But they bore the heat of the day. f
His bower twined** itself over him ;
Upon them the right hand of God rested.
JONAH Kill! I- ON THE STATU 01 /ION. 73
He saw their souls were poured out 15
Like water before the Most High;
He saw kings lying prostrate,
In the dust while fasting.
He saw little children crying,
And calves and lambs bleating; 20
He saw the mothers pouring out
Their tears upon their little ones ;
The breasts of sucklings were baptized
With the tears of those who gave them birth.
He saw the old men weeping, 25
While the aged of his people were living in luxury;
He saw Nineveh was mourning,
While Zion waxed wanton.
He looked on Asshur and greatly despised
Jerusalem, inflated with arrogancy. 30
Behold ! the impure women had become modest,
But the daughters of his people were defiled.
He saw the possessed ones 7 in Nineveh
Were changed, and had learned the truth ;
He saw the prophets in Zion, 35
Were deceivers and full of falsehood.
He saw the idols in public places
"Were broken, among the heathen ;
He looked into^ and saw the secret chambers
Of his people were full of idolatry. 10
He thus, being a Hebrew, received
A proof in respect of the heathen :
74 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
And laid aside the wonder that had held him,
That the priest had entertained Moses/
Or the widow woman/ Elias, 45
Or that David, when Saul persecuted him,
Was honoured among the heathen.*
He feared lest should now be falsified
The preaching with which he was commissioned ;
For he knew that his proclamation, 50
Might become of no effect by repentance.
He saw that the daughters of the heathen,
Had abjured the idols of their fathers; 1
But he mourned that the daughters of his people,
Were weeping for Tammuz.™ 55
He saw that the soothsayers and diviners/ 1
Were abolished in Nineveh ;
But that wizards and Chaldeans,
In Judaea roamed at large.
He saw the priests with their own hands 60
Root up the altars^ of Asshur ;
But he saw every man in Zion
Built his altar near his door.?
When Jonah looked on Nineveh,
She gathered her sons together as a Church/ 65
All Nineveh was purified ;
The fast in the midst of her was held in honour j
But the holy temple in Zion,
They had made a den of robbers.''
He looked on Nineveh, and the King 70
Paid adoration unto God;
Tin; ISRAELITES and xixkn iti: s CONTRASTED. 76
He looked on Jeroboam/
And he waa worshipping the calves.
The sins of the Nincvitcs made them tremble,
With loud crying before God ; 75
The Hebrews sacrificed their sons,
And offered up their daughters to devils."
In their fasting, the Nincvitcs
Poured out their tears to God j
But the Hebrews to their graven images 80
Poured out their wines.
From the Nincvitcs there was perceived"
The fair savour'" of mourning ;
But in the midst of Zion there breathed
The perfume and incense of idols. 85
The hope of that people was being cut off,
But that of the heathen was increasing ;
Among the Jews there was luxury/
Among the Nincvitcs lowliness ;
In the midst of J udaea there was open iniquity, 90
But great mourning in Nineveh.
There the living weep for the dead,y
But the Nincvitcs wept for the living ;
Each one mourned for his son,
And made lamentation for his relative.' 95
The beauty of women faded away,
Through weeping and fasting.
Each man kissed his fellow,
And yet shed tears upon his breast
Great was the mourning there, 100
I 2
76 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
And fearful there the suffering ;
For they were invited, while yet living,
To lie low beneath the earth.
As their days became shorter,
Their tears flowed more abundantly ; a 105
Like men who were already extinct,
And no longer among the living.
The day was arriving when the city should be
overthrown,
The time drew near when it should be destroyed ;
And the whole city had become 110
But mourning, and weeping, and lamentation.
The dust of the ground was moistened,
Their tears made it as clay.
The fathers placed before their sons,
The possessions they should inherit, 115
That they might, at the same time, weep
For their heirs and their inheritances.
With tears they placed in the same array,
Their betrothed sons and daughters f
In whom could life remain, 120
By that bitter spectacle ?
Brides and bridegrooms arose,
And excited the cries and tears of befiolders ;
Boys and girls stood before them,
And a cry rose up to heaven, 125
As they looked upon the beauty of the lads,
And the stature of their sons.
Those who stood upon the earth
THE TERRIBLE FEARS OF ALL CLASSES. 77
Fancied it was rent asunder ;
It appeared to be as a ship, 130
Which was tossed and moved beneath them.
Hoary men and women stood there,
With those who should bury? them at their side;
They wailed and wept on this account : —
"Who will close our eyes and enshroud us?" 5 135
They lamented for their deaths,
For there would be none to inter them, and com-
fort their survivors.
They wept on account of their graves,
For who would dig them and place them in them ?
They wept for their garments, 140
For none would put on their shroud..'
Every man, with bitterness, depicted
His death before his eyes ;
And they howled aloud as they remembered,
To what an end they were invited. 1 15
Each became confounded as he reflected
What kind of death awaited him.
All hearts were smitten asunder,
As they heard the earth was yawning ;
The colour of their countenance fled, 150
As they heard the earth was removing.
The kings and queens stood there,
Their crowns upon their sackcloth ;
They perceived that for them there was no morrow,
And their mortal pangs were multiplied. 155
78 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Each man grasped? the dust,
And called louder upon God j
All cried out in prayer,
Their palms were filled with ashes.
No lamentable sound was wanting there, 160
It was all lamenting and weeping,''
The sackcloth walls shed tears,
Being sprinkled with bitter ashes.
The very day grew dark,
It became thick with sackcloth ; 165
The air itself was affrighted,
And the heaven trembled,
The cloud and thick darkness enveloped it.
The gloom became thicker and gathered strength j
Loud noises clashed together ; L 170
The thunder met its fellow,
And lightnings pressed on lightnings.
Each man beheld the earth,
With consternation and commotion of heart j
For he thought it was near to ruin. 175
They all wept together
As men who should suddenly perish.
Every one wept with his brother,
And wailed aloud for his friend.
Each man called to his companion, 180
That he might sec him and be satisfied with his
presence ;
That his speech might end with his,
And they might descend together to the grave ! A
N0TS8. 79
While Jonah was in his bower. 1 ' — That, namely, made by
himself, and afterwards covered by t he gourd. [Jonah iv.
The word rendered boiccr, |A\^V), signifies a shady pla
fording relief from the rays of the sun, without being substantial.
b "The gourd." — Ephraem uses only |50;_s>, but in every
place in which tlie gourd is mentioned, in the PescJuto version of
Jonah, it is expressed by llJ-O? P°J-*, for the Hebrew f%Q,
What this natural production was has never been exactly ascer-
tained, and the question gave rise to some sharp controversies
early in the Christian era. We are disposed to think the tradition
of the Syrians, round the site of ancient Nineveh, should decide
the matter ; and we are told by Niebuhr that the Christians and
Jews of Mosul say it was the el-kera whose shadow refreshed
Jonah ; a sort of gourd which has very large leaves, very large
fruit, and lasts but about four months. This is the 1 1;-0 of the
PescJiUo, in roman letters, and it appears unnecessary to look fur-
ther for an explanation. The first word, j 5Cj_», signifies a young
shoot, or branch, so that the whole expression of the Pesclrito is,
a young shoot of a gourd; palmes cuevrhitee, Castell. But why
Ephraem only mention this young shoot, without referring
to the hera ? Perhaps the idea conveyed by the Peschito, and en-
tertained by Ephraem was, that the booth or bower of Jonah was,
in the first instance a kera, but being insufficient to shelter him,
the Lord made a vigorous young shoot to grow from it. The
Codex Suriuro-llcxaplaris uses ]|j-D, as Ephraem also does in
other passages.
The following remarks from a Puritan divine are too appropriate
to be omitted : — " Jonah went out of the city and remained there,
as if lie yet expected and desired its overthrow. He made a booth
of the boughs of trees, and dwelt in that. It is common for those
who have fretful, uneasy spirits, industriously to create inoon-
veniences for themselves, that they may still have something to
complain of. God might have left him to his own choice, his own
doing, the house of his own building, open to the winds and the
weather; but he prepared a plant with broad leaves, that suddenly
grew up and covered the hut, so as to keep off much of the Cold
80 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
and heat. It was a shadow over his head to deliver him from his
grief, that being refreshed in body, he might better guard against
the uneasiness of mind which outward crosses and troubles often
occasion and increase. See how tender God is of his people in
their afflictions, even though they are foolish and froward." This
is a fair specimen of what may be called verbal commentary, which
feels and admits no difficulties. It is observable that Ephraem
says nothing here respecting a plant being created pro re nata,
nor of its supernatural growth; this however is alluded to in
Part VIII.
c " The heat of the day." — The word (V)V) > { is properly used
for that portion of the day in which the sun shines, while [SDQLj
is the day of twenty-four hours.
d " His bower twined itself." — Castell says that \>j£LO is used
peculiarly of twisting and plaiting the hair, and it well expresses
the growth of the gourd.
e " Upon them the right hand of God rested." — The word
p » Vo ■■ the right Jiand, is used here absolutely, and we feel
unable to understand its precise application. Benedict, whom we
have followed, renders the verse, " Obumhravit istos dextera Al-
tissimi." The context seems to demand the idea of anger rather
than of protection.
f " The possessed ones." — The Sy. ( * »Ao does not occur in the
Lexicons in this sense, though Castell approaches very near it in
the meaning vexatus. Benedict has a malis spiritibus obsessos,
which the context seems to require.
'J " He looked into." — «-Oj points to a close inspection, as in
I IVtcr i. 12, " Which things the angels desire to look into."
A " Idolatry." — |/n c\ i .. > j s properly Ocutilisui. the idolatrous
practices of the heathen ; used in 2 Mace. iv. 10 for IhA-nviicbs.
i •• The priest had entertained Moses." — Jethro, the priest, or
prince of Midian. (Lx. ii. 1G.)
j " The widow woman." — The widow of Zarephath, at Zidon,
1 Kings xvii. 9.)
fc " David, honoured among the heathen." — As by Achislt. king
Of Gath. (1 Sam. xvii. 2.)
VOTES. 81
■ Had abjured the idols of their fathers."' — Sy., ( A \ ... ^
(he fearful things, or objects of dread, used in the Old Testament in
the sanif Knae, as 2 Kings xvii. 16, Deut. xxxii. 16, fin Hebrew
words of different origin.
*» " Tammuz." — This word occurs in the Old Testament only in
Ezek. viii. 14. It is the name of a Syrian ohject of worship,
the same as the Phoenician A don or Adonis. The weeping spoken
of here and in Kzekiel, refers to the fact that the feast in honour
of Tammuz was held at the solstice, and consisted of two parte,
— one dedicated to joy, the other to grief; the latter commemorat-
ing the disappearance of the god, the former his return. This
idol appears to have been, in its idea, an incarnation of the sun.
n " The soothsayers and diviners." — For the first, see note .
Part IV. The Syriac word we have rendered diviner is ] * * - >
avspcx, divintxtor; one who pretended to foretell future events from
certain phenomena.
o " Wizards and Chaldseans." — {_»;-k», rendered wizard, is the
same as the Chaldee, shn magm, incantator. On the Chaldreans.
see note p, Part IV.
V " The altars of Asshur." — The Sy., lA-i^L, is properly a
burnt-offering, sacrifice, like the Heb. rrVy, but the sense of altar
• ablished by its use in Acts xvii. 23.
q " Built his altar near his door." — A reference to the strange
multiplication of idolatrous customs in the worst days of the his-
tory of Israel. Thus we read in Hosea xii. 11, " Their altars are
as heaps in the furrows of the field."
r " As a Church." — Sy., \L^ y-*] ; the word being employed
in its secondary sense, as a place of meeting. Benedict conveys
the sense, but deserts the form of the Syriac ; Jonah saw Nineveh
" 8uos vilui in Eeclesid <<>i>grcgasse fiUos"
i " A den of robbers." — A quotation from the Peschito of Jer. vii.
1 1 ; a different word for robbers being used in that version of Matt.
xxi. 13. The former is the Semitic |ni ,i, the latter ] " ft^V
the same as the (Sreek x-qar^s.
i u Jeroboam. 1 ' — The mention of this name, in connection with
E 3
82 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
the calves, seems to intimate that Ephraem thought that Jonah
and Jeroboam the First were contemporaries. But the reference
is to Jeroboam the Second, in conjunction with whom Jonah is
brought before us in 2 Kings xiv. 25: " He restored the coast of
Israel from the entering of llamath unto the sea of the plain,
according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake
by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet,
which was of Gath-hepher." The deliverance Jonah promised,
seems to be the recovery of Damascus and Hamath, spoken of in
the 28th verse of the same chapter. These historical fragments
are thus ingeniously used to throw light on the mission of Jonah
to Nineveh, in a work already referred to (Blackburn's Rise and
Fall of Nineveh) : —
k> This wonderful defeat of the king of Damascus was 'accord-
ing to the word of the Lord which He spake by the hand of His
servant Jonah.' That prophetic word had, doubtless, been heard
by multitudes, and when its predictions were so marvellously
accomplished in the overthrow of the legions of Syria, the fact
that a prophet of Israel had foretold these things could not be
concealed. The inhabitants of Damascus would hear of it to
their confusion, and the people of Tyre, of Babylon, and Nineveh,
would understand that indeed ' a prophet had been among them.'
Observant readers of the Old Testament will remember how fre-
quently Moses and the kings and prophets of Israel anticipated
the spreading of the news of their triumphs among the Gentile
nations, and the honour which would consequently redound to the
Lord God thereby. . . . That the tidings of the defeat of the king
of Damascus by the forces of Israel, according to the predictions
of the prophet Jonah, should reach Nineveh, seems most natural;
and that that intelligence prepared the way for his personal
mission to the king and people of that proud capital, appears
most probable."
" "Offered up their daughters to devils."— The By., ]?]-»
rendered d&riU lias the sense of <hnmon.es given to it by Caste 11.
but without any reference to the etymology. The quotation is
from Deut. xxxii. 17, or Psalm evi. 37, in both which places
D*"# is used, on which Gesenius says. » Tdola,pr. domini, a radicc
NOTES.
<ng dominari, undo By. |?v-» daMnon. I. XX. •' Vvig. damonia e\
Sai/xSuta, quandoquidem Judori idola dcemones esse ptttabard, qui ah
AoMM&tM M '•"// poti i-kuI nr."
v "There was perceived." — The|Sy., |-kk!jD oh/it, conjoined
frith the object, cannot well be rendered literally in English, bnt
tin- translation given expresses the exact idea of the original.
to " The fair savour." — We have given the word fair as the
rendering of the rather unusual adjective |OV>-». after Michaelis,
win i says of its use in 1 Kings vii. 29, spectabile, i. e., pukhrvm,
intelligent. Henedict omits the word altogether, and translates
these four verses, 82 — 85: " Xincvcn ubique s/nr<ireluctum ; tiioiitm
olere nidorem ae thwra idoUe adutia."
c " Among the Jews there was luxury." — The By., W^;^
occurs once in the Peschito, Jude 12. The meaning, to live luxu-
riously, is supported by that passage, and also by the use of the
verb in the Syriac version of the Festal Letters of Athanasius.
In the text edited by Mr. Cureton, p. 48, about the middle, we
read of the rich man spoken of in Luke xvi., " For a little time
he here lived luxuriously, W^.c^/ j } H1 t there he suffered
hunger."
y " The living w T ept for the dead." — The allusion is to the idola-
trous lamentations over dead persons, not to the expressions of
natural sorrow. But, although the parallelism seems to require
that this verse should refer to the Israelites, in a bad sense, it
may be a mere general proposition : the living, ordinarily, weep
for the dead, but in Nineveh the rule is reversed — they weep for
the living.
* " His relative." — By., |(T> 1 .■ j-O the son of his raco—a
phrase which, according to the analogy of many similar forms.
means, hie feUouH^aneman^ or relative ; bike son of his city, for
jclltnr-rit'r., //, son of his ministry, for fellow-lahourer. See Hymns
un<l HomQiee^ p. 55, note a.
a "Their tears flowed more abundantly.'' — Literally, wen
opened Wee doore } +±$L being to <>i» n, and a door or gate.
p "Their betrothed SOni and daughters." — Sy., |; t ^V>
84 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
\L' r i ^V?Q. Castell gives both the masculine and feminine
forms, and renders desponsatus, desponsata. Miehaclis blames
him for this, and asserts that the derivation of the word, to sell,
as a danghter by the father, will only allow it to have a feminine
usage. But here is a clear refutation of his opinion, an instance
among many more of the way in which a priori conclusions in
philology are refuted by the usus loquendi.
y " Those who should bury them/' — Literally, their buriers ;
i. e., those who in the natural course of events would have per-
formed that office.
5 " Who will close our eyes and enshroud us ?" — In this and
the connected verses are examples of technical terms, which
although they convey but an obscure meaning to readers of other
countries and ages, are well understood by the custom of those
employing them. Thus ^V>\ is simply claudere, and did not
then need the object eyes to be added.
e " None would put on their shroud." — The garments of the
preceding verse are probably those laid up against a burial, and
this custom is alluded to in a passage quoted in the Hymns and
Horn Hies, Introduction, p. lxvii. : —
" And if thou givest up the ghost,
They rise up for the wailing
On account of thy departure ;
They wash and anoint thee,
They sliake out the linen <Ho\
The word ( » ra5ng*> rendered shroud is sometimes nudatio, naked-
ness, and Benedict translates the passage, qui nudum operiret.
Hut different derivatives of «TDj^ are used for articles of clothing,
and we prefer the version we have given.
£ " Each man grasped the dust." — This word ^-. is not found
as i verb in the Lexicons, and we have relied on the rendering
of Benedict, terra/,/ guisqtu prensdbat.
v " It was all lamenting and weeping." — This and the preced-
ing verse may be rendered literally : " There was no wailing
xoi 85
there, which was not muled and wept." We hare taken the two
rerbe of this verse as used impersonally.
" Being sprinkled with bitter ashes.*' — This is an obscure
passage, rendered more so by tlie strong figure employed. Did
the Ninevites hang the walls with sackcloth? If so, then the
ashes thrown about by the mourners would adhere to it. and the
meaning of the words is plain. Benedict, " Tpri parietes, eSieii*
affudere laarymai"
1 • Loud noises clashed together.'' — The roughness of the
Svviae of this verse might be better expressed thus : "Clangor
hnoehed against clangor."
■ •• He satisfied with his presence." — Literally, be fitted n % ith his
face or c o u nt enance, cTLSCL. j^ \ldCDJ. The same words are
employed in Psalm xvi. 11, where, for the rendering of our ver-
sion, " Iu thy presence is fulness of joy," the Peschito reads.
" I shall be satisfied from the gladness of thy countenance. " Hut
with the same form of words, how widely different is the feeling
ootrreyed in our text !
A " Might descend together to the grave." — This verse con-
cludes the varied descriptions Ephraem has given of the misery
of the Ninevites, and he appears to have aimed at a climax, and
has >ucceeded. In no part of our labours have we more strongly
felt the difficulty of our task, and the impossibility of doing jus-
tice to the sententious brevity of our author.
|fart tlit fmntl).
THE DAY PREDICTED BY JONAH PASSES, AND NINEVEH IS NOT OVER-
THROWN. — JONAH IS DISAPPOINTED, THE NINEVITES BEGIN T< •
HOPE. THEY GTVE THANKS TO GOD, EXPOSTULATE WITH JoNAII.
AND INVITE HIM TO REJOICE WITH THEM. — THEY FLOCK TO HIS
BOWER, AND HEAR THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN HIM AND GOD.
As soon as the days were accomplished,
They stood together at the gates" of death,
Embracing one another.
The day had arrived which cut off hope,
In which wrath should be consummated j 5
The night drew on, even that which came
After the six weeks. 6
While still weeping, they reflected,
" In what hour will the city be destroyed ?
Will it be thrown down in the evening, 10
Or will its ruin take place in the morning ?
In what watch will come upon us
The sound of the dreadful earthquake?"
They thought that the city would fall at even, —
The evening came and it yet stood ; 1 5
JONAH FEARS FOR IHS PXOPRICT. H7
They thought they should be swallowed up at night, —
That night they continued among the living ;
They expected the overthrow in the twilight/ —
The twilight passed and they were not destroyed ;
They thought the city would fall in the morning, — 20
The morning came and their hope increased.
At the season when they expected to be no more,
Suddenly salvation was theirs !
Each man looked for his friend,
And longed after his companion/ 25
For forty days the earth had not ceased
To tremble with earthquakes/
Jonah stood afar off,
And feared lest he should be a deceiver,
For the earthquake and the trembling ceased. 30
At the moment when hope was cut off,
The good news of mercy were afforded,
For they looked upon a token of grace.
By this sign they were made glad
That the earth ceased from quaking ; 35
The lightnings and thunders became silent,
The ear and the eye were refreshed ;
The Good, who had looked upon their tears,
Had pity on their lives.
But although they died not, they were tormented, 10
While living they had tasted death.
Through those six weeks
It was better to the dead than to them ;
For as the living they had life,
88 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Yet were as unburied dead men. r>
The brother met his brother,
And did not recognize his form ;
A man met his companion,
And could not discern his countenance ;
The ear could not distinguish 50
One voice from another ;
Neither could the eye see the difference
Between form and form.
Like shadows of the gloom
Had they become through their misery; 35
They were scorched up like brands/
By that severe fast.
Their bodies had wasted by watching ;
Only the skin and skeleton* 7 remained.
The time when Jonah had expected 60
That now the city would be overthrown,
In that very day and hour
It was delivered from destruction ;
The cloud and darkness on a sudden
Were dispersed and passed entirely away ; (>5
There was now tranquillity and increasing hope,
The dead city came again to life.*
Great vexation clothed Jonah,
But the Nincvites had a cheerful countenance ;
A hope was afforded to them 70
When they saw the sky was brightened.
They bowed their knees in prayer,
ill i; NINEVITIfi BXPOST1 i LTE wmi JONAH. 80
They stretched out their hands to heaven.
Every mouth uttered thankfulness.
And every tongue spake praise, 75
To 1 1 tiii who when angry had returned to them
Their life; — through their repentance
They were reconciled to the Lord of heaven.
" Thou hast gladdened us, Thy people on earth,
By raising us up from the dust, 80
That wc may live a new life.
Through Thy hands wc have obtained
Those good things which have happened to us.
Thou hast not disappointed us in this,
That thou wouldst turn us from condemnation to
life ; 85
For in Thy hand we discovered
The key of repentance,
So that from among the divine treasures
A good hope has been giveu to us.
What would it have profited 1 thee, O Hebrew, 90
If all of us had perished ?
How wouldst thou have been the better, O preacher,
If wc had all been slain ?
What wouldst thou have gained, O son of Mathai/
If we had been put to silence in the grave ? 95
Why shouldst thou thus be afflicted
Who hast become renowned by our repentance ?
Why should it grieve thee, that thou hast healed us,
So that the whole people should return thee thanks ?
Why shouldst thou be sad on this account, 100
90 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
That thou hast gained our city ?
Why dost thou mourn, O conqueror,
That thou hast triumphed among the penitent?
This shall be thy lot, to be spoken of
As a restorer and not a destroyer. 105
Let this suffice for thy happiness,
That thou hast gladdened the angels* on high.
It becomes thee to rejoice on earth,
For God rejoices in heaven.'
" Let thy mind exult in this, 110
That all men confess thy God ;
In this let thy spirit be consoled,
That the city and the King reverence'" thee.
Behold our youth who have been delivered,
Are praying, in return, for their saviour ;" 115
See the little children who are preserved,
How thy remembrance will be great among them.
Bless the city which is saved,
From which chastisement has passed away !
O Jonah, bless the city, 120
Which shall henceforth be called by thy name !
For six weeks together
Thy mouth has abstained from its food,
Quit thy fasting, and let thy sorrow pass away ;
Be glad with us, O son of the Hebrews; 125
This is a great festival,
Whose memorial shall be through all generations ;°
Generation shall relate to its fellow
Our woe and our deliverance."
.ioxaii AND THE lioi.v M'litii CO ETHIR. 91
Such things as these they said, 180
And greater things than these.
Jonah sat without the city,
And the whole people went forth to him ;
And they heard one questioning him,
And Jonah also replying. 135
The Holy Ghost who by his mouth
Was reasoning with him against himself/
Spoke in two different persons with him* —
That of God, and that of the prophet.
The whole city heard 140
The prophet, who was speaking
Concerning his gourd and himself,
And concerning his Lord and His city f
And they heard him contending
With his Lord on account of His city. 1 15
From him therefore there were heard proceeding
Voices of two different kinds.*
Hail to thec, O Hebrew intercessor V
Ministering to thy double self."
Great multitudes came together" 150
To listen to the voice of the prophet,
And they heard him saying,
In their own language before God,
That he was grieved and wished for death
Because of the withering of the gourd. 1 56
The Spirit of God replied,
Who by his own mouth contended with him, —
His tongue fought against him,
92 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
In the place of the person of God f —
By him they listened unto God, ICO
Speaking on behalf of the city : —
u Art thou, Jonah, displeased
Concerning a withering* gourd
For which thou didst not labour nor make it to grow,
Which a night made to nourish and to wither? 165
Let the gourd which has perished and dried up
Be compared with the city which exists.
Let the gourd be to thee a teacher,
And learn consolation from it.
From the rejected gourd take an example 170
Of the disposition 2 ^ of divine grace.
Thou hast compassion on the gourd
I have compassion on the city ;
For through thee it has become
A city of penitents. 1 75
Thou hast fixed thy bower in the earth,
But thou wouldst root up cities ;
Thou wouldst preserve the despicable gourd,
But throw down the corner stone. z
Where is thy justice, O Jonah ? 1 80
Dost thou compare the city with the gourd ?
Thy kindness is towards the bower,
Thy cruelty towards the city.
The gourd which is given for food
Is more to thee than the eaters ; 1 85
The gourd, made to decay,
Is preferred by thee to penitents.
Thou thinkest the leaves of the gourd
ris. 98
Arc better than rational men;
The blossoms" and flowers of a gourd, 190
Than children and young persons !"
- <>!' death." — By., the step of death.
I " After the six weeks." — Si\ weeks would l)e forty-two days,
ami aa forty days were speeially defined by Jonah, the expression
here mast he considered a general one. The use of round num-
bers is common to all languages, and is especially common in the
early eastern tongues.
c " The twilight." — By., f n m »•», properly darkness, but here
used for the period before the dawn. Benedict, antclucano tem-
pore. In 1 8am. xvii. 16, the participle y m »»V) is put for the
"US.
* " And longed after his companion." — The sense of this is not
very clear. It may mean that the sudden assurance of deliver-
ance induced every man to seek his friend, to converse with him
on the change which had taken place. Benedict paraphrases the
: " Tnterea perstabemi attuniti, sodakm quisque prcesentem
ptari aba »t< m d\ tub robot."
e "To tremble with earthquakes." — This is a plain statement
of what has been alluded to in various places before (see note/,
Tart II.), that supernatural phenomena were employed to bring
the message of Jonah home to the Ninevites. The assumption
El altogether unfounded, as far as Scripture is concerned, but the
use of it proves that Ephraem could not otherwise account, mo-
rally, for the remarkable conversion and repentance of the people.
It may he .said thai the earthquake is introduced artistically as a
OeM a machind to heighten the effect of the composition, bat
such a device is altogether contrary to the general style and spirit
of Ephraem. Bui sec note 5, Part IX.
/ "They were ■OOTOhed op like hrands." — The graphic descrip-
tion of these verses is lifelike, and there can he little doubt but
94 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
that Ephraem painted from nature. The numerous wars which
then occurred, combined with defective economical arrangements
respecting supplies of provisions, often gave an opportunity of
sketching from the actual forms of men emaciated by starvation.
9 " The skeleton." — |505j_» is rendered by Castell and Fer-
rarius, cadaver sine ceipitc, truncus corporis, and this is the only
reference we have been able to find to the word anywhere, after
a diligent search. Trunk would not be a fit translation here,
and the connection points to that which we have given. Benedict,
ossium textum.
h " Came again to life." — J>Q-kkJZ.| or, was raised again, the
verb and its derivatives being used in relation to the resurrection
of the body. But see Michaelis in Castell on the word.
* " Have profited thee." — A sense of j-^SO which seems clearly
defined here, but is not given in the Lexicons.
3 " Mathai." — «-*AlD, for the Ileb., wdm Amittai, is the form
of the word in the Peschito.
k " The angels." — Sy., |j-i-l, found only in the biblical Syriac
in Daniel, but of frequent use in ecclesiastical writers. The
ordinary word for angel is |£)|jLd Sec Hymns and Homilies,
note c, p. 82.
I " For God rejoices in heaven." — An evident allusion to the
parable of the prodigal son, Luke xv.
m " Reverence thee." — Sy., ,. .t ra properly to bow down to,
to adore, but like the words of the same meaning in other lan-
guages, it is used for respect and reverence.
n " Their saviour." — Sy., %pCT\ » » »o their life. But the con-
text demands that the word should be referred to Jonah, by whose
preaching salvation had been secured.
• "Whose memorial shall be through all generations." — A
prophecy of -what has t;iken place in relation to Nineveh, but in
■ sense far different from thai in which it was uttered ! On the
side of Jonah, in his relation to divine truth, the repentance of
Nineveh as the result of his preaching lias never ceased to be
commemorated; but Nineveh itself was not long allowed to cele-
hrate the event- of it- u .it i« .ii.il history, — it was overmn by an
enemy, destroyed, and for kmg ages forgotten. Perhaps, when the
danger threatened by .Jonah passed away, the king and hi- -ub-
"err ashamed of the effect winch a solitary Hebrew had
produced upon them, and, like Pharaoh after similar display- of
divine forbearance, returned quickly to their former evil ways.
In that case the festival presuming one was instituted, would
soon fall into neglect, and some feeling of the kind we haye men-
tioned may account for the absence of any record of Jonah and
his mission in the discovered monuments of Nineveh. But this
is prejudging the subject, since hut a fragment of the volume of
Nineveh's history has yet been unrolled and deciphered.
Was reasoning with him against himself." — The inconveni-
ences arising from prying too closely into the modes of divine com-
munications are illustrated by this passage. When we read in the
Scriptures that God spake to a prophet, we generally take the
statement in its simplicity, without attempting to discover in what
way the messa e was conveyed, or the reported conversation
carried on. But Ephraem, in this case, adopts a different course.
He has come to that part of the history of Jonah, in which God
reasons against his selfish peevishness, and, in order to make the
people witnesses of a scene never intended to be disclosed to mor-
tal eyes, has been driven to the use of a most improbable theory.
He was unwilling to give an outward form to the divine presence,
or to allow a voice to descend from heaven to speak with the pro-
phet. He therefore makes Jonah exhibit the extraordinary phe-
nomenon of giving utterance to two different and opposed c
of sentiments, —his own and God's. We are unable to say whether
this wan Ephraem's doctrine in relation to inspiration generally,
or whether it was a suggestion of the present occasion to meet a
difficulty. Certainly nothing could be more calculated than this
theory to deprive of authority all our reported co n versations of
God with man. Let it once be conceded that there is nothing ab
uifrn. DO Objective reality in Sncfa recorded revelation-, ami it is
easy to refer them to the mind of him who is -aid to he the subject
of them. Indeed, according to the description here given of Jo-
nah, the Conversation between him and the Spirit pre-eiits, exter-
96 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
nally, nothing more than a natural contention between passion
and judgment. Jonah at one moment says he does well to be
angry because of the gourd, and in the next he expostulates with
himself against such selfishness. It will be seen at once by the
thoughtful reader, how soon, on this principle, all revelations
might be explained away.
q " Spoke in two different persons with him." — We have ex-
pressed this verse as literally as possible, but confess our idea of
the meaning is not very explicit. Both his utterances are thus
ascribed to the Spirit, whereas one of them bears the plain marks
of a very human and sinful origin. Benedict translates the pas-
sage, " Duas ergo Jonas agebat personas, Dei atque suam." But
the verb is feminine, L] \\, agreeing with |-kj05, tJie Spirit.
We must here notice that ) ^ \ has here the simple meaning of
to speak, to utter, while it is ordinarily more specific, as to speak
in a barbarous tongue, or to whisper. — See Hymns and Hoik Hies.
note/, p. 133.
r " His city." — That is, God's ; because he had preserved it,
and was now pleading on its behalf with Jonah.
* " Voices of two different kinds." — Literally, daughters of the
voice of two sides.
t " Hail to thee, O Hebrew intercessor !" — We have rendered
the interjection o], Hail to thee, because our monosyllable will
not express its meaning fully. It is an expression of gratulation,
as in Hymns and Homilies, note k, p. 133. Benedict, Eugel
The word translated intercessor is |j«.iPLCD, apparently of foreign
origin, and not used in biblical Syriac. Castell renders it. ri,-i,tr.
intercessor. The last sense is established by a passage in Ephraem,
torn, vi., p. 534, E., " Let thy mercy become an intercessor on
our behalf," ^ i <^\k» ];-.■ i 1 QD.
« " To thy double self." — Literally, who ministers to thee and to
thee.
» " Great multitudes came together." — Sy., congregations con-
gregations. The word rendered cam together is O *^i » /.Z. |, from
- *^ » ^ of which Michaelia says, " Est in EtkpcuU, proficisci,
ire, venire."
NOTE8.
* ■• in the place of the person ol God." Pen • teo-^.
teems to be used here expletively. Jonah Bpeaki for God, tl, ,t is,
; 1V ,1 by Him. Benedict omita the Terse altogether.
i •• a mthering gourd." 1-sA^ ii properly ./asM , weak, bn<
will admit the Bense here given. Bee afiohaclifl m Caatell.
H 1( . disposition. 1 By., liai^, on which - p. 17.
Phe corner Btone." By., the great itom \ probably a tech-
aicaJ term.
a •• The blossoms." -|*j;^, according to the Lexicons is a bird,
hut we have taken the sense of flower, from the lid... me, as re
quired by the connection.
^nrt \\)t 6igl)t!i.
THE NINEVITES PRAISE GOD FOE PLEADING THEIR CAUSE. — JONAH
CEASES FROM HIS VEXATION. HE IS CARRIED IN TRIUMPH BY
THE PEOPLE, WHO LOAD HIM WITH PRESENTS WHICH THEY HAD
VOWED IN THEIR TROUBLE. JONAH'S HUMILIATION IN THE FISH
AND HIS HONOUR A.MONO THE NINEVITES ARE CONTRASTED. — THE
KING ORDERS HIM TO EE CONDUCTED HOME IN ROYAL STATE. —
THE NATIONS HE PASSES THROUGH TREAT HIM WITH REVERENCE.
The city heard this, and with one voice
Ascribed glory to God,
Who had pleaded their cause,
And contended on their behalf.
He made the prophet to become an intercessor, 5
And he who had been their opponent in the cause
Now became the opponent of the court/
Although unwillingly he justified them.
God had made his words of no effect,
That the citizens might be saved; 10
There was a change'' of mind in Jonah,
That God might not be untrue. 8
Righteous men ought not to be grieved ;
99
15
20
2o
,,nr \\\ TBI 0OI M>.
At the repentance of the unjust j
Neither should the penitence of sinners,
Be displeasing to Jonah.
There was, further, a reason with Jonah,
Why the city should hear of its salvation.
To have concealed this from them, negligently,
Would have been offensive in him;
For the penitent did not know-
How matters stood with them; 7
And why justice was angry,
And why penitence had saved them.
Jonah had preached, that he might shew-
How indignant justice was ;
The dying gourd had declared
How merciful was goodness.
The people who had come to Jonah
Uttered praise alond,
For what they had heard with their cars,
And for all their eyes had looked upon.
With their ears they heard that severe one/
With their eyes they saw the gourd ;' J
In the gourd which sprang up suddenly,
They beheld a sign which was not natural ;
In its being cut down they thoroughly learned,
That grace abounds above all.
The Ninevites seized with affection
The preacher of Hebrew race;'*
lie was exalted in their hand-.
30
35
100 the REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
And entered the city in kingly state i
They seated him on a throne and bowed before him •
Great multitudes who had repented,
Brought to him their offerings, 45
And presented to him their tithes;
They brought and gave to him the vows
V Inch they had vowed in their afflictions
Children offered their zones/
And young men their chains ;* 50
They gave him their breast ornaments/
Their girdles with their clasps.-
The King opened his great treasury
And present d him with abundance ; f
t*od, as the Merciful One,
Was praised by all mouths ; ° 5
And by all mouths likewise'
Jonah was blessed as the preacher.
A carriage then came and took up
The offerings and tithes ;
Men then advanced,
Who should conduct him with honour
To the land from whence he came
Jonah was raised on high, and entered the chariot
l^ike a king or one of royal blood," r
The son of Mathai was exalted !
A fish bore him through the sea,
But a chariot" on the dry land ;
He was humbled beneath the earth
OBEAT HONOUH 18 PAID TO JONAH.
101
But now he was raised high above it \ < ()
Pishes went before him
When Uc journeyed in the midst of the deep;
But horsemen on the dry land.
The sea was cleft asunder when he descended,
But the land when he went up f ' •>
The fishes of the sea there recognized him,
But the children of men on the earth.
There was a storm in the abysses of the waters,
Bui a great tumult in the city.
By a watery pathway he went down, s()
But ascended by a dry one.
The terrible monsters of the sea
Trembled on account of him ;
But powerful cities made way for him
When he went up. 8o
The fish that swallowed him up was strong,
The King who received him was mighty ;
The fish then made a path for him,
But the King made his road straight ;
Fishes accompanied that great one, 90
But now horsemen the chariot.
The King of Nineveh hastened,
And sent couriers? before him ;
Who should prepare for the prophet,
Stations'" in which he might be entertained. 95
God pointed out to the fish,
The path in which he should go;
But the King shewed to the prophet,
102
THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
The way in which he should travel.
With honour and presents ] qq
He went up, being renowned,
And all men went forth to meet him,
And reverently bowed before him.
Kings trembled in his presence,
Because he was the mighty preacher ; 105
They met him with great honour,
From fear at his preaching.
Each city which saw him grew pale,
Lest he should enter and overturn it.
Thus he was honoured in the cities. HO
Nineveh became an example ;
She was a mirror to the world,
In which justice might be viewed.
1 • The opponent of the court."— The Syriacis literally, « made
their accuser the accuser of the house of justice ;" by which
technical terms we understand that Jonah, who once"' pleaded
against them on behalf of justice, now took their part against
justice.
■' A change of mind in Jonah.' — Sy., « repentance, in refer
ence to the etymology of the word, a turning, changi
second thought; as in Ilcb. xii. 17 : - For ye know how that after
ward, when ho wool,! hare inherited the blessing, he was re-
jected: for he found no place of repentance;" <;,-.. ^rcWa, By.,
l- -^-^- T,,Mt is - Emu could not induce his father [saac to
change his mind, and bless himself instead of Jacob.
"Thai (; "<l might not be untrue."— Had Nineyeh been dis-
'' a^er the repentance of the people, although Jonah's
NOT] I.
prediction would have had a Iitcr.il fulfilment, > « t God's pn
:\r returning sinners would have been falsified. Jonah
is therefore represented as laying aside his first angry emotions,
for a sounder state of mind. See Romans iii. 1. " Via. let God
be ferae, and every man a liar."
J --How matters stood with them.*' — Sy.. * * l\(T\ _JH_i|}
| n o . hmn affairs ivalked Or proceeded. This verse and the
live preceding ones are somewhat obscure to us, as bo the
sense they are intended to convey. Kphr.iem appears to say that
besides Jonah's regard for the truth of God, there v.
00 the pari Of the Ninevites which induced him tO lay aside Ins
peerishness. This was the necessity that they should be in-
structed more fully as to the causes of their danger and of their
deliverance ; a kind of information which, as a prophet, it would
have been offensive or abominable, |_lJL£D, in him to withhold.
•• Had come to Jonah." — Sy.. hud entered Ol^i to tht ride,
or near to him.
J '• That severe one." — Sy., f ^ *"}] See the observations on
the verb «-0?l, note 8, p. 15.
9 " The gourd." — The two words used in other places for tin
gourd, |$0;_» | jj-O, are here separated and used as though they
were synonymous terms for the same thing. See note b, \
The meaning of these verses we suppose to he this, it was
not the gourd itself, hut the lessons connected with it. to which
the Ninevites had just listened, which conveyed to them so much
instruction and consolation. In its miraculous growth and sudden
destruction they aw, '. ; taught by the Spirit of Cod, the nature
Of Cod's dealings with them Its "cutting down" shewed them
that God had wrought a miracle in order to teaeh .Jonah and them
that it was proper lie should >l spare Nineveh, that great city,
wherein are more than sixscoro thousand persons that cannot
discern between their right hand and their left hand, and alBO
much cattle."
* •• Of Hebrew race." — By., the ton of Hebrt
in kingly Btate."— 8y., in honour Kh a king.
101
THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
' - Their zones."— We cannot find this word ]jjj in the Lexi-
cons, but 1-JO] is given by Castell as cingtdum, and Benedid
renders ir here -.<>nas. This sense is established by a passage in
Asseman, BttUaHheea Orieitiatis, quoted by Michaelis; and also
by the Arabic ) [J. which Freytag says appears to be the same
as the Greek (wdpiov. If it had not been conjoined here with
children, we might hare supposed that purses of money wen-
intended, the contents of the girdles, according to the custom of
the East. But probably the girdles of children were often richly
ornamented, and the whole is here put for a part.
* " Chains."— Sy., ]n"i 1 V)Q1 as in Gen. xli. 42, " And Pha-
raoh put a gold chain about his neck."
1 " Their breast ornaments."— The word ]±^J is only found as
munus, donum, a sense established by Bernstein from many ex-
amples. The Syriac, of frequent occurrence, for breast is j^^,
while here the word is ]_.50^, with O. a form in which we have
been unable to find it elsewhere. Benedict evades the difficulty
in a very careless manner. We have ventured to translate ]JL»)
as ornaments.
w "Their girdles with their clasps."— }£00 is doubtless a
girdle, but what is ]dL, which we have rendered clasp f We can
find no clue to the reply, unless it is the Hebrew unused root PDft,
adjunctus, conjimctus fait. ]il is given by Castell. but only as
the balustrades of a building. Cant. iv. 4.
" " One of royal blood."— Sy., the son of a Jang.
° "A chariot."— Sy., ]c0; O; a word which we cannot find
with this sense. It Beems to be the same as the Latin cumts. It
i< remarkable that there are two words signifying chariot, either
of which might be presumed to In- displaced from the text of
Ephraem by an error of a scribe or of th. press. According to
Castell, |^OjJD and fco;_Q both mean cwrrtw, especially that
uhieh is drawn by two horses. It is plain that these three words
1,1 capable of being referred to one origin, since their dif
ferences are so easily attributable to clerical errors. Yet this is
Mil l n,)
u((t t<) , k . (1(vi , lt . (l Il|HllI ra>h lv: th- fart, £0iJ2. at I ASl b«l M.
— bil
onthewordinCsstelL [snotthistl
Or do «U these words come from i
f •• But the land when he went ap.»— The tumultuous joy of the
people ifl here ssid to rend the land. Now in I Kinga I W we
And all the people cam,- up after him Adonijah and the
piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, * that th
,,1 of then.- Bere the Bsme rob, |^
,,„! we may wifely eonchide that he had
the passage in the P- icWto in view.
[•he word Ir^l oocnri in Bph. vi. 20,
is printed with 5 by ■
-•■•11. p. 22. ftGohaeh* says it is peculiar to the >;. rise
rating in the sister dialects.
.The word tioo] is written with one in John
xiv. 2, --i: 1 .. Bernstein, who has a long article on the word, ren-
m, hoqntivm.
^urt tjjc jOintli.
THE N1NKV1TKS ACCOMPANY JONAH TO THE BORDERS OF HIS <>\v\
COUNTRY. THEY WISH TO ENTER IT AND TO CONDUCT THE PRO-
PHET HOME. — JONAH. FEARFUL LEST THEY SHOULD WITNESS THE
INIQUITIES OF THE ISRAELITES, ENDEAYOI Bfl TO DIVERT HUM
FROM THEIR PURPOSE. — HIS ANXIETY ON THIS SUBJECT DEW RD3ED
— HE IS GUILTY OF FALSEHOOD AND DECEIT. — THE NINEVITES
YIELD, BUT HAYING PARTED, FROM JONAH T1IKY ASCEND A RILL
TO GET A DISTANT YIEW OF THK LAND.
When Jonah arrived at his country,
To the border of the children of his people,
He dismissed those who accompanied him/'
That they might depart from him* in peace ;
For he feared c lest they should see
The idolatry* of his countrymen;
And lest the penitent, entering among them,
Should be corrupted by the ungodly ;
And lest, coming from the heathen,
They should learn iniquity from his people.
lie hesitated'' lest should break out again/
The wound which was closed up? and healed.
i m i Of BAD i:\ wii'i.r. !
be bad example of private persona
( lauses the children of men to stumble ;
How much then must liis example' injure I i
Who i'alls from a high station !
And if a modest man may corrupt others.
Although the wrong IS very private;
How hitter is the injury
Of lii in who presumptuously offends!
For he who is daring in his violence,
Instils his Leaven into otlu i
For his intercourse and acquaintance,
Make others to possess his impudence. 7
Jonah therefore feared the people, 15
Who, corrupt themselves, corrupted all others ;*
Lest the reformed' from among the heathen,
By coming among them should be injured.
But he blushed to dismiss them
Publicly, without reason j 30
Yet, should he foolishly neglect the matter,
He dreaded their going with him,
Lest the seed of Canaan entering in
Should contemn the sons of Abraham.
Jonah therefore returned thanks" 1
To the party accompanying him ;
He saluted" them affectionately,
lie freely" gave them his blessing ;
He exhorted them in wisdom,
He gave them sweet counsel, io
That they would yield to the advice given them,
108 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
And be obedient to the word of bis mouth.
He entreated them much, but they did not regard it;
lie prayed, but they paid no reverence;-'
I [e counselled them, but no one tarried ; 45
He kissed and dismissed them, but none remained
behind.
" We will go with thee to thy home,
That we may derive from it great benefits;
We will learn from it its manner of life/
Its ordinances, and its rites.' 50
We will learn righteousness in thy country,
From the people residing in it;
We will be taught purity in it
By the holy race dwelling there.
We will learn illustrious deeds 55
From the renowned which are in the midst of it.
We would enter and see the glorious people ;
We would enter and see the elect ones ;
We would enter and look upon the land
In which Faith makes her abode. 60
We would enter and see the place t
To which idolatry has not reached.
We would enter and see, and give thanks
That there is no incantation.
We would enter and contemplate their Sabbaths, 65
When they cease from evil things;
We would enter and see the circumcised ones,
Who, with the body, have circumcised their heart ;
We would enter and sec the blessed,
I hi: mm vi i Bfl R [8H CANAAN. L09
Among whom iniquity docs not reside. 7<)
A people that blame others,
Can have in them nothing sordid;
A people that accuse abominations.
How far must they be from hateful things.
A mirror, themselves, unto others, 75
How fair must they be !
Those who teach fasting to stranger-.
Can they live in dissipation? 1
Those who teach truth to others,
Can they practise falsehood? SO
If they have despised us for our sins,
AVho can treat them with contempt V
"Deprive not then, O Hebre
Our company of these benefits ;
Through thee we have become penitent, 85
By thee let us be made righteous j
In return for the toils of our feet,
Grant that we may enter with thee.
We will receive and carry from thy place
Fair examples to our city; 90
We will enter and look on the young men,
A pattern full of good order;
We will enter and receive from the lads
Most profitable illustrations;
We will enter and see their King, 95
That ours may become like him;
We will also look upon your judges.
And take their example to our COUntn ."
110
THE REPENTANCE OP NINEVEH.
But who is able to enumerate"
W hatcver these penitents uttered ? 100
And when they had said these things,
And others greater than these,
Jonah heard and was silent,
And bowed his head to the ground.
For he blushed for the children of his people, 105
The iniquitous and flagitious. 1
This was worse to the son of Mathai
Than the affair of the gourd,
When the sun glowed upon his head,
And his soul sought for death."' HO
If he fled, where could he find rest,
And whither should he retreat if he entered a ship -
These men troubled him more
Than those who took him up and threw him in the
sea.
How could Jonah conceal 115
The blemishes of the children of his people ?
He completed his guileful conduct^ at the sea,
By his pretexts 2 upon the dry land ;
As he falsely persuaded
The mariners when he took to flight, \2()
So he used lying a arguments,
When separating from the Ninevites.
Jonah seized hold of excus
And constructed his abundant wiles : —
" There is a great feast," he said, « in our country, 1 25
LB DI8MIS8BS TH1 MNH I I 1 1
And a Btranger may not enter it ;
It is a festival of the children of* the hind,
And there is no part in it for the heathen ;
It is a great feast of the circumcised,
And the uneircumciscd may not walk there. 1 ;> > ()
For although ye are penitent,
Ye have not yet been circumcised ;
That holy feast would be profaned,
By the presence of the uncircumcision.
Depart then hence quietly, 135
And return to your land in peace ;
After a season ye may come again,
When the festival is accomplished.
Receive our counsel obediently
And despise not our request." 1 1 ()
The simple people received from him,
The exhortation he offered in their presence ;
They parted from him, and did him reverence,
And received his blessing.
The whole assembly was sorrowful, 1 1~>
And departed from him weeping ;
Because of the untoward event*
Of the feast which Jonah had mentioned.
Jonah did not fear so much
For the great falsehood he had practised,
As he trembled for the possibility
Of their refusing to remain behind.
When Jonah was a long way <
And they were ^till on the border,
112 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
They saw a high mountain 155
Near where they remained j
And they reflected, and took counsel,
Quickly to go up it j
And, as far as possible, to look upon
The land which was before them. 6 ICO
a " Those who accompanied him." — Sy., the children of his com-
pany.
b " Might depart from him." — w_»d£) is primarily to remain.
but construed with ^O, as in this verse, it is to depart from any
one.
c " He feared." — This is a sense of . ^'"i 1 which seems to be
established by this passage, although it is not given in the Lexi-
cons. Verecuiulus fuit is the nearest meaning we have found.
but that will not express with sufficient force the feeling of Jonah.
4 " Idolatry." — Sy., the heathenism. See note /*, p. 80.
e " He hesitated." — We have not been able to find this sense
given to w^,LO, though its general meaning to move, latter, at
once points to it in this connection.
/"Should break out again." — Sy., jLCD, the general sense
of which is obruit, proruit, destrv.rit. Benedict translates, ne re-
t'rirt/rdnr, lest it should be torn open.
g " Closed up." — xOZlkj to seal up, dose, is used in a medical
sense in Levit. xv. 3.
h "Private persons." — By., (V) >.^k->. On this word see
note (Z, p. 47. The sense in this place is evidently obscure, hum-
ble, unknown. Bernstein gives rudie, vulgaris, which although
very near to the meaning in this place, do not convey the exact
idea.
i " Instils his leaven into others.*' — Literally, buries it, a figure
\oi ] 13
taken from the fermenting materia] being buried m and forroanded
by thai which it is intended to influent 1. \. 9 > •■ A Little
leaven leaveneth the whole lump."
f •• Make others to possess his impudence." — The last twelve
will remind the classical reader of the impressive aphorisms
of the Greek tragedians, bo often introduced with great effect in
the narrative portions and the choruses of their works. There
is this difference, however, that the Greek writers are contented
with expressing their meaning in one pithy sentence, while
Ephraem amplifies and puts his thought into many different
forms.
• "('.irrupted all others." — The word v>ojJCD has clearly the
meaning, to corrupt, in this passage. The nearest illustration
of it we have been able to find, is quoted by Michaelis in Gastell,
and also by Bernstein. It is used of locusts who corrupted the
Corn : not only eat it. but wasted and injured it too.
' --The reformed." — By., ( \ CiL, used of the restoration of
the withered hand in Mark iii. 5.
■ " Returned thanks." — The Byriac form for this common
phrase ia very peculiar, more bo than the Latin ago gratia*. It
is jZ.0*^ > /, \i*~) O, literally, to receivt a favour, and the
g here is thus traced by Bernstein : — " Aeoepii gratiam all
cujus; 4.e., unu est gratid, beneficio, aUcujus; gratiam habuit;
gratias egit aUcui."
» •• 1I<- saluted them."— Literally, hissed them.
Freely gave them his blessing." — We have rendered
Z-*(_i<ni freely, after Gastell, who gives as one meaning alac-
riter, quoting Eph. v. 15. Hut it is there put for di<piPa>s, care-
futty, circumspectly, which establishes the reading of some Mss.
Z_»;_jO"1]. Benedict has m
t "Paid no reverence." By., 0,-kkdZI. which Benedict ren-
ders, puduii eos negare.
Manner of life." By., lr^O>, used in the PeschUo, 2 Tim.
iii. 10, tor dywyt'h rendered manner of life in the English version.
■■ Its rites." The word (V) > nro| has this meaning
114 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
to it by Castell, but probably a more general idea may be con-
veyed by it in this place. It is as extensive in its use as the
fereek w*, from which it is taken. Fashion, manner, or mode
of a thing, are some of its meanings.
• " Can they live in dissipation ?»_S y ., -a^OCol, the Greek
aauyros.
< "Who can treat them with contempt ?"-The cutting sar-
casm of this whole passage is well executed. It has, perhaps
the fault of appearing to be uttered by the Ninevites satirically'
whereas the intention of Ephraem is to make it the result of their
honest simplicity.
" To enumerate.''-^jCD is finivit, terminal. Michaelis
quotes a passage in which it is enumeravit, like the Chaldee -po
- "The flagitious.»-Sy., "|AjLA, which does not appear to
be known as a verb. It is used for dv6<nos in 1 Tim. i. 9.
- " His soul sought for death. "-This, and the preceding verse,
are almost exact quotations from the Peschito, excepting that
there we read, he sought death to his soul, or to himself, Jonah iv.
8. Ephraem doubtless used a copy of that version, and probably
the reading here was different from that now found.
* " Entered a ship."-Sy., ,q\jb to go up, which we here
presume to be a technical term, signifying to go up into a ship.
But it must not be concealed that in Jonah i. 3, the opposite term
is used, ZlkkJ, he went down into it.
V "His guileful conduct."-Sy., CTlZiL. Us guile*. It ap-
pears from this that Ephraem thought that Jonah had used some
artifice with the mariners of the ship which was to take him to
Tarshish. The way in which they appear at once to have turned
to the prophet as the cause of the storm, seen,, indeed to imply
that there had been before something suspicious in his conduct "
• "His preterte.»-The By., ]j\^, generally a «,«« or occa-
sion, is used for irpotpdo-is a pretence, in Luke xx. 47.
a " Lying arguments."— This is strong language, but it is
quite conveyed by the original, >ffi > ^]o ]cai ^p, hi lied
and argued, or persuaded.
NOTES. 116
P " His abundant wiles." — Literally,
((lift, <<>lr
y •• ! the untoward event.'* — Literal!;.
./ the '77" -
* M The land which was before them." — By., |_»Z.|5; one mean
ing of f_|. as given by Bernstein is, press* m
W< • as to having experienced a very painful feeling while
reading th ■ account ' ception practised upon
the Ninevites by Jonah. The character of the prophet was before
open t" anhnadversion, as faithfully depicted in the Boly Scrip-
tores, l»ut our readers will all agree, that nothing Baid of him there
eonveya anything like the idea of moral turpitude- here brought
OS. What i< the sum of the prophet's faults as recorded
in the book of Jonah? First, he was disobedient to the divine
command ; and secondly, he was so anxious for his veracity as
a prophet, that lie lost right, for a time, of the far greater matt, r,
the salvation of a whole people on their repentance. Thoc
remember that God's most favoured messengers have always been
men of like I, will not interpret too harshly
these undoubted frailties, nor will they find it difficult to suggest
eircumstances by which the guilt of the prophet may he exten-
uated. Moses was reluctant to appear before Pharaoh, and
Jeremiah sadly lamented the necessity which was laid upon him
of being a prophet'. Then, fonts measure of natural regard for
meter, as one Bent Of Gfc>d, may be allowed to soften down
his selfish peevishness. Indeed, it would not he difficult. ■ D
ground-^, to present the faults of Jonah in far less high relief than
they generally appear in to superficial read
Bat now what does Kphracm do? lie. not only
prominence to Jonah's morbid regard for his own honour, but also
insinuates that when he fled from his post in the first instance. h<-
used unworthy artifices to induce the mariners to take him to
Tarshish. This is bad enough, bur tl sehood he i-
to practise upon tin- ansospecting Ninevites i- a gratuitous and
unfounded blot upon his character of a most damning kind, ami
we cannot t ■ -. . strongly express our disapprobation of the i
which I i lie of a prophet icrifioed toa |
110 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
tical artifice. This must be our excuse for entering more fully
into the subject than a note would seem to warrant. Our great
admiration (if Ephraem's genius and piety makes US disposed t<»
regard with favour all bis compositions. Can this matter be ex-
plained, so as to allow him to escape with clean hands ?
It may be imagined that Ephraem was indebted to tradition for
his information respecting Jonah, not found in the Scriptures.
This is possible, although it is surprising nothing of the kind has
had publicity in the history of the Church. Certainly, in the
neighbourhood of Nineveh we see to this day proofs of the great
interest taken in him, and perhaps, in the earlier ages, fictitious
narratives, or even truthful traditions, may have existed, and
been used by Ephraem. In a discourse like this, evidently writ-
ten for an audience, it does seem unlikely that he should introduce
so important a portion of Jonah's history, unless his hearers were
acquainted with it. If the Syrian Christians derived all their
knowledge on this subject from the Book of Jonah, they would
not be prepared to hear him so gravely charged with lying, and
their feelings of reverence must have been shocked by the state-
ment of this Homily. But, on the other hand, if all that Ephraem
relates were already known to them, no different effect would be
produced on them by it, than is upon ourselves by the faults which
are recorded in the Bible; — they would merely think .Jonah a
worse man than we do.
Another suggestion may be allowed. In the prayer of Jonah
recorded in the second chapter of the book bearing his name, we
read this sentence in the English version: — "They that observe
lying vanities forsake their own mercy." Now this is sufficient
to furnish a clue to Ephraem's attributing artifice to Jonah in his
dealings with the sailors, provided he read a similar sentiment in
py of the Scriptures. In the Pesdtito the translation of the
is:— "Those who observe or regard vain fears," ^\d
\LCl >; CO |A_1«kO __»j^J> ; which may refer to Jonah's foolish
doubts and apprehensions which induced him to flee to Tarshish,
but can scarcely be construed as intimating anything like a strong
tendency to deceit and lying.
Still, on either supposition, it is remarkable that Ephraem makes
\ < 1 1 117
ament on what seemed to demand strong reprehension. Wt
cannot therefore resist the conviction that in this matter, as in
another noticed .it p. »',»;, note <\ Ephraem was led astray by a
pecuh a of ethics, by which the Chnrch was so early in-
and injured. What was dune fox the honour of God was
thought to be taken, by the mere force <»t' the motive, out of the
ordinar id the actions of God's public servants,
rded in Scripture or preserved by tradition, were tried bya
different rule from that applied t<> private persons. We have al-
ready remarked on the way in which Bphraem speaks of cases of
adultery and fornication occurring among the I see p.
48, note /'. We feel then unable to reject the idea that this
whole wrong in it< spirit, and that it furnishes an illus-
tration of the fact, so often exhibited in the writings of th< l
then, that they, like ourselves, were exposed to mistakes, errors,
and moral imperfections; and thai an immeasurable Bpace lie- be-
tween their writings and the true sat/iugs of Qod. It would require
more than Buch testimony as is here furnished, to make us add
the smallest additional portion of blame to Jonah, above what is
attributed to him in the Bible.
^art tjj* teJJr.
FROM THE TOF OF THE HILL THE NINEVITES BEHOLD THE ABOMINA-
TIONS OF THE ISRAELITES. THEY SEE THE CALVES OP JEROBOAM,
NUMEROUS IDOLATROUS ALTARS, AND THE LICENTIOUSNESS OF THE
WORSHIPPERS. — ALL SEEM GIVEN DP TO SATAN. — THEY ARE HOR-
RIFIED AT THE SIGHT. — THEIR CONVERSATION ON THE SUBJECT.
They thread the mount* and gain its top
That they might see the land of promise ;
That although they might not enter it,
They might not be deprived of the sight of it.
They ascended, and cast their eyes below, 5
And viewed the whole country.
They trembled arid were affrighted,
And mortal pangs laid hold upon them ;
For there were altars upon the hills,
And images* upon the high places. 10
Among the groves 6 there was idolatry,
Among the oaks'* there was uneleanness.
Carved images" were near their doors,
And as they entered they worshipped them.
GROSS IDOLATRY 01 THE [8RAILI1 11!)
Their idols' were without number, 15
And their vices could not be reckoned.
By their fountains there were purifications,
And washings by their streams^
I'pon the housetops there were their statues/
And their whoredoms in the gardens; 20
Soothsayers walked the streets,
And enchanters' filled the ways.
They ascended higher and looked upon their roofs,
And the altars were innumerable/
One was worshipping a graven image, 25
Another poured out libations* to a demon.
Within their borders there were set up,
The calves made by Jeroboam ;
One was placed in Beersheba,
And the other in Dan/ 30
Incense there ascended,
And drink-offerings" and holocausts.
Before those dead calves
Living calves were sacrificed;
And before his graven image and idol" 85
Every man struck his head.
Avarice was also there,
And its companion, Oppression ;
There was Prodigality,
With its sister. Intemperance; 10
There was LasciviousnesSj
With its ally/' Fornication ;
120 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
There also was Falsehood,
And its kinsman/ Robbery ;
There was Incantation, 15
And its close confidant/ Magic ;
There also was Chaldreisni,
And its acquaintance/ Soothsaying ;
There was public Injustice,
And its yoke-fellow, secret Wickedness. 50
There they witnessed crime in public,'
The injustice and oppression of the inhabitants ;
Men were associating with the harlots,
The mother stood with her daughter and daughter-
in-law
Like snares in the streets. 55
Death altogether reigned there,
With Satan his fellow-king.
There princes were iniquitous,
And their judges flagitious."
Covetousness among them was like a fire, 60
And greediness of gain as Gehennah ;
Their habitations were a deep ditch,
And their temples a whirlpool."
The borrower was like a fiery pit,
And the creditor as Satan f 65
They both were vexing" one another
Who would go to one torment.
Even their children were swearing 8
By the names of their gods.
Among the heathen there was one portion of evil, 70
Tin \i\r\m:s A ri: filled with horror. 121
Bui with them ninety and ninc. a
Who was able to oppose himself/
To the compact mass* of their crimes ?
They had multiplied the number of their offences
As satyrs/ the children of Semolo. e 75
The Ninevitea were filled with horror,
And trembled at the iniquity they saw.
One man said to his fellow, —
" Is what we look upon a dream?
Is this the land of promise, 80
Or are we contemplating Sodom?
Is this the race of Abraham,
Or are we looking upon devils ?£
Are these we see men,
Or unsubstantial shadows fa 85
Surely the iniquity which has fled from us
Hath but changed its place and come hither ;
The idols which we there brake in pieces
Are here restored again ;
The altars which we pulled down 90
Have obtained wings and fled hither ;
The pestilence which hath ceased in our land,
How eagerly is it here desired !
The star which we have rejected,
How is it here adored ! 96
Soothsaying, which is humbled among us
Here walks at large ; L
The idolatry which hath departed from us
Here looks out of all windows;*
122 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
The signs of the zodiac/ which we have blotted out, 100
Are here painted upon their doors.
The arrogance' 4 which wc have cast aside,
Here resides on their foreheads."
The lasciviousness which we have deserted,
Has its dwelling in their looks ;* 105
It is visible in their eyes,
And perceptible in their nostrils.
The sun, which is not worshipped yonder/
How it is here treated with honour !
The calves, which elsewhere are thought lightly of, 110
How are they here adored !
But if we say that our customs
Have fled, and behold they are here,
There are, further, many new ones,
And entirely abominable; 115
For here are vile things,
Which in our land did not exist ;
Here sins are wrought,
Which among us were not committed.
" Micha introduced the form 120
Of the idol with four faces. p
In our country no man sacrifices
To a brazen serpent and worships it ;
But among this people there resides
The curse of the old serpent; 125
They are execrated like the living serpent,
Who sacrifice to the dead one.
We do not immolate our children to devils,
PHI MRAELITM BOAST OF ABRAHAM. 128
But here we sec they arc slain ;
Brute animals arc sacrificed by us, 130
But here their daughters arc offered up.
How vile is the mode of life
Of the people who have such saviours !
How licentious are the actions
Of the people who have such customs ! 135
How execrable is the education* 7
Of those who have such parents !
If such is the god of the people,
They will desire graven images. —
Thus a nation which has but one Creator, 140
Is a maker and seller of idols !
" These boast in names alone,
Because they are called the children of the upright ;
It suffices to them that they think
They are named the sons of Jacob ; 1 1 $
By pious titles which they put on
They foolishly believe they shall be justified.
Their name is spread abroad 7 " through the world,
With their sinful actions.
"They think they are righteous children, 150
On account of their father Abraham;
But that they have on them the name of Israel,
Is but the pride of words.
Their whole boast is this,
That they arc circumcised, although they are sin-
ners; 155
G 2
124 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
But their manner of life does not resemble
That of the true children of Abraham.
The name of Abraham is greater in their esteem,
And his circumcision is far greater
Than the faith which he possessed. 160
The Sabbath, which God gave them,
Is exalted by them above God.
They even complain of God,
As though He should abrogate His laws,
And they should appoint a law 165
Even to the Lawgiver Himself;
They would be without the law themselves,
But God should be subjected to it.
With them the law is superior
To Him who appointed it ; 1 70
Not that they may observe His law,
But that they may blame the giver of it.
In their eyes Moses and the prophets
Are inferior to sacrifices ;
Their whole glorying is in slain-ofFerings, 175
And their pride in incense.
It is sufficient to these arrogant ones,
If they are sprinkled with blood and filth ;
They think God loves the incense
More than the simple truth He has taught them." u 180
" k> They thread the mount." — The Sy., . .^ffn i s generally,
Ji.clt. infant; but in Pael seysit. The similar root in Hebrew
NOTES. I 26
it, inq>Hcnit. The i - 1 < . i is, thai of pursuing the crooked
and uneven ways which almost always lead to the top of a hill,
and to thread is expressive of such an ascent.
•' Thus out of season threading dark-eyed night."
Shah <
"They would not thread the gates.'
Ibid.
And images." — Sy., (3;^ has this meaning given it by
c.istell. outdo, capnda, tabernacUhim idolorum, and is found in
kxvl 30, and Ezek. vi. 3, 6, for the Heb., ntaa high places,
which cannot be the meaning here, since high places are men-
tioned in the same verse. Gesenius says, that as on the high places
shrines were erected in honour of the gods, the word rra was
used sometimes for the shrines or cells, by a metonymy. This
may explain the apparent discrepancy between the Hebrew text
and the Pcschito.
t M The groves.'' — Sy.. |Zq_^A_s», from ^A_» plantavit.
<* "The oaks." — By., 1 1 N 1 1, which is often used in the
Pcschito for the generic term tree. But the corresponding Hebrew
word is rendered the oak by the consentient voice of ancient and
modern interpreters.
I tared images."— Sy., f &\ \ " \ .. , from .^V .. sciilpait.
f " Their idols."— The word ]&&£) is of constant occurrence
in this sense. Bernstein says it is of Persian origin, and signifies
a dumb idoL
y '• Washings in their streams." — A reference probably in part
to the general ablutions observed in worship, and also to religious
rites performed to the gods supposed to preside over fountains and
streams.
a -Their statues."— We have adopted the translation of Bens
diet for the Sy., |5Z.Q_», not because we are satisfied with it.
but from the want of a better. The word does oof OCCUI in the
Lexicons, but we presume it is the same afl |>Z_», which is of
frequent use fox a cord, ttring, nerve. Prom the occasional mean-
126 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
ing of the Latin iiervus, and the parallelism of the next verse,
we suspect the allusion is to some obscene rites of idolatrous
worship.
* "Enchanters." — Or, those who had familiar spirits. pQO)
is used in Lev. xix. 31, for the Heb., nia, which the LXX. usually
render by eyyao-rpifivOos. ventriloquist, and the English version by one
having a familiar spirit. In his Commentary on Leviticus (Opera,
torn, iv., p. 246, A), Ephraem has these remarks on the word. He
cites as his text, " Ye shall not follow after those who speak from
the belli/, {.CD^D — lQ - » WVnVrv" and then gives this exposi-
tion, " Those who speak from the belly are a kind of soothsayers,
called by the Syrians 1 3(121 Zackyrce, who are miserable women
into whom demons enter, and who, like children, utter shrill
notes from the stomach, etc., and thus deceive those who listen
to them."
It is worthy of enquiry from what quarter Ephraem derived
the Syriac text which he thus explains. The passage of Leviticus
referred to, appears to be chap. xix. 31, but there, and in all other
places where this species of divination is spoken of, the Syriac
word |50-D1 is employed. Ephraem is in fact explaining a para-
phrase or gloss, not the text of the Peschito.
j " Altars were innumerable." — This mention of the use of
altars on the flat roof indicates how deeply idolatry had pervaded
the people.
* " Poured out libations." — Or, offered sacrifice, since |^_J
is both libavit and immolavit.
1 " The other in Dan." — See 1 Kings xii. 29.
m " Drink-offerings." — | » on 1 i s so used in the Old Testa-
ment, Lev. xxiii. 18.
n " His graven image and idol." — This appears to be a Hendiadis
for his carved or graven idol.
o " Every man struck his head." — This sounds awkwardly, but
it is the exact rendering of the Syriac iifll, The meaning
is, that he bowed his head so as to touch the ground, as expressed
by Benedict: " Unusquisque reverential causa vertice terrain qua-
tiebat. 11
\<> i 127
p •• Its ally.'" — By., tho daughter of Us yoke.
q •• Its kinsman."— Sy.. tin daughter of He race or family.
r >i Its close confidant." — By., the daughter of its secret.
i " Its acquaintance." — Sy., tin daughter of its familiarity.
' rime in public." — Literally, crime which was set up, or
exhibited, i>Q_»-£QJ5 |^Q_k» ; in opposition to that secrecy, the
hying aside of which is the worst sign of entire profligacy. We
haw taken the nonn in the singular, though it is marked as
plural in the printed text.
" •• Flagitious." — See note /•, p. 111.
v " Their temples a whirlpool." — As tin's is said in connection
with avarice, perhaps the meaning is, that both at home and in
public the one grand object was to overreach one another, so that
both hospitality and religion were made to engulph and destroy
the victims of extortion and robbery. The word rendered temples
is |f_iZ\JD, which we think must be an error for |^jiAl3. Neither
of these forms is given in the Lexicons, but 5Ad is mansit, which
is somewhat allied to a dwelling, mansion. Benedict renders,
cedes, which may signify houses, but we have preferred the other
signification, temples, as avoiding a tautology.
w u A fiery pit." — By., Li05|, Jovea plena itjix, Castell. Pro-
bably an allusion to the ovens made in the ground in the Bast,
or to furnaces, and orena generally, as Benedict translates, cli-
j •• The creditor as Satan.'' — This is an awful description of the
mutual hatred of debtor and creditor in countries where the
law gave the latter unlimited power over his victim, and, conse-
quently, where the former would use every art to overreach those
to whom he was indebted. In most cases, it would be contrary
to the interests of the lender to proceed to extremities with the
person indebted to him, and the passions excited by the hopes and
I'e.ns connected with the risk incurred, made the borrower able
to indict pangs, the foretaste of perdition, upon the creditor.
Then. OH the other hand, the lender, like Satan, WOnld letter his
subject with every art in his power, until the tormentor and tor-
mented would both receive the punishment of their crimes in hell !
128 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
v " Vexing one another." — The word we have rendered vexing is
^,*iO • , which in no way that we can discover, will cohere with
the other parts of the verse. If we presume there is a very likely
error committed, and that the true reading is _k_QJL», all diffi-
culty is removed. Benedict, " >Se invicem arnbo torquentes."
z " Their children were swearing." — This is the climax of na-
tional degradation, when the example of parents, which should
have a restraining influence upon their offspring, becomes an
encouragement to their crimes. The habit of profane swearing
by boys, in their ordinary games, in the streets of large manufac-
turing towns of England, tells an unmistakeable tale of a down-
ward course of public morals.
a "With them ninety and nine." — That is, the sin of Israel
was ninety and nine times greater than that of the heathen.
" Who was able to oppose himself." — The Syriac 3^5 is ge-
nerally to rebel, but Michaelis suggests that it has the more
extensive sense of contumacious resistance. Here the general
meaning is established of resistance, opposition.
y " Compact mass." — 1^31 does not occur in the Lexicons, but
%Z2)) is coarctavit, strinxit ; and Bernstein gives f i *~)Q3V turba-
compactus globus hominum.
{ "As satyrs." — There is a clear example here of 3 being used
for qualis. The rule is thus given by Bernstein : " Pnccedentibius
nominibus multum, ingens, vehemens significantibus, est qualis,
quale."
e " Semolo." — This verse has presented to us a formidable diffi-
culty, which we are not sure we have been able to overcome.
The Syriac is (jV)fO . » 1 n Mr-tt?< which literally translated
is, " Like young goats, the sons of the left hand ;" or as Bene-
dict has it, " Hosdi filii sinistra." But this is unintelligible. We
have supposed the goats to be satyrs, called capripedes, from
the lower part of their form being like a goat. Semolo we have
considered a proper name, which we find in Schindler, who says
of bisrap " Est Asmodai, nomen daimonis." Now the rendering of
goats by satyrs is justified by a reference to the Hebrew "Wto
\oti v. L29
which, signifying a hairy one, is applied first to the goaty tap
t Inn to a satyr. QeseniuS says of the &*!$$ t li.it they :uv u da -
mones si/lnstrcs, satyri, hirei t tinuUif satyrs like tn goats. The
word is found in Isaiah xiii. 21. and in that place the P
renders it by ]?]-• demon§, which passage in the English version
is. •• And satyrs shall dance there. - ' .^incc then the satyrs may
be intended here by the Syriao word which means goak
satyrs were thought to be demons, we hare only to examine
whether fKnro 8emolo may be the same as the Asmodai found
in the rabbinical writers as the prince of the demons. We think
the quotation from Bchindlei given above is proof enough of this,
since the word, if rendered th< lefl hand conveys no sense at all.
The meaning of the whole passage thus seems to be, that the
Jewfl had committed more or greater crimes than the satyrs, the
children or subjects of Semolo or Asmodeus their prince. That
ad Sainnmel are the names of the same being may In;
seen in Moreri, Dictionnuire Hlstorique. With the views of the
orientals as to the demons, their crimes would be esteemed of the
deepest dye, and this will account for the comparison here insti-
tuted by Ephraem. We confess the interpretation we have
worked out has been viewed by us with some diffidence, on ac-
count of Benedict being evidently at a loss as to its meaning.
But this is only one instance out of many in which we have found
him at fault on Bubjects which we might have expected him to be
familiar with.
i " Devils." — Sy., |Q_i>, a word applied to the devil, accord-
ing to Michaelis, from the meaning of the root, to he black; an
idea Which appears to have almost universal credence. Th.it
there have been exceptions appears from the following ;
in Bir Thomas Browne'i Enquiry into Vulgar and Oommon Erron
(Ed. 1686, p. 270) : — "Whereas men assume this colour (black)
was a CUrse, I cannot make out the propriety of that name, it
neither seeming so to them, nor reasonably unto us; for they
jo much content therein, that they esteem deformity by
other colours, describing the devil, and terrible objects, white."
v " Unsubstantial Bhadows."— 8y., fpirii
o3
130 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
" The star/' — By., (Zv^DO^, the common form being
jmDOD. The allusion is to Amos v. 26, where the Peschito
reads. •• the star which ye have made a god for you." This star
is now agreed by the best authorities to have been the planet
Saturn, worshipped and propitiated by the Semitic nations along
with Mars.
* " Here walks St large." — By., has a wide street to it here.
« " Looks out of all windows." — Idolatry which, in a better
state of society, hid itself in secret chambers, now grew so bold
as to court notice rather than seek concealment.
a. " The signs of the zodiac." — Sy., ] ^ o\Vn which Castell
considers the same as the Hebrew rrtoo by a metathesis. This
opinion is discountenanced by Michaelis. These, or some of them,
appear to have been written or painted on the houses for idolatrous
purposes.
m " The arrogance." — Or perhaps, impudence, the hardened
front of bold sinners. See Michaelis in Castell, and also his ob-
servations on the word in his Supplementa ad Lex. Heb.
v " On their foreheads." — Literally, on or about their eyes.
£ " Their looks." — Sy., in the pupils of their eyes, from which
organ so much expressiveness is derived to the whole counte-
nance.
o " Their nostrils." — Benedict renders this and the two pre-
ceding verses, " Lascivia in horum ocidos invasit ; hanc ptqnUa
loquuntur et nares." In a state of society where the emotions of
the mind are less restrained in their manifestations than among
ourselves, the nostrils exhibit much silent meaning. This ac-
counts for many allusions to the nose in the Hebrew Scriptures.
n " Yonder." — The Sy., ^OT^, which appears to be used
here 8€iktiku>s, evidently refers to Nineveh, because the sun was
worshipped in other countries.
p " The idol of four faces." — A reference to the account of
Micah in Judges xvii. and xviii. ; but the Peschito of those pas-
sages gives no information on this subject; nor does Ephraem
say anything about the form of the idol in his Comment on Judges.
The teraphim arc no doubt intended, but we can find no reference
NO I 181
to their being four-faced. Perhapi they wen presumed bj
Kphraem to be of the same form ai the cherubim. Benedict,
o- "The education."— By., |Z_i»^$_ tfc ■>]>: hut it
may be rendered the mareaat or i ledict, " Q
tale * > wholes."
t •• Their name is spread abroad." — The By. ^->hii ha- not
this preciBe meaning in the Lexicons. Benedict. " illorum women
To be poured out i> the general sense, hut to It i
in the sense of extending or spreading is established here.
■ '• More than the simple truth he has taught them." — In this
speech of the Ninevites. Kphraem has given a very correct de-
scription of the state of the Israelites before their captivity, and
in general in the decline of their national great-
Thr accounts given in the historical books and the prophets
cannot well be exaggerated by other writers, since everything
which is bad is predicated of the apostate children of Abraham,
who, in proportion as they receded from his faith and piety.
bUndly boasted of him as their father.
]}m\ tjic €!cnrntjj.
having seen the wickedness of the Israelites, the mnevites
resolve to return to tneir own country. while honour-
ing jonah, they condemn his countrymen, who boast them-
selves of their relation to abraham, while they abe
idolators. they sing a song of praise to god, \n1» < \u
upon all classes of the people to join them.
The penitents, while thus conversing,
Said these things concerning the Hebrews ;
And, although they greatly desired
To ascend higher, and look upon the land,
They now entirely abhorred it/ 5
They trembled and fled from it.
Mortal pangs seized them,
For the crimes they witnessed there.
The sins they had approved, but now repented of/
The Hebrews had clothed themselves with; 10
The idolatry which the heathen had cast off,
This abominable nation had taken up.
Each man said to his neighbour, —
Tin: mmvitks SA8T1M PBOM (A\aa\. 133
" Come let us escape from this place,
Lest we be swallowed up with its evil deeds, 15
For this is a rebellious people.
In Nineveh we may have good confidence,
But here there is great peril.
Perhaps this people is about to be extirpated
In place of Nineveh which has not been overthrown ; 20
But in truth it is already
A nation plucked up by the roots ;
For these are not the once fail* people,
Since they have arrayed themselves in our abomi-
nations.
As to this blessed prophet, 25
His memorial shall be great among us ;
For he was the cause of our salvation,
And obtained for us all this benefit."
Having said this where they stood,
They turned and descended with fear ; 30
Those happy men departed thence,
And returned home rejoicing.
Then they all sang distinctly/
While sincerely rejoicing,
This song of praise to God/ 35
"Who was reproving his people by the heathen,
Who were justified from their sins. —
" Let thankful voices ascend to Him,
From the impure who have repented and been cleansed;
Let us present to Him pure fruits, 1
From minds which are enlightened ; e
134 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Let the wrathful and the rash
Offer to Him a new song,
And praise Him with the intellect ;
Let even the licentious ones render thanksgiving, 45
And praise Him because they are made chaste.
Let the covetous praise Him,
Because He hath taught them to give alms /
Let the profligate praise Him,
Because they have been instructed how to fast. 50
Let the drunken praise Him,
Because they have learned to drink in moderation ;#
Let the rapacious praise Him,
Because they have now become givers ;
Let the adulterers praise Him, 55
Because their consort suffices them ;
Let the whoremongers greatly praise Him,
Because they are freed from their lust.
" Let the daring of our country praise Him,
Because they observe the limits of righteous per-
sons ; 60
Let the prodigals praise Him,
Because they have gained judgment and intellect ;
Let the profane cursors praise Him,
Because their mouth has learned to bless ;
Let the orphan praise Him, 65
Because He has become his patron ;*
Let the widow bow down before Him,
Because He hath heard her oppression in His kind-
ness ;
w i\\ 04 LTTOM to PI \i>i: BOD, I 85
Let the beggar praise 1 1 im.
For lie hath filled his basket with blessings. 1 70
Let the husbandman also praise Ilim,
Because He hath again bound his yoke/
And filled him with abundance.
Let tlu i ploughman praise Ilim,
And the vinc-drcsscr offer Him a song j 76
Let the artificers praise Him,
Who work in their various trades.'
" Let our kings praise Him,
As they sec their cities in peace,
And their crowns are again in quiet ; 80
And let the armies praise Him,
Which have been delivered from destruction;
Let the rulers praise Him,
Who have returned again to their offices.
Let the rich praise Him, 85
Who can again look upon their treasures ;
Let the fathers praise Him,
Who have enlarged their hope of their children;
Let the sons also praise Him,
For the sight of their parents. 90
Let the innocent children praise Him,
Because their life is prolonged ;
Let the little ones praise Him,
Because they arc carried on the shoulders." 1
Let the pregnant women there praise Ilim, 95
That the fruit of the womb hath not perished ;
Let the brides praise Ilim,
136 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Who are introduced joyfully to their chambers ;
Let the new made mothers praise Him,
For they arc blessed with their sucklings; 100
Yea, let the nursed praise Him
For the blest babe? upon her bosom j
Let the virgins praise Him,
That they have been preserved from ruin.
" Let the judges greatly bless Him, 105
Because they are not judged according to their own
sentences ;
Let the exactors bless the Good,
Because it has not been required of them according
to their extortions ;
Let the usurers 7 ' sing praises,
Because their debts have not been demanded; 110
Let the creditors 5 bless Him,
That the bills of their debts are torn up.
Let robbers render praise,
That they have not reaped as they sowed ;
Let the rapacious give thanks/ 115
That they have suddenly become benefactors.
Let the offender and the offended"
Greatly praise God ;
Let them praise together in harmony,
That they have been equally benefited ; 1 20
The offender that he has not been blamed,
And the offended that he has been preserved. 1 '
Let them give thanks in strong towers/'
Because their dwellings tottered ;
won 137
Let them multiply praise in castli 126
Because tlicy were delivered from destruction.
Let their maid-servants and their men-servants,
(iive many thanks and utter praise;
For their bondage is far better
Than freedom in the sepulchre. 130
Let the mother rejoice and be comforted,
For she can look again on her beloved one.
Let all stations of every kind/
Offer praise with great joy ;
Because they are delivered from perdition, 135
And become new born V H
a " Entirely abhorred it." — Sy., they were so satisfied and ab-
horred it, so filled with abhorrence.
* " The sins they had approved, but now repented of." — This
verse is very obscure in the original, on account of its great terse-
ness, and the peculiar allocation of the words. It reads, |JQ_L
!*->»/ OV*jJ the iniquities which the penitent had seen, or looked
upon. We have taken the verb \\±*> in the sense of surveying
with favour or approbation, — a meaning which is given to it by
Castell.
• " They all sang distinctly."' — Sy.. (JL_»$Q_2LO with distinc-
tion, d i scrim ination; but we are not clear about the exact use of
the word in this place.
<l " This song of praise to God." — Benedict begins the song at
the next verse : — " Magnificeraus Deum, qui per populos gentiles
Hebramm popalnm confudit ; Illius nomen prsedicent in primis
peccatores, quoniam justitiain adept i sunt, imnmndi quicumque
per poenitentiam suas eluerunt sordes." This whole passage is
138 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
very intricate in the original, and, to us at least, seems to want a
Utcidtu ordo; but this may arise from some peculiarity of the
metrical style not well understood.
e " From minds which are enlightened.'' — [<"> » \? may be ac-
census, inflamed with gratitude, or ilhtminatus, enlightened. Bene-
dict entirely omits this and the preceding verse.
/ " Taught them to give alms." — Benedict gives the sense, but
not the literal rendering ; " Et liberaliter agere edocti avari." The
Syriac is, taught them alms, \bdDi\. See note i, Part I.
9 " To drink in moderation." — Sy., by measure.
h " His patron." — Sy., because he is to him as a jlOQ_k_Q, one
who stands up for him.
* " Blessings." — The note of Michaelis in Castell on the word
here used, |Ad5qjD, will explain its peculiarity; — "This word
benediction is also a gift, because one was accustomed to be pre-
sented, in the oriental fashion, by those saluting one of superior
station when they sought access to him. Thus, in the Chrcsto-
mathy, it is said, ' The faithful, approaching Bar Hebrseus, put
into his hands baskets full of silver as a gift (] A^JQJD a blessing).
But afterwards the word was used more generally for any gift.
Thus Ephraem, in his commentary on Gen. xviii., says, that
Abraham prepared so much bread and meat, not to satisfy the
hunger of the angels, but that he might present gifts (blessings)
to all his domestics."
* " Hath again bound his yoke." — Literally, because he hath
added and bound. The expression is elliptical, meaning that God
allowed him to bind his yoke again upon his oxen. But Benedict
paraphrases it, " Agricola, qui, accedente uberiori proventu, auxit
juga bourn. ,"
I "Their various trades." — Sy., |Zo;V}"\ is properly sacer-
dotium, the office of a priest." The Syriac Lexicons give no such
meaning as is here required. One meaning of the Heb., *v?3,
is plexit, texuit, to plat or weave, and this comes nearer though it
is too special.
m " Because they are carried on the shoulders." — A beautiful
\o i L88
touch of real life, referring to tin- eonstanl qm made of the ihoul-
dex in the East, and also to the way in which i babe ox young
child i> playfully i salted on the Bhonlder of its paxenl or nurse.
n •• Hath not perished."'- By. — ;-S ii rupu\ disrupt*, and the
\\>>rd may allude to the resnlti of grieToni fear, which had been
averted by the g Iness of (Jod.
"Tin- new mule mother." — Sy., thate Who have brought forth.
Benedict sccius to have mistaken the ver.-e, for he renders it,
•• MatresJUiarum benedictionibus gaudentee."
P " The nurse." — By., the who gives suck.
1 " The blest babe npon her bosom." — Or, the babe who is blessed
>/}»»> her bosom, — the action of blessing from the mother being al-
luded to. Tins is painting from nature, for who lias not seen the
affectionate l"<>ks and heard the tender words -which a mother
lavishes upon her scarcely COnsdons infant.
' •• The usurers." — By., 1 1, > t< tiers of interest.
* "The creditors." — Sy., the masters of debts, as in verse 21,
Tart I.: see also note h on that passage. In both these places
Benedict refers the expression to borrowers, which the connection
will not allow in the former place, and is not required here, al-
though this passage certainly will admit the rendering, debtors.
lote e. p. 1(37.
< "The rapacious." — These two verses are almost identical with
the fifty-third and fifty-fourth above ; and the repetition indicates
a carelessness which would not be likely to be exhibited by
Ephraem, if he had corrected his copy. But perhaps we have
here the reading of an early MS., which might be altered in a
later one. The distance of the two places will scarcely allow us
to attribute the repetition to a scribe.
■ -'Let the offender and the offended." — Sy., |l i *")V)
P-LjsjALoo. The former is easily understood; he who causes
offsna by censorious or objurgatory language; but the use of the
latter word is peculiar. It is, literally, la who U pitied, or obtains
fun, in- or mercy. Se is here the passive recipient of the action
of the P_a_^!o. It may mean, he who sujopUcates for pity, de-
precates the anger or displeasure of another. Benedict, " offensor
'l "//' itSUS."
140 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
This verse and the 114th above are remarkably contrasted in
relation to the metre. They are both correctly heptasyllabic.
without aphaeresis or diaeresis, yet the first contains twenty-one
consonants, the latter only twelve. We will print them together
as an exercise in the metre for the students of Syriac.
7 V 7 .7 7 7 !>*•
.OOOl Q-^5l? y^\ 0001 05^-kj JJ5
D16 ' chtzadv vau a£k ddzrahv vau.
" That they have not reaped as they sowed."
♦U-L^Ak>o ]i [n*b
Maky6n6 'vin6thchann6n6.
" The offender and the offended.' -
» " Been preserved." — The offender, that in the destruction of
Nineveh, he was not visited with the punishment due to his offence,
— and the offended, that he has been preserved from a far greater
evil than the reproach of a fellow-man.
w * " Strong towers and castles." — Sy., |Z.j_kkCD and y \ » *^>
y " All stations of every kind." — Sy., all stations with all stations.
* M New born." — Sy., new children, (, » \ - This ends the
account given by Ephraem of the Ninevites, who, he very pro-
perly allows us to presume, were permanently benefited by this
remarkable event in their history. The events recorded in the
Book of Jonah could not have happened without producing deep
impressions upon the people ; and while our knowledge of human
nature convinces us on the one hand, that with many of the peo-
ple their repentance was but transient in its effects ; on the other,
it makes us believe that in numerous cases it was followed by a
godly life.
<T'ljr Oitrlnohm.
EPHRAEM COMFABSB TIIK REFBXTAHCE OP THX HUKVI T K B WITH THAI
Of m> UABEB8, \.m« GOHGLUDBB r,Y BLBBSDTG OOP.
Compared with the repentance of the Ninevites,
I have called ours but a shadow."
A penitent who has truly feared/
In the midst of safety is earnest in well-doing ;*"
"When he is a little filled with hope, 5
Every day he remembers his chastening.
A servant whom his master corrects,
Through all the day is mindful of his stripes.
Every man while fearing, is circumspect/
But the wrath passes over, and he forgets it ; 10
At the beginning of wrath there is repentance,
But when it is finished there is rebellion ;
As though it sufficed to him to hope
That the calamity will not return ;
Or as though the Almighty had assured him 1 5
He will not again punish his folly.
Now the Ninevites at that season
142 THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH.
Repented with all their hearts ;
The whole city gave Him thanks
Which had so long been qnaking ; 20
The whole city pronounced Him blessed,
For like a ship it had been agitated.
Both rational and brute creatures praised Him,
The children of men and the beasts of the field ;
Instead of sackcloth they had white garments ; 25
They were reformed in newness of heart.
Blessed be He who loves the righteous,
Who multiplied penitents in Asshur !
a " But a shadow." — The reference is to Tart I., where the com-
parison is followed up at some length. See note^>, p. 14.
b "A penitent who has truly feared." — The word rendered truly is
]A_»0_O Veritas, here used adverbially.
c " Is earnest in well-doing." — By., does v:ell much.
d "Is circumspect." — Sy., full of his eyes; the only time we
have met with the phrase.
Studied by the ordinary rules of oratory, it must be confessed
that this peroration is not equal to the discourse which it con-
cludes. There is apparently a want of that forcible application of
which, in other places, Ephraem has shewn himself to be a master.
But it must be remembered that this piece, while intended for an
auditory, was more historical than didactic in its artistic construc-
tion, although intended all through to have a practical bearing on
the hearers. There was a continued reference to the circum-
stances of the hearers; an indirect yet powerful appeal to their
profession of religious principles and their virtual neglect of them,
which made any forma] address at the close unnecessary. Perhaps
also the length of the discourse forbad any further enlargement.
\->TES. L48
in the third volume of the Roman edition of the
Ephraem, in the Latin version of this homily from a Greek trans-
lation, there i^ tlio following addition, of very doubtful genuine-
• And those who. in the first instance, repented throogh
the preaching of Jonah, were saved; bat those who fame after
them end became worse than their ancestors, altogether perished,
ith the prophet Jeremiah. Therefore, lei as also praic
who by the Ninevites hath given as s type and a pledge, that, as
he delivered them by Jonah, so he saves the nations by his only
11 Son. lmt will blot <>nt his people, that barren fig-tree,
which is ;t Btnmbling-block to the heathen, so that it cannot be
saved by the fruits of repentance, through Christ Jesus our Lord,
to whom be glory and power and dominion for ever and ever.
Amen."
£ nil nf ttjr llrprntnnrc nf %xsm\.
Lord I Thou jjh the sops of the penitent.
Ami Till: ll'JE.M) OF ALL SINNERS."
Answer me, Lord, as Thou didst answer
Elias when he prayed before Thee ;
Hear my prayer, O Lover of the penitent,
As Thou heardest the voice of the son of Mathai ;
Answer and deliver me, as Thou didst Simon Peter,
That I may not deny Thy name.
Although I have greatly sinned,
Confess me, O Lord, who have confessed Thee.
Thou Fountain of Mercy and of Grace.
'Jonah called on Thee in the depths of the ocean.
And Daniel in the den of wild beasts ;
In the furnace which the Chaldeans kindled,
The three children cried to Thee.
Thou didst draw out Jonah and deliver Daniel.
And Thy grace moistened and quenched that flame.
Pity me. Lord, and make me to live.
That I may give thanks to Thee ;
And pardon my srNS in Thy great goodness!'
Parameses ad Pa nit< nfini
51ii d:\rljortiifion tn Ixfjmitimre.
• The cherubim bear aloft
That Mighty One who sustains all things ;
They direct their view downward
With reverence beneath Thy chariot,
Veeling themselves, and fearing
to look at that which is in it ;
They bear Him up and yet cannot investigate.
And, though near, they are full of awe.
Blessed is he who hath been taught
By them, the honour due to Thee,
Whose praise is mixed with reverence !"
Adversus Scrutatores.
AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
^urt tjjt fixti,
Till: t.REAT VALUE OF REPENTA.M I. ILLUSTRATED BY THE CASES OF
TUE RICH MAN AM) LAZ Mil's AM) THE WISE AM) FOOLffiB
VIRGINS. TUE REPENTANT ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO
CHRIST RY THE NCMEROUS EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO MNNED.
AND YET WERE SAVED BY FAITH. CHRIST COMPARED TO A
I'll rBH IAN, AND THE PENITENT TO A SICK MAN.
O Lord/ I am a suppliant to Thee ;
Thou Good ! I am knocking at Thy door ;
Break not, O Lord, Thy promise,
" Knock, and I will open to you." J
Thy door is not closely fastened 5
\Yhcn c the sinner comes and knocks at it ;
Thy door is always opened
To the righteous and the wicked.
Thou shewest Thy door to the sinner,
That he may call, and knock, and enter. 10
Thy love encourages the enquirer,
That he may be eager for Thy treasures.
ii 2
148 AX EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
Behold, I ask as Thou hast taught me,
Lord, give me according to Thy promise ;
Behold, I knock as Thou hast advised me, 15
Lord, open to me according to Thy word.
O Lord, I ask not for gold,
For it is the mammon of unrighteousness \ d
Neither for treasures and possessions,
For they procure not salvation. 20
Forgiveness is better than gold,
And the remission of sins than much silver ;*
And poverty -without sins,
Than a wealthy inheritance.
The rich man there^ is conscious 25
That he would exchange all his gold
For the crown of poverty* 1
Of Lazarus the beggar.
For man can take nothing with him
AYhen he dies, as it is written.' 30
And since he would sell all he hath
For one drop-*' of water,
Which of these two should a man take
From the door of the tomb and onwards/ —
The labour of righteousness, 35
Or the servitude of sins ?
Thou hast instructed me, O Lord,
By the foolish and the wise virgins,
What merchandize' I should take with me,
That Thou mayest open Thy door to me ; 10
And since those who yet were virgins 7 "
J1SUI i> Tin: PHYSICIAN. 1 li)
Were not received for want of oil,
Who will there give to nic, a, sinner,
An alms" of his oil ?
The foolish virgins arc an example for us, 15
And the rich man is a mirror,
That avc should resolve now to pray
For grace rather' than for justice.
While there is a healing balsam
For the hidden ulcers of our sins, 50
And a physician who brings remedies
For the wounds of sinners,
The practitioner* is unjust who withholds
The medicines* from the distempers ;
For on a sudden justice may close 55
The wide door of grace.
I hope that repentance will cleanse
The great sore which has befallen me,
And that goodness will cover up
The hateful and foul stain j 60
Because Jesus the physician cries,
" O man, thy sins are forgiven thee," 5
And abundantly bestows health
To the soul and body of the sickly ; —
And because the crucified' King carries (\o
The key of the gate of Paradise,
And opens 11 it without stint
To robbers and murderers ; —
And because the Father of Mercies says,
" Behold, my son was dead and yet lives ; 70
150 AX EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
He was lost but hath come again r
From the snares"'' of sinners ;" —
Because also the fatted calf was slain,
By its blood to cleanse from blemishes ;
And a glorious robe was brought forth, 75
That the wounds might be covered by it ; —
Because I may come as the thief,
Confessing and inheriting Paradise,
And as the harlot in her sins,
Who annulled* the charge against her with her
tears ; — 80
Because there is hope for sinners,
That they may be healed by repentance ;
And for publicans and covetous persons,
That they may be justified by faith; —
I will enter into intimacy with Zaccheus, 85
That I may confess Thee and be justified,
And with the polluted harlot,
Who wept before Thee and obtained mercy.
By those who were foreigners/
But became of Thy family- by faith, 90
I have been taught, O Lord,
The loving-kindness of Thy disposition.*
By the domestics of a judge
Each man may learn his character ;
And from the ordinances of a prince 95
His tenderness may be known ;
By the disciple, his instructor
Is believed to be true and faithful,
, i.ki.u PBNITBNTO. 101
If he loves strangers
And desires the intercourse of the holy. I < >< )
Thy habitation is full of sinners,
And extends a hand to the penitent;
It casts forth the net of its teaching
Upon those at home and those abroad.* 3
Paul cries out from within, 105
" I am the chief of sinners,
That through me Jesus may shew to all men
The long suffering of His grace."*
Peter, weeping, was made whole
After he had denied, and become a stranger. 110
Aaron, though a sinner, was justified
After he fashioned the calf/ and became polluted.
David, that wise physician/
After he sinned, fell sick ;
He confessed that he believed ^ and was healed. 115
Princes and mighty men of war^
Were overcome in battle and were restored.
Who can cover his eyes
From the mirror of the Scriptures,
And not find medicine for his malady 120
In these troops of penitents ?
Pains, and trespasses, and sins
Surround me, Lord, on all sides ;
And there is no physician like Thee
To whom I can recount my diseases.
Lord, not on account of the righteous
152 AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
Was Thy advent to the world,
But for the sake of sinners,
That they might be reconciled by repentance.
It is not on behalf of the healthy 130
That the physician compounds his medicines ;
But for the sake of the sick,
That they may be made sound by his care.
" The whole need not a physician,"
As Thou hast said, O Lord ; 135
Nor do righteous and perfect men
Require the balsam of repentance.
For all physicians, Lord,
Heal diseases by medicines ;
But without drugs and balsams 140
Thy love is prompt 1 with all men.
For sinners such as I am
Need, Lord, remission of sins ;
And he whose distemper is like mine,
Earnestly begs for health. 145
A physician is made friendly with a fee,*
And then is careful of his patients j
But the sick, who comes for refuge unto Thee,
Is healed and bears away the reward/
And even the paralytic, who was unable 150
To come and shew Thee his malady,
Thy kindness led Thee near his couch,
And quickly dispersed his complaint.
O Lord, Thy goodness goes forth
After the foolish and the erring, 155
And doubles its speech* 1 to the scornm.
Saving, " Scoff not ut yonr sins \"
Thy love subdues the rebellious,
And thy teaching the ferocious ;
And for those who have Long been, lost, 160
Thy mercy labours that they may be found.
" Come unto me," Thy love exclaims,
" O ye -who labour for vanity,
And with heavy burdens;
And ye who arc wearied with evil desires, 165
From mc learn tranquillity,
And receive from me meekness;
My yoke is pleasant if ye are willing,
And my burden is very light \" v
This beautiful piece is printed in the sixth volume of the Roman
edition of Ephraem's works, and is the second of a series of homi-
ititli'd. ParoeneseSf sen Adhortationea ad Pamitentiam, (Ex-
hortations to Repentance.) They are Beventy-four in number, and
on a great variety of subjects. They are referred to in the Intro-
duction to the Hymns and Homilies, p. lxxiii., and some of them
are inserted in that volume. This piece is in heptasyllabies ; it is
divided very carefnlly into Btrophes of four verses, and also into
portions of various Lengths, according to the subject and connec-
tion. We have only retained the latter arrangement. The divi-
sion Into Parts, like those of the Repentance of Nineveh, is out
own. For observations on the style and spirit of this homily. we
refer our readers to the Introduction.
a "() Lord." — There are two forms of tins addres>, O^?
OUT /.i.rJ. and *_ij^D m;j Lord, which are here used indilfer-
u 3
154 AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
ently. It is stated as a rule, that the first is more frequently
applied to kings and to Christ : the latter to private persons as a
token of respect. See MichaehVs long note in Castell.
b " Knock, and 1 will open to you." — A quotation, in a some-
what varied form, from Matt. vii. 7.
c " When." — The Syriac is 5 and the sense of quum is given
and estahlished by examples in Bernstein.
d " The mammon of unrighteousness.'" — The expression is taken
from the Peschito of Luke xvi. 9. The Syriac here reads unrighte-
ousness twice, which we presume is an intensitive form. Benedict
renders, Mamtnona initpdtatis est, et ipsa invpdta*.
e " Much silver." — Sy., silvers, an emphatic plural.
/ " The rich man there." — The adverb <-^~ is much used by
Ephraem, and in a manner requiring that the reader should supply
information on the subjects treated of. In this case the there
refers to the account of the rich man and Lazarus, and their
destinations, in Luke xvi.
A " The crown of poverty." — The happiness which, in a very
important sense, is said by our Saviour to have resulted from the
low estate of Lazarus. Benedict translates the words, inopia
simul et corona.
i " As it is written." — The quotation is literally exact from the
Peschito of Psalm xlix. 17. The similar sentiment in 1 Tim. vi. 7,
is verbally different.
j " For one drop of water. " — The word rendered drop is ]5 ^_k>
which is rendered by Castell, digitus auriadaris vel minimus, the
little finger. It is found several times in the Peschito, but not in
Luke xvi. The literal translation of this passage is. therefore,
a little finger of water; i.e., as much as it could take up.
I " Onwards." — Sy., \>0"L^ yonder, beyond. See note ir,
p. 130.
i ■• Merchandize." — This sense of |JLCD| we can nowhere find,
but it is rendered commeatus by Castell, which conveys the idea.
™ " Who yet were virgins." — We have supplied the word yet
to convey clearly the contrast Ephraem makes between the vir-
gins, and the sinner who is speaking. He evidently attaches an
\')TES. 156
moral superiority to thoM called virgins; and Bent*
diet, more mo, allows the thought to Lose nothing in the transla-
tion, "atque si hie illis won pafuti, tjnibus odenri rirginitatii
honor."
» " An alms." — We have not before met. in Ephraem, with
jZ-C>] ill the singular, in this sense; but the ribbui, which is
the only mark of the plural, might easily he omitted.
Now." — The meaning of JTV> as given in the Lexicons, is
"tine, which will not suit this passage. Benedict renders it
dam vaeta\ while there la time.
1 lather than." — By., b*
i "The practitioner is unjust who withholds." — There is some
obscurity in this passage. The connection, and the comparison
instituted, would seem to require that the patient should rather he
mentioned here : M While there is halm, and a physician to apply
it. the patient acts unjustly to himself by not receiving it," etc.
But the word |o0^i>, here rendered practitioner, forbids such a
translation. It is from «^^ medicatus est, sanavit, and being of
frequent occurrence, its meaning is clear. Ephraem uses it in the
Fifty-sixth Bomily, Advertnt JIterescs , near the close, where he
speaks of the medicine ^OO^L> of those vho heal, spiritually,
i.e., of Christian pastors. The passage we are now considering
is curious, as it seems to establish a distinction between a physi-
cian and an apothecary, as in modern times. When the ( > (T) f
has prescribed, the ^O^A should not withhold the medicines.
Benedict renders the former by medicus, the latter by cldrurgus.
r "The medicine." — By., the roots (; n v ; because, says Mi-
ehaeHs, medicines were so often prepared from herbs. See note tj,
p. 167.
a " U man. 'thy Bins are forgiven thee." — A quotation from the
FBSCkUo of Luke v. 20. Every letter is the same; and the addi-
tion of the word mom, uot found in Matthew and Mark, gives a
precision to the ua taken from Luke.
i •• The crucified king." — By., | ^ » °1 (^ \Vo is plain enough.
156 AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
yet Benedict gives quite a different sense: " Rex regum crucem in
chirc in Borodin miitovit"
« "Opens it without stint." — The word |^_» is used here,
which is rather to unloose, solvere, hut like the Latin word it has
an extensive figurative application. Here it refers more to un-
loosing the lock by the key.
» "He was lost, and hath come again." — This is a reference to
Luke xv.. rather than a quotation from it, although the principal
words are the same as those used in the Peschito. Hath come
again is in Syriac Hath turned and come.
v> " Snares." — |Z\\ooZ. is more frequently stumbling-blocks,
hut Castell gives the meaning laqueus.
z " Annulled the charge with her tears." — Bernstein gives the
meaning abrogavit to ^ffi 1 here rendered annulled ; the charge
is in Syriac the bill, or haad-icriting, as in verse 22, Part I.
y " Foreigners." — Sy., those without.
z " Thy family." — Sy., the children of thy house. The same
phrase is rendered domestics in verse 03.
a " Thy disposition." — Sy., | 1 » *^ r is more commonly volun-
tas, the will, hut has here a wider sense. In verse 94 we have
rendered it by character, as used by us to indicate the general
disposition of a man. Benedict renders the former by pectus, the
latter by ingenium.
P " Those at home and abroad." — Sy., those within and without.
y " The long-suffering of his grace." — See 1 Tim. i. 15, 16, from
the Peschito translation of which all the principal words are taken.
The Syriac for long-suffering is ]_k»05 / ; . t ^r> the protracting
of the breath, as is done when forbearance is exercised in a state
of angry excitement.
5 " After he fashioned the calf." — See Exodus xxxii. 4.
e " David, thai wise physician." — That is, morally, since he had
been a teacher and guide of Others by his inspired writings.
£ "He confessed that he believed." — Sy., he spake and believed.
The reference Is to Psalm cxvi. (cxv. in Syriac) 10, "I believed,
•re have 1 spoken." Ephraem goes on the supposition that
\ < > i 1 5 7
tlii.- Psalm i- a description of Davids sorrow fur hi- sins, and ul'
tin- method by which he obtained pardon.
i "Princes and mighty nun of war."— The heroes of the Old
Testament, whose delinquences are presumed to have been for-
given on their repentance. This proceeds on the very common,
thongh ungrounded assumption, that all whom God raised up to
do hi- will, among the Jews, were morally his friends, unless an
exception is expressly Btated, as in the case of Ban!
" The whole ueed not a physician. "—A literal quotation from
Matthew ix. 12.
* l * A physician is made friendly with a fee."— Literally, is pro-
pitiated by his hir< or reward, as we have rendered the same word,
li-J in verse l 19.
* •• Bears away the reward."— Benedict : " Qui avtem ttuumdut
ad to profugd, morbum depulit, mercedem non J,, lit. nd accepit."
It is remarkable how frequently Ephraem draws his illustrations
from the art of heating, and also how similar are the relations of
physicians and their patients, in our day, to those he describes.
There were some who practised for gain alone, but there were
others who had a high regard for the honour of their profession.
neveh, Part IV., verses 85, etc.
m •• Donhl ch." — By., its mouth.
My burden is very light. "—See Matt. xi. 28. Ephraem,
while u-ing the same prominent terms as the Peschito, gives a
paraphrase, rather than a quotation
f[\:\ \\)t frrntib
,„,. MiMM OP SATAN ARE DEPBECATED.-THE V.CTOB.ES OE MB
REEERRED TO.-HE CONQUERED THE L.ON AM. TEE BEAR, RET
WVS OVERCOME BY TEMPIATIOX.-HIS REPENTANCE AN ENCOCR
UUnT TO OTRERS.-^HRIST .S A SERE PHYSIC.AN.-H.S PRO-
MISES ARE QCOTED.-THE SOEL 1 VOEEl. .M.TATE l.AVDS RE-
PENTANCE ANU EA.T... THAT .T MAY EMPCY «. .ANCEAOE ..E
PRAISE.
Lord, let me not rebel against Thy yoke,
(Oh ! how easy is His yoke to all !)
And let not the shoulder of my will
Change Thy burden for another.
Let not the hunter" lay for me
The cunning net of his doctrine ;
Nor chase me after his pleasure
With sloth and vain desires.
Let not sin come against me as a lion,
And break my designs ;
Nor let iniquity, as a lioness/'
Rend and trample upon my possessions/
10
i)v\N) OVERCOME HI TEMPTATION. L69
A lion breaks the bones publicly.
But sin docs so in secret;
Sin is worse than the lion, 1">
For it destroys both soul and body.
Lord, David conquered the lion,
And by Thy might slew the bear ;''
By Thy strength I shall subdue the wicked one,
The hidden bear which lieth in wait for me. 20
Let him not cast mc down as a lion,
Nor let his tooth corrupt my thoughts ;
But let him be humbled, as the lion was,
And let Thy servant conquer like David.
But though David overcame the lion, 25-
Sin wounded him on the house-top f
But he hastened, and smote, and overcame-' it
"With the sling of repentance.?
He conquered the lion and slew the bear,
Yet in the time of peace a fly* subdued him ; 30
But by the word of Nathan he destroyed the sin
Which had burned like a fire within him.'
1 do not search for the imperfections-'
Of the fathers through my crimes ;*
1 would relate the superiority' of their deeds. 3,~>
And how much they loved Thee.
But I view the amount of my sins
In the mirror of their imperfections ;
And I there seek for pardon
Where they obtained forgiveness.
Tor what sinner can be able
160 AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
To reach unto those just ones ?
Who, when they did foolishly,
Soon returned to wise courses, 771
And loved Thee more through their folly. 45
But I every day am sinning,
And continually" repenting ;
But my repentance is not constant/
For sin coming makes it of no effect.
What physician is ]ike Thee, 50
Who does? not fail to effect a cure ?
Although the former wound should close up,
And another sore should break out,
Yet Thy balsam will by no means fail
To heal at all seasons. 55
Thy love speaks tenderly? to the sick,
" Hesitate not to come to me ;"
Thy mercy calls to the sinner,
" O man, receive forgiveness ;
Though thou shouldst sin seventy times seven/' 60
In one hour I will forgive thee ;
Though thy bill is of five hundred,
Like the harlot's, I will tear it up/
If thou askest it of me, I will remit
Ten thousand talents of sins ;' 65
If thou labourest but one hour in the evening,
Yet I will pay thee the penny f
Though thou comest in with the last,
I will receive thee as those who were first. 1 '
All the sores"* which the wicked one 70
PBA1 Bl i <>u FIDEL! i 1()1
Can inflict QpOD thee, I will heal ;
All the wounds which may chance to thee
From robbers, I will bind up ;
Though thy body be altogether 7 dead,
I can make it live again j 7o
Though thy soul should be wholly smitten,
Lord, let me not depart from Thy door,
For lo ! Thy mercy stands there ;
Neither let me desert Thy house of refuge, 80
Where loving-kindness makes its home.-'
Let no sickness light upon me,
Nor sloth, nor insensibility ;
Without my obtaining, for these sores of sin,
Healthfulncss by repentance.* 85
Let no root** be generated within me
Which shall produce the fruits of negligence,
And I be deprived of my wish
Like Esau of his birthright.
Lord, let me not act dishonestly with Thy money,* 90
Nor let its interest be lost in my hands;
Lest I suffer chastisement from Thy justice,
Like the unprofitable servant.
Let not Thy sentence there blame me
Concerning the money and its increase, 95
And me be condemned, like a presumptuous man,
On account of both principal and interest. 5
May I repay the principal henceforth,
And the interest from this time onward,
162 AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
And rejoice that my accounts are canceled 100
By the hands of the creditor/
May I judge my thoughts in future.
And dismiss my corruptions,
And from this time end my maladies.
I would pluck up the roots of my sins, 105
While there is a physician to receive me,
And a healer not disgusted with my wounds. ^
Since the door of mercy stands open,
And the hospital of Thy grace,
Lord, may I daily behold 110
All the sores of my wounds,
And break and sprinkle upon them
The healing drug of repentance. 77
Since the sun of mercy shines abroad,
And the noon-day yet declines not/ 115
And the night is coming, as Thou hast said,
In which no man can work, 1
I will go from the darkness of sins
To the tabernacle of Thy light.
I will return to Thy door 1 20
From the by-path* of sin ;
Lord, the wicked one hath deceived me, and I have
strayed
By sleep, and evil desire, and food.
By these three he has ensnared me, O Lord,
But by these three I shall be delivered from his
nets ; 1 25
david an i:\\\iri.i: or PBAin. 1(53
>vc whicli excites the slothful,
By hope which justifies sinners,
And by faith in the truth*
Which extends a hand to the repentant.
It hath been heard by mc ; that Thou despisest not 1 30
A heart which is contrite for its sins.
And which throws itself hourly into the conflict' 1
Of the battle of penitence ;
But although Thou despisest not a contrite heart
It is yet broken by its sins 135
And tormented by its remembrances
In the exercise 1 ' of repentance.
Behold, Lord, I am contrite for my crimes ;
The whole multitude of my responsibilities *
Together would make supplication 140
Until they obtain acquittal f
And would utter sounds of weeping,
And pour out tears like water ;
And our heart woidd break with sighing
Until there is for<nveness. 1 15
Let David stand up and sing for us
His great psalm of supplication,
u Have mercy upon me, O Lord ;"""
And do Thou answer us according to Thy grace.
Let not Thy kindness fail us 150
The great door of Thy goodness ;
But may we sec our bills
Torn down from the lintel/
Let us have no creditor,
Other than Thy dominion.' 7 L55
161 AX EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
According to the greatness of Thy mercy turn to us,
And blot out the handwriting of our sins.
In the mirror of repentance
May we sec the magnitude of our blemishes;
rf Wash me tli roughly from my iniquity, 160
And purge me from my sins/'
Let our body praise Thee that it is cleansed
From the filth of its origin/
And our conscience that it is purified
From corrupt imaginations. 165
Let our soul rejoice that it hath been purged
With Thy hyssop, Lord, from its stains;
And then let it return thanks
With the Psalmist, the son of Jesse.*
a " The hunter.»-That is, Satan, a term often applied to Lira
by Ephraem.
* " Nor let iniquity as a lioness.''-Notwithstanding the compa-
rative fewness of words which marks the Syriac and kindred lan-
guages, the synonymous terms are often very numerous. Thus,
the words rendered sin and iniquity in this and the former verse
are |ai4^ and )Lu^, both from the same root, the one
masculine and the other feminine.
c "My possessions." — Or, my gains, \SiLou. Benedict,
" Opes quas h mi •(■mix cottegi."
d "The bear."— The Byriac "M? is h lp m, or wolf, in Matt.
vii. 15, and other places; and Benedict renders it lupus in this
passage. But the connection shews that it should be bear, like
the Hebrew, aft. The confusion arises from the similarity be-
N "' [65
tween the Syriac lo]> :im l the two Bebrew words ft aftear,
ami 2N1 a wolf.
Sin wounded him on the home-top."— -A reference to the
sad passage in the life of David, recorded in 2 Samuel ad. j.
/"Overcame it.-— Tin's meaning is not given to ]lo in the
dcons. The nearest is oppugnavU, found in CastelL
With the Bling .>r repentance."— Observe the curkms and
far-fetched analogies of this passage. David's kffling Goliath is
an emblem of hie slaying the Bin by which he had been overcome;
and the sKng with which he did that renowned deed, is compared
with repentance, the instrument with which the spiritual aet
accomplished.
k " A fl ^ * llb ; lui - ,(l him."— There is a paronomasia here between
thej,car, fc] ? diho, which David slew, and the insignificant
Jb? debo, fly, which overcame him; the insect pointing to the
frivolous nature of the temptation to which he yielded up his
character and happiness.
i " Had burned like a fire within him."— Ephraem seems here
to glance at the fact that some months elapsed between David's
sin, and his repentance, as the result of Nathan's message.
J " Imperfections.'— Sy., Ir^O^ short-comings, faOktgt.
» "Through my crimes."— That is. I ,]„ tto t bring to remem-
brance the faults of the fathers, to lessen my own sins, but merely
ncourage myself in repenting as they did; I would rathei
patiate on their virtues, etc.
I " The superiority of their deeds."— The word we have ren-
ders! ■,, i. }j_»5a2), literally, diffi n nee ; which hov, i
has in it the idea we have conveyed; as the Greek Sia<pe^ is,
r, / surpass, excel.
'" " Soon returned to wise courses."— Sy., who when theyaeted
'///, again did not ad foolishly.
" "Continually repenting."— Sy., at all seasons, or times.
Constant."— Sy., |i_»fr^ true, firm, permanent.
V " Who dors not fail to effect a cure."— In English we should
166 AX EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
say, Who dost not ; bat this is a very frequent enallage in Syriac,
on which some remarks are made in Illinois and Homilies, note b,
p. 57.
I " Thy love speaks tenderly." — The words sjjcals tenderly, we
have given for » m i ■ iV) which is, t<ses blandishments, as in
Xiiicah, Part IV., note e.
»• "Seventy times seven." — An allusion to Matt, xviii. 22.
» " Like the harlot's I will tear it up." — In Luke vii. 41, it is
not said that the icoman which icas a sinner owed five hundred
pence, but our Lord merely uses that sum as an illustration of the
amount of sin forgiven her, as fifty pence designate the sense
Simon entertained of the amount of his forgiveness from God.
This is a good illustration of the literal use of Scripture figures,
so common with the early fathers.
t Ten thousand talents of sins." — The Syriac is Q^5 a myriad,
as in the Pescliito of Matt, xviii. 24. This shews the familiar use
made of that version by Ephraem.
« " Yet I will pay thee the penny." — See Matt. xx. 2. The
Peschito and Ephraem both use |;_1_>V We have introduced the
definite article, because the reference here is so special to the text
of Scripture.
» " Those who were first." — The terms here used are the same
as in Matt. xx. 16.
w " All the sores." — An apparent allusion to the way in which
Satan was allowed to afflict Job with bodily maladies.
* " I will bind up." — See the parable of the good Samaritan,
Luke x.
y k ' Altogether dead." — Sy., all thy body with all.
" "Where Living-kindness makes its home." — We can find no
meaning for ^]A but to weave, sjrin. Benedict renders it obtinet.
In the absence of any further authority, we have imagined the
idea of ritting at home may arise out of the homely and sedentary
operation of spinning.
a " HealthfalneSB by repentance." — The Syriac of this verse
lias presented to us considerable difficulty. We have rendered
\oii-. 107
|_l_0|5 without mi/ oU'iIiuiki. because tin- sen-.' 4f"— **fr mnie-
thing of the kind, although we cannot clearly gel such ■ meaning
from the form. Thai J may obtain is the more obrious translation.
Literally, the whole passage run-; thus: •• Let not meet me >iek-
:nl sloth and torpor, tl"it I urn ij -possess, or obtain, in the sores
of sin. health t'uh less by repentance." Certainly this may convey
ISO, that Bi( .. being absent, the soul might obtain
[being thus undisturbed by Buch afflictions) health by repentance.
But we leave the matter, giving the sense, though perhaps not the
exact construction. Benedict translates: u Neve mihi
languor, desidia, torpor, nude contracto morbo quern culpa (jencrat,
medieamenta requiram."
*' Let no root be generated.*' — See Heb. xii. 15, 1(3, where the
same word fj-Q-L root is used in the Peschito. The whole pas-
sage is formed on the account of Esau's vain attempt to obtain his
wish or prayer, alter he had lost the birthright, by the negligence
of his best interests, in a time of mere physical necessity.
v •• Let me not act dishonestly with thy money.'' — See Matt,
xw. 24.
6 M Both principal and interest.'" — Sy., horn and increase, on
which see note *, p. G9.
< • By the hands of the creditor.'' — Literally, " and rejoice that
my bills are done away with by the hands of the master of the
d.ht." This decides the use of the latter term, which is treated of
in note //, p. 13, and note s, p. 139. For the word rendered
OOCOWUs, or hills, see note /. p. 13.
£ "A healer not disgusted with my wounds.'* — Benedict trans-
this, "• ('/linn -ii iis idceratos et tabidos non fattidiei
surgeon not nice about ulcerated and putrefying persons; a cor-
rect sense from _ If? j tadait. fastidiviL
t) '-The healing drug of repentance." — Sy., root, which being
powdered, was used as a dry application to a sloughing wound.
Benedict; l JEuque tdhttarem panitentia ptdverem mepergam."
•. p. 165.
"And the noon-day y«t declines not." — The Byriae is,
- >»■ » i 1; | * »i r-—^l H°; but, unable to find any meaning
168 AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
to the word ^» i 1 1 we have presumed it is an error for
orient, the dawn or sun-rising. The head of the sun-rising will be
the zenith, where the upward apparent motion of the sun ceases,
and it begins to decline to the west. Benedict: "Bum mt
cordite dies nobis constat."
» " In which no man can work."— A quotation from the Peschito
of John ix. 4.
« "The by-path of sin."— Sy., V»oZ so used in Hymns and
Homilies, note /, p. 154.
x " And by faith in the truth."— Benedict, " Fide, qua ad
bonam frugem redeuntes, propositi veritate. rclut porrectd manu
sustinet labantes."
h- " And which throws itself hourly into the conflict."— The
Syriac word for conflict is jjQ^i], the Greek dyfo.
^ p "Theexercise."-Sy., I^OId], not found in Castell ; and
in Bernstein it has only the meaning, with a final «, of Scetc. a
celebrated desert in Egypt, the resort of monks. This word is
the Greek &a K r,aris, exercise, from which the desert derived its
name, the word being technically confined in its application to
religious and ascetic occupations.
* " My responsibilities."— Sy., my reckonings, computations.
o " Until they obtain acquittal."— Sy., until they obtain the
hand-writings, or bills.
» " Have mercy upon me, Lord."— The 51st Psalm is here
called the great one, in relation to supplication ; and in every age,
since it was written, it has been the great exemplar of true' peni-
tential language.
p " Torn down from the lintel."-")!^*; is first door, then
Ivmen, threshold, or UmU I
« "Other than thy dominion/ -There is a paranomasia here
which may be thus expressed in English: "Let there be no lord
of a debt to us, other than Thy lordship."
r ^ Prom the filth of it. origin. "-The word we have rendered
origin is ]±az£D which is a fountain, spring, the origin of a
n < n . L69
stream of water; and is applied here to the looroe of human
sinfulness and corruption.
" "With the Psalmist the ion of Jesse."— The reader will
• • tll:,t there is a constant allusion from Ferae 1 W, to
the 51st Psalm, ending with an expression of hope th
joyful aspirations which David ottered, mighl be adopted in this
part \\)t €\)\±
god's mercy is to be greatly magnified.— the WORDS OF CHRIST,
!• THOSE OF A PHYSICIAN, COMFORT THE PENITENT. — REPENT-
ANCE SHOULD LEAD TO STEDFAST REFORMATION. THE CHRISTIAN
SHOULD LABOUR FOR AN INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN, AS MEN DO FOB
ONE WHICH IS CORRUPTIBLE.
We will greatly extol Thy grace
Which rejoices so much in the penitent j
We will praise and adore Thy love
Which gives such a welcome to sinners.
Let all men run to Thy loving-kindness 5
So fully extended to the wicked ;
And lay hold of the skirts of Thy goodness
As the diseased woman did of Thy mantle."
Let our tongue loudly cry out
Like the publican for his sins/' — 10
" O God, the Son of God,
Be gracious to sinners who call upon Thee \ u
Let Thy loving-kindness draw me from the mire,
PRE] J71
And Thy doctrine from the midst of
Thou hast brought me up from the pit; L5
Lot us not, Lord, turn again to our sins;
Let not tlic evil one rejoice at our falling
After we have arisen and prospered ;
And let us not be smitten by robbers
Alter Thou hast healed our wounds. 20
O Physician, who never failest,
Ileal the sores of our sins !
Thou Balm, which binds up and cures,
Ileal the distempers of our souls !
The whole hope of the diseased man
Is always placed in the physician ;
Yea, the word of the chirurgeon
Gives heart" to the patient.
Let Thy word, O Lord, give us confidence, —
That we may pray to Thee on account of our dis-
tempers, — 30
u Turn ye, O repentant children,
And I will heal your backsliding."
Whoever therefore is sickly, let him come,
And he shall be healed from his infirmity ;
And let the contrite shew his wound, 35
And receive balsam for his sore.
Because he gives freely
The rain and the dew to the husbandman,
He should not sleep on that account,
And not sow and plough ; d -10
172 AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
So, because the medicine is at hand
To heal all sinners,
We should not be slothful in asking
For the forgiveness of sins.
For if the husbandman does not sow the seed, 15
Neither will the rain afford him aid ;
And unless the sinner makes supplication,
Grace will not heal him.
It rather says, speaking as a man,
" Shew thy sore, and I will heal it for thee." 50
He seeks to see thy conversion,
And then He will effect thy cure.
Offer to Him penitence of disposition,
And He will receive thee.
" Turn ye unto me, and I will turn unto you," 55
Is the message He hath sent by the prophet. 6
Turn thy heart to prayer
That His grace may turn to meet thee ;
Run thou in the path of repentance
That His goodness may light upon thee. 60
Be not one day a penitent,
And another day a sinner ;
One day a companion of sinners,
And another of the repentant ;
Cry not, one day, " Have mercy on mc, 65
For I have erred and strayed and fallen ;"
And the next, " I will eat and drink,
For to-morrow I die."- 7 "
Stray not, lest on a sudden
THE CHBISTIAN SHOULD STRIVE LOAIN81 BIN, 173
Thy death/ as a giant should meet the 70
Lest bodily ease should cause thee to perish,
And thou find not repentance.
Let thy end come, and sec thee
In the exercise of penitence ;
In the strife after holiness ;.-,
Let thy appointed death find thee;
In the conflict of faith
Receive the end of thy toil ;
With the crown of righteousness
Let the course of thy life be completed. 80
In the race-course 7 ' and its shows/
In its wrestlers' and its charioteers/
Contemplate the world and its changes,
Its pleasures and its sorrows.
For if, for a crown that fades away, 85
The wrestler strives and labours,
How should the true' champion contend
For one that is incorruptible ?
" For one who strives for the mastery,"™—
As Paul hath written to us," — 9Q
" Is temperate in all things,"
Until he attains the crown
In the strife against the wicked one.
How mucli it behoves us to be pun/'
Until we obtain the victory, 9*5
And escape from his wickedness 5
In the conflict with his devices !
Because that wicked one makes war
l?i AX EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
With our humble state, through his envy,
God has given thee a saving balsam 100
Against the wounds of his arrows/
Even the repentance our Lord preached to thee
By the mouth of the prophet.
That is quite an efficient cure*
If thou repentest in truth ; 105
Not like the penitents of that people,
Who, with the stolen things in their hands,
And with denied bodies/
Cried out with their mouth, " Deliver us \"«
Hear the voice which accuses 110
Those of old time for their defilements ;
Do thou also accuse thyself for thy trespasses,
And refrain from the power of thy corruptions.
Approach not with a double heart"
To Him who searches all imaginations ; L15
Nor come by two pathways
To Him who understands hidden things.
Thou hast repented ; turn not to the mire
From which loving -kindness hath washed thee ;
Thou art converted; incur not again the debts 120
Whose bills have been destroyed.
The man who has escaped from captivity,
By no means desires to revisit it ;
Or if he has left the affliction of banishment,
lie prays that lie may not again incur it. ! 25
Do thou, who art delivered from the yoke
Of the murderer, the enemy of men,
I'ray that thou become not again entangled
In the meshes of his Q<
i "Thy mantli aoe is to Matt. ix. 20, or the
P*Mllel places in the synoptical Gospels. Bat though the word
here used. \£ n ^O , is found several times in the Pesehito, it is
not employed in either of i igea.
* " Like the publican for his sins. ••—Although the reference ifl
plainly to Luke xviii. 10, yet the prayer of the publican, which is
there recorded, is not given here. The spirit of his petition i>
inculcated rather than the form of words he employed.
c "Gives heart to the patient." — By., is heartiness )*^^n\
or confidence, as the verb is translated in the next verse.
And not sow and plough." — Sy., he should not deep
sowing and ploughing.
- - The message He hath sent by the prophet."— The p
• to this quotation, seems to be that in 2 Chron. xxx. 6 ;
but that is in the message of king Ilezekiah to the people. Bene-
dict, in a marginal note, refers to Ezek. xxxvi. 9; but that eon-
tains only one member of the quotation. / wW, turn unto you.
Ephraem probably quoted from memory.
/ •• For to-morrow I die."— Either from Is. xxii. 1;!, or i Cor. \v.
32, though not verbally the same as either passage.
g " Thy death."— Sy.. |^Q end, termination. Benedict, •■ X>
" dum mors quasi gigas to mopinantem parol opprkm i
h "In the race-conree.»'--Sy., ^Ql-.j^Cd'), the (Jreek <rrdB t0 y.
palcestra, locus quo <> h
I •• i,, shows."— &y., |oL*j. The meaning sp&
by Bernstein, but not by Gastell.
Itfl wn itlers. "— sy.. \& i V], athl
" Its charioteers."— |SO*J01 is rendered auriga by Castell,
176 AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
without any example. It is plainly the Greek yuioxos. <lia-
rioteer.
'" The true champion." — The Syriac has only |^-»^-» tht true
one. The sense seems to be, "If a wrestler, so called by men.
strives, how should he who is truly such, etc."
'" " One who Strives for the master}." — Literally, one v:ho works
a strife, or contention, as in the strife of two combatants.
" •• As Paul hath written to us." — See 1 Cor. ix. 25. The quo-
tation is exactly taken from the Peschito.
o " Is temperate in all things."' — Sy., restrains his mind from all.
This quotation from St. Paul has in it two remarkable idioms.
which are worthy of notice. The Greek, was 5e 6 aya)vi£6/j.ei/os, is
^ClL (Jdwijp fjL*f whoever makes a strife, or as the English
version renders it, every man that striveth for the mastery. The
Greek iravra cyKpareverai, is temperate in all things, is \lO _LO
Oil i \3 r+j}.
v " How much it behoves us to be pure.'* — Sy., to be defecated or
purged, ^"-?-
q " Escape from his wickedness.'' — Sy., wickednesses, as often in
the New Testament.
r " The wounds of his arrows." — Sy., the arrows of hi* wounds,
arrows causing wounds.
* "An efficient cure." — The word we have rendered efficient is
1 1 » V {,, which is sometimes fruitful, productive,
t "With denied bodies." — Sy., their whoredoms upon their
bodies.
* " Deliver us." — This does Dot appear to be a quotation, bui
rather a reference to the Jews, who cried to God for aid, while yet
retaining their abominable practices.
» " A double heart." — Sy., two hearts.
v) "Banishment." — The two words rendered captivity and banish-
ment, are |Aj_d_» and ( Z.0 \ > t . The former is the state into
which a man is brought by a victorious enemy; the latter may
only mean a leg;il or a voluntary exile.
won ir;
* "The murderer, the enemy of men."— Or, (Ik tofe/M m
In John ix. 44, the devil ii >.,;,! to be an dvdfwwo*-
t6vos, ma n f l a y er , rendered in the Bngfaan rerakni a murderer.
The /'.<.■/,;'„. quoted here by Bphraem, is an exact rendering of
the Greek, mth the epithet hateftU introdma
i 3
|kt tyt feaxty.
THE FREEDOM OF MAVSWILL TO REPENT OR CONTINUE IN M.N.
god's appeals to that effect by the PROPHETS.— THERE is
JOY IX HEAVEN OVER PENITENT SINNERS.— GOD HAS ABUNDANTLY
PONE HIS PART.— FROM ALL ITS EVILS AND DANGERS THE SOUL
FLEES FOR REFUGE TO THE CROSS OF CHRIST.
Who will bestow on a captive
The gift which is presented to me j
That if he pleases, he may continue in bondage,
Or if he wishes it, he may go free?
Yet God places in thy hands 5
These two things over which thou hast power/'
Either to be wounded with thy consent,
Or to be healed with thy free concurrence/
For the physician is not weary,
Though he heal thee ten thousand times ; K)
So, that if thou art not sparing
To inflict wounds upon thy body,
The physician will attend to thee' every hour,
And lical thee when, smitten, thou comest to him.
HE W! \ REJOICES nvi.if THE PEN] PE1
111 the letter which was sent 15
To the penitent, by the hand of .Jeremiah,
He calls loudly to thee by the prophet, —
" Return and I will heal thee, why wilt thou die '"
And, by the prophet, he also swears, —
" In the death of such an one I have no pleasure ! ; '' 20
So far, on such promises,
Is the cause of the family of xVdam established /
For God hath opened His door,
At all seasons, to him who knocks at it.
Loving-kindness rejoices in him who has returned ; 25
Goodness opens wide its arms f
Grace receives and helps him;
The brooding One' 4 brings forgiveness.
" For there is joy in heaven," —
Saith our Lord in His Gospel,' — 30
" For a sinner when he returns
From his crimes to repentance."
The angels arc joyful on high,
And the saints in the midst of their assemblies ;
The guardian spirits sing loud Hosannahs, 35
And the seraphim, with the voice of jubilee/
The terrible cherub of Paradise/
Who guards the way to it,
Welcomes thee, O repentant one,
As the new inheritor of the place. 10
Paradise is longing for thee,
As for the thief of thy kindred ;
And its wide gate is opened lor thee
180 AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
With the key whose seal is the cross.'"
The tree of life will satisfy" thee, i;>
And extend to thee its living fruits;
The garden of Eden will entwine fur thee fl
The great abundance of its trees ;
The tabernacles of light of the righteous
Shall provide for thee on every hand j 50
The glorious city of the upright,
With its saints, shall await thee ;
The whole pavilion shall rejoice in thee,
And the attendants on the feast;*
The face of the kingdom is brightened,? 55
And of the multitudes in the midst of it ;
The crown of the perfect is waiting for thee ;
Be wise, and turn it not away \*
O repentant man, delay not
Until they have returned to the house of the
bridegroom ;* gQ
Prepare for thee a robe of honour
Since there are appropriate* wedding garments ;
Take the white raiment of the bridal ;
Before the advent is dawning,
Trim for thee the lamp of light ; 65
Before the voice startles thee,
Display the present" in thy hand.
Who art thou, O sinner,
That thou sittcst careless of thy debt ?
As though the creditor were remiss, 70
And silent, respecting his own.
in I i E [v i in 1S1
He shews forbearance to thee ;
shew thou with tears the repentance of thy soul.
His gentleness hath abounded to thee,
Return then principal and interest. t:>
With arguments of every form,
O Lord, Thy goodness calls to us;
With all kinds of promises,
Thy grace is willing we should live.
Lord, the great net of Thy doctrine so
Prevails with all classes of men, —
With publicans and harlots.
The snare* is laid in the midst of the kingdom,
Pot rebels that they may be at peace,
For the lost that they may be found. 85
He sits looking for thy salvation,
Waiting for thy willingness in His tender mercy.
O Lord, I have escaped from iniquity
Like a bird from the midst of the snare ;
In the nest of Thy cross will I make my refuge, 90
Which the serpent cannot approach.
Behold, O Lord, I have fled from my sins
Like a dove from the meshes 7 of the net ;
1 will dwell on high in Thy cross,
To which the dragon cannot reach ! 96
I will <;i vc thanks to Thy life-giving name,
And to the holy name of the Son,
And to the name of the Spirit of truth ;
A threefold engraved signet,
18.2 AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANf
By which the wicked one is put to shame ; 100
Yea, even Satan trembles at it,
And his hosts and his ministers
Are affrighted by it afar off !
a ■• Over which thou hast power." — Sy., between thy hands
potentially. The only meaning we can find to A_»fj;IiO is propria,
given by Bernstein and Castell without explanation or example.
The idea of power pervades all the derivations from the root of tin-
word, and justifies our rendering.
b "With thy free concurrence." — The Syriac of these two
verses is, literally, " If thou art wounded from thy will, thou
mayest be healed from thy liberty." But J is not only if the
meaning, sive, either, is given in Bernstein. The numerous nice
shades of meaning of the Syriac particles will form, we trust, a
future interesting study for philologists. Benedict thus translates
the whole passage : " Utrumque scilicet integrum Tibi Deus ma-
nere voluit, adeo ut utrumque sit pariter in Tua potestate situm.
et vulnus accipere, et acccptum curare."
c " Attend to thee every hour." — The general meaning of 5q«kj 3
the participle of which we have translated attend to, is to look at,
look after, regard, provide for. It occurs again in ren e 86, and is
there translated, looking for.
d " Why wilt thou die?" — A reference to Jer. xxvii. L3,
as the last part of this verse is concerned. The question. Why
will ye die? is ns exactly defined in the Hebrew text as in the
English version, but the Peschito has merely do not die. The
same may be said of the parallel passage in Ezek. xviii. 31. It
would appear from this, and other instances we have noticed, that
Ephraem had not always the Peschito in use.
'■ " In the death of such an one I have no pleasure."— A qi* ta
tion, differently worded, from Ezek. xviii. 32.
[i the cauM of the family of Adam < ■■■ -We hare
translated \n i m^ estobNsked, became die mum require it
The ordinary meaning of the word i> appointed, determined, de-
d; Benedict gives the sense without being literal: " quam
rtra itltutur j'mnlunu tni
."•ns wide its arms."— By., Ooodnese, its hands
■ epanded.
I'll- brooding One." — The Syriac La |L2Lk»o5, which, ac-
cording to Castell, is. affectm vehement, amor mpensus. Certainly
it might be rendered here, tender low, as iii Philip, ii. 1. it ifl used
far the Greek enrxdyxva. Bnt aa Benedict translates the word
Spiritsu ianctus, and it is from the root »_2}_kj5, to Wood over, the
same a> the Ilehrew word used of the Spirit in (Jen. i. 2, we feel
justified in our version.
••Saith our Lord in His Gospel."— A free reference to Luke
' •■ The guardian spirits sing loud Hosannahs."— Sy.. the
watchers }' r ^^, cry out with Hosamahs. See Hymns and Ho-
milies, p. 82, note c.
* - The seraphim with the voice of jubilee:" — Sy., ]*"^n ,
danger tubes, jubHatio, Castell.
••The terrible cherub of paradise.''— Because a cherub is said
to have guarded the gate of Eden, Ephraem presumes the same
aentinel is placed at the entrance of heaven. The same id,
found in Hymns and Homilies, in the Hymn on the Reaurreotion,
p. 31, i .- •• the guarding cherub shall salute them." Alao
in the Description of Paradise, p. lit. strophe 2:
•• The cherub that walks around it
itle to those within,
thn atoning to those without."
rhe key whose seal is the c
<>{ th*
■ '"The tree of life Will satisfy thee.'— The printed .syri.ie if
here indistinct. We read it ]o5, to satisfy, inebriate} but Bene
did took it for \zS. ■;, m, and translates, "arfcor
181 AX EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.
o "Will entwine for thee." — By., (-k-L^iO, cause to bend.
Benedict gives a very pretty, and perhaps correct torn to the
words : " Regio ilia deliciarvm, nemorum svorum corona m ad tua
commoda usumque prcsparavU."
P " The attendants on the feast." — The Syriac LiOj-k* is ren-
dered hy Castell, sponsor, sodaUs, invitator nvptiarum. Ferrarius
gives only sponsor, and these are the only references in the Syriac
Lexicons. Benedict, " cadestes triclinii conviwu." It may pro-
bably mean guests.
q " The face of the kingdom is brightened." — Sy.. the kingdom-
its faces are brightened.
r " Be wise and turn it not away." — Sy., wise one, do not thou
reject.
s " Returned to the house of the bridegroom." — See Matt. xxv.
On the words, icent forth to meet the bridegroom, Dr. Kitto remarks.
" The case is that of a bridegroom, whose bride lives at some dis-
tance, and who goes to her residence to celebrate the marriage
and take his wife home. The existing customs of the Jews arc
in favour of this interpretation." (Pictorial Bible.)
t " Appropriate wedding garments." — Sy., since there are the
garments of the wedding, the force of which we have conveyed by
the word appropriate.
« " The present in thy hand." — Sy., ] 1 » Vnni which Castell,
after a Syrian Liturgy, says is strena nvptialis, a nuptial present,
though strena is properly a new-year's gift.
v " Principal and interest." — See p. 69, note s.
w " The great net of Thy doctrine." — See p. 151, verse 103.
x " The snare.*' — That is. as the connection seems to shew, a
bait or line laid for fishing purpo
y The meshes of the net." — f # " > > ^ i is rendered laqueus, rete,
by Castell, but here it must be a part of the net.
2 "A threefold engraved signet." — Benedict: " signandum et
characterem trmum."
ftu nf t\)t (gijinrtntinn tn llrprntntirr.
51 yriujiT uf tjjt |frratatt,
FOR DEFENCE AGAINST SATAN
v VIII. torn. vi.. ,
The cunning enemy distracts me :
Come to ray aid, O Lord of the conquerors ;
I have become guilty, O help my guiltiness !
He is wakeful daily, and ready for the combat ;
I I e Bleeps not, while I am dreaming ;
By Thee, O watchful One, may I overcome his auda-
city !
I am occupied in supplication,
When he disturbs me with restless imaginations;
() Thou tranquil One! compose me for Thy contem-
plation !
To Thee be glory, O Father in heaven,
And thanksgiving to the Son of Thy bosom,
And praise to the Holy Ghost !
() soul, whom Satan hath made captive,
Why wanderest thou among the crowd of evil things'
Cry out in trouble, and make thy prayer to be heard!
186 A PRAYER OF THE 1.
Alas ! the time of death approaches,
And like the winter season I am unfruitful j
By Thy mercy make me live and I will praise Thee !
The season comes when my life will utterly disappear,
And my sins will precede me to the judgment-scat ;
In Thy pity be gracious to my frailty !
For my offences Thou didst abide in the virgin's
womb,
And my sins caused Thee to ascend the cross j
In Thy grace pardon my short-comings !
For my sake, Lord, Thou wast smitten,
And in Thy good-will to me Thou wast bound in the
tomb;
Be pleased with me, Lord, and deliver me from judg-
ment !
The goods Thou gavest me I have not preserved,
I have chosen evil things through my wilfulness j
Thou Hope of the penitent, cast me not away !
Thy right hand was transfixed with the nails,
Instead of that I extended to the fruit ;
Through Thy body spare me who have sinned !
I have abhorred my life and tormented my members ;
Upon my face there is a veil of darkness;
Raise me up that 1 may see Thee and be comforted !
\ PRAY1B 01 Tin: PEN] PENT.
No repentance will warrant me to draw near,
1 confide in Thy pity, and present my prayer;
Reject me not, Thou Hope of the penit.
The ibove ie a good specimen of the octosyllabic metre, in
strophes of three verses, the lasl of each of which appears to have
been a chorus.
in (Earning ^rntjrr.
I'Ar.i.xKTicA XLV.. torn, vi, p. 506.)
O Lord, with Thy pitying eye,
Behold Thy servants who stand in Thy presence,
And minister to thy Godhead ;
In Thy grace receive the incense offered to Thee,
Like the censers of Aaron and Eleazar
Which were grateful to Thee ;
And be propitious to Thy flock,
And protect it from dangers !
Lord, in trespasses and sins
1 have consumed all the day,
Making thee angry with my actions j
But I present earnest prayer to Thee
In the time of evening, that Thou wilt forgive me ;
Forgive all my folly,
Save me, and have mercy on me !
O Lord, may I remember the day of my death,
And feel remorse; and let trembling seize me
For the evils which have been done by me;
For T know that I am about to be judged,
By a great Judge, in Thy presence;
">\ EVENING PBAYBB. L89
Forgive me all my folly,
Save me, and have mercy on me !
Lord, vouchsafe to me Thy tender mercy,
And deal not after my corruptions,
Nor according to the great evils of my heart;
But in Thy goodness enlighten the eye of my mind,
That I may rejoice in the forgiveness of my folly ;
Forgive me all my folly,
Save me, and have mercy on me !
O Lord, with heavy meanings
And weeping, David thus spake, —
"O God, have mercy on me
According to Thy loving-kindness,
And forgive my trespasses;"
Thou Lord of tender pity,
Be gracious, and have mercy on me !
Lord, through all my days
1 have sinned in Thy sight, and angered Thee,
And have not turned to repentance;
And now I am brought to the evening,
The end of the seasons of the short life of man ;
O turn me in Thy grace,
Save me, and have mercy on me !
O Lord, receive the prayer,
And the supplication, which at the eleventh hour,
Like the thief, I present to Thee ;
190 A.N EVENING PRAYER.
And in Thy favour receive my spirit in peace,
"Which I commit to the hands of Thy mercy ;
Forgive me all my folly,
Save me, and have mercy on me !
Lord, if Thou earnest to save sinners,
1 am the chief of them ;
O magnify Thy mercy,
Be gracious to my low estate,
And draw me from the sea of my crimes ;
Forgive me all my folly,
Save me, and have mercy on me !
Lord, I have thought upon my end,
And trembling and remorse have seized me
Lest I should be condemned for my wickedness ;
If the angels are moved with fear
And the ranks of spirits tremble,
1 should earnestly pray to Thee,
Save me, and have mercy on me !
O Lord, I ask one thing of Thee,
And for two, withhold not Thy goodness ;
Save me here in Thy grace
From Satan, and from evil men ;
And in the day of the appearing of Thy advent
Vouchsafe the forgiveness of my trespasses ;
And here and there I will thank Thee for these two
tilings,
O Christ, the lover of the penitent !
an BVENIN BR.
() lord, when Thy Loving-kindness came down,
That here it might be clothed with humanity,
The angel Gabriel flew
On wings of light from on high,
And brought a salutation to Mary ;
lie answered and said to her, " Peace be to thee,
O Mary, the Lord is with thee;
From thee shall spring forth
The salvation of all creatures/'
O Lord, behold the holy martyrs pray with us
By the blood which their enemies shed ;
The altars which arc destroyed pray with ns,
And the churches which arc devastated,
"Which the children of Hagar have laid waste ;
They have trodden down Thy sanctuaries
And scattered the bones of the saints.
Lord, defer not to aid Thy worshippers,
And let their memorial be for ever !
O Lord, grant rest in Thy goodness
To the faithful departed ones,
Who died hoping in Thee ;
And count them worthy, at Thy coming,
To stand at Thy right hand,
And let them enter Thy pavilion with Thy saints.
O Lover of mankind,
Have mercy upon us and them !
While the structure <>f this Hymn i- rery artificial, it present*
192 AN EVENING PBAYEB..
many apparent irregularities. The latter strophes especially ex-
ceed the others in the number of their verses, and are destitute of
the well-defined chorus. We are disposed to think that two differ-
ent pieces have been united together, although it is certainly pos-
sible that what appear to be anomalies, may be adaptations to
peculiarities in the worship of the Byriac church. Perhaps the
first strophe was sung by the whole choir; the next eight anti-
phonally, with a chorus; and the remaining four by the whole
choir again. Allusion seems to be made to some irruption of
Arabs, whose devastations were recent.
jRnnmriiithm nf tjjt Waxk
A DE8< RIPTI0N OF ITS VANITIES.
(Pak.v.m.tii a XLIX., tan. vL, p. 512.]
Alas for thee, O world !
How much art thou loved ;
Thy beauties arc many,
But they are not permanent ;
For thou art but a dream
Without real existence ! —
I renounce thee henceforth,
() wicked world !
Through the fair tilings within thee,
And thy pleasures,
And thy magnificence,
O world ! I have admired thee ;
But how transient arc they,
And like things that arc not ! —
I renounce thee henceforth,
() wicked world !
The ornaments which are on thec
Are splendid and desirable.
194 RENUNCIATION OF THE WORLD.
And thy garments also
Are very beautiful ;
But like a declining shadow
They pass away ; —
I renounce thee henceforth,
wicked world !
I am agitated with fear
On thy account, O world !
For if I love thee
I then become guilty ;
And if I cast thee off
I have cause for trembling ; —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
wicked world !
Behold, all who enter into thee
To trade with thy wares,
Carry away with them
A burden of crimes ;
Thy riches are but vanity,
As are also thy days ; —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
O wicked world !
Woe be to whosoever
Shall love thee, O world !
For he will be caught in thy snares,
And in the nets thou layest for him.
lie shall lose his soul
him \< i \ i io\ 01 ini: would. 1 ( .>-
And yet not possess thee; —
I renounce thcc henceforth
() wicked world !
The w a r rio rs who were in thcc,
And the mighty men of renown ;
The proud nobility,
And those who ruled others;
Where are they, where are they?
Come and shew them to me ; —
I renounce thee henceforth,
wicked world !
Thou hast corrupted the beauty
Of honourable women,
And hast taken away from them
The children they have brought forth ;
Thou hast destroyed the habitations
Of those who possessed them ; —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
wicked world !
Thou hast caused wise men to err
By means of thy treasures ;
And led away captive the free
By thy crafty wiles ;
And made the simple thy prey
By thy deceitful cunning; —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
() wicked world !
K 2
196 RENUNCIATION OF THE WORLD.
Thou art a mighty sea,
Agitated and tossed about
By the winds and the waves
Which tumultuously move thee ;
He who tempts thy waters,
Will sink within thee; —
I renounce thee henceforth,
wicked world !
The collected treasures
And good things which are in thee,
Yea, thy splendours
And thy delicacies,
Disappear and pass away
As though they had never been j —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
wicked world !
The gaudy trappings
Of haughty monarchs,
And the precious diadems
Appertaining to empires,
Fade away within thee
As though they never existed; —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
O wicked world !
A fountain that gushcth forth
With all that is wicked,
Art thou, O world !
RENUNCIATION OF Tin: WORLD. l!'"
To those who arc immersed in tin
Evil indeed are the wt
Thou returnest to all; —
I renounce thee henceforth,
() wicked world !
Thy aspect is a hateful one
To all who have understanding ;
Polluting is thy acquaintance,
And deceitful thy love ;
Happy is that man
Whom thou hast not denied ; —
I renounce thee henceforth,
wicked world !
Youths and full-grown men,
Boys and those of grey hairs,
Thou dost alike bewitch
With thy pleasing allurements ;
And then, as with fetters,
Thou dost deprive them of liberty j —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
O wicked world !
To whosoever loves thee,
Thou givest as an inheritance
A pit which is filled
With torment and tears ;
But he who hates thee,
Inherits salvation ; —
! ( JS RENUNCIATION OF THE WOULD.
I renounce thee henceforth,
wicked world !
Those who inhabit thee
Arc deprived of their possessions ;
Thou pullest them down
On those who were their masters ;
And thou makest unfruitful
Those who should be mothers j —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
wicked world !
Head in the Scriptures,
And learn there, my brethren,
That the world passes away
And becomes as nothing ;
Let us then make provision
For that which is permanent ; —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
transitory world !
Omnipotent and merciful
Is God towards those
Who reject this world,
Which is passing away,
And meditate continually
Upon that which rcmaineth ; —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
O transitory world !
KKNlNc i LTION 01 THI would. 199
( llory be to the Good,
To whom appertain
Both these worlds,
And all that is in them;
Both that which passeth away
And that which remaineth ; —
I renounce thee henceforth,
transitory world !
Come, my beloved brethren,
Let us gain our own souls ;
Let us reform ourselves
In this transitory w r orld ;
That we may inherit life
In that which is immoveable ; —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
transitory world !
Come, let us exercise repentance
In this world which abideth not ;
And, acting like wise men,
We shall gain our souls ;
For the other world
Belongs to God \ —
1 renounce thee henceforth,
O transitory world !
Let us become, in our vigils,
Diligent watchers;
And present continually
^200 RENUNCIATION OF THE "WORLD.
Our liol y prayers ;
That with those virgins,
"Who displayed wisdom,
AVc may meet the Bridegroom
In the day of His appearing.
Come, let us be diligent,
My brethren, in our fasting,
And in our supplications,
And in pure affection ;
That with those who were abstinent,
And the pious blessed,
We may enter and sit down
At the table of the happy.
Tins piece is tetrasyilabic, and very perfect in its construction.
.loiyiL^o
a_»
INDEX I.
OF SYRIAC AVORDS ILLUSTRATED.
jjO-/| conflict, strife, aywv, 168.
lyip?l oven, 127.
Q^> y->] as though, lest, 70.
|LOQ-i and ]Sq1q_»"| how distinguished, 80.
PI to restrain, repress, 25.
^ either, 182.
|Anjj oppressions, 14.
|j_^C1Cd| dissipated, aVwTo?, 114.
]jL£D| merchandize, 154.
( j\ > d m J exercise, «W?/<rt9, 168.
"|^w»1 a bill, account of a debt, 13.
\L] to be present, 115.
1Ao5oo a gift, 138.
}; i Sn fierce, sharp, ffi a fword 67.
l^Z^i temples? 127.
ooL. to diffuse, spread abroad. I'M.
Uy-^, a satyr, 128.
to be agitated. 85,
k :5
202 INDEX OF SY11IAC WORDS ILLUSTRATLb.
*Hl *° grasp the dust, 81.
W|? a bear, 164.
505 to impede, hinder, 60.
J_iijD05 form, appearance, 14.
^-kj5 to doubt, hesitate, 35.
P~»5 an ornament, 10-4.
pa_k-301 a charioteer, yvt'oxo*, 175.
•_D5l to be severe, 15.
|o_i5l severe, stern, 103.
|f_»l a zone, girdle, 104.
]5oDl a ventriloquist, 126.
\^'y) a compact mass, 128.
(y_Kj the indefinite article, 13.
5Q_k» to despise, 47; to attend to, 1S2.
|50>-» grey hairs, 23.
|0]-k» a spectacle, 175 ; fair, pulc/ter, s -'j.
P^Djj wine, 53.
]Zq_2iJ_k» idolatry, 80, 112.
|5^-k» a drop, 154.
(_2Lj;_kj searching, as medicine, 15.
*±jL^> to entice, 47.
|ri ■ u peril, danger, 54.
!>oA*j to close a wound, 112.
1 1 »SJ efficient, 176.
l5Zo_» statue? 125.
IZj^OD a star, 129.
lNi>i.\ in ITBIAC wokds [LLVtTEATBB
}Zo;Vjn a trade, 138.
)t*A2 a temple? 127.
{-•-•Z^ possessed with a devil, 80.
v>cn_^ yonder, demonstrative, 130, 154.
Zal^ componere jurgia, 67.
-» VL\ to speak, 96.
\t 1 i,V) as distinguished from P^, 4, 53, 69.
|Z n a kkJD disposition, 68.
w^iO to hesitate, 42.
\^D to be profitable, 94.
]^D now, 155.
]; i nV> betrothed, masculine, S4.
|n£D ,-iO the whole, 13.
5^D to resist, 128.
IoQ-k, IjiD a creditor, 13, 139.
A^]j^D potentially, 182.
U_L*jAS0 one offended, 139.
.°)ni to fear, 112.
)_2L2J one living in celibacy P S 1
-^rn i to annul, abrogate, 156.
\\£U to be proper to any one, 69.
- - ^ i to strike Me to<J o/t Me ground. 1 2 U .
^.*^>m to ascend a ftttf, 124.
• » » fy> to number, reckon, 114,
.<~>\m to enter a «A//>, 114.
I^JJLCD an intercessor, 90.
204 INDEX OF SYRIAC WORDS ILLUSTRATED.
loQja ; SfD a creditor, 14.
oj;-£D to corrupt, 113.
5AflO to break open a wound, 112.
\>JA to remain at home, 166.
IV^VlS gentile, heathen, adj. s 5.
■ VlS to close the eyes, 84.
fi OS root, medicine, 155.
« O • S to accuse falsely, 67.
jjuTDJOS) a shroud, 84.
|_L_»5o£) superiority, 165.
vjO£) to depart, go away, 112.
JQi m^ established, 183.
\^>'r^ a blossom, a flower, 97.
\Or& an image, 125.
V> °>\ °\ to fare luxuriously, 83.
«Q ■ °) to disclose, 26.
1 1 i *~i » disposition, character, 156.
\L»Q-& truly, 142.
|l0Q-»_O a patron, 138.
po ft > o chamber, 51.
W^O to twist, twine, 80.
Hi-D a gourd, 79, 103.
(jj-D principal, accumulation, 69, 16/7.
IcDj-O a chariot, 104.
l^O death, 175.
*-*-u' to be acquainted with, 37.
IM- YKIAC \voiU)> rLLUBTEATBD. 205
|^oi5 diligence, 1 1 .
tsi-»^o3 a Dame of the Holy Spirit, 1S3.
5 . ■ i3 the zenith, 1
12.0 nn • a breaking forth, 37.
» • . i • to flatter, move by blandishments, 1-7, 1
pjZLOQ_» rendered indulgence by Asseman, Lit rod., xxi.
| V) i » » • a private person, 112.
|f_» to open, 156.
|>05;_» a skeleton, 94.
l5o;-» a gourd, 79, 103.
,HS> to practise, 51.
V»oI a by-path, 168.
12.0 n »Z a change of mind, 102.
]dL a clasp, 104.
15qjZ a mantle, 54.
lAo-05i education, 131.
Vi5Z to flow freely, 83.
IZoLjZ a lintel, 168.
ERRATUM.
Page 24, last line but one, for 5 read J
INDEX II.
OF TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATED.
Chap.
Verse.
Pa(?e.
Chap.
Verse.
Pase.
Gen.
V.
32.
39
Ezek.
xviii.
31, 32.
182
vi.
4.
13
Hosea
xii.
11.
81
vii.
4.
38
Amos
V.
26.
130
X.
8, 10.
67
Jonah
passim.
X.
11.
36
Nahum
ii.
8.
5
xxii.
5,7.
26
Hab.
ii.
11.
35
xxvii.
16.
66
2 Mace.
iv.
10.
80
xli.
42.
104
Matt.
v.
30.
35
Exod.
ii.
16.
80
vi.
1.
14
xxxii.
4.
156
vii.
7.
154
Deut.
xxxii.
16.
81
ix.
12.
157
17.
82
xi.
28.
157
33.
68
xiv.
6.
50
Judges
xvii. xviii.
130
xvi.
26.
14
1 Sam.
xvii.
2.
80
xviii.
22.
166
2 Sam.
xi.
2.
165
XX.
2, 16.
166
1 Kings
i.
40.
105
xxi.
13.
81
vi.
33.
47
XXV.
1.
184
xii.
29.
126
Luke
iii.
14.
67
xvii.
9.
80
iv.
18.
71
2 Kings
xiv.
25.
82
v.
20.
155
XV.
19.
64
vii.
41.
166
xvii.
16.
81
XV.
156
1 Chron
v.
26.
64
7.
183
Job
xix.
22.
53
xviii.
1.
15
Psalms
xvi.
11.
85
10.
175
xxvii.
2.
53
John
ix.
4.
168
xlix.
17.
154
44.
177
Ii.
168
Acts
ii.
37.
35
cvi.
37.
82
Romans
ii.
20.
14
cxvi.
10.
156
iii.
4.
103
Prov.
xiii.
32.
68
xii. xiii.
71
Isaiah
xiii.
8.
25
1 Cor.
ix.
25.
176
21.
129
Gal.
iii.
1.
36
xxi.
3.
25
v.
7.
66
xxii.
12.
24
Col.
ii.
14.
13
xxiv.
2.
14
1 Tim.
i.
15,16
156
xlvii.
2.
23
2 Tim.
iv.
3.
47
Ii.
17.
13
Heb.
iv.
12.
15
Jer.
vii.
11.
81
xii.
15,16.
167
xxvii.
13.
182
1 Pet.
i.
12.
80
Ezek.
viii.
14.
81
iii.
20.
38
III.
INDEX OF SUBJECTS.
Aiullabasus, his letter on the
Fast of the Ninevites, xxxii.
Abraham's offering of Isaac, ob-
servations on, 19.
Accuse to, accusation, calumny,
Syriac expressions for, 52.
Asmodii - <>r Asmodai, the prince
of the demons, 129.
Asshur or Athoor, the name
given to Mosul and Nineveh,
36.
Asseman, mode of spelling the
name, xix. ; his infidelity as a
translator, xx.
Augum lire's opinion of the He-
brew text of Jonah, xxiv.
Baptism only to be once admi-
nistered, xx. ; mode of in the
time of Ephraem, xlviii. ; the
idea of inimersiou associated
with it, xlviii.
Badger, Rev. G. P., his Nesto-
rians and their Liturgies quoted,
\\\i., xxxv.
Bardesanes taught heresy in
metres, xxvii. ; borrowed his
metres from the Greeks, lvii.
Bernstein, bis edition of the
Syriac Gospel of St. John, lix.
Blackburn, Rev. J., his Rise
and Fall of Xineveh emoted,
48, 82.
Bridegroom the, his return from
the wedding, IS 1,
Browne, Sir T., quoted, 129.
Chaldea, a term used for Astro-
logy, 50 ; Chaldaean, an Astro-
loger, 50.
Cherub guards the gate of para-
dise and of heaven, 183.
Christ the great Physician, 171,
Chronicles of Cartaphilus,
quoted, 65.
Codex Syriaco-Hexaplaris, lix.
Cyclopedia of Biblical Litera-
ture quoted, 53.
Demons, sacrifices to, 82 ; Satyrs
so called, 128.
David, his sin and repentance,
151, 159.
Debtor and creditor, the misery
of described, 127.
De Dieu, on Matthew xiv. 6, 50.
Deluge described, 33 ; Patience
of God previous to, 38.
Devil represented as black, 129.
Drake, Rev. W., his Notes on
Jonah, xxxvii.
Earthquake attended the
preaching of Jonah, 24, 93.
Elias Damascenus, his account
of the fast of the Ninevites,
\\\ii.
Ephraem, his works adapted for
popular effect, xii ; the metrical
form of his writing should be
recognized in translations, \iv.;
his comment. 'i\ on Jonah no-
tieed by AstemtB, but not
208
INDEX OF SUBECTS.
printed in his works, xxii. ; his
ignorance of Greek, xxiv., xlii. ;
his sermons metrical, xxviii. ;
his early dream, xxvii. ; his
habitual devotion, xlii. ; his per-
sonal appearance, xliv. ; his pu-
pils, xlvi. ; literary estimate of
his Repentance of Nineveh, &c,
lii. ; he exalts Old Testament
characters, 48 ; his fanciful ex-
position of the history of Jacob,
66 ; attributes falsehood to Jo-
nah, 111 ; remarks on his so
doing, 115; remarks on his
system of ethics, 66.
Etheridge, Rev. J. W., his Sy-
rian Churches, noticed, xxxi.,
lix.
Exhortation to Repentance, an,
145.
" Fast of the Ninevites" observed
by the Syrian Churches, xxxi. ;
origin of it, xxxi. ; traditions
respecting it, xxxiii.
Fathers, the early Christian, not
generally adapted for popular
reading, xii.
Fasting, how discovered by the
Ninevites, 59 ; extended to the
beasts of the field, 60 ; remarks
on the fasting of the brute crea-
tures, 70
Fish that swallowed Jonah, 5.
Forbearance of God before the
Deluge, 38 ; translation of 1
Pet. iii. 20, by the Peschito, 38.
Forgiveness, translated indul-
gence by Asseman, xxi.
Free-will, Ephraem's opinion
on, 182.
Genesis, commentary of Ephraem
on, 38.
Gifts called blessings, why, 138.
Gospel revelation, historical de-
velopment of, xvi.
Gourd, what, 79 ; lessons taught
by it, 103.
Gbebk tragedians, their aphor-
isms, 113.
Hebrew Text, defect of Eph-
raem's copy of, xxiii.
Hoffman's, Mr., Chronicles of
Cartaphilm, quoted, 54.
Horoscope, a, the Syriac ex-
pression for, 50.
Indefinite article, example of,
in Syriac, 13.
Inspiration of Jonah, Ephraem's
view of, 91 ; remarks on, 95.
Israelites, great wickedness of,
120.
Jacob's deception, curious use of,
66.
Jeroboam, 11, referred to, 81.
Job, his temptations by Satan, 45.
Jonah, Commentary on, xxii. ;
tomb of, at Mosul, xxxv. ; hon-
ours paid to him, xxxv. ; effects
of his preaching at Nineveh, 7 ;
his fidelity, 43 ; his vexation at
the non-fulfilment of his pre-
diction, 88 ; he is reconciled by
divine teaching, 98 ; greatly
honoured by the people, 100,
102; falsehood attributed to
him by Ephraem, 111 ; he is
defended from the charge, 115 ;
tradition of his retirement to
Tyre, xxii.; place of burial,
xxxvii. ; remarks of a Puritan
divine on, 79.
King of Nineveh, who at the
time of Jonah, 64.
Kitto, Dr., his Daily Bible Illus-
trations, quoted, 70, 71.
Lazarus and the rich man, 148.
Lent, origin of the fast of, 52.
Lord, forms in Syriac for, 153.
Manuscripts, great antiquity of
Syriac, xxxix.
Marcionists referred to, xx.
Metres, Syriac, observations on,
lvi. ; specimen of, 140.
Micah, his four-fold God, what,
130.
INDEX or
vni'ii on Lent, quoted, 52.
Nbbi-i oom ta, Jonah's tomb at,
w. ; probable antique trea-
sures beneath, wwii.
NiMiion, remarka on his name
and character, 07.
NiM.vi.ii, called a stagnant pool,
5; king of, who, M ; extent of
the city. 53 ; it* grand appear-
ance to Jonah,
Nim.\iii>, the qnettion whether
they fasted three or forty days
considered, xxiii.
Peschito, Ephraem's use of, xli.,
etpasrim.
Phtbician, the profession of, 57,
155; Christ the, 171.
Prayer of the Penitent, 185.
Prayer, an evening, 188.
Pul, the king of Assyria, G4.
Renunciation of the world, 1 ( J3.
Repentance of Nineveh, origin
and intention of the homily,
xxvi. ; literary characteristics
of, xlix. ; Latin translation of,
by Vossins, xxv. ; occasion of
its composition, xxxviii. ; epic
completeness of, liv. ; prohahle
effects of its delivery, xlvii. ;
mttreof, lvi. ; repentance of the
Ninevites, celebrated in the
Syriac Churches, xxi.
Sabbath, observed by the Nine-
vites, 68.
Sammael and Semolo, the prince
of the demons, 128, 129.
Sardanapalus, remarks on, 65.
Satan, a hunter, 164; a mur-
derer, 177; he overthrows the
boose of the tons of Job, 16.
aw, worship of, 133.
us the same ;h demons, 1 28.
si.i'i i- \(;im, discrepanc] between
it and the Hebrew Text in
Jonah, xxiii.
Simon and the sinful woman,
homily on, xlviii.
Syriac Literature, great stores
of, xv.
Syriac Philology, much to be
done in, xv.
Syriac MSS., great antiquity of,
x.wix.
Syriac metres, lvi.
Tammuz, who was the god so
named, 81.
Technical terms used by Eph-
raem, 84.
Tertullian on the doctrine of
Plato, 50.
Thesaurus Hymnologicus of
Daniel, lix.
Ventriloquists, Ephraem's no-
tice of, 126.
Virgins, the wise and foolish,
148; supposed superior sanc-
tity of, 154.
Vossius, his translation of the
Repentance of Nineveh, xxv. ;
part of it quoted, 143.
Wine, the poison of dragons, 68.
Zenith, Syriac term for, 167.
Zingerle, his translations of
Ephraem, lviii.
Zodiac, Syriac term for, 130.
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Bikes, Rev. T, M.A.. Luton
Bkipsey, Rev.R- BA., Sunderland
siade, Rev. J, M.A.. Bolton
Smith, Rev. 8, MA, st. George's,
Camberwell
Bmethurst, R, Esq, Duxbury Park.
Chorley 2 copies)
Smith. II. \\\. esq, Carlieth, 01
Rev. II., m.a., Chancellor of
st. Paul's
Bpencer, Rev. C. C, M.A.. Beneneld
Sperling. Rev. II, .1.. Lattenbury Mill.
Cambridge
Stirling's Public Library, Glasgow
Btooka, R( i T. r.. If JL, Holly-terrace,
Hlghgate
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ton (.". '-.'i
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Bwind( Us, G \i sncld
2U
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.
Sykea, Rev. ('-. M, M.A., Downing
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Tenterden, Lord
Tait, Very Rev. E. C, D.C.L., Dean
Of Carlisle
Talbot. 11. 1\. esq, F.R.S., Lacock,
Chippenham
Talbot, w. II., esq., Wrightington,
Wigan
Tanswell, John, esq., Temple House,
Nonhead, Peckhain
Tierney, Rev. A.. M.A., F.R.S., Armuk'l
Tidman, Rev. J., D.D., London
Thomas, Rev. J., B.D., Lambeth-
palace
Thring, Rev. E, M.A., The Hospital,
Uppingham
Thompson, Mr., Blackburn
Thomson, Dr. James, Red Lion-square,
London
Thurtell, Rev. A., M.A., Oxburgh
Tooke, T..esq.. F. U.S.. Spring-gardens
Tremenheere, H. S., esq., Pa!l Mall
Tregelles, Dr. S. Prideaox, Plymouth
Trevelyan, Miss, Nettleconibe Court,
Taunton
Trevelyan. Sir W. ('.. Bart., Edinburgh
Trollope, Rev. E., M.A., F.S.A., Lea-
singham
Turner, C. H., esq., F.R.S., Rook's
Nest, Godstone
Turner, Alderson, esq., Apollo-build-
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Waddy, Rev. s. l>.. Sheffield
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Walmsley, Mr. J. w., Blackburn
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Weir. Rev. Professor, M.A.. Qlai
Wegoelin, Rev. w. a., .m.a., Bouth
Stoke
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Wheeler. J. Talboys, Esq., Cambridge
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White. .!.(.., Esq., St.Mary-le-strand-
place, Old Kent-road
Whittaker, Rev. J.W., D.D., Black-
burn
Whitworth, Mr., Blackhorn
Widdrington, D., esq., Newton Hall,
Felton
Wilkes, S., esq., Wolverhampton
Williams, Rev. R.. B.D., St. David's
College
Williams, Rev. D., D.C.L., New Col-
lege, Oxford
Wilkinson. Sir Gardner, London
Wilson. Rev. J., M.A., Wigtoft
Wilberforce, Venerable Archdeacon,
Aylesbury
Wilson, Joshua, esq., Tunbridge Wells
Woollcombe, Rev. W., M.A.. Cheriton
Bishop
Wordsworth, Rev. C., D.D., Canon of
Westminster
Wright, F., esq., Ormastcn Manor,
Derby
Wrighte, Rev. T.W., Bearstead, Kent
Wyer, Rev. T. R., M.A., St. Peters,
Peebles
Yates, Rev. W., M.A.
Chorley (2 copies)
Eccleston,
FINIS.
London: Walton and Mitchell, Printers, 24, Wanknir-stnet. Oxford-street.
Lately published in MM ro/itmr, jiriro 10ff. G'/., sent free h\j jjoxf,
ttkd jHrtrinil IMjiium anil ilcHiinilirn
OF EPHRAEM SYRUS.
TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL 8YRIAC, Willi A \ INTKo
DU( I i"\ and HISTORICAL A.ND PHILOLOGICAL NOT]
II Y
THE REV. HENRY BURGESS, PH.D., M.R.S.L.
A few copies of this work remain, and can be supplied by the Trans-
lator. The novel and enrioul character of the Literature it illustrates,
and the recondite information it affords of the structure and general
features of Syriac Metres, will, it is hoped, make it acceptable, apart
from the great beauty of the antique gems of Church Poetry, which
are now, for the first time, put into the hands of English readers.
Extract from a Letter to the Rev. Dr. Burokss, from the Rev. Dr. Mill, Regius
Professor of Hebrew, Cambridge.
" I have long valued very highly the hymns of S. Ephracm, and am truly re-
joiced to see that they are to be presented to the world in such a shape as to make
others, besides the students of Byriac, acquainted with their singular beauty and
excellence. The mode of translation yoa have adopted seems to me the best cal-
culated for that purpose. * " * I sincerely hope that the publication will be
in every way remunerative to yourself, and lead to the more general cultivation
of a literature, which, besides its great importance in Biblical Philology, has
such varied ecclesiastical treasures locked up in it."
From the Rev. 11. (r. Wu.i.iams, M.A.. Fellow of Emanuel College, Cambridge ;
the Editor of Dr. Burgess's translation of the Ratal Letter* of Athanasius,
from an ancient Syriac version, for the Library of the Fathers.
" My dear Sir,— I am glad you are engaged in a Translation of Hymns from
the Syriac. They will, doubtless, be very Interesting, when your knowledge of
the original language as shewn so fully in your translation of the Festal Letters
of St. Athanasius, is brought to bear upon them.
'* Yours sincerely, Henry G. Williams."
CRITICAL NOTICES.
14 A volume to be recommended for its own intrinsic merit ; and as the earnest,
we hope, of future labours in the same rich but hitherto much neglected field of
literature."— 77,. Guardian.
" Many of the hymns are really heautifuL We have no doubt that the book
Will be eagerly read for the light which it throws on B species of literature which
BBUSt be Interesting to every Christian. Dr. BurgeSS has conferred ■ great bene-
fit on his countrymen ; he has added an important acquisition to literature, and
we hope, nay, we have little doubt, that he will be well rewarded for his great
services."' — The Standard.
"Dr. Burgess has devoted himself, apparently amid many difficulties, to a de-
partment of literature in which he has few companions. His hook is a real con-
tribution to our knowledge of the Christian life and literature of the Hast in the
fourth century; p resen ted, too, in a manner well fitted even for popular reading.''
— North British Review.
•• The beautiful volume which Dr. Burgess has just given OS will he hailed as a
treasure alike by those interested in the stores of Syriac learning, ami by those
who desire to Investigate the history of the early church.'
u We have but little doubt that the reception of this work by the public will
induce Dr. Bu rgeSS to hasten the publication of his intended 'translation of the
poetical piece by Kphraem, entitled, The fit i" ntance (if ffinmrtth" TSll jfiimiwj
" Dr. Burgess has done ■ good work in the translation oftheSS hymns, and lias
done it well. The Introduction contains a learned dissertation concerning the
Syrian Church and the structure of its hymns. The homilies are \eiy pleasing
compositions."- I Theologian.
"We present OUT cordial thanks to Dr. Burgess for the fruit of his learning
and good taste which this volume places before us."— The Jiritish Quart' rlj
(Copy of a Ciucii.ah .
Blackburn,
November let, I
Dear Sir,
I take the liberty of calling your attention to the ' Journal
of Sacred Literature,' to the Editorship of which I have succeeded,
on the retirement of Dr. Kitto, by whom it was originated and suc-
cessfully conducted. Such an organ of information on Biblical subjects
vas certainly needed, and becomes every year more important. But as
the Journal can only continue to occupy its ground, as the sole publi-
cation of the kind in England, by a generous patronage on the part of
the public, I venture to express a hope that you may be disposed, di-
rectly or by your influence, to afford it your aid.
The following extracts from my Address in the October Number will
best put you in possessioji of the principles on which I propose to dis-
charge my duty : —
" Generally, then, the department of our lahours may he defined as
contained in an orhit having the Bihle for its centre, in distinction from
those spheres of religious literature which revolve around the Church,
whether considered in the aggregate or in its individual portions. "What-
ever may tend to the interpretation or illustration of the Holy Scriptures
is what we wish to gather from every availahle source, and to place on
record. Whatever can restore or confirm the integrity of the sacred
text, reconcile its apparent discrepancies, or elucidate its statements,
constitutes the proper material to he gathered up and preserved in a
Journal like this ; and it must be confessed that the area thus proposed
is sufficiently extensive to allow no room for regret that the restriction
mentioned is deemed necessary. The field certainly is ample enough
for all the labourers who may be disposed to till it, and the soil is con-
fessedly so fruitful that we need entertain no doubt of being able to
reap an abundant harvest. * * * *
" We shall feel it incumbent on us on no account to admit anything
that would unsettle the faith of our readers in what is understood to be
orthodox in this enlarged sense. Our literature will not be intended to
undermine the foundations of the temple we have referred to, but rather
to give them greater subjective firmness; not to bring a cloud over the
magnificent scenery to which we have likened divine revelation, but
rather to remove any mists which may hang over it, and bring even its
latent beauties into greater prominence. * *
" We appeal therefore to all who may read this address to do some-
thing to enlarge its circulation, and thus add to its usefulness. Nopaini
shall lie spared on our part to make it subserve the interests of true re-
ligion and piety, to make it a blessing to the Church and the world.
May He without whom nothing is wise or holy, direct our minds into
the truth by His Holy Spirit, that all we do may tend to the glory of
His great name !"
/ trust the information thus communicated will be sufficient to enable
yon I o judge of the claims of the ivork.
I am, dear Sir, unn rs faithfully,
Henri Burgess, Ph.D.,
'burn.
The Journal is published Quarterly, price 5a .by ROBERTS. Blackader,
13, Paternoster Row.
THE OL]
THE AU 7
. divided into paragraphia
several Books, and with Maps and
History and Geography of the Holy
most remarkahle variations of the Antienl
bidts of Modern Criti"S
To be completed in about Fifteen Part^
Pts.L&II. containing GENESIS, EXODUS"
Price 3*. Gd. each sewed, bs. cloth, gilt edycl
■■ Even this ample title-page doe9 not, however, point out the many
towards a better understanding of the Won of God, which, by improvemest
it- division and typographical arrangement, an- here furnished for the use off]
-indent, and which has this great recommendation, that it is no endesYom*
t>> furnisli a new translation, hnt only an attempt to turn our noble Authorized
•.ccount." — Notes ""'l '.'•'■ rim, -May U, 186 ; .
"Followed up with considerable ability aud in a proper spirit." — Standard,
'• This new edition of the English Bible, dedicated to Queen Victoria, is a very
handsome, and bids fair to be a very useful one. The division into paragraphs
is excellent, and in accordance with the best results of modern criticism: the
margina] notes and references are brief, judicious, and to the purpose." — Iliblio-
Y'>rk.)
" The parallel passages, the most important of which are given at length in
the margin, will greatly assist the reader In seizing at once the idea of tl.
penman, while the chronological, historical, and geographical notes, with the
most remarfcahle variations of the ancient versions and the chief results of
modem criticism, give a completeness to the work that leaves nothing to be
desired.
! uable accession to Biblical literature." — Church of England Mayaziiw,
June.
•• ( toe of the most valuable of its kind that has come under our notice for some
time pr-t." — Mi n %Q .!■'•-• •• . May 17. 1853.
"we can most cordially express our admiration of the good taste and sound
judgment which this edition of the Bcriptares evinces"— r/,,,,-,7
.June.
have received a very favourable impression of the work bom the part
before us, especially from the manner in which the editor has performed his tu-k
in the notes attached to the book."— Witnmt, May 18.
*• Prom the specimen now before us, embracing the book of Genesis, we antici-
pate for this edition of the Sailed Volume an acceptance with all classes. It has
the highest and best-merited claims to it."— | ue.
ikes us as one of the most valuable characteristics of the - English
Bible.' that the I are collated. BO that at a
Single glance, we may see how th. .<■ tis was understood by the earlv
translators into Chald.e, Samaritan, Syriac, tin- Vulgate, Arabic. Pento, and
Ethiopia This gives the wealth of Polygli I
"This Is the first part of the Chronological Old Testament on a considerably
improved plan. The manner in which it is carried out thus far. shews that the
work is in the hands of an editor who is learned, diligent, and judicious." —
■We can speak in the highest terms of thfl manner in which the I
containing the whole is turned out"-
r ROSS; or, THE SENSE
KDONMENT.
ng, M.A., F.R.S., Perpetual Curate of
inity, St. Pancras.
No. II.
2 DEATH OF PEACE.
By the same Author.
No. III.
3 OF PAIN AND SICKNESS.
By the same Author.
In royal 32mo., price 4d. each,
Parts I., II., III., comprising the WINTER SERIES, for November,
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THE TREE OF LIFE,
Bearing Twelve Manner of Fruits, and yielding its Fruit every Month.
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€\)t Clirniioliigirnl linu C-rstnmrnt.
" A most praiseworthy attempt. AVe shall ho glad to find that this work meets
with the patronage it deserves. — Notes and Queries. No. OV.
" An excellent edition." — ArnoldCs Theological Orttic
'• Evidently the work of a Christian and a scholar."- -Literary Gfasette,
"All the arrangements are carried nut so as neither to distract the eye with
variety, nor offend it with novelty."— Srottish Guardian.
•• The selection of parallel passages is admirably made." — Guardian.
" Tends greatly to facilitate the reading of the sacred page with instruction and
delight." Evangelical < 'hristt mlom.
■• We Commend the work most heartily; its design Ul admirable, and no pains
have been spared to carry it oat."— Scottish JVsat.
"There has no work appeared in these times n, ion the New Testament that we
are disposed more sincerely and heartil> to recommend."— Evangelical Magazine.
■■ Executed with care and Judgment." ■'■■>! nal ../ s,,,->,,i Literatur .
I'lliJr)
FUL HOI
Work*. The »i!
etmtideration by the*
itself, and sufficiently si
most bust/, while the inttttT)
peated perusal.
The Preliminary Treats
HUMAN HAPPINESS*
By C. B. Adderley, Esq.
18rao., cloth, gilt edges, Is. Gd., or Is?
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THE GRAND DISCOVERY; or, THE FA r
HOOD OF GOD,
By the Rev. George Gilfillan, Dundee.
Cloth, gilt edges, Is. 6d., or Is. sewed.
THE HOLY BIBLE; ITS ONENESS OF MIND,
AND ONENESS OF DESIGN.
By the Rev. David Laing, A.M., F.R.S., Perpetual Curate of
Trinity, St. Pancras.
In the press,
EMINENT PERSONAL RELIGION, THE WANT
OF THE TIMES,
An address to Professing Christians. By the Rev. Henry
Burgess, Ph.D.
In royal 8vo., half calf, lettered, price 21s.,
A NEW HARMONY AND EXPOSITION OF
(T'ljC §m$t\n.
Consisting of a parallel and combined arrangement, on a new plan, of
the First Period of the Gospel History. With a Commentary, Notes,
and Dissertations. Illustrated by maps and dated engravinj
By JAMES STRONG, M.A., Flushing, U.S.
History of the
Tlave Trade.
| Jr of " The Life of Sir Christopher
ike, &c.
remain of the FORMER SERIES of
THE
EiL OF SACRED LITERATURE,
Seven Volumes, 8vo., price £2 2s. cloth lettered.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE PRINCIPAL CONTENTS :
'61. I. — Acpiinas, Chrysostora. Mohammed, Milton. Azazel. Death,
Anthropomorphism, Poetry, Rationalism, Free Inquiry, Meats,
Metres, Resurrection of the Saints, Trees. Amos, Ezekiel, Job,
Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Song of Songs.
Vol. II. — Matthew Henry, Francis Quarles. The Burning of the
World. Christianity in Germany, Old Testament Citations, The
Youth of David, Elohim, Metals, The East, The Christian Sabbath,
The Septuagint, Misapplication of Scripture. Genesis xiv., The
First Periods of Genesis, The Gospel of St. John.
Vol. III. — Calvin, Pascal, Wesley, Ulphilas. Alleged Discrepancy
betsveen Paul and James, The Days of Creation. Customs illustra-
tive of the Bible, The Logos, Fine Art among the Jews, Mustard
Tree of Scripture, ' That it might be fulfilled.' Colossians, Mat-
thew and Luke's Genealogies, Miracle of Joshua.
Vol. IV. — Eustathius. Chronology of the Kings of Israel, Demoniacal
Possession, Hyssop. Biblical Criticism. Genius of Christianity,
Tense of the Hebrew verb, Tischendorf's Greek Testament. Isaiah,
Genesis iv. 7, Joshua, St. Luke.
y ( ,l v. — Josephus, Justin Martyr, Theobald Thanicr. Baptism fur
the Dead, Antar. The Creation, Peter's Residence at Rome, The
Separate State.
Vol. VI. — Apocalyptic Literature, Harmony of the Gospels, The Re-
surrection, Genesis and Geology, Letter and Spirit of the Old Tes-
tament. Literal Interpretation of Prophecy, Poetical Legends of
the Talmud, Scripture Parallelisms, Providence of God.
Vol. VII. — Calvin, the Jansenists. Bards of the Bible, Egypt, Ex-
ploration of the Jordan, Inspiration, Nineveh, Our Lord's Dis-
courses, The Septuagint, Human Progression. Acts, Words which
Paul heard in Paradise, Daimoniac Possessions, 1 Cor. vii. 25,
Parallelistic Poetry.