Section XXXIV.

[1] ²³¹⁵Matt. xxii. 15; Luke xx. 20b.Then went the Pharisees and considered how they might ensnare him in a word, [2] and deliver him into the power of the judge,²³¹⁶Vat. ms. omits the power. We should then translate (with Pesh. and Sin.) unto judgement. and into the power of the ruler. ²³¹⁷Matt. xxii. 16.And they sent unto him their disciples, with the kinsfolk of Herod; and they said unto him, [Arabic, p. 129] Teacher, we know that thou speakest the truth, and teachest the way of God with equity,²³¹⁸See note, § 3, 53. and art not lifted up²³¹⁹Possibly this is the meaning of the Arabic phrase, which occurs also in Ibn-at-Tayyib’s Commentary (Brit. Mus. text). by any man: for thou actest not so as to [3] be seen of any man. ²³²⁰Matt. xxii. 17.Tell us now, What is thy opinion? Is it lawful that we should [4] pay the tribute to Cæsar, or not? shall we give, or shall we not give? ²³²¹Mark xii. 15a.But Jesus knew [5] their deceit, and said unto them, ²³²²Matt. xxii. 18b; Matt. xxii. 19.Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the [6] penny of the tribute. ²³²³Matt. xxii. 20.So they brought unto him a penny. Jesus said unto them, To whom belongeth this image and inscription? They said unto him, To Cæsar. [7, 8] ²³²⁴Matt. xxii. 21.He said unto them, Give what is Cæsar’s to Cæsar, and what is God’s to God. ²³²⁵Luke xx. 26.And they could not make him slip in a single word before the people; and they marvelled at his word, and refrained.

[9] ²³²⁶Matt. xxii. 23.And on that day came the Sadducees, and said unto him,²³²⁷cf. the Syriac versions. There is no life for [10] the dead. ²³²⁸Matt. xxii. 24.And they asked him, and said unto him, Teacher, Moses said unto us, If a man die, not having children, let his brother take his wife, and raise up seed [11] for his brother. ²³²⁹Matt. xxii. 25; Luke xx. 29b.Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first took a wife, [12] and died without children; ²³³⁰Luke xx. 30.and the second took his wife, and died without children; [13] ²³³¹Luke xx. 31.and the third also took her; and in like manner the seven of them also, and they [14, 15] died without leaving children. ²³³²Matt. xxii. 27.And last of them all the woman died also. ²³³³Matt. xxii. 28.At the resurrection, then, which of these seven shall have this woman? for all of them took [16] her. ²³³⁴Matt. xxii. 29a; Mark xii. 24b.Jesus answered and said unto them, Is it not for this that ye have erred, [17] because ye know not the scriptures, nor the power of God? ²³³⁵Luke xx. 34b.And the sons of this [18] world take wives, and the women become the men’s;²³³⁶cf. the Syriac versions. ²³³⁷Luke xx. 35.but those that have become worthy of that world, and the resurrection from among the dead, do²³³⁸Or, shall. not take [19] [Arabic, p. 130] wives, and the women also do²³³⁹Or, shall. not become the men’s. ²³⁴⁰Luke xx. 36.Nor is it possible that they should die; but they²³⁴¹Borg. ms., all of them instead of but they. are like the angels, and are the children of [20] God, because they have become the children of the resurrection. ²³⁴²Matt. xxii. 30a; Mark xii. 26b.For in²³⁴³Or, Moreover, regarding. the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read in the book of Moses, how from the bush God said unto him, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? [21] ²³⁴⁴Luke xx. 38; Mark xii. 27b.And God is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all of them are alive with him. And ye have erred greatly.

[22, 23] ²³⁴⁵Matt. xxii. 33.And when the multitudes heard, they were wondering at his teaching. ²³⁴⁶Luke xx. 39.And [24] some of the scribes answered and said unto him, Teacher, thou hast well said. ²³⁴⁷Matt. xxii. 34.But the rest of the Pharisees, when they saw his silencing the Sadducees on this point, gathered against him to contend with him.

[25] ²³⁴⁸Matt. xxii. 35a; Mark xii. 28b.And one of the scribes, of those that knew the law, when he saw the excellence [26] of his answer to them, desired to try him, and said unto him, ²³⁴⁹Luke x. 25b.What shall I do to inherit eternal life? and, ²³⁵⁰Mark xii. 28b.Which of the commandments is greater, and has precedence [27] in the law? ²³⁵¹Mark xii. 29.Jesus said unto him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O [28] Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: ²³⁵²Mark xii. 30a; Matt. xxii. 37b [rather, Mark xii. 30b.].and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy thought, and with all thy [29, 30] strength. ²³⁵³Matt. xxii. 38.This is the great and preëminent²³⁵⁴This simply represents first in Syriac. commandment. ²³⁵⁵Mark xii. 31.And the second, which is like it, is, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. And another commandment [31] greater than these two there is not. ²³⁵⁶Matt. xxii. 40.On these two commandments, then, are hung the [32] [Arabic, p. 131] law and the prophets. ²³⁵⁷Mark xii. 32.That scribe said unto him, Excellent! my Master;²³⁵⁸Vat. ms. has a corruption of Excellent! Rabbi, better preserved by Borg. ms., which, however, adds our translator’s ordinary rendering of Rabbi—my Master. This explanation is confirmed by Ibn-at-Tayyib’s Commentary. Ciasca’s emended text cannot be right. thou hast said truly that he is one, and there is no other outside of him: [33] ²³⁵⁹Mark xii. 33.and that a man should love him with all his heart, and with all his thought, and with all his soul, and with all his strength, and that he should love his neighbour as [34] himself, is better than all savours and sacrifices. ²³⁶⁰Mark xii. 34a.And Jesus saw him that he had answered wisely; and he answered and said unto him, Thou art not far from the [35, 36] kingdom of God. ²³⁶¹Luke x. 28b.Thou hast spoken rightly: do this, and thou shalt live. ²³⁶²Luke x. 29.And he, as his desire was to justify himself, said unto him, And who is my neighbour? [37] ²³⁶³Luke x. 30.Jesus said unto him, A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and the robbers fell upon him, and stripped²³⁶⁴The diacritical point over the third radical must be removed. him, and beat him, his life remaining in him but little,²³⁶⁵cf. Peshitta. [38] and went away. ²³⁶⁶Luke x. 31.And it happened that there came down a certain priest that way; [39] and he saw him, and passed by. ²³⁶⁷Luke x. 32.And likewise a Levite also came and reached [40] that place, and saw him, and passed by. ²³⁶⁸Luke x. 33.And a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, [41] came to²³⁶⁹Ciasca’s Arabic text (apparently following Borg. ms.) has till he before came. This is unsupported by any of the three Syriac texts, although they differ from one another. Perhaps till and came should be transposed. The translation would then be as given in the text above; but this rendering may also be obtained according to § 54, 1, note. the place where he was, and saw him, and had compassion on him, ²³⁷⁰Luke x. 34.and came near, and bound up his strokes,²³⁷¹The Syriac word used means both wounds and strokes. and poured on them wine and oil; and he set²³⁷²The Arabic word is a favourite of the translator’s, and may therefore be original. One cannot help thinking, however, that it is a clerical error for mounted (cf. Cur. and Sin.). him on the ass, and brought him to the inn, and expended his care upon him. [42] ²³⁷³Luke x. 35.And on the morrow of that day he took out two pence, and gave them to the innkeeper, and said unto him, Care for him; and if thou spendest upon him more, [43] when I return, I shall give thee. ²³⁷⁴Luke x. 36.Who of these three now, thinkest thou, is nearest [44] to him that fell among the robbers? ²³⁷⁵Luke x. 37.And he said unto him, He that had compassion [45] [Arabic, p. 132] on him. ²³⁷⁶Mark xii. 34b.Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou also likewise. And no man dared afterwards to ask him anything.

[46] ²³⁷⁷Luke xix. 47.And he was teaching every day in the temple. But the chief priests and scribes and the elders of the people sought to destroy him: ²³⁷⁸Luke xix. 48.and they could²³⁷⁹In Syriac could and found are represented by the same word. The Arabic translator has chosen the wrong one. not find what [47] they should do with him; and all the people were hanging upon him to hear him. [48] ²³⁸⁰John vii. 31.And many of the multitude believed on him, and said, The Messiah, when he [49] cometh, can it be that he will do more than these signs that this man doeth? ²³⁸¹John vii. 32.And the Pharisees heard the multitudes say that of him; and the chief priests sent [50] officers²³⁸²See note, § 11, 11. to seize him. ²³⁸³John vii. 33.And Jesus said unto them, I am with you but a short time [51] yet, and I go to him that sent me. ²³⁸⁴John vii. 34.And ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: [52] and where I shall be, ye shall not be able to come. ²³⁸⁵John vii. 35.The Jews said within themselves, Whither hath this man determined to go that we shall not be able²³⁸⁶See note above, on § 34, 46. to find him? can it be that he is determined to go to the regions of the nations,²³⁸⁷i.e., Gentiles. and teach [53] the heathen? ²³⁸⁸John vii. 36.What is this word that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, ye cannot come?